Palace intrigue, passion, deceit, betrayal, and tragedy—this is the story of King Kasyapa and his beloved Sigiriya. Born of a village girl and a warrior king, he is denied the crown because of his inferior birth - but is forced to become king. Accused of murdering his father, he abandons his capital and builds a new city in the inhospitable forests of Sri Lanka. There, he lives in a spectacular sky palace atop a massive rock two hundred meters high. It is also the story of Amira, a beautiful girl from Afghanistan who is only twelve years old when she is sold into slavery. At eighteen, she is traded for a hundred pearls from Sri Lanka. Arriving at her new home, she is trained as a concubine in Kasyapa’s harem and becomes his favorite consort. Set fifteen hundred years ago, this compelling novel weaves historical facts into a remarkably entertaining story of fate, dangerous alliances, enduring friendships, and forbidden love. | Sigiriya by Senani Ponnamperuma, Paperback | Indigo Chapters