Sitara, Lady of the Lotus

Inspired by a Korean folktale, a Bengali princess attends a prestigious Korean academy...

Sitara has been insecure about her N’daian heritage for as long as she can remember. With a culture, religion, and appearance foreign to Oreka-the kingdom her parents immigrated to-Sitara is anxious about everything she does.

Attending the Royal Academy, Sitara records her school life in a series of journal entries. The three years at the academy are meant to shape her-but into what? She could be a royal tailor like her only friend, Saya, a lady investigator like the wise Madame Joon-bin, or continue to defy Orekan norms by becoming a palace officer like her crush, Sir Jun-Seo.

Where exactly does a N’daian princess like Sitara belong in Oreka?

S.A. Hoque is a lifelong New Yorker and daughter of Bengali immigrants. Hoque has been a huge fan of princesses, dragons, and anything fantasy-related since middle school and now writes about them. She is an environmental scientist by profession but hopes her stories of Bengali and Muslim female leads will inspire Muslims to be confident in their faith, wherever they may be. Hoque currently resides in New York City with her family and her neighbor’s cat, Rocket.