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bookswithjk's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is definitely an epic tale, and a very long one. I’m not familiar with The Mahabharata, so I can’t give a fair comparison to the source material. The writing is definitely accessible and easy to consume, although the book itself is very chunky. The story is split into six parts, with lots of time skips. Overall, the timeline was easy to follow but easily falls apart when women are suddenly able to give birth into a short amount of time (the throwaway explanation is that the gods’ dimensions follow a different flow of time). While I did love the characters, the fact that Karni was just…coerced into sleeping with different gods in the final parts never sat right with me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism and Violence
rorikae's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
fast-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
4.75
'Upon a Burning Throne' by Ashok K. Banker is an engaging start to an epic fantasy series inspired by The Mahabharata.
The story begins with two newly born princes, Adri and Shvate, who must endure the Burning Throne to determine who will rule the Burnt Empire. The Burning Throne consumes all who sit on it with fire and only those worthy of ruling survive. In a shocking turn of events, both Adri and Shvate survive the Burning Throne and to further complicate matters a third successor, a surprise princess, survives as well. But the current rulers deny her right to the throne, enraging her father, a demonlord, who vows to rip the Empire apart.
'Upon a Burning Throne' is such an engaging read. The story starts out at a moment of high tension and Banker maintains this level of intrigue throughout the entirety of the story, which is a real feat considering the book's 688 page length. So much happens in this book and it is only the first book in the series. One of the reasons this book is so engaging is the shifting narrators. The book hinges on relatively short chapters that move between many characters. Nearly every character of significance gets at least one chapter and this is added to with chapters told from the point of view of animals observing events. This shifting style could leave the reader detached from the story but it does the exact opposite. It expands the world and our understanding of each character by exploring their motivations and reasoning.
There is a big part of the set-up of the story that isn't addressed in this first book and it made me frustrated until I read the synopsis for book two and realized that it will be the focus of an entire third of the story. I can't wait to read that section and learn more about this world and Banker's characters. If you are looking for an epic fantasy with engaging worldbuilding and a chorus of characters, please read 'Upon a Burning Throne.'
The story begins with two newly born princes, Adri and Shvate, who must endure the Burning Throne to determine who will rule the Burnt Empire. The Burning Throne consumes all who sit on it with fire and only those worthy of ruling survive. In a shocking turn of events, both Adri and Shvate survive the Burning Throne and to further complicate matters a third successor, a surprise princess, survives as well. But the current rulers deny her right to the throne, enraging her father, a demonlord, who vows to rip the Empire apart.
'Upon a Burning Throne' is such an engaging read. The story starts out at a moment of high tension and Banker maintains this level of intrigue throughout the entirety of the story, which is a real feat considering the book's 688 page length. So much happens in this book and it is only the first book in the series. One of the reasons this book is so engaging is the shifting narrators. The book hinges on relatively short chapters that move between many characters. Nearly every character of significance gets at least one chapter and this is added to with chapters told from the point of view of animals observing events. This shifting style could leave the reader detached from the story but it does the exact opposite. It expands the world and our understanding of each character by exploring their motivations and reasoning.
There is a big part of the set-up of the story that isn't addressed in this first book and it made me frustrated until I read the synopsis for book two and realized that it will be the focus of an entire third of the story. I can't wait to read that section and learn more about this world and Banker's characters. If you are looking for an epic fantasy with engaging worldbuilding and a chorus of characters, please read 'Upon a Burning Throne.'
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Abandonment, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Infidelity, Suicide attempt, Animal death, Blood, Death, Murder, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Body horror
Moderate: Kidnapping and Sexual content
chaoticreadingclub's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Gore
Moderate: Sexual content
kylieqrada'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
So obviously I trust Jesse @bowtiesandbooks with my life. But my faith in them is truly confirmed after reading this rec. This deserves all of the hype. An own voices Indian fantasy with a truly whacked out plot, characters that you love and love to hate, and world building so complex without being confusing. The writing style did take some getting used to, but that was a me problem, not a book problem. Also, I docked one star for fatphobia.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Body horror, and Violence
Moderate: Fatphobia, Infidelity, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Ableism
Minor: Incest, Torture, Misogyny, and Fire/Fire injury
catapocalypse's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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
Full disclosure: I have not read the Mahabharata. For how this succeeds or doesn't as a retelling, I'd recommend seeking out reviews by folks who are familiar with the epic, as well as with Indian culture etc.! I also cannot speak from experience on whether the representation of either of the princes' conditions was well done.
Epic fantasy is generally a hard sell for me, but this one reminded me I can still have fun with it. This book primarily follows Adri and Shvate, the Krushan princes of Hastinaga, as they grow up and prove themselves worthy of inheriting the empire. Their people feel they have a lot to prove, as Adri is totally blind and Shvate's albinism makes sunlight painful to bear. Meanwhile, the evil Jarsun seeks to destroy the Krushan after his own daughter is denied her claim to the empire.
There's so much here to love: gods and demons, demigods, powerful sorcery, epic battles, horror, love and despair. The story is told from multiple points of view, giving us an in-depth look at many different characters. It's a little more character-driven than plot-driven, especially at first, and the slower start may discourage some folks. The action stays pretty consistent once the Battle of the Rebels gets going.
The time skips can be a little surprising, and on a couple occasions feel like they leave out things that would have been nice to see on the page. I'm not certain how well the princes' disabilities are handled, but some of the treatment of them does feel iffy. There are also iffy descriptions of women at times, and a lot of unnecessary fatphobia in the descriptions of the occasional larger character. Throughout the book, there are a few different situations involving dubious consent, and even sexual assault, but most are not on the page or very detailed.
I still had a great time with this book. It ends on a cliffhanger, and I look forward to continuing with the next one!
Epic fantasy is generally a hard sell for me, but this one reminded me I can still have fun with it. This book primarily follows Adri and Shvate, the Krushan princes of Hastinaga, as they grow up and prove themselves worthy of inheriting the empire. Their people feel they have a lot to prove, as Adri is totally blind and Shvate's albinism makes sunlight painful to bear. Meanwhile, the evil Jarsun seeks to destroy the Krushan after his own daughter is denied her claim to the empire.
There's so much here to love: gods and demons, demigods, powerful sorcery, epic battles, horror, love and despair. The story is told from multiple points of view, giving us an in-depth look at many different characters. It's a little more character-driven than plot-driven, especially at first, and the slower start may discourage some folks. The action stays pretty consistent once the Battle of the Rebels gets going.
The time skips can be a little surprising, and on a couple occasions feel like they leave out things that would have been nice to see on the page. I'm not certain how well the princes' disabilities are handled, but some of the treatment of them does feel iffy. There are also iffy descriptions of women at times, and a lot of unnecessary fatphobia in the descriptions of the occasional larger character. Throughout the book, there are a few different situations involving dubious consent, and even sexual assault, but most are not on the page or very detailed.
I still had a great time with this book. It ends on a cliffhanger, and I look forward to continuing with the next one!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Ableism, Animal death, Bullying, Fatphobia, Grief, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Incest, Misogyny, and Torture
dayday_reads's review
adventurous
dark
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Body horror, Blood, Death, Grief, Violence, and Misogyny
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Infidelity, Murder, Pregnancy, Racism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Incest, Rape, and Torture
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