*4.25 Stars*

This was very very very good. It was also a first book in a series and felt like it.
I really liked the characters and the plot but it truly felt like only a beginning. I'm sure I'll like the next book in this series even more and I cannot wait to reread then keep on going with this series. I feel a masterpiece coming.

Oh wow, Tasha Suri has done it again! Look no further for your next favourite sapphic fantasy, because this is it! A mesmerising world and lyrical writing, this book was such a fascinating read. It was emotional, fun and I can't wait for the next book in the series!

This was my first Tasha Suri book and I was drawn in by the promise of morally grey lesbians in an India-inspired epic fantasy (and also the fact that the author's bunnies are named Wei Ying and Lan Zhan. but mostly it was the lesbians) and all I can say is Suri definitely delivered on all fronts!

It's really hard to decide where to begin with in this review, because the books has so many themes and they all seamlessly blend into a story that's as much character driven as it is dense with events that move the plot forward. I am someone who absolutely adores multiple POV in fantasy and I really enjoyed seeing all the different point of views and how by the end they spiraled into a bigger focus on the three women that are the main protagonists. And this really sums up the heart of the beginning of this series: a focus on women who could not be more different from each other in their strengths, but they all have learned to move in a heavily patriarchal society to get what they want, be it sometimes something as simple as surviving.

The romance between Priya and Malini had a lot of nice moments and I can't wait to see how things develop in the rest of the series. I admit I didn't have many strong feelings about the romance, I didn't have a really big gasping-out-loud moment (or if I did it didn't have to do with the romance), but that isn't to say I didn't enjoy it. I certainly root for them and am looking forward to see how they'll have to navigate yet another unfortunate facet of a patriarchal society -homophobia- and I know this will be handled with care and grace, even if it should become a more relevant theme than in this first book.

Something else I really liked was the writing, and actually one of the reasons I was so slow reading this book (other than the fact that I'm not used to reading physical books and that I'm generally speaking a slow reader) is the fact that I really wanted to take my time reading each sentence without skipping words, it's hard to explain but usually when it takes me a long time to read a book it's because I'm enjoying it a lot and not skipping sentences or skimming to the next dialogue. So that's definitely one more sign I liked this.

So all I can do is recommend this gorgeous book which is filled with characters you won't easily forget, really beautiful writing and a critical look at so many themes like empire, colonialism, religion, sexism and so much more.

A gripping, high-stakes fantasy full of political intrigue, ancient magic and hidden agendas.

Welcome to Ahiranja, a country conquered by the empire of Parijadvipa and understandably resenting their situation. We are following a cast of characters, each with dangerous secrets, ulterior motives and/or buried memories. There is an imprisoned princess Malini struggling to stay alive and Priya, a maidservant looking after her while fighting her own demons. There are the foreign visitors who may have their own hidden reasons to be in Ahiranja, as well as the regent and his wife, who are trying to navigate the dangerous political waters and a tender truce with the empire. And of course, we have the rebels who want to see Ahiranja free, the sooner the better.

This was a fast-paced, eventful story and I have had a lot of fun reading it. I wish there was a bit more of the world building worked into the book - more history and context of the conflict we witness from the start . On the other hand, I liked following the main characters, Malini and Priya, who are both flawed and morally grey, which I always find interesting. I also really enjoyed the magic system and various religions/believes it is connected with - I found these ideas quite original and intriguing. The narrative kept me engaged and curious to see how will the events unfold - will the characters succeed in their plans? Will the princess escape her captivity? Will Ahiranja regain its independence?

As soon as I heard this was an Indian inspired adult fantasy I was hooked.
Malini is an exiled princess who spents her days in isolation, plotting against her brother, in the ancient temple of Hirana with its unsettling past and wild magic that lingers even after its Keepers have long since died. Priya is the maid servant with a secret past assigned to take care of Malini. But a chance encounter between the two act as a catalyst for the cataclysmic events to come.
I was drawn into the story from the very first page. It started out brilliantly and kept me engaged. There was all these lush descriptions of the forests and intringuing little insights into the magic systems, the different characters with their own secret agendas. It was all exciting for a while. But then the pace started to lag. A lot of things were happening but the magic system remained vague and the true reasons for the characters actions or beliefs remained hidden. So it took me long time to get to the halfway mark of the book.
But the second half makes up for all of it bu being spectacular . The magic system gets more structure, the world building, the description of the attires as well as the food had me drooling, the atmosphere with the plant magic was creepy, the grey shades of the characters got well defined and the all the different plot lines were finally moving in the same direction.
The last 20-30% of the book had me sitting at the edge of my seat, fueled by adrenaline, getting goosebumps and having the bestest time reading about these amazing complex characters. I was so charged and so full of emotions and literally crying at the end, basically going through the full gamut of human emotions . It was a truly spectacular ride at the end and I cannot wait for the sequel!!
The characters were so brilliantly layered, each and every one of them. Although Malini and Priya are the main protagonists it was Bhumika who owns me. She was one of the bestest characters I have read in recent times. The delicious slow burn romance between Malini and Priya was another huge plus in the book.
All in all, my complaints of uneven pace quickly got corrected, and other than that there’s absolutely nothing to deter you from reading this book. Pick it up for the lush world building, creepy plant magic and the greyest most complex characters and a slowburn sapphic romance. Highly recommended!!

I’ve been trying to read some different genres than only romance lately. So a fantasy novel sounded perfect. And after reading a lot of raving reviews of ‘The Jasmine Throne’, I was excited to see this book was on Netgalley and I requested it immediately. Luckily I got approved to read it and started reading as soon as possible.

In ‘The Jasmine Throne’ we meet Priya, a maidservant who lives a simple life hiding a big secret. Priya works hard and travels to the top of the Hirana every night. There Priya meets Malini, a princess who is imprisoned by her brother and lives under harsh conditions. Soon Priya and Malini find themselves linked and working together.

‘The Jasmine Throne’ was from the very first page a very interesting read. The world created in this book was definitely very unique and made for a very fascinating setting. I loved getting to know this world and the main characters Priya and Malini. There was a lot going on and things definitely never got boring.

Priya’s character was definitely my favorite. I loved how tough and kind she was and she was just a very admirable character. This book also had a fun and interesting lesbian romance aspect that I definitely enjoyed. It worked perfect for this book. Priya a simple servant, and Malini a traitorous princess. I loved reading their story and getting to know them.

The one problem I had in this book was all those different names and characters. I’m really bad at names, and there where so many different characters I had a little trouble keeping everyone apart. But in the end I managed.

‘The Jasmine Throne’ was a very fun and unique fantasy novel that definitely makes you want to keep on reading.

My Thoughts

I would like to thank Orbit UK and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Set in the India-inspired fantasy world where religion and imperialism were used for opression, The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri tells a story of two women who will crush the misogynist empire. It was one of my anticipated reads this year. It had all the great themes and ideas that I enjoyed in a story. Although it was not a new favorite read, I still reveled in the politicking aspect of this novel.

The story started with Malini, the empire princess, who was imprisoned in the ruined temple of Hirana by her brother after refusing to be sacrificed on the pyre. Priya is a maidservant and a survivor of terrible past who was determined to kept this secret. However, when Malini witnessed Priya's true abilities, their fate was sealed to intertwine. Through the help of one another, they would seek the things that they wanted the most while also changing the course of the whole empire.

Being the first book, there was a lot of buildup which made the pacing slow-moving, and most of the exciting payoffs were towards the end. It felt like this was a long setup for the next book which seemed to be a promising one with lots of actions and thrilling twists and turns. The story was also told through multiple POVs. This might be because the author wanted readers to feel or experience every moment that was happening to be fully immerse in the story. Also, as much as I love sapphic romance, I was not very invested in Priya's and Malini's relationship. It was lacking and a little bit rushed for my taste. It just there was not much tension between them, but suddenly the romance escalated.

What I loved the most about this novel is the rich world building, power dynamics, and the feminist theme. The author did a great job creating a world where it didn't give overwhelming feelings or details, but still readers could easily picture the atmosphere and setting. Like I said, this was heavily Indian-inspired, and I liked how the culture and mythology weaved into narrative seamlessly. Next is the power dynamics. I savored the politic tensions and twisted religion in every page. These two things played a huge part in the characters' lives, and it showed how the women in this story thrived to forge their own path using their strengths.

Characterwise, Priya and Malini's POVs were interesting to read. Priya had been keeping a secret and she has mysterious abilites, so I was curious about her past. On the other hand, Malini struggled with her emotions and her wants to be free and seek vengeance. However, the one I enjoyed the most was Bhumika's POV. I just found her story, perspective, and her circumstance more intriguing among the rest.

Overall, The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri is a beautiful prose with rich worldbuilding, political intrigue, and interesting characters. I cannot wait to see where the story will take us, so I am looking forward to the next book.

3.5 stars!

3.5/5 stars

The Jasmine Throne is an Indian-inspired adult fantasy full of feminism (yay!), politics, and sapphic romance (another yay!).

It’s one of my most anticipated reads this year and my first Tasha Suri book; it was a solid read! The world-building was well done, paired with Tasha Suri’s writing style; The Jasmine Throne’s world was beautifully written. I relished each vivid description, tale, and scene that the author has painted. The world was really creative and original. It's heavily inspired by Indian culture and mythology which was seamlessly blended that was also insightful and amazing to read. The magic system was complex yet explained simply that readers can follow easily. It was integrated well into the storyline, and the plot was complex and multi-faceted. It’s hard to explain, but if I delve into this, I might spoil things haha.

The characters Priya and Malini were modestly written. I would love to see more development on their character in the next book. I’m also not a fan of the romance between the two. I prefer that they would be friends or a slower approach to romance, but thank the gods, at least it’s not insta-lust.

The Jasmine Throne tackles important themes such as homophobia, patriarchy, women’s role in society, and oppression. It is set in a misogynistic world where they burn women as a sacrifice to clean their impurities and to achieve divinity. Also, it delves into how faith and religion can twist and justify oppression as long as it serves their purpose.

This book is told from multiple perspectives, but it would’ve been sufficient if it was only told in Priya and Malini’s POV. Also, it’s around 500 pages that could’ve been shortened if the extra POVs were removed as they make the story repetitive. The pacing was really slow going, so if you prefer fast-paced books, I think it would be a struggle reading this one.

Overall, I still recommend The Jasmine Throne. It’s definitely worth reading, not only for diversity and sapphic romance but on how it digs deeper on issues that are still rampant today especially patriarchy. So, if you’re looking for a feminist book, this one is for you!

Big thanks to Orbit Books UK/Little, Brown Book Group, and Netgalley for the DRC. All thoughts and opinions are mine.

4.5/5 stars

“I’m monstrous because I have desires. Desires that I have known all my life that I should not. I’ve always wanted things that would place me in danger.”

The Jasmine Throne is a beautifully written desi fantasy about two girls fighting for power. The author’s writing is so lush and descriptive that you can easily see yourself wandering in the Hirana or the woods of Ahiranya. Every single detail adds to a breathtaking picture that keeps you glued to the pages.

Fair warning, this is quite a slow-paced book but that doesn’t mean it lacks action in any way. The slow burn is very real though and half of the time I was just screaming at Priya and Malini to kiss. Suri takes her time building the world and its politics as well as introducing the reader to a range of characters. Speaking of characters, I really need to commend the excellent usage of multiple points of view.

Priya and Malini are both very complex characters you can’t help but be curious about. And together these two made such a dynamic duo! It was quite a while before they actually met and started working together but even up till the end you would never know whether they wanted to kill each other or make out.

A big thank you to Netgalley, publishers: Little Brown Book Group UK and Orbit, and to the author, Tasha Suri, for providing me with an arc in exchange for an unbiased and honest review. I'm just sorry assignments got in the way of my reading and I missed the publishing date.

The Jasmine Throne is the first in a series about a morally grey princess - Malini, and maidservant - Priya. The princess is kept prisoner, isolated by her vindictive emperor brother to live in a temple whose magical bearing inhabitants he ordered to be murdered. But one of its inhabitants survived and is hiding as a maidservant in a wealthy household and they meet and ENEMIES TO LOVERS!!* Thank you so much Tasha for the sapphic enemies to lovers I've been waiting for!

*There is, of course, much more to the story than that but I live for this trope.

I loved the politics in the story (if you know me you know I love anything with fantastic politics) and the character work - it's not only the main characters that are interesting - secondaries and tertiaries are given a real personality and motivations. I love this because it's where so many good books fall down.

The magic system is unique and interesting and set in the most interesting world I've read for a while. A big thank you to Netgalley, publishers Little Brown Book Group Uk and Orbit and, of course to Tasha Suri - the author for providing me with an arc in exchange for an unbiased and honest review. I'm just sorry assignments got in the way of my reading and I missed the publishing date.The writing was very visual and I could really see the Hirana in my mind's eye. The only real issue I had was the pace of the story. It was a bit slow for me at times, especially in the beginning of the second half but then I am used to fast-moving storylines and as I was reading this alongside my teaching practice I didn't read it half as fast as I would've liked.

The chemistry between the two main characters (Priya and Malini) is incredible. The moments between them are so real and relatable. I would have liked to have seen more of an inner struggle exploring the princess/pauper part of the relationship.

I highly recommend this book to fans of fantasy, politics, and well-written sapphic representation. This was my first book by Tasha Suri and it will not be my last. I'm over the moon that there is a whole other series ready for me to read!

I think this is my favourite book of the year so far.

The Jasmine Throne catches you from the first page and holds your heart hostage till the last,

I can find only minor flaws in this book, and it is mainly that I need to have the whole series out and ready to be read by me for lets say - last week.

This is a epic adult fantasy at its finest, with magic and culture rooted in the epics of India - and the more I think about it the more I want to read it again, there is so much more to this book then the main plots, YES I said plots! There is political intrigue, a religious emperor fanatic, a rebellion brewing and ancient forces on the move.
And don’t forget about the budding FEELINGS!

Though we are mainly following two very different young women, who are tied together by desperation and what seems like pure coincident - we are also looking into several other characters which give the reader able time to get invested in every aspect of this expansive world.

And I love the fact that neither of our MC’s are perfect young women, they are not good, they are angry and vengeful, and yet they are drawn together in the most beautiful sense, and just writing this review makes me a little emotional.

All I can really say, unless I want to gush about every little piece of excellence, is that the pacing is brilliant, the characters shine brightly against a fully coloured world that practically steps off the page, and the twists and turns are expertly done.

Tasha Suri has written a book soaked in magic and the Yaksas are coming to claim this world for their own.

When I read Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri, I was stunned by how gripping and so easy to read her book was. She immediately became one of my favorite authors and I simply couldn't miss the opportunity to read The Jasmine Throne, since I knew that I would love this book just at the moment when I read the synopsis. Surprise, surprise, I was not wrong.

The Jasmine Throne is the first book in new fantasy series and I can tell you, it will literally blow your mind up. The book follows the story of Malini and Priya, two morally grey characters that come from different parts of society. Malini is an imprisoned princess, only a shadow of the girl she was before. She was brought into an ancient temple so she could be isolated from the world outside. But there was something that no one could expect. Better said, someone. Priya, a servant who has to clean Malini's chambers. She seems ordinary, but that's far from the truth. She has a dangerous secret, that will be soon revealed to Malini's eyes. Secret, that could change their world and lives.

The main characters of Jasmine Throne have both unique and strong personalities. And though Priya was my favorite character so far, I think that it's Malini who has the biggest potential to become a character loved by readers. The romance in this book is the perfect example of slow-burn. There's only a hint of it throughout the whole book, so if you're not a big fan of romance, Jasmine Throne will be perfect for you. The way Malini and Priya found their way to each other hearts was so sweet and innocent. Especially the ending left me heartbroken in a good way. I wanted to read more and see how will their relationship develop. Though it's impossible for now, it made me want to read the sequel as soon as possible,

The story was very easy to read thanks to the author's great writing, however, I still found one thing I had a problem with. There were quite a lot of points of view in this book and though I enjoyed most of them, some weren't just as interesting as others. Personally, I would prefer if there were only a few of them, so the story would have better pacing.

Overall, The Jasmine Throne was a wonderful LGBT+ book with an intriguing story, strong and diverse characters, and an ending that left me wanting more and more! I am very excited to read the sequel for this book, and until then, I can only hope that it will be soon! And in the meantime, you should read this book, it's on the top of my women love women recommendations!

Thank you to Little, Brown Book Group UK, and Net Galley for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

🌻The Jasmine Throne🌻
By Tasha Suri

🙌7 reasons why you need to read #TheJasmineThrone 🙌
🌻Women in saris
🌻Morally-grey characters and sapphic leads!
🌻The food
🌻Traditional and religious beliefs
🌻The architecture (havelis, temples, pleasure houses etc!)
🌻THE WATERFALL WET SARI SCENE 👀
🌻Women rising against the patriarchy!🙌

The Jasmine Throne was in my most-anticipated releases of 2021 and I was so happy that I could participate in the blog tour! I was intrigued from the beginning and I have to say, I loved every bit of it! And so I also attempted to do a #booksasoutfits inspired by it!

The Jasmine Throne is set in a world much inspired by medieval India and along with the author’s spellbinding imagination and writing, the end product was a novel I was not going to forget anytime soon!
We follow the two protagonists Malini, an exiled princess of the kingdom, and Priya, a maidservant who is tasked to take care of her. But not all is as it seems. Behind the now drug-addled mind of Malini, there was once a sharp wit and Priya was once a temple child.
Apart from them, there are a host of other characters – princes, rebels, lords, and ladies, all of whom play various major and minor roles in the culmination of this story.

I especially love how the author included myths and legends from our own stories and alluded to them often in the book. It was like coming across Easter Eggs that really made me, as an Indian person, feel represented and alive! The world-building was definitely one of the best points about the book, if not the best. I loved how an entire nation was conjured up by Tasha Suri’s imagination and was given life to. The romance was thrillingly slow-burn and it kept me on the edge of my seat. From princess/maid dynamics to allies to lovers, it was a long ride and I was rooting from them throughout.

🛕
I received an ARC of this book from the @orbitbooks and @caffeinebooktours as part of my participation in their tour. #JasmineThroneTour #CaffeineBookTours

“she could make herself into something monstrous. she could be a creature born of poison and pyre, flame and blood.”


Let me start by saying this book had taken me sooooooo long to read, whilst it was immediately intriguing it was also extremely slow moving and I just couldn't seem to get that want to pick it up ... maybe it was the political feel or I just wasn't in the right mood, I don't know (Im leaning towards th latter) ... In the end I switched to the audiobook so that I could spend more time with it each time I picked it up, rather than having to constantly put it down to deal with the kids, the house the husband or whatever and then not have the push to pick it back up ... this worked (woooo!!) and before I knew it I was swept into the story and ended up really enjoying it ... it turned out to be quite the astounding read so I am so glad I persevered! I can definitely see why so many have loved it.

The writing was beautiful and so vividly descriptive ... the world-building was fantastic ... and the characters amazing (They are the kind of characters that will steal your heart and then try to stab you in it but you won't be able to not just love them anyway!!) The characters were definitely the biggest strength in this for me .. they kept me going at the start ... so complex, messy and intriguing ... and I loved the dynamics between Priya and Malini.

If it wasn't for the fact I struggled so much at the start I would have given this 5 stars! The audiobook definitely saved this one for me.

Overall, a recommend read, a great epic fantasy .. I also recommend switching to the audio version if you find yourself struggling like I did.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC of this one in exchange for an honest review .. and to audible for the free credit so I could switch over.

Which fictional world would you wish to live in?

"Love. As if love excused everything. As if the knowledge that he was cruel and vicious and willing to harm her made her heart ache any less"

The Hirana. Once called the high temple. A place of pilgrimage, faith and magic. Turned into a prison.

'The Jasmine Throne' is an enrapturing tale of kingdoms, emperors, mystic elements and most importantly, feminism. Priya, a maidservant with a horrifying secret meets Malini, an imprisoned princess; what happens next is a mystery by itself.

With multiple important characters and POVs, this story is an epic by itself. An epic story of dynasties made and burnt; a rebellion on its way against a tyrant ruler.

There are so many things to look out for in this book. The huge amount of thought given for the amazing fictional world created, the character arcs, the subtle tribute to Indian mythology and the female superiority are just some of them.

Long, but definitely worth it!

I’d never read any Tasha Suri books before so when I got the chance to read a NetGalley eARC in exchange for an honest review I was intrigued. The first in an epic fantasy series based on a different cultural structure? Suri’s writing delivers beautifully on the world-building, the rot plaguing the people, rebellion in a conquered nation, an empire that isn’t very happy with itself, and different religious beliefs influencing characters too. There’s a lot going on but it all feels believable and structured, elements feed coherently into each other.

I like the way the characters are complicated, morally grey and not dominated by their feelings or solely motivated by duty. There is a touch of romance but anyone who doesn’t like relationship stuff in books will have nothing to worry about here, and anyone who does can read into it as much as they like. The trouble was I didn’t much mind, which is why I couldn’t give this book 4 stars. I loved some of the observations that came up in the story and the way different strengths are shown, acknowledged and/or denied in the way people do in real life. I like the way the women found their strength and I appreciated the lack of the big bad villainous emperor’s perspective - there are several points of view in third person all used well for storytelling purposes. I just didn’t connect, which is not the fault of the book and will vary from reader to reader.

‘The Jasmine Throne’ is the thoughtful kind of fantasy with an awareness of the conversations that are going on today. It doesn’t exoticise it’s setting, it simply is and does not apologise. Characters apologise, and sometimes they should but just as often they are called out on it. There is a maturity here that infuses the whole story and the way fantasy is hopefully heading with authors like Tasha Suri.

This new fantasy series from Tasha Suri the first in The Burning Kingdoms embodies the word EPIC and has everything you would want from great fantasy, a maniacal emperor, revolution, complex heroes, love, and heart ache. Yet it is EPIC with very modern sensibilities that infuse the whole book; from the bold, strong female characters and the blazing feminist narrative to the heart rending sapphic romance. This is what a fantasy novel in 2021 should be.

With the sights and sounds of India as its foundation, Tasha Suri has created a stunningly intricate, colourful, and beautiful world. Every detail is considered, the politics, the religion, the culture, and history all woven together with the deftest of touch moving from empire building moments to moments of intimate beauty. I challenge anyone not to be totally absorbed into this magnificent story and fall head over heels with these amazing women, who to overthrow a patriarchal empire use every weapon and wile in their arsenal.
An unmissable fantasy novel of female empowerment 5 out of 5

trigger warning
<spoiler> being drugged, trauma, death by fire, child death </spoiler>

Malini is ordered to be held captive in a temple that saw a bloodbath not too long ago by her brother, the emperor. Priya is a maidservant, who volunteers for a position in said temple, because something draws her to it.

This is high fantasy but based on Indian mythology, and the setting fits as well.
While I don't know much about Indian folklore and religion apart from reading the first Aru Shah book, and I don't doubt that you'll get more from it if you know and can place certain aspects, I enjoyed the deep dive into this world very much.
Don't get me wrong, Tolkien's works will always be among my favourites, sometimes it feels like everybody just wants to copy that instead of crafting on their own, and it can get exhausting.
Also, I am sure that there are many readers who will feel seen by this work, an experience I wish everybody to have. And, you know, pandemic and being a student both mean no travel possible, so I take what I can get.

The writing is beautiful, the characters are not only three dimensional but capable of growth. They're all flawed, and actions have consequences that must be faced.

I loved this. I want to read on. The ending upsets me simply because I don't want to stop at this point.
The arc was provided by the publisher.

my first desi sapphic adult fantasy and it's a success god bless.

first of all, this book has the prettiest, most beautiful writing ever and it's also really easy to read. the way tasha suri was able to bring her world to life with such intricately written, vivid imagery is a gift, i'm in awe.

the worldbuilding is so rich and immersive, definitely one of the strongest aspects of this book. i love the nature magic and how it served as a metaphor for reclaiming your colonized land, especially towards the end. the blending of religion, faith, imperialism and fantasy is just so well done.

also, i loved that the author showed how ahiranya had an open, accepting culture before parijati imperialism brought in an extreme form of homophobia and misogyny. i appreciated the depiction of colonialism as something that not only physically takes over a land but also destroys its culture, religion and history.

i admit, priya and malini's slow-burn romance took me a bit of time to get invested into but once i did, i was all in. i really enjoyed the angsty, fierce push and pull dynamic between them, how passionate yet gentle they were with each other.

as for the side characters, bhumika is a standout and basically my favorite character. she's the embodiment of the women whose stories get erased in history - the pregnant wife of a general, kept sheltered away from politics. i loved seeing her true self slowly get revealed over the course of the story. unfortunately the other side characters, namely the men, were pretty forgettable to me.

i also had issues with the pacing, the book was too long for me at times and i wish there was a bit more action and dramatic moments to balance things out, things were a little too slow and steady. plus, i think there was a bit of mismarketing around this book - these lesbians are not morally grey i'm afraid. priya is literally the opposite of a morally grey character. i guess you could argue malini is but none of her actions are that bad in relation to everything else that happens in the story. the author really tried to sell malini as this dark, potentially monstrous person but honestly, i didn't buy it.

apart from that, this is a really solid first book in an epic fantasy trilogy and i'm looking forward to the sequel.

Full review available on my blog on July 5th.

Thanks to Orbit for the eARC of this book. It has not affected my honest review.

Content Warnings: violence, gore/blood, murder, poisoning, public execution, nonconsensual drug use, homophobia, suicidal thoughts, self-mutilation, abuse.

This is a slow paced fantasy, especially to start with. If you’re expecting a fast past battle packed fantasy, you’ll be disappointed. Which would be a shame, because THE JASMINE THRONE is a fantastic start to a series that will no doubt ruin me emotionally. The first few chapters of the book do take some time to get into, there’s a lot of worldbuilding being introduced where the political and religious influences are introduced in turn. However, that worldbuilding is so, so interesting and I enjoyed learning each and every facet of this Indian inspired fantasy world. There are varied gods and spirits, and I really enjoyed the way they were threaded throughout the story. If you like conflicted family relationships, twisted backstories and slow burn love full of mistrust, THE JASMINE THRONE is the perfect read. The prose is supremely readable, and I absolutely stormed through this book despite the length. Tasha Suri’s writing is beautiful and descriptive, and I felt completely immersed in each of the settings. The magic system is really interesting, with the magical deathless waters. It’s unusual, and I don’t want to delve too much into what happens later on in the book as I liked the way it all unfolded, but it kept me really curious about what was going on under the surface. There’s also the rot, a disease that’s spreading with frightening speed and strange symptoms, and that had me hooked from the first chapter.

Every character in this book has secrets upon secrets upon secrets. Especially our main characters, Priya and Malini, who have complex and messy backstories that they keep to themselves for good reasons and bad. It made their relationship a glorious slow burning simmer, as they flutter back and forth between their attraction and trust, mistrust and (rightful) paranoia. It was gorgeous, and I loved watching them draw closer and closer together. And the wonderful moments of dagger-to-the-ribs and kissing-under-waterfalls made me fall in love with them even more. I can’t wait to read more from this series and find out what happens next. I honestly feel like this is the kind of book that when I inevitably reread it, I’ll find even more hidden depths to this politically steeped fantasy.