The Throne of Peacocks - Book One: The Emperor's Shadow

The Throne of Peacocks is an epic historical fiction series set in 17th century Mughal India during the struggle for succession after Emperor Shah Jahan's death. Book One: The Emperor's Shadow follows Shah Jahan's four sons - the scholarly Dara Shikoh, the ruthless Aurangzeb, the ambitious Shah Shuja, and the unpredictable Murad Baksh - as they compete to claim their father's imperial throne, the legendary Peacock Throne.

When Shah Jahan's health begins to fade, tensions rise in the palace halls of Agra as each son fortifies his own position and alliances. Philosopher-prince Dara, guided by wisdom and compassion, finds himself pitted against the iron will of Aurangzeb, who seeks to impose order at any cost. Charismatic Shah Shuja leverages his economic power, while the warrior Murad Baksh rallies his troops.

After betrayals and plotting plunge the empire into chaos, civil war seems inevitable. The bonds of brotherhood strain and rupture as ambition and diverging visions threaten to tear the empire apart. Through courtly intrigue, military conquests, and shifts of loyalty and betrayal, the brothers hurtle toward open war.

Against a backdrop of the dazzling Mughal court and an empire rich in culture and heritage, The Emperor's Shadow chronicles the pivotal struggle for the Peacock Throne, the ensuing civil war that determined the fate of the dynasty, and the dawning of a new era in India's history.