Sara Hashem respects respects the intelligence of her reader, and I respect her integrity as a writer.

This is what i've been missing, this is the romantasy I want. The world building is rich, the character development is there, and the romance is actually slow burn. When I say I want enemies to lovers THIS is what I mean, they don't even kiss until the last 20 pages of the book. The two main characters actually have reason to hate each other, and they aren't lusting after each other within the first 100 pages.

I love that the author doesn't hold the readers hand, the world building just is and it's our responsibility to figure it out. Gods, traditions, holidays, and food are just names and we get to come to the conclusion of what they are.

I love that the romance is there, but it's not the central plot, the story still stands without it. The yearning, uncertainty, and frankly disdain between the main characters hit the nail on the head.

This book is everything I want from a fantasy story and I can't wait to read the sequel.

This had a strong start, truly intriguing world-building, a heroine I adored... And then it kind of switched gears and focused a little too much on the love story, in my opinion. It's marketed as slow-burn, but I disagree. The romance flirted with the idea of a slow-burn and then got too serious too fast and I was disappointed by the final result.

If you’re searching for a book of female rage, look no further! Sylvia is a fierce character and her arc throughout the book was very engaging. I read the ebook and listened via audiobook and the narrator did a wonderful job of conveying Sylvia’s emotions through her voice!

My interest was peaked from the start and while I did feel the book was a bit long, and at points slow, I was decently engaged throughout. A lost heir of a demolished kingdom meets the son of a current ruler and is entered into a deadly trial for the throne that ruined her life. The enemies to lovers?! It’s a true enemies to lovers no insta-love or easy reconciliation here! I did feel like the romance came second to the plot, but honestly, I was fine with it. I cared more about Sylvia’s journey outside of the romance than I did about the slow burn relationship.

This was a decent debut fantasy and I look forward to more from the author.

Loved this so much. Great world building, great characters, peak slow-burn. It ended how I wanted it to and I'm looking forward to the second book.

I can't quite pinpoint why this didn't quite work for me. The world was interesting, but unfortunately I couldn't quite connect to the characters and their journey enough to truly love this.

“All your choices require sacrifice. The question is, what are you willing to lose?”

A decade ago, Sylvia fled her homeland, Jasad, a magical kingdom rich with culture, as the sole survivor and Heir of the Jasad Throne. A neighboring kingdom called Nizahl invaded Jasad and burnt it to the ground to destroy all magic embedded in the Jasadi people, not showing mercy to anyone from Jasad in the years since, as the people have fled to other nations seeking refuge. In the present, Sylvia continues to hide her identity as an apprentice to a chemist when her life is upturned by the Nizahl Heir, Arin, a man who is always ten steps ahead of everyone else, one whom Sylvia must stay guarded from despite her intrigue with him. Sylvia is whisked away to train and become Nizahl's Champion in a deadly contest of the nations, where if she wins and helps Arin capture Jasadi rebels, she can earn her freedom. All while remaining hidden as the true Jasad Heir.

OH wow, this was such a great read! The Jasad Heir is a rich, layered story of identity, duty, and the consequences of prejudice and war. I was hooked from the very beginning. Hashem has a way of pulling you in while not overwhelming with lore and background, but rather slowly revealing aspects of the story in fun and shocking ways that come together at just the right moment. The secrets and the drama were so addicting to learn about, and I cannot wait to learn more in the conclusion to the series. The worldbuilding was impressive, and the descriptions of the settings truly felt lived-in.

Sylvia was a great protagonist, full of cold calculation and cunning, while ever so slowly thawing her heart and showing vulnerability to those around her as the book progresses. I loved her character arc so much in learning how love can be a strength, not a weakness, as she was taught in the worst years of her life. But she's still ruthless as hell and willing to do what it takes to get what she wants. I also thought Arin was fascinating as well! I admired how he felt different from a lot of fantasy books' male love interests. He's super smart and honed to be a deadly foe, but you can tell that there is more than what meets the eye, and he has a lot of yearning for true connection and bonding, as he has been as much of a loner as Sylvia has forced herself to be. Them two together? AMAZING. They are undoubtedly each other's equals. I am so thrilled to read a book that is marketed as enemies to lovers and actually delivers on that promise. The tension is incredible. It's just the right amount to make you go insane with wanting them to admit their feelings already, and then by the end, I was just reeling at how the final book will conclude their story in particular.

I've already emphasized this, but I cannot wait to see what happens in The Jasad Crown. I am DYINGGG. Sara Hashem has earned a fan in me, that's for sure. I had so much fun reading this.

4.5 stars.

The Egyptian-inspired setting is vivid, and the tension between characters is compelling. However, the pacing can drag a bit and the plot sometimes gets muddled with too many factions. While not without flaws, this is an engaging start to a new fantasy series for readers who enjoy complex, magic-laced political drama.

I think I have minimal thoughts about this one other than: if you love a SLOW burn fantasy with a romance subplot, twists and turns, political intrigue, and TRIALS— you’ll love this one.

I had a great time with it but it was just slightly too slow for me—lots of action at the end but it was all packed so fast that I felt some whiplash and chaos that could have been avoided if it was spread out a bit more.

This one is complicated with lots of characters (many with the same starting letter) so I struggled to follow along at times… though I really think that’s because I was so tired and cozy every time I would read 😅

I am stoookkeeddd for book 2 though because I do really think I’ll love all the action in it.

s/o to the publisher for the gifted digital copy!!

This book was everything I hoped it would be and more! As soon as I heard about this book, it immediately became one of my most anticipated reads of the year. Seeing an Egyptian-inspired fantasy written by an actual Egyptian made me so excited. I had high hopes and I was thankfully not disappointed.
I loved the worldbuilding and the characters. Sara Hashem immediately drew me in, and I was not ready to leave the world when I reached the last page. Her writing style is amazing and the dynamic between Sylvia and Arin was everything that a slow-burning relationship should be.
I love the politcal intrique in this book and I can't wait for the sequel to come out (it's already been preordered and I am counting down the days).
I highly recommend this book for anyone looking to get lost in a fantasy novel.

Arab American Heritage Month #1

I'm not familiar enough with Egyptian mythology to know who are the colonizers/colonized in this book, but I'm not even offended by that. I'm mostly offended by the side character named Wes. IYKYK

Sylvia, who has at least two other names, is the colonized, and the (view spoiler). Who knew? Possibly everyone.

She and her captor, Arin, fall for each other. This isn't even a spoiler. It's the most obvious thing in the world. I'm not sure if the Arab girlies are as offended by this as I am by every East Asian colonizer romance I've read lately (sadly of which there are many), so I'll let them tell you that, but just know I was more bored than offended. And that's telling.

🥃 Take a shot every time a colonizer romance is categorized as enemies to lovers
🥃 Take a shot every time a character is named after a man you’ve dated

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit

One of those rare, special gifts that draw you in from page 1 and grip you tight until the very last word. I need the sequel IMMEDIATELY!

***Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book to review.***

I really want to love this book because the synopsis sounded intriguing. However, I could relate to the story because the world building was confusing. Still, I recommend this for fans of Game of Thrones!

I think the love story here didn't quite work for me. I was under the impression this would be a more decolonial fantasy than it worked out to be.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for this ARC. The Jasad Heir is a fantasy debut filled with political intrigue, hidden magic, and a slow-burning romance.

The story follows Sylvia, the last surviving member of the Jasad royal family—a kingdom thought to have been wiped from existence. She has spent years in hiding, suppressing her magic and avoiding attention. But when she crosses paths with the enemy prince, Arin, she must strike a deal to save her life. Arin knows she’s keeping secrets, and as their uneasy alliance takes shape, tension and chemistry build between them.

While I really enjoyed the premise, I struggled with parts of the execution. The pacing lagged at times—some sections felt slow, while others were rushed. However, this first book is very character-driven, and I was drawn to its deeper themes of personal responsibility, choice, and resilience, as well as how fear and guilt are incredibly powerful. Both main characters have depth, make mistakes that challenge their perspectives, and grow in compelling ways. The enemies-to-lovers dynamic was well done, and I think readers who enjoy that trope will appreciate it. This book felt like the beginning of a much larger journey, and the intense ending pulled me back in—I’m curious to see where the story goes in book 2!

"But I wanted to hope what we'd lost could still be saved. That despite what we'd become, we could learn to be soft again."

The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem is a gripping fantasy debut filled with political intrigue, rich world-building, and a fierce heroine determined to reclaim her lost kingdom. The novel masterfully weaves together themes of identity, power, and survival, with Sylvia—one of the last surviving members of the fallen Jasad royal family—forced to navigate a deadly game of deception. Hashem’s writing is immersive, balancing tension with lyrical prose, and the dynamic between Sylvia and Arin, a relentless enemy prince, adds an intense and compelling layer to the story. Fans of intricate court politics and slow-burn rivalries will find this book a thrilling and satisfying read.

My childhood obsession was with Egypt, so when I saw The Jasad Heir was Egyptian inspired I was ON IT. The beginning was a bit slow, but it quickly picked up in the second half with political intrigue, and betrayal. The focus of this book was not romance, so the reader should not go in expecting a typical fantasy romance. It was slow burn, enemies to lovers done right and the romance subplot complemented the story nicely without being overpowering. Overall, I really enjoyed the author’s writing style and The Jasad Heir was a very solid debut. I can’t wait to see what Hashem comes up with next in The Scorched Throne.

**Thank you to Orbit Books and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review**

I love this romantic fantasy, I'm not sure I'd call it a romantasy since I thought it was very plot-focused rather than romantic centered. Interesting politics and characters, I can't wait to read the sequel!

This is one of those instances where every single thing about this book (the tropes, the male lead, the female lead, the plot) all should have worked for me- and, mostly, it did.

But I find that every time I have picked up my gumption to try and lift my fingers to type out a review on this, no words come because it is all a fog and I can barely remember a thing that happened (I’m saying even after immediately finishing- which is why I continually put off reviewing hoping I could make time to re read and hopefully drum up enough thought process to review fairly) so I’ve never been able to review it.

Thank you so much for trusting me and giving me the opportunity to review this- this is not my norm and I hope my honestly reflects my integrity when it comes to reading and reviewing e galleys/arcs. I take it very seriously and humbly.

Thank you again and I’m sorry I couldn’t do more with it.

Never downloaded. Been having trouble with books downloading. Would still like a copy to read and review.

This book was so enjoyable and I loved the Egyptian inspired setting! I loved how sarcastic Sylvia was and the relationship between her and Arin. The enemies to lovers slow burn was done well.