Reviews

Spice Road by Maiya Ibrahim

uadjet's review

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

books_tea_and_fantasy's review against another edition

3.0

3 ⭐️

Characters: 6
Atmosphere: 6
Writing: 7
Plot: 6
Intrigue: 5
Logic: 5
Enjoyment: 5

❌ Series DNF
❌ Unhaul

tinysaurr's review

adventurous emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Whilst the world is beautifully described and the side characters are flawed yet loveable, the main character is lacking in many areas. She is so naive and makes such questionable choices that it takes away from the overall enjoyment of the book. 

cobaltbookshelf's review against another edition

3.0

3.5 stars

I really had a great time with this book and this cover is so beautiful. The world in this book felt organic and the other thing that made me instantly connect with the story is characters especially with Imani and Taha. Overall this book was really magical fun and a very exciting read!
I will definitely be picking up the sequel as I have a feeling I'll really enjoy it and I'm looking forward to seeing where the story goes.

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

laurolly's review against another edition

3.0

3.5 Stars. The plot of this book was stellar, we had adventure, family bonds, magic, and a healthy dose of rebellion. I particularly enjoyed the Arabic inspired world, and the middle eastern mythology which was drawn on for inspiration of the monsters and folklore in the book. This has certainly set up for an epic trilogy which I would be interested in seeing through. However, it felt like something was missing. The characters were one dimensional and fit too neatly into prescribed categories such as the unwilling villain, the rebellious younger sibling, and the goody-two-shoes whose worldview is challenged. It was all very predictable in that regard. Imani, our main character, was incredibly obtuse throughout the book which was annoying and made me want to hit her over the head. I think the relationships could have been better portrayed and the characters given more substance so that we could connect more with them. The magic system was fully realised and so easy to understand, Ibrahim really knew the ins and outs of what they had designed and it translated well onto the page. I also liked the slight hint at romance throughout the book as I thought it was very artfully done. I certainly have developed strong opinions on who Imani should pursue in future books! Looking forward to reading the second book when it releases.

nicoleceballos's review

Imani is insufferable. She's so naive and privileged. She's just so unlikable that I can't finish this. Plus, there's a love triangle in it and Imani is THE BEST SHIELD EVER, despite there being no evidence of it. 

lotecider's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This book took a few chapters before i got into it. A lot of the beginning was a bit cringe and i personally found the main character a bit insufferable and bull headed at times, however it was in a refreshing way. Its not often we see a main character who is coming from a place of privilege, usually its always the poor victimised character saving the world, but Imani isnt poor and nor does she see herself a victim. I do believe her character could have been enriched a bit more but hopefully that'll happen in the next book. 

I also find that the relationships between the characters seem a bit forced rather than natural. There's a lot of telling rather than demonstrating most of the time, but that being said, aside from the love triangle that's hinted at, most of the interactions between the characters seemed believable and organic, but a bit flat and as a reader you feel indifferent towards them.

I liked the magic system in place. It wasn't explained in a great deal of detail but it was easy enough to understand. I hope as the plot of the next book progresses we get to see more of the magic system develop as it does have significant influence over the events of the story. I also loved the world building in general too.

The plot is medium placed with a slow build up and most of the action happening in the last 30% of the book. It's a good story, with a few twists and turns and many moments where when you feel like you've figured it out, something completely different happens.

Especially some of the twists that happen towards the end!

bookish_withsky's review against another edition

2.0

I don't think this book did any bad necessarily, I just couldn't keep myself interested in it.

jgilge's review

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective 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? No

4.5

Loved this one! It sucked me in and swept me away to another world.

missellenmarie's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced

3.5