The Isle in the Silver Sea had me tangled in folklore and fate from the get go. It’s a romantasy, yes, but not your usual fluff. The prose is lush and beautiful, though I’ll admit it took me a moment to settle into the rhythm. But once I was swept away. The couples love story is tragic and tender, doomed and defiant, and I was rooting for them with every page. The world-building is rich, the themes are deep, and the whole thing feels like a tapestry woven from myth and longing. It’s a slow burn, mind you, but worth the patience. Four stars, one off only because I needed a bit more grounding early on. Still, a powerful tale, and one I’ll be thinking about for a long while

As a big Tasha Suri fan, this was one of my most anticipated reads this year. As always, I was not disappointed.

The writing was impeccable, I was immediately drawn into the story and the world, I was having a really hard time putting the book down. Just as the world itself, the writing was very poetic and masterfully done.

I loved each one of the characters, they were all well fleshed-out, interesting, and most importantly, they all felt real. Everything was thought out to the last detail.

The magic system was quite confusing, but I enjoyed that about it. It gave me the feeling of a fairytale (which I believe was the meaning), and when the time came, everything was nicely explained and made sense.

Samran and Vina are such a wholesome couple. I loved them both as a couple and as individuals (but, to be honest, Samran will forever be my favourite), and I wouldn’t mind reading a hundred more books about them.

I’m going to miss this world and the characters so much, and, although unlikely, I do hope we get another book.

OMG !!!!!
What an absolutely amazing and beautiful read!!!
I loved everything about this book, the magic system, the characters, the relationship, everything!!
The magic system is so original and whimsical and an absolute banger.
The characters were so fleshed out and felt so real and I loved the kind of found family dynamics.
And oh Simran and Vina's relationship was so beautiful and tragic.

Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit for the Advanced review copy of this book.

How do you review a book like The Isle of the Silver Sea without giving everything away? I’ve been asking myself this ever since I turned the last page.

This isn’t my first Tasha Suri novel—and at this point, I read everything she writes without hesitation. Years ago, I gave up on fantasy, feeling like everything was just a variation on The Lord of the Rings. Then I picked up The Burning Kingdoms trilogy and found exactly what I didn’t know I was missing: queerness, cultural richness, originality, and emotional bravery. It hurt—in the best and worst ways—and I devoured every page, even as it nearly broke me.

The Isle of the Silver Sea feels like an attempt at redemption while the bruises left by the Lotus Empire are still healing. Not in the sense of being lighter, exactly—but balanced. Tasha Suri masterfully blends darkness and light, pain and tenderness, history and magic.

The story, set in a fantasy Britain, alternates between Vina and Simran, set in a fantastical, alternate Britain—trapped in a reenactment of a tale where a knight and a witch fall in love… and kill each other. Can they escape their fate, resist falling in love, and live happily ever after?

At first glance, Tasha Suri might seem like the wrong person to answer this question—but instead, she skillfully dives into the complexities of the premise. She explores whether this kind of love can be real, the consequences of escaping the narrative, and how cultures elevate certain stories while silencing others. She is pushing the novel beyond the boundaries of a typical romance, transforming it into a deeply moving and thoughtful experience, leaving you wondering.

Suri’s London is mysterious. This isn’t historical fiction—the setting isn’t fixed in time—but names like Limehouse and Whitehall emerge like echoes, conjuring partsof history without burdening the narrative. The city feels alive, yet ever-shifting, just out of reach—allowing the focus to remain on the characters at its heart.

For me, Tasha Suri has once again proven that she’s one of the most original and emotionally resonant voices in fantasy today. If you’re looking for something beautifully written and emotionally rich, give The Isle of the Silver Sea a try. You might just find more than you wished for.

The Jasmine Throne never clicked with me but hot damn, this book might be my book of 2025.

I want to thank Little Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Isle in the Silver Sea is a brilliantly written tale showcasing Tasha Suri's unique vision of a Britain powered by stories - but only the right ones, and only the way they were written long ago. It's a phenomenal metaphor of a book and layered to no end with deep and true thoughts and worries. It's an incredibly powerful story about the way we tell history, about colonialism, and the fight to heal a country broken by a terrible logic - all wrapped in a heart-shattering romance for the ages. Safe to say I will be looking for a special edition of this beauty!

(thank you little brown book group for the arc in exchange for an honest review)

❝Long ago, there lived a knight who was tasked by the Queen to kill a terrible witch.❞

The Isle is fuelled by stories. From the witch who axes her husband in the woods to the man doomed to fall helplessly in unrequited love with a fae lady, the very existence of the Isle depends on these tales being reincarnated and completed to the final word. Yet for years now, villages and forests have disappeared, taking with them all that was dependent, leaving behind foggy memories. Incarnates, those born to live out the tales, are dying. Someone is murdering them.

When a sequence of events leads Simran, a witch of the woods, to chase after this deadly assassin, she is joined by Vina, a knight of the Queen’s court. Together, they must end the Pale Assassin’s reign of terror, all while trying not to fall in love, though knowing the tale pulls them to do so. They are ‘The Knight and The Witch’. They shall fall in love and when the knight kills the witch to fulfil her honour, she dies with her.

This is a story of fighting institutions hell-bent on preserving the status quo. About being other and how isolating it can be. Of a group of people breaking a cycle that has gone on since existence. And though the romance is a main aspect of the book, the story being told (the world-building especially) stands on its own. Tasha Suri wrote something really beautiful and I can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy.

(Also, props for making me tear up with a paragraph. Ibrahim’s letter to his sister had me shed a tear at work)

The isle in the silver sea
⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
- reincarnation and fated tales
- sapphic romance (lady knight + witch)
- queer normative world
- quests
(release date: October 21st)

Im so in my 'lady knight era' and loving it here!
The isle in the Silver Sea it's a book that centers around the magic of tales and these ones being kept alive through incarnates that are bound to recreate their 'roles' over and over again, always drawn to relive the same fate in every single lifetime in order to keep the island alive.

The story was such a vibe! The worlbuilding and the magic system weren't particularly deeply explained but I honestly did not care. I found it both evocative and beautiful just the same and I couldn't stop reading. The characters were really compelling (specially as independent individuals) same as with the quests type of action and I also loved how the author reclaimed some of this folklore under a much more queer umbrella giving them a new voice and purpose.

However, even tho the things I liked about the book were 5⭐️ level, there were other aspects that came as a let down. The main thing is that I really believe that this could had been a duology instead of a standalone. It felt like there was too much happening all the time and too many characters been introduced with their very own dynamics and it was easy for me to get a bit lost at times. The romance, even tho had some emotional and gorgeous moments, was developed rather quickly, relying way to much in the connection from prior lives, but because we didn't get to read at least one of those I just felt it as instalove and I kinda wanted more. Regardless of that, I was really prepared to give this book a 4⭐️ or even a little bit higher rate till I got to Part 2. Im sorry but, what was that? The idea for the second part, could have been an entire sequel, easily, and that way give the reader time to assimilate all of the information and the 'cliffhanger' of the first part. Suddenly, the relationships, that (in more or less depth) we got to see at first, shift radically and in a very soup opera way (Hari and Vina, I'm looking at you) and at that point my interest dropped and I stopped caring which was a bit sad to experience.

All of this being said, I DO recommend the book. It was an overall beautiful experience and I definitely want to keep reading this author.

- Thank you to the publisher and to netgalley for the eARC 🫶

The Isle in the Silver Sea by Tasha Suri is everything I expected and more—a wonderful surprise.

🌞 Let's start with the world the author has created: it's incredible. We are immediately transported to this United Kingdom that resembles both wonderful and macabre fairy tales.
The "rules" that govern the kingdom's survival are very interesting, based on stories and legends that must be repeated through newly elected figures called "incarnates." They cannot fight their destiny and are always forced to relive their legend, life after life. It was crazy and heartbreaking in light of some of the stories.

🌞 The two main characters, the witch Simran and the knight Vina, won me over from the very first pages. There is a very black cat-golden retriever dynamic between the two women, and it was very fun to follow the evolution of their romance, which ends up destroying us emotionally. AND THE YEARNING! The problem with expecting a tragic ending is that you still hope it won't happen. I loved their personal growth and the challenges they faced. They do everything they can to escape their fate, and you can't help but hope for them until the very end. I admit I cried at times. Tasha Suri has created tangible and touching characters.
The cast of characters around them, their found family, also won me over. Their unwavering loyalty is comforting in a plot that grows increasingly dark.

🌞 Ultimately, it's the writing that I admire. Without overdoing it, the author creates a unique atmosphere that is truly specific to her universe. It's poetic but never dripping with sentimentality. It's just beautiful. You can feel the tension and intensity of what the characters are going through. We understand the text's undertones about social justice and the inequalities that can be found in our world, with subtlety and controlled sharpness. It was truly a refreshing romantic fantasy, perfectly balancing plot, worldbuilding, and romance. Everything feeds off the other elements and creates a delightful harmony to read. Tasha Suri has a gift for creating new imaginaries for LGBTQIA+ and POC, for creating spaces of freedom and hope. I am extremely grateful for her work.

I knew I was going to love this book, I just knew it. But the way it was executed left me speechless.

The Isle of the Silver Sea is the first book I have read by Tasha Suri, and what a discovery it has been!

A fairy-tale story full of stories! London, England, which lives through stories and the revival of stories, is the place where the knight and the witch are bound to each other and doomed to die for their love. Both go in search of a solution to break this cycle, with danger coming from all sides, their own fate perhaps being the greatest danger of all.

The Isle of the Silver Sea has all the elements to tell a great story. A great atmosphere in storytelling, yearning and slow burn, LGBTQ representation, a magical system, stories, betrayal, political intrigue, character growth, action and a lot of twists. It is a story to lose your heart to.

On the other hand, it felt as if the story didn't always hang together in this stadium because there were sometimes rather sudden transitions and location jumps. I also didn't always understand everything that was going on.

Still, I found the ways in which the themes of colonialism and fate were addressed beautiful to read.

The Isle of the Silver Sea



Rating: 4.25



A complex mix of fairytales, reincarnation, systemic oppression and sapphic lady knights. Not your traditional mix for a story but Tasha Suri has created this incredible novel that combines all these different elements to create a beautiful novel.



Following Simran, The Witch, and Vina, The Knight, as they try to fight their prewritten tale to save the Isle and those they love in a plot that is full of intrigue and a unique magic system that I had not read before.



Thank you Netgalley for this ARC!

thanks so much to netgalley and orbit for letting me read this book!

the isle in the silver sea is a whimsically enchanting tale the truly shines through it’s vibrant world and unique magic system. all the magic surrounding stories makes this book feel like a fairytale and manages to deliver a certain kind of fantasy that i have been craving for a while. the short excerpts at the beginning of all the chapters is such a clever and efficient way that makes it very easy for the reader to understand how the world functions.

the characters in this book manage to be very endearing, one especially, who i didn’t really expect to like much at all, turned out to be my favourite (if you read the book i think you can tell who i’m talking about)

the actual plot wasn’t particularly strong and certainly could have been more engaging but it’s far from the level of lazily strung together nonsense that i have read in certain other books.

another element where the book fell a bit short for me was the structure. there is one section in particular that just went on too long for my liking but there were other aspects that actually would have benefitted from being expanded upon.

all in all this book was a very solid read. if you’re someone who needs a really strong plot to stay invested in a book, you might not enjoy this as much, but if you love diving into whimsical worlds, explorations of fate and sapphic love stories, i highly recommend giving this book a go.

3.5⭐️

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

Tasha Suri's work is new to me and I have to say, I really enjoyed it and her writing style. I've seen that she has other series which im now really intrigued to read as she is incredible at world building whilst utilising unique elements to support the story. For me thats important as I love not knowing what's about to happen and being surprised in the best way. Kept me hooked!

Highly recommend and can't wait to start the other series

I must admin that the slow start of the story made me a bit worried if I would ever find the energy to finnish it. But I'm glad that I did.

What started out as a mediocre story turned into a wonderful twisted story about stories. And people trapped in their story. And those trying to break free from a written destiny.

Lovely characters. And an intriguing world, that makes a very good analogy to our society here today. I love how fantasy and stories can be used as a tool to discuss the unjust world we are living in. And Tasha Suri does it beautifully.

So push through the beginning and find a story you didnt know you were looking for. Or is the story looking for you?

In theory this has a lot of elements I like, a unique and original fantasy world, colonial critique, a butch knight, but it fell really flat for me.

I appreciated the story-based fantasy world and reincarnation elements. Commentary on otherness and white supremacy was thought-provoking, especially with characters like Meera, who sided with the oppressor in a desperate bid to belong.

I do wonder if this could have been two books. I appreciate a good standalone but the tone did really shift between parts one and two.

There’s so much going on and the pacing is all over the place. Travel and time felt very sketchy and lacked concrete detail in terms of how far apart places were or how long it took to travel. Some relationships lacked death, Simran’s friendship with Hari was clearly incredibly important to her but we were told this rather than shown. Same with her relationship with her parents which had so much potential but so little impact.

Even then, Simran’s character was more fleshed out than Vina. We got to see Simran’s witchcraft and learn about her personality, her anger and stubbornness. Vina’s knight vocation and emotional hangups felt flater by comparison. She lives to serve and doesn’t have much ambition of her own, beyond this she doesn’t really have her own personality.

The pro-immigrant and anti-colonial messaging felt a bit basic, there was a lot of potential here to see how empire shaped this world ala Babel but the overall messaging didn’t really go anywhere beyond ‘immigrants are good’ despite hinting at some really interesting dynamics.

Queerness in this world was similarly underdeveloped. I appreciated the exploration of the underground queer community but it wasn’t clear how queerness was viewed by society, is it queernormative? Homophobic? Again there’s an opportunity to speak about how stories about queer people are repressed but that wasn’t explored at all.

The romance itself was fine, I believed the attraction and its complicated nature. There was only one sex scene which was also fine. There were some random bits of kinkier language thrown in like saying ‘good girl’ and talk (not use) of collaring/a strap which felt kind of jarring and out of place.

Ultimately I would have liked to see this reworked a bit, perhaps spread over two books. There is so much potential but it ultimately failed to deliver.

The Isle in the Silver Sea is a hauntingly beautiful fantasy that intertwines themes of fate, identity, and the power of storytelling. The novel follows Simran, a witch, and Vina, a knight, whose love is destined to end in tragedy across multiple lifetimes. The book is about their efforts to defy their fates - can you rewrite your own story?

I really enjoyed it in the end, though it became a bit slow in the middle and the world-building was a bit hard to follow in places.

It's nice to read a standalone fantasy romance that packs a punch and isn't just about spice - this is about choice, fate and creating your own story. Would definitely recommend.

I've read other Tasha Suri's books (the Books of Ambha duology and the Burning Kingdoms trilogy) and she's always been my favorite author. but WOW did this book blow my socks off. Despite my taking 2 weeks to finish it, this was singlehandedly one of the most beautiful, heartbreaking, haunting, and fantastic books I've had the pleasure of reading

I have seen the complaints about how this book felt like it lacked the depth between Vina and Simran, and while I do see where you guys are coming from, I personally thoroughly enjoyed their dynamic. They got me giggling and kicking my feet like a lovesick schoolgirl. It's sweet and feisty and complicated and, my favorite part, tragic. There's just something about two people who are doomed to a fate that was written for them, and how they don't really know how to differentiate themselves from that, yet still fall for each other as themselves, rather than what was expected, and try to break free from said fate. Chef's kiss, no notes, I'm in love.

Also, I appreciate how this book is focused on growth and letting change happen as a way to move forward instead of being stuck in a very narrow-minded way of living. The threaded theme of that in the book makes the whole journey much more meaningful.

The main takeaway is that Tasha Suri writes wlw like no other and she strikes again with this one

Tasha Suri is one of my absolute favourite authors, and this was hands down my most anticipated release of the year. I was over the moon to be approved for the e-ARC, and of course I had to drop everything on my TBR to read it immediately. Unsurprisingly, it did not disappoint—I’m now ready to shout from the rooftops about yet another incredible fantasy novel from Tasha Suri!

Totally recommended if you'd like:
✨️ beautiful, atmospheric writing
⚔️ lady knight x witch
✨️ sapphic yearning & serious slow burn
⚔️ a mysterious assassin
✨️ tales as the foundation of a country
⚔️ a tragic destiny to avoid
✨️ characters with depth and growth
⚔️ political intrigue and manipulation
✨️ a magical version of England
⚔️ action and twists
✨️ double POV and, in a way, multiple timelines

I loved loved loved the urgency that runs through this book - the way the characters grow increasingly aware of their doomed destiny, yet remain determined to fight back and twist the ending in their favour. And the YEARNING!! Leave it to sapphic knights and witches to utterly master the art of yearning. I adored the double-edged concept of an assassin targeting tale-bound reincarnations, the layered story-within-a-story that traps Simran and Vina, and the breathtaking idea of a land built on tales - used so brilliantly to show how those in power can rewrite history and warp people’s perception of reality. Tasha Suri’s signature, evocative writing made it a masterpiece once again. I also loved the rich representation, which includes a variety of queer characters and a trans best friend, as well as the found family dynamics, and Galath’s relationship with Vina. One thing that thre me off for a moment was the split into two parts, but once I settled into it, it made perfect sense and added even more weight to the story.

Do yourselves a favour and pre-order it, because it's one you don't want to miss out on! I already can't wait for Tasha Suri's next book.

The Isle in the Silver Sea has been on my anticipated list of books of 2025 since it was announced so I was so excited when I received the ARC (thank you Orbit UK!). I'm not a stranger to Tasha Suri's works - the Burning Kingdoms series is one of my favorite series ever and I loved Empire of Sand (although I still need to start the sequel to this) - so I was expecting the writing to be similar to the other two series which turns out to be a wrong assumption.

The Isle in the Silver Sea is not like anything Tasha has written, but I'm still deciding whether this is a good thing or a bad thing. The world building and the plot is more whimsical which I love but also dark the way her other two were, and I'm a sucker for fantasies involving tales and libraries. However, I also feel like The Isle in the Silver Sea sometimes lacks the atmosphere that both her other series seem to be strong at - some elements feel flimsy like it was just there to keep the story going.

I also feel the same way about the characters too sometimes, but it's understandable because this is a standalone whereas in the Burning Kingdoms, we had 3 books to cover characters individually whereas here we're only seeing the POV of Simran and Vina. However, it's not hard for me to love the characters. I instantly loved Vina and Simran, and I loved their dynamics right from the start. I loved Hari and Galath, and I loved how Vina and Simran's tale impacted the other characters. One of the storylines that I loved was the second part with Vina and Galath:(

The Isle in the Silver Sea is definitely an enjoyable read for me and despite some stuff I didn't like, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and I had so much fun with it (to the point I wish this was a duology so I could have more of them).

I feel like I fell down a rabbit hole straight into the most beautiful, yet tragic fairytale. This is such an interestingly woven World where stories form real life characters who are forced to enact the pages of their story.

A knight and a witch who are destined to fall in love and then be each other’s doom in every lifetime. The now seek a way to change their story and save the Isle from destruction.

I pretty much lover every character and can’t wait to see the special editions of this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Tasha does it again!

This book was so beautiful in the writing, the characterisations, the world, the magic and the concept, THE CONCEPT, was incredible.

It’s a love letter to the power of story. It is so rich in myth and fairytale; so if you’re a fan of these you will get so many Easter egg.

The story is full of yearning and had one of my favourite romance tropes - star-crossed lovers.

The main characters were compelling and well-written. I loved our lady knight, Vina so much, her charm, resilience and loyalty were everything. And Simran was our glorious gritty, caring and creative Witch. Their love story was layered with destiny and how they tackled this while was questioning their own agency and identity within it was great. Shout out to Hari and May who were scene stealers (especially in part 2).

The other main character in this is Story itself and what it means. It is told from the experience of diaspora and confronts topics of erasure, representation and rigidity. This is a powerful tribute to the power of story, and crucially who gets to tell and control them - the good and bad and why that matters.

Overall, I loved this book. I think that keeping it as a standalone did it a disservice. There are two parts (the second one comes in about 2/3s of the way through). The twist was great but I wanted more. I think more could have been established and explored if this had been a duology.

4.5