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arielkc's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
auggieval's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
4.5
God I love lesbians.
fr though this book made me feel like fantasy isn’t a stale genre. wonderful worldbuilding, complex characters, emotional tensions that strike at the heart, and setups here for twists in the second book. There isn’t much to criticize besides the fact that it’s a little slow at points. I am waiting anxiously for the third book!
fr though this book made me feel like fantasy isn’t a stale genre. wonderful worldbuilding, complex characters, emotional tensions that strike at the heart, and setups here for twists in the second book. There isn’t much to criticize besides the fact that it’s a little slow at points. I am waiting anxiously for the third book!
natmukireads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
geophony's review against another edition
4.5
Plant magic, politics, romance – what more could you possibly want?! The world building (South Asian inspired setting? Yes please!) is fab and the characters are nuanced and interesting. Can't wait to read the next in the series.
Not 5 stars for me purely because some things about the writing style weren't my fave (overuse of both italics and sentences without verbs). But otherwise loved it.
Not 5 stars for me purely because some things about the writing style weren't my fave (overuse of both italics and sentences without verbs). But otherwise loved it.
yourbookishbff's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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? It's complicated
4.5
The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri builds a dark and almost claustrophobic fantasy world, set in an alt-India with central conflicts that are largely inspired by South Asian history and a deeply spiritual and elemental magic system. We have all the usual forces at work - an evil emperor, a slow-boiling revolution, and a colonized nation fighting for survival. While the action in this story is confined almost entirely to the shifting walls of an ancient and mysterious temple as our political coup takes shape, this tight focus is counterbalanced with rapidly rotating POVs through a large cast of characters.
At the center of our story, we have three primary female characters - Malini, Priya, and Bhumika - each navigating trauma and their own fight for agency and freedom. Suri develops complex, morally gray women, and Malini, the exiled sister of the emperor, and Priya and Bhumika, former temple children, each challenge the traditional roles often cast for women in fantasy. Malini is openly manipulative and ruthlessly seeks power and agency, while Priya explores the potentially monstrous aspects of her own power and the paths available to her people in their fight for liberation. And while Malini and Priya circle each other for the majority of the story, Bhumika, a side character with main character energy, observes from the shadows, building an army of loyal followers while she works around and against her husband and the empire he serves. At each turn, our female main characters outmaneuver the power-wielding men in their lives, at times in partnership and at times in opposition, but always to advance their own goals.
This is epic fantasy perfect for readers who love She Who Became the Sun, by Shelley Parker-Chan, and not only for its strong sapphic romance arc (which is, of course, excellent). This, like She Who Became the Sun, explores the moral sacrifices people make for power, the bloody history of empire and the magic inherent to our world and its ghosts. I loved it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Death, Grief, Classism, Misogyny, Child death, Colonisation, Blood, Xenophobia, Violence, Murder, and Child abuse
Moderate: Medical content, Pregnancy, Medical trauma, and War
mariyakeeka's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
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
4.25
A brief review that I'll hopefully come back to flesh out.
I think this was a very interesting book! I loved the political intrigue and the world building was very interesting. The characters were all fascinating and I think she did a good job of fleshing them out, although there was some circularity to the princess. I adored the cast of strong female characters because they weren't strong for the sake of it. They all had different strengths and perspectives and they earned (or were earning) their spots. The relationships were all deliciously complicated and I enjoyed the interplay of love, grief, and ambition.
Towards the end, I was thinking that it was getting long. I do think many of the ending chapters were important but I also think some things were tied up quite neatly for a book that's meant to lead into a series. So with that, I think perhaps I would have wished for some of the earlier or middle scenes to have been streamlined to then give us the capacity to appreciate what the ending is doing.
I think this was a very interesting book! I loved the political intrigue and the world building was very interesting. The characters were all fascinating and I think she did a good job of fleshing them out, although there was some circularity to the princess. I adored the cast of strong female characters because they weren't strong for the sake of it. They all had different strengths and perspectives and they earned (or were earning) their spots. The relationships were all deliciously complicated and I enjoyed the interplay of love, grief, and ambition.
Towards the end, I was thinking that it was getting long. I do think many of the ending chapters were important but I also think some things were tied up quite neatly for a book that's meant to lead into a series. So with that, I think perhaps I would have wished for some of the earlier or middle scenes to have been streamlined to then give us the capacity to appreciate what the ending is doing.
city_girl_writer's review against another edition
I don't think it is a book-problem but a me-problem: I stopped caring to continue. When I put this down weeks ago, I did not feel its absence. The world-building was very unique but I am not intrigued enough to follow Priya and Malini's journey. Maybe one day I will return to retry The Burning Kingdoms trilogy, but not today or anytime soon for the moment.
beans_reads111's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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? No
5.0
Think “The Poppy War”, but dialed down a few notches and with lesbians.
booksand's review against another edition
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
3.75
Well written with evocative imagery and world building that is very immersive. Does not shy away from some heavy themes.
Ultimately, this book and I were not a good fit at this time, but it’s definitely well crafted and could be your next favorite series!
Ultimately, this book and I were not a good fit at this time, but it’s definitely well crafted and could be your next favorite series!