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yavin_iv's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Misogyny, Body horror, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Murder, Physical abuse, and Addiction
Moderate: Genocide, Homophobia, Pregnancy, War, and Emotional abuse
nowheregirl's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-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
4.0
As soon as I heard about "The Jasmine Throne" I knew I have to read it. I mean, come on, feminist high fantasy with morally gray lesbians? I was already sold.
I have to say, I was not disappointed and even though I had some issues with this book it have still found a way to my heart.
The worldbuilding in this book, as well as conflict, were something with great potential but I am not really fond of execution. The pacing in this book was kinda slow and I consider some of the plotlines a little dragged - there were a couple of scenes in this book where I thought "okay, but why couldn't it be done sooner?". Also, the stakes felt much lower than they were told to be and I would really like to see more of a main villain, whom I only met twice in the whole book.
However, as I am done with my complaints, I must say there were a lot of things in this book that I loved. First and most important of all. Women. Holy shit, I love women. And especially ambitious, morally gray women who make their own path in the mysogynist world. Three main heroines were absolutely amazing. Malini, the imprisoned princess seeking to overthrow her brother, the emperor, was written wonderfully and I found her journey really interesting and powerful. She also had a great dynamic with her love interest and other main character, Priya. And, ah, Priya. I loved her so much – women, who wielded such a powerful magic, who was able to both kill people and take care of sick, homeless child.
But, above all,I adored Bhumika and her characterisation. How, at first, she seemed soft and gentle, nothing but the regent's wife and mother to be. But oh, she turned out to be so much more. She was incredibly strong and persistent, women, who managed to gain her husband's men loyalty, a politician far more competent than anyone expected her to be. I loved it, how, even though everyone underestimated her, she was really the key to her nation's freedom.
Oh, and also, this book had lesbians holding a knife to the other's ribs and kissing under the waterfall. What more do you need?
I have to say, I was not disappointed and even though I had some issues with this book it have still found a way to my heart.
The worldbuilding in this book, as well as conflict, were something with great potential but I am not really fond of execution. The pacing in this book was kinda slow and I consider some of the plotlines a little dragged - there were a couple of scenes in this book where I thought "okay, but why couldn't it be done sooner?". Also, the stakes felt much lower than they were told to be and I would really like to see more of a main villain, whom I only met twice in the whole book.
However, as I am done with my complaints, I must say there were a lot of things in this book that I loved. First and most important of all. Women. Holy shit, I love women. And especially ambitious, morally gray women who make their own path in the mysogynist world. Three main heroines were absolutely amazing. Malini, the imprisoned princess seeking to overthrow her brother, the emperor, was written wonderfully and I found her journey really interesting and powerful. She also had a great dynamic with her love interest and other main character, Priya. And, ah, Priya. I loved her so much – women, who wielded such a powerful magic, who was able to both kill people and take care of sick, homeless child.
But, above all,I adored Bhumika and her characterisation. How, at first, she seemed soft and gentle, nothing but the regent's wife and mother to be. But oh, she turned out to be so much more. She was incredibly strong and persistent, women, who managed to gain her husband's men loyalty, a politician far more competent than anyone expected her to be. I loved it, how, even though everyone underestimated her, she was really the key to her nation's freedom.
Oh, and also, this book had lesbians holding a knife to the other's ribs and kissing under the waterfall. What more do you need?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Misogyny, and Sexism
redthistle's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
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
4.5
I thoroughly enjoyed the Jasmine Throne.
My favorite thing about this book is the exploration of strength in women in multiple facets.
The main three female characters are amazing. Each woman demonstrates incredible strength in the face of a world that is very sexist and misogynistic. Their strength, however, is not all the same. Each one finds a different way to survive in a world which wants to destroy them, whether it be through physical strength to fight, emotional strength to do what is hard, or strength in cunning to manipulate perceptions to protect oneself these women are awesome.
I also found the relationship betweenPriya and Malini to be really interesting. I liked that it was flawed and raw and messy while also being tender and sweet. My one main complaint with the book was that we didn't get as many scenes with them as I would have liked. I wanted more conversation between them to solidify their feelings for one another.
The final thing I loved from this book was the world that Tasha Suri created. I found it really engrossing and fascinating. The magic system is really cool and the richness of the culture which is woven into the high fantasy setting that she creates is beautiful. I am so excited to read further in this world.
My favorite thing about this book is the exploration of strength in women in multiple facets.
The main three female characters are amazing. Each woman demonstrates incredible strength in the face of a world that is very sexist and misogynistic. Their strength, however, is not all the same. Each one finds a different way to survive in a world which wants to destroy them, whether it be through physical strength to fight, emotional strength to do what is hard, or strength in cunning to manipulate perceptions to protect oneself these women are awesome.
I also found the relationship between
The final thing I loved from this book was the world that Tasha Suri created. I found it really engrossing and fascinating. The magic system is really cool and the richness of the culture which is woven into the high fantasy setting that she creates is beautiful. I am so excited to read further in this world.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexism, and Violence
bbillings23's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Violence, War, and Religious bigotry
soundlysmitten's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
inspiring
mysterious
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? Yes
5.0
The Jasmine Throne takes place in a lush fantasy world inspired by India. It tells an utterly feminist story complete with intriguing magic, masterful scheming, unlikely allies, and a sliver of sapphic romance.
It took me about a month to get through this book. To be a fair, I’m a hopelessly slow reader. The pace is also admittedly slow to start, but I don’t actually see that as a flaw. There’s a lot to learn about this new world, its intricate culture and magic, its history and politics. As the first installment in a trilogy, The Jasmine Throne lays its framework down thoroughly. But more than that, beautifully. You just have to be patient—take time to absorb it all—in order to fully appreciate the story and the eloquent language used to tell it.
Told in third-person past tense with multiple narrators, The Jasmine Throne is an impressively woven tale. The main POVs belong to our hidden priestess, Priya, and captive princess, Malini. But there are a number of other secondary POVs that contribute to the full scope of the political landscape. I appreciated being given a glimpse into the minds of other players in the conflict/seeing how they interpret the world and their role in it. All of the characters are authentically complex and the author provides interesting insight regarding their motives, revealing their different faces as the story unfolds. As for the romance, it takes a backseat to Priya’s personal development and the action of the overall plot. But I found that realistic considering the circumstances.
The theme that struck me most deeply is the pursuit of liberation for an oppressed people. Parijat’s aim to obliterate Ahiranya—in livelihood and identity—is heavy, and I feel emotionally invested in seeing things made right. Another theme that struck a chord with me is the untangling of the twisted way those in power warp religion to support flawed and wicked agendas. And I absolutely loved the hopeful way the book ends.With three formidable women stepping up to replace their evil, misguided, inept male counterparts.
Who runs the world? ;)
It took me about a month to get through this book. To be a fair, I’m a hopelessly slow reader. The pace is also admittedly slow to start, but I don’t actually see that as a flaw. There’s a lot to learn about this new world, its intricate culture and magic, its history and politics. As the first installment in a trilogy, The Jasmine Throne lays its framework down thoroughly. But more than that, beautifully. You just have to be patient—take time to absorb it all—in order to fully appreciate the story and the eloquent language used to tell it.
Told in third-person past tense with multiple narrators, The Jasmine Throne is an impressively woven tale. The main POVs belong to our hidden priestess, Priya, and captive princess, Malini. But there are a number of other secondary POVs that contribute to the full scope of the political landscape. I appreciated being given a glimpse into the minds of other players in the conflict/seeing how they interpret the world and their role in it. All of the characters are authentically complex and the author provides interesting insight regarding their motives, revealing their different faces as the story unfolds. As for the romance, it takes a backseat to Priya’s personal development and the action of the overall plot. But I found that realistic considering the circumstances.
The theme that struck me most deeply is the pursuit of liberation for an oppressed people. Parijat’s aim to obliterate Ahiranya—in livelihood and identity—is heavy, and I feel emotionally invested in seeing things made right. Another theme that struck a chord with me is the untangling of the twisted way those in power warp religion to support flawed and wicked agendas. And I absolutely loved the hopeful way the book ends.
Who runs the world? ;)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Drug use, Genocide, Grief, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Xenophobia
crazyrandom_music's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Confinement, Child death, Child abuse, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Grief, and Misogyny
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Homophobia and Lesbophobia
anovelbeauty's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
Book TW: child abuse, assault, child murder, homophobia, sexism, body horror, human sacrifice, religious extremism
Note: I received an eARC of this book to provide an honest review.
The Jasmine Throne is a really solid intro to a fantasy series. The worldbuilding is /really/ well done and had me fascinated (and sometimes horrified) the entire time. Now, I will say that as a person who doesn’t tolerate body horror well, yikes! Please prepare yourself because hooo boy is there some freaky ish at various points of this book. Did I ever think I’d be afraid of flowers and petals? Nah. But here we are.
The character work was also really good, especially considering how many characters there are to balance in this multiPOV work. Bhumika is by FAR my favorite character. I love her quiet type of strength throughout the story and how she always patiently awaits the right moments to make her move. The characters you are supposed to hate are A+ hateable. The one part of the story I wasn’t as keen on was unfortunately the romance. While I liked Priya and Malini as characters and I usually love slow burn romance… it just felt like there was something lacking when they finally did get together. I think perhaps there was just so much other stuff going on that it really just felt like a side note but you could tell it was /supposed/ to feel really pivotal. And given how the arcs progress, I’m not sure how it will develop in the coming books.
That being said, everything else was really enjoyable and I thought there were quite a few clever and interesting plot moments. I am absolutely happy I read it and I am definitely interested in picking up the sequel to see what happens next! I would say this story rides the line between YA and Adult Fantasy fairly well and the worlds based off Indian cultures and mythos are really well developed. If all of this sounds interesting to you, give it a go! It’s well written and paced to keep you engaged from beginning to end.
Note: I received an eARC of this book to provide an honest review.
The Jasmine Throne is a really solid intro to a fantasy series. The worldbuilding is /really/ well done and had me fascinated (and sometimes horrified) the entire time. Now, I will say that as a person who doesn’t tolerate body horror well, yikes! Please prepare yourself because hooo boy is there some freaky ish at various points of this book. Did I ever think I’d be afraid of flowers and petals? Nah. But here we are.
The character work was also really good, especially considering how many characters there are to balance in this multiPOV work. Bhumika is by FAR my favorite character. I love her quiet type of strength throughout the story and how she always patiently awaits the right moments to make her move. The characters you are supposed to hate are A+ hateable. The one part of the story I wasn’t as keen on was unfortunately the romance. While I liked Priya and Malini as characters and I usually love slow burn romance… it just felt like there was something lacking when they finally did get together. I think perhaps there was just so much other stuff going on that it really just felt like a side note but you could tell it was /supposed/ to feel really pivotal. And given how the arcs progress, I’m not sure how it will develop in the coming books.
That being said, everything else was really enjoyable and I thought there were quite a few clever and interesting plot moments. I am absolutely happy I read it and I am definitely interested in picking up the sequel to see what happens next! I would say this story rides the line between YA and Adult Fantasy fairly well and the worlds based off Indian cultures and mythos are really well developed. If all of this sounds interesting to you, give it a go! It’s well written and paced to keep you engaged from beginning to end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Violence, Child death, Misogyny, Sexism, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Genocide, Pregnancy, Homophobia, Body horror, Colonisation, Xenophobia, Violence, Death, Domestic abuse, and Gaslighting
Minor: Grief
qtdinh's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This book really hits every single sweet spot for me when it comes to fantasy (especially as a character driven reader who loves complicated, morally grey, angry women) except for the worldbuilding.
The only reason why I could not give it the full 5 stars is because I cannot ignore the way the author used Indian culture (one that has been specifically filtered through a Brahmin lense) as a crutch when it comes to building the world for the book, borrowing from Hindu texts when it conveniently adds dimensions and layers of meaning to certain thematic threads that the story is shading to pad out the world but without doing legwork of adding the complicated cultural context that underpins those concepts in Indian society. While I myself am not an own voice reviewer, the issue was pointed out to me in a dialogue I had with friend of mine who is (and with whom I was buddy-reading the book), and once I noticed it, I can no longer ignore it.
My main issue with the worldbuilding boils down to this: the concept of virtue, purity and pollution is one that is inherently tied to and shaped by caste hierarchy (https://www.sociologyguide.com/social-stratification/Purity-and-Pollution.php). One cannot touch upon these concepts in and Indian setting without ignoring the caste implications, and it’s woven into the very fabric of Indian culture and society — including how literature (especially Hindu symbology) are weaponized by Brahmins to maintain this caste hierarchy. Caste is all encompassing: “a very deeply rooted generational like accumulation of culture and capital, in terms of what u eat, where u live, what job u work on (it's like the same job for a caste), how much money u have, people being trapped in bonded labour generationally, etc. the closest comparison to it is that it's like... apartheid?“, to quote my friend, and every cultural values in India is refracted through and unquestionably charged by this context.
Yet the book transplants this culturally loaded concept of purity and pollution onto the gender & sexuality as well as geographic (as in city-state) axes without engaging much if at all with the in-world stand-in for caste hierarchy (“high-born, low-born”). This is most evidenced in the way the book explores this idea of purity & pollution through the treatment of Mallani and other royal/highborn women, and it is not just exclusive to Parijati either, as we see similar constraints being placed on Bhumika and her weaponization of innocence, yet the same constraints are not placed on Priya and those assumed to be low-born. Here the book basically incorporates one of the primary cultural narratives derived through caste hierarchy and the complex ways it intersects with “the policing of sexuality women of upper caste” (https://roundtableindia.co.in/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9187:why-are-the-debates-on-menstrual-taboo-one-sided&catid=119:feature&Itemid=132), yet no move was made in the world of the book to extend its thematic critique one step further and actually examines with a critical eye the caste hierarchy that imbued the book’s notions of purity and pollution with its cultural meaning. It also ignores the way upper caste women also discriminate against marginalized lower caste women. You cannot talk about feminism, the marginalization of women, and homophobia in an Indian cultural setting without touching on the way the caste system has shaped all these issues.
In sum, the word of the book presents a view of India (or at least Indian cultural and societal fabric through a fantastical lense) wherein one of the most all encompassing power-structure goes completely unchallenged and questioned. It reads (in my friend’s words, not mine) “like a diaspora author’s romanticization of the homeland and cherry picking of cultural aspects they can dress up and aestheticize as fantasy for the consumption of western eyes, but one that turns a blind eyes the ugly, complex reality of what life in India means when you are not Brahmin and Northern”. Especially when you use the Mahabharata (which is a dominant religious text for the upper caste) as inspiration for your worldbuilding, it is also therefore your responsibility to be keenly aware of the way you might be perpetuating a version of Indian culture that erases the sheer breadth of diversity in the subcontinent. In particular, it erases marginalized women whose identity and politics intersects in complex ways with the Brahmin vision of the world that laid the foundation for the cultural and societal fabric of the book.
While incorporating elements of your own culture into your writing is the right of the own voice author, fully-developed world building aren’t uncritical transplantation of a culture just with a different hat on; in borrowing the societal structure and putting it into a fantasy world to make something new of it, you would HAVE to by nature of the exercise of developing worldbuilding to re-examine who have power and how that power dynamic wormed its way into the cultural fabric that held your fantasy society together. Anything else is an erasure. It’s making the minority culture palatable to a western audience, at the expense of the in-groups who live this reality in the homeland
The only reason why I could not give it the full 5 stars is because I cannot ignore the way the author used Indian culture (one that has been specifically filtered through a Brahmin lense) as a crutch when it comes to building the world for the book, borrowing from Hindu texts when it conveniently adds dimensions and layers of meaning to certain thematic threads that the story is shading to pad out the world but without doing legwork of adding the complicated cultural context that underpins those concepts in Indian society. While I myself am not an own voice reviewer, the issue was pointed out to me in a dialogue I had with friend of mine who is (and with whom I was buddy-reading the book), and once I noticed it, I can no longer ignore it.
My main issue with the worldbuilding boils down to this: the concept of virtue, purity and pollution is one that is inherently tied to and shaped by caste hierarchy (https://www.sociologyguide.com/social-stratification/Purity-and-Pollution.php). One cannot touch upon these concepts in and Indian setting without ignoring the caste implications, and it’s woven into the very fabric of Indian culture and society — including how literature (especially Hindu symbology) are weaponized by Brahmins to maintain this caste hierarchy. Caste is all encompassing: “a very deeply rooted generational like accumulation of culture and capital, in terms of what u eat, where u live, what job u work on (it's like the same job for a caste), how much money u have, people being trapped in bonded labour generationally, etc. the closest comparison to it is that it's like... apartheid?“, to quote my friend, and every cultural values in India is refracted through and unquestionably charged by this context.
Yet the book transplants this culturally loaded concept of purity and pollution onto the gender & sexuality as well as geographic (as in city-state) axes without engaging much if at all with the in-world stand-in for caste hierarchy (“high-born, low-born”). This is most evidenced in the way the book explores this idea of purity & pollution through the treatment of Mallani and other royal/highborn women, and it is not just exclusive to Parijati either, as we see similar constraints being placed on Bhumika and her weaponization of innocence, yet the same constraints are not placed on Priya and those assumed to be low-born. Here the book basically incorporates one of the primary cultural narratives derived through caste hierarchy and the complex ways it intersects with “the policing of sexuality women of upper caste” (https://roundtableindia.co.in/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9187:why-are-the-debates-on-menstrual-taboo-one-sided&catid=119:feature&Itemid=132), yet no move was made in the world of the book to extend its thematic critique one step further and actually examines with a critical eye the caste hierarchy that imbued the book’s notions of purity and pollution with its cultural meaning. It also ignores the way upper caste women also discriminate against marginalized lower caste women. You cannot talk about feminism, the marginalization of women, and homophobia in an Indian cultural setting without touching on the way the caste system has shaped all these issues.
In sum, the word of the book presents a view of India (or at least Indian cultural and societal fabric through a fantastical lense) wherein one of the most all encompassing power-structure goes completely unchallenged and questioned. It reads (in my friend’s words, not mine) “like a diaspora author’s romanticization of the homeland and cherry picking of cultural aspects they can dress up and aestheticize as fantasy for the consumption of western eyes, but one that turns a blind eyes the ugly, complex reality of what life in India means when you are not Brahmin and Northern”. Especially when you use the Mahabharata (which is a dominant religious text for the upper caste) as inspiration for your worldbuilding, it is also therefore your responsibility to be keenly aware of the way you might be perpetuating a version of Indian culture that erases the sheer breadth of diversity in the subcontinent. In particular, it erases marginalized women whose identity and politics intersects in complex ways with the Brahmin vision of the world that laid the foundation for the cultural and societal fabric of the book.
While incorporating elements of your own culture into your writing is the right of the own voice author, fully-developed world building aren’t uncritical transplantation of a culture just with a different hat on; in borrowing the societal structure and putting it into a fantasy world to make something new of it, you would HAVE to by nature of the exercise of developing worldbuilding to re-examine who have power and how that power dynamic wormed its way into the cultural fabric that held your fantasy society together. Anything else is an erasure. It’s making the minority culture palatable to a western audience, at the expense of the in-groups who live this reality in the homeland
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Body horror, Child abuse, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Genocide, Lesbophobia, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, and Torture
queenmackenzie's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
What a powerful book! The Jasmine Throne absolutely swept me away, I have never read anything quite like it. Suri has built an incredible and concrete world with Parijatdvipa. As soon as I read the prologue, I knew I was in for a ride. The central story is set in Ahiranya, which used to be a powerful nation that almost ruled the entire continent (I think, the map was sadly not ready for the ARC I read) during what was called the Age of Flowers. But then a group of women from Parijat burned themselves on a pyre to gain the power to stand against Ahiranya. Since then Parijat has ruled, worshipping the Mothers who sacrificed themselves, and Ahiranya has been crumbling, its religious power lost during the burning of the temple and all its Elders and children at the order of the Emperor, its people and lands consumed by the rot.
‘But Priya, who’d once been taught traditional Ahiranyi as a temple daughter, knew that the Ahiranyi had never had names for the forest. Ahiranya was the forest. The woodland was as unnamable as each breath of air, as indivisible as water.’
I absolutely love the flower imagery that pervades the book. You see it immediately in the title, and it continues throughout. Especially within Ahiranya, with their Age of Flowers and the Yaksa they worship, who were creatures made of growing things, and are said to have become the sacred trees of the forest when they died. As I said, a fantastic world with so much rich history, folklore, religion, and politics. It felt so incredibly real.
The characters certainly add to this. I felt immediately the strength of each of them, especially Malini and Priya, the main point of view characters. They nearly walked right off the pages, their personalities so crisp and original. Priya is a maidservant in Hiranaprastha, but she is much more than the orphaned girl who the Regent’s wife took pity on; her past is linked to the Hirana, the temple in which the Ahiranyi Elders and temple children used to worship, and in which they all burned. Malini is the sister of Emperor Chandra, a dangerous man who has twisted the faith of the Mothers to his own ideal of a pure world. He imprisons Malini in the Hirana as punishment for refusing to burn on the pyre as willing sacrifice, after she conspires to restore the throne to her elder brother, Aditya. In this way, Priya and Malini’s fates collide, and they each need the other to reach their goals.
‘Priya. A common name across all of Parijatdvipa. A sweet name for round-cheeked little girls and meek brides alike. This woman was neither.’
These women are hard-edged, and so are most characters in The Jasmine Throne. Though both Priya and Malini act out of a desire to better the world around them, they both have a very interesting relationship with the monstrous, and what it means to become the person you need to be in order to bring about that change. Alongside that is the powerful conversation this book is having about empire, about conquered lands, the erasure of culture and language along with a conquered nation’s power, the damage wrought by the people trying to liberate themselves. As I said, what a powerful book. I don’t want to say much more because this is the kind of story that holds joy in the unfolding, and all I can do is urge all fantasy readers to pick this up, because I am sure it will not disappoint. The perfect blend of sweeping empire and close character study, of frantic scenes and still, yet powerful, moments. An immediate favourite.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Genocide, Violence, Blood, and Confinement
Moderate: Homophobia and Misogyny
Minor: Vomit
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