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thewordsdevourer's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.5
i rly wanted to like this book, but ultimately we just didnt click. one thing i highly value in my reading experience is a book's ability to make me feel things, and unfortunately the jasmine throne lacks in this department.
while this book is suffused w/ much needed and appreciated diversity, whether it be in terms of south asian-influenced worldbuilding, characters, AND sapphic characters (desi sapphics, cmon!!!), i didnt feel connected to the characters: even when they were in peril, i didnt feel too affected, knowing that they would be fine eventually (idk if this is bc of the third person pov, but other similar books worked fine for me??). this might also be borne from a lack of urgency and any sense of danger--i just felt disconnected from it all, like i was being bouyed by the ocean wave that was the book, but didnt rly care where it took me.
and while the worldbuilding is lush and at times unique (esp the hirana-related magic, sangram, the rot, etc.), it feels incomplete, and esp small for a supposed epic fantasy, and the maps certainly dont help. my issue is the scale of parijadtvipa isnt clear; we dont know how far each city-state is from parijat and one another, and rn it feels like the empire is composed of 5 cities, which idek whether is the case bc everything feels incongruent and unexplained. although the history and lore of the world are strong, i wouldve liked a clearer picture of the empire's scale itself.
nevertheless, i do like the feminist take on this, and its exploration of issues, like how religion is wielded to further ppl's own ends; the patriarchal and misogynistic view of the montrosity and mediocrity of women; fate vs independent action; means vs ends, etc. the desi sapphic rep is also much appreciated. i truly wish i liked this more.
nevertheless, i do like the feminist take on this, and its exploration of issues, like how religion is wielded to further ppl's own ends; the patriarchal and misogynistic view of the montrosity and mediocrity of women; fate vs independent action; means vs ends, etc. the desi sapphic rep is also much appreciated. i truly wish i liked this more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, and Sexism
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Racism, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Injury/Injury detail
needleclicker's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
fast-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
4.75
Engrossing story primarily focused around Priya, a former temple child, and Malini, a princess of the nation who colonised Priya's home. Malini refused to burn, refused to conform to gender roles. For that, she is exhiled to the temple where Priya's fellow temple children were burned to death.
The two become close, a friendship that changes everything around them.
A perfect blend of character development, politics, and religion. Characters are forced to make hard choices and decide what prices are acceptable to gain what they each seek.
The two become close, a friendship that changes everything around them.
A perfect blend of character development, politics, and religion. Characters are forced to make hard choices and decide what prices are acceptable to gain what they each seek.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury and Violence
Moderate: Colonisation, Death, and Sexism
Minor: Abandonment and Addiction
emzhay's review
adventurous
hopeful
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? It's complicated
5.0
It slaps severely, your highness.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Child death, Gore, and Death
Minor: Homophobia
andromeda_1998's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
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? Yes
4.0
The jasmine throne is one of the books from my Illumicrate book box subscription. And it’s one of those books that I was really hyped for. I expected a great deal since it started to gape on TikTok and well they aren’t wrong. It’s a great book, with a big fantasy setting, a lot of representation and a great story.
The characters
This book has multiple pov’s but it focuses the most on Malini and Priya. I really enjoyed these characters. They are strong female leads with a bit of a morally gray side to them. One thing I liked less though is that is didn’t really ship them. I shipped Priya more with Sami. But that is just my opinion.
Plot
The story is fun to read but a bit predictable at some points. Not that that is a bad thing persé but I would have liked more plottwists.
Worldbuilding
The worldbuilding is beautifully done. The world is rich with magic, beautiful history and mythology and it is really detailed. We haven’t learned everything this world has to offer so I’m waiting for the next book in this series. The book is slow in the beginning though. It picks up the pace at around 150/170 pages. I have to admit that this is one of those books I almost put down, which would have been a shame.
Storytelling
This book is beautiful written, but to the point. It has some magical quotes but the beginning of the book felt really dry to me.
Recommendations
I would recommend this book to lovers of the unbroken and the deavabad trilogy. Check the triggerwarnings before reading!
The characters
This book has multiple pov’s but it focuses the most on Malini and Priya. I really enjoyed these characters. They are strong female leads with a bit of a morally gray side to them. One thing I liked less though is that is didn’t really ship them. I shipped Priya more with Sami. But that is just my opinion.
Plot
The story is fun to read but a bit predictable at some points. Not that that is a bad thing persé but I would have liked more plottwists.
Worldbuilding
The worldbuilding is beautifully done. The world is rich with magic, beautiful history and mythology and it is really detailed. We haven’t learned everything this world has to offer so I’m waiting for the next book in this series. The book is slow in the beginning though. It picks up the pace at around 150/170 pages. I have to admit that this is one of those books I almost put down, which would have been a shame.
Storytelling
This book is beautiful written, but to the point. It has some magical quotes but the beginning of the book felt really dry to me.
Recommendations
I would recommend this book to lovers of the unbroken and the deavabad trilogy. Check the triggerwarnings before reading!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Body horror, Blood, Confinement, Colonisation, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Sexism, War, Violence, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Torture
Moderate: Pregnancy and Lesbophobia
starccato's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Xenophobia, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Misogyny, Murder, Blood, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Alcohol, Violence, Terminal illness, Slavery, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Racism, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Torture, Child abuse, Grief, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Child death, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death of parent, Abandonment, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, War, Lesbophobia, and Homophobia
yavin_iv's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Misogyny, Body horror, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Murder, Physical abuse, and Addiction
Moderate: Genocide, Homophobia, Pregnancy, War, and Emotional abuse
hanarama's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Cw: homophobia, lesbophobia, misogyny, suicide, abuse, poisoning, burning, toxic relationships
The Good:
• Complex world building
• Wlw represtation
• Strong commentary
The Bad:
• Hard to keep track of characters
• Some PoV characters sound too similar.
• Very slow start
You Might Like This if You Like:
• Political intrigue
• Morally gray characters
• Slow burn romance
• The Daevabad trilogy
The Jasmine Throne features a wide number of PoV characters, though it primarily follows three women. Priya, Malini, and Bhumika. Malini is the exiled sister of the emperor. Refusing to ritualistically immolate herself for her brother, Malini is imprisoned in the Hirana, a ruined temple that houses an ancient power. Priya and Bhumika are former temple daughters, those that tended the Hirana before the emperor had the temple sacked. Priya agrees to serve as a maidservant to Malini, and inadvertently reveals her hidden strengths. Sensing an opportunity, Malini seeks to grow closer to Priya, and their fates become interwoven. Meanwhile, Bhumika deals with the growing political unrest and struggles to keep her people safe.
Outside of the three main women, it can be easy to mix up the other PoV characters. Many of them only have a couple chapters. Without very distinct voices, it's hard to remember who's narrating a particular chapter.
Despite this, Suri creates very evocative imagery. The setting is lush and inviting, with a lot to uncover. The world building is gradual, with more revealed throughout the novel.
In general, The Jasmine Throne is very slow burn, with everything building in intensity over time. In some regards, this is fine, but in others it can make it hard to get into the story. For the central romance, it works well, allowing the characters to build a connection before the romance begins. The slow pace of the plot outside of this though, makes it feel as though very little is happening.
Overall, an interesting story with a great setting. Because the first book was mainly set up, I'm interested to see how things pay off in the sequel. In particular, Malini and Bhumika are both set up as charismatic leaders, so I'm expecting them to clash in the future.
The Good:
• Complex world building
• Wlw represtation
• Strong commentary
The Bad:
• Hard to keep track of characters
• Some PoV characters sound too similar.
• Very slow start
You Might Like This if You Like:
• Political intrigue
• Morally gray characters
• Slow burn romance
• The Daevabad trilogy
The Jasmine Throne features a wide number of PoV characters, though it primarily follows three women. Priya, Malini, and Bhumika. Malini is the exiled sister of the emperor. Refusing to ritualistically immolate herself for her brother, Malini is imprisoned in the Hirana, a ruined temple that houses an ancient power. Priya and Bhumika are former temple daughters, those that tended the Hirana before the emperor had the temple sacked. Priya agrees to serve as a maidservant to Malini, and inadvertently reveals her hidden strengths. Sensing an opportunity, Malini seeks to grow closer to Priya, and their fates become interwoven. Meanwhile, Bhumika deals with the growing political unrest and struggles to keep her people safe.
Outside of the three main women, it can be easy to mix up the other PoV characters. Many of them only have a couple chapters. Without very distinct voices, it's hard to remember who's narrating a particular chapter.
Despite this, Suri creates very evocative imagery. The setting is lush and inviting, with a lot to uncover. The world building is gradual, with more revealed throughout the novel.
In general, The Jasmine Throne is very slow burn, with everything building in intensity over time. In some regards, this is fine, but in others it can make it hard to get into the story. For the central romance, it works well, allowing the characters to build a connection before the romance begins. The slow pace of the plot outside of this though, makes it feel as though very little is happening.
Overall, an interesting story with a great setting. Because the first book was mainly set up, I'm interested to see how things pay off in the sequel. In particular, Malini and Bhumika are both set up as charismatic leaders, so I'm expecting them to clash in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Confinement, Violence, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Sexism, Misogyny, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Forced institutionalization, and Fire/Fire injury
melaniereadsbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
5.0
Holy crap I loved this book so much! I truly understand why this is part of the "Sapphic Trifecta!"
The relationship in this book is so beautiful!!!! It's a slow burn, quasi-enemies-to-lovers, and also like... these vibes. How do I explain this...This is not the relationship where they put each other above everyone else...nope, they ladies are DEVOTED to their causes and they aren't gonna let something like love stop them. I don't know I just love it.
The magic in this book is so interesting! I seriously love the River magic and the once born and twice born and thrice born! I love the Rot and everything that goes along with it. I love the world building and OMG I cannot wait for the sequel to this book!!!
10/10 highly recommend.
The relationship in this book is so beautiful!!!! It's a slow burn, quasi-enemies-to-lovers, and also like... these vibes. How do I explain this...This is not the relationship where they put each other above everyone else...nope, they ladies are DEVOTED to their causes and they aren't gonna let something like love stop them. I don't know I just love it.
The magic in this book is so interesting! I seriously love the River magic and the once born and twice born and thrice born! I love the Rot and everything that goes along with it. I love the world building and OMG I cannot wait for the sequel to this book!!!
10/10 highly recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Body horror, Drug use, Sexism, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Violence, and War
Moderate: Child abuse, Lesbophobia, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, and Physical abuse
foreverinastory's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
5.0
Thank you Sapphic Trifecta.
Rep: sapphic BIPOC female MC, sapphic (lesbian coded) chronically ill female MC, BIPOC supporting cast, queer side characters mentioned in a historical context.
CWs: Abandonment, addiction, blood, past mentions of child abuse, chronic illness, colonisation, confinement, death, drug use (poison), emotional abuse, fire, injury/injury detail, lesbophobia/lesbomisia (general queerphobia/queermisia), medical content (depictions of withdrawal), misogyny, murder, physical abuse, sexism, violence, war.
Rep: sapphic BIPOC female MC, sapphic (lesbian coded) chronically ill female MC, BIPOC supporting cast, queer side characters mentioned in a historical context.
CWs: Abandonment, addiction, blood, past mentions of child abuse, chronic illness, colonisation, confinement, death, drug use (poison), emotional abuse, fire, injury/injury detail, lesbophobia/lesbomisia (general queerphobia/queermisia), medical content (depictions of withdrawal), misogyny, murder, physical abuse, sexism, violence, war.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Blood, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexism, Violence, and War
nowheregirl's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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
As soon as I heard about "The Jasmine Throne" I knew I have to read it. I mean, come on, feminist high fantasy with morally gray lesbians? I was already sold.
I have to say, I was not disappointed and even though I had some issues with this book it have still found a way to my heart.
The worldbuilding in this book, as well as conflict, were something with great potential but I am not really fond of execution. The pacing in this book was kinda slow and I consider some of the plotlines a little dragged - there were a couple of scenes in this book where I thought "okay, but why couldn't it be done sooner?". Also, the stakes felt much lower than they were told to be and I would really like to see more of a main villain, whom I only met twice in the whole book.
However, as I am done with my complaints, I must say there were a lot of things in this book that I loved. First and most important of all. Women. Holy shit, I love women. And especially ambitious, morally gray women who make their own path in the mysogynist world. Three main heroines were absolutely amazing. Malini, the imprisoned princess seeking to overthrow her brother, the emperor, was written wonderfully and I found her journey really interesting and powerful. She also had a great dynamic with her love interest and other main character, Priya. And, ah, Priya. I loved her so much – women, who wielded such a powerful magic, who was able to both kill people and take care of sick, homeless child.
But, above all,I adored Bhumika and her characterisation. How, at first, she seemed soft and gentle, nothing but the regent's wife and mother to be. But oh, she turned out to be so much more. She was incredibly strong and persistent, women, who managed to gain her husband's men loyalty, a politician far more competent than anyone expected her to be. I loved it, how, even though everyone underestimated her, she was really the key to her nation's freedom.
Oh, and also, this book had lesbians holding a knife to the other's ribs and kissing under the waterfall. What more do you need?
I have to say, I was not disappointed and even though I had some issues with this book it have still found a way to my heart.
The worldbuilding in this book, as well as conflict, were something with great potential but I am not really fond of execution. The pacing in this book was kinda slow and I consider some of the plotlines a little dragged - there were a couple of scenes in this book where I thought "okay, but why couldn't it be done sooner?". Also, the stakes felt much lower than they were told to be and I would really like to see more of a main villain, whom I only met twice in the whole book.
However, as I am done with my complaints, I must say there were a lot of things in this book that I loved. First and most important of all. Women. Holy shit, I love women. And especially ambitious, morally gray women who make their own path in the mysogynist world. Three main heroines were absolutely amazing. Malini, the imprisoned princess seeking to overthrow her brother, the emperor, was written wonderfully and I found her journey really interesting and powerful. She also had a great dynamic with her love interest and other main character, Priya. And, ah, Priya. I loved her so much – women, who wielded such a powerful magic, who was able to both kill people and take care of sick, homeless child.
But, above all,I adored Bhumika and her characterisation. How, at first, she seemed soft and gentle, nothing but the regent's wife and mother to be. But oh, she turned out to be so much more. She was incredibly strong and persistent, women, who managed to gain her husband's men loyalty, a politician far more competent than anyone expected her to be. I loved it, how, even though everyone underestimated her, she was really the key to her nation's freedom.
Oh, and also, this book had lesbians holding a knife to the other's ribs and kissing under the waterfall. What more do you need?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Misogyny, and Sexism