Divining the Leaves - Shveta Thakrar

"Filled with beautiful and dangerous magic, this book swirls around you like irresistible perfume." —Sarah Beth Durst, New York Times bestselling author of The SpellshopFrom critically acclaimed author Shveta Thakrar comes a beautifully imagined contemporary fantasy about two teens, one a believer of magic who yearns to belong, the other a skeptic searching for an escape, who find themselves embroiled in a twisty world of court intrigue when they venture into a forest ruled by yakshas, mysterious woodland spirits drawn from Hindu and Buddhist folklore. Plant-loving Ridhi Kapadia and popular Nilesh Batra were friends once. Now, seventeen and alone, Ridhi blends natural perfumes, wears flower crowns, and wanders her local woods, listening for the leafy whispers of her beloved trees. Pleading for the yakshas to admit her into their enchanted forest kingdom, where she knows she truly belongs. After learning his parents’ perfect marriage is a sham and getting suspended from school, a heartsick Nilesh lands at Ridhi’s doorstep—the last thing either of them wants. So when a pretty yakshini offers him the distraction of magic, the same magic he mocked Ridhi for believing in, he jumps at it. Furious, Ridhi strikes a bargain with a noblewoman of the yaksha court. In exchange for helping restore her reputation, Lady Sulochana will turn Ridhi into the yakshini she yearns to be—and teach her to divine the trees’ murmurs. But when Nilesh ends up trapped in the yakshas’ realm, Ridhi realizes the leaves might be telling a disturbing story about the forest her heart is rooted in—one that, even if the two of them band together, threatens to shred the future like so many thorns. Portal Fantasy: Ridhi has spent her life searching for a door to the magical realm of yakshas. Nilesh just stumbled into it. Now, neither of them can find the way back. Court Intrigue: A bargain with a beautiful yaksha noblewoman seems like a dream come true for Ridhi, but in a world of ancient feuds and shifting loyalties, every promise has a price. Based on South Asian Mythology: Venture into a world of yakshas, apsaras, and the legendary wish-fulfilling Kalpavriksha, drawn from the rich tapestry of Hindu and Buddhist folklore. Dual POV: Told from the perspectives of Ridhi, the believer who wants in, and Nilesh, the skeptic who wants out, as their paths collide in a world neither was prepared for.