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A review by aliyyah
Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri
adventurous
tense
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
“He was her only safe harbor in the storm.”
Empire of Sand was so addictive. I actually ended up finishing this through a headache because I just could not put it down.
This book is about a girl named Mehr, illegitimate daughter of an imperial governor who inherited her mother’s magic. Her mother’s people, the Amrithi, are outcasts descended from desert spirits and are coveted and prosecuted throughout the Empire for the power in their blood. When Mehr’s power comes to the attention of the Emperor’s most feared mystics, she becomes enslaved by their leader and uses every ounce of will to try and resist his cruel agenda.
I absolutely loved the plot of this book. It was so fast paced and kept me on my toes the entire time. I could never guess at what was coming next. This story swept me up completely within its pages.
I adored the characters. Mehr, our protagonist is amazing. I loved the way she never gave up hope, as well as her selflessness. More than anything, she’s a survivor and I admire her strength so much. She is an extremely inspiring character to me. I also loved Amun. He’s quiet and resilient and much like Mehr, extremely strong. He’s been through so much in his life and has a lot of self hatred, however, he tries his absolute best to be a good man. He’s gentle with a soft heart and I cannot explain how attached I have grown to him. Mehr’s relationship with him was such a delight to read about. I really like the quiet way they fall for each other and the deep love that they share. Their development was beautiful and they made me melt so much.
The writing in this novel is impeccable. The world building was excellent and I love the atmosphere that Suri created. The description and history and everything was so rich. The story also flowed very smoothly.
I think this is one of my favourite fantasy novels. There is not one element of this story that I did not enjoy. I am so excited to start the sequel.
Empire of Sand was so addictive. I actually ended up finishing this through a headache because I just could not put it down.
This book is about a girl named Mehr, illegitimate daughter of an imperial governor who inherited her mother’s magic. Her mother’s people, the Amrithi, are outcasts descended from desert spirits and are coveted and prosecuted throughout the Empire for the power in their blood. When Mehr’s power comes to the attention of the Emperor’s most feared mystics, she becomes enslaved by their leader and uses every ounce of will to try and resist his cruel agenda.
I absolutely loved the plot of this book. It was so fast paced and kept me on my toes the entire time. I could never guess at what was coming next. This story swept me up completely within its pages.
I adored the characters. Mehr, our protagonist is amazing. I loved the way she never gave up hope, as well as her selflessness. More than anything, she’s a survivor and I admire her strength so much. She is an extremely inspiring character to me. I also loved Amun. He’s quiet and resilient and much like Mehr, extremely strong. He’s been through so much in his life and has a lot of self hatred, however, he tries his absolute best to be a good man. He’s gentle with a soft heart and I cannot explain how attached I have grown to him. Mehr’s relationship with him was such a delight to read about. I really like the quiet way they fall for each other and the deep love that they share. Their development was beautiful and they made me melt so much.
The writing in this novel is impeccable. The world building was excellent and I love the atmosphere that Suri created. The description and history and everything was so rich. The story also flowed very smoothly.
I think this is one of my favourite fantasy novels. There is not one element of this story that I did not enjoy. I am so excited to start the sequel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Murder, and Physical abuse