This book grabbed me by the throat on page one and didn't let go once through the whole story. It's a phenomenal story with truly amazing world-building and characters. I felt so hard for both Malini and Priya, even if their goals were often at odds. Who doesn't love a vengeful, cunning, murderous princess? Or a priestess who will make hard choices and do whatever it takes to break her country free from both the throne oppressing it and also the magical sickness that spreads like wildfire through the population? Add in a slow-burn F/F romance and it's just... *chef kiss*

I loved it, and I can't wait for the next book.

Review for The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri

A huge thank you Orbit for the early copy and the opportunity to read and review it!

Summary:
“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.”


My Thoughts
The Jasmine Throne is a beautiful blend of slow burn, worldbuilding, and magic. This novel sets up a captivating world that I have no doubt Suri will continue to build on in the sequel. Did I mention it’s f/f enemies to lovers too?

We follow Malini as she is sent into exile by her emperor brother, where she kind of wallows in self-pity, as the only company she has is a woman she really doesn’t care about, who may or may not hate her. She is sent to the Hirana, where Priya, a maidservant, comes each night to clean and prepare the space for the next morning. At first glance, Priya is nobody, but as the story continues she may be hiding a powerful secret.

This one hooked me. I was happily going about my day, reading when I had a chance, and then I hit a point around page 70, and my jaw dropped. From that point on I read it as much as I could, because I had to know what was going to happen next. We get multiple perspectives in this book, and while a few I didn’t care for, or understand why they were included, it all came full circle in the end.

I truly loved watching the tensions rise between Malini and Priya, as well as the political tensions and the individual relationships as they all went through their owns seasons. Suri did an amazing job setting up the politics and the relationships to all be balanced so precariously for the sequel.

My favorite part of this book was Priya. I loved her as a character, as a strong woman who fights for what she wants and as someone who takes no shit. Malini grew on me, at first I had my doubts due to how “vicious” she was supposed to be, which we don’t see nearly as much of until closer to the end of the book where it comes out in full force. Both of these characters are pretty morally gray, with a few exceptions, and I loved it. Their common goal is to save the empire from Malini’s brother before it’s too late, and I am so incredibly worried about what might happen in the follow up, but I can’t wait to read it.

I had a few issues with its overall pacing, there were a few lulls which felt oddly placed to me, and some of those random characters chapters felt like they were interrupting the main plot of the story for me. I also wish we had gotten just a bit more of the magic system before the ending of the book. We get snips and pieces and I always wanted there to be just a little bit more, so that we could understand and be more impacted by the climax of the story.

Overall (TLDR)
If you enjoy fantasy with morally gray characters, f/f enemies to lovers, traitors, lots of politics and some very interesting magic, I recommend this to you. This is an Indian inspired word, and Suri’s care to describing the culture for readers to fully immerse themselves in does not go unnoticed! I really enjoyed it

Thanks again to Orbit for the early copy!

Utterly magnificent. Suri has a way of creating a magical world that seems as if it could be completely real. I already cannot wait for the story to continue.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an EBook Arc of this book.

The Jasmine Throne is set on our main character, Priya, who is a maid servant. We see her story spiral throughout in a whirlwind of moments.

This book was one of the first I’ve read from Suri, so I was excited to see something from a Desi author. The setting of the book is set in India, which I found compelling, since it is an India where there is magic and something harming citizens called the rot. With the fantasy and magical elements, I found it to be thrilling. I do wish there was more of it, to see it in action, in a way.

The overall pace of this book was very slow, which was a problem with me and why I took so long to complete it. The politics from the world was very interesting to see play out, but at times I felt like it dragged. However, I can see why since it was dire to the plot and eventual world building.

I enjoyed how the book picked up in the second half, and we really see action occurring in this sequence. Despite the fact I couldn’t connect much with the characters, I liked the intrigue with seeing what they would do next and how the story would play out. From me, this gets an overall 3.5 stars and hope the sequel will give more insight to the world and how the events that happened will play out.

Thanks to NetGalley & Orbit Books for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

Priya & Malini's chapters were definitely the biggest highlights of the book, their relationship slowly developing and their chemistry was fantastic.

I honestly would've been happier with just the book focusing on the two...I wasn't always a fan of the chapters from other POVs. Bhumika wasn't that bad but I thought her philosophy was frustrating to read and I just wanted to get back to Priya or Malini. Ashok was kinda interesting but also pretty...low on the morality scale so it was also hard reading his chapters.

It started getting really fast at 50% of the way in but I started getting a bit bored for some reason. Probably just me.

Despite my issues, the worldbuilding was incredible and the magic system SO awesome. Plant magic ftw. I'll definitely keep an eye out for the next book by a talented author!

*Spoiler free*

I had seen this book around, and I knew it would be one that I would want to try eventually, but I wasn't sure when that would be. But, I started seeing so much love for this book online, and the thought of a high fantasy featuring morally gray lesbians made this book one that I desperately wanted to read. Trigger warnings

This book reads like a flower blooming, something fresh and new emerging from the dirt. And it is scorched along the edges, smoke filled lungs and the heat of fire still acutely remembered.

This is a brilliant, spectacular book. One that left me in awe at how it as crafted and absolutely everything that this story did.

They way the world is set up made it seem so infinitely vast, yet so contained at the same time. The scope of the entire kingdom is shone, but it is not traveled across yet. There is so much to learn about the world, but hidden corners are tucked away. Politics that are manipulated with a whisper, and deception that takes the form of a smile and a perfected stance. Really, this world is expertly crafted. There is just so much there, and the way that Suri is able to tie so many threads together, and connect so many storylines, is amazing.

The characters were another big highlight for me. Most of them are edging on monstrous, waiting for the shove that pushes them off the seemingly inevitable cliff. I loved them all. There are many POVs, and I loved pretty much all of them. Everybody is fighting for something different, they all have different battles. The way they ache and yearn and feel, just, so much brilliance about it.

One thing I loved most about this book was the nature based body horror/nature based magic. I think I'm just a sucker for anything that is even remotely creepy nature like. And this book does creepy nature spectacularly. The whole magic system in this book as brilliant, the way it ties in with faith and fate, and how each character uses it differently.

This book also gets bloody, a lot. It doesn't do it for shock value, though. There is violence in this world, and the characters have to face it.

And the writing, the writing was so, so fantastic. It made everything seem so vivid, to the settings, to the characters, to the emotions that seep through every single world. It is a beautifully written book, and even single lines carry an incredible amount of weight. Just, it was brilliant.

Overall, this was fantastic, fantastic book. It is the start of a high fantasy trilogy, a boy oh boy does it set up something amazing. It doesn't feel like a set up book though! It has it's own trials and growth and the characters have much to face. It's an amazing book.

Princess Malini finds herself banished to the Hirana, a once-powerful temple, now a decaying ruin after refusing to bow down to her dictator brother. With each passing day, she grows sick, waiting for the opportunity to be free finally. When Priya agrees to be one of the very few who make the treacherous journey to and from the Hirana to attend to Malini, she doesn’t anticipate revealing the secret and power she holds to her own enemy. And the two must work together for any chance for freedom or lose everything that is dear to them.

The Jasmine Throne blew my expectations out of the water. Such a powerful and sweeping read. While I had some difficulty settling into its fantasy world, it more than makes up for it with its thrilling plot and impeccable characters. Suri writes with a desirable writing style that makes every dialogue and emotion come off the page.

The characters in this are incredible. I loved how truly complex they all are. Malini, a princess turned prisoner, is slowly being poisoned to fit her brother’s plan. But her influence still lingers, and she must escape before it’s too late. Priya wants nothing but to save her people from genocide, and when she returns to the Hirana, the temple where she was born and raised, she feels the magic within her awaken. But when her powers turn her into a target, Malini might be her only choice for survival. Anyone looking for a morally grey sapphic couple, you’ll find it with them. They stand on opposite ends, Malini’s people caused the downfall of Priya’s, and they should want nothing more but the other dead. Malini is pragmatic and willing to do and risk anything to fight her brother’s claim to the throne. But she is haunted by the past, and those ghosts continue to hover. Priya was the main highlight for me. Her resilience and her desire to reconnect with her people, even if it means betraying her own loved ones, were nothing short of inspiring to me. Her desire and motivation were realised and fascinating. I am excited to see what becomes of her in the series.

Chapters are interspersed with others’ perspectives: Ashok, a key to Priya’s past, Bhumika, a fellow temple sister who had once saved Priya’s life. Rao, a follower of the Nameless God, an ally to Malini, whose true name is concealed until the time is right.

This is my first time reading a book by Suri, and I definitely know it won’t be the last.
The Jasmine Throne is one book you will need to get your hands on. You are accompanied by unique perspectives, a charming yet complex cast, and an immersive writing style that hits all the right beats—a start to an epic fantasy trilogy that undoubtedly will be a staple in people’s bookshelves.

I could not put this book down. It has wonderful pacing, morally grey heroes, a I'd say, soft magic system, a forced proximity quasi enemies to lovers relationship that is slow burn and I think well earned/written. The political intrigue and twists are fairly predictable but the India inspired setting and rich lore/history that is given in just enough snippets to intrigue without falling into that dreaded exposition dump trap, is super refreshing enough that I don't mind at all that the wheel wasn't reinvented with the story (after all how many 'original' stories exist anymore?).
I am so happy that I got to read an Netgalley e-copy of this book and though I had previously pre-ordered the book already, I am definitely keeping that pre-order (also the cover art is so gorgeous!). I cannot wait to own my own copy and will be recommending this book to anyone looking for a fantasy novel with strong female characters in a lush, well written not western medieval fantasy.

The Jasmine Throne establishes a new series, The Burning Kingdoms, but stands alone on its own as a complete and entertaining fantasy novel, even when you know the story continues. The novel approaches the fantasy genre from an entirely non-Western point of view in terms of mythology and world-building, but the elements of character, plot, storytelling devices and so on, remain familiar to Western readers. The novel, in other words, welcomes readers from one world into the realm of another seamlessly, and invites them to reconsider social and political assumptions, including those of power relationships involving gender and sexual identity. The structure of the novel is built around the experiences of a number of different characters, such as Priya, a once-born daughter of the Hirana, and now a maidservant; Malini, the rebellious sister of the Emperor; and Ashok, the mysterious freedom fighter who carries a power, but taken so out of place as to be dangerous, among a host of other fascinating, ruthless, or sympathetic characters like Chandra and Rukh. Recommended for fans of S.A. Chakraborty, Sylvia Moreno-Garcia, Tade Thompson, and Nnedi Okorafor.

The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri is a feminist tale with a cast of captivating yet flawed women. The strength of the book is in the characterization. The characters are enchanting, complex and messy. These characters will steal your heart and then try to stab you through it but you will love them anyway(pointedly looking at Malini). I found the writing to be spellbindingly beautiful. The world building was fantastic and vivid. The plot while very intriguing was extremely slow moving, so it took me a little while to get interested in the book.

There are two main characters in the book. Priya, a maidservant with secrets up to the height of Hirana. She is soft hearted but extremely courageous and strong. The other MC Malini is a multifaceted princess and the reason I liked this book so much. I can't find words to describe how amazing her character is. She is tactful, tantalizing, tenacious and sometimes a little twisted. I dare you to read this and not completely fall in love with her. From the side characters Bhomika was the most interesting to me and I found her relationship with Priya to be one of the highlights of the book. The men of the story didn't impress me much except Rukh, the cutest little boy.

I was excited for this book because the blurb gave me a bit of Crier x Ayla vibe and while the characters do face a few similar situations, the romance couldn't be more different from Crier's war. I liked Malini and Priya together a lot but for some reason I did not connect with their romance as much as I hoped to, even though they had the best tropes.

This is a gorgeous and powerful story and I definitely recommend it if you are a fan of complicated female characters, F/F romance or you know, feminism. I will definitely be picking book #2, if only to watch Malini straddle the fine line between good and evil.

Update at 60% of the way in: This book is ripping my heart out, and there is NO other author who would keep me reading something this emotionally intense when I'm going through my own stress issues in real life (family health issues) - but agggh, this is just so rich and so gorgeously emotional, vivid and raw in the way that it treats grief and trauma and love and the complexities of different kinds of power. I can't STOP reading it (even if I should)! And I want so badly for the two heroines, Priya and Malini, to find a way to both be happy (and better yet, happy together!) even if I can't yet imagine HOW that could happen.

***

And now that I've just finished: Ohhhhh. This book is EPIC in every sense of the word, including a genuinely epic slow-burn romance that is SO swoon-worthy by the end of the book (even as, by the end of Book 1, I still can't see yet how they'll ever be able to settle happily together! but oh my GOD do I want them to - they'd better find a way by the end of the trilogy!). The magic throughout is so gorgeous and revelatory, with the most powerful sense of wonder I can honestly ever remember reading in an adult fantasy novel. The shifting politics of the kingdom where this is set, within a larger empire teetering on the brink of revolution, are utterly fascinating, complex, and 100% real-feeling, smart and plausible. The same can be said of all of the different family relationships, which are complex and painful and bleeding with real emotion. Suri masterfully balances all the different characters and points of view, making me genuinely care fiercely about ALL of them.

And while the ending did indeed rip out my heart, much as expected, it did so in SUCH a cathartic way!

I cannot wait to read Book 2.

This book was unlike anything I have read before. It was intricate without being too complicated, beautifully written, and made it really easy to get invested in every character. After a while I had to wonder whose side I was even on! Can’t wait for the next one.

The Jasmine Throne is a truly superb, excellently written adult fantasy which blew me away and transported me right into this rich world Tasha Suri has crafted. I loved the Books of Ambha duology; Empire of Sand and Realm of Ash so much so I knew going in that I would most likely enjoy this book but even so, this book blew. me. away. I’ll go into all the reasons why below and attempt to formulate my thoughts into some semblance of order because I pretty much just want to scream about how much I love this book!!!

I’ll start with the characters – when the author mentioned on Twitter that this book would feature ‘morally grey sapphics’ I was immediately sold but the reality is even better. Both main characters; Malini and Priya are so well realised, we get both their backstories revealed as well as the chance to read as they develop and come into their own. What strikes me most about them both, despite how different they are; is their agency and power. They both have such vital voices – Malini is a princess who has been cloistered away and suppressed at the hands of her cruel capricious brother, Priya is a maidservant with a mysterious past and burgeoning powers – and both women come such a long way from where they are at the start of the story. They wield their power and positions differently and go down different roads at times but at their core, they’re kindred spirits in some way which is why their dynamic works so well as they become closer and closer.

As well as Malini and Priya, I adored the secondary cast of characters, especially Bhumika and Rao, the latter of the two who is pretty much the only ‘good’ or redeemable male character, because the rest of them? A big yikes. At the beginning I was unsure about Bhumika and her motivations but as the story progressed I started liking her more and more till she basically become my favourite character, barring Malini and Priya of course.

Bhumika is a character that so many people have underestimated within the story but she’s behind the scenes, making moves and plotting endlessly which I just adored. She was so strong, had so much conviction and subverted what a reader might expect of her as well as others in the book. Rao? basically the cinnamon roll prince, I’m excited to learn more about him in the next book and see how he fits into the narrative more. Even in this first book, I liked the part he had to play, prophesies are one of my favourite elements in fantasy so I liked how he played into this trope of sorts.

I also loved the sense of world building in the novel and how rich and intricate the customs and lore are. It’s really interesting actually and definitely a testament to Suri’s talent as a writer that a majority of the story takes place in one city across a few locations but it doesn’t ever feel repetitive or limited in any way. Suri takes these few locations and imbues them with so much history and makes them central to the story, I especially liked the Hirana, this foreboding temple which was once so full of life and energy which is now in disrepair and the site of a terrible act of violence. I also strangely or maybe not so strangely liked the whole ‘rot’ element – a disease which results in plants growing in someones body, with shoots, leaves and bark affecting the appearance. It sounded painful but also beautiful in an odd way?

I also really enjoyed how a lot of the book feels sort of insular and character driven, with Malini and Priya going on these incredible journeys of self but Suri never loses focus on the wider world and the political upheaval, tensions and turmoil brewing within the empire. Malini and Priya find themselves embroiled in it, both of them shaping the story and making decisions which will undoubtedly echo into the second and third books. I feel like Suri has managed to explore politics, empire and the impact of fanaticism in such a great way from the point of view of so many different characters.

I was lucky enough to be invited to a special reviewer event with Tasha and it was amazing to hear about her inspiration behind the novel and how Hindu mythology, Mughal history and other elements of folklore provided such a heavy influence. This is apparent but she makes it her own too, much like in the Books of Ambha, she takes this existing familiarity we may have as readers but imbues it with new life with a unique magic system, a strangely beautiful illness – trust me on this and characters we love and others we love to hate as well.

Overall, The Jasmine Throne was truly an excellent book from start to finish. I can’t wait for the sequel to see what happens next – I have no doubt it will be full of twists, morally grey moments and heart wrenching tension!

A twisting tale of deep magic, conquered nations, rebellion, revolution, family dysfunction, and the search for a way to wholeness. Throw in some seriously terrifying monsters who may not have humanity's interests at heart, and a romantic subplot with diplomatic repercussions - you won't be able to put it down.

I was provided with an advance readers' copy by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Tasha Suri's Books of Ambha series is one of my favorites. When I saw that she had a new series coming out, I was immediately interested, and when I found out that it was an Indian-inspired fantasy featuring elemental magic and sapphic romance, I died a thousand joyful deaths. And this first installment definitely lived up to the hype. Suri's world-building is so rich and multi-layered, I could dive head first into it. And the characters are so gray, almost Poppy War-level grayness, but so nuanced that they're easy to fall in love with. A lot happens in this first book, but the build-up is so strong for the sequel. It may have been a mistake reading this in ARC form, since I now have to wait 10 million years to find out what happens next.

Loved this story, from the detailed world buildings, to the tight plotting, to how it showed the different ways women can have strength.

How do you even begin to talk about a book like this? I feel like I should try and say something poetic to match the lush prose of the novel. The words simply flow like water, strong in their delicacy but burning images into your mind. For me the mark of a great book is one I need to read, and I needed to read THE JASMINE THRONE. I was excited to pick it back up each day and am sad it's over...until the sequel comes out at least.

THE JASMINE THRONE attempts a lot, and it accomplishes a lot. It's a multi-POV story, has romance, politics, a strange illness, a princess in a locked tower, morally grey characters, and more. We follow Priya, a temple child-turned maidservant, who finds herself assigned as the personal maidservant of Princess Malini. Malini has been locked in a tower by her brother because she refused to die by fire. It is her punishment. Priya and Malini develop a slow burn relationship. (Is it weird to say slow burn when fire literally plays a huge role, including in symbolism?) The book employs one of my personal favorite pacing strategies: the slow, even flame of a candle that grows and grows into a roaring fire. There's never a dull moment. Never a moment the fire dims. It only grows, much like the love between Priya and Malini. Malini's brother also happens to be the emperor, and Priya's people have been oppressed greatly under his rule. Some of them have begun rebelling.

There are many more perspectives, including Rao (a follower of the nameless god, who is linked to Malini as an ally), Bhumika (wife of the regent and the woman who hired Priya as a maidservant initially), Ashok (another temple child and de facto leader of the rebels), and more. The book is not without pain nor loss. There's a backdrop of suffering. Of a whole people suffering under the ruling thumb of a cruel emperor. The tragedy of people who care deeply for one another having to make cruel decisions. And of course, the strangeness of the rot -- an illness that essentially turns your body into a human plant -- slowly but surely. Priya's people might have had the cure or might have been the problem; but those who knew for certain have all since perished.

There's a beautiful grace to this novel in its multitudes. There's political intrigue for days, and one heck of a slow burn romance. But there are other relationships too: familial, friend, mentor/trainee, bromance (I mean...). There's so much to say because the book is long. And yet it didn't feel like it. It feels like I've gone underwater for a few moments and come up soaking wet with wrinkly skin -- yet born anew. The book makes you lose track of time; it ensnares you in its roots. And it's wonderful.

Believe it or not this was my first Tasha Suri book and now I feel like an idiot. This author as amazing talent, I had heard about it but never experience first hand and this won't be my last book of her. Her storytelling and worldbuilding are amazing and so are her characters. This book take us on a magnificent journey that I enjoy from the first to the last words. I highly recommend it!!

I… just… wow. I long ago accepted the fact that no book would ever make me feel precisely the way Empire of Sand or Realm of Ash did, which is fine, so WHY did The Jasmine Throne have to knock me off my chair with the exact same feels magnified by like 10,000? What is that about?????

Reading The Jasmine Throne was like hovering, ghostlike, in another world, feeling the heat of the flames and watching the drip of spilled wine and hearing my own heart pound with rage or fear or love or some unnerving combination of all three. I was utterly transported and fascinated and thrilled to core, god dammit. And to top it all off, I am literally IN LOVE with Priya and Malini. They are my precious monster wives and I just??? They??? Murdered me??? Which is not at all out of character for them but still.

The next book cannot come soon enough.

The Jasmine Throne was easily my most anticipated release of 2021. I know that sounds like an exaggeration (how, exactly, can I choose a single most anticipated book, when I can’t choose one book most of the time every other time?), but it truly was. I had adored both of Tasha Suri’s other books, so I was always going to be desperate to read this, her third. And even more so, after finding out that it’s sapphic.

And, oh my god, but it doesn’t disappoint.

The first note I made about my review for this book was simply “aaaaah AAAAAAH”, which is, I think, a succinct enough summary for how I feel about it overall. It’s the kind of book that leaves you so full of feelings you don’t actually know how to put them into words. It’s times like this I almost wish I had continued studying English Lit just to know how to use words.

The Jasmine Throne follows a few different POVs, chief among which are Malini and Priya, but there’s also Bhumika (the love of my life), Ashok, Rao and Vikram (okay so this sounds a lot of POVs, but it’s primarily Malini and Priya, with occasional chapters from the others). Malini is exiled by her brother, isolated in the Hirana, an ancient temple and the source of the deathless waters. Priya’s job is to come every night and clean. But an altercation between Priya and another maidservant reveals her true nature to Malini and ties them together in a bid to escape. Meanwhile, Malini’s brother is trying to tighten his grip on the region, with burnings and raids, which are fought against bitterly by rebels.

Much like Empire of Sand and Realm of Ash, the world of The Jasmine Throne is lush and richly described. As cliche as it sounds to say, you can imagine the whole thing, imagine yourself there clear as day. It’s a world that sucks you in and you don’t want to leave. You’ll pick the book up and not want to pick it up for one moment, it’s so compelling.

And it’s not just the world that causes this; the characters are just as much behind it (with the exception, perhaps, of the men. Only two men in this book have rights, the rest should just sit down and let the women get on with it). It’s a book about the spaces for power that women carve out for themselves in a world that hates them. You see it in Bhumika, who cultivates power, married to Vikram, the regent, and who ultimately understands it more than he. You see it in Malini, who parallels her brother, Aditya — where Aditya has the privilege of being able to remain soft and not face up to the horrors of the world, Malini is forced to make herself “monstrous” to build an armour against it.

It’s a book that will leave you thinking for hours, days, even weeks, after you finish it. You’ll want to pick it back up straight away, to reread it with the knowledge of how it’s going to play out.

It is, then, the best kind of book.