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spunglass's review against another edition
4.0
A huge thank you too NetGalley and 'Random House Children's, Delacorte Press' for the digital ARC of 'Spice Road' by Maiya Ibrahim.
This has been one of my most anticipated reads for 2023, mainly because when I first read the description, the magic in the book made me think of a crossover between the 'Mistborn' and 'Dune' series.
I will admit in the first few chapters it was hard for me to initially engage with the book, but as the story progressed it was so easy to fall in love with this book. I absolutely loved the development of Imani throughout the story, and watching her learn to look at the world with not such a narrow focus. Her privileges, and isolation had blinded her from seeing how daily life was like for the majority of people in their world. I was happy when she starts to realize she has "gone too long with a full belly and ignorant heart". It would be nice to also eventually see this same growth for Taha has well, but he has a lot of emotional damage to undo first.
Overall, the only wishes I have is these books going forward is for them to avoid the enemies-to-lovers cliché for Imani and Taha... for Imani's family to be whole again... and for Qayn's outcome to be a good one.
I definitely believe this is a book my students would enjoy, and I can't wait to share this with them... as well as add to my own personal library.
This has been one of my most anticipated reads for 2023, mainly because when I first read the description, the magic in the book made me think of a crossover between the 'Mistborn' and 'Dune' series.
I will admit in the first few chapters it was hard for me to initially engage with the book, but as the story progressed it was so easy to fall in love with this book. I absolutely loved the development of Imani throughout the story, and watching her learn to look at the world with not such a narrow focus. Her privileges, and isolation had blinded her from seeing how daily life was like for the majority of people in their world. I was happy when she starts to realize she has "gone too long with a full belly and ignorant heart". It would be nice to also eventually see this same growth for Taha has well, but he has a lot of emotional damage to undo first.
Overall, the only wishes I have is these books going forward is for them to avoid the enemies-to-lovers cliché for Imani and Taha... for Imani's family to be whole again... and for Qayn's outcome to be a good one.
I definitely believe this is a book my students would enjoy, and I can't wait to share this with them... as well as add to my own personal library.
chelcyreads's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely LOVED it. Everything. The characters, the world, the plot, the twists and turns, how it pulled at my emotions and left me wanting more. So excited for the next book!!
belle2022's review against another edition
4.0
This was such a deep, adventurous and interesting read. The characters were so intriguing and intricate as well as the culture you felt yourself submerged in. Highly recommend everyone adds this to their TBR! Coming out in Jan 2023!
This was a refreshing take on any normal fantasy/magical novel. With such deep and rich culture, this was such beautiful Arabian-inspired world. I’ve read my fair share of western-esc books where I just found them bland and boring, the gorgeous desert setting was refreshing to read about. I thought the characters were well written with there own deep and internal struggles. I couldn’t help but love Amani but also resent in a way. She is definitely more wealthy and comes from a family rooted in the hierarchy where she is quite blind to the ways the others live. Even after they try to explain to her what she just can’t see. But her loyalty and devotion to her family and loved ones, is so strong.
I adored Taha too, the ending was just something else. He was quite scary then, but what a tortured soul and at the root of it… only wanting to do what is expected of him in order to finally get the respect he wants from his own blood.
This was an adventure almost heist like. With forgotten cities and political drama, magical abilities and djinni. The adventure this group go on are like no other I’ve read, obstacle after obstacle, it felt like they would never reach the end. Beautiful sibling relationships that hurt so bad too. All in all, a wonderful and wonderful read.
This was a refreshing take on any normal fantasy/magical novel. With such deep and rich culture, this was such beautiful Arabian-inspired world. I’ve read my fair share of western-esc books where I just found them bland and boring, the gorgeous desert setting was refreshing to read about. I thought the characters were well written with there own deep and internal struggles. I couldn’t help but love Amani but also resent in a way. She is definitely more wealthy and comes from a family rooted in the hierarchy where she is quite blind to the ways the others live. Even after they try to explain to her what she just can’t see. But her loyalty and devotion to her family and loved ones, is so strong.
I adored Taha too, the ending was just something else. He was quite scary then, but what a tortured soul and at the root of it… only wanting to do what is expected of him in order to finally get the respect he wants from his own blood.
This was an adventure almost heist like. With forgotten cities and political drama, magical abilities and djinni. The adventure this group go on are like no other I’ve read, obstacle after obstacle, it felt like they would never reach the end. Beautiful sibling relationships that hurt so bad too. All in all, a wonderful and wonderful read.
thebookpantheon's review against another edition
3.0
While I enjoyed the book, the eye catching phrase “fans of Saba Tahir” is disappointingly deceptive. Do not expect this book to compare to Tahir’s writing or world building.
This book gave exactly what it was supposed to: a quick YA fantasy read, so I’m not sure why everyone is upset that it gave exactly that. Maybe because it had very common tropes like a love triangle, magic, and characters that, honestly, lacked a little depth. But so is the way of YA, especially a debut author’s YA.
I’ll admit, I attempted to read this in February and put it down because I was struggling to maintain interest, but I recently picked it back up again and managed to read it in one single day. While the characters were almost all entirely unbearable (I made a whole annotation tab for Amira - Jesus, she was annoying), the plot itself made me stick around, as well as the budding enemies to lovers. I will admit our MC, Imani, was also hard to read. But I truly believe it was part of her character development from a sheltered, privileged girl to a person who had their eyes slammed wide open to the cruelties of the world.
I know I mentioned that I enjoyed the plot, and while I did, don’t get me wrong, I also wish it flowed more cohesively. The scenes felt scattered and not fully hashed out. Maybe that’s why I set the book the down the first time I tried reading it. The beginning seemed to kickstart too quickly when I feel like the book demanded more world-building, especially a book with such unique potential for fantasy and mythology. I read a comment saying that world building tends to be more difficult when writing in first person, and I totally agree. Maybe that’s why this felt more juvenile and less congruent (you know, aside from it being YA).
The way the over arching themes of colonialism, colorism, and “otherism” was introduced was well done. Ibrahim was able to write in these themes and meld them perfectly with her fantasy world and I genuinely think it’s a great introduction of heavy topics for younger readers who have a penchant for only fantasy.
For a debut novel, I think that it was exceptionally done, much in the way that people can rave over Shadow and Bone, though it is widely recognized as Bardugo’s worst book (even by Bardugo herself), I can see this becoming popular and Ibrahim’s work developing and improving as she continues to write.
This book gave exactly what it was supposed to: a quick YA fantasy read, so I’m not sure why everyone is upset that it gave exactly that. Maybe because it had very common tropes like a love triangle, magic, and characters that, honestly, lacked a little depth. But so is the way of YA, especially a debut author’s YA.
I’ll admit, I attempted to read this in February and put it down because I was struggling to maintain interest, but I recently picked it back up again and managed to read it in one single day. While the characters were almost all entirely unbearable (I made a whole annotation tab for Amira - Jesus, she was annoying), the plot itself made me stick around, as well as the budding enemies to lovers. I will admit our MC, Imani, was also hard to read. But I truly believe it was part of her character development from a sheltered, privileged girl to a person who had their eyes slammed wide open to the cruelties of the world.
I know I mentioned that I enjoyed the plot, and while I did, don’t get me wrong, I also wish it flowed more cohesively. The scenes felt scattered and not fully hashed out. Maybe that’s why I set the book the down the first time I tried reading it. The beginning seemed to kickstart too quickly when I feel like the book demanded more world-building, especially a book with such unique potential for fantasy and mythology. I read a comment saying that world building tends to be more difficult when writing in first person, and I totally agree. Maybe that’s why this felt more juvenile and less congruent (you know, aside from it being YA).
The way the over arching themes of colonialism, colorism, and “otherism” was introduced was well done. Ibrahim was able to write in these themes and meld them perfectly with her fantasy world and I genuinely think it’s a great introduction of heavy topics for younger readers who have a penchant for only fantasy.
For a debut novel, I think that it was exceptionally done, much in the way that people can rave over Shadow and Bone, though it is widely recognized as Bardugo’s worst book (even by Bardugo herself), I can see this becoming popular and Ibrahim’s work developing and improving as she continues to write.
ryleesbookshelf's review against another edition
I found the pacing to be too slow for my liking and the main character was very very obtuse. The world was cool though and maybe I'll come back to it as a vacation read.
luana95's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
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
3.5
kktherd's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
amiascah's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
This is a tough one, I did not enjoy this book, at times I just wanted it over, other times I was very intrigued by the magic system and the world building, while not the greatest it was in-depth enough for the first of a series for me, I think what the kicker was, out of all the characters was there any I was supposed to like?
'Spice Road' but Maiya Ibrahim is a fantasy novel with Arabian feels and magic tea. Everyone has an affinity, whether it be an element like the earth, fire or metal or more animalistic things like shape shifting or controlling animals. To bring out your affinity you need to drink Misra, a magical tea. We meet Imani, middle child, rich kid, god complex, snottiest of the snotty im so perfect kids. She has every advantage that one can in her society plus she's especially gifted with her affinity and has risen in the ranks of her chosen profession as a Shield and is known as The Djinn Slayer. Her older brother, who is thought to be dead for the past year we are quick to discover wasn't. After she discovers evidence of this she sets out to find him.
Spoilers
None of this makes any sense, she hates Djinn so she's gonna bind one on the off chance that her brother is alive and the Djinn might help, and through out the book she's shocked and says that can't be so that council says different and she's supposed to be so law abiding, yet right away she's already bending the rules that she's unwilling to bend? But then when compared to Taha she's supposed to be the one finding enlightenment? He comes across as so much more rigid than her, and even though he's pretty much one note somehow Taha becomes the most in-depth character, everyone else theres nothing to them but one facet, but we see hints and ideas of him being who he is because his father made him that way, his father forged him, possibly unwillingly into the weapon he is, and I think if crafted differently his character could have been wonderful. Except we're supposed to be following Imani who is a complete contradiction, the only rules one can bend are the ones that would benefit her family. I did enjoy showing her sisters thieving might have something to do with protecting or supporting people less well off but all it achieved was making me like Imani less because she was so out of touch about it, she seemed to know nothing about her sister, or her brother, and so was so surprised about the idea of her sister taking time from her privileged life to possibly steal for someone going without. But then im supposed to believe that Imani then risks everything in the next bit to save a random girl she just met that day from prison even though it could risk everything, plus she's supposed to be keeping her existence as someone from Qalia and someone with magic a secret? Make it make sense, the most baffling of all was her persistence of the idea that she could go and bring her brother back and life would go back to normal, everyone was telling her and showing her how he had committed crimes of epic proportions yet she thought it was all okay and forgivable. How deluded does one have to be?
'Spice Road' but Maiya Ibrahim is a fantasy novel with Arabian feels and magic tea. Everyone has an affinity, whether it be an element like the earth, fire or metal or more animalistic things like shape shifting or controlling animals. To bring out your affinity you need to drink Misra, a magical tea. We meet Imani, middle child, rich kid, god complex, snottiest of the snotty im so perfect kids. She has every advantage that one can in her society plus she's especially gifted with her affinity and has risen in the ranks of her chosen profession as a Shield and is known as The Djinn Slayer. Her older brother, who is thought to be dead for the past year we are quick to discover wasn't. After she discovers evidence of this she sets out to find him.
Spoilers
None of this makes any sense, she hates Djinn so she's gonna bind one on the off chance that her brother is alive and the Djinn might help, and through out the book she's shocked and says that can't be so that council says different and she's supposed to be so law abiding, yet right away she's already bending the rules that she's unwilling to bend? But then when compared to Taha she's supposed to be the one finding enlightenment? He comes across as so much more rigid than her, and even though he's pretty much one note somehow Taha becomes the most in-depth character, everyone else theres nothing to them but one facet, but we see hints and ideas of him being who he is because his father made him that way, his father forged him, possibly unwillingly into the weapon he is, and I think if crafted differently his character could have been wonderful. Except we're supposed to be following Imani who is a complete contradiction, the only rules one can bend are the ones that would benefit her family. I did enjoy showing her sisters thieving might have something to do with protecting or supporting people less well off but all it achieved was making me like Imani less because she was so out of touch about it, she seemed to know nothing about her sister, or her brother, and so was so surprised about the idea of her sister taking time from her privileged life to possibly steal for someone going without. But then im supposed to believe that Imani then risks everything in the next bit to save a random girl she just met that day from prison even though it could risk everything, plus she's supposed to be keeping her existence as someone from Qalia and someone with magic a secret? Make it make sense, the most baffling of all was her persistence of the idea that she could go and bring her brother back and life would go back to normal, everyone was telling her and showing her how he had committed crimes of epic proportions yet she thought it was all okay and forgivable. How deluded does one have to be?
sophiesmallhands's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation
Moderate: Death, Police brutality, Animal death, Murder, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Gore, and Blood
Minor: Torture, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, War, Slavery, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, and Child death