wow, wow wow! What bad can I say about The Ivory Key?? Literally nothing.

4.5 ⭐️ on e-book, thank you Netgalley & Clairion for the ARC!

In the Ivory Key we follow four siblings- Kaleb, Ronak, Riya and Vira. Vira is the queen of their land, while the rest of her siblings have all gone on their own life paths that have taken them away from the crown. When Vira learns that magic is finite and need to be replenished from a new source, she enlists the help of her siblings to track down the ivory key. Together, and with their father's training the four embark on a journey to save the kingdom, and bring magic back to Ashoka.

I loved this book so much!! Completely unexpected, but it was so good. The unique magic system, the ties to family, the tension in the romances, the PLOT. Yall. THE PLOT IS SO GOOD. I did not see any of the twists and I am completely obsessed!!! I also loved that there were so many riddles and puzzles (not anything you as the reader have to figure out) that Raman did such a good job of including the reader in so that instead of telling us what the characters were figuring out, she showed us! Really loved it.

The only reason this isn't a full 5⭐️ is because I really needed just a little more from the character development, and that's not to say that what we got wasn't really amazing!! I just needed a bit more and as a fantasy reader am a little harsher on my fantasy books.

Overall recommend for YA fantasy lovers who want a bit of adventure to their books. The magic system is light and easy to understand so this would be a perfect beginner fantasy book, and overall it was SO GOOD. The tension in the romance scenes... YALL!! Highly recommend.

xx
-Christine

Vira, Ronak, Kaleb, and Riya are the siblings that define drama and in The Ivory Key they have to let go of their anger and hurt to work together to save magic in Ashoka. Problem is each of the siblings has a secret agenda of what they want when the find The Ivory Key... will they be able to put aside their personal ambitions so that they can save magic and Ashoka?

The first part of the book was slower paced but it really started to speed up. I think it was important to really introduce the characters of this Indian- inspired duology as we need to know them to understand their motivation for finding The Ivory Key. The past has been filled with trauma and each of them have found their own path to survive but now they need to work together so that they can start their journey to peace and forgiveness.

I definitely enjoyed the elements of magic and mystery. A fun read and soon part two will be released!

Thank you to NetGalley, Clarion Books for this review copy of The Ivory Key by Akshaya Raman for me to read and enjoy. My opinion is mine alone and my review is voluntary.

A rich cultural Indiana Jones with 4 POVS that move this story at a very fast pace. An action adventure with a few twists and turns. I enjoyed these distant siblings having to learn to rework together to find a treasure of myth. The ending will leave you excited to dive into the sequel and conclusion.

This book had such a fun magic system and the face-paced setting of the story really worked in its favour. It has a lot more representation then most books previous and includes such fun adventures for the characters. It was such a fun book to read and the duology will be fantastic.

Initial Thoughts
I totally saved this one for a rainy day in NetGalley. I was so excited to get an early copy of this book because it was one of my most anticipated reads of 2022 and I wanted to savor every second of it.

Some Things I Liked
Indiana Jones, treasure hunting, cipher solving vibes. I loved the puzzles, clues, and treasure hunting in this story. It gave me National Treasure vibes too and I loved it.
Multiple POVs. Once again, I loved the way this story wove the siblings POVs together with all of the secrets they were keeping from each other. I can't wait to see how the rest of the story plays out and if we will get any other POVs.
The betrayal! That cut me deep but it was so well done. I really didn't see it coming until the last second.

Series Value
I can't wait to read the next book in this series. I loved this one and this was a perfect debut.

Final Thoughts
I really really really enjoyed this book. I am so glad I had the chance to read it early and I can't wait to keep reading.

If you like quests, lush fantasies set outside the typical Western setting, complicated family dynamics, or treasure hunts -- then this book is definitely for you! Akshaya Raman's debut is all of those things and so much more. It's been pitched as National Treasure in a world inspired by ancient India and it lived up to those expectations! The magic system is truly unique and well thought out and I absolutely loved loved all the characters and their dynamics with each other. Highly recommend!

The Ivory Key is told from the perspectives of four quarreling siblings who must save their country Ashoka from impending war. The tale focuses on them finding the ivory key that will unlock quarries filled with magic which fuels their economy and protects them from invasion. Vira has ascended to the throne after her mother, the maharani, is killed. Brother Kaleb has been wrongfully imprisoned for the assassination. Brother Ronak is planning to rescue Kaleb and flee with him. Sister Riya, who ran away after arguing with their mother, returns to the palaces after two years of working with a group of rebels who want her to spy. The only quarry in Ashoka is running out of magic, but it is rumored that there is a map which will lead them to the key that unlocks the lost quarries, which were closed when the Kamala society sought to control the mining trade. After Vira's fiancé is murdered by the society, she must convince her siblings to band together to help her save their kingdom. The epilogue, told from a fifth perspective, will leave readers anxious for the sequel in this fast-paced duology opener.

I found the book to be slow going at first but it picked up and got my attention. I wish that the elsiblings had been given more time to explain why they were so set on their paths. It felt like the author told us instead of showing us why each sibling was the way they were. I understood Vira, the most with the other three being harder to understand their mindset and behavior. Ronak was just flat out frustrating. Overall, this was a good book and solid start to the duology.

It was an engaging story for the most part. I did not understand the rift between the siblings. It was apparent that magic has become a crutch to society, it was sad that the people were unable to continue without the magic they had become so reliant on. The underground city was the coolest!

This one started out very slow for me. It was definitely full of more political intrigue than I expected, and couldn’t really hold my attention, so I really struggled with it.

“This was a chance to change everything. To save Ashoka.”

Eight months ago, Vira’s mother, the queen of Ashoka, was killed. Vira inherited the throne, but being the maharani comes with many tough choices—and now Vira is stuck with one of the most difficult decisions of all: what to do now that Ashoka’s prized resource, magic, is running out. With war looming, Vira turns to what seems like a long shot: finding the the mysterious and legendary Ivory Key, rumored to unlock a new source of magic. The only problem? The Ivory Key is hidden deep within enemy territory, and Vira will have to reunite her estranged siblings if she wants to find it. But they all have their own secrets and reasons for finding the Key. Kaleb was falsely accused of murdering the previous maharani and needs the Key to buy his freedom. Ronak has made a deal with a shady criminal in the hopes of escaping a political marriage. Riya ran away two years ago, but she wants the Key to prove her loyalty to her new family, a group of rebels playing heroes to the people. The journey is rife with dangers and the siblings will have to work together, despite their many secrets, if they want to find the Key—but what they discover at the end of the road may be the most dangerous secret of all.

Author Akshaya Raman has created such a brilliant world in her Indian-inspired debut that the story sparkles long after one has closed the book. Ashoka is lush and vivid, and Raman’s writing is the real star of the story. Every detail is intriguing and vibrant, from the mouth-watering food to the beautiful outfits. The magic system has been masterfully designed, and the action entices you to keep turning page after page until you’ve reached the explosive ending. I loved how Raman explored the relationships between all four siblings, and I can’t wait to see how the characters grow even more in the sequel. With rich descriptions and a captivating plot, The Ivory Key is the 2022 fantasy debut you don’t want to miss.

Content Warnings: Kidnapping, death of a parent, murder, moderately strong language, some graphic descriptions of violence and dead bodies, war, fire, emotional manipulation, allusions to human experimentation

(Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication.)

This fantasy adventure, set in an Eastern-style country, takes a while to really get going. That didn’t bother me overmuch, as the narrative swings between all four siblings and we gradually learn about them and their motivations. I think I would have struggled more if I hadn’t grown to like each of them and understand their actions – even when I could see them making horrible mistakes. On the face of it, they are all pampered princes and princesses. But when we get to see exactly what has happened to each of them, then it becomes clear they are all essentially trapped in lives they didn’t choose and they are all desperately trying to break free, or make things better. The conflict rises as each of them approaches their problem in very different ways…

It takes deft writing and very clear characterisation skills to give us four such rounded and sympathetic protagonists within a relatively short time, before they finally embark on a major adventure together. And as it all starts kicking off, I simply couldn’t put this one down. Be warned – it ends on something of a cliff-hanger, but I loved it and have found myself thinking a lot about this one after I finished, which is a sure sign that it’s something a bit special. Highly recommended for fantasy fans who like an Eastern setting, strong characters and lots of adventure.
9/10

The Ivory Key was just the bit of refreshing, unique fantasy I needed.

I love reading books set in other cultures, especially fantasies, and I thought this one was really well-done. Akshaya did a wonderful job transporting you and putting the reader in the shoes of Vira and her family! Their struggles felt real and true - the personal struggles within and the inter-familial conflicts, as well as the greater, external struggles.

I look forward to reading the sequel!

My favorite thing about this book was how twisty it was! I was never sure what was going to happen from one chapter to the next - who would betray whom, how the treasure hunt would pan out, whether the four siblings would even survive their quest. It was really well done.

I also loved some of the siblings, Riya and Kaleb being my favorites. Vira is hard to love but I came to appreciate her by the end, and Ronak is...also difficult to love. But I understand him. Unfortunately my favorite character was
Amrit.
.

The questionable part about this book was the plot and pacing. I felt like the beginning dragged on a bit, so by the time the siblings actually left on their quest, I wasn't able to enjoy it because we had to race through that portion too fast because too much time had been spent on the build-up.

That said, the ending absolutely astonished and delighted me, and I'm excited to read the second book in this series when it comes out!

A fractured family with differing agendas fights to save their kingdom.

Vira, the heir, struggles to rule in her mother’s place, gaining the respect of her advisers and finding her own way. She’s made tough choices, including imprisoning her own sweet half-brother Kaleb to make her council happy. Bitter, angry Ronak wants only to free Kaleb and run, leaving everything else behind. And Riya did run, teaming up with vigilante robbers The Ravens to bring needed supplies to the people. But the murder of Vira’s fiancé and Rita’s return to the palace forces the siblings to plot and scheme, both together and against each other. Their magic quarry is running out, but the siblings are closing in on the ivory key, rumored to be able to unlock three other quarries.

This fantasy is Indian-inspired, with intriguing legends and a magic system. This is the first book in a duology and it sets up the second book nicely.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book really didn't pick up until 75% in. I'm excited to read the 2nd book in the series, since the ending was really good and the last quarter pretty exciting.
I'll probably only recommend it to my most patient and avid readers.

This book is the first in a duology about 4 siblings and a quest to find the ivory key. This is more than just a quest though, relationships between the siblings are strained but as the story progresses we see them begin to understand each other more. The book describes the setting and the lost city in a way that allows the reader to picture it clearly. The descriptions of foods are mouth wateringly described. Each character development helps to create a complexity in which they become likeable, vulnerable and make you want each to succeed. The suprising twists in the book make for a gripping read.

"That's the thing about battling ghosts... The living always lose."
Incredible. This adventure with a little slow burn romance has major Indiana Jones vibes. Clues, puzzles, an ancient city, a booby-trapped temple, and 4 siblings on the hunt for the same thing for their own reasons .. The beginning felt slow to me with lots of set up and 4 different perspectives to keep track of, but once I passed the 40% mark, I couldn't put it down! And the epilogue is like the cherry on top with this story. I am REALLY looking forward to the next book!

Thank you to NetGalley for my e-arc of this book. All opinions here are my own.

It took a little while to get into, but by the end I was totally involved in the story and these characters. I loved the different family dynamics, the descriptions of the landscapes they were traveling, the many uses of their magic. It was all very exciting and entertaining. I can't wait for the second book and look forward to reading it as soon as possible. Definitely recommend!

The Ivory Key was such a fun book. I loved the magic system and the world building. I like how Raman created a unique story that I really enjoyed.

I'm not usually a multi-pov lover but the author did a fantastic job with creating a seamless transition and I was able to read it without having to remember what was going on with the other sibling at times.