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mirifairy's review
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Death, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Blood
embee3's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Blood
Minor: Colonisation
aseel_reads's review
adventurous
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? Yes
4.25
this book was a little hard to get into at the start because it is very slow and it took almost 100 pages before the 2 mcs met, but after that, it was a fantastic read, i loved the characters and their dynamic
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Police brutality, Death, Blood, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Violence
shams96's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-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? It's complicated
4.0
Arwa and this book definitely took longer to enjoy than the initial volume. However, once it got good? It was good! I liked that Zahir was always honest with Arwa and didn’t expect anything of her. I was so afraid S.A. was gonna happen. I did not enjoy the Princess whatsoever’ but the slow friendship with Eshara was everything. It was nice to see Arwa grow as she discovered her truth. I am so glad Mehr was alive! Tasha Suri managed to further develop this world from the other side and she did a nice job of it. I do wish we could’ve got a little epilogue of Arwa and Zahir fixing the Empire after he turned down the Maha’s ash.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Genocide, and Racism
aromarrie's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
the first book had me in awe witnessing mehr as our main character as she was connected to her heritage as an Amrithi--and all that despite those with power trying to strip it away from her. to witness her journey in holding onto the strength and power that came with own lineage was incredibly enlightening and made reading to the last page a memorable experience.
i didn't think i could feel even more closer to this world that was inspired by the Mughal Empire in early South Asia but then i got to witness an even longer journey of grief and its reckoning through arwa's eyes. for that, it made me feel both connected and disconnected to my own heritage, personally. so much was taken from arwa, so much history and knowledge being swept away before she had the chance to have it revealed to herself. and by that, so much fear and darkness unfolds in this epic fantasy that got more and more intense as i watched this story unveil all that it needed to say.
it was difficult in the beginning, i'll admit, to witness everything that was taken from arwa without her knowledge after getting to see mehr have the ability to be connected to it herself. it was hard to see arwa worship figures that from what we learn in empire of sand are much more insidious in the devastation and manipulation they wield with a careless but iron fist (as ironic as it may sound). and then it became even more difficult to have to see her grapple with the grief of all things she wasn't told, simply out of the need for safety and being able to blend in as a good noblewoman. so much of her life, arwa has made one attempt after another to conceal herself so that she could chase after the honor her family is desperate for, even after everything they lost. but what she and her parents face is an Empire that's crumbling beneath all the manipulation that the Maha had sweeped underneath its feet, and for that its people and the Imperial family will pay.
in empire of sand, there was so much magic and the writing was just as lyrical and graceful as the rites that mehr danced in honor of her Amrithi heritage and of the daiva as it was their language. even with all that grace, however, there was so much death and loss that mehr had to face, so much of her magic taken away from her for someone else's greed as she and other Amrithi were chained and/or killed. in realm of ash, it seems that there's so much more death that arwa is faced with and less of that magic that mehr was able to hold onto. with that, comes a whole load of grief that will take forever to be able to unload. but what made this story so powerful, so compassionate and fierce in its own right, was that arwa was able to take the ashes of her dead and the strings of light that came with her heritage and build a new path and future for not just her, but her ancestors and her family and lover present in an incredibly powerful way.
speaking of lover, the bond between arwa and zahir that grew between them throughout the course of this novel was a whole other level of astonishing and the trust that was built between them? just further fed into the magic and power that came with a story about taking control of your own destiny. i loved so many of the characters, i loved seeing the connection that arwa and zahir had to the Empire despite all of its failings and the blood that's soaked in its roots. i loved how we got to witness the Empire in one way through mehr's lenses in empire of sand but then here in realm of ash, saw it with different eyes as we walk through arwa's journey in the realm of ash. the books of ahmba is such an empowering series that contains so much magic but explores so much of the darkness that becomes associated with it and humanity itself; i simply adore it.
content warnings//: descriptions of blood & injury, murder, references to past genocide, explorations of grief, mentions of famine & starvation, kidnapping, successful coup (off-page), mentions of violence, references to cannibalism, and description of bones of the dead
i didn't think i could feel even more closer to this world that was inspired by the Mughal Empire in early South Asia but then i got to witness an even longer journey of grief and its reckoning through arwa's eyes. for that, it made me feel both connected and disconnected to my own heritage, personally. so much was taken from arwa, so much history and knowledge being swept away before she had the chance to have it revealed to herself. and by that, so much fear and darkness unfolds in this epic fantasy that got more and more intense as i watched this story unveil all that it needed to say.
it was difficult in the beginning, i'll admit, to witness everything that was taken from arwa without her knowledge after getting to see mehr have the ability to be connected to it herself. it was hard to see arwa worship figures that from what we learn in empire of sand are much more insidious in the devastation and manipulation they wield with a careless but iron fist (as ironic as it may sound). and then it became even more difficult to have to see her grapple with the grief of all things she wasn't told, simply out of the need for safety and being able to blend in as a good noblewoman. so much of her life, arwa has made one attempt after another to conceal herself so that she could chase after the honor her family is desperate for, even after everything they lost. but what she and her parents face is an Empire that's crumbling beneath all the manipulation that the Maha had sweeped underneath its feet, and for that its people and the Imperial family will pay.
in empire of sand, there was so much magic and the writing was just as lyrical and graceful as the rites that mehr danced in honor of her Amrithi heritage and of the daiva as it was their language. even with all that grace, however, there was so much death and loss that mehr had to face, so much of her magic taken away from her for someone else's greed as she and other Amrithi were chained and/or killed. in realm of ash, it seems that there's so much more death that arwa is faced with and less of that magic that mehr was able to hold onto. with that, comes a whole load of grief that will take forever to be able to unload. but what made this story so powerful, so compassionate and fierce in its own right, was that arwa was able to take the ashes of her dead and the strings of light that came with her heritage and build a new path and future for not just her, but her ancestors and her family and lover present in an incredibly powerful way.
speaking of lover, the bond between arwa and zahir that grew between them throughout the course of this novel was a whole other level of astonishing and the trust that was built between them? just further fed into the magic and power that came with a story about taking control of your own destiny. i loved so many of the characters, i loved seeing the connection that arwa and zahir had to the Empire despite all of its failings and the blood that's soaked in its roots. i loved how we got to witness the Empire in one way through mehr's lenses in empire of sand but then here in realm of ash, saw it with different eyes as we walk through arwa's journey in the realm of ash. the books of ahmba is such an empowering series that contains so much magic but explores so much of the darkness that becomes associated with it and humanity itself; i simply adore it.
content warnings//: descriptions of blood & injury, murder, references to past genocide, explorations of grief, mentions of famine & starvation, kidnapping, successful coup (off-page), mentions of violence, references to cannibalism, and description of bones of the dead
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Genocide, Death, Confinement, and Grief
booksthatburn's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
In REALM OF ASH, Arwa is steeped in grief and blood, haunted by a massacre and isolated by her widowhood. The Empire which shaped her is crumbling, but she tries to be useful once more by walking in death and memory. She reckons with the weight of generations of grief and trauma, the legacy of a slow genocide caused by the Ambhan Empire forcing generations of Amrithi to choose between death and slavery over and over.
Where EMPIRE OF SAND had a quality to the worldbuilding where it felt like it was being illuminated around the main character as she walked through the world, REALM OF ASH has an actual magical/spiritual which is actually created or revealed as Arwa and Zahir move through it. It also maintains this style in a more mundane way, through Arwa's sheltered upbringing and restrictive marriage, followed by the cloistered nature of Ambhan widowhood, setting her up for learning the nature of many things for the very first time within the story. She's naïve in some things but quick to learn, and the combination of newness and grief drive her attempts to help Zahir with his work. I loved their dynamic, the way they shift from total strangers to depending on and supporting each other in uniquely trying circumstances.
This wraps up a very specific question left hanging from the first book: that of Arwa's fate. The main storyline starts here and wasn't present in EMPIRE OF SAND, the main character is Arwa this time, and her voice is very different from Mehr's. A lot of very major things are introduced and resolved here, it functions almost as a stand-alone book except that it is dealing with the fallout of events from EMPIRE OF SAND. Someone could pick it up and understand 95% of what's happening even if they hadn't read EMPIRE OF SAND. What gives it that stand-alone feeling is that, because Arwa doesn't actually know what happened in EMPIRE OF SAND, except for what is known publicly in the empire, her point of view doesn't require the reader to know much from that book in order to keep up with the main plot of this one. This answers what happens next and how the empire is dealing with the far-reaching consequences of the first book's conclusion. REALM OF ASH feels very complete, taking the time at the end to answer a little of where Mehr ended up, making the duology feel whole, with neither book subordinate to the other.
I adore this book, I like it even better than EMPIRE OF SAND, something I didn't think was possible. There's no more in this series, but I plan on checking out other books by this author.
Where EMPIRE OF SAND had a quality to the worldbuilding where it felt like it was being illuminated around the main character as she walked through the world, REALM OF ASH has an actual magical/spiritual which is actually created or revealed as Arwa and Zahir move through it. It also maintains this style in a more mundane way, through Arwa's sheltered upbringing and restrictive marriage, followed by the cloistered nature of Ambhan widowhood, setting her up for learning the nature of many things for the very first time within the story. She's naïve in some things but quick to learn, and the combination of newness and grief drive her attempts to help Zahir with his work. I loved their dynamic, the way they shift from total strangers to depending on and supporting each other in uniquely trying circumstances.
This wraps up a very specific question left hanging from the first book: that of Arwa's fate. The main storyline starts here and wasn't present in EMPIRE OF SAND, the main character is Arwa this time, and her voice is very different from Mehr's. A lot of very major things are introduced and resolved here, it functions almost as a stand-alone book except that it is dealing with the fallout of events from EMPIRE OF SAND. Someone could pick it up and understand 95% of what's happening even if they hadn't read EMPIRE OF SAND. What gives it that stand-alone feeling is that, because Arwa doesn't actually know what happened in EMPIRE OF SAND, except for what is known publicly in the empire, her point of view doesn't require the reader to know much from that book in order to keep up with the main plot of this one. This answers what happens next and how the empire is dealing with the far-reaching consequences of the first book's conclusion. REALM OF ASH feels very complete, taking the time at the end to answer a little of where Mehr ended up, making the duology feel whole, with neither book subordinate to the other.
I adore this book, I like it even better than EMPIRE OF SAND, something I didn't think was possible. There's no more in this series, but I plan on checking out other books by this author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death
Moderate: Racism, Kidnapping, Vomit, Blood, Medical content, Violence, and Self harm
Minor: Cannibalism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Death of parent, and Genocide
achingallover's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I thought Empire of Sand was good but this was next level.
Can't wait to read The Jasmine Throne and anything else Tasha Suri writes.
Can't wait to read The Jasmine Throne and anything else Tasha Suri writes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Grief, Gore, Genocide, Misogyny, Murder, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
aliyyah's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-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
“Love is not always kind.”
I wish I could give this book more than five stars. It’s what it deserves. I loved Realm of Ash so much oh my god. This one was even better than Empire of Sand, which I didn’t even know was possible.
I wish I could give this book more than five stars. It’s what it deserves. I loved Realm of Ash so much oh my god. This one was even better than Empire of Sand, which I didn’t even know was possible.
This book is about Arwah, who we meet in the first installment of The Books of Ambha as a nine year old girl. In this story, she is twenty one, widowed and finds herself working with an illegitimate prince in order to discover a way to save their crumbling Empire.
I loved the plot of this book so much. The Realm of Ash was such an intriguing concept to me and I really liked learning about it. Unlike the first book, there are some court politics and drama in here, which is something that I highly enjoy so that added to my interest of the story.
I loved the plot of this book so much. The Realm of Ash was such an intriguing concept to me and I really liked learning about it. Unlike the first book, there are some court politics and drama in here, which is something that I highly enjoy so that added to my interest of the story.
I also love the characters. In a similar fashion to the first book, everyone was written very well. I adore Arwah more than words can express. She is a woman with sharp edges who has been told her entire life to make herself smaller, make herself softer. In the beginning of this novel, we see her still trying to be the ideal her mother wanted but by the end she has stopped attempting to be something she is not. Zahir, the illegitimate prince, also has my entire heart. He is a scholar with a drive for knowledge and curiosity. His dynamic with Arwah makes me so soft. They are both people who have lost things and live half lives but they truly see each other. They become a mystical order of two during their studies and I just love the development of their relationship so much. These two honestly make me ache.
The writing was exceptional, much like in the first novel. Once again, I loved the description and world building. These two books are just so rich. I loved the pacing and I was gripped from the very start. Tasha Suri knows how to write an excellent story.
This novel surpassed my expectations and has left me feeling so much. I highly recommend this book to everyone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Grief, and Violence
stubbornlybookish's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- 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 and Blood
Moderate: Gore
Minor: Self harm
self harm is used for blood rituals
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