A review by renegades
The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem

4.0

Jasad Heir was a fun, compelling book with extremely strong worldbuilding, lore, solid characters, and some fun interpretations of popular royal fantasy tropes. There’s nothing terribly new here in terms of actual substance—you have some of your standard fantasy nods, an heir whose kingdom has been destroyed and who is now in hiding trying to forget her past, enemies to lovers, a tournament with champions, being the most magical and destructive being with magic that’s repressed—all the goods stuff. But the worldbuilding that pairs with it (which is Arab/Turkish/Persian-inspired) is so intricate and full and vivid, it’s spectacular. It’s really inspiring and so fun to get a story and mythos that is so unapologetically Muslim in that way. The magic system she builds here feels especially thoughtful and, if not innovative, at least a really cool Middle Eastern take on a magic-based world system.

The main characters (Sylvia and Arin) are really solid, very strong voices and compelling individually and especially together. Sylvia in particular is so wry and sharp and funny—what a girl! This is also a book that respects the heart of enemies to lovers—that the two enemies should be trying to kill each other at least a solid third of the time. The enemies to lovers is a well-explored, well-developed slow burn, so when the feelings are finally identified and admitted it feels earned. I loved it. I particularly loved Sylvia’s vision of Arin, which made him just the hottest fictional character I’ve read about in a minute. Like, I get it, Sylvia. I would also fall in love with the silver-haired, cold, reserved, brilliant commander who is my sworn enemy and has tried to break my arms multiple times too. Do what you need to, girl. 

Where this book falls short for me is actually a little too much worldbuilding. There were so many names and places and magical backstory and general world history intertwined with the political intrigue that (especially on audiobook) it became hard to follow or remember all of the details at times. I think the emotional impact of everything happening took a hit because there was always so much lore to get through and get back to any time something happened. I would have liked Sylvia to actually sit and feel her feelings from point to point.

I also am unsure about that ending. To me the very end felt a bit uneven—I don’t think the instigating factor for That ending was serious enough for her to do what she did, which made me kind of go well why did she do all of that? Especially after being so careful for so long? It didn’t really hit as reasonable for me, although the fallout will be spectacular I assume.

That being said, I’m eagerly awaiting the next installment! It’ll be nice to get back to this world and these characters and I can’t wait to meet Sylvia and Arin in their shared story again.