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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
anitaforthewin's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
The premise of the book was really interesting, but honestly the book failed in execution. Tea-based magic was the main descriptor of the books, but honesty it was barely used, and definitely not explored. The pacing was a mess, the characters were not well developed, and the writing was so irritating. The author tried to sound smarter than she was, and ended up writing prose that was unnecessarily punctuated by big thesaurus words and strange turns of phrase. There was an attempt to do an enemies to lovers but it felt like I was getting whiplash when the characters would go from caring about each other to hating each other -- in the space of a sentence, sometimes within the same sentence. I had very high hopes for this book, but I just don't think the author had the ability to execute her ideas into a book and it really shows.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Animal death, and Colonisation
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
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.betweentheshelves'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
This was good for a fantasy debut, with an interesting concept, based on Eastern mythologies. Reminded me a little bit of [book:We Hunt the Flame|36492488]. However, I wanted a little more character development and world building. There were pieces of the world that I felt like I was missing, key pieces that would have helped with moving the main plot forward.
The ending of the book does a good job of setting up a sequel (and maybe potentially more, we shall see!). There's not a whole lot that makes it unique in the area of YA fantasy, outside of the main magic system. I did think that was interesting. It's an enjoyable book, but not one that seems to be super memorable for me.
The ending of the book does a good job of setting up a sequel (and maybe potentially more, we shall see!). There's not a whole lot that makes it unique in the area of YA fantasy, outside of the main magic system. I did think that was interesting. It's an enjoyable book, but not one that seems to be super memorable for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Colonisation, and Violence
Moderate: Grief, Torture, and War
Minor: Death, Sexual assault, and Addiction
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
dinipandareads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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? Yes
4.0
I read this book as part of the blog tour hosted by TBR & Beyond Tours. Special thanks to Delacorte Press for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 4 stars!
I have to admit that the start of this book was rough going for me and I was even a little worried that it'd be my first low-rated read of 2023. But I'm glad that my persistence paid off because I ended up loving how this went and that ending has me so eager for the next book already. I'm invested and I can't wait to get my hands on the next instalment to see what happens next! 😍
I enjoyed the world-building in this book. It wasn't perfect and there were elements that I wish had been better expanded upon—for example, the magical history of the Great Spirit, the clan tensions and family history, but it didn't bother me overly much while I was reading. We do learn a little bit about how this magical society functions and we do get glimpses of the political tensions between clans, but it's not very in-depth and a bit more tell than show. I would've liked to see more of the differences in treatment between the more affluent clans rather than just being told about it. Aside from that, I really enjoyed the setting and atmosphere. From Qalia's desert oasis town vibes to the unknown sands and the magical city held within to the chaos of a colonized city teeming with fear and brutality across the desert border—every location was so vividly depicted and easy to picture. I think my favourite was the magical desert city but it was also, by far, the creepiest location as well!
The plot itself was pretty straightforward and simple as we follow this group of Shields from Qalia as they cross the desert to retrieve Atheer and bring him back home so he can answer for his treasonous actions. The story is told from Imani's point of view and although I tend to prefer multiple POVs, especially when the story involves a 'crew' such as it does here, I appreciated how getting only her pov allowed her character to grow as much as she did. Getting only one pov also increased the tensions between characters and I had a lot of fun trying to understand their motives and whether they were genuine and trustworthy or not. I will say there were some great character and plot twists that I didn't particularly see coming and it shocked me and made me furious too, but there's no doubt it also has upped the tension so much and I can't wait to see how these relationships play out in the next book!
As much as I was invested in their journey, it was really the characters, specifically Imani, that made reading this book such a roller coaster ride for me. I admittedly couldn't stand her at first and there were multiple times I wanted to put this down and stop reading because it was so unpleasant being in her head! She's sheltered, naive, spoiled and entitled, and honestly believed she knew everything right and good and true. In reality, she was willfully ignorant about many things from her privilege to her brother's disappearance and her sister's changing behaviour. She was really something else at the beginning but I told myself to have patience and I'm so glad that I stuck with this story because Imani's growth throughout the journey was so well done! The changes don't happen quickly and although part of me wished that she "opened her eyes" sooner, it felt more organic and believable how it unfolded. As she found herself making decisions and encountering situations she never thought she would, she was forced to acknowledge her privilege and confront her worldviews and harsh judgement of others when their actions deviated from what she considered to be right. She doesn't immediately accept her views might be flawed nor does her character do a complete 180 once she does accept it—she still makes mistakes and stupid decisions, but she makes a concerted effort to be more open-minded. I really appreciated that about her character and it made me enjoy the latter half of the story so much more.
Aside from Imani, there were quite a few side characters but most of them were pretty flat in comparison and existed mainly to push the story along. I was really curious about Taha and until now, I still haven't figured out what's up with him. There's no doubt he's been through a lot, especially knowing what his father is like, but the minute I think he's one type of way, he does something to prove that completely wrong. It makes me wonder what's really going on with him and I hope that we find out in the next book! I also wanted to learn more about Qayn and I'm slightly disappointed that he didn't have a bigger role in this first book. There's no doubt that we're going to get a lot more of him in the coming book but he really felt like a prop in this. Another character that I really liked and who piqued my curiosity was Amari, Imani and Atheer's younger sister. She's feisty and stubborn as hell and there were times when she acted pretty immature but then I remembered she's actually pretty young and she acted like it. But there also seems to be more backstory to what's been going on with her and I'm hoping that once the crew returns to Qalia, we'll get to learn more about her character. There's a big focus on family and the complicated relationship between siblings. I admired Imani's dedication to rescuing her brother and I also liked how strong the sibling bond was between the three of them.
Overall, despite a rough start and a slightly rocky road along the way, I thought this was a great debut YA fantasy novel. I was definitely invested in these characters and their journey by the end and I can't wait to see what happens next; all I know is that it's only going to get more intense from here.
I have to admit that the start of this book was rough going for me and I was even a little worried that it'd be my first low-rated read of 2023. But I'm glad that my persistence paid off because I ended up loving how this went and that ending has me so eager for the next book already. I'm invested and I can't wait to get my hands on the next instalment to see what happens next! 😍
I enjoyed the world-building in this book. It wasn't perfect and there were elements that I wish had been better expanded upon—for example, the magical history of the Great Spirit, the clan tensions and family history, but it didn't bother me overly much while I was reading. We do learn a little bit about how this magical society functions and we do get glimpses of the political tensions between clans, but it's not very in-depth and a bit more tell than show. I would've liked to see more of the differences in treatment between the more affluent clans rather than just being told about it. Aside from that, I really enjoyed the setting and atmosphere. From Qalia's desert oasis town vibes to the unknown sands and the magical city held within to the chaos of a colonized city teeming with fear and brutality across the desert border—every location was so vividly depicted and easy to picture. I think my favourite was the magical desert city but it was also, by far, the creepiest location as well!
The plot itself was pretty straightforward and simple as we follow this group of Shields from Qalia as they cross the desert to retrieve Atheer and bring him back home so he can answer for his treasonous actions. The story is told from Imani's point of view and although I tend to prefer multiple POVs, especially when the story involves a 'crew' such as it does here, I appreciated how getting only her pov allowed her character to grow as much as she did. Getting only one pov also increased the tensions between characters and I had a lot of fun trying to understand their motives and whether they were genuine and trustworthy or not. I will say there were some great character and plot twists that I didn't particularly see coming and it shocked me and made me furious too, but there's no doubt it also has upped the tension so much and I can't wait to see how these relationships play out in the next book!
As much as I was invested in their journey, it was really the characters, specifically Imani, that made reading this book such a roller coaster ride for me. I admittedly couldn't stand her at first and there were multiple times I wanted to put this down and stop reading because it was so unpleasant being in her head! She's sheltered, naive, spoiled and entitled, and honestly believed she knew everything right and good and true. In reality, she was willfully ignorant about many things from her privilege to her brother's disappearance and her sister's changing behaviour. She was really something else at the beginning but I told myself to have patience and I'm so glad that I stuck with this story because Imani's growth throughout the journey was so well done! The changes don't happen quickly and although part of me wished that she "opened her eyes" sooner, it felt more organic and believable how it unfolded. As she found herself making decisions and encountering situations she never thought she would, she was forced to acknowledge her privilege and confront her worldviews and harsh judgement of others when their actions deviated from what she considered to be right. She doesn't immediately accept her views might be flawed nor does her character do a complete 180 once she does accept it—she still makes mistakes and stupid decisions, but she makes a concerted effort to be more open-minded. I really appreciated that about her character and it made me enjoy the latter half of the story so much more.
Aside from Imani, there were quite a few side characters but most of them were pretty flat in comparison and existed mainly to push the story along. I was really curious about Taha and until now, I still haven't figured out what's up with him. There's no doubt he's been through a lot, especially knowing what his father is like, but the minute I think he's one type of way, he does something to prove that completely wrong. It makes me wonder what's really going on with him and I hope that we find out in the next book! I also wanted to learn more about Qayn and I'm slightly disappointed that he didn't have a bigger role in this first book. There's no doubt that we're going to get a lot more of him in the coming book but he really felt like a prop in this. Another character that I really liked and who piqued my curiosity was Amari, Imani and Atheer's younger sister. She's feisty and stubborn as hell and there were times when she acted pretty immature but then I remembered she's actually pretty young and she acted like it. But there also seems to be more backstory to what's been going on with her and I'm hoping that once the crew returns to Qalia, we'll get to learn more about her character. There's a big focus on family and the complicated relationship between siblings. I admired Imani's dedication to rescuing her brother and I also liked how strong the sibling bond was between the three of them.
Overall, despite a rough start and a slightly rocky road along the way, I thought this was a great debut YA fantasy novel. I was definitely invested in these characters and their journey by the end and I can't wait to see what happens next; all I know is that it's only going to get more intense from here.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Blood, Colonisation, Classism, Slavery, Violence, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Bullying, War, and Torture
Minor: Emotional abuse, Rape, Drug use, Addiction, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault
Imprisonment, Prison Laborlktx's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
fast-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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Colonisation, Death, Animal death, and War
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
booksthatburn's review against another edition
I don’t like the pacing, nor the main characters. There’s a dizzying amount of detail about objects and surroundings but almost nothing about the magic that’s supposed to be of such importance to the story. I struggled to get through the first 18% and then stopped.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use and Grief
Minor: Suicide attempt, Drug abuse, Violence, Colonisation, Death, and Suicide