Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

The incredible world-building is layered and richly detailed and the prose is exquisitely lyrical. I loved the strength of the women in this book and the sheer inventiveness of the plot astonishes.

I really enjoyed this Mughal India inspired fantasy, it made for a very interesting world. This was a powerful story about family and sacrifice. I liked that this wasn't overly complicated, it wasn't too heavy on politics and the plot was fairly basic. The world building was my favourite aspect of the book I loved finding out more about the rites and the Gods. It was really awesome that the rites were basically dances and they all seemed very beautiful to me. I had heard this was more of a romance fantasy which I don't agree with. There was romance and it was important but it wasn't really what the story was about.

The plot was pretty basic but this made it a lot easier to understand what was going on, it was basically about being used to keep an empire strong. There is also a lot about trying to escape a impossible fate and forming a bond with someone based on your shared experience. I really liked Mehr and Amun, their characters were well written and their development was good. There was some parts of the plot that I felt didn't flow quite so well and the pacing was quite slow but overall a very enjoyable read.

Excellent read, highly recommended for all my friends who read fantasy books.. looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

This book was amazing and I could barely put it down! I loved the magic system, the depth of the characters (Mehr especially), and the intricately-built world. I also admittedly enjoyed the enemies-to-lovers story; although this trope can be overdone, it was written in such a way that was sweet and felt natural, and I was there for it.

I am excited to continue this series with Realm of Ash. I am also excited to read anything else Tasha Suri writes in the future.

Another amazing fantasy novel. Inspired by medieval India, an original, lush tale with complex characters. They do not always make the wise decisions or are the most likeable, but I loved reading about them and their slow burning romance. I'm happy their romance didn't take over the story. I loved the worldbuilding even more, with the dancing being a part of the magic systems, it was amazing. Very impressive debut and I want to read the sequel very soon.

A sumptuously written romantic fantasy inspired by Mughal India. I enjoyed it, although it did feel a little slow at times and slightly more romance heavy than I was expecting. Like a fair few of recent fantasy novels marketed as adult in the UK this one veers more towards young adult in my opinion in terms of characters, tone and plot. I've just purchased the next one and am looking forward to reading that soon.

(ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley)

Content warnings: blood magic; mental and physical abuse; mind control

Empire of Sand is so gorgeous and detailed that I actually ended up putting off reading it for months, despite being really excited to get into it - I wanted to make sure I gave it the brain space it deserved. This may not have been the best idea as it got pushed further and further down the list (hence this very late review!) BUT it was totally worth it when the time came.

This is a character-driven fantasy, and it's definitely not fast-paced. The plot is almost secondary to the emotional journey Mehr, the main character, goes on, as she learns to accept (and indeed wield) her heritage. Her relationship with Amun explores compassion and consent, also helping her to come into her own. I loved seeing a book centred around a woman who is quietly, kindly strong, as opposed to physically strong - there's a measure of knowing *when* to act as well as how that Mehr needs, and it makes her very competent.

Empire of Sand should be a great place for readers of YA to start moving into adult fantasy - the basic plot (girl discovers she has inherited powers, is forced into a foreign court and marriage of convenience, saves the world and reclaims her identity) is a familiar YA one, but the tone and the pace feel more akin to adult fantasy. It's fairly simple and linear for adult fantasy, but I don't want every book to be full of twists and require extreme concentration - this is perfect for spending an afternoon with a cup of tea, swept away by the beautiful language.

3.5 stars

Mehr is the illegitimate daughter of a nobleman. Her mother is an Amrithi - a nomadic people descended from the children of the gods and hunted throughout the Empire because of the magic in their blood.
Mehr's mother abandoned Mehr and her sister years ago to return to her tribe.
Mehr's heritage and power draws the attention of the Emperor's mystics who want to use Mehr for their own gain.
Will Mehr let the mystics control her?
Will the gods awaken from their slumber and wreak their revenge?

Going into Empire of Sand, I thought that it would be just another YA fantasy. Luckily, I was wrong.
Mehr was a likeable protagonist. She had been shunned because of her blood and heritage, but she was proud to be Amrithi. I liked how much Mehr cared for her sister.
Amun was an intriguing character who I wasn't sure I would like to begin with.
The plot was interesting and held my attention. It surprised me in a few places.
The setting and cultures in Empire of the Sand were really interesting. I liked how important dancing and sigils were and how they were used.
The romance was sweet and didn't feel forced or unnecessary.
The writing style was easy to follow.
To begin with this did remind me of the Rebel of the Sands books, but Empire of Sand is a unique book set in a unique world that I would definitely like to read more about.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read that I would recommend.

I've been trying to think how best to review this book its quite slow at the start but once its going its a brilliant read.and there lots of action and I love Mehr how she over comes everything. I would highly recommended its

This book was fine - it didn't really do anything grossly wrong, but it also didn't do anything wildly original. It tells the story of Mehr, a noble girl with mixed heritage forced into an arranged marriage by the Emperor's mystics. Honestly, it is hard for me to write a review about this book because it didn't impact me very much and I suppose that is the critique. I never felt particularly invested in the characters and there were some events that happened conveniently for the drive of the plot, which was frustrating. I will say that the setting was well drawn and the magic system was interesting but overall, I was just left feeling a little bit underwhelmed.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Let’s see...
Great worldbuilding? Check.
Captivating storytelling? Check.
Fleshed out characters? Check.
The verdict:
I thoroughly enjoyed “Empire of Sand” and look forward to reading Tasha Suri’s next books.

My taste for fantasy covers a broad spectrum of sub genres so I really enjoyed this. It is, however, not a huge epic tomb with many characters, huge world and multiple viewpoints. In that respect it’s more of a quiet fantasy because it’s told entirely from one POV – that of Mehr, sold into a marriage with a sorcerer when it is discovered she has magic – and we’re only presented with one part of the world. That said this was beautifully written and engaging. I really liked the MC and the dance based magic system was interesting. Highly recommend this for those who enjoy more linearly plotted fantasy with smaller casts. I will say that every time I find a fantasy novel that isn’t based in a pseudo-medieval Europe based country, I do a little skip of joy.

4 of 5 stars (Apologies for the late feedback)
https://lynns-books.com/2019/01/17/empire-of-sand-the-books-of-ambha-1-by-tasha-suri/
Empire of Sand is a book that I picked up with very little knowledge of other than liking the sound of ‘sleeping Gods’. I also confess that I was feeling a little under the weather when I finally had chance to read this and so I suppose I went into the book with a little less enthusiasm than I would normally feel. I suppose, basically, I’m saying this book had its work cut out to win me over and yet in spite of that I found myself being drawn in quite quickly and enjoying this more than I anticipated.

This is a very character driven story, beautifully written and with some wonderful world building that really brings the story to life. I did have some reservations but these really centre around a slight slowing of pace during the middle section of the book but in spite of that slight bloating I found myself enjoying Empire of Sand and think it’s an impressive debut indeed.

This is a story of Mehr, not so much a coming of age tale as a story of finding Mehr herself. With a dual heritage Mehr struggles to fit in. Her mother belongs to a now conquered race of people who are being forced to leave their culture and rituals behind, her father is a governor for the people who were the conquerors. Meanwhile the place itself seems to be balanced on a knife edge. The Gods themselves seem to be trapped in eternal sleep, enforced by the very magic that Mehr’s race are forbidden to use. The tension and danger are building and storms loom large. Gods don’t like to have their dreams dictated by mortals and there are few humans left who can now keep the God’s wrath in check. Mehr’s blood holds a hint of magic, her heritage stems back to a time when the God’s children, the Daiva, mingled with people leaving a trace of themselves in the blood of their offsprings. Most have now lost the ability to perform magic of any kind but a few still hold the secret in their blood.

The opening chapters were absolutely captivating. We meet Mehr and witness her struggles living amongst people who despise the Amrithi race, believing them to be uncivilised. Regardless of this Mehr practices the rituals that belong to her Amrithi background on a daily basis, taught by the one friend and remaining Amrithi woman who still lives in the city (under a different guise of course). Her step mother seems to despise her and her father rarely intervenes although he clearly loves his daughter. I guess he’s only too aware himself of the threat of exposure that hovers over his daughter’s head. Mehr’s sister, although sharing the same heritage, has been taken under the wing of Mehr’s stepmother who believes that she will be easier to mould being a much younger age than Mehr.

Of course, Mehr is fairly headstrong and when a storm finally hits the city she sneaks out to perform the dance rituals of her Amrithi people bringing herself to the notice of the Maha – the priest who heads the religious aspect of the empire. The Maha is worshipped almost fervently by some and when he sends his mystics with a marriage proposal for Mehr her fate is sealed. One simply does not refuse the demands of the Maha and his mystics! And so Mehr is wed to Amun. Wow, is Amun disliked or what – why yes, yes he is. Fully Amrithi, Amun is a dark character, he seems to have a foreboding or brooding presence, he speaks little and his skin is heavily covered with blue sigils that the Maha uses to enslave him and demand obedience.

I liked Mehr and thought her story showed a really impressive character arc. Put bluntly, and although she thought she had a difficult time at her father’s abode, she realises fairly quickly, once she leaves the city, just how privileged her upbringing has really been. Forced to march relentlessly across the desert, with little food and the most basic clothing she really struggles. When she finally reaches the Maha’s temple, an artificially created oasis deep within the desert, things become even worse. The Maha is a tyrant, he’s cruel and controlling. He demands that Amun and Mehr perform a dream ritual when the next storm approaches and Mehr isn’t anywhere near ready. The two will need to find a truce of sorts in order to succeed.

The next element of the story is where things slow down. This aspect of the story revolves around Mehr and Amun and the pair of them tentatively getting to know each other. This involves baby steps in which we see a growing of trust between the two until they both finally reach an understanding and come up with their own secret plan. Both of their lives will be in danger if the Maha discovers their duplicity. Here’s the thing, I’m not big on romance in books, but, more than that, I’m really not into instalove and so I have to hand it to the author for creating a relationship that develops in, for me, what felt like a natural way, that starts out from a basis of need and mutual respect to become a much deeper rooted feeling. Okay, this also slows down the movement going forward somewhat but to be honest I quite liked this element of the story. I also liked that it takes time for Mehr to get a feel for her new surroundings and the place she lives in.

There were a couple of things that perhaps got in the way of this being a 5* read for me. I didn’t particularly feel any real fear on behalf of Mehr or Amun. I don’t know why, perhaps I’ve become immune to threats when they’re posed, but I never really felt that the characters were in too much danger – although don’t let that belie the fact that they’re both put through the wringer a fair bit. It felt a little more like telling rather than showing. I felt the ending had a slightly rushed feeling to it and the threat of the Maha was maybe tackled much more quickly than I expected.

Regardless of a couple of small things I enjoyed Empire of Sand. I think I went into this read with less expectation than I usually would and this tempered the read for me. I wasn’t expecting a romance but as it happens I found it a vital part of the story and I loved the two different settings and the writing. This is lush – that’s the best way I can think to describe it. The colours, the sand, the Daiva, the dances, the rituals, the culture – just everything really. I also couldn’t help feeling that there was a subtle message tucked into the pages of this book, a message about the environment and keeping things in balance – but that could just be my vivid imagination at play.

I think my only proviso to future readers would be to be aware that the story takes it’s own time and refuses to be rushed by expectations of breakneck speed and of course there is a romance – which doesn’t always work for everyone.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

This is a well told story with magic and mythology, as well as an exotic feel to it. Mehr is half Amrithi, as is her little sister, and they can see and smell Daivas; supernatural creatures invisible to ordinary humans. They are considered superstition and Mehr's step-mother is intolerant of Mehr's attempts to teach her younger sister how to deal with them.

An unexpected turn of events effectively forces Mehr into an unwanted marriage to a stranger and her independent nature is put up against the challenge of becoming a tool for political power, using her previously forbidden Amrithi abilities in ways that she recognises as wrong. Though she predictably falls in love with her husband, who is also Amrithi, both are enslaved by magical means and together they must find a way to resist the cruel machinations of the Maha, to whom they are in forced vows.

The one thing that bothers me about this story is that Mehr goes from one miserable situation to another. Even when something good happens, circumstances around it will create yet more misery. The poor girl never seems to get a real break!

It had a satisfying end though, and I felt I got a complete story which is important to me in the age of series books. The sample of the next book suggests that it will be the sister's story, so yay!

I liked the way that Indian mythology was worked into the plot. The characters were distinctive and I liked several of them, if not always completely. I'd say this is an author to watch, though perhaps her characters should be watching their backs!

You know how sometimes life (uni work) gets in the way and you can’t just sit and read a book, and you just suffer waiting? And you kind of forget about it (oops), but then you finally, finally get the time to read and it just blows you away and pretty much obliterates every other fantasy novel you’ve read recently with how good it was? That was what happened to me with this book.

Empire of Sand is set in a Mughal India inspired Empire, ruled by an Emperor and the shadowy Maha, who is credited with keeping the Empire powerful for hundreds of years. Mehr is the illegitimate daughter of one of the Emperor’s Governors and an Amrithi woman. The Amrithi are outcasts in the Empire, a nomadic people who are descended from desert spirits. Which makes their blood powerful and coveted by Ambhan people who fear the daiva. For years, her father has kept her hidden from the Emperor, for fear that they’ll take her for their own ends, but one night, Mehr brings herself to their attention.

I always find it so hard to talk about books I loved, and this one is going to be no different. Everything about this book was amazing – the worldbuilding, the plot, the characters, the romance, literally everything. So I’ll take them each in turn and try write something coherent about them.

THE WORLDBUILDING

Wow. I’m already unable to find words to describe things. That’s a good start. Anyway. What can I say about the worldbuilding besides that it was brilliant, fabulous, fantastic, etc. It’s just one of those ones that sucks you into the book and makes you feel as if you’re actually there. It sounds trite, but you could really see everything that was happening, you weren’t just reading about it.

THE PLOT

It’s a slowburner, I’ll not lie. But combined with the writing and the worldbuilding and the characters, that didn’t matter. I know, I know. This is unlike me. I usually prefer a lot more action in my fantasy novels but here? I actually enjoyed the slowburning nature of it. And also Tasha Suri knows exactly when and how to ramp up the tension without action scenes, which makes it so unputdownable. It’s not actionless though – there are almost flashpoints of action, but it’s more like it builds up to them. (I don’t think I’m explaining this well, so you’re just going to have to read it to see.)

THE CHARACTERS

There are really only two main characters: Mehr and Amun. And I loved each of them with my whole heart. They were so brilliantly written I feel in love with them pretty much instantly. And consequently I despised any character who even so much as looked at them wrong. But it wasn’t just them I loved – I also loved (most of) the supporting cast. Particularly the ones who grew on me (like Kalini). And even the ones who didn’t were never all good or all bad (besides the Maha who can choke, thank you! Even if he did have arguably slightly more complex motivations than it seemed at first). I love when character-driven books are driven by main characters you can empathise with.

THE ROMANCE

It was the most exquisite slowburn and well-developed and considered given that the Maha literally entirely controls one of them and there’s a scene that could have had incredibly dubious consent because of it. But Tasha Suri treats it carefully and even at the end has the characters both given the choice to back out. Their relationship is all based on respect, of each other, what they want and what decisions they make, and it’s truly beautiful.

So, to conclude. I’m crying over this book again, and please read it.

I really enjoyed this novel. Fantastic world building, good characterisation and compelling writing. What more could you want? My only criticism is that it felt slightly rushed towards the end. Otherwise, it was brilliant and I look forward to reading more of Tasha Suri's work.

Empire of Sand was a lush, evocative fantasy that had me reeling with emotion and heart-stopping action. Tasha Suri weaved a magical tale, with captivating characters and beautiful prose. SO I'll just be over hearing writhing until I can get my hands on the sequel!

Great book, I enjoyed it so much. I couldn’t put it down whilst I was reading it, picked it up at every possible moment!

The characters, narrative and context were so well thought out I full fell into the world.

I must admit, it didn’t admit the way I expected it too. But I think it end in the best way possible!

In the end, I gave Empire of Sand what I feel is a well-deserved 4 stars.

There are many reasons for this – the worldbuilding was intricate, full of history and mythology while never overwhelming the reader with infodumps; the characters were fascinating, full of depth, and I particularly enjoyed the growing relationship between Mehr and her husband; the enemy was a unique one; the writing was excellent, particularly for a debut author.

Mehr’s strength throughout the novel was inspiring. Everything she did was for her younger sister, Arwa, and even when she was in the Maha’s temple and close to giving up, she never stopped fighting back. I am not usually a huge fan of romantic subplots, but in this case watching Mehr and her husband, who was kind and loving against all odds, was truly heartening.

The magic system in Empire of Sand was also fascinating, and I feel it deserves its own paragraph. Some Amrithi, such as Mehr, can harness dreamfire, which is the power of the sleeping gods. At the temple she harnesses this power for the Maha’s own perverse use, but it is a system of magic with a lot of potential for the reader to learn more in future novels.

I have only a few complaints – parts of the novel sometimes felt that they were stretching on a little, and as such the pacing felt a little off at times; however, this didn’t hamper my enjoyment too much as it gave us a chance to learn more about Mehr and the Amrithi.

Empire of Sand was released in November 2018 and I would definitely encourage any fantasy fans to get their hands on a copy. It was refreshing to read a fantasy novel not set in typical Medieval-style England, especially one by a woman of colour. While a standalone, the next book in the series is from the perspective of Arwa, Mehr’s sister, and so I will definitely be on the look out for it!