Victory City By Salman Rushdie

Victory City (Paperback, Random House/Booker Prize–winning author Salman Rushdie, first published February 7, 2023; ~352 pages) reads like a magical translation of a lost 14th-century Sanskrit epic. Told through the eyes of Pampa Kampana—empowered by the goddess Parvati, she founds the mythical empire of Bisnaga (named “Victory City”) and lives for nearly 250 years, witnessing its rise and fall across dynasties and turmoil. Blending history with myth, politics with storytelling, Rushdie crafts a sweeping feminist utopia turned tragic imperial saga—exploring power, storytelling, religious intolerance, and the fragility of golden ages.