I was so excited for this book - morally gray sapphic women! But I had to stop.

TRIGGER WARNING: TRYPOPHOBIA!!

The early chapters of this book feature very heavily a disease called "the Rot" that is basically... plants growing out of people's skin. This is a major trypophobia trigger for me which makes me physically ill and I wanted to warn anyone else who might want to steer clear. I couldn't find any mention of it in the reviews nor any trigger warnings for the book.

I don't know if it will continue but my hunch is that it will, since there is so much focus on how mysterious this disease is at the beginning.

I will say that the writing was beautiful and the characters already interesting and if I was able to continue I would.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit books for providing an e-arc for review.

Another powerhouse start to a series from Tasha Suri. I am so excited to see where this trilogy goes next.

A lush, vibrant and beautifully realized world that draws you in completely with Priya and Malini's story. These women who are continually told they are monsters and only can be redeemed by burning, choose to embrace their power and will not stand by while men choose their fates. The world of Parijatdvipa is full of magic, the shifting alliances of nation-states and characters whose experiences and actions make it feel so incredibly real. Priya is a maidservant and member of the Ahiranya, who possesses forbidden magical abilities that the current Emperor tried to wipe out. She works not only to help her people but keep her abilities hidden from others. When the Emperor's sister, Malini, is brought to the Hirana temple to be kept prisoner until her brother sacrifices her, Priya is one of the maidservants brought in to serve Malini. While in the temple, Malini learns of Priya's abilities and the two are brought together to not only escape the Emperor's judgment, but they also begin a relationship with far reaching consequences.
The world building in this novel is so wonderful. The history of Parijatdvipa, the yaksa and the Age of Flowers along with the magic system of the deathless waters and the powers that Priya has make this an immersive read. The descriptions of the forest, its plants, flowers and the rot along with Priya's growing abilities to manipulate the earth are wonderfully written. The characters feel real, full of passion, flaws and divided loyalties. Priya's relationships with those around her, especially her brother are filled with such conflicting emotions and choices that affect so many others. I really liked Rao, his steadfastness and the way that their true names are also prophecies that cannot be spoken of until the right moment All of the different religions, city-states, along with the stratification of society really makes this such a complete world that highlights the history and epic stories of India. If you like epic fantasy worlds with complex, morally gray, badass women who will do what is necessary to claim their power then this book should definitely be on your list to read!! I am so looking forward to the next book in this series!!

Thank you Orbit Books and Netgalley for an advanced copy of The Jasmine Throne in exchange for an honest review!

Rating: 3.75/5

The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri was one of the most fascinating literary worlds I’ve ever gotten to experience. The amount of realism combined with the fantastical elements made reading it immersive and made the stakes feel even higher.

The main leads of this story are two strong women, who you wouldn’t necessarily root for right off the bat because both are not the typical fearlessly brave, likable, and relatable characters. In this world we have Priya, a maidservant, who is assigned to work for princess Malini where she is being held captive. Malini finds herself in desperate need of someone she can confide in, in hopes she can escape the holds of her vindictive emperor of a brother and strip him of his rule. Priya, who has powers confined deeply within herself, just might be the answer to all of Malini’s prayers. But Priya is also fighting her own battle with her temple brother when she learns just how far he’d go to see his people freed.

I found myself deeply submerged into the world-building, the character introductions, and the plot with an action-packed beginning. But the story sadly dragged on from there. There were too many POV changes, and I was lost within the plot. It’s understandable to want to build intrigue with some aspects in fantasy stories, but I felt as if things revealed themselves way too late in the book, leaving me confused until about 75% of the way through. The romance also fell flat and seemed like it was one out of convenience (maybe that was what the author was going for) and it didn’t leave me hopeful for their future. However, Malini and Priya are two fiercely devoted women who will do anything, whether morally correct or not, to protect their people.

Overall, I loved the magical elements, the world-building, and the political themes that could very well be pulled from our own profoundly misogynistic society. I can’t wait to read the sequel!

such a beautiful book, i loved it so much. i'm not usually a fan of multiple POV books but this was done so well and i have no complaints. definitely a new favourite book, thank you to netgalley for providing me with an arc

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

The Jasmine Throne follows Priya, a maidservant full of secrets, and Malini, a princess fallen from grace. When circumstances cause their paths to cross, they realize they can help each other as the region turns towards war. Set in a lush world inspired by Indian history and populated by yaksa, magic, and gods, The Jasmine Throne is a promising start to a new series.

I loved this book so much! Definitely one of my new favorite fantasy series, and I can't wait for more. The worldbuilding is so unique and lush, and while it can be a bit hard to keep track of at first, I completely fell into it after a few chapters. The way the politics of conquerer and conquered played out between the different nations, the subtle ways the characters felt about each other based where they were from was *chef's kiss.*

The two main characters, Priya and Malini, definitely led the story. Both are morally gray and willing to do whatever it takes to meet their goals, different as it may be. The romance was extremely slow burn but so worth it. While the romance was important, it still never overwhelmed the main storyline which I appreciated because even as two separate characters, they're still incredibly compelling.

The writing was beautiful, and the plot so tightly woven I couldn't put the book down. The multiple povs were never overwhelming, with each voice adding to the story instead of muddling it. Overall, absolutely amazing and I need to next book more than air.

Thanks to Netgalley for giving me a free eARC of this book in exchange for a review!

I enjoyed this a lot and am excited for what comes next! It's a very sprawling wide-reaching fantasy which works very well for it. The other day I saw an author asking for people's definitions of "epic fantasy," and some common threads were like, deep worldbuilding, many characters with different motivations, high stakes, magic. This book definitely has all of those qualities and hits a ton of the related buttons for me.

This book takes place in the conquered region of Ahiranya, governed now by the increasingly-oppressive Parijatvipan Empire-- and it follows Priya, an Ahiranyi maidservant with Secret Ties to the region's mystical nature magic in her past; along with Malini, a Parijati princess imprisoned and exiled by the emperor for her rejection of his rule.

Some of the parts of this book I thought were just extremely good aesthetically-- the magical disease that causes plants to grow in your body, the you know, Earth Magic about controlling the trees plants and vines, the magical temple that changes in response to its inhabitants.

The book is also pretty deeply about, you know, Empire, being a member of a conquered people, what it means to have power in any situation. I'm very reminded of a conversation that takes place in A Desolation Called Peace- 'when someone's culture and way of life are so fully consuming your own, you can't ever work with that person in benefit of that culture in an uncomplicated, uninfluenced way.'

I might also compare this to City of Brass, both in their epic-fantasy sprawling-world types of books, and also in the way that both books draw deeply from folklore and culture and build it into fantasy. I see also that S.A. Chakraborthy has blurbed this book so like, maybe she agrees haha

Oh and finally I think that sometimes books are touted as Big Feminist Works when what that descriptor often means is like, "contains a woman" but I enjoyed that aspect of this book a lot, like both of these main characters are women in a world where women are Quite oppressed, burned for being impure, banned from ruling, that type of thing, and the book ends up following like four different women who end up <spoiler>all as rulers in their own rights</spoiler>. It doesn't linger much on "these are WOMEN isn't that CRAZY" but if you're looking at it. It IS crazy and that's cool

In conclusion: definitely recommend! Would advise preordering this and picking up from your local bookstore on 6/10.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Book for giving me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I haven't read a political fantasy epic like this in a long time, and I'm so glad this is the book I read to get me back into the genre. The unobtrusive exposition and world building quickly drew me in. I felt as if the story gripped me from the first page and wouldn't let me go. As with many sprawling fantasy novels, there were a few times when I felt overwhelmed by the sheer number of new place names, character names, perspective switches, and religions I needed to keep track of. However, overall I feel that the author did a really good job of creating gigantic scope without making the reader feel lost.

My favorite elements were the magical and religious aspects of the book. I loved how the nature magic was portrayed as both a curse in the form of the rot, a disease that spreads from blighted crops to human beings, and a blessing given to humans by their deities. The nature magic combined with the ongoing water and fire imagery throughout the novel was extremely effective. The different theological discussions throughout the book, some linked to the magic system and some not, fascinated me, and I loved learning about how different religions explained various events and phenomena.

Speaking of fire and water imagery, I adored the two main characters. Malini representing the power of fire and her insistence that she not be burned on anyone else's pyre, combined with Priya representing the quenching and yet unforgiving nature of water made them a fascinating couple. I often found myself wishing I could skip through other characters' perspective chapters just so I could get to spend more time with Malini and Priya.

The themes of oppression, colonialism, revolution, and how to wield power ethically were extremely poignant. The descriptions of the empire's atrocities are particularly gruesome, so be aware of that if you are a squeamish reader. The ongoing theme of women battering against a sexist system that wants to see them destroyed or kept meek and submissive, then taking their power by force anyway, was so well done in a way that felt like a truly hard won victory. I wanted to cheer on the characters all the way.

All in all, I would really recommend this book if you love sprawling political fantasy. I absolutely plan on following this series as it comes out.

If you like S.A. Chakraborty and Melissa Caruso, add The Jasmine Throne to your TBR list. Set in a lush, India-inspired world, I was entranced from page 1 of Priya and Malini's journey.

I will freely admit I was intimidated by the chapter count going into this (appx 70, physical page count is 600, I had a digital arc), but this was so enthralling that I blazed through it quicker than I was expecting. This is the first book in a trilogy, and, at times, you can tell that Suri is setting up plots to pay off not just in this book (though the main plot and conflict of this installment is resolved!), but in the books to come. There’s a lot of separate plot threads that wind up intertwining beautifully, and the political and fantasy elements end up beautifully feeding into each other, especially in looking at cultural and religious repression in response to occupation and rebellion. There are lots of characters, and you’ll be able to keep track of them all, but our lesbian leads are some of the most exquisitely morally grey women I’ve read in a while. That said, it is very easy to tell who the big bads are morally. I’m very much looking forward to the other two books in this series, and would highly recommend this for a summer read.

This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this ❤️ Priya was a badass from the get go who never gives up. As a heroine, she was awesome, she was strong, compassionate, caring and FIERCE! I loved following all the characters and how their lives intertwined however it there were some chapters from random characters I felt were unnecessary, they could have been told from another’s point of view and had the same effect. It was wonderful watching Priya and Malini’s friendship grow and bloom, it was both heartbreaking and beautiful. Overall I loved this story, I do wish the rot had been more explained as well as more about the temple children but I truly enjoyed this story so much!

Jasmine Throne has all the right ingredients (Indian inspired world, unique fantasy elements, and fiercely diverse characters) but it didn't fully grip me.

The first few chapters really pulled me in with the subtly layered mythology and religions of this new world, but as the story progressed, I feel like the uniqueness of the tale started to fade into a more common tale of a rebellion wanting to overthrown a corrupt ruler.

I know that this book will be a hit to a lot of people, and I'm very curious how the story will continue. I can acknowledge that the book is beautifully written and the plot is solid, but it personally didn't impact me as much as I had hoped it would.

TL;DR

The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri exceeded all my expectations. Its politics, setting, characters, and magic all hit the right notes for me. This book about power, resistance, and the cost of being a ruler is magnificent fantasy. Highly recommended for fantasy fans.

Review: The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri

One of the things I’d like to do better as a reviewer is to stay on top of book releases. Thomas over at SFF180 has great videos about SFF books that are coming out; I want to be as knowledgeable about new releases as he is. I’d like to maintain a look ahead for books that I want to read and review. Generally, I’m too busy for this, but I did prepare for the first half of 2021, and one of the books that I knew I wanted was The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri. I wanted to read Empire of Sand but never got around to it. (I still want to read it.) So, when I saw the start to a new series was coming out this year, I knew I had to read it, and the good folks at Orbit granted my request. In fact, I reached out to Orbit to ask for a review copy which I rarely do. For a while now, I’ve had high hopes for this book. I’m glad to say that The Jasmine Throne lived up to and surpassed all my expectations. This book had everything I want in a fantasy novel.

The Jasmine Throne starts off in the imperial court in the Emperor’s point of view. He’s watching preparations for the ritual burning of women, including his own sister. This sets the tone for the book. What follows is brutal, harsh, and yet lovely. The Emperor frames the story, but other than that, he doesn’t appear much except in other’s opinions or memories. The main characters are Priya and Malina. Priya is an Ahiranyi maidservant in the household of the regent of Ahiranya. Malina is the emperor’s sister and captive, banished from court to the ruins of a temple in Ahiranya. But, as one would expect, there’s more to each woman than their meager beginnings. Malina is isolated in the ruins with only her Parijati caretaker to interact with. Guards and servants are forbidden to talk to her, and the caretaker keeps her pliable by drugging her. In order to care for Malina, her guards, and her caretaker, servants are allowed in the temple ruins. Priya joins these servants to make a little more money and to pursue her own search within the temple. Malina and Priya’s paths cross, and the princess manipulates the situation to get Priya assigned to her. Thus begins a fraught alliance upon which resistance, in many forms, rests.

This is the opening novel in the Burning Kingdoms series. It’s a secondary world fantasy that draws from and blends together the cultures of India. Magic, politics, romance, and religion all blend into an excellent narrative. Suri drops the reader into the action with little explanation. She trusts that the reader is smart enough to pick up her world as they read. Part of what I liked about this novel was learning how the world works. I’m looking forward to exploring more of it in future books.

In particular, I like how the magic tied into the religion. I wonder if the magic came first, and their religion built around it, or if the religion came first, and the magic derives from the religion. For this novel, we primarily see the magic of the Ahiranya, but there are hints of other magic in the prophecies of the nameless. I think in future novels we’ll see magic from other cultures.

Priya

Priya is a temple child who escaped the empire’s purge of the Ahiranyi religion to become a beggar that is eventually taken in by the regent’s wife. Priya doesn’t remember much of temple life, but she can’t forget her days as a beggar child. This leads her to care for the orphans of Ahiranya. Priya has a good heart that she somehow maintains in this brutal world, and it makes her all the more special for it. A lot of this novel follows Priya trying to figure out how to remain herself in her changing circumstances. How does she keep such a good heart when her heart keeps getting hurt?

Priya isn’t the only temple child who survived the purge, but she’s the only one back in the ruins. As a servant to Malina, Priya learns that the princess is being poisoned with needle-flower – think opium – to the point where she’ll die. It’s never clear if the poisoning was due to negligence or at her brother’s instruction. It doesn’t much matter as the outcome would be the same. We see Priya use her station as a servant to play upon expectations and biases of the noble caretaker to save Malina’s life. Priya balances caring for the princess while at the same time searching the Hirana for a key part of her past.

Malina

Malina, the princess of Parijat, failed her brother the emperor because she refused to be burned alive. For her punishment, she’s drugged and exiled. When we meet her, she’s struggling just to stay alive. Malina is complicated if I may commit an understatement. She grew into my favorite character by the end. During the book, I’m rooting for Priya more, but I like Malina better. I feel like I understand Malina more than Priya because Malina is a political person. More than that, she’s a political genius even though it cost her friends and nearly costs her life. Also, her goals are clear from the start. Survive, escape if she can, topple the emperor if possible. Priya’s goals change until she gets to work in the Hirana, the temple. So, she felt a bit inconsistent for a while. Malina, on the other hand, was consistent throughout the whole book. She knows what she wants, and she plays the hand that’s dealt her. Malina possessed the ability to see things as they are. It would be easy for a person in her situation to wish or hope or pray for better. But, often, wishing for better is a way of not dealing with reality. She does none of these because she is clear eyed about her reality. She knows what’s going on, and rather than hoping for better, she adjusts and works to improve her situation in any way she can.

Malina possesses that great quality of politicians that is winning people over. She can inspire; she can draw people to her; she can convince others to her cause. Her backstory explains this perfectly. Too often, characters are political because they’re supposed to be political. But Suri shows us enough of Malina’s childhood to explain how she became as skilled a politician as she is. Basically, I love Malina even at her most monstrous.

The Politics of Power

Not only does The Jasmine Throne have interesting politics; it spends a lot of time musing on what power does to people. For the emperor, power allows him to indulge in his cruelty. For Priya’s employer, Bhumika, power brings with it a chance to preserve her nation and culture while compromising with a husband, the regent, in more ways than she bargained for. For the head of the resistance, power comes with a death sentence unless he can find more power.

The best exploration of cost of power is between Priya and Malina. For Malina, people are tools to be used to further her goals. This even applies to people she loves. She believes that a better future means she has to do monstrous things, to make awful choices, and exact terrible sacrifices. She knows the cost and yet still strides forward into the actions. When it comes to Priya, she can’t help but use her. She doesn’t want to, but she does. Interestingly, Malina is completely honest with Priya, but because of how Malina uses her, Priya can’t trust that. Watching this interpersonal balancing act of being human while being powerful was great. For now, their goals align. What happens when they oppose each other? That will be an interesting question.

Politicizing Religion

Religion is a big part of this book, but it’s a bit different than how I think of religion. Religion here is part history as figures that each culture venerates walked among them in the past. But as this is fantasy, there’s more to it than just history. Each culture’s religion plays a big part of their politics as well. In fact, Malina’s older brother gave up the Imperial throne in order to become a priest. The current emperor uses his religion as proof that his culture and people are superior to others. The head of the resistance uses temple artifacts in recruiting and in fighting. In this society, politics and religion are inseparable, and Suri gets it right. It reminded me of how Christianity is so baked into U.S. politics; yet, many people can’t recognize that it is. The head of the resistance seeks to preserve Ahiranyi culture through what he learned at the temple. Poets of Ahiranyi recite outlawed verse about the yaksa (their gods?) in order to teach and to keep their culture alive. Religion doesn’t drive the politics here. Freedom, national and cultural agency, and equality do. But it influences the methods through which those goals are achieved.

Conclusion

Tasha Suri’s The Jasmine Throne delivers everything I want in a fantasy novel. Whether politics, magic, culture, romance, or scenery, this novel knocks it out of the park. But as I finished reading, it was Priya and Malina that stayed with me. These two women have been through tough ordeals, and I can’t wait to see what they’ll go through in the sequels.

The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri is available from Orbit Books on June 8th, 2021.

3.5 stars rounded down *may change

Alright, finally read this book just a little before its release! Phew.

The idea of a lesbian Indian-inspired-world adult fantasy was something I couldn't pass up on, so here I am (finally). Following the imprisoned princess Malini along with her maidservant Priya (who is, of course, more than just a maidservant), the story takes on an adventure with rebels, a cruel emperor, and so many people abusing their power.

I think, and this may just be me, that this book is more suitable for people who prefer plot over characters. I'm someone who almost exclusively reads via audiobooks, so I often tune out and don't pay attention to the larger plot at hand. The actual story part of a...story...isn't so important to me as the characters and their interactions with each other are, so I didn't really feel a spark with this book because of that. It was just so plot-heavy, I guess? I don't know. I'm usually very good at picking up character work in novels (since it's pretty much all I care about) and I didn't really get that from this. Ahaha, I don't know.

The character work that /was/ there was rather enjoyable though. Priya is someone put into awful circumstances and yet always manages to maintain her kindness and love for her homeland and people. Bhumika, likewise, is put into an unbearable scenario and makes do with what she can against what the world thinks she should do. Rukh was sweet. Malini was...definitely a character!

Speaking of the characters, this is a slow-burn romance with reluctant allies who must help each other to survive as their lives tangle together. I'm not a huge fan of slow-burn myself, but I thought it was a really interesting relationship to watch go down. I think this is the type of book that most certainly has a huge audience; for people who love lesbian works, slow-burn, and plot-heavy books.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an advanced reader's copy.

The Jasmine Throne is the first book in Tasha Suri's new epic fantasy trilogy, The Burning Kingdoms. Suri came onto the SF/F scene with her tremendous Books of Ambha duology (Empire of Sand, Realm of Ash). Those books each featured mixed-race protagonists dealing with the after-effects of colonization and empire, re-discovering their heritages, and dealing with unexpected difficult romance to partners with their own issues. They were really strong books, which made this book one I've been looking forward to even before it started getting serious hype.

And The Jasmine Throne rewards the hype in spades. Once again, this is an epic fantasy story featuring a pair from opposite sides of an Empire, who fall into an uneasy and this time sapphic romance. And once more we deal with themes of power, colonization, and the aftermath thereabout, as we deal with a world with forgotten magic and an Empire ruled by an absolute monster. And the story features a large tremendous cast of characters, all with their own agendas and interests, many of whom struggle with whether seeking the power to obtain their goals makes them monsters....and what will be left of them in the aftermath. It's a hell of a trilogy opener, and well worth your time.
-----------------------------------------------------Plot Summary----------------------------------------------------
As a child Priya was born in the Hirana, the temple sacred to the people of Ahiranya, which was once a prosperous powerful nation before being conquered and subjugated by Parijatdvipa. She had a special connection to the Deathless Waters, the magical waters which only reveal themselves to the right people and the right time, and bear both power....or death to those who try to immerse themselves within. As a Temple-Child, Priya only had time to immerse herself once, to become Once-Born...before tragedy struck and all of her fellow children were burned alive.

Now Priya lives as a handmaiden to the Regent's wife, in a land living in fear of its conquering empire...and suffering from a magical plague called the Rot spreading among its people. And Priya has not only hidden her past, but has actually forgotten the power she once held, little as it was, and convinces herself she has no interest in trying to regain it.

But when Malini, the exiled sister of the despotic and cruel Parijati, is sent to the Hirana for imprisonment, Priya finds herself back in the Temple she grew up in....and begins to feel again her connection to the magic of this place. And when Priya mistakenly reveals her power in Malini's sight, Malini decides she can use Priya to possibly escape her imprisonment and to fight back against her brother.

But Priya is no fool to be easily manipulated, just as Malini is not the weak-minded girl her brother believes her to be. Together, the two could be a force, both politically and romantically...but their very existences threaten to throw off the balance of power in a province beset by not just a cruel emperor and his vassals, but rebels lords and people who remember what once has been, and will risk whatever it takes to regain it.....
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The Jasmine Throne takes place in an fantasy country - Ahiranya - that had once conquered nearly all the continent in a past era, only to now fall conquered before a different continent-wide empire - Parijatdvipa. The people of Ahiranya still remember the old ways, when they were guided supposedly by the Yaksa, mythological beings of great power, and suffer their rule unevenly, especially after the fire consumed the Temple Children in the Hirana. Some people attempt to make their lives work in the present - guiding their people to the future, others try to stoke memories of the past and potential rebellion through poetry, and of course a few live in outright rebellion, willing to do whatever it takes, even if it kills them, to fight back to restore what they had in the past. Meanwhile people from the rest of the Parijati Empire don't see any of this, instead falling for the reputation of Ahiranya as a place known for its pleasure houses.

In all of this the story is told through the perspectives of a number of characters, most prominently our two main protagonists, Priya and Malini. But we get significant chapters from other points of view, such as Ashok - Priya's "brother" as a temple child who leads the vicious rebellion willing to put Ahiranya to flame in a fight for freedom, no matter how impossible or impractical such freedom would be in the modern world - and Bhumika, the empire's regent's wife who was secretly also a temple child, and whose vision of a future for Ahiranya requires a more delicate touch, as one cannot simply go back to the time it didn't depend or interact with its neighbors....even if that touch means temporarily or permanently collaborating with their conquerors, because to try and get rid of them entirely is now impossible. These two characters in particular (and there's one other major point of view character, but he's less interesting) and their fight for what only Priya (and Malini to a lesser extent) can give really provides a fascinating look at Empire, Colonization and the aftermaths, and what possibilities there are going forward.

But the heart of this book are Priya and Malini. Priya is a girl traumatized by what happened in her past, the burning of her fellow Temple Children, and who finds herself torn between both Bhumika and Ahiranya's visions....and her own simple desire for the power she was once supposed to have as a child. And she's also torn by the need to help others...and the idea that her own power may be monstrous at its root, such that she might have truly deserved to die with the other temple children. And then there's Malini, who may be almost helpless to start, but is a cunning and seemingly ruthless manipulator willing to do anything - if there is anything - to unseat her cruel brother from the throne. Malini is aware she is a monster* - or at least believes that she is - with how she manipulates others, and part of the relationship between her and Priya that is so difficult is that Priya can so quickly see how Malini is trying to use her. But with the monstrous acts of her brother the Emperor, Malini sees no other way forward but to act monstrously. These two protagonists struggle for their own desires and for what they've each lost, and for whether they have to truly become what their enemies and others truly see of them, monsters in how they grab power instead of accepting the meek roles they are supposed to accept.

*This book calls to mind the similar in some ways but very different in others romance of CL Clark's The Unbroken, also featuring a colonizer princess and a colonized person, but this is a key difference here: whereas The Unbroken's princess was also privileged enough to not fully empathize or realize the plight of those conquered, she thought of herself as good, whereas Malini believes herself to be no such thing.*

Again these characters lead a tremendous plot that touches a ton of other characters, features some magical fantasy elements that aren't fully dealt with here but are clearly going in some strong and dangerous directions, and will have implications for all of the territories in the Empire by the end. It's a hell of a ride, and one that I couldn't help devouring incredibly quickly. Easily a highlight of the year so far.

Thank you to Orbit Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book.

The Jasmine Throne is the first installment in a new Fantasy series by Tasha Suri- great for fans of S.A. Chakraborty and Roshani Chokshi!

The book follows the intertwined quests of two unlikely allies: a captive princess and a maidservent. Inspired by Indian history and myth, this novel is an action-packed fantasy, where romance, betrayal, and adventure blossom within a cruel, divided empire.

Likes:
- Strong women representation! This book is full of witty and resourceful women. While many moments of bravery and strength happen in secret due to their empire’s societal/historical norms, there are also public displays of mental, physical, and emotional strength.
- LGBT+ (sapphic) representation! The romance in the novel is organic, and it is rooted in reality even within a vast, magical/fantastical world. It is nuanced and expertly paced- not exactly an enemies-to-lovers, but definitely reminiscent of it.
- Moral ambiguity. This book is a beautiful exploration of morality; there is no definitive good or evil. The characters act in accordance with their values to a certain extent, but for the most part, everyone is simply trying to survive. Suri explores what people are and aren’t willing to do in the most desperate of circumstances, and it’s engrossing to discover what matters most to each character.

Dislikes:
- There are a LOT of points-of-view (POVs). My dislike for this comes not from the number of POVs but from the choice of certain POVs. I tend to associate POVs with main characters, who the reader gets to know over the course of the novel. But there are some POVs in the book that seem random or unnecessary because they exist for a single chapter and never make an appearance again. These occurrences seem like missed opportunities to better understand a principle character.

Overall, The Jasmine Throne is a stunning first installment in a new series, and readers will eagerly await its sequel.

4.0/5.0

I am going to update this review in a few days, but I am already THIS confident, and I'm not even done yet.

Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit books for a copy!

For starters, please do yourself a favor and preorder this book. Every moment that I'm not reading this book, I'm thinking about reading this book.

The Jasmine Throne is about Priya, a maidservant, and Malini, an imprisoned princess, who encounter each other in a (haunted?) temple and must lean on one another despite not fully trusting one another (and quite possibly falling in love/lust with each other).

What's unique about this book is that while these two are definitely main characters and the *primary* perspective characters, Suri includes multiple other POVs in the book, which is not something that I commonly see, but which really aids in fleshing out the worldbuilding and giving context to everyone's actions.

This is the perfect blend of politics, religion, worldbuilding, morally grey characters, and distrusting girlfriends. I already know this will be one of my top books of the year, and Suri's writing is incredible. I definitely plan to read her backlist after this novel.

I was absolutely blown away by this book. The plot, the magic system, and the romance are all so seamlessly woven together that I felt like I had stepped into another world. Although I had work and school and other responsibilities... I kept sneaking off just to read more of Priya and Malini's story.

There are so many interesting characters in this book and their wants and needs are fleshed out in a way that feels authentic to each character without feeling heavy handed. Although I didn't like Ashok, I understood why he made the choices he made. Same with Bhumika. Sometimes in books with lots of characters I get annoyed switching between POVs but Tasha Suri pulled this off beautifully. She even made me like most of them by the end.

There is plenty of action and magic in this book as well. As Priya remembers more about her past, we get to learn more about the magic system and the Hirana. I hope that Priya and her magic plays an even bigger role in the next book as seeing her go from a simple maidservant to the courageous thrice-born protector of her people was my favorite part.

3.5 stars

This story starts with a religious sacrificial burning. Three young women have been destined to burn alive in honor of the Mothers of flame, except that one of them, the Emperor’s sister refuses to willingly climb onto the pyre to burn. The Jasmine Throne tells the story of Priya, a servant girl who ends up taking care of Malini, the princess who refused to sacrifice herself on the pyre. The storyline is filled with politics, violence (nothing too explicit), rebellious groups, magic and religious beliefs. There are also other POVs from rebel leaders and ruling lords of Ahiranyi.

Malini is full of conflicting emotions and internal turmoils, which was interesting to read, but the rest of her felt ordinary and I did not connect with her that much. Priya has mysterious magical abilities, and she was definitely more intriguing than Malani. I enjoyed getting to know her and her dark past. Priya and Malini’s chapters were interesting to read, but the other characters had minimal development, and I think I would have preferred this book to have only two POVs because I have to say that I was not particularly interested in the other characters.

It’s hard to further explain the plot of The Jasmine Throne because it honestly feels more like a long prequel. The majority of the book revolves around Malini escaping her prison, Priya’s brother trying to get her to work for him because he needs her magic abilities, and growing discontent and revolutionary ideas among the population. The author is very skilled and writes beautifully, but even so, I have to say that I am overall underwhelmed by this book. There are many great ideas, but I feel that there is still something missing and it prevented me from really getting into this story. Part of it is probably because I had trouble connecting with many characters who had their own chapters, but I think it’s also because of the slow pace and the whole plot that feels more like a setup for the second book than an adventure in itself. The point of this book is to get you ready for the main conflict that is to come in the second book.

The world-building is great and steady. There is a strong Indian influence, and the author does a great job of weaving the Indian culture into her fantasy world. There is no info-dump, but I have to say that since my electronic ARC didn’t have a map yet, it was hard to get a clear picture of the geography and to understand well the politics and tensions at first, but once you’re immersed in the story it all starts to make sense eventually.

The relationship between Priya and Malini is well written and developed enough to be realistic, but still, I did not like their dynamic or romance that much. I thought the whole romance part was lacking and even felt forced sometimes... Honestly, I wish they had just been friends instead. It is a medium burn, so at least there is no insta-love or insta-lust.

I would still recommend this book if you are a fan of Indian-inspired high fantasy with a great world-building, a mix of politics and religion, and a medium burn sapphic romance.

We absolutely loved this Indian-inspired fantasy. It brings together Priya, current maidservant but former "temple child" with mysterious powers, and Malini, disgraced and imprisoned princess. The two form an uneasy alliance that blossoms into something more. Each character is fully developed, a product of her upbringing - both of them raised in relative privilege until violently awakened to the fact of their own powerlessness - and culture. The power play between them is fascinating - Priya is Ahiranyi, a nation that was conquered and is ruled over by Malini's Parijati family; and Malini is a princess. She is a princess without power, however, and she has to use all of her manipulative wiles (and she admits, to herself and to Priya, that she is a master manipulator) to get Priya's help.

In addition to the partnership of Priya and Malini, the book explores themes of subjugation and rebellion and the different ways we justify our actions and emotions. Although this is a long book, the action moved quickly and it never once felt like a slog to read. The world building is fantastic and each viewpoint character (and there are many!) added a helpful perspective. A great read, and we're already looking forward to the next entry in the series!