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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
manaledi's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
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
3.5
An interesting magic theory with a good adventure. Might have needed a little more time in Qalia in the beginning to set up the class conflict between characters and why they hold onto beliefs so strongly. Sometimes hits you over the head with the moral questions of duty versus injustice versus family with a fairly brutal look at colonialism. Intrigued to see where we go from here.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Colonisation, Violence, Xenophobia, Animal death, and War
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Murder, Death, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, and Torture
eahoffm2's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Colonisation
Moderate: Xenophobia
Minor: War, Murder, and Sexual harassment
fromjuliereads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
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
3.0
I admit it took me longer to pick this book up than it should have... but I have mixed feelings about it even a while after I finished it.
Things I loved:
- the writing itself. Ibrahim has fantastic writing that makes you curious about this world.
- the worldbuilding is done so well! I loved that there were journeys and a map, everything made sense and added up, and was so well done!
- I actually really liked the plot and the story. While it hit pretty close to what is going on in the world right now, making it a difficult read at times, it is a well done story. The reveals of the information worked well and I am incredibly curious to see what happens next in terms of the plot, based on the ending.
The things I struggled with/ what made this a 3 star read:
- I REALLY struggled with the characters in this book. I struggled to find them likeable to be honest as they all have major flaws. And while I appreciate flaws being a part of the characters, these ones were just too big... if all of the characters are unlikeable, I find it really hard to root for them. I did like Qayn from the beginning though, as he is a fantastic character. I will also note that a couple characters have very good arcs, and their arcs make me curious where they will go with the next books. But as this set everything up, it was a struggle.
- I'm not sure if this is a spoiler so I'll keep it vague, but the supposed "romance" that was trying to happen was so incredibly toxic thaf I couldn't get behind it at all. I get that they are teenagers and experiencing the harsh realities of the world or stuck under a terrible influence but my goodness. The switches in temperament/ personality and the toxic nature of the interactions irked me way too much. I can understand if the author is trying to do something with this as part of the story going forward in terms of how toxic it is, but not knowing where the story is going and seeing it as the possible "romance" for the series really doesn't work for me.
I am curious to read the next book, as I mentioned for the plot, and for Qayn and the sibling relationships. I think the next book would be the decider if I finish the series or not.
Definitely an interesting debut YA fantasy!
Highly recommend reading TW/CW before reading, as it was a LOT darker than I had initially expected for a YA book.
Things I loved:
- the writing itself. Ibrahim has fantastic writing that makes you curious about this world.
- the worldbuilding is done so well! I loved that there were journeys and a map, everything made sense and added up, and was so well done!
- I actually really liked the plot and the story. While it hit pretty close to what is going on in the world right now, making it a difficult read at times, it is a well done story. The reveals of the information worked well and I am incredibly curious to see what happens next in terms of the plot, based on the ending.
The things I struggled with/ what made this a 3 star read:
- I REALLY struggled with the characters in this book. I struggled to find them likeable to be honest as they all have major flaws. And while I appreciate flaws being a part of the characters, these ones were just too big... if all of the characters are unlikeable, I find it really hard to root for them. I did like Qayn from the beginning though, as he is a fantastic character. I will also note that a couple characters have very good arcs, and their arcs make me curious where they will go with the next books. But as this set everything up, it was a struggle.
- I'm not sure if this is a spoiler so I'll keep it vague, but the supposed "romance" that was trying to happen was so incredibly toxic thaf I couldn't get behind it at all. I get that they are teenagers and experiencing the harsh realities of the world or stuck under a terrible influence but my goodness. The switches in temperament/ personality and the toxic nature of the interactions irked me way too much. I can understand if the author is trying to do something with this as part of the story going forward in terms of how toxic it is, but not knowing where the story is going and seeing it as the possible "romance" for the series really doesn't work for me.
I am curious to read the next book, as I mentioned for the plot, and for Qayn and the sibling relationships. I think the next book would be the decider if I finish the series or not.
Definitely an interesting debut YA fantasy!
Highly recommend reading TW/CW before reading, as it was a LOT darker than I had initially expected for a YA book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Abandonment, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Animal death, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Slavery, Racism, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Blood and Bullying
Giving stitches to someone, family member missingkirstenf's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Death, Blood, and Violence
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Grief, Emotional abuse, Murder, Classism, Physical abuse, and Slavery
Minor: Bullying, Vomit, War, Fire/Fire injury, Torture, Sexual assault, and Religious bigotry
shannnne_reads_words's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Toxic relationship, Violence, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Classism, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and War
Minor: Death of parent, Vomit, Child death, Sexual assault, and Animal death
marleywrites's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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? Yes
5.0
Ibrahim blew me away with this book. I went in thinking it would be a book I enjoyed, but I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did. The prose was beautiful and unique, and I loooved the pacing of the story. Every fight and chase scene was well choreographed and epic. I felt like I was racing through the streets with Imani. I swear I could feel the wind on my face.
I see reviews saying the love triangle is boring, but I find it interesting. It’s not crucial to the plot at this point, but I can tell it’s getting set up to be important. I like seeing the relationships fall into place.
There were a few heartbreaking moments that really drove home the severity of the situation, and I felt my heart break with Imani’s. And at the same time, her joy was my joy.
If you are squeamish, there are a few gross scenes. There’s an animal death, human deaths, and description of dead bodies. They are impactful scenes, but definitely not for the faint of heart.
I’m excited to get to know Atheer and Qayn more in the sequels. I think Amira will turn out to be incredibly important as well, as she was quite clever and helpful in this book. I’m also curious to learn more about Taha’s relationship with his father. I’m curious about their auntie as well.
I’m wondering what the future of this series will be, but I have a feeling it will be awesome and epic. I look forward to the sequel of this trilogy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, War, Death, Animal death, Violence, Colonisation, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Police brutality, Vomit, Torture, and Murder
Minor: Sexual harassment
Description of decomposing bodiescampisforever's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
Ao3 Rating: T
5 word description: Lush. Gorgeous. Moving. Poignant. Inspiring.
This is such a lovely book with complex, dynamic characters. Ibrahim's skill with feelings, inspiring us to feel differently about different characters over the course of the story, is simply breathtaking! The story hits the major question at the heart of something like Black Panther--about isolation and solidarity. It marks the difference between an anti/decolonial narrative mediated by a white gaze versus one that isn't.
5 word description: Lush. Gorgeous. Moving. Poignant. Inspiring.
This is such a lovely book with complex, dynamic characters. Ibrahim's skill with feelings, inspiring us to feel differently about different characters over the course of the story, is simply breathtaking! The story hits the major question at the heart of something like Black Panther--about isolation and solidarity. It marks the difference between an anti/decolonial narrative mediated by a white gaze versus one that isn't.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Colonisation, Death, Grief, Violence, Animal death, Xenophobia, Police brutality, and Slavery
Moderate: Blood, Trafficking, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Medical content, Murder, Sexual assault, and Cultural appropriation
Minor: Torture, War, and Child abuse
All content warnings are in the context of an anticolonial narrative about resistance. It is worth noting that the classism is itself not contained to a colonizer/colonized divide, but a complex discussion of class oppression *within* a colonized society.azrah786's review against another edition
4.25
[This review can also be found on my BLOG]
**I was provided with an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
CW: violence, blood, injury, death, animal death, colonisation, war, xenophobia, confinement, torture, slavery, police brutality, physical abuse, emotional abuse, domestic abuse, sexual assault, grief, toxic relationship, vomit
--
An exciting debut, Spice Road is a story exploring themes of family, privilege and colonialism that centres on characters from a hidden magical city venturing outside on a mission to the real world to save one of their own. Don’t you just love it when common tropes are switched up a little?
The leading protagonist Imani is a member of the Shields, a group of warriors who defend Qalia from the monsters and creatures that lurk in the city’s borders with the help of Misra – a magical spice that when infused in tea gives the drinker an affinity over a certain element. Imani’s has an affinity for steel which allows her to have an extraordinary mastery with weapons.
Imani’s elder brother was also an acclaimed Shield but upon being accused of stealing Misra - an act that has brought much shame to their family name - he disappeared and was presumed dead. However, when Imani stumbles upon evidence that her brother could still be alive she is determined to be part of the team sent outside the city walls to retrieve him, both out of love for him and in order to ensure the safety and security of her home from outsiders.
Through Imani’s quest Maiya Ibrahim gives us the lay of the vast Arabian inspired world that she has created, from the magic that these character’s lives are already accustomed to to the unknowns of everything outside of the Swallowing Sands that they come to face.
Magic based around tea will always instantly fascinate this tea lover and pair it with an elemental based power system and I am sold! However, as an already established part of the story I did feel like we didn’t get the full scope of it in this one book. With Imani being the solo POV that we follow throughout this story we mainly get an account of her power over steel – which was so cool, don’t get me wrong – but I’m definitely hoping that we get more extensive details and development of the world’s magic in the books to come.
The plot was without a doubt the strongest part of the story, Ibrahim is a really skilled storyteller. The journey from Qalia into the outside world was brilliantly paced and really well put together and I was immediately hooked in by all the action and the tensions of the mission. Despite the dialogue and inner monologue of the MC making the story feel a little clunky at times, I really enjoyed following Imani’s journey.
She is the impulsive sort, always charging in to do what she wants without much forethought of the consequences and a lot of her development comes down to unlearning her privilege. Of becoming more aware of the world around her and seeing the disparity in both the outside world as well as within her own community.
There was an interesting range of character dynamics and each supporting character informed Imani’s development in a different way. Her relationship with Taha is one of those that people are either going to be on board with or not. I have to say I wasn’t fully on board with the romance side of things but for the most part I enjoyed their back and forth and how it played a part in Imani’s character arc.
Sometimes things happened in the story a little too conveniently for how high the stakes were but all in all I had fun reading this book and I’m excited for more!
Final Rating – 4.25/5 Stars
**I was provided with an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
CW: violence, blood, injury, death, animal death, colonisation, war, xenophobia, confinement, torture, slavery, police brutality, physical abuse, emotional abuse, domestic abuse, sexual assault, grief, toxic relationship, vomit
--
An exciting debut, Spice Road is a story exploring themes of family, privilege and colonialism that centres on characters from a hidden magical city venturing outside on a mission to the real world to save one of their own. Don’t you just love it when common tropes are switched up a little?
The leading protagonist Imani is a member of the Shields, a group of warriors who defend Qalia from the monsters and creatures that lurk in the city’s borders with the help of Misra – a magical spice that when infused in tea gives the drinker an affinity over a certain element. Imani’s has an affinity for steel which allows her to have an extraordinary mastery with weapons.
Imani’s elder brother was also an acclaimed Shield but upon being accused of stealing Misra - an act that has brought much shame to their family name - he disappeared and was presumed dead. However, when Imani stumbles upon evidence that her brother could still be alive she is determined to be part of the team sent outside the city walls to retrieve him, both out of love for him and in order to ensure the safety and security of her home from outsiders.
Through Imani’s quest Maiya Ibrahim gives us the lay of the vast Arabian inspired world that she has created, from the magic that these character’s lives are already accustomed to to the unknowns of everything outside of the Swallowing Sands that they come to face.
Magic based around tea will always instantly fascinate this tea lover and pair it with an elemental based power system and I am sold! However, as an already established part of the story I did feel like we didn’t get the full scope of it in this one book. With Imani being the solo POV that we follow throughout this story we mainly get an account of her power over steel – which was so cool, don’t get me wrong – but I’m definitely hoping that we get more extensive details and development of the world’s magic in the books to come.
The plot was without a doubt the strongest part of the story, Ibrahim is a really skilled storyteller. The journey from Qalia into the outside world was brilliantly paced and really well put together and I was immediately hooked in by all the action and the tensions of the mission. Despite the dialogue and inner monologue of the MC making the story feel a little clunky at times, I really enjoyed following Imani’s journey.
She is the impulsive sort, always charging in to do what she wants without much forethought of the consequences and a lot of her development comes down to unlearning her privilege. Of becoming more aware of the world around her and seeing the disparity in both the outside world as well as within her own community.
There was an interesting range of character dynamics and each supporting character informed Imani’s development in a different way. Her relationship with Taha is one of those that people are either going to be on board with or not. I have to say I wasn’t fully on board with the romance side of things but for the most part I enjoyed their back and forth and how it played a part in Imani’s character arc.
Sometimes things happened in the story a little too conveniently for how high the stakes were but all in all I had fun reading this book and I’m excited for more!
Final Rating – 4.25/5 Stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Xenophobia, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Death, Animal death, Slavery, Grief, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Blood, Colonisation, Torture, and Confinement
Minor: Vomit and Sexual assault
kingdom_of_bookish_things's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
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? N/A
5.0
Thank you Netgalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I love love loved this book. The worldbuilding, plot and characters, everything was absolutly perfect.
The way the author depicted the arab culture was chefs kiss. If I am not mistaken the specific arab culture in the book is from the levant area, like Syria, Lebanon etc. I will never get over the feeling of seeing my culture and language represented accuratly and with care. The worldbuilding was so imensly developed and well built that I felt as if I had been int the same places that the characters was. The magic system and portrayals of the goverments made so much sense.
Imani, the main charcter was in my opinion very lovabel and changed through the whole story. Her character developed and the way the author portrayed her changing world view was very realistic. I like how visibly her change was throughout the story and how she recognized her flaws and worked on them. She was also so much of a badass and very inspiring.
The way that the plot thickens throughout the story and the plotwists left me at the edge of my seat to the point I couldn't wait to turn the page. I also loved the authors writing style and how alive it made the story feel.
Overall this was definitly one of the best books I have read in a while and definitly will recomend to everyone I know. It also reminded me of Hafzah Faizal's We hunt the flame duology and Sabaa Tahir's An ember in the flame series, which if you haven't read you should definitely read but if you have read them and liked them then you should definitely read this one.
I love love loved this book. The worldbuilding, plot and characters, everything was absolutly perfect.
The way the author depicted the arab culture was chefs kiss. If I am not mistaken the specific arab culture in the book is from the levant area, like Syria, Lebanon etc. I will never get over the feeling of seeing my culture and language represented accuratly and with care. The worldbuilding was so imensly developed and well built that I felt as if I had been int the same places that the characters was. The magic system and portrayals of the goverments made so much sense.
Imani, the main charcter was in my opinion very lovabel and changed through the whole story. Her character developed and the way the author portrayed her changing world view was very realistic. I like how visibly her change was throughout the story and how she recognized her flaws and worked on them. She was also so much of a badass and very inspiring.
The way that the plot thickens throughout the story and the plotwists left me at the edge of my seat to the point I couldn't wait to turn the page. I also loved the authors writing style and how alive it made the story feel.
Overall this was definitly one of the best books I have read in a while and definitly will recomend to everyone I know. It also reminded me of Hafzah Faizal's We hunt the flame duology and Sabaa Tahir's An ember in the flame series, which if you haven't read you should definitely read but if you have read them and liked them then you should definitely read this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation
Moderate: Grief, Violence, Animal death, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: War