– DNF @ 65% –

It’s not completely you, it’s at least partially me.

This book might be for you if you are a huge fan of Six of Crows. The Jasad Heir is full of action and convoluted, tragic backstories. However, it does not (at the point I am writing this), contain that same loving found family energy. Syliva was taken from an area where she had loved ones into an area where she does not. Imagine if you will The Hunger Games, without Peeta or Rue. A Court of Thorns and Roses without Lucien or Alis. For me, I have a really hard time reading books where a character spends too much time without any friends or teammates.
You think A Cruel Prince is romatasy. I had heard that The Jasad Heir is romantasy, but there is very little romance. And I don’t just mean physical romance, but the romance is really not part of the main plot of this book.
You like fairly dark and complex politics.
You like to read about assassin type characters. Sylvia isn’t really an assassin in the trained sense, but she’s willing to kill to protect herself and those she loves. I personally have a hard time with this. But like, I love Sansa Stark and Elain Archeron, so my opinions are often controversial.

What I am really struggling with in this book is that I don’t have a clear sense of what I am supposed to be rooting for in this story. I read a review (spoilers ahead) that said this is because Sylvia is an unreliable narrator and has repressed memories. As a reader, I am motivated to finish a book when there’s something I want to see happen, and I don’t know what would be a positive for these characters. Everything is pretty bleak, and while I like the main character, I don’t love anyone else that she’s surrounded by (included who I’m assuming is the love interest).

Ok, so why am I giving it 3 stars and a DNF review? Well, I want to give the publisher feedback, since they were kind enough to give me an ARC. There’s nothing in this book that I really dislike or hate, but also nothing I really really like or love, so I’ve just hit a bit of a wall in my reading life. I feel very neutral about this book, and I could see myself coming back to this book in a month or two, and potentially liking it based on what happens in the last 35% of the book, but right now I am so bored and have not been able to pick it up for several weeks.

I do not plan on posting any feedback to retail sites or social media unless I finish the book, and will at that time update this review.

Brisk and nearly faultless pacing; the most delicious, slowest burn, enemies-to-lovers romance; a half-feral, fiercely independent heroine; a highly principled and meticulous antagonist / love interest; and an own voices Egyptian- / Arab Spring–inspired culture / plot. This falls near the top of my favorite 2023 reads so far.

While I usually adore this style of fantasy, I had a hard time getting into this story. Will definitely give it another chance and would still recommend to fantasy readers looking for new authors to get into.

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit Books for the arc!
Hi Brooke and I ended up enjoying it pretty well. It did take me a minute to get into it but once the pot started picking up and we got to know the characters a bit better I really started to fly through it. This book features a lot of really fantastic world buildings and I really enjoyed getting to follow Sylvia. I did like her relationship with Arin enemies to lovers slow burn kind of vibe but I do wish we got a little bit more development on that front.

A huge thank you to the author, and publisher, for giving me an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

If you love N. Caceres and Chelsea Abdullah then you will LOVE Sara Hashem. This book was dark, cruel, and angry. But it was also a beautiful discovery that love is worthwhile, an incredible tale of friendship, and the most delicious slow burn I’ve come across in a while. The authors voice was so strong, the descriptions were so rich, and the world was so fleshed out. And Arin? UGH. YES. Everything about his, please and thank you. And that ending? PHEW!! I blew through it like my eyes were on fire and finishing the book was the fire extinguisher. SO GOOD. I can’t wait for book two!

The tension in this book was *chefs kiss* 🤌🏼🤌🏼

I have not been sucked in like this by a fantasy story in a while. It was interesting and unique and the author does a great job at building an elaborate world. The pacing was kind of wonky at times, and I think it is way longer than it needed to be, but overall I can’t wait for the sequel!

The premise of this book promises everything I like, yet I find myself unable to read it, a few chapters in.

It seemed a bit too exposition heavy for me in the beginning, and my reception of it will likely change if I read it a few months down the line, and that's what I'm going to try to do, and try to write a fair review then!

Sylvia's modus operandi is survival. Her identity doesn't matter, politics and magic are intentionally forgotten. When her magic is made known, she is forced to face her past and collaborate with her enemy, Arin. Navigating new and old expectations comes with unprecedented consequences.
This was such a sneak attack gem! I hadn't heard or seen anything about it until the month before pub and it was solely a cover pick up on a whim. With zero expectations, I was invested practically immediately and, as a friend of mine would say, have been made feral for book two! I'm left with feelings of everyone and everything is absolutely grey - the surprises are bound to continue to get me.
Thank you to Orbit and Netgalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

This one I didn't finish, but I think it might have been more of a me problem. I didn't connect to the character--this felt like another story where the main character is royalty, lost everything, and goes out secretly and kills her enemies for revenge with no remorse. She's posing as a servant and yet has a lot of freedom to disappear for large swaths of time, and I just couldn't suspend my disbelief. Though the Egyptian-inspired setting was interesting, my lack of connection to the character didn't even get me as far as her entanglement with the rebellion and the potential romance (the areas that I was reading the book for), but I didn't want to skim-read to get there. Unfortunately, fell flat for me.

This wasn't quite what I expected, but I find that a good thing. I really enjoyed this and am eagerly anticipating book two!!

Classic fantasy storylines never fail to entertain me & The Jasad Heir has it all! Enemies to lovers, rival kingdoms, and a deadly competition… count me in. The world building & cultures are complex which was definitely confusing in the beginning but it really starts to come together as the story moves forward. I was totally absorbed by this world, it’s all I could think about for a week! My biggest issue with the book was the repetitiveness. The main character’s internal monologue is always the same, over and over again. Was it perfect? No. Am I excited to get my hands on the next book? Heck yeah. I think there’s so much potential for this series, I just hope the next book is a little more concise and a little less cliché.

THE JASAD HEIR is an utterly addictive read with action, long-hidden secrets, magic, and heart. Hashem effortlessly weaves a compelling tale through well-crafted characters, intricate lore, and carefully developed world-building.

There is something so wonderful about starting a book and instantly being transported somewhere else. Fictional lands, especially in fantasy novels, can be such an escape. And this book was no different. Taking the journey with Sylvia, Arin, Sefa, Marek, and the rest of the cast was filled with fights, duplicitous actions, magic, and tests of character. Each of the characters met has their own unique story to tell. They have just as many flaws as they do good attributes, making this story richer. When all the characters, including the main ones, are good or evil, it leaves no place to go. By developing her characters with truly realistic personalities, the reader will see them grow one way or another.

Then you have the way the author reveals each element of the story. It is entertaining as well as giving the reader the backstory to all the players on this chess board Sylvia is playing with. And let us not forget that the main focus is to get to a competition of warriors representing the various kingdoms while various factions of Jasadi’s coming for Sylvia.

Honestly, I devoured this book. The only thing I can say is a negative aspect is that I don’t have book two. The reader is definitely left wanting more. Where we leave our Nizahl Heir and Jasadi Champion allows for so much to happen next. I cannot wait!

The Jasad Heir was a good debut novel with some, typically,enjoyable tropes such as a missing/hidden queen and enemies to lovers. I liked the world building and most of the characters. The pacing was off at times, which may be due to how lengthy some parts were. At times I wanted the story to speed up and was struggling to stay interested because of the pacing. Overall, I enjoyed reading it.

Easily my favourite book of 2023. Like the character development- how each character was written? It crafted a great story and I literally couldn’t put it down. The references in the book were nice touches, the tropes well written and thought out. Everything was done deliberately down from the details of the characters to their relationships. The banter and dialogue between MCs was probably my favourite. This book was very refreshing and I just need the sequel immediately!

Who doesn't love a good hidden princess book! The heir of the royal family is believed to be murdered along with her whole family. She fully intends to stay hidden but due to her accidentally revealing her magic all her plans must change now.

This book has it all! Hidden princess, magic, royal family, a redemption arc. It was a very enjoyable read and I look forward to further books from this author!

I could not put this book down after I was a few chapters in. This is an intense enemies-to-lovers story, like his-father-razed-her-entire-kingdom-and-now-he’s-the-commander-of-the-army-hunting-down-her-people level of enemies. But that’s what makes the slow burn that much more intense and satisfying when it erupts into passion. Arin gave me strong Aaron Warner vibes (just realized their names are similar as I was typing this 😂), with his feared leader-who-smiles-only-for-her demeanor, silver hair, and how her magic reacts to his touch. There’s also the “who did this to you” that I cannot resist.

And we have Sylvia, our morally grey FMC. She has a long road of character development ahead of her that she’s already started on in this first book. Her mind is a maze, and the trauma she’s been through has had a lasting effect, making her somewhat of an unreliable narrator. And the revelations kept me hooked. It’s hard to determine who the villain is and who the actual victims are. There are so many secrets hidden in the past, and I cannot wait to unravel them in the sequel!

I have decided not read this book after learning from other reviews that the love interest is a white colonizer who the main character makes excuses for all while he wants to annihilate her people. This information should have been available in the synopsis.

I voluntarily read an advanced copy of The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for this ARC.

I'm a big fan of magical-based stories that have a quest/challenge element to the plot. This makes The Jasad Heir the type of book to catch my attention. Sylvia is such a well written protagonist. Jaded due to =the extreme loss of her family and her people, she roams the kingdom avoiding notice. Only to catch the attention of the prince whose father took everything from her. Their relationship and her journey into becoming the queen she needs to be is well written, and I was enthralled from start to end. I look forward to the next book in the series and give The Jasad Heir a solid 5/5 stars.

This was a wonderful debut for Sara Hashem, full of secrets and a slow burn, enemies to lovers romance! I was captivated by the characters (Sylvia was complex and just a mystery unto herself!) and the setting, which I haven’t previously had much experience with. This was a lovely YA romantasy, full of intrigue, twists, and turns. I enjoyed this book so much and was absolutely thrilled to see it show up in my Illumicrate box for the month!

"My magic tore the illusion of Sylvia to pieces and rebuilt her to represent one word only: Jasadi."

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

A couple of months before The Jasad Heir was released, I was looking for a good Egyptian-inspired fantasy novel to sink my teeth into. I learned about The Jasad Heir and decided to wait for its release because the premise sounded so good! And it did not disappoint in the slightest!

The world that has been built, inspired by modern-day Egypt, is overflowing with secrets and intrigue. My one minor grievance with the world-building, which does not take away from my rating or enjoyment at all, is that there are some words/items/foods that are used that aren't given a description or explanation. While I don't mind looking things up to make sure I am picturing the right thing, it can be a little flow-breaking. But I'm a Wikipedia nut, so I didn't mind this, but I know some will, and just something to note for the future! I am excited to learn that we will delve into this world even more in the second book.

All of the characters, whether you love them or hate them, are so believable and artfully crafted. They pull at your heartstrings, make you want to punch a wall, and even give you an unexpected laugh. Essiya/Sylvia is so dang relatable and badass and also so unlike any other FMC I've read. I love her and cannot wait to see what the second book brings her. Additionally, Arin is an absolutely perfect counterpart to her and forces her to reconcile parts of herself she would hide forever if she could, which I just absolutely love.

A wonderful debut and now on my list of instant-buy authors! Excited for the second book and future books by Hashem!

Favorite elements:
-Unique, amazing world-building that leaves a lot to be discovered
-True slow-burn enemies-to-lovers
-Morally grey characters
-Fleshed-out, loveable side characters
-Political scheming
-Inspired by Egypt
-Badass FMC
-Family secrets
-Explosive cliffhanger

"It didn’t feel like betrayal. It felt like wandering through the woods for an endless night and finally stumbling into the dawn."