I feel like this had so much potential, but ultimately felt short. The moral heart of the story was very simple and wasn’t explored with any sort of nuance, it was very black and white. Poppy was such a weak main character, despite her power and her role in the community and I found that I didn’t care whether or not she achieved her goal. The world building was mediocre. It wasn’t super heavy in regards to setting so there wasn’t info dumping, but there were so many places that could've been explored more and I finished feeling unsatisfied with the world building, magic system and character arcs.

To Bargain With Mortals is a South Asian fantasy that centers on Poppy Sutherland, a young woman adopted by a colonial viceroy, who struggles to find her place between the Welkish colonizer society she's been raised into and the colonized Virian community she was ‘saved’ from.

While R.A. Basu tackles such themes as colonialism and racism she maintained a very surface level discussion of the issues. While it may initially seem under developed I feel this was done intentionally to allow the commentary to mature along with the maturing of the characters, who were initially naive and unaware of their own subconscious biases and harmful actions.

While the plot is predictable, the magic system was intriguing and provided a rich world building and history of the gods. One of my favorite moments was the telling of the stories through song providing a connection to the gods and their magic.

I personally did not feel connected to our main POV of Poppy , she seemed very impersonal, entitled and a bit annoying and her thoughts were quite repetitive and selfish however this also lends to her character showing growth by the end of the book. I personally preferred the perspective of Hasan and the gang as they also struggle with their own history of harmful behavior and racist tendencies but we see each member of the Devar family questioning their own flaws, whether in a mature positive way or in a way to intended to further their personal agenda and leading down the wrong path I’m sure will be expanded on in the sequel and I look forward to following along on the journey to overthrowing a bigoted government and working towards a flourishing Viryana.

DNF at 20%.

I think there's an audience that will enjoy this book, but I'm not that audience. It's a fantasy take on British colonialism in India, which is an interesting concept. However, the execution is lacking in depth and subtlety. The characters are a bit skin deep in their motivations, whether for good or bad.

The story tells the POV of the two main characters, Poppy, the orphan project of a powerful British-coded aristocrat who hates the whole system but still wants to be part of it, and Hasan, the monster with a heart of gold.

The whole setting was a little confusing as it was so clearly set on British colonialism in India. But parts of it felt very 1800s while others felt much more modern, as cars and telephones exist.

Probably the most interesting part for me was Poppy, who had some complexity in knowing the system stunk but feeling like her only chance was to embrace it and climb to the top.

Poppy Sutherland, an orphan adopted by the Viceroy of Viryana, strives to make her adoptive parents proud and adhere to their beliefs. At her private school, she faces ridicule for her appearance, being a native of Viryana and not part of the upper social class. Determined to secure her place in society, she plans to get engaged. However, on the night of her engagement party, she uncovers her fiancé's true feelings, prompting her to embark on a journey of self-discovery and heritage exploration. This story is captivating, and I highly recommend it!

WOW. Incredible!!! 4.5 stars. I started it at 3pm and finished it at 11:30pm, I think I went once to the bathroom! I sat down and didn’t get up until I finished it.
I’m a big big fan of fantasy with bipoc main characters and I adore the way culture & racism are explored in these books, and To Bargain With Mortals did not disappoint. We saw Poppy go through so much, the character developpement was amazing, so was the world building!

Two quotes stayed with me:
"But just because you didn’t have it easy doesn’t mean that you didn’t have it easier than the vast majority"
"Surviving in a racist society was an act of resistance in and of itself"

I cannot wait for that book to be published so that everyone can admire R.A. Basu talent and enjoy the novel she wrote. I also cannot wait for the second book, even though I know I will have to wait a long time. I can’t wait to learn more about what Poppy and her friends will do in the future!!

To Bargain With Mortals started off slow, but once I got into the story, I couldn’t put it down! I loved the world building, the cultural aspects, and the unique magic system. Often times, it felt like I was reading a magical historical fiction, which I loved!
The book is more plot driven than romance driven, which is not a bad thing! I enjoy a little bit of both in my books and the plot was definitely there! I can’t wait to see what happens in book 2!

The world building in the book was incredibly interesting and it felt like it took on quite a few contemporary issues in the world in a well done way. The characters were strong with fantastic writing.

I'll be honest I did struggle a little with this book - the world building was really good but I think I would pick up a physical copy because I definitely need a map

I gave this book 4.5 stars on Storygraph but since there's only full star options here, I am rounding it up to 5.

I greatly enjoyed this book. The world building was interesting, I enjoyed the characters and I found it grappled with difficult real-life topics like colonialism and it's impacts in a really meaningful and engaging way. I also liked that part of the book gave regency-era vibes in some ways and felt at times like it was a magical historical fiction.

I will definitely be getting a physical copy for my shelf when it comes out and will be reading the sequel!

Poppy Sutherland has struggled to find her place in the world since she was adopted as a young child. Her skin color makes her an outsider to those who colonized her land, but her father's position as Viceroy ensured she's separated from her culture. After learning her fiancé's true feelings, Poppy is forced to ally with a man who embodies everything she was taught to hate.

I absolutely loved this!!! Basu does such a fantastic job creating interesting characters that are compelling and easy to root for. I love the magic, I love a main character with power and unknown origins, and I'm so excited to see how the series ends! I love The Jackal, and I cannot wait for more of him!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bindery Books for the eARC! Projected publishing date: October 28th, 2025

I have such mixed feelings about this. I want to like it, but I'm not sure I do.
It has a lot of potential, but it's just not all the way there for me and I'll try my best to comprehensively express why.
On one hand, I do really like the historical setting. However the addition of modern technology is honestly just an odd choice that sort of prevented me as a reader from fully immersing myself in the world. I understand what this choice was aiming at, and I can't really put my finger on what it is that makes It clash so much, because it could have been a cool concept - but in this book it feels a bit unnatural, and it disturbs the balance, sort of?

I'm also a bit disappointed in the magic system, which sounds really cool but is not explored nearly enough in the book.

The book is fast paced and I burned through it fairly quickly but thinking about it, that might have more to do with the fact that it reads very YA to me, rather than me being so taken by the story.

I did really enjoy the fact that this story tackles some very important themes relating to colonialism, assimilation, privilege and being "the good immigrant". RA Basu does a good job at including perspectives of "in-betweeness", which gives the FMC a bit more depth. I do think that this can and should be further developed in upcoming books in the series, since there is a lot more to unpack on the subject.

Overall, it wasn't a homerun, but I am looking forward to seeing where the story goes and will be reading the next one.

Thank you to Skies Press and Bindery Books as well as NetGalley for giving me this ARC to read.

Many thanks to Bindery and Netgalley for sharing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

To Bargain with Mortal was an impressive debut. I enjoyed many aspects of the book. The magic system was novel to me, and I appreciated that none of the characters were just good or bad.

Poppy, the female lead, is an imperfect main character. In another review, someone described her perfectly as so ruled by self-pity that she does not recognise her own privilege. This sometimes makes it difficult to fully connect with her, but also incredibly realistic. Many of us have fallen victim to not recognising our own privilege, I believe. Her difficult position, having grown up as part of the oppressor's elite, while never really belonging because of her heritage, is incredibly well described and a key aspect of her character, driving her decisions and hopes for the future.

Hasan, the male lead, is also not really a hero. His motivation to be part of a rebellion is very much driven by personal reasons, and his go-to answer to conflict is usually violence. Throughout the book, he starts to realise that, while violence sometimes helps to solve an immediate issue, a long-term improvement of his people's situation must be driven by diplomacy.

The commentary on colonialism, politics and religion was poignant and is a key aspect of the book. At times, it did not feel like a fantasy novel at all, to be honest. So, while the magic system is interesting, it did not really feel like an integral part of the story. The magic came in handy a couple of times, but did not really drive the story forward. To be honest, it often felt like it wasn't all that relevant. I am curious to see how this will be further developed in the next book.

ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Being fully honest I've been struggling to get into this book when I first started reading it, but it gripped me at some point and I couldn't put it down. I truly loved this book! It has all the hallmarks of great fantasy: a unique magic system, a powerful yet underestimated female lead, a fiery but principled male lead, and a people ready to resist centuries of colonial oppression.

What stood out most was the moral complexity. No side is flawless, even the Virians grapple with their own history of discrimination and exploitation before the white colonizers arrived. To unite and drive change, they must confront and overcome their own flaws.

The character growth was another highlight. Initially, Poppy is consumed by fear and self-pity, blind to her privilege and fixated on her own struggles. Through new encounters, listening to others’ stories, and discovering the roots of her powers, she transforms. Similarly, Hasan evolves from a hot-headed gangster who defaults to violence into someone who embraces diplomacy and selflessly serves his people. Their development was a joy to witness!

To Bargain with Mortals follows Poppy, who’s stuck balancing two completely different worlds—high society and her native people. The stakes are solid, the plot moves quick, and there are enough twists to keep you flipping pages. It’s fun but still has emotional weight.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.25 rounded up.

Thank y0u NetGalley and Skies Publishing for an eARC of this stunningly gripping story.

To Bargain With Mortals is such an excellent story regarding social commentary on politics, casteism, racism, classism, sexism, etc. Poppy is a fascinating main character, and I found it really intriguing to view the world through her eyes. I think it's an important story to read, especially with the current climate. I found it especially important, as a white person, to read the POV of someone who isn't and step into their shoes. I really enjoyed the magic and political structure/nature of the story. There was zero romance, and that's ok! I think it would have taken away from the messaging of the book. I'm curious to see how things evolve in the second book and cannot wait. I felt like I couldn't put this book down and just wanted to keep reading what happens next.

*Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book for review, all opinions are my own *

4.5 stars

I didn’t expect anything from this book, and I ended up loving it.
I was honestly surprised by how much the story hooked me—I read it in just two days because I couldn’t put it down.
The format was amazing: it moves quickly from scene to scene, always switching between characters’ points of view, which kept things dynamic and never boring.
I really liked the world-building, the way magic was introduced, and especially how the story wove in cultural elements.
That was one of the most interesting parts. The characters were great, and the political conflicts added real depth to the plot.
I’ll admit I docked a tiny bit off my rating because I expected a bit more romance—there are just crumbs—but it didn’t take away from how much I enjoyed the story.
This book wraps up one major plot, but leaves plenty of threads for the next one, and I’m super curious to see where the author takes it.
The writing style is smooth, the world and characters are engaging, and I absolutely recommend it.
If you’re into fast-paced, surprising fantasy stories with a fresh setting and no romance, this book is for you.
It has cliches, yes, but the world and culture make it stand out in the best way.

Thanks Net Gallery and Bindery Books for the ARC! I LOVED this book so so much, it was exactly the kind of read I needed. I flew through it and couldn’t put it down. I wished there was more magical/fantasy elements, but hoping that comes in books to follow! Loved reading about Poppy, the politics, different class systems and the different family relationships. Great book

It is always so refreshing reading a book that normalizes other cultures than those we are used to in fantasy. Even if it's a fake world, the casual reference to something besides old English culture is cool.

I will say, my one knick pick is that I had a hard time wrapping my head around the time period it was set in. Society felt right out of the 1800s but then they had cars and cameras and what sounded like a very modern society with guns and police lights. Not a bad thing, just something that kept taking me out of the story.

I think my favorite thing about the book is the layers. You have the privileges of the white colonialists...but then also the prejudice and privilege of those that came before and how everyone was forced to reevaluate what they knew. I also like that power was important...but it isn't what wins the day for Poppy. Her spirit, compassion and cleverness is what gets her what she wants.

Overall fantastic story and I am so upset I'm going to have to wait ages for a second book.

Loosely based on the colonisation of India, this had a really cool and promising premise. But sadly, the characters didn’t quite land for me, and the plot kind of dragged along. I also found myself wanting more from the world and the magic system—it felt like there was a lot of potential there that wasn’t fully explored. Honestly, the magic didn’t feel all that necessary and didn’t add much to the story in the end.

2.75 stars.

An amazing story of overcoming prejudice and learning how to connect with ourselves and our roots, wrapped in a fantasy world based on the colonization of India. Full of rich, complex characters, all with their own pasts, hardships, and prejudices to work through. A must-read for any young person learning about colonization and it's long term effects. This story strikes a perfect balance, highlighting the flaws and prejudices existing in all societies, without stripping any one group of their humanity.

I really enjoyed this book. The plot is gripping and the overall world building is great.

For the main characters, Hasan is a great character and I loved the intricacies of the relationships between the Devar Brothers some of it felt contrived but it mostly felt like brothers being brothers (and being slightly dumb). I found Poppy a bit harder to get on with. She was a great character and it was great to see her personal journey. However, I found her inner monologue trifling at times.

There were a few points in this book where I felt like the story dragged slightly. Some of the plots felt unnecessary. There were points where it felt as if a certain plot was going to lead the the final stretch. However, the plan involved in that plot was soon changed and it felt like there were a few too many side plans trying to come together. I do wish we had learnt more about the gods, hopefully these will be expanded on in the next book as Poppy grows into her ‘new’ powers.

I’m so excited to see where Poppy and Hasan’s stories go in the next book!

Thanks to NetGalley and R. A. Basu for the eArc and allowing me to review this. 4.25 stars.