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ayvie's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I literally had trouble putting this book down to read anything else. The MCs were so engaging and interesting and complicated that I could not wait to read more. The fact that neither MC is 100% right in their understanding of their histories is fascinating and interesting. (Though I'd argue that Sylvia's misconceptions are less of an issue because they are the result of her being a victim and not the result of her being an aggressor/policer). They're both having to adjust and learn their misconceptions - some of which they've built their entire lives on.
I'm unsure about the romance. I am having complicated feelings about it and need to let those stew a bit. Coming back to this - I honestly wish the romantic elements hadn't been involved at all in this book. It felt uncomfortable and a lot of it is outside my lane to really delve into. I do think the groundwork is laid for something here, and I'm unsure where it's going to lead (and honestly, I'd be happy if it led to no romance at all).
It felt like the point should have been discomfort and I'm unsure if that was entirely what was portrayed.
I'm unsure about the romance. I am having complicated feelings about it and need to let those stew a bit. Coming back to this - I honestly wish the romantic elements hadn't been involved at all in this book. It felt uncomfortable and a lot of it is outside my lane to really delve into. I do think the groundwork is laid for something here, and I'm unsure where it's going to lead (and honestly, I'd be happy if it led to no romance at all).
It felt like the point should have been discomfort and I'm unsure if that was entirely what was portrayed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Body horror, Torture, War, Murder, Xenophobia, Death, Death of parent, Gore, and Colonisation
Minor: Child abuse, Rape, and Sexual assault
This book has a lot of violence depicted in its pages, but it never felt gratuitous. There's a ton of trauma (specifically explored for Sylvia). The child abuse, sexual assault, and rape are mentions regarding a secondary character.roseleebooks's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Overall I enjoyed this book. I read through it very quickly wanting to know what happened next!
Things that were done well were the pacing and the setup for the ending. There are multiple plot threads to pick up in the next book which could be frustrating for some readers. The key theme of dealing with past trauma and identity after being separated from the foundations of that identity was intriguingly explored throughout.Also, establishing that the MC was an unreliable narrator partway through the story opens up a lot of possibilities going into the next portion of the series.
There were several things that were problematic here with the FMCs relationship with the MMC,including power imbalance and 🚩 behaviors from the MMC. Other reviews have commented on the colonizer/colonized aspect of it as well, which is off-putting. If the MMC goes full villain in the next book this would make much more sense to me, I'd like to assume the author has purposely laid this unsettling foundation. The love story was secondary to the main plot but the banter is where some of the twists and info reveals occurred
Overall the writing was fairly smooth, the story moved along at a fast pace, and I found myself rethinking things that I took at face value initially about the characters and setting throughout as new information was revealed. I'll definitely be picking up the next book to see what happens next. This may change my review here depending on how some of the above issues are handled.
Things that were done well were the pacing and the setup for the ending. There are multiple plot threads to pick up in the next book which could be frustrating for some readers. The key theme of dealing with past trauma and identity after being separated from the foundations of that identity was intriguingly explored throughout.
There were several things that were problematic here with the FMCs relationship with the MMC,
Overall the writing was fairly smooth, the story moved along at a fast pace, and I found myself rethinking things that I took at face value initially about the characters and setting throughout as new information was revealed. I'll definitely be picking up the next book to see what happens next. This may change my review here depending on how some of the above issues are handled.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, War, Xenophobia, Genocide, Torture, Violence, Child abuse, and Colonisation
Moderate: Alcohol, Murder, Mental illness, and Suicide
bkwrm1317's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Holy wow. I did not expect this from a debut. Hashem is about to be a name on SFF readers’ lips for quite some time to come.
Hashem writes complex, nuanced, real characters who do not easily follow tropes. She also keeps the reader guessing about what turn is coming around the next corner. Quite a page turner, I will definitely be recommending this one far and wide.
Honored that I got to moderate a panel with her on it during 2023 Indie Ink Awards conference.
Hashem writes complex, nuanced, real characters who do not easily follow tropes. She also keeps the reader guessing about what turn is coming around the next corner. Quite a page turner, I will definitely be recommending this one far and wide.
Honored that I got to moderate a panel with her on it during 2023 Indie Ink Awards conference.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Abandonment
Minor: Child abuse and Sexual violence
Mild CWs are referenced/referred to briefly, but are not a main component of the story.hailstorm3812's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I will eat my hat if this didn't start as fanfiction, and i could definitely make a few guesses as to what. You can tell with the interesting character relationships and the extremely well written sexual tension, and the front loaded worldbuilding and not at all thought through political ideologies. Girl why are you falling in love with the genocidal white man? He really doesn't grow and change politically in what we see. Yeah he opens up to her and sees her as human but the rest not so much. Which is so frustrating because the author succeeds at making it so so hot. I honestly think a lot could have been solved by making them both POC, which would cause less unsavory allusions which I don't think were intentional. He could still have magical hair. Why is draco here? I'm a little bit with Soraya here. Taking down corrupt monarchs and trying to kill the heir of the country that decimated yours, like she has a point. Ok but moving on I really did like Sylvie, her complex journey, and all of her unwanted connections to loved ones. Her friends, Rory, and Fairel really shine. Dawoud only had one scene but it really hit. Overall I have a lot of qualms with the romance, but I did like it and will probably read the next one. Also like, you are going to write insane amounts of heat, to the point where I, someone who is rooting for the antagonist to kill the love interest, thinks they should fuck, and when they finally act on their feels they only make out for a half a second. Come on.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Violence, Torture, Death of parent, Death, Genocide, Gore, Murder, Police brutality, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Acephobia/Arophobia, Child abuse, Child death, Body horror, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Sexism
bookswithbethx's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Confinement, Death of parent, Torture, Sexual violence, Slavery, Murder, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Child abuse, Colonisation, Genocide, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Drug use, Violence, Vomit, and War
onthesamepage's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
“There is no such thing as a worthy sacrifice. There are only those who die, and those willing to let them.”
This is an Arab Spring/Egyptian-inspired fantasy by an Egyptian Muslim hijabi author. I am 2.5 of those things (only half Egyptian, in case you're wondering), so this review is probably going to be at least a little bit biased.
For example, even though this is set in a fantasy world with made up countries, the language is Arabic. I don't think I can describe the sheer joy of understanding every single word (except "suraira" for some reason, but I'm sure that's on me, and that made it more fun anyway). Now, I am also honest enough to admit that if this was a different book, for example European-inspired, and the language was Latin, I would have issues with it, because I would consider it kind of lazy worldbuilding. But it's my language, and I've never seen it in a fantasy book before, so basically, I don't care. I loved it. Also, all the mentions of familiar food made me instantly want to travel to Egypt just to eat.
There are a lot of mysteries within this book, and by the end of it, I was left with more questions than answers. But the central piece of it is the relationship between Sylvia and Arin. If you're looking for an actual, high stakes enemies to lovers romance, I would definitely check this out. It's very slow burn, which is the only way I can buy into that trope, but by the time their relationship hit its stride, I was so invested that every scene had me clutching my e-reader with "will they won't they" tension. That's exactly what I want from a romance, and the author absolutely delivered.
It also helps that I actually like both characters. Sylvia is a Chosen One in the sense that she's the heir to a kingdom that no longer exists, and whose people are being murdered, but she doesn't want to be. She doesn't want to feel anything for other Jasadis, or carry the responsibility of their lives and future on her shoulders. To her, nothing is more important than her own survival, and the further you get in the story, the more you understand why she grew up to be the way she is. But even though she's very careful, she's also a hothead with a "fuck it" attitude that I really loved. Arin, meanwhile, is someone who takes his responsibilities very seriously. My first impression of him was that, despite everything Sylvia tells us about him, his actions show that he has a sense of honor. But that doesn't mean he isn't guilty of hunting down people just because they have magic, even if they have never used it to hurt anyone. I think both characters definitely grow as a result of having to deal with each other.
Even though we spend a lot of time watching the relationship between our main characters develop, that doesn't mean the fantasy elements aren't well done. The magic system is pretty simple, but the secrets surrounding Sylvia and Arin were really compelling. There are deadly trials, magical creatures, the constant danger of Sylvia being discovered, political machinations, and so much more. This is a very strong start to the series, and I can't wait to see what the sequel brings. The only reason this isn't a full five stars is because it starts off a bit slow and takes a while to really get going. But I think this might be one that could be 5 stars on reread.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide and Murder
Moderate: Sexual harassment
Minor: Child abuse and Rape
martine3's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, War, Child abuse, Blood, Violence, Torture, and Slavery
Moderate: Racism and Vomit
Finally something worth reading and engaging for me and real enemies to lovers (I hope). The only minor complaint is that the tournament is so often used in fantasy (and very similar to a mix between the Hunger Games and the Goblet of Fire) that it felt repetitive even though it was actually engaging. But I hope there won't be a focus on politics and specifically on other kingdoms later on because I am interested mainly in the main characters. I also hope for once that surprise pregnancy or a babylogue won't be employed (I don't dare dream for a heroine who is childfree or doesn't mention and occupy herself with children but I am fed up with Maas' natalist propaganda).n0elle's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Murder, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, War, Violence, and Torture
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, and Pedophilia
dragoninwinterfell's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Jasad Heir is a solid debut novel and first installment of a series. Though it has a slow start with too much info dumping, once the story gets going and the characters are firmly introduced, the book is engaging.
The protagonist, Sylvia, is a morally grey heroine with a tragic past filled with loss and abuse. Having lost her family and status as a princess during a war, she lives as a commoner, hiding her identity as well as her restrained magic. I really loved the complexity of Sylvia's character and following her through each difficult choice and harsh revelation from her past. She felt very real.
While I'm not usually a fan of enemies to lovers romances, the dynamic between Sylvia and Arin is the best example I've seen of the trope. They are natural enemies as he is the son of the man who overthrew her family and the way their relationship progresses is authentic.
I'm really looking forward to the next installment of this series.
The protagonist, Sylvia, is a morally grey heroine with a tragic past filled with loss and abuse. Having lost her family and status as a princess during a war, she lives as a commoner, hiding her identity as well as her restrained magic. I really loved the complexity of Sylvia's character and following her through each difficult choice and harsh revelation from her past. She felt very real.
While I'm not usually a fan of enemies to lovers romances, the dynamic between Sylvia and Arin is the best example I've seen of the trope. They are natural enemies as he is the son of the man who overthrew her family and the way their relationship progresses is authentic.
I'm really looking forward to the next installment of this series.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Racism, Police brutality, Violence, Physical abuse, and Death of parent
Minor: Pedophilia, Rape, and War
soniajoy98's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Classism, Cursing, Torture, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Violence, and Cultural appropriation
Moderate: Police brutality, Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, Death of parent, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Xenophobia, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Incest, Rape, Child death, Sexual harassment, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and War