BIRD KING RISING
October 2026, Bindery Books
A new queen reigns. A rebellion stirs. Will she risk it all to rule?
Newly crowned queen Laya Gatdula is determined to prove her worth to her subjects, her family, her rivals—and herself. When whispers of rebellion and rumored sightings of a giant raptor in the mountainous Skylands reach the capital, Laya must face the terrifying realization that her ex-lover and rival, Luntok, might still be alive and coming for the throne. Though she already wields power over wind and rain, to quell the threat from the north, Laya seeks the ultimate weapon: lightning.
Torn between the counsel of two men—her beloved confidant and her ruthless uncle—Laya must trust herself to cement her legacy and hold the throne. Is it better to earn her nation’s loyalty through benevolent rule, or risk everything to become an all-powerful god? And with Luntok rapidly gathering his army, will she live long enough to make the choice?
From Samantha Bansil, a brilliant, fresh voice in AAPI fiction, Bird King Rising returns to the world of Black Salt Queen with the gripping conclusion to an epic story of duty and strength, passion and betrayal, and the devastating cost of war.
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Praise for BIRD KING RISING
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"A thunderous conclusion to an epic duology and a loving homage to the richness of precolonial Philippines."
K. M. Fajardo, author of Local Heavens
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"Bansil pulls together the perfect storm of politics, power, and heart rending human emotion. A lightning strike of a book."
AM Kvita, author of An Unlikely Coven
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"Bansil takes the complex interplay of power, romance, and family laid out in BLACK SALT QUEEN and deftly raises the stakes to level 100. "
Maren Chase, author of Crueler Mercies