Sylvia works as an alchemist’s apprentice. Little does anyone know that she’s actually the Jasad Heir, the last of the royal line of rulers slaughtered by the surrounding kingdoms. Besides, she hardly has any of the famed Jasadi magic. A chance encounter with Arin, the heir of another kingdom, forces Sylvia into acting as his champion in a Battle Royale-style event in the hopes of gaining her freedom.

Lots of tropes here, but they are fairly well-employed. We have the chosen one, hidden queen, found family, enemies to lovers, forced contests of skill, and so on. The found family Sylvia forms with her friends is especially charming.

What really makes this shine is the Egyptian-inspired setting. The description of music, textiles, and more give this life. On the downside, the rest of the world-building was disappointing and the themes felt muddled. The magic system was vague. The training and trials felt unnecessary. The kingdoms didn’t feel distinct. I couldn’t tell the two rebel groups apart. These aspects felt more like a YA fantasy.

Wowowow. I did not know what to expect going into this and I really enjoyed it. The magical, egyptian-inspired world was such a refreshing setting compared to ye olde cold castles. The main character, Sylvia is complex, clever, and morally grey and I just love her and her sarcastic wit. Arin, the *enemy* is mysterious and meticulous and I was just eating up all of their near murderous interactions. There’s lovable side characters, a trial, and excellent enemies-to-lovers show burn. This story is also about politics and power, corruption, and the journey after loss and trauma.

I cannot wait to own a hard copy and for the sequel. Thank you @orbitbooks_us @netgalley for this E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

“What appeal can reason have in the face of your tears?” 💔

Wow wow wow! I will be honest I have been so disappointed lately with the books I've been reading but this did not dissapoint! I loved how she started the book with Sylvia expressing her hate for frogs! It honestly really made this character relatable getting to see these mundane characteristics even though she is suppose to be a queen. The writing was so beautifully written and I loved the character growth! Sylvia's struggle with her identity as well as her loyalty was such a breathe of fresh air that I think alot of writers who do this trope don't really dive into. We are inherently selfish and so to see her struggle with that was refreshing and relatable. The only thing I would have liked to be done differently is the trials. I think they needed to be a little longer and more fleshed out and I would have loved to see the champions interact more during the trials. Other than the first trial none of them really crossed paths.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This was one of the better debut's I've read in a while. However, while it was marketed as an adult book, it did feel more YA. Especially the relationships and execution of the whole romance. The romance didn't feel necessary at all and almost seem to just serve the purpose of making Arin more sympathetic even though none of his actions were particularly heroic.

Another aspect that felt just a bit off was the competition. I absolutely love when books have some sort of contest or trial, however this was such a minor part of the book. The first third was amazing. It had a great paced start with a lot of detailed worldbuilding. The set up for all of the characters, including some of the minor ones, was fantastically done. However, once promise of the competition was mentioned, the plot slowed way down. The rest of the book seemed to be setting up some grand finale but in the end it felt very anticlimactic.

The writing itself was fairly good. As I mentioned, for a debut it seemed well written and I can tell that Hashem has some great ideas. I also liked the fact that the setting felt new. The magic was unique to the world and the motives of the characters made sense for the most part. Overall, it was a good start to a series, I just had a few issues with the execution.

the jasad heir is an incredible fantasy debut for sara hashem, filled with all of the best kinds of tropes: the SLOWEST burn enemies-to-lovers where both parties genuinely loathe each other, hidden identities and loyalties, plot twists that’ll have you on the edge of your seat, and a deadly competition where the main character — sylvia! — has to choose between sacrificing her dignity in fighting for the kingdom that destroyed her own and killed her family, or her life.

the story itself centers on sylvia, heiress to a kingdom that was wiped off the map by the surrounding kingdoms. we meet her as a jaded, touch-phobic adult, trying to exist and cope with her various childhood traumas, living in hiding in a kingdom that punishes any civilian suspected of magic with brutality and death under the guise of ‘justice.’ over the course of the book, sylvia has to face the consequences of her inaction, the realities of her past, and the very real possibility that not everything around her own history was as it seemed.

all of this, of course, on the arm of the handsome, frigid, menacing, legendary commander of the nizahlan forces — the kingdom that destroyed her own. the banter and tension between these two sent me into orbit. for a debut novel, sara nailed the intimate-tension-rife-with-unspoken-feelings trope.

i GIGGLED. i yelled. i panicked. i felt real fear. this story builds up so delicately over the course of the book, it fosters genuine connection with the main character and her story — and where most fantasy main characters are the bold, brash, brave types who act first and think later in regards to self-sacrifice, sylvia’s story is refreshing in that it offers an alternative, less-often-explored perspective: what if i just don’t want to? not that sylvia’s a coward — though her inner monologue loves to guilt-trip her for that — but that she genuinely struggles with what her responsibility to her people is, and with what’s within her capacity to do. it’s a far more realistic edge to a fantasy story than i expected, and it was refreshing to read.

the pacing in this is a bit disorienting, going from agonizingly slow, lengthy chapters to bursts of adrenaline-rush action sequences, but all in all, it fully captivated me, and i'm dying for the next one already.

this is the kind of story that leaves you breathless and desperate for a hand graze or a too-long glance, while also balancing the romance with a hefty dose of exciting plot. i thoroughly enjoyed it and will absolutely be picking up the sequel.

The Jasad Heir is a political high fantasy that will have you imploring the author for more.

Sylvia’s magic has been locked away hiding her true nature and origin from he political factions that murdered her family and continue to hunt down her people.

While on the run Sylvia’s anger exposes her magic bringing her face to face with Arin the dangerous heir to the Nizahl kingdom, the same kingdom that sent its armies to wipeout the Jasad people along with her family. In a deal to save her life she must become Nizahl’s Champion in an upcoming competition.

Sara Hashman transports you to a vivid world inspired by Egyptian mythology where one can never really tell who is friend or foe until it may be too late.

I really enjoyed the world building and the tension between Sylvia and Arin they are a true enemies to lovers trope I felt the middle of the story read a bit slow compared to the beginning which had initially pulled me fully in.

I am putting Sara Hashem down as an author to watch, I see her becoming the next big fantasy author. The Jasad Heir could easily be made into a hit tv show or movie for lovers of political high fantasies with a touch of romance. Keep your eyes out for her, she is going to go far.

4.5 stars: Overall I really enjoyed the story, the characters, and can’t wait for the sequel. It’s a fantastic debut and, I preordered my physical copy halfway through reading the ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and OrbitBooks for the eARC!

The Jasad Heir follows Sylvia, a fugitive queen believed to have died ten years ago with the rest of her family. When a few chance encounters result her almost discovery, Sylvia is thrown into a deadly competition and is forced to work together with her sworn enemy to secure the life she desires.

Overall, I loved this book! The story and characters were great and, I can’t wait for the sequel! The dynamic between Sylvia and Arin was SO GOOD from the first page they met, and kept me wanting to read more. The main characters generally felt like real people and seemed well-written. The political intrique and getting to experience the different kingdoms throughout the book was also something I really enjoyed.

The world-building was good but, I feel like there were some parts where I still have questions or where some aspects of the world weren’t given enough explanation. The Egyptian-inspired setting is so different from other popular fantasy novels and I loved it - but wish I had been given a dictionary or more explanation for unfamiliar concepts.

The pacing felt a bit inconsistent. I kind of puttered through the first half (despite being really interested in the characters and events) and, blew through the last half in less than a day. The latter half of the book felt rushed after all the initial build up (but that could be because I read through it so quickly).

I’d definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a unique fantasy novel. I can’t wait for the second book!

This book was AMAZING!!

I started this book almost completely blind…I only skimmed the blurb so I had no idea what to expect. Here was my experience in stages:

First: I was COMPLETELY confused. I read an e-arc so there was no map. I NEEDED a MAP. I needed a dictionary. And a family tree would have been extra helpful, too. A name pronunciation guide would have been even more helpful because the only name I knew how to pronounce was Sylvia’s (Oh please tell me I wasn’t pronouncing her name wrong in my head the whole time!) But I kept reading anyway because I just KNEW I could love this story.

Then: Suddenly, I realized the author was slowing giving me the information I needed in bits and pieces. There was never a huge information dump and everything I needed to know was told to me when I needed to know it. This was expertly done!

Eventually: I could not put this book down. I needed to know what would happen next. I needed to know what really happened in the past. Would Sylvia and Arin ever kiss? Would they even ever be able to touch each other??!!

In the end: I was surprised, but yet I wasn’t really surprised with how this ended. And now I wait for more…

Overall: Amazing fantasy, excellently world building, found family, and real enemies-to almost lovers-to enemies again.

Must read for epic fantasy lovers.

PS: Sylvia is BADASS!!

Thank you to Netgalley for sending me an eARC copy of this book!

4/5 Stars

Starting off this book I was a little confused, and it took me a little bit to get my head into the story and the world. But once I was in, I was hooked. This book has all your favourite tropes from enemies to lovers, forced proximity, slow burn romance, etc. I ate this up. I will warn you the ending ends on a cliff-hanger that has me begging for the sequel. 
I highly recommend picking up this book. Great fantasy novel, with an addicting plot and interesting characters. Cannot wait to continue with this series!

"Have you considered, in that infinite mind of yours, that the truly brilliant people are the ones who understand the realities we build were already built for us?"

ARC provided by Orbit in exchange for a review.

This was a really solid fantasy debut! This story focuses on Sylvia, who is the lost heir to a kingdom that was destroyed. She lives in hiding, just trying to survive. This story is about her struggle to accept her fate as the "chosen one" and how our lives are shaped by the choices that others make for us. I thought it was an interesting political set-up, inspired by modern day Egypt. Sylvia and Arin are enemies-ENEMIES and they really had a lot of animosity for each other. It was interesting to see that animosity melt into something sweeter, if still with a sharp edge. There was also an element of deadly trials that Sylvia had to participate in, and I felt those parts were a bit rushed towards the end of the book. Overall, this was a solid read and I will definitely be picking up the sequel.

Thank you NetGalley, Orbit Books and Sara Hashem for the opportunity to read this advanced reader copy. I’m unsure what I was expecting when I began this book but I really enjoyed it. I felt the introduction to the world encompassed a large portion of the beginning of the book and thus made it a little slow to start. I felt this book had a lot of filler scenes/information that didn’t seem important to the overall plot that ultimately slowed the pacing in some sections. On the other hand, I loved the interactions between Sylvia and Arin. This book was a perfect example of a true slow burn enemies to lovers. I was primarily drawn to this book because I was intrigued by the cover. I really enjoyed the Egyptian inspired world and characters. I am patiently awaiting the arrival of my preorder and I’m incredibly excited for the sequel.

An incredibly fun book, the Jasad Heir follows a tried and true format of play, while giving us a refreshing new setting and take on the trope of the lost heir to kingdom. It's a book for people who are looking for something refreshing, but have gotten tired of predictable takes on tropes.

☆ Egyptian inspired political dark fantasy
☆ A true enemies to lovers romance
☆ A reluctant chosen one who's aware she's the chosen one
☆ and a complex world and history that isn't always written as it seems...

The Jasad Heir was a book I really enjoyed, and more than anything else, was just an incredibly fun read. It's the sort of book you pick up when you don't want to be challenged, but do want something just fun and yet not too predictable to settle into. Sara's worldbuilding is complex and beautiful, and the characters we meet in the book are all fantastically written and distinctive with complex and understandable motives. No one feels like they're acting in service of the plot when they don't act with their own goals, but because they genuinely care for other people. It made for an incredibly refreshing read to just have people who care for other people. The main character of the book isn't a particularly distinctive personality, but nevertheless remains an engaging POV to read through in the book.

Where the book felt lackluster for me however, was in the plot and main romance of the book. The pacing in many ways was uneven, with the book building up to the tournament arc, only to spend a handful of chapters on it, instead collapsing months down to maybe 1/3rd of the book. In comparison, the first two thirds felt unmemorable, with the middle part being a drag. There is a romance in the book, and it is a predictable one purely because of the plot, which isn't a bad thing. While Sylvia and Arin have fantastic chemistry, their romance is sprung incredibly suddenly at the end of the book, with them going from barely flirting, to suddenly having sex. I didn't think we were at that stage? But apparently we were. Finally, while the worldbuilding was interesting, in the authors attempt to not infodump (admirable as it may be) I felt more left in the dark about the world than not at the end of the book.

I look forward to seeing where this goes!

Final Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆☆☆ (7/10)

Overall this was a pretty good read. I was highly anticipating this and I didn't love it as much as I thought I would but it was still a good time.

I liked that Sylvia was fierce and angry and not concerned with being likeable, especially at the start. She's been through a lot and doesn't feel like she owes anyone anything, including the people she is meant to rule, which is a fresh take on a lost heir. Often times it seems like the lost heir in a story wants to take back their place and fight for their people. For most of this book, however, she wanted only wanted to do right by herself. We do see her character arc shift as she begins to grow into her power, not only to take the mantle of The Jasad Heir but also in her learning to trust the friendships she's formed. And I liked seeing that character growth.

Occasionally getting chapters from Arin's character was a nice tough. While I didn't necessarily love his character it was nice to see Sylvia through someone else's eyes and to learn more about him. I think the sequel is going to be more heavily dual-POV and I'm looking forward to seeing that.

The ending of this book gave me the moment that I had been waiting for so I'm excited to see where it goes and how their relationship will develop between Arin and Sylvia because they will be at their peak enemies stage.

Where the book fell a little short for me is in two main areas:
- I found the politics and some elements of the world-building a little difficult to follow. I thought that it was just me, but after speaking to some others who read early copies I realized that the politics and world-building of the story could have been developed further and more thought-out.
- From the synopsis it seemed like the trials would be a bigger component of the book. I expected them to start sooner but we didn't get to that until probably the 75% mark and they start to feel like a small element of the book.

Anyways, I still intend to read the sequel because I am curious to see how the story unravels.

Source: DRC via NetGalley (Orbit Books, Orbit) in exchange for an honest review
Publication Date: July 18, 2023
Synopsis: Goodreads
Purchase Link: Amazon

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Why did I choose to read this book?

I chose to read this book because I am a sucker for a reluctant hero storyline. The Jasad Heir not only serves me this, but an enemies to lovers story as well. I had no hope of resisting this book. It has so many things that my brain craves in a fantasy tale. I also love supporting debut novels that sound as good as this book does!

What is this book about?

This book is about obligation. The theme of “I didn’t ask for this!” is strong here. Sylvia is actually Essiya, the Heir to the Jasad throne (this is not a spoiler), but after she narrowly escaped the attack on her kingdom that wiped out her entire family, all she wants to do is live a normal life. As the events of this story play out, she’s forced to question whether she owes her scattered people anything, and whether or not she wants to take up the mantle of Queen of Jasad and fight against those who brought her kingdom low. Do her own needs and wants come first, or does her people’s struggle for safety and freedom come before her own? I think this is a battle we all go through on a small scale, so it was easy to connect l

What is notable about this story?

Sara Hashem does an excellent job writing how Sylvia thinks through her decision without having Sylvia’s internal monologue become repetitive. Sometimes fantasy stories suffer from the guilt problem (it’s all my fault, I don’t deserve this because I should have stopped it, etc) even though it doesn’t make any sense for the character to feel that way. Sylvia grows as a character from start to finish and she earns her ending.

I have never wanted two characters to kiss/get physical so much in any other book. The chemistry between Sylvia and Arin (the Nizahl heir) is absolutely electric, and the “we have to be enemies because your kingdom destroyed my kingdom” to “we are our own people and might actually like each other?’ is written so well that by the 50% mark I was just screaming KISS!! at the Kindle.

Was anything not so great?

There wasn’t a lot to criticize about this book. It’s a fast read, I didn’t want to stop reading, and I wanted to get back to it to find out what happened next. I think if I had to pick something, it was how the romance finally blossomed. I kind of felt short changed. It was like the tension was so well built up and went on for so long that when they finally connected I was like, that’s it? That’s all I get? But even this isn’t a huge issue, given how the book ends. I have no major quibbles with this debut, it’s fantastic.

What’s the verdict?

5 stars on Goodreads. This debut and series starter is a triumph that will grab you from the start and refuse to let go. I cannot wait for more from Sara Hashem and the world of The Scorched Throne!

Jasad Heir - 4.5/5
WHERE TO EVEN START OMG. I loved this book through and thorough. The characters were witty, the plot was engaging, the BANTER MY GOD THE BANTER.
The main thing I rly appreciate about the characters is that they’re SMART. they’re not needlessly putting themselves in stupid situations bc they didn’t think critically for two seconds. They’re plotting and they’re manipulating like no tomorrow and I LOVE IT. Live for it in fact. Especially Arin. Hashem did a great job not only building his rep as this formidable commander but also demonstrating his abilities. He’s coldly logical, a great fighter, and an insanely skilled politician which we get to see first hand. Sylvia is sarcastic and low key just wants to love her best life which is SO relatable. The side characters like Jeru were so fun and had me giggling.
The plot was a little confusing for me to get into but tbh that’s just a generally rule for fantasy when you start the whole world building thing so not really a complaint. However when I first picked it up a LOT of the names were rly similar so I kept getting them mixed up. The plot was quick to pick up which I appreciated and I was engaged all the way through, there was always something important happening. It had a rly great mix of elements that were hunger games-y but more expansive.
I’m still recovering from the scraps of Arin-Sylvia we got. I’m so excited to get more of them in book 2 when they’re FULLY enemies now. The cliffhanger has me so anxious but excited for book 2 when book 1 isn’t even out 😭 I NEED MORE. I can’t wait for the next installment and I’m so ready for people to get their hands on the first, they’ll be blown away for sure. Enemies to lovers has never been done this right.
Huge thank you to the wonderful Sara Hashem herself for sending me a copy 🙏 I really appreciate it and am so glad you were able to accomplish your dreams.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for the advanced copy of this book!

The Jasad Heir is one of my favorite books I've read this year. The thrilling Egyptian-inspired fantasy follows Sylvia as she tries to keep herself and her magic hidden after the massacre of the Jasad royal family 10 years ago. That becomes a problem Arin, the Nizahl Heir, follows a group of Jasadi rebels to her village. The two enemies have to work together, and Sylvia must decide whether she continues to hide or return to the life she abandoned. For Sarah J. Maas fans, there is a hint of Thone of Glass. I'd recommend this for anybody who likes high fantasy with magic and political intrigue (and maybe some enemies to lovers). I very much look forward to the next book in the series.

It took me a little tiny push to finally start reading this, but I was highly encouraged after I heard some amazing feedback from other folks with ARCs to pick this up. They were absolutely right. I was HOOKED as soon as I picked it up again. 🥹

This is a TRUE enemies to lovers read, and I absolutely loved everything about Sylvia and Arin's dynamic. There was NO HOLDING BACK when they squared off against each other, and I loved the animosity and also forced proximity that was involved here. The slow burn is super satisfying, and I really enjoy the way Sara describes Arin through Sylvia's eyes. Following Sylvia was great and I thought she's a great FMC. To then also get a little perspective from Arin's world as she interacted with him was especially fun too!! The side characters also added really great flavor here!

While there were some specific plot things where I was kind of like, "Hm, that was a tad bit convenient to further things along," it all still worked for me and I loved everything about this. The worldbuilding here was really great! I really enjoyed the way the history was laid out to the reader, and the political intrigue was definitely satisfying to me. It's definitely quite a bit of setup, but the pacing still made things really exciting to me that I blazed through this book in two days. There was a couple plot twists I didn't see coming, but I was glad I was right on a few things too!! 😂

Also, the themes explored here were really really nice too, and I think Sara did a great job tying it all together. I'm SO excited for book two.

had this book been about 100-150 shorter I think it would have been a 5 star read for me. The story was really intriguing, the author crafted a beautiful story, and the synopsis gives a great overview without spilling too much info. I just felt that the beginning and parts of the 3rd quarter were a bit slow for me. However, I do believe that this is a unique read and I will definitely be picking up the next installment of this series!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Orbit books for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts. I have always loved everything Egyptian and it was a delight to read a book with excellent depiction of all the things. This is a debut and I would say that it has all the elements of a strong debut and an excellent editor as well. It has a queen in hiding, an enemies to lovers plot. It just ticks a lot of boxes that I love to read about. 3.7. stars!

I was pleasantly surprised by this story! Going into a fantasy book that has all of the fun elements (enemies to lovers, magic systems, kingdom politics, powerful fmc, lovable side characters, training and trials) tends to be a hit or miss, but I think Sara Hashem nailed this!

I loved the world-building and the political intrigue right from the start. She did a fantastic job in leaving trails during earlier chapters that found their dramatic reveal later on. The banter and angst were dynamic, and the changes of scenery engaging.

The pacing on this book was a bit shaky at times. There were some moments that didn’t seem to go into enough details, while others were prolonged and needed to be made less elaborate. My only other negative is it felt like there were a lot of loose threads in the plot, random moments that never got built on, and character progressions (I’m assuming a lot of this will be stitched up in the next book).

Overall, The Jasad Heir was a solid debut. I found it to be a decent combination of politics and fantasy that would be entertaining for anyone who loves this genre.
—shoutout to NetGalley & Orbit Books for the arc

3.9⭐️