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cjwitch's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
It's a book that reminds readers that sometimes, the right choice isn't going to be a popular choice. It might not even be a legal choice. But standing up for what is right and fighting for those in need is still, ALWAYS, the right choice.
Spice Road is beautifully descriptive and I was fully engaged in the story from the start, despite my early dislike Imani, our FMC. For much of the book, she stubbornly and intentionally clung to the ignorance that granted her privilege both in and outside of her society...to the point of convincing herself that any independent thought or action from anyone around her must be caused by that individual being "not themselves" at the moment or influenced by outsiders or lying due to some plot against her/her family.
She truly believed that her government and the "old families" were correct and just and she frequently attempted to force her rule on everyone around her. She refused to listen to anyone, and whenever the possibility that she may be wrong occurred to her, she stubbornly pushed the thought away and refused to consider it.
It wasn't until Imani arrived in the outlands and saw the citizens, who her government taught were corrupt and unworthy of magic, that she realized that the government may have an agenda of their own. It wasn't until she came face to face with starvation and brutality that she began to open herself to the truth of her world.
Imani's growth through her journey was incredible and the lessons she learned applies fully and completely to our own world. All people deserve to be safe and free and, if someone is oppressing or hurting another, it is our duty to become their shield, in whatever way we can.
Moderate: Death, Violence, and Colonisation
Minor: Sexual assault
scrubsandbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Violence, Colonisation, and Animal death
Moderate: War and Grief
Minor: Sexual assault
joygarcialim's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.25
None of the characters were likeable, I’m going so far as to say most of the characters are unlikeable. Even if they were on the side of the morally ambitious, they didn’t have many dimensions or layers, and were mostly just annoying. The only character which had any enticement to them was Qayn.
Examples of bad writing from the book:
Graphic: Medical content, War, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Addiction, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Death, Hate crime, Colonisation, Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, and Toxic relationship
tahsintries's review against another edition
3.5
Graphic: Colonisation and Confinement
Moderate: Xenophobia
Minor: Sexual assault and Excrement
kirstenf's review
- 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
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
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.25
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
espressoreader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Animal death, Racism, Torture, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Bullying, Classism, Colonisation, Gaslighting, Grief, Slavery, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Murder, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Addiction, Confinement, and Police brutality
campisforever's review
- 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
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.
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
- 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
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.
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
**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
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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
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