Maiya Ibrahim’s Spice Road is a captivating YA fantasy debut. The magic system in this book revolves around secret spices and tea which awaken powers in those who drink it. Imani channels her magical affinity for iron into her dagger, which aids her in her pursuits as a powerful warrior. Imani’s brother is thought to be dead, but she discovers signs that he may be alive and spreading their magic in other nations—a forbidden and unforgivable act to Qalia, the hidden desert city they call home. Imani has built a reputation for battling monsters and she is known as the Djinni Slayer, but to find her brother she has no choice but to team up with a mysterious djinni named Qayn. Imani is tasked with finding her brother and bringing him home, and the story that unfolds is an adventurous and action packed tale.

Imani is a smart and fierce protagonist, and I love her character development in this book. She has lived a sheltered life and is driven by her love for her family and her duty to protecting her home. As she discovers the truth about her home and her brother, she struggles to accept that not everything is as it seems. Spice Road wonderfully explores the themes of loyalty, justice, and anti-colonialism, and Imani’s journey to understanding these concepts and her world is well written, relatable, and reflective of the real world. This book also explores sibling relationships and my favourite part was the devotion between Imani and her siblings. It’s the heart of the story and is what makes it such a compelling read.

Qayn is an intriguing character and I enjoyed the dynamic he brought to the book. The magic system is interesting and I love how it involves tea ceremonies. I also love that there is a wide range of affinities people can possess.

I mostly enjoyed the romance and think the chemistry between Imani and her love interest is great. However, his increasingly toxic behaviour was too much for me by the end of the book. I’m sure his behaviour will be explored further in the next book, but for now, I can’t support them as a couple.

Overall I enjoyed Spice Road and I’m looking forward to the rest of the series! Pick this up if you enjoy adventurous fantasy books with sibling relationships, magic, monsters, and explorations of justice and anti-colonialism.

Rating: 4.5/5

Thank you NetGalley, Delacorte Press, and Maiya Ibrahim for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Grief has many forms. For Imani, it is excelling in her skills as Djinn Slayer and becoming the next greatest Shield to forget both the betrayal and grief of her brother. Atheer, Imani’s brother, is believed to be dead after disappearing. There are whispers that he has betrayed their people and Sahir. However, Imani never minded these speculations to heart but when she stumbles upon treacherous evidences in a deserted location, Imani has hope that her brother is alive trying to aid in a rebellion across the great sands. Now she is on a quest to go beyond the Forbidden Wastes to bring him back or is it that simple?

Spice Road has the makings of a rich fantasy world. An isolated city with controlled over a special spice that gives their people magic when brewed in tea.

This story has a duality theme of colonization and hierarchy. It is interesting to see that Imani does not realize her privilege and the advantages she has coming from a founding family of Sahir. There are many instances, Taha and his cousin has subtly pointed out that their lack of stature prevents them from having certain privileges that Imani does not seem to register half the time. And yet when she sees the poverty and the unrighteousness of what the Harrowlanders are doing to the people of Alqibah, she is more moved to help like her brother. So very interesting topic of literary debate.

DNF @ 20%

This novel just wasn't quite it for me. Our characters are incredibly immature, reckless and frustrating. The world building was very info-dumpy and I did not even remotely understand the magic system. While I was really excited for this one because the concept was great, it ultimately didn't work for me.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

The world of SPICE ROAD was lovely -- a hidden, magical refuge surrounded by desert, forgotten by the rest of the world. Except our main character's brother -- thought to be dead -- may have been smuggling magic tea to the outside world. . . .This is what drew me to the book, along with the gorgeous cover.

I found the writing quite beautiful, visually evocative, poetic, and easy to fall into.



[NOTE: Unless otherwise stated, my NetGalley feedback is not a blurb or endorsement. If a publisher wishes to use any part of my comments for promotional purposes, please contact me or my agent via email. I would prefer not to include star ratings, but NetGalley won't let me post without one, so all will be 5 stars.]

I was given an Arc copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Wow! Wow! Wow! When I started this book I wasn’t sure what to expect and honestly it started off a bit slow for me. By the time I got to 14% I couldn’t put the book down.

Maiya Ibrahim is a superb storyteller with this book! I felt like I had been transported to Qalia and was right there as Imani’s journey unfolded.

In this book we join Imani on her journey to find her brother who everyone thinks is dead. She goes through so many trials on this journey from binding a Djinni to waking a sleeping giant, to breaking into and escaping from jail. I felt like this book sucked me in and didn’t let me go!

I wish I could give this book more than 5 stars!
I can’t wait to buy a physical copy for my shelf.

Top book of the year for me.

This is the start of a new trilogy and one that I was excited to be approved for through Netgalley! I feel like I have read books similar to this, like The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah, but it still managed to be unique and surprising read!

The book is told from one point-of-view and it comes from Imani. She is a dedicated Shield that helps take care of her home city from monsters such as the djinn. They know her well as the Djinn Slayer. The one thing that made me impartial to Imani is that she can very much fall into the “I can do everything and survive”. Don’t get me wrong, I did like seeing her come out on top and even stick up for those that couldn’t on their own but I would have liked a bit more struggle on her end as it seems everything comes naturally to her. She still is a great character though since she family is a number one priority and that will give any character brownie points from me.

There is also more to Imani than her job as well. She has lived a sheltered life and through the disappearance of her brother she finally starts to understand the rest of the world that has been kept a secret from her. It isn’t easy for her to understand either as it just brings on more questions about the colonizers and the Council that protects her city. I feel like politics was just surface level and I am sure there will be a lot more in the sequel.

The other characters in this book have been very interesting so far. Qayn is the one I am most intrigued by! He is a djinn who is suave and hides many secrets. What is not to love about that? Haha. I think that Taha and his friends have also been secretive but some of theirs due come to light by the end of the book. I am very conflicted when it comes to Taha though. It’s hard to tell if he is just a good manipulator or cares deep down. I do think that some of the characters will get more page time and I am looking forward to learning more about them and their cause.

Although this book did take me a bit to get into, I did eventually find myself wanting to sit down and pick it up. I thought that it was very adventurous and even with some down times it didn’t discourage me. There are some thrilling plot twists and I can’t wait to see how the story continues in the sequel.

Overall, this was a solid debut!

Thanks to Netgalley and Maiya Ibrahim for letting me read an ARC of Spice Road.

Imani lives in Qalia, where humans brew tea that gives them the magic ability they need to fight the monster living in the desert. For generation they have been protecting their ways and their magic as per the will of the great spirit, but when Imani discovers that there’s a whole civilization out there she wasn’t aware of, her view of the world will be challenged.

I loved the way Imani dealt with the truth she saw vs the truth she thought she knew. We could see her struggle with herself and it felt very real, as it would be hard for anyone to have their whole worldview shattered.

I wasn’t a fan of the romance, I didn’t feel the chemistry, but I’m convinced it’s because there is more going on behind the scene that made the romantic interest act the way he did. I’m still hopeful for the romance to be more than it is in upcoming books.

While reading, I thought that the book would have made such a great tv show. There are many events happening, most of them self contained In chapters. There is still the main story progressing in each one of these events. It makes it nice for people like me who have to put down the book often to take care of my kids. It feels like each reading session is filled with action.

The only downside is that I feel there might have been less character development than I would have liked. However this is just a personal preference.

I’m very curious to see how the serie continues. There’s definitely many questions left unanswered. I’ll be preordering book 2 for sure.

Quick summary: "Spice Road" is a fantasy novel with an Arabian setting, magical elements, and a strong female lead. Despite these triumphs, my dislike of the characters, frustration with their decisions, and problems with the writing style resulted in a 3/5 stars rating.

Full review: Maiya Ibrahim has a very descriptive writing style that many readers will love. Unfortunately, it missed the mark for me. I usually don't mind purple prose, but there were times when the book's descriptions covered an entire page and bordered on tedious. This was especially apparent towards the beginning of the story with descriptions of Imani's city. I loved learning about the city's architecture, but I didn't think it was realistic for the Imani to start describing the cobblestones shortly after discovering her brother was still alive.

Another major issue I had was that the character relationships were toxic. Imani's sister, Amira, acted like a petulant child and manipulated Imani's feelings several times in the story. Imani's mother tried to gaslight her into not looking for her missing brother, and her father only supported her because it reflected well on their family's standing. I had a hard time connecting with any of the characters. The only one I cared for was Qayn, a djinn with a troubled past, and I had issues with him by the end of the book, too.

I thought the pacing was a little off. The first twenty percent of the book didn't contain much action, but I understand it was setting the scene for later events. Once the plot picked up, the story got better. I enjoyed reading about the Arabian setting and Imani's journey to find her brother. Visualizing the scattered cities and the sandy landscape was easy, and I think supporting books with diverse characters and settings is important. I also appreciate the thought that went into the magic system. The characters get their power from Misra spice tea, which is very creative.

Concluding thoughts: "Spice Road" contains original fantasy elements and vivid descriptions of the Arabian setting. While I didn't connect with the main character, I did enjoy the magic system and the idea of reuniting lost families. Overall, I'm rating it 3/5 stars and recommend it to readers who enjoy fantasy elements, enemies to lovers, betrayal, and descriptive imagery.

Thank you to NetGalley, Maiya Ibrahim, and Random House for this advanced reader’s copy. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Imani excels at swordsmanship. Really she excels at wielding any iron blade thanks to drinking misra tea, a tea with magical properties which awakens affinities in those who drink it. In the country of Quali, Imani is known as the greatest fighter of monsters and djinni, dark creatures who surround the sands on the outskirts of the city.

Atheer, Imani's brother, has been accused of stealing the scared misra and is believed to have perished in the Forbidden Wastes. But one day Imani discovers that her brother might still be alive and has spread their country's magic to those beyond the Forbidden Wastes. She goes on a quest with Qayn, a mysterious djinni, and Taha, a powerful beastseer, and discovers secrets that run so deep it could change her entire way of life forever.

Imani is a reckless girl who makes assumptions, doesn't think critically and is overall annoying at the start of the novel. It was hard to connect to her character at first because of the first person POV. I was often irritated by Imani's decisions. Even her sister Amani who is supposed to be more impulsive and head-strung seemed more mature. There's also a developing romance which kept me rolling my eyes and sighing because it was a lot of the same misunderstanding over and over again which unfortunately is prevalent in YA novels.

But there was some character growth throughout the novel, and Imani gradually became less annoying. She questions her previous way of viewing the world and her quick judgements and begins to become a stronger character. I liked Imani's relationship with her brother and sister and with Qayn.

My favorite parts of this story was the setting and the plot. Ibrahim did a great job of always keeping me interested in what would happen next. I never felt like the story dragged, and there was just enough new intrigue that kept me excited to read another chapter.

I wish the world-building would have been developed even more, but what we did get was great! I loved the quest chapters the most! Lots of fun adventure scenes and some touching moments.

I'm very excited to continue on in this trilogy. I have a feeling I will like the sequel even more!

*Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Children's/Delacorte Press for the digital arc. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book! Arabian and Middle Eastern inspired fantasies are some of my favorite books and this one is no exception! I love the beautiful and fascinating world building and the mythological creatures in this story! The characters were very well written and had a lot of depth. The main character Imani starts out very naive and stubborn in her beliefs and views. By the end of the book she a very different character and she grew so much. There were definitely some plot twists and things I did not see it coming. I can’t wait to see what is going to happen in the next book!

“Light not shared is light diminished.”

- Spice Road (by Maiya Ibrahim) 

I absolutely loved this book and enjoyed every moment reading it!

Spice Road is a fantasy set in an Arabian inspired land with tea magic! Yes, tea and magic - what more can I want! The characters live in a land that is blessed with precious magic, and so it is sheltered and cut off from the rest of the world. But the main character Imani has to set off and retrieve her brother who is lost beyond their borders - and she does it with a rival she can’t get along with and a mysterious djinni she doesn’t totally trust. (Trying to keep the summary as spoiler-free as possible!)

Spice Road is full of adventure, magic, deep secrets, romantic tension between rivals/enemies, family bonds - so much to enjoy! And the writing is beautiful and compelling.

The book also explores some very important themes - like privilege, classism, and colonialism. These themes and challenges drive the characters beyond their limits and push them to confront the hardest truths. 

The main character development in this book is TOP TIER! I adored Imani the more I read, with her compassion and bravery.
Also, Qayn deserves special mention, I have no doubt he’ll be the fan favorite! 
And I loved the sibling bonds in this - had my whole heart! 

Huge thanks to Delacorte Press and the amazing author Maiya Ibrahim for making the ARC available for download last month!

The story was fascinating from beginning to end, the world-building was vivid and that gripped me. It did get me to keep guessing that I couldn't pause to dive into this journey. Plus, I'd need to mention that this book is the first fantasy book that I've ever done with 😭 it's unbelievable for me, such a miracle, I'm not used to fantasy but this one is perfect. I was hesitant to pick this book since I've never done a fantasy book but once I know that this book contains Arabian-Inspired It fascinated me. I always love Arabian vibes!!😭❤️ and I don't regret reading it, I enjoyed this one, and I'm so proud of the fact that it got me awake just to finish it!! The scenes were well-written and sort of poetic which is powerful.

It did make me cry as the story is about finding a brother who has gone for years. The Imani's family relationship was tangible. Their brothers-sisters relationship reminded me of my relationship with my brother. The grieves and joys the moment they met was so real 🥺❤️

I like the moment when Qayn showed up to Taha and his fellow scouts. It was cute seeing Taha's Jealousy over Qayn the time Imani defend Qayn. Yet, Taha always denied his feelings toward her. 🙈

There will be a sequel to this book and I'm so thrilled to dive more into Imani's Journey on their mission with the company of her sister, Amira, her brother Atheer and the sweet and gentle Djinni, Qayn.

This book has a lot of promise, and since it's a debut, I think there's a lot of room for growth. I was entertained by the story, and I appreciated that there was so much depth to the world behind the novel, even though at times I would have loved to see even more of that in the story itself.

This is a case where I can see the author building a big world, with expansive conflicts and a substantial mythology, but I also felt like some of the world building within the book itself felt clunky at times. The first 25% especially felt a bit chaotic in this sense.

That said, the characters were enjoyable, and I appreciated how everyone's moral compasses seemed to shift the more they learned about what was really going on.

I enjoyed this and I'm excited to read a sequel!

4.5 stars

THIS 👏 IS 👏 A 👏 DEBUT 👏 NOVEL 👏 This story blows my mind!! I’m so happy to have received the eARC on Netgalley. There are so many great things I loved about this book, the world, the representation, the characters, the magic system and strong family relationships.

We follow the story through the eyes of Imani- the main character. She is very skilled with a blade, strong-minded and has a way of finding trouble - or trouble keeps on finding her. She progresses so much throughout the story and learns many things about her companions, her family and herself!

The book leads us through a quest that has a lot more to it than our characters had anticipated. We keep on following leads, coming across obstacles and having to deal with different emotions. We discuss important topics/problems that might not be obvious at first, but keep you thinking for a while. And our characters have to make very difficult decisions throughout the story!

The world shows many beautiful places (Arabian inspired!), I love the rich cultures, their beliefs and the traditions. They make the world feel like more than just a map where we're hopping from place to place, but as if it existed long before the story started and will continue on after the story finishes. There is magic in this world - the magic gets activated by drinking tea and is easy to follow and very unique. The author has a beautiful way to describe these things. I felt like I was a part of it when I started reading and I never wanted to leave! I need the sequel ASAP and I'm very excited for everything the author releases in the future!

I recommend this book to every YA fantasy lover! You're going to have a great time reading this one!

I loved this so much! The plot was very well done, but the writing style felt inconsistent at times. Regardless, this was still very enjoyable, and I look forward to book 2 :)

Plot: 5
Characters: 4.5
Writing Style: 5
Cover: 5 (both versions that I saw; the woman with aqua dusted hands, and then the one with Sinan [falcon]).
Enjoyment: 5
Buyable/Re-readable?: Ohhhh yeah, I will be seeing this series through. Another Top Ten of 2022.

Firstly. this book has a fun AF magic concept. Tea ceremonies and spices? Let's go! "The tea must be taken in silence, allowing the drinker to dwell on the Great Spirit’s gift and prepare to receive the magic." Both taste and smell vary, as well, from ceremony to ceremony, which is a fine detail. And this magic system also has consequences, which I appreciate.

It has this magical (pun intended? Probably) flow to it; Ibrahim's style and passion are just...you want to consume it like the characters do their tea. And it's forever nice getting glimpses into other cultures, even if they're Arabian fantasy world types. "Spice Road" is told in first person POV à la our main lady, Imani. I was able to accept the romance and attraction between her and another character when remembering that we the reader are coming into their relationship two years later, and thus, things have occurred off-page that we're not privy to. So, while it almost feels out of no where, it's two years in the making. However, there is another interest that, had I not loved the eff out of this book, would have been more problematic to swallow. The assumptions I applied are; maybe this person is akin to, say, a vampire, in that it's very difficulty to resist them. I am also wondering if it'll come out in another book that Imani has a past connection to said other interest, in which case, it would make a lot of sense why they're drawn to one another. And if those aren't the case? Then I will take issue with the execution of their interactions, because this one *does* come out of nowhere and has no build up or the like. It's not enough to ruin this gem of a book, but it will be enough to knock off a star. We shall see. I cannot wait!

▶ Contains: sorcerers, Shields, djinns, ghouls, sand serpents, skin- changer (ex: turns into lion), beastseer (ex: controls birds), werehyenas, giants, geomancy.
▶ Has the name Bayek, which is an "Assassin's Creed" character and nifty reference.
▶ "In the dirt by my slipper crawls a black scarab, the first reaches of morning sun shimmering on its curved back. Startled, it emits a high-pitched squeak and flails its rayed legs." -- I totally YouTubed a beetle squeak..

▶ Line highlight (there.are.SO.many!!1!) : "I hopelessly search for a glimmer in her eyes. They are the painted glass lamps one would find in a bazaar back home. Beautiful but hollow without the light."

Spice Road is an Arabian inspired fantasy, and I think that's why I enjoyed it so much. It was different compared to the other fantasy novels I have read in the past. There were a lot of twists and turns, which I enjoyed. I'm not entirely sure if this is a duololgy or a trilogy, but I am hooked and ready for the next book(s).

This was a 2/2.5 star read for the first 60%. I’m not sure I’ve read a novel that tackles privilege from the perspective of the privileged person before. Imani grows quite a bit, in trickles at first, then in a flood around that 60% mark. I enjoyed the book quite a lot from that point, but being inside Imani’s rigid closed-minded perspective up to that point was unpleasant.

Also: I enjoy a fast plot, but here it came at the expense of worldbuilding and character backstory necessary for caring about our protagonist and her quest. Lacking that sympathetic connection to Imani in the first 60% of the novel made her overweening pride even more unbearable.

Having said all that, I did enjoy that last 40% quite a bit — those all-too-brief scenes where Imani uses her new powers! The introduction of Atheer, who seems delightful! Intriguing revelations about Qayn’s past! Hopefully now that we’ve gone through Imani’s Bildungsroman phase, the rest of the series will be closer to that last 40%!

Spice Road by Maiya Ibrahum
“The truth is the thorn, not the rose.”
~~~~
I absolutely loved this Arabian theme and the magic system. The adventure and thrill throughout the whole book was amazing. Loved the diversity and family bonds woven into the storyline. Then the relationship between the FMC and the spirit MC, I think that’s what I wanna call them to not give spoilers.
There were some really great lessons here on different topics and some great take-aways that can be used on a daily basis. The ending wasn’t a “on the edge of your seat cliffhanger.” But it was a gentle way to end the book, but know that the fight and series isn’t over. This is absolutely just the beginning and there will truly be more.
I am here for all this series and stoked for the next installment of what Ibrahum has to offer. Thank you Maiya Ibrahum, Random House Children, and Netgalley for the eARC. Preorder now! Available Jan. 23, 2023

REVIEW: Spice Road

Rating: ✨2.5/5✨
Spice: a sprinkle with two kisses
Plot: what plot? It took forever for the story to get to the point.
Tropes: slow burn, magic system, strong FMC, forced proximity, enemies to lovers, betrayal

So far, this book is not great. I’m really hoping it picks up soon because I'm almost 100 pages in and I can barely bring myself to keep going.

The conversations in this book feel so stiff and... Written. Like they lack a natural cadence.

Amira is so annoying the WHOLE time. I can't bring myself to like her.

Imani has no depth. We are just told her thoughts and she never expands on herself internally.

I really wanted this to be better, but with PAGES of description for things that shouldn't be described but the magic system has like two sentences, it's a struggle.

Update: I couldn't push through. I think the writing style isn't for me.

Update #2: I decided to read 15 more pages and it gets progressively better. I still found myself skimming a lot, but at least it held my attention. My review will be altered from a 2.5/5 to a 3.5.