This book was, hands down, one of the absolute best fantasies that l've read this year. The characters were stellar, the enemies to allies to friends to enemies to whatever the ended as was absolutely wild and the tension was insane, the twists gave me whiplash, the world-building was done so well, and the writing was amazing.

Thanks to the Author, Publisher and NetGalley for the ARC

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

My Selling Pitch:
This is for all my girlies who loved Throne of Glass, but didn’t think Rowan Whitethorn was spicy enough.

She is your standard princess in hiding is hired by her mortal enemy for a competition plotline, but she’s done well and has an immaculate slow burn enemies to lovers romance.

Pre-reading:
Idk why, but I don’t really want to read this. I loved Egypt mythology as a kid, but something about this is not doing it for me.

Thick of it:
I love a bonkers opener.
I think a fun book journal page would be the opening line from every book I’ve read that year.

abaya

fiteer

waleema

harangue

I love enemies to lovers. Also, silver fox.

Calm down, edgelord.

wilayah

duqan

The kingdom’s champion? Celaena has entered the chat.

Do I smell a Mother Gothel figure?

I just want to talk to whoever thought it was a good idea to have two kingdoms start with O. They’re already made up fantasy names that I’m having to struggle to try and remember. Why make it more complicated?

One of my biggest problems with foreign fantasy books is not knowing if the word is foreign to me, but a modern word, or if it’s a made-up fantasy word. It makes it very hard to track new vocab for my book journal.

Wow, the more she tells me that he’s gonna kill her, the more I’m like wow, I can’t wait for them to fall in love. (Absolutely toxic, you horny scumbag.)

If he works as a farm laborer, how is he not strong enough?

He has to train her too! Forced proximity enemies to lovers. Chef’s kiss. This is gonna be good.

tableau

halcyon

Thanks, Karen.

Oh, that is dark. Is this a YA? I thought this was a YA.

One horse trope, please. I love it.

Damn, they have extra horses.

I don’t get the twice a month joke.

I like how this book is like oh my god, I’m so secretive. No one knows my secret identity. And then like her best friends and her teacher all know. Like you’re just bad at secrets then, girlypop.

Calm down, edgelord.

Oh, she’s your favorite? She’s dead then.

We love trauma that impacts our characters’ for their entire lives. Excellent work, author. However, I love a romance. I’m gonna need them to fuck, so call the therapist. We need shenanigans.

OK cheat sheet time. There’s a lotta fucking names in this book.
Kapastra-snake lady-farming-Omal
Dania-woodcutter-hunting-Orban
Baira-pretty lady-money-Lukub
Rovial-boy-magic-Jasad

We love a heroine who doesn’t dance.

I’m immediately on board with them.

My jaw dropped. I knew I said she was dead. I didn’t think she would die that horrifically.

Oh, she’s not! Please don’t let her be dead, the poor little thing.

I love it. I love this plot. He’s gonna have to train her, and they’re gonna fall in love. I’m so down.

This book would be so much more popular if they had given it a better cover. The cover is ugly.

bolti

No romantic tension in a room with a dead body. Thank you.

arbiter

Y’all, the chemistry they have👀

We got Dorian and Celaena vibes, but like I’m down. I like them, so I like this.

I don’t know how dark this book is going, but my guess would be that they escaped because the counselor was fucking his stepdaughter.

This book is much better when we get dialogue, but awful when we get stuck in her head.

The sheer amount of vocabulary that I don’t know in this book is getting annoying. It’s not world-building. It’s annoying.

I think that was supposed to be a zinger of a line, but it was just dumb.

This book has pacing problems. Speed up. I don’t need so much world-building information. I don’t need so much time inside her head. I don’t care about her feelings. Give me plot or kisses.

kahk

… not to be culturally insensitive, but I’m from Boston, so that just sounds like sugarcoated cock.

I hope it means like princess or something.

I love them together. I love them.

Now this shit is enemies to lovers.

And then we get a different perspective! Thank god, because she was getting annoying.

Oh my god, I hope he’s calling her goose. I change my mind. Forget princess. Call her goose. (I stand by this.)

Oh my god, how are they gonna fuck if touching makes him go crazy and makes her magic go nuts? Let’s pull a Pushing Daisies and get these crazy kids some Saran Wrap.

I love them. They have such Celaena and Dorian vibes. Well maybe like Dorian and Rowan combined vibes. God, I want to re-read those books, but the thought of rereading book two and Tower of Dawn makes me want to die. I think I just want to read three and four and five and seven.

We’re getting real similar to Throne of Glass.

Like if she wins, she’s the champion for the king who killed her family. Like that is literally the plot of Throne of Glass.

I. Love. Them.

And there’s gonna be a ball, and they can dance, and fall in love. Look, I’m so excited. This book is very familiar. Like it’s literally Throne of Glass, but I love Throne of Glass, so I’m very happy to read it again.

Her speaking dialogue is so good. Her mental dialogue is terrible. But like that line sounded straight out of the Celaena’s mouth. That was a zinger.

That was trying to be woke, but was just a mess of a sentence.

Oh you idiot, but like yeah, pin her down, sexy man. Now kiss.

So basically, he called her a bridge troll. I don’t love that. Like I know it’s a siren bridge troll, which like a siren is sexier, but I don’t like either of those. I want him to call her goose. Thank you.

Somebody needs to get this bitch a scrunchie.

epithet

I love them together so much. You have no idea.

Well, I hate being right. This book said I’m going dark dark. There is a lot of violence against children in this book.

So like, obviously that year’s q person betrayed the wall and made it so that anyone could get in. Is the Gothel lady the q person? I don’t feel bad for not knowing this vocabulary. There’s too many words that they’re not defining.

I think if this book didn’t have such a compelling romance that it would be a three-star because I’m so annoyed at the info dumping, but like I’m really invested in the romance, so it might become a four-star if the competition is fun and if these losers bang.

Out of context. 👀 I’m just saying with how suggestive their encounters have been already…their sex scenes are gonna be filthy.

Hasn’t she been in captivity for a while? Where is her period?

I don’t like that he said I think of chaining you to a wall. I don’t like that. Why is that line in here? That’s not good.

So when I read this book, I like it very much because I dig the romance. When I put it down, I do not think of it and I do not want to pick it back up, and I think half of the reason is because the cover is so ugly.

prevaricate

Something goes wrong with my brain with this book because when I pick it up, I really enjoy it, but the second I put it down, it’s like it doesn’t exist and I remember it as being bad. It’s not bad??? I genuinely like it. Idk why my brain is stumbling like this.

That was such a good line. Like fuck, why am I not breezing through this book? (It’s the unfamiliar vocab and info dumping.)

Another absolute banger of a conversation. The dialogue in this book is genuinely good.

Oh look, I was right. Gothel did fuck the walls.

Oh wait, no she didn’t. The mom did? I’m confused.

I am very into this backstory of literal child did not accurately comprehend what her grandparents were doing.

I love them.

He’s so in love with her, and she’s so clueless. God, I love it every time.

It’s a little homoerotic, sir.

I think I will be buying this book.

Oh, that bit made me giddy. But also, I want Vaun and her to make up and be good friends. They’re both in love with the same boy. They can share.

It didn’t even occur to her because they’re so in love. (Samantha, they’re still actively trying to kill each other, but I’m like they’re in love! But like, they are. I love it.)

This is enemies to lovers done so well.

Please tell me that they fuck in this book and that I don’t have to wait for book two for shenanigans. (Sighhhhhh.)

His kingdom’s Hot Topic aesthetic is really not doing it for me. It’s too over-the-top. What’s the national anthem? The Black Parade? (I think I am very funny.)

I am never prepared for how dark this book goes!

viscera

bukhoor

Again, just so dark and violent against children. Like I’m not mad about it. I believe that people would do it. I’m just never prepared for it.

I hope this book becomes super popular because the fab art for it would be fucking amazing.

I like Vaida. She’s a viper.

Aren’t poppies medicinal? Am I being dumb? Probably.

Girl, this book is horny, and I approve.

antipathy

Oh baby girl, he already offered to let you kill him.

molokhia

Honeyed annihilation, you little sinner.

She thinks she can win a war against them all because she’s partnered with the Jasad people because that’s how they got a ruby hound?

This book is doing some real intricate, good political fantasy scheming, and I’m over here like I want them all to be friends. Where are my sunshine and rainbows? I want everyone to be in love and happy.

I’m so invested. This plot is so good. Why is the cover so ugly?

I think this book will suffer in popularity not only because of the cover but also because of its name choices. They’re so hard to keep track of because they’re not familiar so your brain just skips over them and then it takes you extra time to figure out who is who whenever the names come up again. Like Arin and Sylvia are easy, but the rest of the cast, dear lord.

What sort of ugly Hot Topic dress is that? A high-low hem? Here? Now?

fiteer

makroudh

muhallabia

Did not have that on the bingo board.

This is a long, but very informative villain monologue.

Did she fuck our book boyfriend?

Oh my god, she did fuck our book boyfriend. Wow, I’m so excited to be in his head again. It is one in the morning, and I have work. I have to go to bed, but I am so excited to keep reading.

bandy

Detritus sin

Ink and rain for a love interest scent is different.

I’m a sucker for a who did this to you. Every time. Just fuck, you lunatics.

She’s a firecracker. I adore her.

bissara

Diya reminds me of Hunger Games’ Joanna.

zither

I don’t like Vaida now that she’s rapey. That upsets me.

basturma

I don’t mind all the food details, but I do mind that I practically need an index to read this book.

An Alaskan bull worm!

I don’t understand why he had to kill himself.

How do you carry an entire dead man by yourself? Aren’t those heavy?

JUST KISS

Listen, I’m so into this book. The political plot is so confusing but engaging, but I swear to god, I need these stupid idiots to fuck.

It seems like a bad plan for them to go

I love him.

We are at 90% and they still have not kissed. This is very rude to me.

I don’t want her to have to kill Diya. I hope there’s some loophole.

Also, hallucinating during the final fight is literally the TOG plot.

If I weren’t so in love with the plot, I would probably be criticizing it for being retconny and info-dumpy, but like I’m so invested that I don’t mind.

A banger of a line for a book with murky power dynamics in its romantic relationship. We love. Shit’s gonna be healthy. Kinky as shit, but healthy. Gimmie.

I feel like there’s so many other steps we could’ve taken other than reveal your secret identity, but whatever. Book two, let’s go, baby.

As wide as a village doesn’t make sense if he fits inside a castle.

Choose each other in this life, you idiots. You’re clearly in love.

Post-reading:
I have so many feelings.

Mailing this author my therapy bills if these two idiots don’t end up together by the end of this series. Don’t toy with me like this. But actually do, because I enjoy the tease of it, but write faster and send me an arc of book two, thank you.

A five-star slow burn enemies to lovers romance. A four-star book. A very good debut.

There’s issues that we have to talk about, but for girlypop’s first book…to come out of the gate swinging like this-absolutely, yes please.

There are pacing issues. This book gets off to a slow start and kind of alienates its reader. I get it. It’s a fantasy novel. You want to throw us into the thick of things for immersion and you trust that we’ll be patient enough to learn as we go. I don’t know who told fantasy authors that their readers are willing to be patient, but I’d like to file a complaint. It’s a pet peeve of mine, and I think it’s a pet peeve for a lot of book girlies. It’s a risk to confuse your reader. If people get confused enough to the point that they get annoyed, a lot of people are going to put down or DNF a book. I like to suffer, so I would never. But it always frustrates me if a book ends up being really good, but has that slog of a beginning because a lot of people are going to miss out on it. I hate when I have to give a disclaimer when I recommend a book. I don’t want to have to say this is really good, just get through the beginning. Make it good and approachable from the get-go.

Because for the first third of this book, I kept picking it up, putting it down, and then having no interest in reading it. Once she kicks off though, oh baby, I was invested. (I might also have a good bit of fantasy fatigue, and I deeply dislike the cover, so that may have also contributed to me not wanting to pick this book up.)

I enjoyed the diversity of the world-building, but she’s kind of clumsy and clunky at points. Some of the visuals don’t translate. Some of the action sequences are hard to follow. The fashion reads like Hot Topic. The magic system is nonspecific and incredibly underdeveloped. Those are typical stumbles of first books. If this book’s characters didn’t engage me so much, I think I would be complaining that it was info-dumpy. Luckily, I did just care so much about them, that I was like tell me whatever. I don’t care how you do it. Just tell me more information.

I understand why this book had so many unfamiliar words to me, but it was fucking annoying. Give me an index. Give me a glossary. Give me better context clues. Give me something. The general audience of this book is not gonna know those words, and it’s going to frustrate them if they are constantly reading and having to skim because they don’t know what something is and they have to read a lot further to find out what it means. I think this is another popular bookish pet peeve, and I want it to stop.

Now we have to be critical and honest. This is not a very original plot. She has been done, but I enjoy her whenever she’s done well. This book is very similar to Throne of Glass. I love TOG. I thought this was different enough to give me the nostalgia of reading that series while also being its own thing. I think this book is much more successful at illustrating the struggle of what somebody could owe a people or a culture that was never really their people. I think that’s a really interesting theme to explore. But Sylvia does read like a more depressed, arguably weaker Celaena, and Arin like a spicier Rowan. (I am a Manon Dorian girlie. Rowan never really did it for me. Arin showed up, and I was like thank you, I’ll take 7. Do with that what you will.)

This book’s dialogue is so good. This book’s internal monologuing is so fucking bad and annoying and it drags and it makes you dislike characters. Which is impressive because then in the next chapter, they’ll speak out loud to each other and you’re like wow, you’re my actual cinnamon roll baby, and I would die for you. I think it’s just that Sylvia’s internal dialogue comes off so whiny and wishy-washy, which on the one hand, makes sense for where her character arc is at, but on the other hand, it’s deeply unpleasant to read.

So she’s a bit of a mixed bag, but the plot is layered and complex. The political scheming is excellent. There’s a lot of strong characters with interesting motivations and backstories that you genuinely root for.

And it has a romance that I am disgustingly invested in. Truly, who am I to get so giddy over literally nothing happening? They don’t even fuck. They kiss one time at the very end of the book. Are you joking? But like I loved it. I ate that shit up. Incredible, immaculate sexual tension between these two characters. The romance felt organic and deserved and the right side of toxic because they haven’t worked through their issues yet. Like it was just so well done.

I don’t know what else to say. I’m very excited for book two. I think if you liked TOG, you’ll like this. I think the cover is fucking hideous and the author deserved better. I think it’s a five-star romance in a four-star book, but I firmly believe that this author has a five-star book in her if she could get some better edits.

Who should read this:
Throne of Glass fans
Enemies to lovers romance fans

Do I want to reread this:
Hell yeah

Similar books:
* Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas-fantasy romance, enemies to lovers, layered plot, complex characters
* The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins-YA dystopian competition, enemies to lovers
* Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros-fantasy romance, enemies to lovers, competition
* Dance of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson-fantasy romance, enemies to lovers
* Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross-fantasy romance, slow-burn rivals to lovers

So, I was excited to start this book when I first received it, because the premise sounded interesting, and lately I've been finding myself reading more and more fantasy books written by Muslim authors. But, as I was making my way through this book, I found that I was having trouble making any sort of progress in completing this book. I think part of it was whenever I'd pick up this book, I wasn't fully in the mood to read. I also noticed that one of the main themes/tropes that this book has was that of the lead female character teaming up with a political rival in order to complete a goal, which I've found that I wasn't in much of a mood for recently. So, I think for now I'll leave this book unread and come back to it at a later time. Though if you're looking for a fantasy novel featuring Muslim and Egyptian representation, and are looking for a book similar to The City of Brass by Shannon Chakraborty and We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faisal, I would definitely recommend this book.

The Jasad Heir was every bit as good as I hoped it would be.

The characters are fleshed out with secondary characters also having their own backstories. Many of them grew on me. Both Sylvia and Erin are complex characters.

The enemies to lovers romance is believable. It's borne of small gestures and respect for each other despite their circumstances. It's definitely one of my favorite elements of the novel.

The world building is excellent. Rather than a simple dichotomy of good versus bad, the kingdoms are also three-dimensional in their actions and motivation. The political intrigue is also top tier. (4.5 stars rounded to 5 stars)

Read this if you’re a fan of:
✨️competitions between adversaries
✨️hidden heirs with magical powers
✨️slow burn, enemies to lovers

A new staple in Arab Fantasy, this enthralling and romantic world is binge-able and fun! I couldn’t stop flipping the pages.

Perfect for fans of An Ember in the Ashes, Spice Road, and The Cruel Prince.

What a journey this book took me on I don't even know where to start. Sara Hashem really was able to create characters in this novel that can come to life in a readers mind while reading The Jasad Heir. The way everything was described made me feel as if I myself was a character within the book going through what these characters were going through. One thing that really stood out to me in this book was that the characters were unpredictable at times I tend to find that characters of book seem to follow some sort of blueprint where I can just expect what will happen next, but that was not the case here. The depth of the characters and overall world described within this book just truly added so much to my reading experience. Something that really made me love The Jasad Heir even more was that I was able to relate to the characters and even care for them, anticipating what will happen next. I do not think anything I say will do The Jasad Heir justice it was truly an amazing experience reading this and I highly highly recommend picking this book up and giving it a chance. As always happy reading!!

The Jasad Heir was a solid debut for Author Sara Hashem. It combined fragments of the most beloved dynamics in the fantasy genre into one cohesively gripping story including political/court intrigue among culturally distinct kingdoms, competitive trials, a reluctant heroine, found family, a will-they or won't-they, slowest of slow burn, enemies-to-lovers “romance”, and of course – Magic.

Many years ago the powerful magical kingdom of Jasad fell and the royal family was burned alive, all except for the youngest heir, Essyia, who now lives as “Slyvia” in secret within a small impoverished village working as an apothecary’s apprentice and hiding her magic until one day the Commander of the Nizhal, an army committed to hunting and killing what remains of the Jasadi’s, comes upon her and senses her magic.

The first quarter of this book had me HOOKED as we learned about Slyvia’s history and got to know her character and backstory. Slyvia’s character grappled with the burden that comes with being considered a hero/savior and the lengths to which power can corrupt. The rise and fall of the Jasadi kingdom and its interplay with its surrounding domains was quite intriguing and I am really looking forward to seeing how this will play out in future books in the series.

I would not go so far as to say this book is classified as a fantasy romance but the slow burn aspect did significantly carry the story from the midway through to the end. It was a TRUE enemies-to-lovers where you honestly couldn’t tell at times if they were more likely to kiss or to kill one another. The story also hosted a gang of humorous and strong-willed characters that lent to the “found-family” vibe of the story and was rather enjoyable as a whole.

My only critique is the ending felt a bit rushed/clunky and I was at one point confused as to whether what was happening was real or not real (as the scene directly before included use of hallucinogenic magic and there wasn’t a clear differentiation of when it stopped) which pulled me out of the story. Over all though, this was a very enjoyable read that holds a lot of promise for what will come next in the Scorched Throne series. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for book two!

Thanks to Orbit Books and Netgalley for an advanced reader copy of The Jasad Heir

The jasad heir is just another instant hit with this new wave of arab-like fantasy. There seems to be a lot of these coming from orbit and I can’t get enough. The World building is quick and easy and the characters feel absolutely real. I hope the next entry will feature some art work because I would love to see what this world is supposed to look like. 5 stars for epic cover art as well.

“The way he looks at you sometimes. Like you are a cliff with a fatal fall, and each day you move him closer to its edge.”

Short Synopsis:
The kingdom of Jasad burned a decade ago. Sylvia - the heir - escaped, changed her name and has been living in hiding since then. Everyone thinks she’s dead. But when she captures the attention of Arin, a competing kingdom’s heir, she can’t stay hidden for long.

My Thoughts:
Calling all fans of Throne of Glass!!! This reminded me so much of the beginnings of that series - but in Egypt! I loved Sylvia’s snark and backstory.

Sylvia and Arin’s banter and brutality is so, so good. And the longing!! I’m a fan.

This is such a solid debut and I can’t wait for the next installment.

Read if You Like:
🔪 Throne of Glass
🔪 Enemies to Friends to Lovers
🔪 Quirky side characters
🔪 Hidden Identity
🔪 Magic
🔪 Breathtaking fantasy
🔪 Slow burns
🔪 Banter
🔪 Deadly Trials

ARC Review ~ The Jasad Heir ~

*******************************************

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have been watching for The Jasad Heir since I found Sara Hashem’s Tiktok. I jumped at the chance for the ARC when it came up on Netgalley!

The Jasad Heir centers around Sylvia, the presumed dead heir of the destroyed kingdom of Jasad. After surviving years of trauma that followed the destruction of her kingdom, she’s created a quiet life for herself in a small village and in walks none other than the heir of the people who sacked Jasad, Arin, the young commander tasked with hunting down her kind.

Their journey is full of deception, political intrigue and a lot of knives at throats. The world in book is intricate and intriguing full of interesting magic (absolutely want to know more about the Awaleen) and nightmarish lands and creatures.

Arin stoic and detached and the more I learned about him the more questions I had. I hope to see more of his POV in the next book! The side characters, Sera, Marek, Jeru and Wes bring life and compassion into the main characters that fuels the story.

Sylvia is my favorite, I liked watching her stumble and struggle through her trauma and finding her way to survive. We follow the journey through her eyes as works through her inner conflicts of her loyalty to herself vs her people, her desire from freedom vs what others want her to be, between what she remembers of her kingdom and the truths she learns. I cannot wait to see what she learns in the next book!

Features:
*Enemies to lovers
*Political Intrigue
*Badass but stumbling MFC
*Who did this to you?
*Ace Rep
*Intriguing world building

I decided while reading this the author whose writing style it most reminded me of was Jennifer Estep. Light girl power adventure story where you know the plucky heroine will kick a lot of butt and in the end prevail. I had fun reading the ARC. If you’re looking for a lighter, despite the blood, bit of female centered fantasy escapism this one is a good time!

I received this book from the publisher/NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.

If you need a sign to read this book, this *here* is your sign. I absolutely loved the book. This book hits all the right notes for me. I loved the character, the story telling and the world building. The writing style of the book is easy going. The relationships explored in the books are *chefs kiss* perfect. The characters are all amazing and well-developed!

I can't wait for the next installment.

Thank you to Orbit Books and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC of this book!

4.5/5 stars

Ok this is THE enemies-to-lovers book of the year. Absolutely no notes, perfect execution, I wanted to gnaw my own arm off so many times from the tension alone. ((A quick side-note: if spice is what you're looking for, this is not the book for you; however the relationship dynamics between not just the two MCs but between all the side characters are absolutely worth the read)) Arin and Sylvia's relationship progression is so incredible and believable, and at no point did it feel like either of them were sacrificing their morals or magically changing sides and opinions just because of the other person. Their feelings for each other were clearly something they struggled with and something that forced them to confront their world views and face uncomfortable truths about themselves and the world they live in. I am so enamored with these characters, both individually and together. Sylvia's struggle to discover who she truly is and grapple with her past hits so close to home for me- figuring out who you are after trauma and death is so difficult and there is no easy fix and the author did a phenomenal job of exploring those themes.

I think where this book falls a little short is the worldbuilding- I spent a good part of the book confused about the magic system. I'm still not entirely sure about how magic works in this world and what exactly its limitations are. Some of this is definitely related to a major plot point for Sylvia, and I'm sure some of my questions will be resolved in followup books, but there were times I genuinely didn't know what was going on until after the scene when someone had to (somewhat clumsily) explain an entirely new aspect of the world and the magic. I'm also really not sure where all of these countries? cities? are in relation to each other. I would've loved a map and I hope one is included in the physical copy that I'm absolutely buying the second the book is out.

This was overall an incredibly strong first book in this series and I am absolutely going to lose my mind waiting for the next one! I already miss Sylvia and Arin and all their friends and I'm so excited to see where their adventures take them.

“There is no such thing as a worthy sacrifice. There are only those who die, and those willing to let them.”

"I stretched my neck. “Identify yourself, soldier. I would like to know what name to mark on your grave.”"

4.5 stars

The characters were really great. I enjoyed the banter and their stories. Sylvia was the perfect blend of ruthless killer and vulnerable floof – she did lean toward killer more often than not – but it made her character extremely likable.

"I studied the strong slope of his shoulders, the notches of his spine. I vaguely wondered if his back would be harder to break than the soldiers."

The plot was great, the heir in hiding, forced to work with her enemy (who is also an heir!!), yes, please.

"He looked at me like sheer willpower alone prevented him from tearing me limb from limb. This man is going to kill you. If not today, then someday soon."

"“The way most men love is so boring. It is frequent and fickle and altogether unextraordinary. Arin would love to obsession. To madness.”"

This was a true enemies to lovers. There were many attempted killings on both sides and disgust radiating from both of them the majority of the time. It was great. The perfect build up.

"I smoothed a thumb over his brow. “I dream of killing you.”
Arin pulled my fingers away. Worry lashed me. Had I gone too far? Eyes dark with amusement searched mine.
He smoothed the furrow forming in my brow with his thumb. “My demented Suraira, we have much to discuss about seduction."

The humour throughout the book was great. It was casually thrown in and was great at diffusing the dark undertones throughout this book.

""Five years of friendship, and do you know the only word I would use to describe you?” He glanced at me. “Mild. Just...mild. Which might have been the end of the story until two nights ago, when I watched you singlehandedly sever a man’s backbone without flinching.”"

The friendships and relationships built in this book were well done and I felt like they were real, you know? Ups, downs, secrets, truths, all of it made it more real.

This book is about opposing political forces and class structure. And like it or not, this book is about genocide. Genocide of a race that is misunderstood (mainly, some of the Jasadi’s were really terrible😅) and mass slaughter of their entire kind. This book is about Jasadi’s who are killed simply for being alive, whether they have usable magic or not. This book was about a broken girl, who was so afraid of living that she shut down, ignored everything, and watched her kingdom burn.

“What do you want?”
What I meant to say was “Your severed head rotating on a spit.”
What came out was significantly worse.
“Freedom. Real freedom.”

I’m not going to say much more, just that there was a competition, where champions of nations fought in 3…trials? Events? Deathmatches? The fights weren't against each other, except if you happened to run into another champion in the middle, they were more like hunts. Hunts that end with one winner and the others dead.

"His will is strong. It always is, in the self-righteous,” I said to the empty room. “But the will of the damned is even stronger."

The reveals throughout the book, her family and her past, were blended within the plot that you didn’t see it coming because it was just horror. Horror that some of those things had happened. Also, the atrocities this poor girl faced as a child were bone-chilling.

And this line *Chef’s fucking kiss*

"It took 1,822 days to dig a hole.
Nine feet deep. Eight feet wide. I’d carved the numbers into the tree with my dagger.
1,822 days spent with Hanim. 1,822 days of wishing I had died with the rest of my family.
You were right. I was glad to have practiced digging that hole.
1,822 days of planning my escape.
It made an excellent grave.”

And in between all that was the beautiful tension of the enemies-to-lovers plot, which as I said above, was done so so well.

“You want to be hunted?” A branch snapped somewhere below me. “Then I will gladly grant your wish.”
A strangled cry tore through my teeth as searing pain cleaved my calf.
“Son of a—” My hand flew to my leg, and there, inches above my ankle, was a knife.
He stabbed me?”

AND THE MOMENT YOU’VE BEEN WAITING FOR:

"Arin had stalled a mere foot away, staring at my back. I clicked my mouth shut. I had forgotten to cover the evidence of Hanim’s favorite hobby. Until now, Rory and Raya were the only two with the misfortune of seeing my graveyard of scars.
“Who did this to you?”"

YES

Okay, the conflicting thoughts I had:

The world-building was…not great? I couldn’t understand half of it and there was no logical flow for me to follow. It took me until almost halfway through the book to finally be able to realize who was who in her family. The names of people and places, and nobility (maybe?) were not clearly laid out. I almost DNFd this book in the beginning because of this.

BUUUTTTT!!! 50% onwards? AMAZING! I really don’t know how to rate this! Based on the first half - 4 stars, second half 5 stars, so I’ll go in the middle at 4.5 stars, but I’m very conflicted because I couldn’t put the book down after 50ish percent 😂

The ending…well, I need the next book immediately!!

“There is much you don’t know about me, but understand this: I will fight for my freedom until my last breath. You took it away, and you cannot fault how ardently I choose to take it back. Until you have felt hunted, less than human, rejected from the moment you were born for something you did not ask for and cannot control—until then, do not speak to me of martyrs and mercenaries.”

"One, two. I’m alive. Three, four. I’m safe. Five, six. I won’t let them catch me."

It feels like I've been waiting AGES for this book! I was instantly hooked by the trope teasers on Sara's ticktock and was overjoyed to see the news of her book deal. This egyptian-inspired debut fantasy contains all of your favorite bookish tropes with a heaping dash of adventure and political intrigue thrown into the mix. There's also enemies to lovers, a deadly tournament, and a world stripped of magic; perfect for fans of Throne of Glass and An Ember in the Ashes.

I do think the plotting could have been tightened up; the story did meander a bit in the first half, and there was a fair amount of info-dumping throughout. There was an entire scene where the MC is gifted gloves that don't appear again for another 300 pages. And when they do, it's completely distracting and underwhelming.

But, all in all, this was an incredibly fun debut and I will. absolutely be reading the second book; I think there's a lot of potential here! Final rating is 3.75 stars. Thank you to Sara Hashem, Orbit Books and Netgalley for the e-ARC.

A would-be queen, presumed dead and forced to work with her greatest enemy in order to survive? Sign me the hell up.

Sara Hashem’s The Jasad Heir follows Sylvia - aka Essiya, the would-be Heir to the kingdom of Jasad - in hiding years after a massacre claimed her entire family and burned Jasad to the ground. Her attempts to lay low are thwarted when she comes face to face with Arin, the Heir of Nizhal, who wants her to serve as his Champion in an upcoming competition between Nizhal and the other remaining kingdoms.

In truth, what Arin wants is Sylvia’s help in tracking down any Jasadi survivors, all considered criminals on sight by virtue of the stronger-than-average magic that they are able to wield. If Sylvia helps Arin track down the remaining Jasadi factions, he will grant her her freedom and conveniently forget that she herself is from Jasad. As they train for the competition though, the two find themselves growing closer in spite of themselves…a matter sure to grow more complicated if Arin finds out Sylvia is actually the presumed-dead Essiya.

With a story centered in and around a distinctly Egypt-inspired world, it’s to be expected that a large amount of the book would be given over to worldbuilding. Hashem doesn’t have the advantage of decades of similar works upon which to draw her world map and culture. Fortunately the broad strokes of familiar fantasy elements blends beautifully with the more unique and refreshing aspects of her worldbuilding. Fortunate too, that these elements directly inform things like social class and personality, and thus propelling the plot forward.

By far the most compelling aspect of the story, for me, was the dynamic between Sylvia and Arin. I am a true sucker for enemies-to-lovers and these two fit the bill beautifully, even if their slowest of slow burns had me screaming “just kiss already” more than once. This is only the first book in the saga though, and hopes for a juicy romantic arc spring eternal. Sylvia’s personal arc, too, is engaging and well-written, the mystery of her past slowly unravelling in bits and pieces, setting the stage for what will surely be a breathless follow-up.

The Jasad Heir hits shelves on July 18. Special thank you to Orbit Books for the advance copy for review purposes.

This was wonderful, I'm so impressed it was a debut!

A reluctant chosen-one in hiding gets thrust into a world of chaos and political unrest ft. a side of potential romance? So good. Our FMC Sylvia was a breath of fresh air and easy to root for and relate to. She's not an overly warm or affectionate person, but still has a heart of gold and following her on this journey and getting to understand her inner conflicts and motivations throughout was a wild ride. The MMC Arin was mysterious, broody, but driven and caring all at once. The side characters were also interesting and involved just the right amount IMO.

One of my favourite things about this book was that we get twists, turns and reveals throughout the whole book. Not just one "gotcha" moment at the end. I also really liked the world building and the way the different kingdoms were introduced - they all felt distinct and the way the magic system was weaved through was also done really well!

I always love a good tournament/trials structure in a book, although I will say I wish we got to see a bit more of it. A majority of the actual competition and its potential implications were reserved for the end of the book but I wish we got to see more of it throughout the book. That aspect was a bit abrupt.

Really liked this overall and can't wait to see what book 2 has in store.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the ARC!

I honestly had a good time with this book. It gave me the feeling of if Jude and Cardan were allowed to get violent, while working through simlar trials from The Final Strife. 🗡️

Inspired by Egypt, I could see elements of the modern era of the country with the themes of invasion and war. The cultural influences were also heavily prevalent, though one thing I do wish could have been included in the book was a glossary for words or items that described a little more of what they were. 📝

The settings were phenomenal and showed individuality within the different kingdoms. I never once felt that I saw something similar in a different country. Again, I do wish I had a map so I could envision the world a bit better. 🗺️

The relationship between magic and the people reminded me of how native culture had to be practiced in secrecy in order to preserve it from the colonizing culture. This leads me to the people of the story. 🕌

I thought the relationships between Sylvia, Marek, and Sefa were so sweet as they tried desperately to break down Sylvia’s walls for friendship. Her contentious and very violent relationship with Arin was both interesting as well as slightly off-putting. I get the tension between them because of circumstances, but I found their love a bit odd coming out of all this violence once they did open up to each other, I did quite enjoy their banter with each other. ⚔️

In the end, the story was good and the relationships really popped off in the middle, but I did feel the last third left me slightly confused for a bit with the pacing. But I would definitely recommend for those who like enemies-to-lovers and aren’t afraid of violence in the mix.🩸

Thank you to @netgalley and @orbitbooks_us for sending me an eARC and letting me post my honest opinion, and to @shashemwrites for such a great time with the world and characters! Can’t wait for book two! 👑

Overall: 4/5 ⭐️

I had a lot of fun with this one! The Jasad Heir happens ten years after Jasad, the only kingdom with magic, was annihilated by the Nizahl armies. Magic was prohibited and all the Jasadi royals were assassinated. Or so they thought. Sylvia, the Jasad Heir, managed to escape and has since learned how to conceal her identity. That is, until the Nizahl Heir, Arin, chooses her as the Nizahl Champion to compete in the Alcahal, a deadly game to win glory, and in Sylvia’s case, freedom. However, this freedom comes with a catch, in that Sylvia must also assist Arin in capturing rebel Jasadi factions, so Sylvia must choose between losing her freedom or betraying her people.

The Jasad Heir is Egyptian-inspired with a lot of great tropes like forbidden magic, heir in hiding, the deadly competition, and ofc the slow burn enemies to lovers. I liked the romance aspect but I wouldn’t call it a main plot, mostly because it was so slow burn there wasn’t much romance until the end. The main characters were also fun, and Sylvia is definitely a badass fmc, though she does have some moments where her judgment is questionable 🤣 I also enjoyed Arin because he’s one of those who is very determined to do the right thing even if that means doing some very not right things, so definitely morally grey.

I think my biggest critique would be with pacing because the first half of the book was pretty slow and the second half seemed a bit rushed, but this is a debut novel so that is understandable. I also think that the tropes and the plot weren’t the most original, the author kind of used a tried-and-true story arc, but that’s okay because it was still really enjoyable. Overall, I think it was a very promising debut and look forward to the next one!!

Sara Hashem, I'm gonna need you to slap the second book into my hand ASAP. Wow, I devoured this! It was so fun and while not perfect, I enjoyed it soooo much. I love Sylvia as a character, flaws and no brain cells. I do think some things were a little undeveloped for me and the ending was rushed but it's still a pretty solid first book. I hope the second book really goes more in-depth. I will be picking it up.