I kindly received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley.

A fantastic first book in the series, The Jasmine Throne is set in a rich, exotic land filled with war and magic. If you want a tale full of magic, strong POV's (with some secret lesbian vibes), Indian folklore and a twist on religion, then this is the book for you.

In this story women are treated like objects in society, to be burned alive in order to be made pure. It is a mans world and women have no place in politics. The 3 female POV's are really varied from a magical woman who hides her past, a princess who was born the wrong gender for her ambition, and a mother-to-be who is a fierce leader. There are some other POV's weaved in too which shows the alternative views of different events. The story shows how powerful religion can be (particularly when magic is involved), and how it can be twisted by opposing political sides.

I look forward to the next in the series.

The Jasmine Throne is the start of a new epic fantasy series by Tasha Suri set in a world inspired by India. Starting with the cover to the story and the characters, this book has my whole heart.

Reasons why you need to read it:
x Sapphic. Desi. Fantasy.
x SO many morally grey characters. I didn’t know if I wanted to root for them or if I had to be scared of them. Maybe both.
x the mention of so many Indian delicacies had me craving samosa and rasmalai in the middle of the night.
x magic that gives you control over nature. The plant lover (read killer) in me was obviously excited
x there is something about reading a book with characters who look like you, wearing traditional Indian dresses, its just… a feeling I never knew I had been looking for until now.
x did we actually get a cover with a badass dark-skinned woman wearing a sari? The cover is gorgeous!

This was my first time reading an Indian based adult fantasy and I feel inadequate to describe all the feelings this book made me ~feel~ in a review.
If you didn’t know, I’m Indian, and I can’t believe it took me 29 years to find an ownvoices book in the genre that I like.
Uff. Here’s to more diversity and representation in books!

In short, I loved this book to bits and I can’t wait to read the sequel! Highly recommended!

DRC provided by Orbit via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Representation: Indian-inspired characters: lesbian protagonists, queer tertiary characters.

Content Warning: death, violence, misogyny, sexism, pestilence, forced sedation, sadism, torture, sex-negativism, homophobia, colonisation, oppression.

The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri is the first enchanting instalment in the “Burning Kingdoms” trilogy, set in an Indian-inspired realm where a sadistic and mad emperor is reigning and several forces are trying to depose him.

Ahiranya was once a territory rich in culture and magic until it was wrongfully subjugated by the Parijati who thought it was a threat to their hegemony. They reduced so the powerful Ahiranya to a poor colony also affected by the rot, a peculiar malady that turns the infected into plant-like beings before killing them; and which the rich only visit for its pleasure houses.

Princess Malini, the Parijatdvipan Emperor’s sister, is imprisoned and isolated in the Hirana, an Ahiranyi temple which hides the deathless waters, the powerful source of the magic once wielded by the temple elders and children, thought to be lost forever. Her “stay” is revolutionised when a maidservant named Priya becomes her companion.

No words will ever be enough to express how much I adored this book. The incredible world building, the writing and pacing, the fantastic and complex characters, the sapphicness of it all!

The Jasmine Throne is an EPIC fantasy in all senses and I cannot wait to read the next volume in the series.

Firstly, this may well be a 5 star read but as I was in a rubbish mood during the time I was reading it, I couldn't really appreciate it as much as I think I would have otherwise. I look forward to rereading it in the future. Anyway...

Set in an historical, Indian-inspired fantasy world in a kingdom that has been subjugated and enveloped by an empire that is now ruled by a sadistic man keen to crush any hint of difference or magic. He has his sister, Malini, locked up in a temple far from home in the hope that she will either die there or choose the honourable option of voluntarily burning on a pyre. She is not keen on those choices and is determined to find her other brother and convince him to seize back control.
Priya, a maidservant at the home of the local governor is more than meets the eye, a former child of the temple (before most of them were killed - burnt to death- there is a theme here) and has entered the deathless waters hidden within, giving her certain powers.
The themes are dark - it's a book full of characters suffering different traumas, an crushing empire, religious fundamentalism, political plots, rebellions, warfare, physical and mental abuse.
It is also incredibly captivating. A wonderfully described, vibrantly magically world with complex, morally grey characters and a sapphic romance that is full of yearning and conflicting desires.
I'm really interested to see how the story continues to develop in the next book, how the world and characters will grow and also who will survive, or not.

The Jasmine Throne is inspired by Indian history and epics, creating a lush and vibrant world. The world in The Jasmine Throne is much bigger and the world building, including the lore and history, is wonderfully intricate. While the Books of Ambha focused on one country (albeit different locations), The Jasmine Throne has multiple kingdoms, with their own wants and politics (despite being under the rule of a single emperor). The world building, coupled with the multiple P.O.Vs, creates the urgency of needing to address the imbalances in the empire and exploit the cracks that are beginning to show.

Aside from the world building, one of the other things I loved were the characters. In The Jasmine Throne, there are more P.O.V characters compared to Empire of Sand and Realm of Ash, but it doesn’t lose the character development or the character relationships in any way.

Both Malini and Priya, the two main P.O.V characters, are wonderfully fleshed out and each have their own wants and desires. I love how Priya is allowed to be soft and caring and this isn’t perceived as a weakness. Malini is caring in her own way, but she is also calculating and strong willed. Malini has a strong desire to see her other brother on the throne and will stop at nothing to see this plan through. There is also

While Malini and Priya take centre stage, there is a wealth of side characters, all of whom provide unique perspective on the empire and how it should be taken down. One of my favourite side characters is Bhumika. She is someone who is trying to survive, look after a household and keep a sense of normality, despite the undercurrent of rebellion running throughout the story. Bhumika is someone who inspires loyalty through kindness and much like Priya, her kindness and caring nature isn’t perceived as a weakness.

The prose is beautiful. It’s haunting and elegant, taking its time and really building up the tension. The Jasmine Throne deserves to be read slowly (if you can!) to really take in just how beautiful the writing is. I also want to give a shout out to the Orbit art team - the cover art for The Jasmine Throne is all kinds of beautiful and it’s so wonderful to see an Indian woman on the cover of an epic fantasy novel.

I think it’s safe to say that I thoroughly enjoyed The Jasmine Throne. There are plenty of threads in The Jasmine Throne that leave you wanting more and I can’t wait to see how they play out in book 2. (There are some content warnings on Tasha Suri’s website, so I recommend checking them out).

This started off very strong but the pacing fell off for me. It picked up again in the middle and then the last 15% or so was kind of a drag so despite the richly described world you enter when reading, there are times when the plot did not hold my attention.

I loved Priya, Malini & Bhumika's chapters - they're all complex, layered, very intriguing characters. there are also a fair few other characters whose pov we see, and while I know its a necessity for the story Suri is telling these other POV chapters would also lose my interest.

The romance dynamic was great.

In the global hodge-podge that is the increasingly welcome face of modern fantasy, novelty of setting is one of the first places you can go to be interesting. And there is something in pushing fantasy worlds that spin off of various historical subcultures - not least it gets to tweak and remind your internal picture of actors when you are reminded by food and clothing cues that your brain needs to move on from white Europeans. What I thought was interesting about The Jasmine Throne - which has a flavour of the Indian subcontinent about it is fantasy, is how well that is integrated into a mythology and history which didn't feel like it was leaning too heavily on actual mythology, giving Suri all the narrative freedom while creating a framework to flesh out her world.

Its very much the first part of a story, though from an epic fantasy perspective we are still looking at magic, terrible kings, servant girls coming up to be discovered as the chosen one. The book does get into a lot of characters heads (I think about six viewpoint characters are eventually used), and this got a little frustrating as we transitioned from the main leads to see the building blocks of the story elsewhere. That said the central pairing is done very well, the sly inner life of the princess in exile compared to her servant who has secrets - these are revealed to the reader in fair and expedient ways, as it also unfolds its own mildly complex world rules.

The book finishes before the main battle even begins, and splitting its protagonists suggests we will continue to follow a divergent path before their stories inevitably bring them back together - which would be a pity as they are a dynamite couple (one extremely positive outcome of fantasy being more LGBT friendly is a greater willingness to fold love and lust into adventure stories and this is certainly not an exception. It was a little slow to get going, and the multiple viewpoints diffused the power of the first half of the book, but I really enjoyed this and am looking forward to more.

Ever since seeing the sumptuous cover art for The Jasmine Throne, I have had a burning desire to read this book.

This was my first introduction to Tasha Suri’s writing, and I must say that I am impressed. Initially, the book is a slow burner, and it takes time for Tasha Suri to build up the momentum of the plot. She deftly interlaces the two main character’s story with a number of other points of view, but the POV of the two main characters are the ones that you want to get back to as the characters are so vibrant and alive.

The story starts with Mailini, who is about to be burned as a sacrifice to the Mother of Flame. However, she refuses to accept her fate lying down and she is banished to the Hirana, a ruined temple, where children with powers were burned alive in the past. Drugged and kept as a prisoner to pay for her crimes.

During her imprisonment, she is served by her maidservant Priya, who has a secret to keep. However, as with all secrets, they have a way of getting out when least expected. And Priya’s is a pretty big one, and when she does reveal it, it is to the person that she least wants it to be revealed to, Malini.

Events set them on a path to discover the secrets of the Hirani temple and fight back against the powers that hold a nation captive.

The story is very character driven and I found it initially a little hard to get into to be honest. However, it does pick up pace in the second half where the plot kicks in.

There are multiple characters in the book, and these add to the story and the political intrigue, but mainly, I found myself wanting to return to the two main characters.

The romance aspect of the book plays out quite well. I’m sorry, I cannot help it, and I admit my flaws. I am always a bit reticent when the word ‘romance' comes into play. However, I did find myself warming to this aspect of the book as Tasha Suri plays it so that it is more realistic, and the two main characters grow towards their relationship, rather than it being an instant, fall head over heels for each other. They learn to build trust in each other, and eventually, they learn to accept each other, for ill or for good.

I found the two main characters to be complex and well rounded, although I found that Priya was the easiest to warm to. They are not your archetypal heroes, but have flaws and at times can be a little grey in their morality. However, both are damaged by their families and this impacts on how they trust each other.

One of the things that attracted me to this book was the fact that it is set in an Indian inspired world, and I have to admit that this is not something that I had seen before. Tasha Suri builds the world around the characters so well, and does an exceptional job of show not tell when it comes to the world building aspect of things, aiding me to become immersed in the world.

The plot has some interesting aspects to it, in that it tackles a number of different things such as religious fanaticism, the brutality of imperialism and the effects of trauma, particularly in relation to familial trauma.

As a final note, if you read other reviews there are quite a few mentions about the same sex romance in this book, yep, both the main characters are female. However, what Tasha Suri also does well with this romance between the two main characters is to also push on the boundaries of class and how this impacts on the relationship. I mean, they are from two very different backgrounds and yet their shared experiences are what bring them together. I also found that it pushed the boundaries of genre fiction, challenging the stereotypes of how people envision fantasy fiction, especially with it not centring around male characters.

I found The Jasmine Throne to be an excellent introduction to The Burning Kingdoms series and will definitely be waiting rather impatiently for the second book to land.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book early!

I overall really enjoyed this book.

At the beginning, I wasn’t sure it was for me, and with all the different POVs, I skimmed the few I didn’t have much interest in. About 100 pages in I became more invested in the book and started really enjoying it, so then I had to go back and properly read the POVs I didn’t pay much attention to previously - I’m sure I’m not the only one with that particular problem when it’s multiple POVs, be it this book or a different one!

The story was fascinating and there was just so much to know, I kept craving more details and information about how the world works.

This book and most of the characters were compelling, magical, and I thoroughly enjoyed being part of this world for a few days.

I am super excited to have a special edition of this next week in my IC box!

3.5 stars
I loved the concept of this sapphic Indian-inspired fantasy and there are a lot of positives, especially the world-building and politics which was never info-dumpy. However, the multiple POVs of side characters dragged the pace of the book which was already quite slow, and it was hard to get through at points. I wasn't really invested in the relationship or Malini's character either unfortunately, but Priya's perspective saved the story for me. The plot picks up towards the end and so I'm still intrigued to see what happened next in the sequel but I just didn't love it as much as everyone else seems to!

What a powerful book! The Jasmine Throne absolutely swept me away, I have never read anything quite like it. Suri has built an incredible and concrete world with Parijatdvipa. As soon as I read the prologue, I knew I was in for a ride. The central story is set in Ahiranya, which used to be a powerful nation that almost ruled the entire continent (I think, the map was sadly not ready for the ARC I read) during what was called the Age of Flowers. But then a group of women from Parijat burned themselves on a pyre to gain the power to stand against Ahiranya. Since then Parijat has ruled, worshipping the Mothers who sacrificed themselves, and Ahiranya has been crumbling, its religious power lost during the burning of the temple and all its Elders and children at the order of the Emperor, its people and lands consumed by the rot.

I absolutely love the flower imagery that pervades the book. You see it immediately in the title, and it continues throughout. Especially within Ahiranya, with their Age of Flowers and the Yaksa they worship, who were creatures made of growing things, and are said to have become the sacred trees of the forest when they died. As I said, a fantastic world with so much rich history, folklore, religion, and politics. It felt so incredibly real.

The characters certainly add to this. I felt immediately the strength of each of them, especially Malini and Priya, the main point of view characters. They nearly walked right off the pages, their personalities so crisp and original. Priya is a maidservant in Hiranaprastha, but she is much more than the orphaned girl who the Regent’s wife took pity on; her past is linked to the Hirana, the temple in which the Ahiranyi Elders and temple children used to worship, and in which they all burned. Malini is the sister of Emperor Chandra, a dangerous man who has twisted the faith of the Mothers to his own ideal of a pure world. He imprisons Malini in the Hirana as punishment for refusing to burn on the pyre as willing sacrifice, after she conspires to restore the throne to her elder brother, Aditya. In this way, Priya and Malini’s fates collide, and they each need the other to reach their goals.

These women are hard-edged, and so are most characters in The Jasmine Throne. Though both Priya and Malini act out of a desire to better the world around them, they both have a very interesting relationship with the monstrous, and what it means to become the person you need to be in order to bring about that change. Alongside that is the powerful conversation this book is having about empire, about conquered lands, the erasure of culture and language along with a conquered nation’s power, the damage wrought by the people trying to liberate themselves. As I said, what a powerful book. I don’t want to say much more because this is the kind of story that holds joy in the unfolding, and all I can do is urge all fantasy readers to pick this up, because I am sure it will not disappoint. The perfect blend of sweeping empire and close character study, of frantic scenes and still, yet powerful, moments. An immediate favourite.

Oh "The Jasmine Throne", how I love thee. This is definitely one of the best novels I've read this year and I cannot WAIT to inject the sequel directly into my brain.

Suri's world building is spectacular and I was absorbed from page 1. The politics, the different religions, the rot, the magic... everything just made me want to dive right into this world, find out more, learn everything there is to know. The writing is lush, gorgeous, simply exceptional. But what really made this an easy high star rating for me are the characters.
The main pov characters are Malini and Priya and they are both incredibly complex and interesting. I adore them both, but frankly, Malini steals the show for me. She's the morally grey queen of my heart and she deserves to be the morally grey (but in the end, just) empress of the entire world, actually. Rarely have I fallen in love with a character so deeply. Their romance is beautifully slow-burn, with dashes of enemies-to-lovers and forbidden love tropes. While one is a princess and the other starts out as a maidservant, there is never an uncomfortable power imbalance as part of their relationship. They are both powerful, though in different ways, they have to rely on each other and their respective strengths and they fluctuate between savior and saved many times. They are equals and their relationship is based on that fact.
The supporting characters are just as interesting. I absolutely adore Rao and was fascinated by his faith, and I can't wait to see where he is going after the reveal at the end of the novel. And Bhumika is yet another queen that deserves the entire world.

The plot is appropriately fast-paced while allowing lots of quiet moments between the characters, too. There is a lot going on not just at the forefront but also in the background: The fanatical emperor and the fight to depose him, the rebellion to free a conquered and suffering nation from their conquerors, a mysterious disease spreading and turning people into what seems like vessels for nature itself, a maidservant slowly remembering parts of her childhood that allow her to find her true calling, her true power. All of it is fascinating, all strands expertedly interwoven with each other, forming an intriguing network of plots and mysteries that didn't allow me to put down the book.

Rao's big reveal and Malini's fate aren't twists that will surprise most people, they are pretty predictable from the start. That had no bearing at all on how much I enjoyed the story, though. Another minor, but admittedly very subjective, issue I had with the book was the way it used completely inconsequential povs to tell certain parts of the story - there is a small trend I've noticed where authors give a chapter or two to a new pov character whose only purpose is to tell their very short part of a story, and afterwards they either die or are completely forgotten. Their parts could have been told by established pov characters or in other ways without introducing new but completely pointless characters. It's a storytelling style I just don't like, though I can understand why it's done, and Suri uses it in her novel, too. But this is honestly such a minor complaint.

"The Jasmine Throne" is amazing and, incidentally, made me immediately buy Suri's Books of Ambha duology just because I NEED more from this author.
4,5 stars because I'm nitpicky, rounded up to 5 because I'm in love with this book.

“Only the worthy could rise.”
ARC provided by the publisher Orbit UK through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A story about a princess and a maid servant that is trying to break free from the prison of their past all the while burning empires to the ground. Tasha Suri is back with a new series kicking it off with a fiery first book The Jasmine Throne.

The time has finally come for me to complete my true calling of reading all three books from the unofficial but official Sapphic Holy Trifecta. If you’re not familiar with the trifecta is three adult fantasy sapphic books releasing in 2021 that consist of The Unbroken by C. L. Clark, She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan, and lastly The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri. I can announce confidently that I have read all three as The Jasmine Throne completes my list. In all honesty, I had zero expectations for the book but after seeing many tweets from mutuals and authors reassuring me that I will love The Jasmine Throne I decided to give it a try. Looking at the rating above it is clear that enjoyed the book. Before I start my review I would like to appreciate the beauty that is Priya on the cover of the book. Designed by Laura Penepinto and cover art done by Micah Epstein (@micahepsteinart), the fiery colours and the flowers on the borders of the book amplifies the beauty of the art much more. Not just that it resonates well with the story and represents what you can expect when reading the book perfectly! Also if you look closely there’s vine details and the Priya is sitting on the steps on the Hirana!! I love this cover, it is truly magnificent!

“Are we fighting a war right now, Malini?” “Yes,” Malini said. “We always are.”

After the success of The Books of Ambha duology, Tasha Suri is back with a new series that will entice readers with its glorious floral imagery and heartfelt burning passion to destroy empires titled Burning Kingdoms with it’s first book releasing on June 8th 2021, The Jasmine Throne. The story follows Priya, a maidservant that works for the household of the regent, as she tries to find her memories long burned away by the flames of her past. One day when the princess is sentenced to exile in the Hirana, a sacred temple of the yaksa, Priya takes a chance to gain more coin and find clues to connect with her past on the Hirana. When another servant’s attempt to discover the Hirana’s secrets went awry, Priya is pushed to use the power she once held and expose her true identity that she has buried for years. This reveal also exposes Priya to the last person she wants her identity to be known to, the princess of Parijatdvipan empire, Malini. Finding use in the not-so-normal-maid servant Malini decides to ally herself with Priya, her last remaining hope and only ally that can help her survive.

The setting of the story is exquisitely vivid and magnificent as it serves as the center piece for The Jasmine Throne. Tasha Suri’s writing brings forth a beautiful yet cruel world that is filled with botanical opulence and raging purifying fires. This is my first time reading an Indian inspired fantasy, it felt like I am watching a blank canvas being painted with the landscape of Hiranaprastha. From the hustle and bustle of the market, to the lush thick green forest, to the beautiful garden surrounding the rose palace, and the view while on a dangerous climb to reach the Hirana. Suri’s writing is filled sensory description either smell, touch, taste, or sound; while reading the book you can surely feel all these things. It could be the cacophony of smells at the market, the nails digging into flesh, the taste of flower scented candy, or the swish of a sari. These small details captured me immediately and I was hypnotized beyond my mind. Even the plague that has befallen the people of Ahiranya is well described down to every detail, it made my body feel like it had to look away but I wanted to keep reading. The botanical body horror is just *chef’s kiss*. And I love when Suri mentions flowers. The floral orgasm that is contained in this book is just wondrous. By all means, I am no botanical expert but I appreciate the many variations of flowers mentioned in this story and how it all ties in with the world. The title itself has contains my favorite kind of flower, JASMINE.

Fate had not named her. But the choices men had made, and the choices she had made—when her brother had pressed a knife to her neck, when her brother had tried to see her burn—had shaped her and given her a purpose.

Besides the beautiful setting there is the on going political struggle within the Parijati Empire. Though in this first book there aren’t many political sequences but the few scenes Suri included in the story is impactful and monumental to the story. The current ruler of the Parijatdvipan empire is a misogynistic sadist radical that is on a mission to “purify” the world of the Ahiranya people. It can be said that the emperor is on a mission to commit ethnic cleansing against the Ahiranyi. The religion this ruler worships is a religion that views sacrifice of women to burning as an act to achieving divinity, hence the name Mothers of the Flame. I love seeing the parallels between the Parijati and Ahiranyi not just in religion but in culture as well such as : The Parijati are more conservative than the Ahiranyi, Ahiranyi doesn’t see gender as an issue when it comes to partners, while the Parijati sees women as lesser especially the ones that deny the flames and is patriarchal. I was fully immersed into the world and I find it fascinating to see how everything connects in the story. Just thinking about it gives me chills!

She thought of the feel of Ahiranya unfurling in her mind. Of power in her blood. Of what it meant to be touched by spirits—to be a temple child, a keeper of faith. To be . . . elemental.

It wouldn’t be a fantasy story if it didn’t have a certain aspect of magic in it and can I say out of all the books I’ve read this year the magic in The Jasmine Throne is one of the most intriguing magic systems I’ve encountered in a while. Starting the book it took a while for the magic to be revealed and when it was done the gradual ascent to understanding the Yaksa magic is satisfying. As someone that loves a religion based magic that derives from gods I am living for the lore. I wanna talk about the magic but it might spoil everything so I will try to be vague as possible. The magic in The Jasmine Throne is a type of communion magic and grants power to the chosen followers of the Yaksa. Yaksa is an elemental being that I can only imagine looking like a Treant but more humanoid. Only the chosen followers are worthy of the yaksa’s powers and there are layers to achieving full power to manipulate the earth, grow plants, and control nature all together. There are three trials that they must survive through with unpredictable results, those who aren’t worthy die during these three trials. If they survive the first trial they are granted a taste of power and gradually the powers will mature after passing the second then third trial. Though the magic is like a battery, they can fade with time the longer they are separated from the Hirana. It is not that easy either to receive the powers because not everyone is worthy. Anyone can hone the powers but the action is similar to drinking water from a pond and not from a creak with flowing water.

Suri’s concept for the Yaksa magic is interesting and well balanced. Personally, I am an admirer of checks and balances in books that have a magic system. The Jasmine Throne clearly achieved this balance magnificently without it being too intensely technical to the point it breaks the mood of the plot, it is weaved well within the world building and done slowly for readers to follow. Any reader can easily grasp the magic! I have to say it is the perfect example of a well structured magic system that is well engrained within the world similar to the Green Bones in Jade City by Fonda Lee.

She could make herself something monstrous. She could be a creature born of poison and pyre, flame and blood.

Suri expertly integrated heavy topics such as women’s role in a patriarchal society, being queer, discovering one’s identity, oppression, and so on through her world building and characters. I have mentioned in the previous paragraphs how brilliant Tasha Suri’s world building is now I want to get to the good stuff which are characters! In The Jasmine Throne there are two core characters that serves as the fuel to the story, they are Priya and Malini. Both characters are very well fleshed out with clear motivation and purpose. Their dynamics are full of yearning and deeply intimate. Suri’s writing definitely extends the vulnerability to readers even more as the emotions bleeds out from the page everytime these two characters share a moment together. Each scene between the two in the Hirana, where they bargain or share their dreams or open up to one another readers get a glimpse of how broken they are. They both have deep wounds that is caused by familial love that are sometimes too fierce and intense it burnt them. I liked that their relationship blossomed into something beautiful where they both find solace in each other as they give in to their vulnerability and shed all their defenses. I want to say that both character’s development are like ping-pong they bounce of each other. But if I compare them, Priya’s character development is much clearer and whole. In the story Priya’s development is more structured and apparent to me. While Malini’s only started developing nearing the middle around 50-60% into the book. Since it is the first book I can see that the story is much more centered around Ahiranya and Priya, I think we can hope to see more development from Malini in the second book.

“This face. This face right in front of me. The face you’ve shown me, the fact that you kissed me. I know it. I know you,” said Priya. “I know exactly who you are. There are other versions of you that I don’t know. But this one . . .” Her fingers were against Malini’s lips. “This one is mine.”

There are other characters with strong presence that Tasha Suri included in the POVs besides the Priya and Malini. They are Rao, Bhumika, Prem, and Ashok. I want to shine the spotlight to Bhumika, the wife of the regent of Ahiranya, one of the female characters that plays a big part later on in the story. Bhumika’s arc is probably the second most interesting compared to the other characters, the first being Priya. Bhumika is the embodiment of a strong woman getting shit done, the woman sacrificed herself and her true calling to protect the people of Ahiranya by marrying the regent. Her whole arc contains commentary about how society views women and how it views a woman’s value is limited to having kids while sitting being pretty. There are similarities between Malini and Bhumika as they are both highborn women with cunning abilities to manipulate and maneuver through many political obstacles in their way. They both strongly radiate the aura of gaslight, gatekeep, girl boss! Even though I can’t talk about all of the characters in The Jasmine Throne rest assured that the characterization is well done with believable development and are very well fleshed out. There’s no character that feels like a side character and each character will have their own moment to shine in the story.

“I wanted peace. I was willing to pay the price that peace demanded, however broken that peace was. … , I will do what is needful. I will take up the role that was once mine.”

As a reader I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Jasmine Throne it checks everything that I look for in a fantasy book from the down to earth and believable characters, the character interactions, the amazing world building, the underlying topics within the story, etc. But there were moments when the pacing of the story is too slow for me especially during the ending. The way that the ending went down the flow is like a roller coaster ride, there is a climax then it dips then climax again then dips and so on. It felt like there are too many climaxes and dips. Even though the ending was wrapped up nicely and left at a good note to start the second book, for me it felt slightly draining because of the constant escalation then dips. When I got to the big moment it became anti-climactic and fell flat for me, when it was supposed to be the moment that delivered the last smash. Please mind this is just a small thing in an all round awesome book and I was sick while reading that could also play a factor too. Nonetheless, it didn’t not hinder me from loving the story as a whole.

The moment I saw you, I felt a tug. You are the feeling of falling, the tidal waters, the way a living thing will always turn, seeking light. It isn’t that I think you are good or kind, or even that I love you. It is only that, the moment I saw you, I knew I would seek you out. … Just as I seek all things—without thought, with nothing but want.

Final thoughts, The Jasmine Throne is a book filled with sapphic yearning between two strong characters that is driven to set an empire ablaze. It is a vivid, nuanced, and a story that wakes your senses with in depth world building, beautiful atmospheric writing, and underlying themes that challenges the expectations and limitations of woman in a patriarchal world. Complete with a cast of characters that is as equally as commanding in presence and wonderfully fleshed out. I will say it again, Tasha Suri created a banger of a first book to a promising trilogy that I will keep my eyes out for. Fair warning, there are trigger warnings for this book that readers should pay attention to before picking this book up. I am very excited for this book to be released in June and I can’t wait for readers to meet Malini and Priya, especially Bhumika. Pre-order your copy now or wait until it’s release or request it at your library or buy the e-book. Please read this book! It will not disappoint and thank me later ❤

The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

It's been a while since I read another Tasha Suri book. The Jasmine Throne is the first book in a trilogy. It was very well written and Tasha Suri created an amazing and very rich world. I like reading strong female characters and the LGBTQ+ rep was amazing too. It was the perfect introduction to a new series. Overall, I love The Jasmine Throne and I can't wait to read the next installment.

Thank you so much for the e-copy of this book.

Unfortunately, I gave up at 10%. The writing is great, it's just this story is not for me.
I couldn't get through it, I couldn't relate to the characters. The beginning was very dense for me to get, and the plot wasn't fully clear for me. It took me a bit to get the full political situation. To be honest, while reading it I kept thinking that this is not going to be a series I would want to follow so I gave up. Thank you again for the copy!

Rating - 4.5/5

There were so many amazing parts to The Jasmine Throne, but I think my favourite must have been the religious element to the story. There are three main religions practiced by the characters in the book, the first is practiced by the pilgrims and temple children in Ahiranya, the second is the following of the Mothers in Parijat, and the faith of the nameless ones in Alor is the third. Each are unique and well explored, never clashing with each other with stories of histories or significant people/deities being the same (so no Jupiter/Zeus type of cross over.) The magic of the temple children and the deathless waters, as well as the connection to the Hirana, is well explained without being over explained, leaving just enough mystery. The faith of the nameless ones is intriguing, and the role it played in one of the plot lines kept me desperate to keep reading to find out more. Despite how the Emperor of Parijatdvipa and his interpretations of the faith in the Mothers are protrayed, the religion itself isn't villainised, which was something that I really liked, and I really hope that future books expand more upon the Mothers and the reasons for their burning.

There are a few central characters in this novel, the point of view switches frequently. The first is Priya, a maidservant for the regent. Priya is one of the main characters in the book, and I love her dearly, but she lacks any discernible motivations for a significant chunk of the story. She seems to just be dragged along by other characters for a while. Whilst yes this does make sense in the context of the book, at some moments it would have also been fitting for her to have more motivations.
The next is Malini, the disgraced Parijati princess, who always has more going on beneath the surface than she appears to. She is superbly written, her determination is admirable, I absolutely adore her.
Bhumika, Ashok, and Rao also get a lot of time dedicated to them in the book, and each hold their own in amongst the central storyline that follows Priya and Malini. Bhumika is a strong and elegant woman who is capable of making hard choices, Ashok is a rebel with plans for the independence Ahiranya. Rao is a prince of Alor allied with Malini. Each are wonderfully written with interesting stories and pasts of their own.

If there was one central theme to the novel, I missed it, but it didn't need one. The plot was engaging, the characters were loveable, and the history of the world was imaginative. I feel like I've said that a lot, but I really love some good worldbuilding, and Ms Suri did it so so well. I loved how the novel looked into how a person changes when presented with the prospect of overthrowing tyranny, its shown incredibly well in Malini. These wonderful, beautiful people that are just as capable of being monstrous, whatever it takes to survive.

Synopsis: Two strong women , one a priestess and the other , a Princess find their destinies intertwined . The Princess is being punished by her wicked brother for not ascending into the pyre as did her bloodsisters and godmothers ; to maintain the purity of her line . And the priestess is leading a simple life on the Hirana almost forgetting that she's a temple child. With the mysterious rotting disease and a rebel group on the rise, things take a U- turn when these women meet . Are they gonna prey on each other for the cause they believe in. ?

Review: This is a well written fantasy with Indian origins and feminist themes. The well rooted patriarchy and colonialism in our society is rightly hinted at and shunned . The main characters as well as the supporting characters are quite strong and the author showcases both their vulnerable and powerful aspects. The descriptions of the places, the Hirana and the holy river are quite a treat to read and stays in any fantasy lovers' brain. The LGBTQ representation set in an ancient era was quite a brainwave.

All in all, this book keeps readers hooked and makes you yearn for the sequel.

You know the kind of book that you want to keep reading but then it ends and you suddenly feel breathless? This was that kind of book for me.

I love this book with all my heart. It has everything I love in fantasy – a clean and intricate plot, great characters, multi layered story, political intrigues, beautiful and ferocious world and a captivating magic system at the heart of it. A solid first book in a series and also a contender for the best 2021 release !
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We are following two main characters in this story. First is Priya, a maidservant who works in the Regent’s palace. And the other is Princess Malini who refuses to burn and is exiled into Hirana by her Emperor brother.

This book starts with fire, and I mean FIRE. And that fire doesn’t die throughout the book.

We are transported to Ahiranya which faces a peculiar disease called ‘Rot’. Ahiranya has been conquered by Parijatdvipa. The unrest and tension keeps rising as the masked revels set on violent ways to free themselves of the Parijatdvipa’s rule. They also want to restore Ahiranya’s lost glory and magic.

I also really loved our main characters Priya and Malini. Tasha Suri didn’t shy away from showing their abusive family background and their vulnerabilities, the characters have proper depth. And I fell in love with both of them. Priya is a kindhearted maidservant who narrowly escaped death as a child, she is kind but also very strong willed. And Malini is fierce, she knows what she wants and she will do anything to get it. Both are so different and yet so same.

I am not a big fan of romance usually but I loved the slow sapphic yearning in this one! It was a crazy battle of wills and power, emotions and fire. It was just so good!

There are all in all 8-9 POV(s) and normally that would confuse the heck out of me but in this one it didn’t. The most of the story is told from the perspective of our main two characters – Priya and Malini. And in between we follow other characters like – Bhumika, Rao, Ashok, Vikram, Jitesh, Chandra etc. I also really liked some of the side characters, specially Bhumika and Rao.

And omg! I loved Rukh. He is a little boy that suffers from the ‘Rot’, Priya with her kind heart wasn’t able to ignore him and brings him to the palace. And I was scared for him throughout the story! I also love the way he adds so much to Priya’s character and the story.

I was so immersed in to story from the first page, it was really difficult to put it down. The world is lush and captivating. This was also my first Tasha Suri’s Novel and now I cant wait to read her previous works!

Oh my god, where do I even begin..

The Jasmine Throne was a story told through the POVs of 5 major characters: Priya, Malini, Bhumika, Ashok and Rao, and a few other side characters that are equally important to the story. And while this sounds quite a lot for a 500 pages book, not a single POV felt unnecessary or even boring. Every POVs were engaging and the characters were well-written and fleshed out, especially the major ones. And also the women? All the smart, calculating, morally grey women? I AM IN LOVE.

The worldbuilding was amazing, very immersive and elaborate. I love the lore, and the different religions and faiths in this book and how they serve as the foundation of the story. And I just can't wait to see how all these pieces will fit together in future books.

Another thing that I love was the relationship dynamics, it was simply *chefs kiss*. The satisfying slow-burn romance between Priya and Malini. The complicated relationship between the temple siblings who once made a family out of shared devotion and now separated through twist of fates. And others who were bound to each other through the fates of their names. I kept marveling at how Suri wove all this elements and characters together to create this masterpiece of a fantasy.

Overall, this book was fantastic and very beautifully-written and this was honestly one of my best reading experience this year.

Unfortunately I don’t think The Jasmine Throne is for me at this moment in time. I was really looking forward to reading it, especially after seeing so many fantastic reviews, however once I started I found it quite difficult to get through. It was quite slow going but heavy on the detail so I had to keep rereading paragraphs to see if a characters had already been mentioned or just to try to work out what was happening. It could be that I struggled with this one because I had just finished reading a fast paced fantasy that I couldn’t put down. As I only got 8% in, I can’t really give a thorough review of the characters, plot or writing so for fairness I will give this book a neutral 3 stars and perhaps I will try again to read it at a later date.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.