*Thank to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me access to an early copy of this book*

Why I Requested It: After reading Suri's Books of Ambha series, I liked it well enough to be mildly interested in this one. I did not immediately read this book when I got my hands on a copy because I wasn't in the right head space, however as time passed I became less and less interested in reading the book, to the point where I was considering removing it from my TBR shelf. Eventually, after a very mediocre to bad reading month that put me in a bit of slump, I buckled down and finally gave this one a try because I assumed it would at least be a fast read that I wouldn't dislike it.

What It's About: The Jasmine Throne is a multi POV narrative with a focus on power, magic, and colonization. Priya is arguably the main character as she links the two overarching storylines, one follows the princess Malini who has been banished for not throwing herself into the pyre at the orders of her tyrannical and zealous brother, and the other follows a brewing rebellion by the original inhabitants of the land. Initially working as maidservant for Malini, who is slowly being poisoned, Priya attempts to hide her magical abilities as to not jeopardize those close to her or their cause. One night she is attacked and reveals her true nature to Malini, which triggers a gradual avalanche of events that hinges on the bond these two share.

My Thoughts: My main criticism of this book can be summed up as "too much style, not enough substance." There was a lot going on in terms of world building, from religion to politics to current affairs, but all of it was spread rather thin through at least half a dozen POVs which results in a world that felt tangible but confusing. I personally felt there were too many POVs which created a lack of focus. The males POV's felt especially unnecessary based on both their contents and conclusions. The author wants to show the readers all the aspects of her cool world (and I was intrigued by most of what I could grasp) but she seemed to want to get it all in one go and didn't let it develop organically. As for the characters themselves, I liked all the women because each one felt complete, distinct, and generally sympathetic (I don't understand why so many reviewers emphasized that Priya and Malini were morally grey). Bhumika was my favorite POV but that's probably because she was the most active. All the male characters I was dismissive of because I either found them uninteresting or unlikeable. The pacing of this book was also not great, a bit too slow for my taste. Despite not having even read this a month ago, much of it is slipping from my memory like sand. I don't plan on continuing the series, but this was a perfectly decent book.

This book was so engaging from page one, and despite the complicated world building I was in it immediately. A lot of the times fantasy gets bogged down in the world building but that didn’t stop any enjoyment for me like it might usually. I will say there was an unexpected amount of POV’s but even that I got used to in time. I can’t wait to dive into book two.

I forgot to leave a review for this, but I really enjoyed it! It's been out for ages, so I won't say much more than I need to for my star rating. <3

Overall this story was a lot to keep up with. Definitely some good world building skills but not my favorite book ever.

This book received a lot of hype so I was expecting more....

Characters were okay, worldbuilding was okay, everything was just....okay. I was not blown away by the storyline, the "sapphic romance" that I read in so many reviews and blurbs about this book. I will not be continuing on with this series.

Well written, engaging high-fantasy adventure with courtly intrigue and slow-burn romance. I really enjoyed the world-building and can't wait to read the next one.

I missed reading this by the publish date on Netgalley back in 2021, although I did end up listening to the audiobook shortly after release back then. I also listened to The Oleander Sword as soon as it came out, and am anxiously awaiting the last book, but never did get around to reviewing this book so here goes.

Obviously since I've continued the series, I really enjoy it! I think it can be slow at times, and especially in the first book it didn't feel like I got enough magic for me to fully understand it. The river mechanic was really interesting, just a bit hard to follow for a lot of the book. Nevertheless, I do really enjoy political fantasy so this was right up my alley, and I loved the characters and the setting. The pacing was slow at times but that's to be expected with political fantasy.

Stars: 3 out of 5

I have mixed feelings about this book. There are things that I absolutely loved, and there are aspects that left me cold or that I found rather underwhelming. However, nothing made me mad or made me hate the book, hence the middle of the road, perfectly serviceable 3 stars rating.

The world Tasha Suri created is fascinating and complex. I liked the different religions and customs. Some are truly monstrous though. The yaksa in particular are absolutely fascinating. What were they, really? Where did they go? Are they really gone for good or, as Pryia's encounter in the deathless waters suggests, they still exist somewhere and are ready to come back. And what is that corruption that is killing crops and people and spreading to the rest of the kingdom? I definitely want to know more about that, because to me, it's more interesting than the intrigues and politicking of men.

My biggest complaint is that this book is way too long. I understand that as the first book in a series it has the unthankful job of setting up the world and explaining the lore, but this exposition bogs down the story something bad, especially in the first almost half of the book. We spend so much time in the beginning setting up the characters and explaining their pasts, that it gets very boring. Nothing happens. Everyone just spins their wheels for half a book. I even considered DNFing this around 45%.

I'm glad I didn't though, because the story finally picks up in the second half of the book and moves at a pretty good clip. Things start happening, battles are fought and lost (or won), and the story is set up nicely for the next book in the series. I can't help but think that this book would have been so much better if the beginning moved slightly faster as well.

Another issue I have with this story is that out of the main protagonists, Malini seems the weakest. She spends about 60% of the story imprisoned, drugged, and basically helpless. Not an agent of her own story, but somebody that the events just happen to. A passive observer, so to say. Pryia, and Ashok, and everyone else are acting and reacting to what's happening, making plans and fighting their own battles. And Malini... Malini sleeps in a drugged sleep or is having withdrawals from that drug later on.

The problem that causes is the credibility of the character. Rao seems to admire her a lot. We are told that she single-handedly orchestrated a coup against her brother the Emperor. We are told that she is cunning, educated, and very smart... Yet we see none of that until very late in the book. So instead of being a strong and capable person, Malini comes across as a damsel in distress. That is not a trope I particularly like.

She became a more interesting character later in the book when she was allowed to actually act and react, so I have hopes that she will get more page time and better character development in the next book.

As it stands, I am on the fence whether I want to pick up the next book in the series or not. I might give it a try to see if the pacing issues have been fixed, and if we learn more about the yaksa.

PS: I received an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Enjoyed this book a fair bit. It's not everyday you get to see a ruthless, amoral protagonist driven to do what she does because of the pressures of society on her, and that makes The Jasmine Throne quite an interesting read - simply because it focuses and centers on Malini doing such things while driving the story. Priya is also an interesting protagonist, one who's torn between duty and emotion, but I think I enjoyed Bhumika the most; it's fascinating seeing a pregnant woman function as a political mastermind, in a situation most would assume them to be vulnerable in.

A serial monogamist gets challenged to stay single, then the one who got away (who is NOT a serial monogamist) enters the picture, at which point they need to compete for the ONE job they both want. It is cute, I felt like I was more intrigued with getting to the end and the reunion between the love interests than I was about the actual characters. Was not my favorite, but in the moment I was fully invested.

Was this book the reason the “It’s gay and it slaps” audio on tiktok was created? Obsessed with Tasha Suri. Lush and unputdownable.

An absolutely fantastic f/f fantasy novel, set in a world inspired by historical India (I'd say it's a mostly Maurya empire-ish, but also it's a fantasy and trying to pin it to an exact historical period is like trying to determine if Lord of the Rings is more Anglo-Saxon or more Norse) – in other words, basically everything I want out of a book.

Malini is the imprisoned sister of the emperor, exiled for refusing to burn herself to grant him power and with a high likelihood of being quietly disposed of now that she's been put away and is being slowly forgotten by the court. Priya is the servant assigned to care for Malini, who has an enormous secret of her own – a living reminder of the cost of all empires – which should make her Malini's enemy, but the two find themselves too compelled by one another to want to entirely destroy the other. We've got morally gray choices, complicated court politics, a theme of how to survive oppression (do you work within the system to save who you can, or do you burn it all down?), rebels, infighting, magical plagues, longing, childhood trauma, lesbians... all the good stuff!

<i>The Jasmine Throne</i> is the first in a trilogy, and I cannot wait to read the rest.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4121735593

An epic Indian fantasy with a morally gray main character...say less. The world building is fantastic. I appreciate the time Suri took to really build up the characters, and then really dig into the story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Definitely had a lot of fun reading this one, and can't wait to continue with the next! This is my first read by Tasha Suri, and I am definitely impressed. If fantasy with a sapphic romance with two leads who may or may not want to kill each other is in any way up your street, I highly recommend! Definitely a great addition to the Fantasy genre and fills a much needed space in it!

Wow. Tasha Suri has created a vivid and vicious world. Steeped in Hindu lore with a deep feminist streak, this is a beautifully crafted tale.

You will fall in love with the women in this story. These women are monstrous and conniving and strong and exhausted. They are fully realized. They don’t care if you like them, but you will. Even when they’re not likeable.

The men are no less deep. They cry over the loss of their friends. They are betrayed by women who outsmart them. Some are monsters and some are gentle.

This story is complex and I am captivated.

As a big fan of City Of Brass and Priory Of The Orange Tree I was thrilled with this sapphic fantasy.

I loved the lush world building and epic political maneuvering. The dual POVs of Malini and Priya work so well off of each other and I loved their gripping romance.

Beautifully written and very quotable, I can't wait to see where Tasha takes us next.

I loved this book. The characters, the setting, the stakes, the cover, all of it. Love a strong female character. Not sure what else to say except I can’t wait to reread this before continuing the series!

I absolutely loved the premise. There were several difficult topics to get through, especially human sacrifice including women and children, but the slow-burn romance and the high stakes political conflict had me absolutely gripped. The prose is gorgeous and lyrical. And multiple sapphic South Asian characters? Sign me up!
It was, however, a slow go for me because there was a lot going on at once. I took down one star because there were a wide amount of characters whose POVs we got to see but I felt not enough time was spent with them. When some characters were killed off, I felt nothing, and I felt like I was unsure if I was supposed to or not. I feel like having less POVs telling the story would have made for a better story but I am absolutely going to be picking up the sequel of this.

4.5 stars

Despite the laughably ridiculous amount of time it took me to read this, The Jasmine Throne was a captivating start to what looks like an incredibly promising fantasy trilogy. Combining lush writing and intricate worldbuilding with complex characters, a slow burn sapphic romance that actually made me feel physical pain, and themes that are seamlessly woven into both individual character arcs and the overall plot, Tasha Suri creates an extremely impressive story that immediately has you in its thrall. Admittedly, I had a few issues with the pacing and how a few things were handled, which kept me from giving this a full five stars, but I’m excited to see where the sequel goes and can’t wait to read the rest of Suri’s work.