To Bargain with Mortals is a political fantasy novel. It is well written and has a good plot, but I'm giving it a 3 star rating because the conflicts seemed to get resolved too fast and the ending felt very rushed. It sets the reader back and disappoints. I really wanted to love this book, but I found myself thinking it's just okay.

Debut novel you say?

3.5 ✨✨

Well this political fantasy was a blast to read! Poppy our main FMC has been adopted by a duke and his wife because they want to show that they can take a Viryana citizen and essential teach them “their ways” aka take her away from her home and make themselves feel better about colonizing and committing genocide. This obviously brings a very complex and oftentimes complicated feelings to Poppy’s world as she starts to unravel all of the harm that has been done to her community.

I had a really great time for the first half of the book! I was locked into Poppy, the gang(Hasan 🤭) and I was ready for that second half. I do think when I got to the second half it almost felt too fast paced, the characters would go through an event and it seemed to be figured out too easily and too quickly.

I think for a debut novel this was good overall and I’m looking forward to the second book!

Thank you to NetGalley & Bindery Books for this ARC!

R.A. Basu’s To Bargain with Mortals is a powerful and thought-provoking debut that delves deep into the complexities of power, privilege, and colonization—all wrapped in a richly imagined world full of magic, politics, and heart.

The story follows two main characters: Poppy, a young woman navigating the privileges of her upbringing and the slow, painful awakening to her heritage and responsibilities; and Hasan, who is trying to preserve his culture, protect his family, and survive in a world where just existing as himself, a brown man with divine powers, can be a death sentence.

I’ll admit, Poppy frustrated me at times, especially in the beginning, but that felt intentional. She starts off blind to her own privilege, but she genuinely wants to do better, to reconnect with her roots, and figure out who she could’ve been. Her emotional journey and inner conflicts felt real and meaningful by the end.
That said, Hasan’s storyline was the one I found myself most drawn to. His stakes were so high, and his growth was incredibly satisfying to watch (though he still has some growing to do at the end of this novel). His bond with his brothers was one of my favorite parts of the book—so sweet and messy and real. I come from a big family myself, and their arguments and love for each other felt so familiar and raw. The characters in general are a true strength of this novel. From Hasan’s brothers and his gang to Poppy’s social circle and complex relationship with her father, everyone feels vivid and distinct.

The romance here is subtle, quiet, and beautifully done. It simmers in the background, never overshadowing the plot but still hitting all the emotional beats. If you love a slow burn (like... painfully slow) where a lingering touch or using someone’s given name feels more intimate than a kiss, you’ll adore it! I hope the second book explores this aspect a little more (yes, I'm a sucker for romance, though this book doesn't necessarily need it).

The world-building is seriously impressive. The magic system is unique and tied beautifully into the culture, lore and religion, with real consequences and limitations to using it. The political aspects are compelling too. This book doesn’t shy away from difficult topics like colonization, classism, colorism and police violence. The way these themes were woven into the characters’ lives—especially through Poppy’s perspective as someone raised by white colonizers—was handled with such care. Watching her reconnect with her people and her faith was genuinely heartwarming!

Now, the beginning is a little slow. There’s a lot of dialogue and quite a few time skips in the first quarter, which made the pacing feel a bit off. Some scenes are heavy on exposition, and I personally wished for a bit more emotional depth and descriptions in the writing style, especially early on, just to set the tone. A few plot points and twists were also pretty predictable, and the ending felt a bit rushed and convenient.

Still, To Bargain with Mortals is a powerful, bold fantasy debut that’s well worth your time. I’ll definitely be picking up the sequel! Highly recommended for readers who love intricate world-building, rich cultural lore, political nuance, deeply human characters, and stories about reclaiming identity and history.

Thank you to Bindery Books and NetGalley for providing me with an AeRC for review purposes! All opinions are my own.

Let me first say that I cannot wait to read the next book in the series! There was nothing I did not love about the story. I found the characters incredibly interesting and well developed. The story itself was beautifully written. The underlying theme or themes of the book are of that which we see all too often in real life. It is a story depicting institutional and societal racism, cultural genocide, manipulation tactics and gaslighting used by those in power to keep people in line, etc. The main character, Poppy Sutherland knows these all too well. As the adoptive daughter the most prominent Welkish family in Viryana, Poppy is not only forced to work twice as hard to be viewed as someone to be respected, but her life is a constant uphill battle of trying to find a place in society that sees her as nothing more than her gender and ethnicity. I don’t want to give much else away so all I will say is buy the book when it comes out. You won’t be disappointed.

Loosely inspired by colonial India, To Bargain with Mortals takes place in the country of Viryana, which has been colonized by Welkland. The FMC, Poppy Sutherland, is a Virian girl who was adopted by the Welkish viceroy as a child. She has some privilege as the viceroy's daughter, but is also subject to the prejudices that the Welkish hold against the Virian people. She's too Virian for the Welkish to accept, and too Welkish for the Varian. The MMC, Hasan (aka the Jackal), is supposed to be a ruthless gang leader, but his hesitant and idealistic nature really didn't sell his intended portrayal. Both characters work to unlearn their own prejudices and challenge their oppressors. They do not have a romantic relationship, but I get the feeling it'll head in that direction in the sequel.

The premise was great, the magic system was intriguing, and the novel explored important topics, but the pacing was off and the character development often felt inauthentic. The setting can be tough to gauge; it feels almost medieval until some modern technology like a car or phone interrupts the vibe. I really enjoyed the first half of the book, but I had to force myself through the middle when Hasan is teaching Poppy about their culture - it draaagged and the characters' personalities just kinda disappeared. The end moved too quickly and the conclusion felt too easy. This book does *not* leave you on a cliffhanger, which I appreciate, but still leaves you wondering what will come.

All that said, this is a debut novel and has a lot of potential! I wonder if some of my more negative opinions here will change once the second half of the duology is released and I can see how the story comes together as a whole.

As has happened to so many indigenous children, Poppy was divorced from her people, her culture, her religion in order that she could be white washed and turned into a proper, model minority with excellent manners and proper beliefs. That isn’t to say her adopted parents were terrible people; they wanted a child and loved Poppy as though she were their own. Their own Wlkesh child. What they did was wrong, but they chose not to know better.

This has left Poppy to be … well, indecisive. She temporizes, prevaricates, dithers and tries to be a good Wilkesh woman. The way she interacts with people, both Virian and Wilkesh has a decidedly Wilkesh flavour, with entitlement and a naive bewilderment about why people would choose to live the way they do, why don’t more powerful people just … feed the starving ones? It’s all good thoughts, no effort; a desire to do good without either knowing how or being willing to knuckle down and do the work.

Hasan is a criminal who preys upon the poor and struggling while still thinking he stands for them just because they share a skin color. And he never really deals with that; he’s a hero of the downtrodden, sure, but he’s also the one that’s been helping to trod on them. He’s a better option for Poppy than the murderous asshole who wants to frame her for murder, but so is the baker down the street or the wealthy merchant who deals in clothing.

Hasan doesn’t work for me as a hero. Love interest, sure, I guess. He’s nice enough, once he decides to care, but he’s also thoughtless and willing to use Poppy to his own ends. (And considering how lost Poppy is, maybe it’s just as well there’s someone to tell her what to do.) Again, she means well, but she’s ineffective.

The ending is rushed with the last fifteen percent filled with all manner of politics and world changing decisions made off page and clumsily, and as that’s the last memory I’ll have of this book, it’s a shame. It dropped it a full star, for me. As it is, there’s a lot to like here. The world building, the magic system, but there’s no real resolution to anything and so many people are like Poppy, full of good vibes but no real answers, and I’m not inspired enough to pick up the second book in the series.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.

A compelling and interesting novel. From start to finish, there was always something happening that kept me compulsively turning pages.

While there were tons of great ideas throughout, I did feel like any conflicts that arose were resolved a bit too quickly and simply, which made it hard to fully connect. We seemed to breeze through plot points like we were checking items off a list.

For instance, I would have loved to spend more time with Poppy as she explored the Virian culture and how that growth strengthened her resolve and her partnership with Hasan. I understood that that’s what happened, but I didn’t fully feel it.

That said, I particularly enjoyed the last quarter or so and am absolutely already eager for the sequel!

Thanks to Bindery for providing an arc through NetGalley for me to review!

Thank you to Bindery Books and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

To Bargain With Mortals is a richly written story of social rebellion and cultural (and literal) genocide. It is fast-paced and impossible to put down. It is one of my few 5-star reads for the year thus far and I’m so grateful I got a chance to read it.

It’s rare to find a book that deals with the subject of class/caste and widespread cultural erasure and oppression with such nuance and sensitivity. There are so many layers to it, including within the oppressed culture itself. It’s also rare to get such a poignant look at the ethnic and cultural no-man’s-land that mixed and adopted POC have to occupy, never truly belonging anywhere.

The characters are courageous and tragically flawed, and your heart will break and soar in equal measure going on their journey with them as they navigate what it means to break a system while attempting to keep it from collapsing on the most vulnerable people within it.

A brilliant start to a new duology, I simply cannot wait to see this one hit the shelves. This would be an excellent choice for book clubs and library groups, as well as simply enriching your own bookshelf. Do not miss.

I wanted to enjoy this one more than I did, but it's still an easy-reading, enjoyable story.

Things I enjoyed: the themes and conflicts. There was some amazing plot going on with complex tension between the poor/rich society, different upbringings creating interesting tension, and the characters learning to recognise that things aren't black and white all the time.

I also loved Poppy's character. She is a fantastic POV to write this story from, and I really felt for her struggles with finding a place in a society that doesn't accept her fully.

Things I wish were better: the writing style is very on the nose at times, meaning that the dialogue becomes very stiff and bland and at times, feels very show, not tell, to the point of a lot of issues - which could've been given more nuance - being spoon-fed to the reader through repetitive conversations.

Also, at one point, the villain says, "I'm calling the shots. Get it?" whilst holding a gun, and it just felt like a pantomime moustache-twirling moment, haha.

I really enjoyed this one and I think this will be a favorite for the 2025 fantasy category. This has Six of Crows energy but with its own plot and mishaps. The pacing felt a little off at times, but I found myself rooting for the characters and their success. I'll definitely the second installment.

Thank you to Bindery Books, NetGalley and Skies Press for this e-are in exchange for an honest review!

This book covered a lot of heavy topics and I loved how R.A. Basu showed us multiple sides of these issues and how nothing is black or white. Though the issues this story highlighted and the message was profound, the plot fell flat. It was just another story of a girl coming into power for me.

I loved the immersive world building and the magic concept was unique, I’m really excited for book 2!

This book is very political heavy, so it did take me longer to finish this since I had to find myself in the right mindset to read something so politic heavy.

Rebellion simmers in every line of To Bargain with Mortals—a bold, thought-provoking fantasy that speaks to both the past and the present. Set in the colonized nation of Viryana, R.A. Basu’s debut blends divine magic, revolution, and political complexity in a story rich with tension and cultural nuance.

Poppy Sutherland is an immediately compelling protagonist. Raised as the brown-skinned adopted daughter of the white Viceroy, she has spent her life walking the tightrope between two worlds—never fully accepted by the ruling elite, yet distant from the struggles of her own people. What makes Poppy’s arc so powerful is how deeply it wrestles with identity and internalized bias. As the story unfolds, she slowly transforms from a reluctant bystander into a woman with the potential to ignite systemic change.

Her journey collides with that of Hasan Devar—infamous gang leader, magic wielder, and revolutionary icon. Their alliance is uneasy but magnetic: Poppy’s political cunning and Hasan’s raw power create sparks on the page, even when their dynamic borders on transactional. Their relationship, and its potential, is a core strength of the novel.

Basu’s prose is lyrical and incisive, layering every scene with cultural texture and emotional stakes. Themes of colonialism, inherited history, and the cost of resistance are handled with both subtlety and fire. I especially appreciated how the novel critiques power not only as a force wielded externally, but as something internal to be reckoned with.

To Bargain with Mortals left a strong impression. It’s a beautifully imagined, emotionally charged fantasy debut with sharp teeth and a revolutionary heart. Readers who love historical fantasy with political bite, complex identity themes, and reluctant heroes will find much to admire here—and plenty to ponder.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bindery Books/Skies Press for sharing this ARC!

To Bargain with Mortals is a strong first addition from writer R.A. Basu. This book has incredible world building and I appreciated the political focus, especially in today's world. However, I felt that most of the worldbuilding in this book was setting up for the sequel, and it left the plot lacking in many areas. I think this will make a fine entry into the remainder of the series but as a stand alone I think it needed more.

I was initially drawn to this book because I was excited to read a fantasy novel by an Indian-Canadian author, especially one set in colonial India—a setting not often explored in mainstream fantasy. The novel’s commentary on colonialism, racism, casteism, gender, and privilege is genuinely intriguing and thought-provoking.

That said, while the plot held a lot of potential, I struggled to connect with the characters. There were moments where the story felt like it could’ve used tighter editing and some rearrangement of plot points to make the character motivations more believable. For instance, Hasan, also known as the Jackal, was portrayed as a figure feared by many, yet his actions rarely justified that reputation. His plans often failed, and his judgment didn’t seem particularly sound. Poppy, too, fell a bit flat for me as a protagonist.

Despite these issues, I’m glad to have read a fantasy novel rooted in the rich and complex backdrop of colonial India. Thank you to NetGalley and Bindery Books for the ARC.

I wanted to like this it seemed interesting but Poppy was frustrating to follow she spent so much of the book pushing to be ignorant and it was hard to believe at some point, it wasn't subtle and quickly turned tired to me, it was pretty surface level reading of class struggle and she kept blaming everyone blaming everyone but herself it was very tiring and the magic system was weak but it could have potential

To Bargain With Mortals by R.A. Basu is an intriguing debut that blends mythology, romance, and the supernatural in a modern setting. The premise is undeniably compelling—mortals striking bargains with ancient beings always has high-stakes potential—and Basu builds a unique world filled with haunting deals and morally gray choices.

That said, the pacing felt uneven at times. The beginning drew me in quickly, but the middle lagged, with some repetitive internal monologues and exposition that slowed the momentum. I also found myself wanting more development from a few side characters whose motivations felt a bit thin.

I absolutely adored this book. Although the main character, Poppy, drove me crazy at times, you could tell that she was more than willing to see things from other perspectives. Growing up with a royal family, full of white people, she never got to know where she came from. Adopted at the age of 2, all she ever knew was the culture of her 'parents'. Then there is Hasan, who grew up in the slums and became a part of his family's gang. Both he and Poppy believe they are doing what is right. Now they have to work together to lead the island into a new and better world. I cannot wait for book 2. 4.5 stars!

I absolutely loved this book!!! It was such an amazing well developed novel from a debut author from the world-building to the discussions of race, colonialism, factionalism and gender. The unique aspects within the plot made the story so twisty, turny and interesting gripping me throughout despite its length. I absolutely loved the presentation of the characters who were left flawed and the character development that subsequently followed - and the magic of the book not being a main plot but being interwoven throughout and being far from overpowered (as can usually be the case). I'm so relieved to know this will eventually be a trilogy and I'm left waiting for so much more and to truly see the development (and the inevitable probably violent challenges) the kingdom will face. The politics of the book were so interesting and the exploration of culture was brilliant I cant wait to see where the other books go and absolutely adored the writing style and clear effort that went into such a well written novel!!

The first half of this book read mostly like a 4 star to me--I was intrigued by the world and mythology, the characters' individual situations and how they intertwined.

The second half fell a little flat, unfortunately, leading to the lower rating. I've seen other reviewers say that the ending was rushed and I have to agree. The resolution felt a little too simplistic and idealistic to me, deflating all of the tension that had been crafted throughout. It felt like the intention was to create a foundation for the rest of the series, which is understandable because I can see the series going in a very interesting direction, But this renders the ending of *this* book lackluster. Something a little more minor that i struggled with is the time-period: the characters wear corsets and gowns, seemingly period-accurate... but they also drive cars and use modern lingo. Of course there's a way that elements from different time periods can be intertwined, but in this instance it felt haphazard.

All in all, I will definitely be continuing the series but I hope the next book goes through more rounds of edits.

I already cannot wait for the second book! This was a 4.5 out of 5 stars for me!

I loved this book, and I’m not typically a historical fantasy reader. This first book was not as complex on the work building which made it easier to read and follow, and I think it (hopefully) sets up the second book to be a little bit more complex on that end.

I love the concept of the magic system and the gods, I wish there was a little bit more to it, but again, hopefully more to come in the second book.

The setting threw me off a little bit, I don’t know what the time frame is supposed to be, but it is historical, but with cars and technology? It didn’t make the most sense, but I vibe with it overall.

I love when people underestimate a character, and that’s Poppy. I very much enjoyed following along with her while she was relearning her culture that tried to be “white” washed away from her.

The Jackal, or Hasan, the criminal, has similar views as Poppy when it comes to fighting the regime, but he is I would say, a little bit more naive and doesn’t understand the complexity of it. But Poppy puts him in his place and its great!

I can’t wait for this book to be published so I can read the final works and then I’ll be not so patiently waiting for book 2! I will be rereading the ARC prior to the final published version just to see how far it’s come from this and I am ready!

Thank you Netgalley, Bindery, and Skiespress for the eARC of this absolutely wonderful book!