Scan barcode
ehmannky's review against another edition
dark
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? Yes
5.0
A sprawling, intricate epic and queer fantasy that I had a ton of fun reading.
This is going to sound like a minor thing, but I really liked Suri's pacing of the book. The first half of the book takes place over what, a month or so, with the latter half taking place over the course of like 2 days. And that switch in time spans never feels abrupt or like Suri didn't give enough time to everything she needed to. It's a very natural transition and that rules. The world of this fantasy is very well established. I feel like usually in epic fantasies/high fantasies you're just supposed to be lost until like 100 pages in (and even that's generous sometimes). But here, the things I was still grappling with were mysteries in-text that you're supposed to be in the dark about. the flow of information feels very organic. It's just a really well structured book in its bones, and that's not even touching on how very good the romance between Malini and Priya is, how great the themes of the cost of revolution/who is a revolution for/what power does and doesn't do/what is power and what does it mean to weild it...
It's just a really good book y'all.
This is going to sound like a minor thing, but I really liked Suri's pacing of the book. The first half of the book takes place over what, a month or so, with the latter half taking place over the course of like 2 days. And that switch in time spans never feels abrupt or like Suri didn't give enough time to everything she needed to. It's a very natural transition and that rules. The world of this fantasy is very well established. I feel like usually in epic fantasies/high fantasies you're just supposed to be lost until like 100 pages in (and even that's generous sometimes). But here, the things I was still grappling with were mysteries in-text that you're supposed to be in the dark about. the flow of information feels very organic. It's just a really well structured book in its bones, and that's not even touching on how very good the romance between Malini and Priya is, how great the themes of the cost of revolution/who is a revolution for/what power does and doesn't do/what is power and what does it mean to weild it...
It's just a really good book y'all.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Murder, Drug use, and Violence
Moderate: War, Body horror, and Torture
Minor: Sexism, Physical abuse, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse
redthistle's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
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
I thoroughly enjoyed the Jasmine Throne.
My favorite thing about this book is the exploration of strength in women in multiple facets.
The main three female characters are amazing. Each woman demonstrates incredible strength in the face of a world that is very sexist and misogynistic. Their strength, however, is not all the same. Each one finds a different way to survive in a world which wants to destroy them, whether it be through physical strength to fight, emotional strength to do what is hard, or strength in cunning to manipulate perceptions to protect oneself these women are awesome.
I also found the relationship betweenPriya and Malini to be really interesting. I liked that it was flawed and raw and messy while also being tender and sweet. My one main complaint with the book was that we didn't get as many scenes with them as I would have liked. I wanted more conversation between them to solidify their feelings for one another.
The final thing I loved from this book was the world that Tasha Suri created. I found it really engrossing and fascinating. The magic system is really cool and the richness of the culture which is woven into the high fantasy setting that she creates is beautiful. I am so excited to read further in this world.
My favorite thing about this book is the exploration of strength in women in multiple facets.
The main three female characters are amazing. Each woman demonstrates incredible strength in the face of a world that is very sexist and misogynistic. Their strength, however, is not all the same. Each one finds a different way to survive in a world which wants to destroy them, whether it be through physical strength to fight, emotional strength to do what is hard, or strength in cunning to manipulate perceptions to protect oneself these women are awesome.
I also found the relationship between
The final thing I loved from this book was the world that Tasha Suri created. I found it really engrossing and fascinating. The magic system is really cool and the richness of the culture which is woven into the high fantasy setting that she creates is beautiful. I am so excited to read further in this world.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexism, and Violence
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
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
aardwyrm's review
adventurous
dark
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
5.0
Lovely and brutal, an examination of empire, power, and loyalties with more twists in its road than anyone could predict (and does a nice job balancing the hints and foreshadowing without beating you over the head). Scads of viewpoint characters used to good effect and strong worldbuilding.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Violence, Sexism, Misogyny, Grief, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Death, Child death, and Colonisation
Moderate: Homophobia and Pregnancy
anovelbeauty's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Book TW: child abuse, assault, child murder, homophobia, sexism, body horror, human sacrifice, religious extremism
Note: I received an eARC of this book to provide an honest review.
The Jasmine Throne is a really solid intro to a fantasy series. The worldbuilding is /really/ well done and had me fascinated (and sometimes horrified) the entire time. Now, I will say that as a person who doesn’t tolerate body horror well, yikes! Please prepare yourself because hooo boy is there some freaky ish at various points of this book. Did I ever think I’d be afraid of flowers and petals? Nah. But here we are.
The character work was also really good, especially considering how many characters there are to balance in this multiPOV work. Bhumika is by FAR my favorite character. I love her quiet type of strength throughout the story and how she always patiently awaits the right moments to make her move. The characters you are supposed to hate are A+ hateable. The one part of the story I wasn’t as keen on was unfortunately the romance. While I liked Priya and Malini as characters and I usually love slow burn romance… it just felt like there was something lacking when they finally did get together. I think perhaps there was just so much other stuff going on that it really just felt like a side note but you could tell it was /supposed/ to feel really pivotal. And given how the arcs progress, I’m not sure how it will develop in the coming books.
That being said, everything else was really enjoyable and I thought there were quite a few clever and interesting plot moments. I am absolutely happy I read it and I am definitely interested in picking up the sequel to see what happens next! I would say this story rides the line between YA and Adult Fantasy fairly well and the worlds based off Indian cultures and mythos are really well developed. If all of this sounds interesting to you, give it a go! It’s well written and paced to keep you engaged from beginning to end.
Note: I received an eARC of this book to provide an honest review.
The Jasmine Throne is a really solid intro to a fantasy series. The worldbuilding is /really/ well done and had me fascinated (and sometimes horrified) the entire time. Now, I will say that as a person who doesn’t tolerate body horror well, yikes! Please prepare yourself because hooo boy is there some freaky ish at various points of this book. Did I ever think I’d be afraid of flowers and petals? Nah. But here we are.
The character work was also really good, especially considering how many characters there are to balance in this multiPOV work. Bhumika is by FAR my favorite character. I love her quiet type of strength throughout the story and how she always patiently awaits the right moments to make her move. The characters you are supposed to hate are A+ hateable. The one part of the story I wasn’t as keen on was unfortunately the romance. While I liked Priya and Malini as characters and I usually love slow burn romance… it just felt like there was something lacking when they finally did get together. I think perhaps there was just so much other stuff going on that it really just felt like a side note but you could tell it was /supposed/ to feel really pivotal. And given how the arcs progress, I’m not sure how it will develop in the coming books.
That being said, everything else was really enjoyable and I thought there were quite a few clever and interesting plot moments. I am absolutely happy I read it and I am definitely interested in picking up the sequel to see what happens next! I would say this story rides the line between YA and Adult Fantasy fairly well and the worlds based off Indian cultures and mythos are really well developed. If all of this sounds interesting to you, give it a go! It’s well written and paced to keep you engaged from beginning to end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Violence, Child death, Misogyny, Sexism, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Genocide, Pregnancy, Homophobia, Body horror, Colonisation, Xenophobia, Violence, Death, Domestic abuse, and Gaslighting
Minor: Grief
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
More...