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A review by caitlins_bookshelf
The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
slow-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
4.5
set in the former kingdom of ahiranya which is now a conquered state of a larger empire. it follows two women as they become unlikely allies to save their empire. malini is a princess, imprisoned by her brother the emperor in isolation at the top of an ancient temple that was once the source of the magical 'deathless waters'. priya is a maidservant, who ends up cleaning the princesses chambers, trying to keep hidden her identity and her history with the temple in which malini is trapped.
I took my time with this one, as there was a lot going on but in the best way! a lot of politics and the clashing of religious ideology, so it wasn't the lightest of reads. but the world building was amazing! inspired by the history and epics of india, it was very rich and beautiful and different to any fantasy book I've read before which was nice. I still don't fully understand all the history, especially the magical side of things (though it was really cool!) but I'm hoping that will be expanded on in the other books.
the main characters were these great, if morally grey, lesbians, and you know I love a story where it's the strong women that save the day - or in this case try to change the entire empire. I think the only thing I wanted a little more from was the romance between them, though I'm aware that that wasn't really the main event here. it was maybe toooo slow burn for my liking and I think I'd have liked to see it developed a bit more, or maybe earlier on in the book than it did, as I wasn't fully invested. but still, the vibes - trapped princess and maidservant who end up working together to save the empire from awful men - were pretty amazing. and hopefully there'll be a little more romance as the series goes on.
the only reason it's not five stars is that it was a bit slow to start off with, and on occasion I found it hard to follow what was going on. but for the most part it was great, especially the middle section where most of the action was, and the reveals at the end! I've got the second book on my shelf and I'm excited to carry on with the series and see where it ends up!
I took my time with this one, as there was a lot going on but in the best way! a lot of politics and the clashing of religious ideology, so it wasn't the lightest of reads. but the world building was amazing! inspired by the history and epics of india, it was very rich and beautiful and different to any fantasy book I've read before which was nice. I still don't fully understand all the history, especially the magical side of things (though it was really cool!) but I'm hoping that will be expanded on in the other books.
the main characters were these great, if morally grey, lesbians, and you know I love a story where it's the strong women that save the day - or in this case try to change the entire empire. I think the only thing I wanted a little more from was the romance between them, though I'm aware that that wasn't really the main event here. it was maybe toooo slow burn for my liking and I think I'd have liked to see it developed a bit more, or maybe earlier on in the book than it did, as I wasn't fully invested. but still, the vibes - trapped princess and maidservant who end up working together to save the empire from awful men - were pretty amazing. and hopefully there'll be a little more romance as the series goes on.
the only reason it's not five stars is that it was a bit slow to start off with, and on occasion I found it hard to follow what was going on. but for the most part it was great, especially the middle section where most of the action was, and the reveals at the end! I've got the second book on my shelf and I'm excited to carry on with the series and see where it ends up!