Finalist for the 2025 Epigram Books Fiction Prize A mythic historical novel by two-time Singapore Literature Prize winner. Utama reimagines the rise of Sang Nila Utama through the eyes of those who shaped his path—exiles, warriors and queens. From the Chola invasion to a fateful sea crossing, ambition and betrayal forge an empire. As dragons fall and a sea goddess awakens, the Lion City is born.