Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stained | 2016 | Abda Khan | Buy |
| 2 | Razia | 2019 | Abda Khan | Buy |
These are the standalone novels by Abda Khan, a British-Pakistani barrister and author. Her two novels are unconnected and can be read in any order, though they share her focus on women fighting for autonomy against powerful systems.
Stained (2016) is set in modern Britain and deals with honor-based violence within a Pakistani community. Khan drew on her work as a barrister handling similar cases to create a story that feels grounded and urgent. Razia (2019) moves to a very different setting, telling the historical story of Razia Sultan, who ruled the Delhi Sultanate in the 1200s and faced constant challenges to her authority simply because she was a woman.