I really really wanted to love this. The synopsis sounded like something I would love and I heard some amazing things about it online. However, I ended up DNFing it about a quarter of the way in. It is obviously a fairly slow moving plot, which isn't necessarily bad, but I also wasn't particularly invested in all of the characters. The worldbuilding was amazing at times, but then at others I felt bogged down with the complex details that were shared with us. I honestly think that this book is well written, but the writing style wasn't for me. Thanks for the opportunity to review it and I'm sad that it didn't work out.

This is an epic fantasy set in an Indian inspired world where two glorious, morally grey lesbians set out to take down an emperor.
The world building is lush and deliciously vibrant and the characters are wondrously crafted so that you may slip through the pages, splash in their ink, only to rise in Parajatdvipa, reborn as each character, hovering somewhere in the shadows of their tormented minds as they raise a rebellion against a tyrranical ruler, who promises fire to all who dare seek freedom.

The craftsmanship this book required shows the genius of the author; Tasha Suri. The slow- building, tug-at-your-heart-string-leave-you-breathless yearning of an imprisoned princess and a maidservant that fall for each other as they try to fight their way out of a prison cell to the destiny that awaits them will keep you turning the pages with an insatiable hunger.
This book was brilliant and built a great world where history, religion and love are used against the people to terrorize them into submission, only for it all to be set aflame by women no longer interested in playing small.

TL;DR: A somewhat slow and predictable BUT very solid set-up for a hopefully out-of-this-world Book 2 of this new, imaginative fantasy series about an empire divided along religious and ethnic lines that’s also facing a mysterious and magical plant-borne pandemic. My rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

I was OVER THE MOON when I was finally approved for an e-ARC of The Jasmine Throne on NetGalley. But, on its own, The Jasmine Throne didn’t quite live up to the extraordinarily high hopes I had for it. And yet I am nonetheless excited for the next in the series. For me, it ultimately felt like a full novel of set-up for what happens next. I think there were a few major reasons for this impression. First, the resolution of the plot in this first installation (will Priya find the deathless waters and will Malini escape imprisonment) seemed pretty inevitable. Second, the pacing was pretty slow, especially in the first half. And third, the focal romantic relationship between Priya and Malini didn’t reach the depths I expected. Their interactions during the time they spent together in the tower felt pretty surface level. I only started to buy their attachment to each other near the end of the book. This would have been deeply disappointing if I didn’t know there was more to come. In contrast, Priya’s complicated quasi-familial patronage relationships with Bhumika (the wife of the regent whose home Priya is a servant) and Rao (a sick young unhoused boy who Priya cares for) were full of both heartwarming and harrowing moments.

Those qualms aside, there was much to love about this world of Suri’s imagination. The Jasmine Throne is a story of a land divided by empire, monarchy, religion, disease, and ethnic difference. I very much enjoyed the descriptions of three different faiths and their various expressions of religiosity. The book also makes a big statement about how easily religious dogmatism can be weaponized by individuals intent on power.

One of the biggest mysteries surrounds a seemingly plant-borne illness called “the rot” that slowly kills the infected (the “rot-riven”) as the plant’s roots, leaves, etc. takes over and transforms their bodies. No one knows exactly where the rot came from, only that it can be temporarily held at bay using a magic-imbued talisman. But perhaps not-so-coincidentally the emergence of the rot coincided with the practitioners of one of the book’s religions becoming more magically powerful. While some of these connections get teased out in The Jasmine Throne, more questions are raised than answered--primarily the origin of the rot and whether the enhanced powers of this religious sect are ultimately rooted in good or evil. I cannot wait to further immerse myself in Suri’s creation, and hopefully feel more invested in how Priya and Malini’s paths intersect in Book 2.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books for giving me advance access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

"There are other versions of you that I don't know. But this one..." Her fingers were against Malini's lips. "This one is mine."

The story of “The Jasmine Throne” starts with a religious sacrificial burning where three women were burned alive. But one of those three women, refused to be burnt alive. The Jasmine Throne tells a story about Priya, a servant who takes care of Malini, the princess who refused to sacrifice herself. The story revolves around Malini. This is the main story line and without revealing much, I would ask you to read the book.

It took me a couple of days to completely get into the novel but once I did, I ended up loving this book. The author crafted amazing characters and especially the relationship between Mlaina and Priya. I felt that the relationship was so realistic and I could totally connect with them. I do not read fantasy genre but when I read the blurb I felt that the story line is way too intriguing and that I would definitely love the book. I ended up loving this book very much and I recommend it to each and every reader.

I felt that it was more of a character driven novel rather than plot driven. I am definitely looking forward to reading more books by this author because I loved every single thing about this book.

Trigger Warning: violence, murder, immolation (women burned on pyres), death of loved ones, elephants are used to execute people, arson, colorism, self-sacrifice

Thank you so much to Caffeine Book Tours, as well as the author and publisher for giving me a copy of The Jasmine Throne in exchange for an honest review. !

The Jasmine Throne was one of my most anticipated reads for this year. I remember when I first came across this title, my mine went ‘Historical fantasy featuring desis? Historical fantasy featuring desi sapphics?‘ This made me so happy because a few years ago, desi sapphics were nowhere to be seen in mainstream fiction. In recent years this has been changing, but it is still a slow process.

In The Jasmine Throne, we have a variety of different characters, with their own goals, ambitions and desires. The POVs primarily belong to our two main protagonists and my beloved sapphics, Priya and Malini. The story is set chiefly in Ahiranya, a once-great territory that has been subjugated by the detestable Parijati kingdom, spearheaded by the merciless emperor Chandra. Priya is an Ahiranyi woman with a secret that could get her killed by the Parijati, due to which she works as a maid, cutting off all ties to her traumatic past. Malini is the imperial princess of Parijat, sentenced to imprisonment by the emperor for going against his demands. She is held captive in the Hirana, an ancient Ahiranyi temple in ruins. Priya, along with other maids from the Ahiranyi regent’s palace, is sent to maintain the temple while Malini is held there, but are forbidden from wandering anywhere near where Mailini is held. But then fate brings them together and what follows is an exceptionally intriguing tale of women, politics, power and different kinds of love.

I need all the time in the world to gush about the characters, especially the women. We have Priya, who is extremely kind-hearted, but also will not tolerate being taken advantage of or demeaned. This is a type of character I love to see in literature. She is not particularly extraordinary, as is often pointed out, but her actions and the intentions behind them make sure that her POV is worth reading. Badass women can be kind too, and I love that Priya was just that. Next, we have Malini. Malini is a brilliant character — she may not be physically strong due to her relatively sheltered life at the imperial palace, but she weaponizes her cunning nature and political prowess to manipulate others to get what she wants. There are several versions of Malini, and she just knows which version to expose at the right time. She cannot be trusted, she will manipulate others for her personal gain and she is highly ambitious. Then we have Bhumika. Bhumika is the wife of the Ahiranyi regent, with plans of her own. Malini may be deceptive, but Bhumika is shrewd in her own way too. She is charismatic and powerful, with a strong will and mind. I want to say more about her, but most of what I want to gush about in relation to her character may be considered a spoiler, so I will stop there. There are other interesting side characters, but these three are the brightest spots of The Jasmine Throne. The author did a commendable job with incorporating multiple POVs without making any character or perspective seem redundant — each perspective added to the nuance and depth of the politics and the story in general.

The writing was also easily one of my favourite things about this book. Lush, descriptive and evocative, it was easy to be immersed in this world — magical, haunted and intense as it may have been. The pace was slow for the most part, something that I usually would have shied away from considering my inability to stay committed to books of that sort, but I found myself more and more fascinated by the events and characters as the story progressed. Info-dumping is generally avoided, and the author gives the reader glimpses of the world she has created without making it boring. The worldbuilding was, in that sense, truly something to marvel at. The end result is an intricate and complex atmosphere with layers of meticulously laid out details — whether it is the culture, the traditions or the histories depicted within the book. I also found the depiction of imperialism to be compelling to read — how languages and customs can be erased by imperial forces, how imperial forces are often apathetic or indifferent to the troubles faced by the people of the territories they occupy.

Lastly, I need to gush about Priya and Malini as a sapphic couple. I loved, loved, loved, loved them together. From the very first glance at each other, there is an undeniable spark between them. There was yearning, there was their horror at the yearning, followed by even more yearning. I cannot emphasise just how much I loved having scenes were the two were just in love with each other. It is in the little things: like how Priya is secretly fascinated by Malini or how Malini discreetly admires Priya’s muscles (yes, that happens and I love it every single time that it does). They find things out about each other that they find riveting and horrifying in turns and then they proceed to love each other with a greater ferocity. I am absolute mush for these two, this was a sapphic couple that I did not know I wanted. How did I go about my life without having a Priya and Malini to think about before? Both are morally-grey, but their love for each other is whole and pure.

This book’s strength lies, as I have mentioned before, in its women. They are cast aside to remain powerless, whether its Priya having to hide her true nature, Bhumika having to keep up the pretense of being demure in front of her husband or Malini and her need to switch personas depending on whom she is interacting with. However, all of them, in their own ways, are determined to take back the power they deserve. If they are not going to be given their share, then they make sure that they are going to take so much more.

Would recommend if you would like to read a feminist historical fantasy featuring powerful women, political dynamics and an unforgettable sapphic couple at the center of it all.

// 4.5 stars

Thank you so much to Orbit Books and Netgalley for letting me read an eARC of the Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri! This month has been ridiculously busy, so even though this book came out on June 8th, I finally finished it last night and OMG it was sooooo good!!!

The Jasmine Throne 4/5 Stars

Summary from Goodreads:

Author of Empire of Sand and Realm of Ash Tasha Suri's The Jasmine Throne, beginning a new trilogy set in a world inspired by the history and epics of India, in which a captive princess and a maidservant in possession of forbidden magic become unlikely allies on a dark journey to save their empire from the princess's traitor brother.
Imprisoned by her dictator brother, Malini spends her days in isolation in the Hirana: an ancient temple that was once the source of the powerful, magical deathless waters — but is now little more than a decaying ruin.
Priya is a maidservant, one among several who make the treacherous journey to the top of the Hirana every night to clean Malini’s chambers. She is happy to be an anonymous drudge, so long as it keeps anyone from guessing the dangerous secret she hides.
But when Malini accidentally bears witness to Priya’s true nature, their destinies become irrevocably tangled. One is a vengeful princess seeking to depose her brother from his throne. The other is a priestess seeking to find her family. Together, they will change the fate of an empire.

The Jasmine Throne was soooo good! It was so political and there were so many moving parts that didn't always look like they would go together but then bam! something happened and things began to make sense! This book is the first in a trilogy and I feel like it set up book two really well. Like the first half or so of the book was background information and general scene setting/world building, and the second half had much more action and more things seemed to happen (plot point wise). Character wise, I really liked Priya- she had so much drive and fire within her. I can't wait to see what happens in book 2 with her. Malini was such a complex character with so many facets- continuously underestimated by everyone around her and always thinking ahead to how she can get her brother off the throne. I also loved how she had brought together so many people/allies for her other brother, as if she were going to end up running the country herself. I also really loved Bhumika- it's like this book was full of men underestimating the women in their lives. She knew exactly how to run Ahiranya and keep its people as calm as possible. The one thing I really did not like about this book was just how many different points of view we got in chapters- it felt like random new people's points of view were being added left and right and I would be confused about who they were until about halfway through the chapter. Overall though, I really liked the Jasmine Throne and I definitely recommend reading it!

This book builds a world at once so beautiful and so painful. I thought I would be annoyed by the constant perspective shifts, but it helped build a sense of place and move along the plot in a great way. Bhumika, Priya and Malini are all incredible characters who are developed so well. Though the ending was a bit predictable, I'm interested enough in the world and characters to see where the story goes.

One of my favorite parts was the exploration of fate vs choice. This is a constant character struggle that I thought was so fascinating in the last third.

The Jasmine Throne is an epic fantasy inspired by Indian / Hindu mythology and folklore, a sapphic enemies to lovers romance that focuses on two women trying to change the fate of the empire.

I was immediately hooked from the very first page and the book never let me go again. These characters will be in my head for quite some time, I’m sure.

We get thrown in right into the pivotal scene with Malini, when she refuses to be burned as a sacrifice. And just like with Priya first chapter in which she shows her kind heart trying to help some children, Suri gets us to instantly care for both woman and their fates. This is so important in books with multiple POV, at least for me.

But this wasn’t only the case with the two main perspectives, each and everyone was very well done. Distinct and interesting. I was sad when each chapter ended because I wanted to stay with that character but was pulled in by the first few lines of the new chapter, no matter if the perspective was newly introduced or not.

Every side character is layered and has their own motives, histories and that makes them all so real and engaging to read about. They all have their own distinct view of the world and the society. I loved how the concept of power and powerlessness was explored. What does it mean to be powerful? Can kindness be power?

“Are people you fear so much truly worth your loyalty?”

How different for example Bhumika, Ashok, and Priya decided to live their life, to fight, to help the most they can do. They have similar end goals (in a broader context) but vastly different interpretations of what is possible, what is worth it to sacrifice for that. I loved the differences between all of them and their unique way of fighting against injustice be it secretly or overtly.

“Parts of me are broken and I stand in the middle of all those pieces and don’t go anywhere. I’m stuck. In all this time, I’ve just been quiet. I’ve just survived.”

We get lies and deceit, open rebellion and secret plotting, slow-building trust, and yearning!

The slow scenes are just as exciting as the fast-paced fighting scenes and they all show the different thought processes and mannerisms of each character. The dialogues are so well written and a joy to read.

Speaking of joy to read; the magic system was so well crafted. Intriguing and beautiful, intricate and I love the plant-based magic. The body horror coming with the rot is incredible and a wonderful juxtaposition of the beauty and horror and flowers and leaves growing out through hands and eye sockets. The contrast worked brilliantly and drew me in even more into the world!

The setting of the Hirana, the ancient temple, was incredible, I could see it in my mind the whole time, which made it so easy to get completely lost in this wonderful story.

As a character-focused reader, I was head over heels for both Malini and Priya. These two sapphic, morally grey women were incredible to read about. The vengeful, captive princess Malini, wanting to burn the empire down and the soft-hearted but fierce maidservant Priya seeking the truth about herself, her family, and her past.

She could make herself into something monstrous. She could be a creature born of poison and pyre, flame and blood.

Every interaction between them was loaded and the slow build of the angst, the timid trust … Truly amazing. The yearning between them and the scenes where they slowly but surely get a feel for who the other is, the feeling of being truly seen that is so foreign for both of them held me captive, turning page after page after page.

The Jasmine Throne is an incredible set up and introduction for the series and I’m already waiting for the sequel. It has a layered and intricate world, explores different leaders in this society where women are seen as weak and used for men’s own gains. Explores what it means to be strong, in different ways, loud and quiet.

Tasha Suri is an incredible writer, she has a way with words that paint incredibly vivid and lush worlds and create layered, flawed and distinct characters.



“And what is more monstrous than that? To be inherently, by your nature, unable to serve your purpose? To want, simply because you want, to love simply for the sake of love?”

I absolutely adore Tasha Siri’s writing. Her style is just so smooth and readable and who characters catapult of the page. I can see them all being played in films and it makes me upset nobody’s adapted her work yet.

My ready slump during the pandemic has been pretty long and it took me a while to actually pick up this book but when I did I couldn’t stop reading it. Malini and Priya come from two very, very different worlds and their chemistry is incredibly palatable throughout the story. The dialogue of this book is just incredible and I highlighted so many passages it’s crazy! I truly hope the fantasy romance genre takes notes because the balance she has between the two is wonderful. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves wonderfully thought out fantasy novels and also novels that make you think. I’ll be thinking about what this book says for weeks on end.

The Jasmine Throne is a political fantasy focused on power, religion, and the clash of cultures between the Parijati and Ahiranyi people. The story follows various points of view, but really centers around Malini, a Parijati princess exiled by Emperor Chanda, her brother, and Priya, a Ahiranyi servant with magic and a past she must keep secret. Malini is isolated and drugged in the Hirana, an ancient temple with a fraught history. Priya, sent to clean and cook for the exiled princess, is supposed to remain unseen, but when Malini witnesses Priya’s magic, the two team up to fight for what they want. For Malini, that’s getting Chanda off the throne, and for Priya it’s finding her family and keeping the Ahiranyi people safe.

I loved the exploration of rebellion and power. Each character has their own idea and motive to change the current system. They all want to be powerful and use their power to help their people, but who has the capacity to handle true power? Who will truly be the best to rule and make the world better? And what is the cost of getting and maintaining that power? I also found the world and its magic incredibly intriguing. There is prophecy, a magical forest, and a complex magic system related to nature, that is given instead of being inherent. The story is slow moving at times, but if you enjoy the characters and the world even the slower parts fly by.

After hearing so much praise for Tasha Suri, I had high hopes for The Jasmine Throne and I was not disappointed. This story was the perfect blend of politics and fantasy. It explores so many interesting ideas and it is packed full of fantastic characters with complex relationships. I’m highly anticipating the next book in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Apologies on the late review, literally dealing with gibbons and lemurs at work so I'm dead most days.

OK Tasha Suri's (@tashasuri) new book "The Jasmine Throne" is fantastic and I wish I could throw copies of it through your window and yell at you to read it.

Reasons to read:
-JUSTIFIABLE RAGE at the problems that characters are dealing with.
-The consistency of Priya, Malini, and Bhumika as they navigate the escalation of events. The competency and smart actions, so good.
-The food reminded me that I need to up my cooking again.
-The magic system is brutal in: obtaining it, using it, and the risks. But it also can fix the damage it does. It was only a sentence but late in the book the fact that they could put the forest back together after ripping it up, love it.
-The pay offs for things teased or left vauge near the start...
-You want some yearning?
-Big "let's tear down the sexist empire and dance in the rubble" energy.

Cons:
-Book two isn't out and I need it...

When does the war start? The moment the two sides meet on the battlefield? When declarations get politely sent to each other? Perhaps when an Archduke is killed? Go back further and you’ll see collections of key characters, events, pressures and triggers that make war and revolutions start to get gears in motion and once started the world changes forever. This is very much what the magnificent The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri which explores the theme of revolution while also delivering a host of fascinating characters deciding what is the right thing to do is and a world where magic is about to return to full strength.

The country of Ahiranya was once famed for magic, liberal beliefs, and a love of nature key to its older religion but many years ago it lost a war and became part of the Parjatdvipa’s Empire and now viewed as a place with little real resources but can be a wonderful place to party for the wealthy. This is a realm now ruled by a Emperor fixated on his own country’s traditions and a firm believer that any hint of rebellion should be punished with maximum force and who believes that women is found to be against him should be burnt alive. Princess Malini the Emperor’s brother has urged rebellion and has refused to accept that fire is her only chance at redemption she is sent to Ahiranya drugged to be imprisoned until she changes her mind. In the palace of Ahiranya’s Regent who works diligently for the Emperor, we meet Priya a servant who tries in her spare time to help children coming down with a mysterious fatal disease known as The Rot where plants start to take over the body ultimately killing the host. Priya spends money she does not really have to spare to help its her only way she can change events in her country and reminds her of a life when she served a now destroyed Temple on a strange rocky area filled with unusual statues known as the Hirana. Malini is to be imprisoned in these ruins and Priya will cross paths that will ultimately lead to war and rebellion against an Empire.

This is an amazing piece of epic fantasy offering the scale and depth that the best stories in the genre provide. Using a setting inspired by Indian history and also epic stories Suri has created their own standout tale which was a delight to explore. Primarily we have Priya and Malini as the centre of the story. A Princess and a Servant crossing paths is a very old idea but here neither woman is exactly what they seem. The Malini we meet for most of the early parts of the novel is weakened by the medication she is forced to drink but we see signs of someone who plans in advance and seeks any form of advantage to suit her own political ends. She is like a steel trap that has been rusted over and now coming back to life. Priya seems initially a kind woman just looking to heal but we also find she is linked to the Deathless Waters a magical force in Ahiranya that can kill those who attempt to reach it but can deliver magical power. The injustices increasingly seen on the streets against the poor and those who try to keep Ahiranyan culture alive are suggesting Priya may herself need t decide should she get involved. Suri delivers a fascinating journey of power shifting between the two as they get to know each other moving from servitude, gamesmanship, bargaining, rescue to eventually each seeing the other as an equal. That friendship also becomes a powerful growing attraction in an empire that has forbidden same sex relationships and Suri makes each woman the catalyst for each side’s rebellion to finally take a stand against the Emperor.



I loved the depth shown in each character with these leads but Suri delivers a host of interesting characters who each are shown to have a variety of public faces they show the world. Three other key supporting characters are given a lot of time and play a crucial role in what happens to the central pair. The Regent’s wife Bhumika is a seemingly loyal wife of Ahiranyan royalty who accepts her husband’s role and duty to supress rebellion. She carries his child and just continues to create a household of the poor and disaffected as charity, but we soon see she is also protecting her country’s legacy and is a constant source of conflict with Priya over following orders. Priya also finds herself running up against Ashok the revel leader who has gone to desperate measures to find a way to fight. His tale is one of the classic debates – how far can you push back before your own tactics hurt the people you want to protect? Knowing the cruelty of the empire we may find his own tactics equally painful to watch and yet despite this violence and desire to act we see signs of a man who wasn’t always this way and for whom the world has made him have to give up his better natures. Lastly hiding in the brothels and pleasure places of the city we have Rao a man seemingly just after seeking fun who is very keen to now if Malini is alive and can be rescued – he hides many secrets and shows that not every member of the Empire thinks the Emperor is infallible. Suri gives each supporting character depth and personality that makes them come alive – some we meet only for a few scenes but tells you so much about this world and how it works.

The storytelling and quality of the prose are also huge attractions I need to point you towards. A lot of this story is happening in a world of intrigue where people have to hide their true natures so there is a lot of scheming and hidden agendas to initially uncover but as the story heats up we move into scenes of magic, fighting and revelations about the characters we meet. It’s like watching a giant mechanism slowly whir with power and then come to full life and the pacing for me is spot on pulling you into the story and yet explaining the secrets in a measured way without having to infodump on the reader. The other delight is Suri’s prose as we move from scenes of action, intrigue, body horror and romance seamlessly truly pushing the epic nature of the story taking us from palaces to back streets, brothels to broken magical temples and a sense of a whole magical world hiding underneath the reality awaiting reawakening. Suri captures both the atmosphere of these places and the spirit of characters perfectly and reading the pages to soak up the use of language was a joy.

Compared to Suri’s duology The Books of Ambha this is very much a larger series with even more characters and lands to explore but still carries their hallmark ability to deliver characters you want to know and a world that is never simple black and white but about competing approaches to fifth back against evil. This is a startlingly great piece of fantasy that hints by the end that the main act of war is soon to start in earnest and I am so so ready to find out what happens next. This is going to be one of the novels of the year, so I strongly urge you to get your hands on it as soon as possible

This book is truly a treasure! I thoroughly enjoy every aspect of it. The sapphic romance warms my soul.

I've a lot of feelings and I'm not sure where to start. What I can say for sure is that all the raving reviews it got are not exaggerating one bit. It's an absolutely brilliant piece of epic fantasy and whenever I picked it up I found it so so hard to stop again, even if it was like 2am and I had work in the morning.

I wasn't really sure what to expect from it except wlw, an Indian-inspired universe, and something like enemies-to-lovers but not quite? I'm still not sure how I'd describe the plot but it exceeded all my expectations.

The main characters (the women, I mean) are both relatable and flawed, realistic people, who've been hurt by what they've been put through and have to put the pieces of themselves back together. The men, and especially Chandra and Ashok, the main heroines' brothers, are deeply flawed but in a cruel and unusual way, which makes for great antagonists. Ashok at least has some deep trauma and reasons for acting that way, but he's never given a pass, which I really appreciated. But you also get to see the baseless cruelty of some people, out of fanaticism or just plain hatred, in Chandra, and I thought that was just right too. Yes, some villains have their own story and redeeming qualities, but some really are just horrible people, and that is that.

This is also a book about patriarchal oppression and colonialism, and in that way it hit all the right notes for me as well. Following the stories of three women who've all been deeply wounded by the empire felt right, and the difficult positions everyone had to take at one point or another, while not necessarily moral, felt just within the circumstances they'd been dealt.

The prose is amazingly good, and I was 100% invested the whole time, whatever was happening. There's not a boring moment in the whole book! But I think my favourite part was trying to guess at Malini's intentions and what she would do next.

As the book grows towards its ending, I kept thinking we'd reached the climax, only for the next chapter to hit an even higher note! I'm quite impressed at how tightly plotted the whole thing is, and how all the cards lay just right at the end. True craftwomanship! Makes me super excited for the next one!

Content warnings: violence, burning, forced drug taking, gore.

I really enjoyed Tasha Suri’s Empire of Sand, and the lead up to this book had me so excited due to morally grey characters and sapphic love. Also, plant magic was mentioned and that’s slowly becoming one of my favourite types of magic! In The Jasmine Throne, it’s mostly seen as a curse as many begin to suffer symptoms from “the rot” where parts of them start to turn into plants. It sounds like a gruesome way to die but the descriptions make it seem so beautiful at the same time.

So, our two main characters really are Priya (a maidservant with a glorious secret) and Malini (a princess who’s been locked away). The story itself is told from several points of view though and although that’s something I sometimes struggle with, there was no denying that each character had their own voice, ensuring it was easy to follow throughout.

The ongoing theme with the female characters is they pretty much always appear to be meek, but that’s generally just a front for them all to protect them. The world created by Tasha is pretty much a man’s world where females are seen as something to be scared of in a way. They’re burned as a way of “ascending” but it just comes across as men being terrified of them being more powerful.

Tasha Suri’s overall world-building is fantastic, as always. Her descriptions of the world are so detailed and I especially loved how she described the Hirana and how it reacted to those who belong to it. Without giving too much away, Priya is one of these people and she’s able to travel around the Hirana safely due to that (whereas it’s basically a deathtrap for the majority).

Malini is imprisoned in the Hirana because, as we find out very early, she didn’t want to burn. She’s kept practically in isolation and there is a woman who it basically seems is just there to convince her to burn, or just slowly kill her, as ya do.

But Priya is a part of the group of maidservants tasked with cleaning the area and preparing food whilst Malini sleeps. One thing leads to another and Malini catches sight of her… but again I don’t want to give too much away. Priya’s character though is just so sweet on the whole, she does all she can to protect those around her that she loves and it’s plain to see that throughout the story. The first sight we even get of her is her going into the city to buy sacred wood to protect children who are suffering with the rot.

“Power can be looking after people. Keeping them safe, instead of putting them into danger.”
There is so much happening in this cruel world behind the scenes though, including political plays and rebels wanting to restore Ahiranya to its former glory from before the Parijati took hold of the land. We’re also treated to flashbacks throughout which delve into the characters’ pasts and really flesh them out, helping us to see how they are the way they are.

I loved Malini’s character, even though she suffered so much she stayed strong and true to her cause throughout, and I really admired how she was willing to do whatever it took. She was cunning throughout and such a great match for Priya, she could see that Priya was more than just a maidservant from their first encounter.

Watching them yearn for each other whilst constantly trying to deny it to themselves was another golden gem in this story. They can’t trust each other, they shouldn’t care for each other, yet… they’re still a perfect match. Two dangerous women who complete each other.

This was more than simple fascination. This was attraction and it was… not remotely convenient.
Another character I definitely admired was Bhumika. Married to the regent (a Parijati) but of Ahiranyi nobility, she carries his child but is well aware that he is still her enemy. The conflicting emotions she feels are easy to see and yet, no matter what, she puts her family and home first every time.

Bhumika was all falsehood: meek to the world, fire in her heart.
Overall I just loved this story, it was rich in Indian-inspired fantasy world-building which made it both a different and utterly beautiful read. I’d recommend this to anyone but especially if you love stories with morally grey characters and essentially fighting for freedom. Found family is another lovely aspect to this story, but I feel like if I delved into that I might give a little too much away. I’ll definitely be reading the next book to see what happens to the characters!

This was so much more than I expected. A deep and vivid world with amazing magic and some are really well-done character relationships! While there wasn't a TON of romance there was a small one and I loved that!
I also loved the badass pregnant character we got in this book, that is NOT something we see often in fantasy and I thought it was so well done.
The ending wrapped up really well, it left me wanting a sequel but not DYING for it because of a cliffhanger.

The Jasmine Throne is a multiple POV LGBTQ+ fantasy story set in a world inspired by the Indian culture. It tells the story of a people who have been oppressed and a magic system that is on the brink of being forgotten and lost. The story primarily follows Priya and Malini who are from two very different faiths and backgrounds. Priya is a maidservant who harbors a secret that both puts her in a position of power as well as great danger. Malini is the sister of the Emperor who defies the female role in cleverly disguised ways that make her a formidable opponent.
These two women are at odds with the world as a casualty of their gender and they find ways to be strong and brave in a way that can only be described as empowering in a world set against them. I particularly appreciated that their strength did not come from the magic system this world introduces but rather, the magic system simply accents the strength and resolve that was already inside of them. I fell in love with these characters among all the others introduced including Bhumika and Ashok, as they each represent different parts of humanity and what it will do to survive injustice; the good, the bad, and the ugly.
First and foremost, this is a story about family, loss, love, and loyalty. This is a story about what you will do to protect what is yours and what you love. It is about how far you are willing to harm others, sacrifice, and forgive.
The politics of war are addressed in a very realistic form, depicting the morally gray decisions that have to be made and the casualties that come of it. Suri does a wonderful job of showing the different ways that power or the threat of power over a kingdom could affect a monarch. You find yourself seeing reason behind horrific decisions and sympathizing with the leaders put in the position to make those decisions.
This book made me picture beautiful forests and colorful garments, in particular, it made me appreciate the Indian culture woven into the world. I could almost smell the food and spices as they were described. This story provides representation of Indian culture in a genre that mainstream publications typically lack and I for one could not be more appreciative of how well it was delivered.

This was a fantastic story, the perfect amount of world building and forward progress. It kept me interested the entire time despite switching POVs frequently. The romance was a subplot and complimented the storyline nicely. The nature based magic reminded me a lot of Uprooted but the story and setting were quite unique. I could tell there were several setups for the following books and I’ll definitely pick them up once they are released. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me this ARC.

The Jasmine Throne was a complex political fantasy that will keep readers rapidly flipping pages.

Princess Malini’s older brother took to the throne and demanded purity of its citizens – purity by burning women on the pyre. When Malini refused to meet her horrific fate, her brother sent her away to an abandoned temple as punishment. There, Malini met handmaiden Priya who had powers that weren’t supposed to exist. Through their tenuous friendship, Priya and Malini both sought to free their countries from a dictator bent on burning them all.

While in theory, The Jasmine Throne is Priya and Malini’s story, Tasha Suri connected stories from other characters who were important in the story’s progression. The varying perspectives kept The Jasmine Throne engaging and helped the reader paint a better picture of the world and warring peoples. The romance was slow-burn and realistic as the two didn’t fully trust each other’s motivations; I look forward to seeing how they come together in the second book. My only criticism was that The Jasmine Throne was a smidge too long and the villain’s ending didn’t quite meet my expectations.

I am excited for the success The Jasmine Throne will undoubtedly have; it’s time for me to read Suri’s backlist.

⭐️⭐️

I DNF-ed The Jasmine Throne at 84%. I couldn’t keep going any longer. I think this had a lot of potential, and I really wanted to love a WLW adult fantasy novel with such a world as this one. Unfortunately, the connection between Priya and Malini never felt authentic, and I struggled to understand the significance of all the multiple POVs.

There were also several conflicts building, and at 84%, I still didn’t understand where the trajectory was heading.