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bluberrybooks's review
adventurous
dark
informative
sad
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Slavery, Violence, Abandonment, Murder, and Physical abuse
amandadevoursbooks's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
5.0
This. book. is. underrated. This is a tragedy.
In the first of a duology, we meet Mehr. She is the illegitimate child of the regional governor of a far-flung empire. Her mother is a member of the local indigenous tribes, the Amrithi. Mehr practices her traditions in secret. Her step mother disapproves. When her friend goes missing, Mehr draws the eye of the emperors mystics, and she is coerced into a marriage and shackled by her vows not only to her husband but to the empire itself.
I cannot express how wonderfully the world is built. It roots itself firmly in Southeast Asian culture and places. The desert spirits, the culture of the empire's ruling class, colonized territories and indigenous people, the sleeping gods. I LOVED all of it. While this is a slow-burn closed door romance. I rooted for the pair. I loved watching them fall for each other and make each other family. I cannot wait to read the next book.
This book deals heavily in themes of empires, colonization, genocide, cultural erasure, and grief. In the end, it is a story of hope and power and connection. 100% this is a book I will read and love again.
In the first of a duology, we meet Mehr. She is the illegitimate child of the regional governor of a far-flung empire. Her mother is a member of the local indigenous tribes, the Amrithi. Mehr practices her traditions in secret. Her step mother disapproves. When her friend goes missing, Mehr draws the eye of the emperors mystics, and she is coerced into a marriage and shackled by her vows not only to her husband but to the empire itself.
I cannot express how wonderfully the world is built. It roots itself firmly in Southeast Asian culture and places. The desert spirits, the culture of the empire's ruling class, colonized territories and indigenous people, the sleeping gods. I LOVED all of it. While this is a slow-burn closed door romance. I rooted for the pair. I loved watching them fall for each other and make each other family. I cannot wait to read the next book.
This book deals heavily in themes of empires, colonization, genocide, cultural erasure, and grief. In the end, it is a story of hope and power and connection. 100% this is a book I will read and love again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Religious bigotry, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Genocide, and Violence
karatics's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Grief, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Suicide, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, and Xenophobia
Minor: Cursing, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Classism, and Abandonment
msradiosilence's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
sad
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
4.5
Tldr; I love Amun and Mehr, and I really liked how well rounded this book is.
Read my full review at: https://www.rainyreader.com/single-post/empire-of-sand/
Read my full review at: https://www.rainyreader.com/single-post/empire-of-sand/
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Infertility, Racism, Sexual content, Suicide, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Classism, Murder, Physical abuse, Torture, War, Abandonment, Colonisation, Genocide, Grief, Hate crime, Religious bigotry, Slavery, and Suicidal thoughts
themidnightritual's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, War, Violence, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, and Racism
tourmaline_and_tomes's review
challenging
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Xenophobia
pyrojack's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Violence, Toxic relationship, Slavery, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Racism, Physical abuse, Murder, Emotional abuse, and Bullying
Moderate: Blood, Genocide, Death, and Colonisation
Minor: Abandonment and Alcohol
_fallinglight_'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Okay I did like this book though it took a big chunk of it to happen. The story takes its time to simmer introducing Mehr's life her mother's abdonment, the strife with her stepmother over her little sister and how she does everything in her power to still be near her, the discrimination of the Amrithi, and how Mehr has learned to survive in a lonely and secluded household. That slows it down a lot and I struggled. But I really liked Mehr as a character, she's strong willed, compassionate, doesn't feel sorry for herself, and has a strong sense of doing what is right. I liked how she is proud of what she's learned as a noblewoman and even though sometimes the uselessness of growing up as one showed up (not knowing how to sew etc) she didn't let it shame her and rather owned it.
Now, the world building, the set up to the Amrithi power and the dreamfire and the daiva, was so rich and unique. I was really in awe of the concept of dreamfire so much I'll admit I had a hard time following the writing in some points because I was so enraptured trying to imagine how it would look like. It's been a long while since I've actively tried to picture something I'm reading in my mind bc usually it's just words but blank in my mind. Once we get to the crux of the story and Amun is introduced the story finally takes way and I immediately started to get attached to him. He's literally dreamy. Now as for the villain, the Maha took a while to creep me out but the writing makes sure he bore into my bones and when he confronted Amun and Mehr about the consummation he finally made my skin crawl and I wanted to throw up. Even though he's beyond human when we first meet him, the ordinariness of his violence was what made him even more sickening.
But back to lighter notes, I really loved how Mehr and Amun's relationship developed and the night they finally become one was so tender and hurting and emotional and a little traumatic bc of how it came to be but they made it their choice. Their own. It hurt but it also bloomed. I have no complaints about the ending and how the conflict was resolved. I saw Kalini killing the Maha the moment he killed Hema and though it wasn't exactly for the right reasons, I'm glad she did it and I was right. The scene with Mehr and Elder was so fantasy excellence. The description of the veil, the dagger, so incredible. And the ending was exactly how I wanted it to be. This book might not suit a lot of people's tastes; it certainly took a lot of me to keep going and not dnf it because it's in a style I don't usually read, more focused on the intricacies of the characters than a driving plot with more action. The writing pace might be off putting and there's a lot of points where it does get a little monotonous and certain phrases and words are repetitive but in the end I'm glad I got to the end and enjoyed a unique tale. I'll definitely be thinking of dreamfire for weeks to come.
Now, the world building, the set up to the Amrithi power and the dreamfire and the daiva, was so rich and unique. I was really in awe of the concept of dreamfire so much I'll admit I had a hard time following the writing in some points because I was so enraptured trying to imagine how it would look like. It's been a long while since I've actively tried to picture something I'm reading in my mind bc usually it's just words but blank in my mind. Once we get to the crux of the story and Amun is introduced the story finally takes way and I immediately started to get attached to him. He's literally dreamy. Now as for the villain, the Maha took a while to creep me out but the writing makes sure he bore into my bones and when he confronted Amun and Mehr about the consummation he finally made my skin crawl and I wanted to throw up. Even though he's beyond human when we first meet him, the ordinariness of his violence was what made him even more sickening.
But back to lighter notes, I really loved how Mehr and Amun's relationship developed and the night they finally become one was so tender and hurting and emotional and a little traumatic bc of how it came to be but they made it their choice. Their own. It hurt but it also bloomed. I have no complaints about the ending and how the conflict was resolved. I saw Kalini killing the Maha the moment he killed Hema and though it wasn't exactly for the right reasons, I'm glad she did it and I was right. The scene with Mehr and Elder was so fantasy excellence. The description of the veil, the dagger, so incredible. And the ending was exactly how I wanted it to be. This book might not suit a lot of people's tastes; it certainly took a lot of me to keep going and not dnf it because it's in a style I don't usually read, more focused on the intricacies of the characters than a driving plot with more action. The writing pace might be off putting and there's a lot of points where it does get a little monotonous and certain phrases and words are repetitive but in the end I'm glad I got to the end and enjoyed a unique tale. I'll definitely be thinking of dreamfire for weeks to come.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Torture
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