Kirjahaku

Crown Princess Nindalla knows the terrifying power of Sargon of Akkad's army: Ten years ago, it destroyed her home city and killed her parents. Now the nightmare is happening again. The Akkadians conquer her new home, Susa; make her a widow; and strip her of her rank. Nindalla vows to protect her children from her enemies by any means necessary, including marrying whoever can shield them best. With plots swirling around her, can she trust her instincts to tell friends from foes?Farm boy Ur-sag-enki was forced to become a soldier in the Akkadian army ten years ago after it destroyed his home and left him with nothing. When the Akkadians conquer Susa, he is awarded its governorship. He looks forward to settling down to the normal family life he craves. First, though, he must keep control of Susa despite enemies who exploit his inexperience, and he must gain legitimacy by persuading beautiful former princess Nindalla to marry him. But can he win her heart when it was his hand that struck down her husband?

Inspired by the true story of Enheduanna... Ancient Mesopotamia, 2300 B.C.E. Can Esh achieve her destiny despite being a political pawn in the world's first empire? Spirited, clever Esh is devoted to her family's patron goddess, Inanna, and is determined to be Her priestess one day. But girls, even a princess like Esh, have little say in their futures. Her father, Sargon the Great, uses her for political gain. Despite her wishes, she becomes the Enheduanna, the human wife of the moon god and the most powerful woman in the Akkadian empire. Now, Sargon gives Esh a mission: use her religious authority to unite the fractious cities of the empire. Over decades, aided by her lifelong friend, Ninsha, and torn between duty and destiny, she struggles to stay faithful to Inanna against a background of rebellions, assassinations, and treachery.