NEED TO KNOW
- The River She Became follows Yaseema as she attempts to restore her kingdom’s freedom and magic from the oppressive Empire
- Steeped in Pakistani faerie mythology, Emily Varga’s novel explores love, history, resistance and resilience
- “I wanted to write a world showing that erasure happening in real time, where the theft of ancient relics is draining the life magic from a once-vibrant kingdom,” Varga says.
Romantasy meets resistance in The River She Became.
The first in a fantasy duology by Emily Varga, The River She Became is a sweeping tale of a quest to rescue a colonized kingdom, and finding romance in the face of political resistance. Set to debut in the spring of 2026, Varga’s new novel — a mix of Holly Black’s The Cruel Prince and The Mummy — breathes life into Pakistani faerie mythology and explores how history is actually written.
The tale begins with Yaseema, a scholar and servant of the Empire, who secretly returns her kingdom’s stolen fae relics to revive the magic in her dying country. When she finds the key to cross the River separating her world from the fae, she sees an opportunity to save her oppressed land.
In the fae world, Yaseema finds a “ruthless realm,” where she meets a captain who at first seems cold and uninviting, but on the inside, is really working to overthrow the regime from the inside. But they both need the same thing to topple their oppressors: the lost crown of an ancient Fae Queen.
“To survive, they must work together to outwit ancient curses, battle creatures born of nightmares and find a power that could resurrect their worlds,” the synopsis teases. “But as secrets unravel and loyalties blur, they face the greatest danger of all: losing their heart to each other.”
Varga tells PEOPLE that her new novel is, at its core, about resistance. It tackles the impact historical trauma can have on cultures, especially those that have experienced colonization. Empires often “rewrite the stories of the lands they conquer,” leading to cultural and historical erasure.
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“I wanted to write a world showing that erasure happening in real time, where the theft of ancient relics is draining the life magic from a once-vibrant kingdom,” Varga says.
“Folklore has always been a form of survival, and a way to preserve truth in the face of power,” she continues. “Writing this story allowed me to wrestle with questions about legacy, colonialism and what it means to fight for something bigger than yourself.”
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The River She Became hits shelves on April 21, 2026 and is available for preorder now, wherever books are sold.
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