Maylis VigourouxLa manticore

“Bayurna Yusra is a ruler more feared than respected, whose misogyny is known to all her subjects and especially to her husband, Bayun Ghufran. This is why, when the midwife hands her a newborn daughter, Ghufran decides to pass her off as a boy, saving her from a sad fate. Sent to live with his uncle, Shamil learns decorum, literature, science and the arts of war like all bayijin. Only his inner circle knows his secret, but the older he grows, the heavier it becomes on his frail shoulders. This story follows his search for his identity, which is fraught with obstacles… “