STARLIGHT IN THE DAWN: The Poetic Priestess Who Chose to Fight

Step into the banks of the ancient Euphrates around 2300 BCE.

A high priestess' epic struggle for power in the men's world of ancient Sumer. At the dawn of civilization, the beautiful daughter of Sargon the Great and the High priestess of the Sumerian city of Ur confronts the intrigue of politics. She leaves the ivory tower of the priesthood and rises to unforeseen challenges. Intimidated when alone, she faces down and disgraces the king not fearing the stakes. The event has its consequence. This is a gripping story of Enheduanna, the first literary person of ancient history. She was of a stellar reputation for centuries. Her story is based on her words.


Editorial Reviews

"Loved it. This is an engaging novel with good characters set in a unique time period. Recommended for anyone who loves ancient history. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a tale of a strong woman in a historical setting new to them." Linda Ulleseit, Reedsy discovery

"A powerful story of social change, with several key characters coming together to change their destinies, relationships, and future...the clash between religious and political forces and the evolution of characters in a story replete with action, psychological transformation, and challenges to belief systems alike... engrossing and filled with different kinds of insights, with romance added to the backdrop.... based on the first literary author on record. Readers will find the story hard to put down." Diane Donovan, Donovan'sLiterary Services/Midwest Review

A thriller and dramatic epic from one of the cradles of civilization, an ambitious and symbolic novel...impressively well researched and realized, and this richly imagined past feels immediate and authentic. Starlight in the Dawn, a stellar work of historical fiction" Self-Publishing Review

"A solid introduction to the ancient world under Sargon, STARLIGHT IN THE DAWN will leave most casual novel-readers and historical-fiction aficionados wanting more." Indie Reader Review

" 'Fate and faith are like friends who fail.'

Sridhar's narrative is driven by compelling world-building and character development. The author demonstrates his strong knowledge of history spanning multiple cultures. It is an educating and entertaining read. RECOMMENDED.

Sridhar's Candlelight in a Storm was the 2018 Eric Howard Book Award da Vinci Eye finalist" US Review of Books.

"The astounding amount of research the author did is simply amazing - to be able to recreate a history of a time period that little is known about and to build a world that is believable, entertaining with fully fleshed-out characters, and educational to boot is worth a round of applause...this is an engrossing insightful tale, full of texture on a heightened scale, a spiritual plane, as the reader hovers over the words and finds a connection across time and space. This is a book for true historical aficionados and is not a read-in-one-sitting type of book, as it is necessary to let some of the discussions between characters and the activities soak in for a bit so you can understand the depth of what is going on on the surface and behind the scenes." Historical Fiction Company.