The Duchess of Kokora, Phera Ylir Mdana, has entered the marriage games of the neighboring kingdom of Ryene. But she’s not there to woo the dashing Prince Dominic.

Her true objective? To win back one of the other contestants, Lady Rocelle Virae—Phera’s true love and ex-fiancee.

Love proves to be a game like any other when Phera must not only mend matters with her childhood sweetheart, but conceal her true intentions in order to earn votes and stay in the competition.

And as long-brewing political tensions simmer beneath the surface, the playful veneer of the competition begins to crack. In the end, Phera, Dominic, and Rocelle find themselves united in a desperate bid to prevent a duel that threatens the integrity of the kingdom, the stability of the continent, and any hope for a happily ever after.

Author Q&A

What made you want to write this book? 

I had just finished an epic sci-fi fantasy manuscript that was pretty heavy in tone. I liked it, and I do plan on taking it somewhere eventually, but I really needed a break from that style. 

So I started thinking about writing something  that was just… fun? 

And yeah! The Duchess of Kokora really did begin as an exercise in just having fun with writing. But along the way, I found myself really engaged by the characters, the world building, the themes, so I decided to continue editing past the first draft and really refine it. And now we’re here! 

How is queerness depicted or explored in the novel? Has that changed at all between your drafts? 

Queer identities are totally normalized in this setting! Rynish society even has a pretty well developed culture around surrogacy, which makes political marriages between same sex heirs a viable and sometimes optimal tactic. It’s only a problem if you try dating another contestant during the game because the voters don’t like it when one player actively doesn’t care about winning. 

Having a queer relationship at the center of this romance setting also really helps make common tropes quite a bit more original. I didn’t anticipate that when I started writing, but over time that pattern became apparent.

In my first drafts, queer identities were forbidden in Rynish courtship, but I realized quickly that that was not only unnecessary but actively soured the tension and overall flow of the narrative. So I ditched that idea, and it was one of the best decisions I made for the story. 

Do you have any other projects that you’re working on? 

I do! I’ve got a Pratchettesque urban fantasy existentialist comedy (say that three times fast!)  in the works. I’m also working on the sequel to this book. And I’ve got another story I want to come back to about a human princess who lets herself get kidnapped by dragons because she’s their world’s first sociologist and wants to study them for her book, and the nearby lord of monsters has to step in as a hostage negotiator. 

I also might go back to my epic sci fi novel. And I’m toying with the idea of releasing some short stories and vignettes set in the world of The Duchess of Kokora as well as my other work as a sort of teaser for the projects I’ve got in motion.

Where can readers go to find more about you and your work?

The best place to go for updates will be my socials: @nprabala on Instagram and TikTok. 

My website will also be a good landing page for finding my stuff as I continue with my career: https://www.nikhilprabala.com/

And check out the Goodreads for The Duchess of Kokora! Please do drop a review if you’ve read the book: 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/213920072-the-duchess-of-kokora

This is a sponsored post. For more information, check out the Lesbrary’s advertisement options.

To celebrate the release of Fit for the Gods, co-editor Jenn Northington is giving away ten copies.

There are so many retellings of Greco-Roman mythology out there—and now there are 15 more! For all the other fans who cannot get enough and are always hoping to see new takes and new identities on the page, and new authors playing fast and loose with one of the most well-known mythologies in the world, Fit For the Gods: Greek Mythology Reimagined is an anthology of gender-bent, queered, race-bent, and inclusive retellings. 

Co-edited by Jenn Northington and S. Zainab Williams, who grew up on these stories and are always ready for more, the anthology includes short fiction from across genres by authors including Zeyn Joukhadar, Sarah Gailey, Mia P. Manansala, and Alyssa Cole. Want a non-binary Odysseus in space, or a lesbian Aeneas of Kumeyaay descent? How about a trans Tiresias in Italy, or a Blind pansexual, polyamorous Aphrodite? All these and more await you! 

Northington will choose ten winners from her list of TinyLetter subscribers on September 21st using a random number generator.

Subscribe by midnight EST on September 20th to be eligible. Are you already subscribed? Perfect! You’re automatically entered into the drawing. Subscribers receive emails when she remembers to send one, which is currently less than five times per year.

Subscribe here to enter to win one of ten copies of Fit for the Gods!

This is a sponsored post. For more information, check out the Lesbrary’s advertisement options.

To celebrate the release of Fire, Water, and Rock, Alaina Erdell is giving away three signed copies.

When budding geologist Jessica Sterling arrives to work on her thesis while camping in Washington’s Dry Falls State Park for the summer, she shatters park ranger Clare DeVere’s hope for an uneventful season.

Read more about this age-gap, contemporary sapphic romance here.

Alaina will choose three winners from her list of newsletter subscribers on January 1st using a random number generator.

Subscribe by midnight EST on December 31st to be eligible. Are you already subscribed? Perfect! You’re automatically entered into the drawing. Subscribers receive less than ten emails per year.

Subscribe here.