Nepal, land of Buddhism and misty mountains, is not a nation whose history one would expect to be filled with blood. And yet, the struggle to gain and keep control of the mountain kingdom is one marked by a long history of violence and murder. The Bloodstained Throne is a translation of Aba Yasto Kahilyai Nahos, a compilation of historic essays that recount some of the bloody battles for power in a tumultuous period—a phase that spanned more than one hundred years.