4.5 stars
The Jasad Heir was my favourite book of last year, and this conclusion did not disappoint.
The Jasad Crown expanded the world, enriched the magic, and the characters were everything.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, its just not a full 5 stars because there were parts of the book that were a bit too drawn out.
Overall, this duology is fantastic, and I highly recommend that everyone reads it.

I just finished the Jasad Crown and although I wanted it so badly to be a 5 star read I feel somewhat unsatisfied. On reflection, I think it's largely down to two things - Sefa and Marek's storyline and the ending.

Sefa and Marek both get their own POVs in The Jasad Crown and in the first half of the novel, Sefa and Marek are separated from each other (and Sylvia) and there is clear character growth for Sefa and Marek but the moment they are reunited with each other (and Sylvia), they both somewhat fade into the background and any and all growth stops and by the end of the novel their character arcs feel incomplete. While I appreciate a duology in genre filled with too many drawn out series, part of me feels that if it was a trilogy, Sefa and Marek could have been fleshed out more.

For me, the ending was weak. Throughout the novel Sylvia grows and matures which is fine because she has a lot more responsibility but her character seems somewhat divorced from the Sylvia we met at the beginning on the duology who would survive at any cost. And by the epilogue I'm not even sure who Sylvia/Essiya is. While, I like a happy ending, the events of the epilogue make it seems like a cycle starting anew and I'm not completely convinced that the history wouldn't just repeat itself.


Clever, cunning Arin was the best part of the novel. While he grows through the novel, he is still at his core the same person who we met in The Jasad Heir. He remains one of the few fantasy romance leads who I actually believe is a competent leader.


Despite my criticisms, I finished The Jasad Crown in one sitting and I found it to be an engaging read that I'd happily recommend.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. I really enjoyed the Jasad Heir and was looking forward to coming back to this story. There were elements I really enjoyed, including the world building and many of the reveals which answered many questions from the first book. I enjoyed seeing all the varied types of magic in the Jasadi society. However, I think perhaps this series would have worked better as a trilogy. I felt like there was too much crammed into this, so I felt the pacing and my overall enjoyment was a little lacking compared to the previous instalment. Nonetheless, I did enjoy it and the ending was very fitting.

The Jasad Crown | Sara Hashem
Book two of The Scorched Throne

What to expect:
💕Enemies in Love
Multiple POVs
Unleashed Magic
🗡️ On the Edge of War
Yearning
☠️ Her Touch Could Kill Him
🌶️Fade to Black
Secrets Upon Secrets
✨Magic-Madness

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

“It is impossible to watch you two and not recognise how deeply in love you are.”

The Story:
Essiya wakes to find herself captured by the Jasadi group, the Urabi, one of the two that had been following her through the Alcahal. They believe she is the only way to restore Jasad to its former power and bring their people out of hiding. Whereas Essiya is just trying to keep her feet planted on the ground, now her magic has finally been unleashed. She’s surrounded by strangers who want to use her power and her name, and who trust her little, all the while still in love with the greatest enemy the Jasadi have, the Nizahl Heir.

The Good:
Immersive world-building
Complex magic system
fully realised characters
doomed romance
beautiful friendships
a bittersweet ending

Sara Hashem has written a spellbinding, hypnotic and addictive duology. It’s filled with an impressively complex array of characters, heart-pounding romance, tension-filled yearning, beautiful friendships, intriguing plots and immersive histories. The Jasad Crown starts where The Jasad Hier left off, and weaves us through an atmospheric and emotional tale of rising above oppression, the will to survive and enduring love. I loved everything about this story (obviously Arin the most).

The Less Good:
The length

The Scorched Throne could have easily been a trilogy without any compromise to the story. There was so much packed into this second instalment that I wish it had been spaced out into three. This doesn’t, however, negate my love of this duology; it just means I wanted more!

R E V I E W

The Jasad Crown by Sarah Hashem

Advanced Reader Copy graciously provided by Little Brown Book Group UK | Orbit via Netgalley

☆☆☆☆☆

Whilst a little YA in the romance department, the Jasad Heir, the first instalment in The Scorched Throne duology, still managed to get its claws in me with its complex morally grey characters, Egyptian-inspired world and menagerie of fantastical magical creatures. After the conclusion of book one, with Sylvia's magic unleashed and her identity revealed, I couldn't wait to see how this story would end with so much in the air and so many questions unanswered.

Fast forward to book two, and I was utterly hooked. The romance, whilst still off-page in terms of intimacy, was infinitely better in this one, and we finally got some answers to the mysteries that have plagued us since the first instalment.

These books are chunky and not for the fainthearted but definitely worth delving into if political machinations, warring kingdoms, morally grey characters, and a doomed romance tick the boxes for you.

I found Sylvia far more likeable in The Jasad Crown, most likely as a result of her and the Nizahl Heir's undeniable chemistry and connection. Despite Arin's formidable and apathetic mien, that boy was obsessed with the Malika and somehow softened her abrasive personality to the reader. Even when the two were separated and Arin felt betrayed, I appreciated how the author didn't immediately turn him against Essiya despite her misteps and instead, regardless of his duty to his kingdom, allowed him to remain the curious and contemplative man we knew him to be - that the Jasad Malika needed him to be.

The yearning, the constant descent towards an ending none of us were ready for, the surprising loss of a core character and then that epilogue? The Scorched Throne series is a very good example of how effective a duology can be and even more so, how gripping a YA fantasy can be in a world where sensationalism (see: smut) often supercedes narrative. A great read!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book. A gorgeous 4 star read book from me. What an exciting plot, vivid storytelling and relatable, rich characters. I couldn't put this book down – absolutely loved it.

In all honesty, I was a bit nervous going into reading this book, as I adored the first book so much, and duologies tend to underdeliver on the second book. I am extremely happy to report this wasn't the case here.

This book wraps up our story following our wonderful main characters, Sylvia and Arin. I have to say, I have not loved main characters this much in such a long time. As I mentioned in my review of the first book, Sylvia is a dynamic and complex character, full of depth and moral ambiguity, which is well explored in this book as we see her inner turmoil regarding being the leader that Jasad needs.

She is such an interesting character to read, and exploring her development over these two books was so bittersweet. Arin is also everything I want out of a male lead. He actually has a well-developed background of his own instead of "ahhhh brooding grumpy strong tough man", and the yearning on this man?? EXCELLENT.

Hashem has done an amazing job with this world, which is so immersive and atmospheric, it really feels like you are there with the characters. I really appreciate the work she put into her side characcters as well, really making you care for them, and even empathise with some of the more questionable ones. The addition of chapters from Sefa and Marek's point of views was well done, and super advantageous to learn more about them and their relationship to Sylvia.

The only reason that this book wasn't quite 5 stars for me is that I think it was missing a little bit of the charm and banter from the first book, particularly between Arin and Sylvia, and these interactions were some of my favourites from the first book, so I wish there were more of them in this one.

As I touched on earlier, I usually find a lot of second books in duologies fall short because of pacing issues. I think this book gets out everything that needs to be said without it feeling too rushed and without noticeable pacing issues. That being said, I think it could also have been made a trilogy and it wouldn't have impacted the story too much (although that could be my greed talking because I want more of Sylvia and Arin).

Speaking of concluding a series, the last 15% of this book had me screaming, crying, and throwing up. Very well done, and I couldn't imagine a better ending for these characters. I only hope that we will get to see more of them in the future (novella maybe?).

I WANT TO CRY. This book is everything I needed and more. I never wanted it to finish!!
The storyline perfectly blends with the plot of the first book and satisfactorily solves any remaining mysteries. I'm a person who doesn't really like multiple povs (especially the ones including side characters) but this was refreshing in a way many books aren't.
By the way, I don't forgive the author for making the characters suffer so much. It was disheartening to see what happened to them. I'm not giving any spoilers but my heart is completely broken and it won't work the same way again (I'm crying myself to sleep...).
There is just one thing I'm disappointed in and that is the short epilogue. I mean give us something more, just a little more and I won't pester you so vehemently about this.
I hope others also pick up this duology and experience this wild, savage and beautiful world the author has created and love and adore it as much as I do.
**Thank you Little Brown Book Group UK and Netgalley for the ARC**

A superb sequel which carries the intense mystery and intrigue of its predecessor to new heights. An immersive, full throttle tale that will have you on the edge of your seat.

Absolutely brilliant! My most anticipated read and it delivered!The Jasad Crown is absolutely phenomenal — a breathtaking fantasy that had me spellbound from the very first page. Sara Hashem creates a world that is rich, brutal, and beautifully layered, filled with magic, rebellion, and unforgettable characters. The heroine is fierce yet vulnerable, and her journey of survival, loyalty, and power is written with such depth and heart that I couldn’t look away. Every twist hit perfectly, the stakes felt real, and the tension (both romantic and political) was perfectly balanced. Hashem’s storytelling is bold, emotional, and utterly immersive. This is a must-read for anyone who loves fantasy that cuts deep and lingers long after the final chapter. ALL THE STARS!one of my favourite duologies and can't wait to read more by this author!


*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

I literally have no words. Perfection. 5 stars. I am in love with this series (and Arin).

This book is everything I wanted. Even though the ending had me crying, it was a masterpiece…thank god for an Epilogue!!

My have SO many favourite lines but this one just hit you right in the feels:

“Suraira, I cannot fathom how to make you believe me. Anywhere you are is my favourite place.”

I now need like a bonus chapter or 10 to let me know how life is after the epilogue so my heart can heal after that ending!

I don’t want to write anymore because I will have to spoil it so I’ll wait for when it’s actually released. This is 100% a contender for my favourite book release this year. The Jasad Heir was my favourite book of 2024, will this one match a year later?? It will be hard to top it.

Thank you Sara, NetGalley, Orbit Books UK & Little Brown Book Group for this arc, you made my year.

5⭐

𝙄𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙀𝙜𝙮𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙣-𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙎𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙙 𝙏𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙙𝙪𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙜𝙮, 𝙖 𝙛𝙪𝙜𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙢𝙖𝙮 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙠𝙚𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙙𝙤𝙢 𝙤𝙛 𝙅𝙖𝙨𝙖𝙙, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙨.

Thank you so much to Sara Hashem, NetGalley, Orbit Books UK & Little, Brown Book Group UK for the ARC!

The tone and plot of this book is darker and more complex than the first-- the stakes are higher, and the angst is angsty. Exhibit A: Sylvia, the wonderful and endlessly stubborn Sylvia. She embodies power and rage, and she was such a badass in this book. Her magic was fascinating and jaw dropping at times - it was clear in the first book that she had extreme power, but I was still blown away.

I loved that this book dove deeper into characters we didn’t get POVs from before. That we finally got to know more of Arin - his childhood, his relationships, what shaped him into the controlled and cunning man he is. I loved the yearning and the tension and the deep fascination that seeped through every one of his pores whenever he thought of Essiya. I just— this was the most heartbreaking and gorgeously written yearning I’ve read in a long time.

This entire duology is a stunning exploration of trauma, family, the cost of power, the weight of inequality, and what happens when those in charge fall to greed and corruption and fail their people.

And of course, at its heart, it’s about love. About two people who were never taught how to love, who were never meant to love - and how they try, so desperately, to let each other in.

6 WHOLE STARS.
this was SO good. So incredibly good.

I devoured this book. Took me a while to read because it was long, but I savored each and every page. I love these characters and I love this world. I got pulled into this duology SO incredibly quickly. It was so satisfying to see all the pieces click and the questions be answered. Essiya's POVs changing names was such a powerful little detail. I loved watching her grow into herself and explore her new identity; growing into herself and what she was. It was just so raw and real to read about her fears and her unwillingness to lead but having to do it anyway. I love reading about Arin always being 15825 steps ahead of everyone and everything. I love him overthrowing his father, killing Vaun, embedding Vaida's sigil into everything. I love Arin, and I love Essiya. I love Sefa, Marek, Cinnamon, Wes, Jeru, Dawoud, Fariel, Rory, Raya; all the little side characters that so quickly wrapped their way around my heart and found a place to stay. They felt like family, and it was only 2 books.

I was giggling and kicking my feet at the angst I was craving and got served between Arin and Sylvia, and crying over their backstories and the tragedy that is their lives at other times. It was all so unfair; all of it.

The ending was the most unfair. I am forever going to be mad at that ending though. My man suffered for 10 years. 10 YEARS. TEN YEARS. Nothing but himself and his horse and kitmer holding him together?? I mean yeah he had support of the other people, but he lost Essiya :( AND ALL WE GET IS A "WELCOME HOME, SURAIRA" ????? I will fly out the nearest window. </3 UNFAIR UNFAIR I WANT MORE I WANT MORE I WANT MORE.

I have many quotes and many thoughts I can't spill right now because it's 3:30 am and I need to be asleep now instead of rambling madly so.

getting approved for this arc was the best thing that's ever happened to me ngl

I'll miss them.

I devoured Jasad Crown by Sara Hashem in a single sitting — I literally couldn’t stop. From the very first page, I was hooked, completely pulled into a world of secrets, magic, danger, and the kind of crackling romantic tension that makes your heart race.

Let’s talk about Arin and Essiya — the chemistry between them is god-tier enemies-to-lovers. The push and pull, the mistrust, the banter, the burning glances, the unspoken feelings — it’s all there, and it’s done perfectly. Their dynamic had me absolutely swooning and screaming, sometimes both at once.

Essiya’s character arc is nothing short of stunning. I felt every inch of her inner struggle — her desire to do the right thing vs the painful need to survive and protect herself, even if it meant pushing aside her own power and responsibility. That emotional conflict was so real and raw, I saw myself in her more than once.

And don’t even get me started on the side characters — they were all so well-developed and lovable in their own flawed ways. The banter, the tension, the loyalty (even when reluctant) — I fell hard for the found family vibes. It was one of those books where you want to spend just one more chapter with everyone.

The ending? Absolutely nail-biting, gut-twisting, and so satisfying. I couldn’t have imagined a better conclusion, and yet — I already want more. Honestly, I’m ready to reread it just to relive every moment.

If you love romantasy, enemies to lovers, angst, and strong, morally gray heroines, this is your book. I’m recommending Jasad Crown to everyone I know and praying this becomes the next TikTok sensation, because it absolutely deserves that level of hype.

Run, don’t walk. Read this book. Then read it again.

This was so well-plotted and laid out, everything felt very intentional and like it built upon the first book. The world building, the character development, each character's own journey? Incredible.

This book also adds two additional POVs beyond Sylvia and Arin, in Sefa and Marek, which was a great choice. Since all four characters are in different parts of the world and contributing in very different ways, I appreciated having a wider lens of the world while also getting that insight into what's going on. I also appreciated the choice to have Sylvia be the only first person POV, which helped give her a distinct narrative voice - I find that the distinctness can often get muddled when an author tries to write too many first person POVs.

The worldbuilding in this book took everything from book one and just enlarged it. I loved how much we got to see of the different countries and cultures, and the Egyptian inspiration was wonderful.

I do want to talk a bit about the romance - and specifically, whether this should have the romantasy tag. I'd argue no, as I think this is a fantasy with a romance as a driving force of the plot where the romantic interests exist well outside of their relationship with one another as well as have plenty of non-romantic, plot-relevant scenes. But there is definitely a romance, which I felt developed naturally over the course of the duology, and look, I just want both Sylvia and Arin to have a few moments of happiness, is that really too much to ask???

I found this to be a fairly complex fantasy world and plot, with characters who were just as complex, and lots of stakes and emotional impacts. I really don't think I could have asked for much more.

I'm very excited to see what Sara Hashem writes next.

Thank you to the publisher, Orbit, and to NetGalley for the ARC.

OH MY. this is one of my most anticipated sequels of 2025 and i cannot wait to read it!!! how is this real?! i will be posting my review to all retailers as well xx

Because it's customary I start with a quote: "My wife" yeuhhhhhHH

Part 1, Essiya
I love this woman so!! Much!! There aren't words for how deeply burrowed into my head and heart she is or how much she means to me because oh my god. There is so much about her that I identify with, so many moments where something she did or said taught me something about myself, moments of being *seen* that are imo the most valuable part of the reading experience. Unfortunately, I'm not half as funny as she is because some of these jokes- I was laughing out loud long before I was bawling and begging for mercy. She's a vicious thing with too many teeth and blood on both her hands (and feet) but she's still just a girl who wants to crawl into her safe person's chest and rest a little while, away from the noise of the world (this passage made me bawl- genuinely did not know how to articulate that feeling but here we are). Her journey in this book was an absolute JOY to read (I say this holding back tears)- seeing who she was in book 1, even at the end, it was survival above all else "feel guilty about the means later", to someone who, despite being terrifying and not wanting to die, still did not what she thought she had to but what she came to realise she wanted to do for her people. The way she owned her identity, stopped running from it, the way she didn't suddenly have an epiphany and become duty-bound but met the people she only thought of abstractly in book 1, and she learned more of her power and her home etc. until that duty became something she was proud to bear and actively chose to walk towards. It wasn't easy not even after the fact, it hurt and it was painful and she never- because of course she wouldn't- not once, stopped fighting it, and found a way to get back to where she belonged. I love that she was allowed to mourn the life she only just realised she wanted (the conversation they have where Arin tells her she can do better- to come up with a better imagined future- I bawled), she was allowed to hate what she was doing and still do it because it meant her family would be okay, it meant she would not hurt them nor force them to hurt her and therefore in turn hurt them despite them raging against it- "you are done," and "take me with you," and "I swore myself to you."
I could continue to wax poetic about her arc but if I'm being honest, it's the small, personal moments that endear her to me the most. The moments where she (almost comically) talks to herself and realises what she's been avoiding admitting all along. Where she's never in a situation too dire to hold back a bad joke or a quip (the your mum joke SENT ME); the moments where she wonders about sharing her inner burden, allowing Arin to hold some of it for her, with her. The goofy time she tried to use her charms to frazzle him while conveniently forgetting how down bad she also is for him and getting flustered herself (ur doing great sweetie). Her giving the sareekh a headache, needling Arin because she knew he couldn't help but correct her on his special interest.
I'm forever in awe of Sara's ability to empower her characters without ever erasing all that they've been through. Essiya will probably never fully shake what Hanim did to her, those years in Essam, but like hell is she going to let that hold her back. The line "she only had her monster" turning into "Essam's favourite monster" like- the way that same experience is flipped to be something that makes her better rather than a derogatory reiteration of her worst fears about her worth- DELICIOUS! GENIUS!!! The parallels in this book are sick and twisted. Also the scenes with Felix and Sorn- she ate those UP!!! ESP FELIX like yesss MAAM tell him!!! And when she goes full murder right before punching Arin's lights out, yeah, love my murderous fave!!
There's nothing I love more than finding a character that feels like home and honestly, Essiya in all her horror and messiness and randomness feels like the warmest of hugs.

Part 2, Arin
This sick freak!!!! I knew he was into her crazy and I WAS CORRECT!! I love this lil neurospicy man I really really do- I'm not usually one for wanting characters to be real but I would love me an Arin I really would, I'm just a girl. AnYWAYS!!
Sara clearly hates this man (something about the white haired dudes because this is giving Gege and Gojo) because his pain and suffering are PUNCTUAL! From the first chapter to the last, if his hair wasn't already white it would've all turned white by the last page. My God. I love him, I think his character arc is PHENOMENAL! The differences are so delicious because where she came to want to do her duty as heir, he forsook his- when his world came crashing down around him, the one thing he held onto was her. I'll never get over "I choose her," the way he wanted to sink into the nothingness but stayed afloat with tunnel vision of getting to her. That the moment he saw her, made sure she was okay, that he completely deflated. That she was the thing that dragged him out of that. When Vaida said he loved to obsession in book 1 she may have been understating it bc what is this?!!!
"When I'm done they'll call it succession," I was GAGGED!! The opening scene of his journey being him telling a creep in painful detail all the ways he will prolong his life just to allow him to torture him for longer??? Sir?! That the mercy was him "having a grave for her to spit on," okay King, whatever you say! The flashbacks to his mum gave me stomach aches no joke, "Forgive me for not visiting sooner," and "I'm still away, I think," stfu. Thinking of little Arin being forced to realise that his mother's love had to be shoved aside in favour of seeking out the unattainable from his dad for his survival makes me SICK (there was a lot of trauma dumping in the margins of this book lemme just say- like so much). The image of his mum pushing his hair into his hat and waiting patiently while his lil curious George ass disposition was doing its thing like oh my GOD.
I was with everyone else wanting to see him let go, to snap, and I immediately regretted it because that was so painful. Seeing HIM of all people, allow what happened in the cell to happen, the scene where he goes back and they put him in the like? Solitary confinement place and the fACT THAT HE WAS PUT THERE AS A CHILD STFUUUUUU no- this man had been through ENOUGH!
Anyways, seeing him allow himself to doubt and to work his way through such a huge life altering shift in perspective was incredible and it was worth every second of pain and suffering (and suffer I did). The line "The day I stop doubting, the moment I submit myself to convenience over clarity, I pray my crown rusts in my hands.” HE ATE THAT UPPPPPPP LIKE YES GOD BOOM SHAKALAKA
As much as I identified with Essiya, I also found myself in Arin and that's not great news because we both need intense trauma therapy but that's okay because it made for a great reading experience. At his core, he's just a boy trying his best. That's all he's every done, try his bloody best and it was never enough and then he was being told how incredible he was but he couldn't believe it and so he did all sorts to try and prove himself and still. His only father figure? Dead. Matter fact, he had to do a cavity search on his head. Just his head. I almost threw up. His trusted guard? WElp, also dead because he killed aforementioned father figure. Must I go on?
Being in his head was something I didn't deserve (because of the angst but also because it was literary GOLD) but I am so so so forever grateful that she chose to make it multi-POV because the stuff we get in these scenes, some of the things, my GOD.

Part 3, Sefa & Marek
These two idiots I love them so much and I will never ever forgive Sara for what she did to him. Never. Can't stop thinking about the sick and twisted parallels of him saying he was the one Lazur that survived and then died right on the freaking battlefield same as the rest of his siblings. The fact that they have NEVER not once EVER been apart and now she has to live the rest of her life without him? The line about tell marek and essiya that I fought,, like- they're her only family and both were doomed. The way no other woman would want to be second because Sefa was always his first. I think maybe even more than Arin's POV, being in Marek's head when he thought of how he felt for Sefa was the true joy of this book. I don't think there has ever been a more painfully tender, breathtakingly sweet relationship than these two. The way Sefa draws on both Marek and Essiya's strength but never loses the essence of her kindness??? sobbing! The way Marek is all sarcasm and lazy smiles but the moment Sefa is on the line he locks IN! But is also still unbelievably goofy- the way he realises he can't win in a fight with Jeru and makes a mad dash for the door- I LAUGHED OUT LOUD! Their reunion- him calling her his family, Sefa asking her if she can touch her- the way they fall straight back into their old dynamic even though WORLDS of change has happened to all of them. The small passage in the mountain where Essiya worries about Marek and his inability to accept kindness without offering up his body in return- the way Sefa will never have that conversation with him. The way he tried to say something to her but died too fast, mouth full of blood. Shut the hell up I am actually DISTRAUGHT. I knew one of them would die, I knew it I felt it in my bones- we were learning too much about them, they loved each other too much for them to be afforded happily ever afters. That we saw Essiya save someone with her magic, the possibility, just to be robbed of that option when it really mattered (not that it didn't matter before but lemme be fr I'd rather Marek have made it). It's cruel for no reason but my GOD a book that can make me feel even a fraction of what this one made me feel is already a stellar read but this!! When Essiya describes Sefa as the other wayward piece of her heart- like, she lost a piece of her heart there and I'm sick. My doomed faves, I will reread in the future and promise myself that I'll stop before he goes but I won't be able to and that's the real tragedy- that this had to happen. He was always going to protect her with his life and he did. It's actually too much to deal with so I'm cutting myself off for sanity's sake.

Part 4, The horror
Speaking of horrors previously unknown to man, I need her to jump on the horror-fantasy train because the horror was horror-ing and I ate it up! The small part with the nisnas in book 1 kept me going for two years and it was so worth the wait because the gore in this book! is so good!! The brutality is at an all time high and at the risk of sounding completely unhinged, it was fantastic and I ate it up. The scene with her grandmother on the throne?! sick to my stomach. The nisnas again?! Rawain's hand?! OH! Again, at the risk of sounding deranged, the scene in the cell is one of my favourites, the way she goes full magic-crazy-lady and is like oooooo,, part of me kind of wanted to see her go fully insane but I know I would be devastated if it actually happened because we aren't allowed nice things unless Arin is suffering for them and he would of course suffer :(( Anyways, need her to lean into this with her next project please and thank you! THE SCENE WITH THE FISH!!

Part 5, The romance
This is a doozy. I have no coherent thoughts, just loose threads of half-formed thoughts. Teeth marks and "go to sleep" x3, fig necklace and him screaming her name first thing when he woke up, him gently touching her cheek knowing the risk, not knowing pain until seeing a scene from Essam in the vision, him going to buy all the sesame candies each year without fail, her full of childlike wonder showing him the beauty of magic, them being so painfully down bad for each other that the scales never fully tip one way or the other (he's deffo down worse). Her knowing him just from his back, him knowing his mind could not conjure up the reality of her, thinking he had gone mad before allowing himself to hope. The violence at the start being more proof of the magnitude of their love. The scene where she goofy smiles at him with the "hi" and he looks concerned for a sec before relaxing into a "hi" - I think about this scene I'm not exaggerating, at least every couple of days I'll be minding my business and it just pops into my head and I'm left BEREFT by the softness of it. Freaky-ass freaks aside, the way they are so soft with each other- that they probably did not have the capacity for it until they met, the way he fly kicks Cinnamon blindfolded after hearing her make the tiniest noise, the way he stopped her in the cell not for him but for her, his guilt about Hanim, her guilt about Hanim, both for the other's sake. The way she slept next to him, knowing the risk, SHE FOLLOWED HIM ONTO THE FLOOR!!! THE FLOOR!!! The way she followed his warmth when he got up. When he kneels and swears fealty to her and her alone, sword at his heart, the way when he cuts off Rawain's hand he thinks about how Essiya would find it funny- the way he picks up on her mannerisms- thinking that his screaming is a lil dramatic (she would 100% vocalise that thought). A man who has never been out of control in his life, completely willing to follow her into the mist because there is no him without her, no life worth living. The fact that he heard her through SPACE AND TIME!!!! through that portal, and the way she knew just from his face that he had a plan, that she couldn't hold back her triumphant giggle when he pulled it off- my GOD, the way he said nuh uh no one is taking you away from me, hE SAID AINT NO WAY THAT MAN TRIED TO OFF YOU WHILE YOURE LITERALLY IN MY ARMS!!! GAGGING!! From wanting to paint the walls with her blood to saying there is no reality no world where her life ended by his hands like yes king, we love self-development.
I could go on but alas- this duet is going to be mandatory reading for my future husband before I sign anything because if you can't fully know me without knowing them, and if you don't get it, womp womp.
I think beyond the violence and intense obsession etc. they are both each other's safe person- they know each other better than anyone in the world, the intimacy of being *seen* so completely. I'm currently listening to All About Love by Bell Hooks and she's gone and written a whole book trying to define love and all I can think about is these two and how they *are* love. At the detriment of XYZ including his own wellbeing, he is proud of her cleverness, happy for her achievements, willing to watch her eat up a battlefield till weeds grow around his boots! The way this extends to him pushing her to imagine a future for herself. Her saying coming home to him is part of her slow soft-girl dream, babe I GET ITTTT. They really make me emo because neither of them knew love, not in the slightest, and they still managed to fumble and tumble their way into loving each other in a way that was so healing and beautiful and excuse me while I bawl. I can never give up on love, not when it exists enough to be written about so agonisingly- their relationship is so profound, for all Sara's genius, aint no way she pulled that out of thin air it HAS to be real. And if it's not, that's gonna be a real brutal wake-up call lmao MOVING ON!!
I keep coming back to add things- the image of her moth-eaten cloak against his pristine closet like- the way this man has always made room for her chaos in his order, that he always accounts for her brand of nonsense in his plan- bawling. The way he wondered if his mum would like Essiya and realising that no she would be scared of her bc once again, he's sick (I get it bro).

Part 6, The plot
Fantastic, no notes. Did I understand what Jeru's subplot was about? at all? nope. but that's probably on me I'm gonna reread. I didn't for a second think I would squeeze all the juice out of this book on the first read lmao a reread is happening the moment book 2 is out and I get my HB to transfer my annotations. Genius the way she tied in all the stuff from book 1, there was no stone left unturned.

Part 7, The parallels
Speaking of stones, and I'm running out of characters so let me keep this short, the parallels are sick and twisted. The moth-eaten cloak being in his closet, Dawoud being buried where the grass still grows, Sefa holding Marek's sleeping head in her lap and then doing the same when he- yep. The fig necklace. The way when they meet in the middle he always gives up control (when they fought in book 1 and his eyes turned black (we honestly deserved more of that) and then in the mirayah), the way "I choose you" took on a new meaning in book 2 than 1. Him wanting to tell her to run, be free after the trials and then his first urge being to tell her to run when he first sees her in book 2- violently sick.

Finale, The ending
A decade, really?! Because 27 odd years of pain wasn't enough we had to tag on another DECADE of loneliness but we got the line about nobody warning him and for that I thank Arin for his service. I was crashing out over the fact that I only have a few years until I'm older than Arin but tbh that decade means I've also got a decade more before I have to mourn that passage of time, so a small mercy I guess.

Final thoughts: I pray that Sara never stops writing, and what an honour it has been to not only read these books as they're being published, but to champion them and force them down other peoples' throats, to see other people go on this same journey, to have these characters in my heart. Truly, a privilege. Fave books ever confirmed- never have I loved characters so deeply as I do these 4 (and Jeru), and not to get mushy but it's a bit late for that anyways,

P.S. I will beg and plead and pay for a small, few thousand word novella with them happily married with kids and a garden PLEASE!
P.P.S. I only had enough characters for tiny quotes that I remembered off the top of my head, but trust that I was crashing out the whole book. Those first two pages of the epilogue sent me into a SPIRAL!! All Essiya's jokes and threats!! ATE DOWNNN!!