What started out as a story brimming with intrigue, magic and atmosphere in a world that persecutes witches, it quickly devolved into a rather messy and flat plot with some pretty underdeveloped characters. The writing style also felt both overly convoluted yet strangely simplistic at the same time. The antagonist feels like a pantomime villain, one track minded with no nuance and the protagonists are naive and irritating.

This started out with so much potential, but the story went in a direction that didn't make a lot of sense to me and I really grew to dislike the writing style. Not for me.

Free courtesy of Netgalley

I haven't read a fantasy book in quite a while, and I am glad I didn't read the reviews before I started this one.

I enjoyed the book, and I suppose I don't read books to point out all the grammatical errors, I read to immerse myself into the story, and if I can't do that then I believe a book has failed me.

The story I feel was set more for teenagers and not my age bracket but nonetheless I did enjoy learning about this world and meeting the characters, some I hated and some I loved.

When a young pacifist prince goes against everything his violent and cruel father believes, it makes for an uncomfortable upbringing for Prince Ashoka, especially as his two older siblings are a chip off the old block. Whereas Mayakari witches are Pacifists who are being persecuted by Emperor Adil. Shakti is a witch who is being raised by her aunt, who tries to teach her the way of the Mayakari but she is determined to go her own way and learn to fight.

One night when the Emperor visits Shakti's Village and her aunt is burned alive, she takes her vengeance to a new level.

The two main characters must meet to find a way forward to stop the witches being persecuted, but each must give a little on their beliefs as the right way to lead the kingdom into peace is a middle ground between them both.

I would like to read the subsequent books to see how these two young characters grow, and how they earn their place in a world they are trying to create. I would recommend this book to teenagers who love fantasy books. Hopefully any negative reports of grammar will be addressed as it is a good book.

I know this was an ARC but come on where were the proof readers?

The world of the Ran Empire was such an exciting idea, based on Ancient India, I jumped straight in. Normally I don't like prologues but this drew me in and slowly I began to realise that my favourite character was the one that died day dot (SPOILER but this is also chapter one so...)

My main problems, other than the editing, was lack of thought beside the setting. Coming out of it can I really tell you what this book was about?

The story has two POVs that sound so intriguing side by side but end up being so similar it's boring. They have the same ideals and despite first being pacifists choose more violent means and for what? Where was the lesson? Where was the motivation? Sure the Prince wanted things but we never knew why, like his daddy issues play into it but it didn't feel fleshed out.

The writing was strange on a line level, other reviews highlighted this better than I can but it was weird.

I did like the witches but again found the lack of real human response odd. Okay their pacifists, but all of them? Seriously?

A book I hoped had all the vibes and fell short. Though I did like the hinting romance for the prince, I hope it works out for him in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC

Unfortunately ,I DNF’d this book. I read up to around the 30% mark but ultimately didn’t finish. I feel bad but I really struggled reading it. I felt like the writing was really quite poor and the sentence structure didn’t really make sense. The plot didn’t grip me and was too disjointed.

The premises of this book were intriguing and I was curious to read it. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to its potential. The story was a bit slow, sometimes with repetitive scenes/thoughts, and the characters were one dimensional. Consequently I couldn't connect with them, nor being invested in what they were doing. The romance was almost non-existent and underwhelming. It's a pity because I really wanted to love it.

3.5 Stars

This book was definitely setting the scene for bigger things so at points, the family dynamics and politics got a bit tedious. By the end I could see why it was all important and it's set up some exciting things for the next book, which I do think I'll be reading.

I will say that the book has a more YA feel than adult. I can't put my finger on exactly why, likely the language and how simple some of the characters are, but it wasn't giving me adult vibes.

I requested this ARC as it was advertised as LGBTQ+ but this isn't really the case. Yes, the prince has the hots for his guard but all we get is a bit of longing and no action. I was hoping there would be a more overt queer relationship. With the way the story is going, I don't think this will happen in book two.

All in all, it was a fun read. It took me a while to get into it but once you embrace the fact that literally no one has a plan and are just rolling with whatever happens, it's good fun. Certain characters also develop in interesting ways and I'm looking forward to seeing how they change as the story continues.

Let's get the basics out of the way:
1. This is the first in a trilogy. It doesn't stand alone. It ends on a cliffhanger.
2. This is not a romantasy. There's no romance in this book. There are minor romantic feelings that aren't acted upon (so far). They're not between the 2 characters mentioned in the blurb.
3. This is not a gritty grimdark story. This is a YA/adult crossover epic fantasy veering more towards heroic / hopeful than grimdark.

I had an eye on this book since I've seen the publisher's marketplace announcement. Evil witch & pacifist underdog prince? Sign me the heck up! However, my first worry was "is this gonna be another of those tropey no plot just vibes I-hate-you-but-can't-resist-you romantasy? if so, I don't wanna read it!" But hey, it surprised me the best way possible because it's the utter opposite of a romantasy! The protagonists might be immature (they're young, in their early 20s), but but they don't run on "horny logic", that's for sure.

I feel the fantasy genre right now is so overrun with romantasy that a 2-pov blurb makes people think this is some grand enemies to lovers story. It is not. Ashoka and Shakti are political allies of convenience, but harbour no romantic feelings for one another. It makes me sad how this book has so many romance / romantasy tags on goodreads based on who knows what assumptions. There's literally no romance in this story. Ashoka has romantic feelings for another character, but out of fear and hesitation doesn't act on them. But really, can't people these days be allies or reluctant friends anymore? Everything needs to be about romance otherwise it's condemned?

This is a story of an extremely idealistic to a fault prince whose ideals are slowly eroded over time. I don't understand the reviews condemning the book just because he starts naive and a bit "stupid" / delusional. That's what the story is about. The corruption of unsustainable "purity" that doesn't withstand the clash with reality. That he could have afforded his lofty ideals when he was just an idle spare, last in line to the throne, but the moment he has to actually do things, he's forced into hard choices and all of them go against his initial morals. He's forced to pick a lesser evil, and due to that evolves over time. And this is only the 1st in a trilogy. Who knows, maybe in the end he will go full Darth Vader. The fall / corruption is only sweet if the character started really high and mighty, noble and pure.

It's also a story of oppressed witches who were supposed to "do no harm", but how can they just lie down and die? In both cases of Ashoka and Shakti / Nayani there's the question: can you stick to a pacifist code in the face of a genocide?

Ashoka and Shakti are meant to be foils of each other. Shakti was taught pacifism and rejects it. Ashoka was taught the ruler should be brutal, but he rejects it and wishes for pacifism, for which he's mocked to be "weak" and "unsuitable to rule". But when his oath of pacifism breaks, this doesn't bring him respect, rather more mockery and hatred.

I felt the pace and tension was medium-burn, not too slow but also not very fast. Which is fitting for an epic fantasy where we need to learn the world, its politics, the magic and so forth. But it also didn't go into long worldbuilding tangents and there were regular reveals and mini-plot-twists. Halfway the story the protagonists get separated and have to work on their political goals apart. I was never bored with the story and never struggled to follow the plot.

The worldbuilding is lush and interesting, full of tropical flora and fauna, spirits small and big (the small ones reminded me of creatures from Princess Mononoke, the big ones usually take animal forms like a tiger or an elephant), we have flying winged serpents and rideable panthers, flowers, food, clothing and architecture mostly resembling India but we have chilli peppers and "frangipanis" that from what I've checked originate from America so it's more like a fantasy tropical world with Indian influences but not 1:1 historical India. And I'm not the person to obsess how fantasy authors can't have potatoes in their pseudo-medieval Europe; tbh I think this rule is stupid - it's fantasy, if the climate permits it, or other worldbuilding elements, go on and have your vanilla and cocoa alongside "old world" plants.

There's a certain amount of violence, blood and gruesome deaths but they always serve the plot and aren't over the top gratuitous. I'd say fairly standard for epic fantasy.

Representation:
MMC Ashoka is in love with his bodyguard Rahil, so most likely gay or other MLM orientation.
FMC Shakti is most likely aromantic, as she mentions romantic feelings are foreign to her.
Side character Aarya is bisexual.
All characters are South Asian coded / Brown-skinned.

I really enjoyed this entry installment in a trilogy and I'm really curious where the author takes the story next! I loved the worldbuilding, the queer representation that wasn't the focus of the story but rather "just existed", and a rare YA/adult crossover fantasy that doesn't center any romance. I love to see more of them - this one was definitely better than my last pick! A very competent debut.

My only complaint is that I hate cliffhanger endings, but that's totally my fault I'm a lousy sequel reader. Alas, that's no fault of the book or the author, series are viable and common in epic fantasy.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Voyager for the ARC!

The Prince Without Sorrow - Maithree Wijesekara

"The thread being spun in the sky above her finally revealed its finished tapestry: an array of death and destruction"

What a beautiful read. Set in a lush landscape, heavily influenced by the Mauryan Empire of Ancient India, the world itself is a such a fresh exploration for a fantasy story and I could vividly see the obsidian stones of the temples, the smell of the vegetation and wildflowers and the sheer scale of the open space land and forests. The fantastical creatures in this story are stunning and I absolutely cannot WAIT to see art for the winged serpents.

The story follows Shakti, a witch seeking revenge that goes against her pacifist upbringing and Ashoka, a peace-seeking prince, an outcast to his fathers brutal regime of destruction of the witches. This book is heavily political and manages to effortless blend magic and politics together without losing sight of either as the story progresses. The character development is excellent as we learn about how Shakti's village was destroyed and her aunt senselessly murdered at the hands of the crown and her deep desire to harm the Royal Family for revenge. It pairs beautifully with the POV of Prince Ashoka who wants the same outcome as Shakti but without the need for violence whilst battling bullying from his siblings as they take control of the land and his desires for his guard Rahil in feelings that he believes are unrequited. The whole story is fairly quick paced and I did enjoy that the characters, although had to make agonising decisions, rolled with their punches and carried on. There is no long drawn out discussions of principle and consequences outside of the obvious large events that will happen.

The conscious collectivenesss that Shakti finds herself in was absolutely incredible and for me was my favourite part as she infiltrates the dreams of the Royal Children and puppeteers from inside their souls whilst being guided and scorned by emperors that have come to pass.

I think this is a stunning fantasy debut in such an interesting world.

’This, however, was something entirely different; this was a song of a thousand sorrows drowning in reverberation.’

If I’d picked ’The Prince Without Sorrow’ up when I was younger or newer to the fantasy genre then maybe it would have ended up being the hit that I’d anticipated. There were elements of it that I enjoyed and I loved the ideas behind the world that it was set within yet ultimately I was underwhelmed by this one unfortunately. There’s every chance that it will work better for readers less familiar with the genre and/or within the YA age bracket (so I have to confess that I was pretty shocked to realise that this is actually classified as an adult novel).

Starting with the positive I truly do appreciate the world and ideas behind this novel. The mayakari and their magic seemed like a fascinating idea and I loved the fact that nature spirits were thrown into the mix within the setting. There’s a horrifying, propaganda and hatred fuelled annihilation and vilification of a generally peaceful race. There’s power struggles between siblings and mentions of surrounding leaders who I imagine will play a role within the sequel. So there were certainly elements to interest my fantasy loving heart.

Likewise the general direction of the plot was a rather intriguing one. There’s danger and action throughout leading to a climax that will leave many readers curious to discover exactly what will happen next. It doesn’t shy away from showing the barbarity of this world’s humans and the brutality of their actions either.

Yet I have to admit that interesting as I found the world and the idea of the mayakari I couldn’t help but long for more too. When it comes to fantasy I love learning about magic systems and history yet neither aspect is truly explored here. The magic in particular I’d have liked to have been clarified a bit better as you never truly get over many specifics of how it works. Plus it felt to me like Shakti took to her more unique ability with a bit too much ease.

Politically this book felt rather shallow too. The conflict at its centre is intriguing but its execution on the page felt rather weak. When it comes to political manoeuvring within this kind of brutal world – and the resistance groups within them – there seemed to be no finesse. Trust came too easily and actions were quite blunt and clumsy. If you’re going against the emperors orders surely you don’t do it in the open, after all.

My other struggle – and the one that got under my skin most – was the way that people spoke on occasion, especially the trio of siblings at this novels centre. They felt like bickering teenagers more than fierce potential leaders in the way they clashed. Plus the few times that you saw a tyrant interact with Shakti it truly did make me cringe. It was almost like the author knew how to depict their actions but not their communications with others. This, and a couple of inconsistencies, led to some of the characters falling a bit flat.

Baring all that in mind perhaps my rating is over generous but this book did have its good moments too. There were times when I cringed or rolled my eyes at certain scenes but others where I was intrigued. With a little more polish – and a better grasp of the characters and depth to the magic of this world – then the sequel could be a truly enjoyable read for me. Plus I think it will work for the right audience; I just unfortunately don’t think that it’s the one it’s advertised as for.

So if you’re new to fantasy or within the YA age bracket I think ’The Prince Without Sorrow’ could be an interesting read for you. However if you’ve read a lot of fantasy then I can see it falling flat in all honestly. I believe I want to give the sequel a chance, to see if the author has a better handle on her characters, but it isn’t a high priority, must read. It’s a shame as this was one of my most anticipated books of the year but my honest advice would be to see if you can borrow rather than buy this initially.

Finally it’s worth noting that this looks as if it’s going to be a beautifully presented novel so if you’re lucky enough to fall for the story (and I have seen some five star reviews around) I’m sure you’ll go on to crave a copy of this in print. Not only have I seen some glorious special editions around but the chapter headers are such beautiful works of art too.

The Prince Without Sorrow was one of my most anticipated debuts of the year, and it certainly lived up to my expectations!

The one thing I will say is that I'm a bit confused why this book seems to be marketed as a romantasy, at least according to the Goodreads tags, as there really hasn't been much romance so far.
Instead, the book focuses a lot more on the plot, morals and politics, and I really loved the dynamics and character arcs.

A witch who seeks violence despite being raised in a pacifist witch society, and a prince born into a violent family who is a pacifist, it made for such an interesting combination while not feeling forced or tropey.
Speaking of tropes, there is one plot trope that I am not typically a fan of, but I loved how it was executed here. I can't say more, but I think it put such an interesting spin on it all.

The world is amazing as well, I always love Indian-inspired fantasies.

I think the main reason why this book resonated so much with me is because it unfortunately is quite reminiscent of the current political climate.
Power hungry rulers who are blinded by their own bigotry, not caring about the harm they cause on their quest for expansion and to push their agenda, and a resistance who just wants peace – let's just say it all sounds a bit familiar. I think the author did a fantastic job with the different parties of the ruling family, including a bloodthirsty princess and an emperor who maybe isn't the brightest, but makes up for that with his ambition.

Overall, I really loved this book and I'm very excited to see how things develop in the sequel.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC.

Many thanks to Harper Voyager, Harper Fiction, and NetGallery for this digital advanced reader copy of The Prince Without Sorrow by Maithree Wijesekara in exchange for an honest review.

I was excited by the premise:

- An orphan from an oppressed magical group
- A brutal dictator emperor with three children all vying for the throne
- A curse
- Unseen powerful nature spirit beings.

Unfortunately, this book wasn’t for me.

There are two protagonists; the first is Prince Ashoka. Ashoka is the youngest of the dynasty. Many pages are used to paint an idealistic, vegetarian, pacifist, who just happens to be loved by all creatures who are otherwise untameable (i.e. winged serpents and leopards). Yet, to ensure the reader doesn’t write him off completely as a wimp, Ashoka is deemed to be an excellent swordsman, as he was trained by and constantly spars with his childhood friend and his right hand-man, Rahil. Rahil has been identified as the finest swordsman of the empire, who had been in turn trained by his father. Sadly, all of this made me immensely irritated. When Ashoka finally wrestles with the ethics of the needs of the many versus the needs of the few… I still didn’t care enough to want to read future books. Ashoka is just too annoying. The characterisations of his siblings made sense, but I again felt it was two-dimensional.

Wijesekara also uses this book to explore same sex attraction. While this coming-of-age exploration/understanding of same sex attraction is welcome in terms of inclusivity and creating space for future tension in forthcoming books in the series, it wasn’t enough to turn the tide for me.

The second protagonist, Shakti, isn’t much better but for different reasons. Her hubris is in respect to her decisions to go against her people’s code of ethics and to weaponise her magics. When she dishes out revenge, it should be satisfying, but somehow, while all the right ingredients were there… I just wasn’t cheering her on. I kept thinking, what a thoughtless child! Maybe at 41 years old I am too old for these stories, but I love fantasy, urban fantasy and coming of age stories… I have seen these tropes in other books, even the secret powers that she learns over time, and enjoyed them, but sadly in this novel, I don’t have enough empathy for her, (even though emotionally she has every right to be enraged, heartbroken, and defiant)…

I think this book is very much a book about hurt people who hurt other people, and about people who are so convinced they are right that it is not only their downfall, but the ruin for so many others around them. It’s like watching a horrific car crash that is happening in slow motion in front of you, which also you know is a film that hasn't properly suspended my disbelief, rather than real life, so I’m not invested enough to want to run in and help. I know I have a good book when I am shouting at the characters like they can hear me!

The character building, the problem, the world building, the magic system, and all the elements were there for a fab novel. I can see a lot of work went into it. It just fell down because I hated BOTH Ashoka and Shakti.

I wish Wijesekara the best of luck!

Drawing on inspiration for ancient folklore this tales weaves together elements of romantic angst and political intrigue. Tense court politics will captivate readers while the unjust discrimination against witches will leave them fuming. An epic story of betrayal, ambition and vengeance.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐅𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 | 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐕𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐯𝐢𝐚 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐒𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐛𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐣𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐤𝐚𝐫𝐚

Loved the flying serpents - different. Loved that the mayakari could only be women and sacrificed as women were in real life. Looking forward to the next one

Great read. My 1st ever fantasy set in India.

Tells the story of Shakti, a young witch of the Mayakari who vows revenge against the empire who burned her aunt alive. There is zero sex in this book so suitable for younger readers as well, there are unrequited m/m feelings but its not explicit at all. I would say 14 plus as there are strong themes of violence.

A lovely book and cant wait for the sequel.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I found the plot engaging from the start and the dual POVs fitted the narrative perfectly. Ashoka is in intriguing character and I loved his character development throughout the book as he struggles to balance his innate nature with who he needs to be to make a change. I'm excited for the sequel!

Fantasy novel involving magic - quite good.

This novel revolves around two main characters, Shakti and Ashoka, both trying to save the mayakari witches in their own way from the Emperor. The chapters tend to alternate between each character and the book ends on a cliffhanger, prompting the next part of the story. Some reviews that i have read criticise the language and I can understand why to some extent: I, for instance, don't feel that the Yiddish word" spiel" fits the narrative. however it's a well-told tale, quite enjoyable and engaging. Lovers of fantasy fiction will probably appreciate it. I'm in two minds about it but will probably see where the author is going with the plot. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and honestly review an advanced reader’s copy of this book.

I really enjoyed this book! While it didn’t blow me away, the plot flowed well and was fast paced enough to keep me fully engaged.
I liked prince Ashoka, even if his pacifism did get a tiny bit grating after a while; and Shakti, the witch/Mayakari, who was a delightful chaotic character to read about.

I would recommend this if you love classical fantasy; and I look forward to the sequel!

An exciting story of family and power, and the things people do to get it.

We follow two viewpoints in alternating chapters, Shakti the witch and Ashoka the Prince. I really enjoyed the alternating viewpoints, it kept the story flowing easily and let us see goings on around the empire.

I loved Shakti’s character, she was a great morally grey character willing to do whatever it took to claim her revenge. Ashoka was a little less well fleshed out but I enjoyed his conundrum of pacifism vs stopping evil, I found that very interesting!

All in all a very readable, enjoyable debut. I’m excited to see what the rest of the series brings!

The Prince Without Sorrow is set in one of the most beautiful fictional places! The Ran Empire, despite being savage, has rich history and amazing giant leopards, making this somewhere I would love to visit. It is inspired by the Mauryan Empire of Ancient India.
The hunting down of the witches and burnings are brutal. I could really get behind the retribution storyline. The magic is also interesting, with the powers and mental abilities.
I absolutely loved the pacifist prince and his challenges. Both of the main characters have their own distinct paths and values.
An amazing debut that covers an empire, with interesting power dynamics and intense sibling rivalry.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

LOVED THIS
the story navigates around two characters that might seem different but the way they see death is really similar.
He was thought from a really young age how he should use strength to make sure people would follow him but he has always been the prince with a soft sport for the people in the lower class and people not treat how they deserve.
He prefer knowledge and intelligent to make people follow him.

Shakti is the "enemies" of the empire according to the prince's father. She is what his father has been fighting all his life: a witch.
And his goal has been to kill all her spieces.
Once hi army murder her aunt Shaktii send a curse to the emperor and she goes against the Mayakari code of peace.

that is when Ashoka and Shaktii meet. He has always been trying to save the Mayakari and his father has always been trying to kill them all.
the prince believe that there is a way to cooperate with them.

it was such a well written book and to see how death was seen by eveycharacters. And how each one of them could manipulate somoeone idea just with their words and in some case actions.