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A review by queer_bookwyrm
The Ivory Key by Akshaya Raman
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
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? No
3.75
3.75 ⭐ CW: imprisonment, violence, descriptions of blood, panic attacks/anxiety
The Ivory Key by Akshaya Raman is the first book one of the Ivory Key series about four siblings in an India inspired setting, and perfect for fans of Indiana Jones, National Treasure, and Six of Crows.
We follow four royal siblings: Vira, the Maharani who suffers panic attacks and probably PTSD from a past battle failure; Ronak, her twin who is a big grumpy history nerd baby that just needs a hug; Riya, the runaway sibling who is a strong believer in justice and helping people, she's also kind of the jock of the family (my personal favourite); and Kaleb, the half Lyrian half Ashokan half brother (yeesh that was a lot of halves) who has been wrongly imprisoned, but just wants to follow in his father's footsteps as a mayaka (magic forger).
They all end up looking for the same thing, the Ivory Key, a magical object that is supposed to lead them to other mines full of magic, because Ashoka is running out and Lyria is close to invading. We get a lot of scavenger hunt type stuff with logic puzzles and math. The magic system is interesting. We also get some great character moments between the siblings. I love a complicated sibling relationship. Although I favor Riya, Raman has written the characters so you can find a piece of yourself in each of them.
I had a hard time with this book at first. It felt a little slow, but that could also just have been my low mood at the time. It picked up closer to the middle when we are finally on an adventure. There is plenty of casual queer rep in this book. Lots of same gender attraction. We also have a very egalitarian society, which is refreshing in a fantasy book. I get so tired of reading books where the woman in the military or in a warrior position is the exception instead of the rule. We can magic, but not equality lol.
Now I have to wait for book two! 😭
The Ivory Key by Akshaya Raman is the first book one of the Ivory Key series about four siblings in an India inspired setting, and perfect for fans of Indiana Jones, National Treasure, and Six of Crows.
We follow four royal siblings: Vira, the Maharani who suffers panic attacks and probably PTSD from a past battle failure; Ronak, her twin who is a big grumpy history nerd baby that just needs a hug; Riya, the runaway sibling who is a strong believer in justice and helping people, she's also kind of the jock of the family (my personal favourite); and Kaleb, the half Lyrian half Ashokan half brother (yeesh that was a lot of halves) who has been wrongly imprisoned, but just wants to follow in his father's footsteps as a mayaka (magic forger).
They all end up looking for the same thing, the Ivory Key, a magical object that is supposed to lead them to other mines full of magic, because Ashoka is running out and Lyria is close to invading. We get a lot of scavenger hunt type stuff with logic puzzles and math. The magic system is interesting. We also get some great character moments between the siblings. I love a complicated sibling relationship. Although I favor Riya, Raman has written the characters so you can find a piece of yourself in each of them.
I had a hard time with this book at first. It felt a little slow, but that could also just have been my low mood at the time. It picked up closer to the middle when we are finally on an adventure. There is plenty of casual queer rep in this book. Lots of same gender attraction. We also have a very egalitarian society, which is refreshing in a fantasy book. I get so tired of reading books where the woman in the military or in a warrior position is the exception instead of the rule. We can magic, but not equality lol.
Now I have to wait for book two! 😭
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Violence and Blood