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troisha's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Confinement, Grief, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, and Gore
Minor: Drug use, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Vomit, and War
soundlysmitten's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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
The Jasmine Throne takes place in a lush fantasy world inspired by India. It tells an utterly feminist story complete with intriguing magic, masterful scheming, unlikely allies, and a sliver of sapphic romance.
It took me about a month to get through this book. To be a fair, I’m a hopelessly slow reader. The pace is also admittedly slow to start, but I don’t actually see that as a flaw. There’s a lot to learn about this new world, its intricate culture and magic, its history and politics. As the first installment in a trilogy, The Jasmine Throne lays its framework down thoroughly. But more than that, beautifully. You just have to be patient—take time to absorb it all—in order to fully appreciate the story and the eloquent language used to tell it.
Told in third-person past tense with multiple narrators, The Jasmine Throne is an impressively woven tale. The main POVs belong to our hidden priestess, Priya, and captive princess, Malini. But there are a number of other secondary POVs that contribute to the full scope of the political landscape. I appreciated being given a glimpse into the minds of other players in the conflict/seeing how they interpret the world and their role in it. All of the characters are authentically complex and the author provides interesting insight regarding their motives, revealing their different faces as the story unfolds. As for the romance, it takes a backseat to Priya’s personal development and the action of the overall plot. But I found that realistic considering the circumstances.
The theme that struck me most deeply is the pursuit of liberation for an oppressed people. Parijat’s aim to obliterate Ahiranya—in livelihood and identity—is heavy, and I feel emotionally invested in seeing things made right. Another theme that struck a chord with me is the untangling of the twisted way those in power warp religion to support flawed and wicked agendas. And I absolutely loved the hopeful way the book ends.With three formidable women stepping up to replace their evil, misguided, inept male counterparts.
Who runs the world? ;)
It took me about a month to get through this book. To be a fair, I’m a hopelessly slow reader. The pace is also admittedly slow to start, but I don’t actually see that as a flaw. There’s a lot to learn about this new world, its intricate culture and magic, its history and politics. As the first installment in a trilogy, The Jasmine Throne lays its framework down thoroughly. But more than that, beautifully. You just have to be patient—take time to absorb it all—in order to fully appreciate the story and the eloquent language used to tell it.
Told in third-person past tense with multiple narrators, The Jasmine Throne is an impressively woven tale. The main POVs belong to our hidden priestess, Priya, and captive princess, Malini. But there are a number of other secondary POVs that contribute to the full scope of the political landscape. I appreciated being given a glimpse into the minds of other players in the conflict/seeing how they interpret the world and their role in it. All of the characters are authentically complex and the author provides interesting insight regarding their motives, revealing their different faces as the story unfolds. As for the romance, it takes a backseat to Priya’s personal development and the action of the overall plot. But I found that realistic considering the circumstances.
The theme that struck me most deeply is the pursuit of liberation for an oppressed people. Parijat’s aim to obliterate Ahiranya—in livelihood and identity—is heavy, and I feel emotionally invested in seeing things made right. Another theme that struck a chord with me is the untangling of the twisted way those in power warp religion to support flawed and wicked agendas. And I absolutely loved the hopeful way the book ends.
Who runs the world? ;)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Drug use, Genocide, Grief, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Xenophobia
ninamanon's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
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
Beautiful prose that flows well; a rich world, described in detailed images. Interesting plot. Lovable, flawed, and morally grey characters, with three strong, very different women at its heart. I loved it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use
Moderate: Blood, Confinement, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Violence
Minor: Lesbophobia and Vomit
achingallover's review
adventurous
challenging
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Blood, Body horror, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Pregnancy, Racism, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Violence, and Vomit
herfleurs's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
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? It's complicated
5.0
"We'll always be angry if we remain chained to your empire."
Priya é simplesmente a personagem feminina de fantasia que eu sempre quis ler. Ela é tão bem escrita, o arco dela é maravilhoso. Tudo sobre ela é mostrado e faz total sentindo com tudo que foi sendo desenvolvido. Ela é extremamente empática, todas as conexões que ela forma durante o livro você pode sentir o quão ela se importa. Ela também é orgulhosa, forte, inteligente e poderosa. Nada disso foi derramado como um monte de informação, ou descrito por outro personagem.
A autora construiu um romance sem nenhum momento resumir para aparência física de ambas personagens.
Malini que é uma princesa da linhagem imperial, sendo assim extremamente privilegiada mas ainda diminuída por causa da sociedade patriarcal, conseguiu coisas enormes, juntar tropas etc e nenhuma parte disso a autora reduziu a aquela ambiguidade onde muitas autoras não conseguem criar personagens femininas manipuladoras sem se apoiar completamente na aparência delas. Eu não sei colocar isso muito bem em palavras mas pra quem isso também incomoda em outros livros vai me entender aqui.
Todas as narrações são importantes, eu fiquei receosa de que o príncipe sem nome (Rao) não fosse ter um arco bom, e confesso que queria mais dele, mas pelo menos na segunda metade do livro vemos mais profundidade.
As relações foram tão bem mostradas aqui, de sangue, de família, de conveniência. Bhumika também é uma das personagens mais bem aprofundadas que já li, ela literalmente tem várias camadas e todas são exploradas.
O romance meio slow burn é maravilhoso! O fato delas serem moralmente cinzas é perfeito. Malini é manipuladora e 100% disposta a conseguir o que quer, e ver ela usando Priya, mais de uma vez, é *chef kiss*
Uma das melhores leituras do ano, extremamente ansiosa para os próximos!
Priya é simplesmente a personagem feminina de fantasia que eu sempre quis ler. Ela é tão bem escrita, o arco dela é maravilhoso. Tudo sobre ela é mostrado e faz total sentindo com tudo que foi sendo desenvolvido. Ela é extremamente empática, todas as conexões que ela forma durante o livro você pode sentir o quão ela se importa. Ela também é orgulhosa, forte, inteligente e poderosa. Nada disso foi derramado como um monte de informação, ou descrito por outro personagem.
A autora construiu um romance sem nenhum momento resumir para aparência física de ambas personagens.
Malini que é uma princesa da linhagem imperial, sendo assim extremamente privilegiada mas ainda diminuída por causa da sociedade patriarcal, conseguiu coisas enormes, juntar tropas etc e nenhuma parte disso a autora reduziu a aquela ambiguidade onde muitas autoras não conseguem criar personagens femininas manipuladoras sem se apoiar completamente na aparência delas. Eu não sei colocar isso muito bem em palavras mas pra quem isso também incomoda em outros livros vai me entender aqui.
Todas as narrações são importantes, eu fiquei receosa de que o príncipe sem nome (Rao) não fosse ter um arco bom, e confesso que queria mais dele, mas pelo menos na segunda metade do livro vemos mais profundidade.
As relações foram tão bem mostradas aqui, de sangue, de família, de conveniência. Bhumika também é uma das personagens mais bem aprofundadas que já li, ela literalmente tem várias camadas e todas são exploradas.
O romance meio slow burn é maravilhoso! O fato delas serem moralmente cinzas é perfeito. Malini é manipuladora e 100% disposta a conseguir o que quer, e ver ela usando Priya, mais de uma vez, é *chef kiss*
Uma das melhores leituras do ano, extremamente ansiosa para os próximos!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Violence, Pregnancy, Colonisation, Drug use, Vomit, Terminal illness, Confinement, and Child death
crazyrandom_music's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Confinement, Child death, Child abuse, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Grief, and Misogyny
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Homophobia and Lesbophobia
kkulhannie's review against another edition
challenging
dark
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: Xenophobia, Violence, Toxic relationship, Torture, Sexism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Kidnapping, Grief, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Drug abuse, Death, Confinement, Colonisation, and Blood
Moderate: Misogyny, Fire/Fire injury, Domestic abuse, Body shaming, Addiction, and Vomit
freya's review
dark
emotional
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Colonisation, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Child death and Confinement
tachyondecay's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-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
3.0
Sisters are so inconvenient, right? We’re always messing with your attempts to run an orderly, oppressive empire hostile to any religion except your own. Best to just ship us off to some quiet, out-of-the-way prison where we can languish until we decide to jump onto a pyre like a good girl. But, of course, there is always the possibility we will instead align ourselves with a plucky maidservant who has nascent powers granted by her culture’s nearly-exterminated religion, and then … well, that would be bad.
The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri intrigued me because its description just felt so fresh. This is a fantasy novel about political intrigue and rebellion, but most of the main characters are women. Moreover, it takes place in a fairly limited number of locations, none of which are the capital of the empire. Throughout the story, Suri challenges our expectations of what it means to be revolutionary, and reminds us that the revolution is merely the beginning of any attempt to take back one’s land and culture. I received an e-ARC from NetGalley courtesy of Orbit.
The two principal characters are Malini, a Parijati princess, and Priya, an Ahiranyan maidservant. Malini’s people have conquered several nations and turned them into vassals; Ahiranya itself is ruled by a Parijati regent who is sympathetic, in general, to the Ahiranyans—and he has married an Ahiranyan wife, who is our third main character—yet who nevertheless is willing to do “what’s necessary” to keep order. The entire political situation, as well as aspects of the different cultures, is loosely based on cultures located in what is now India. This departure from Eurocentric inspiration would by itself feel refreshing (not that Suri is unique in this, but it still isn’t common enough to feel common!). But it’s the dynamic between Malini and Priya, and the story that the two of them create together, that makes The Jasmine Throne stand out.
Malini has led a sheltered life, and it shows. Politically savvy, she wants to depose her brother, the Emperor Chandra, and replace him with her other brother, Aditya. Yet she has very little idea of how exigencies in life force people to desperation. This is a lesson she learns from Priya, a maidservant who was once something more, a child in training to be a priestess to the “Deathless Waters” of the Hirana, which just prior to the Parijati occupation were gifting children with powers that could have been, in the right (or wrong) hands, influential in the conflicts to come. This is what Ashok wants—like Priya, he grew up in the Hirana, and he wants to wield the powers of the waters against the occupying empire. But Ashok’s bar for “acceptable violence” is far lower.
There’s a lot that can be unpacked here. In particular, I want to focus on the ways in which each main character thinks change should be achieved. Malini wants to build an overwhelming military force to challenge the sitting emperor. Priya initially has very few ambitions for Ahiranya; she is just trying to survive and only ends up drawn into this conflict as a matter of survival. Somewhere along the way, her spiritual experiences result in a shift of her perspective. But she always opposes the militancy of Ashok, who is nearly uncompromising in his belief that violent uprising is the only way to free Ahiranya, even if it means lots of innocent people will die. Finally, Bhumika is a mixture of the traits of these others. She has more of a taste of power, as the regent’s wife, yet she would also avoid bloodshed if possible. She is far more pragmatic at politics than Priya too. All of these characters are fighting, in one way or another, for liberation. But they also don’t always agree, and that makes for fascinating conversations and plenty of potential for betrayal.
It would be easy to carve up some of these attributes along male/female lines. This book definitely has themes related to smashing the patriarchy—the ending fairly certainly communicates this! Yet this is not as simple as “men = aggressive” and “women = collaborative.” There’s a lot of aggression pent up in Malini and many of the other female characters, whereas some of the men are chill and not all that aggressive. In this way, Suri challenges that patriarchy is about natural differences between how men and women interact. It is indeed a system propped up by cultural and social constructs. We see this even in the cultural differences between Malini and Priya.
One thing I wish we had more time to explore would be the religions and cultures in the book. We get a small amount of exposition around the nameless god, whose followers receive a ritual name that is actual a prophecy for them to fulfill. That’s a very cool concept. But it’s less clear to me what kind of fire deity Chandra worships. In comparison, we learn much more about the yaksa, the Hirana, and other important parts of Ahiranyan spirituality. However, overall I was left wanting more on that level. Priya’s transformations, this idea of “hollowing out,” hints at something larger on a spiritual/moral level. I wanted to understand the deep cultural divides and how they might have shaped someone like Chandra into a tyrant and left such a mark on Malini.
On the other hand, I enjoyed that we never visited the capital except in flashbacks. It’s cool how all this action is taking place on the edges of the empire, rebellion brewing from discontent and malcontents. Suri captures the way that sprawling dominions can be fractious and hard to fully control: even when you sound out representatives, those representatives often have a difficult time enforcing your will.
I’m loath to comment on the romantic subplot given my aromantic tendencies and how much I tend not to pay attention to these things. Basically, you’ve got a lovely women-loving-women love story here, and there is definitely some payoff near the end (but it is not, let me be clear, a happily-ever-after type of romance). If that’s your thing, this book will not disappoint on that level.
My final nitpick? This book felt very long as an ebook. I’m not sure that’s anything Suri has done here; I think long books in general feel longer on e-readers. However, I suspect that this book’s pacing is in general rather slow. Suri takes her time developing each character and bringing them together, and maybe in my impatience I was hoping that would happen faster.
All in all, I’m very glad I picked up The Jasmine Throne. Will I read the sequel? Not sure yet. But I heartily recommend this book for anyone who wants something different in their fantasy, who wants a romance between women, who wants a story that’s a little different.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Confinement, and Death
Minor: Chronic illness
queenmackenzie's review
adventurous
dark
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
What a powerful book! The Jasmine Throne absolutely swept me away, I have never read anything quite like it. Suri has built an incredible and concrete world with Parijatdvipa. As soon as I read the prologue, I knew I was in for a ride. The central story is set in Ahiranya, which used to be a powerful nation that almost ruled the entire continent (I think, the map was sadly not ready for the ARC I read) during what was called the Age of Flowers. But then a group of women from Parijat burned themselves on a pyre to gain the power to stand against Ahiranya. Since then Parijat has ruled, worshipping the Mothers who sacrificed themselves, and Ahiranya has been crumbling, its religious power lost during the burning of the temple and all its Elders and children at the order of the Emperor, its people and lands consumed by the rot.
‘But Priya, who’d once been taught traditional Ahiranyi as a temple daughter, knew that the Ahiranyi had never had names for the forest. Ahiranya was the forest. The woodland was as unnamable as each breath of air, as indivisible as water.’
I absolutely love the flower imagery that pervades the book. You see it immediately in the title, and it continues throughout. Especially within Ahiranya, with their Age of Flowers and the Yaksa they worship, who were creatures made of growing things, and are said to have become the sacred trees of the forest when they died. As I said, a fantastic world with so much rich history, folklore, religion, and politics. It felt so incredibly real.
The characters certainly add to this. I felt immediately the strength of each of them, especially Malini and Priya, the main point of view characters. They nearly walked right off the pages, their personalities so crisp and original. Priya is a maidservant in Hiranaprastha, but she is much more than the orphaned girl who the Regent’s wife took pity on; her past is linked to the Hirana, the temple in which the Ahiranyi Elders and temple children used to worship, and in which they all burned. Malini is the sister of Emperor Chandra, a dangerous man who has twisted the faith of the Mothers to his own ideal of a pure world. He imprisons Malini in the Hirana as punishment for refusing to burn on the pyre as willing sacrifice, after she conspires to restore the throne to her elder brother, Aditya. In this way, Priya and Malini’s fates collide, and they each need the other to reach their goals.
‘Priya. A common name across all of Parijatdvipa. A sweet name for round-cheeked little girls and meek brides alike. This woman was neither.’
These women are hard-edged, and so are most characters in The Jasmine Throne. Though both Priya and Malini act out of a desire to better the world around them, they both have a very interesting relationship with the monstrous, and what it means to become the person you need to be in order to bring about that change. Alongside that is the powerful conversation this book is having about empire, about conquered lands, the erasure of culture and language along with a conquered nation’s power, the damage wrought by the people trying to liberate themselves. As I said, what a powerful book. I don’t want to say much more because this is the kind of story that holds joy in the unfolding, and all I can do is urge all fantasy readers to pick this up, because I am sure it will not disappoint. The perfect blend of sweeping empire and close character study, of frantic scenes and still, yet powerful, moments. An immediate favourite.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Genocide, Violence, Blood, and Confinement
Moderate: Homophobia and Misogyny
Minor: Vomit