A review by jotoide
The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri

adventurous dark inspiring 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? No

4.25

Read for TheStorygraph's genre challenge 2023, promt: a saphic romance novel

I gotta admit, I don't technically think this count as a "romance novel" as much as a political drama so I did kinda cheat on the prompt but I'm glad I did because this book was good

What I liked
  • The worldbuilding. I love the complicated world with its rich history and culture. The book really stands out with its indian setting but it goes beyong just that and presents a world that its interesting in its own right. 
  • Malini, love me some manipulative women. I liked her strenght, not physical but intellectual. She is better off than most people, being a princess, but she as a woman she is powerlesss and has to resort to manipulating others and using them for her goals. I really wanna see what she becomes in the next books. 
  • Priya. What can I say? This book had great protagonists. I liked that above everything, above her upbringing, the harsh reality she lives in and the betrayals she has faced she remains, after all, kind. It may be frusstrating to some how she forgives Ashok and trusts Malini, it is frustrating, after all, to herself. But it really is a strenght and something that makes her stand out in a cruel world. Like Malini, I can't wait to see what she becomes.
  • Great supporting cast. Bhumika and Rao's chapters were just as interesting as the girls, I particularly liked Rao's as the mystery of his name kept me in the edge of my seat. The rest of the cast was full with interesting characters and make the world feel much more alive. 
  • It's a dense book but it only felt like a bit of a slog at the beggining, once it found its pace it didnt slow down. 

What I didnt like
  • The romance was good, we do appreciate insane lesbian relationships around here, but somehow it didn't really get me going completely crazy while reading it. I feel it could have been developed a little more
  • I'd like to know more about Chandra's deal besides him being cartoonishly evil, I hope he gets explored in the next book

Overall there's a lot of things I liked in this book and I really want to read the next one.