DNF @ 60%

This was one of my most anticipated reads. However, the romance is pretty toxic and I have no interest in continuing. I do think a lot of my friends will enjoy this, as they like romances like this.

Sara Hashem tells of a place with five kingdoms established by four gods. Only one, Jasad, retained its magic, and the other kingdoms using treachery destroyed it, and now they kill and person with magic. Sylvia, The Jasad Heir (paper from Orbit) has been hiding as an orphan in a small village, her magic blocked by invisible bracelets, Then Arin, the Nizahl Heir, discovers part of her secret and, instead of having her killed, wants her to be the champion for the Alcalah trial of champions. He hopes her trials will bring out Jasad rebels so he can capture them. Sylvia and Aris find themselves drawn together, of course, but her touch can kill him. This part of the exciting tale ends when her bracelets release her magic, leaving a second half to wait for. I really enjoyed the romantic tale.

I was hooked by the beginning of this book, however this is a very bleak fantasy world so I wasn't sure I wanted to continue. Then I remembered that a POC reviewer whose opinion I trust said that they didn't like how the romance was between a white colonizer and a woman of color that he is holding captive and that definitely isn't my thing, so I'll be dnfing this book unfortunately.

I enjoyed the world of this one. I liked the way it used the enemies to lovers trope and the hidden royalty trope and thought those were well done in the story. I enjoyed our two main characters, Sylvia and Arin, and found them to be well rounded and developed characters. I wish we had seen more of Sylvia's two friends because I liked what I saw of them but also for plot reasons understand why we didn't see them more. The book left off leaving me intrigued for more in the series.

The one thing I did struggle with in this one was the pacing. It felt like a big chunk of the middle of the story was just dragging on and then the last chunk of the plot felt very rushed and I think that could have perhaps been balanced better

Thanks for the arc. I'm sorry for what follows.

Usually, I don't give 2 stars unless the book actively bothered me in some way, but I suppose an exception must be made here. I really wanted to like this one. Truly. It brings me no joy to rate this poorly, and so I'll try to keep it brief. I think the author's prose is proficient enough where she can get better, but as a debut, ohhhhh it's not the best.

The Jasad Heir, above all else, is boring. It took me so long to get through because it was just boring. I really don't have much else to say. Sylvia didn't particularly stand out to me in any way. I didn't find her compelling. I actively disliked the love interest. There were too many named characters, and I found myself losing track, especially as new ones meant to be significant players were introduced after the halfway mark.

Probably the most bizarre thing about this book was its pacing. I can seeeeee in the author's mind how she decided to pace it out and theoretically went "I'm spacing out all the subplot plot points at an even distance from each other so it won't ever lag" but it still did. The way the book split itself into acts was very disjointed. The third act break event should've been the midpoint, since all the interesting stuff happened in the second half of the book, but it wasn't. I suspect it's because the author really wanted to place the bulk of romantic development and self exploration in the second act, but the downside is that it feels like nothing's ever happening. And then she would shove in scenes that should feel exciting but since plot-wise we're in a lag, we know that nothing's /actually/ happening.

The chapters are longer than they should be, usually beginning with a frustrated Sylvia and ending with a conversation between her and the love interest that's meant to liken the audience to the thought of them together, but I did not feel very likened. I did not like them together, and when their scenes started near the end of the chapter, I would groan. It dragged soooo badly. I'm sorry. I don't understand how we were constantly learning new things and yet I didn't care for any of it. I do not know how I was /this/ bored.

I like the enemies to lovers, but the love interest has to be, at the very least, compelling for it to work. Maybe not a good person, but at the very least, interesting. He was neither. He'd walk on stage and I'd be like oh maybe we'll finally find out something about him that would lead us to like him or side with him or maybe even understand his perspective more, but nothing did the trick for me. I know that Egyptians come in all sorts of shades but I'm getting tired of seeing love interests exclusively aligned with western beauty standards and colorist ideals, especially if it's supernaturally and inhumanly so. He isn't just pale. He's super mega-charged pale with unnatural silver hair. The author is free to portray her SWANA characters however she sees fit, I'm not here to police her, but I'm also allowed to be sick as hell of this trope. Do whatever, but are we aware that this is a trend? I'm tired grandpa.

I know there's possibly something to be said about the way themes operated in this book and the politics and how power operated but you have to understand, I've been pulling my teeth trying to finish this, and I cannot trust myself to tackle any of those things in a truly comprehensive way.

Also, tack on near the end, but there was. like. So many villain monologues and explanations in this thing. I felt like I was being explained to a lot, if not by a secondary character, then by the main character. I'm kinda glad for that, because I was really bored and found myself drifting so it reminded me what was going on, but also damn like maybe I would've been more engaged if you let me think for myself during the book. I kinda hate being explained to. It was almost comical sometimes because characters would go on their little monologue for what felt like 15 minutes in-universe to people who were actively bleeding out and should've died within 2 lines. It just didn't feel real. It didn't give any of these scenes any weight. The tension is phony, the stakes area made up, my disbelief has been unsuspended.

Yeah. Not sure what to say here. I think most of my dissent is subjective. It's hard for me to qualify the kinds of people who would or would not like this book, because it was sold to me with a genre and a premise that I usually enjoy, and it did not click for me. C'est la vie I guess.

A very promising Egyptian-inspired debut!

The first fourth or so of the novel was definitely the best. Sylvia, the main character, had the predictable qualities of a reluctant chosen one, but her relationships with the other residents of the small village in which she hides are ripe with tension. From the start, we know she is concealing her identity, which causes us to question her closest friendships, her past, and her motivations. When Sylvia unwittingly draws the attention of Arin, the heir to the kingdom of Nizahl, which is responsible for the persecution of Sylvia’s people, the Jasadis, these tensions increase exponentially.

The Jasad Heir delivered on the tropes I expected—enemies to lovers to something else, forbidden magic, etc.—especially since I tend to be more critical of romance plots. I especially liked the gradual reveal that Sylvia isn’t in full possession of her memories. Her childhood makes that predictable to some extent, but I’m intrigued to see how the magical aspect of it develops in the sequel.

I wish The Jasad Heir had expanded on its mythological basis. I had a clear understanding of the basic traits of each kingdom’s culture and their conflicts, but the whole trials part of the plot confused me. Sylvia seemed way too assured of her success from the get-go, and because there weren’t many details about the origins and outcomes of the trials, the stakes didn’t feel particularly urgent. The politics are messy, though this is a debut; what has been established creates lots of potential for expansion in the future.

Although the end didn’t keep me hooked, I look forward to the next installment in the series.

The Jasad Heir, is the gripping and spectacular debut novel of author Sara Hashem. This is hands down my favorite book…EVER! From word one, I was hooked and would read until I literally couldn’t keep my eyes open.
This is a heart wrenching story about a long-lost heir trying to escape persecution into anonymity, and failing fantastically. Sylvia is the fugitive “Last Heir” to her Jasad Kingdom. At the age of ten, Sylvia’s homeland (Jasad) is conquered and her royal family is extinguished, leaving only Sylvia as the true heir to the kingdom. Prior to the invasion of the Nizahl army, Jasadi magic flowed freely and spectacularly. Once the Nizahlis took over, they promptly outlawed all magic, fearing it drove its wielders mad, and had any Jasadi harboring magical talents killed. All Jasadi’s living in or out of the kingdom are shown no mercy; persecuted and put on trial for signs of magic and promptly put to death. Sylvia, with great royal magic running through her veins, is forced to escape Jasad and take shelter as an ‘ordinary’ orphan in a neighboring kingdom called Omal. She creates a new identity for herself in this small village, where, by the time she reaches the age of twenty-one she becomes an unremarkable apprentice to a chemist.
While living under the radar, the village in Omal is visited by Sylvia’s most feared enemy, the Nizahl Heir, Arin. Although Arin has traveled there to attend a traditional festival called ‘Waleema’, he is also actively looking for a skilled champion to compete, on behalf of his kingdom, in the death defying Alcalah Tournament. This will entail competing in three extremely dangerous and deadly tasks in a competition held to honor each kingdoms’ magical god-like beings and their ultimate sacrifices to save mankind. The skilled champions of each kingdom (Omal, Lukub, Nizahl and Orban) will fight to the death for this honor. The tournament champion will win all the riches any one person could need, exquisite homes in every kingdom, military protection and lifelong freedom. Unfortunately, while visiting, Arin becomes captivated in every way by Sylvia, despite knowing she’s Jasadi. Although, as The Commander of the Nizahl army, he specializes in detecting Jasadi magic and is skilled in eliminating any all those possessing it, he needs her as bait. Legally he is supposed take her to be judged and duly prosecuted but instead he decides to risk it all and ask her to fight as his champion. He promises to keep quiet about her heritage and all the tournament rewards if she fights as his Nizahli champion, with the caveat that she aid in the capture of two Jasadi rebel forces. Because of course they will want to do all they can to have the Jasad Heir as their spearhead while they fight to win back their independence and freedom. Arin hopes that by having Sylvia fighting as his champion, it will lead these two elusive groups right into his trap.
She never wanted to be the savior for her kingdom and instead tried to lead a safe and anonymous existence as an unremarkable, lower class orphan. Is she capable of the notoriety and betrayal it would require to become the Nizahlian Champion? Is it worth the sacrifice and danger, if it ensures her permanent freedom from persecution?
This novel is an engaging, fast-paced, exciting, unforgettable and deliciously entertaining read, leaving me astonished that it is Sara Hashem’s freshman novel! My favorite book of all time, The Last Heir is a MUST READ!

Note: Trigger Warnings- Violence and Sexual Assault Against Children, Graphic/Bloody Violence

This was an absolutely fantastic debut and a must-read for fans of high fantasy. I loved the world building, the romance and the found family elements so much - and that ending?? I absolutely cannot wait for book two.

Read for:
- Lush storytelling
- Compelling world-building
- Tension filled romance
- Found family
- Hidden Identities
- Morally grey FMC

---4/5 stars

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

Thank you to NetGalley and Sara Hashem to provide an ARC for this title.

I loved this book. Essiya/Sylvia is a very interesting character. I want to go further in depth about her time with Hanim and also more of her past while still in Jasad. Arin was done so well and I loved their intimate scene at the end. I wanted to re-read it is because of how beautifully it was done. The tension between the two was painful but in a good way. The side characters of Sefa and Marek I wish I saw more. I hope to see what their future holds with Essiya/Sylvia in the next book. Arin's personal guards had little depth and I hope to see more of Vaun in the next installment.

I am excited to see more SWANA authors being published. Though I had to look up some words because I was not familiar with them, it's refreshing to see an author being able to share their culture so naturally in a book.

The world building started to become a little more confusing as the book went on. I am not sure if I misunderstood, but I feel like some words were being used interchangeably and I personally had a hard time recollecting the different facets of the world building.

I am so incredibly excited for the next book!

First, let me say Thank You to #OrbitBooks and #NetGalley for gifting me an ARC of #TheJasadHeir to read! Keep reading for a spoiler free review...

This book was fun, intense, clever, and captivating! I've read many a fantasy book about a dying kingdom with an hunted heir hiding in the shadows with her lost people. But what I loved about this book, and what I think sets it apart, is the Egyptian-inspired mythology behind the story. #SaraHashem does a wonderful job in her debut making a pretty standard fantasy formula stand out.

Our main character Sylvia makes a deal with Arin, the greatly feared Nizahl Heir, to compete in a tournament as his champion. In exchange, she'll earn her freedom, along with the freedom and safety of her two best friends Sefa and Marek. I'm a sucker for found families, and Sefa and Marek are some of the best I've read!

What ensues from that point forward is a series of sexual tension filled training sessions, long travel days/nights, and all around fascinating monsters and magics.

I cannot recommend this book enough for people who love enemies-to-lovers inspired stories that are unique and different from what is typically available in this genre!

My one cautionary aspect of this book: the white-presenting-male in a position of power (the Nizahl Heir, Arin) and Sylvia, who is a woman of color and Arin's prisoner, are the main love interest in this book. That being said, Sara Hashem is an American-Egyptian woman who chose to write this fantastical story is that way and I implicitly trust her writing choices!

The Jasad Heir is an Egyptian-Inspired Fantasy that follows our main character Sylvia, also known as Essiya, the Heir to Jasad. When she was 10, she witnessed the massacre of her family and was believed to be dead. But she's living as a chemist's apprentice in a small village. The Jasadi people are persecuted because they have magic. After an incident, Sylvia's magic is exposed, threatening the life she built for herself.
The first half of the book was amazing, but after that mark, the pacing became confusing. For a high fantasy, it had weak worldbuilding; I wished the author had gone more in-depth with the magic system, the politics, and why the tournaments were so important. I found the characters to be likable, especially Sylvia, because the author demonstrated that she was a morally gray character through her actions, which I loved. The reason why I'm in between is I went into this book expecting a fantasy romance, but it wasn't. The romance felt like a subplot while the politics felt like the main. Overall, I had a really good time with this book.
Thank you, Netgalley, and Orbit for the arc of this book.

The Jasad Heir was a creative and beautiful fantasy novel. This book featured strong female characters which is wonderful for a school library. However, since there are a some very graphic events that take place, this would be best for high school and up. Many young readers will sympathize with the main character’s internal battle as well as her her struggle with her past/family issues.

The author is great at bringing her magical world to life with fantastic descriptions of all the locations and creatures the reader encounters throughout the story. It was a very visually pleasing novel. The story progressed at a perfect pace to keep readers intrigued until the very end. One’s heart and mind will be continuously pulled from one character to another. They may never know who they’re truly rooting for. Also, the ending of this book will make all readers excited and wondering where the characters will take us next.

" I was not kind. I did not choose right over wrong or my heart over my head. But I was tenacious. I was spiteful. I had cultivated these lesser traits, fed them every morsel I could spare, because someone good would not have survived..."

This was so good! Literally perfect for anyone who loved TOG (the first two books in particular). Sylvia (Essiya) is the forgotten Heir of a fallen kingdom. She is highly trained, brutally efficient, and a little bit unhinged ~ I love her. The enemies to lovers was so well done, and the dialogue definitely had me kicking my feet. I love a plot forward fantasy with a romance that has you squealing over them simply not wanting to kill each other. Ugh swoon. There is political intrigue that leaves you questioning who the real villains are, loyalties change and then change again. There are twists and turns and magic. What more could you really want?

As for the pacing, I do think I struggle with books sometimes that include "trials" - I feel like I can get kind of lost in the repetition of the training sequences - trial - training - etc. depending on how they are written. The trials in this book are relatively short, and don't have much page time. And though TOG is one of my heart series's and I'm sure the similarities are part of why I loved this, I do feel like maybe there were too many parallels, it left me getting drawn out of the story to be like "omg its giving Aelin and Rowan". That being said, I did still love this, and I am in desperate need of the second book.

This book has a great premise. The protagonist, Essiya, is the heir to a kingdom that had been destroyed when she was a young child. The kingdom of Jasad was the only one that possessed magic - it had gradually faded from the neighboring kingdoms over the centuries, and these neighbors banded together to destroy Jasad out of jealousy/desire for power. Essiya is generally believed to have died along with her kingdom, but she’s been hiding her name and her heritage ever since as the peasant girl Sylvia. The surviving Jasadis are not safe - if one is found (usually because they use magic and someone notices) they are taken and killed.

Life gets more complicated for Essiya/Sylvia when the heir of the kingdom that led the assault on Jasad, and that kingdom’s chief magic-hunter, chooses Essiya/Sylvia to represent his kingdom in a regularly held competition that honors the gods. He knows Essiya is Jasadi, and is using her despite as part of a complicated scheme. If she wins and survives the competition, she gets a life of luxury and protection. Losing/refusing to participate means she dies, and people she cares about are being used to force her cooperation.

As the book goes on, she trains, she competes, she develops complicated feelings for the magic-hunting heir, and she starts to realize that there was more behind the destruction of her kingdom than she had been told.

All that sounds awesome, and was the reason I jumped on this book. And yet I really struggled with it. It just didn’t hold my attention. I only read a couple of pages at a time, and that was a conscious effort on my part.

I suspect there’s a “it’s not you, it’s me” situation going on here, and this just wasn’t the kind of book I was in the mood for. I’m not going to recommend against this book, but I can’t really recommend for it either. But as I said, I don’t think that’s necessarily the book’s fault.

This was one of my most anticipated releases of the summer, and while I don't think it quite lived up to my expectations, it's still a solid debut and I will be continuing with the series.

This will check a lot of boxes for a lot of readers: political fantasy elements, unique setting/magic system, enemies-to-lovers will-they-won't-they romance. The premise is what really sold me on this (and the cover, to be perfectly honest - it’s gorgeous) and I liked the main character and supporting side characters. Sylvia, our main character, is flawed and at times unlikeable, but she's still someone you want to root for. Unfortunately, I think the story is bogged down by some uneven pacing (the middle lags quite a bit) and awkward writing. The plot, while compelling, is also a bit messy and at times felt like there was too much going on.

Despite this, I did enjoy this book and I'll definitely be reading the next one to see how this story wraps up.

2.5 stars

The Jasad Heir shows a lot of promise for a debut novel but fails to truly set itself apart enough to hold the reader's interest. The beginning of the story was fast-paced and intriguing. I was pulled in by the hints of complex fantasy politics and Sylvia’s internal battle as a lost heir. However, neither of these elements are properly developed and the pacing rapidly falls off in the second half.

The world-building and fantasy politics were incredibly messy. From the pitch, I expected the world to have stronger ties to Egypt. There was very little about the world that felt unique from other political fantasies. I do appreciate the way Hashem weaves information throughout the story. There was a lot of potential to explore the political strife as well as Sylvia’s conflicting responsibilities and feelings towards her country and her people. However, these fascinating topics were sidelined for a truly awful romance plot.

I admit I am not generally a fan of magical competitions and I am not sure that I would have picked this up if that had been included in the marketing. It is particularly frustrating when a trope I don't like isn't done well. The competition itself takes up a shockingly small part of the book. The training lacks tension as Sylvia is adamant the entire time that she is going to win. It was never clear what purpose the competition served or why Arin decided to take the insane risk of choosing Sylvia to participate.

I really struggled with the “enemies-to-lovers” romance in The Jasad Heir. There is so much potential with that trope to explore toxic relationships, but this book completely ignored the more questionable elements of their relationship. After some objectively unforgivable behavior from Arin, the book abruptly shifts tone and tries to convince the reader that he’s “not that bad” and “actually a good person.” Arin is suddenly soft and Sylvia is constantly justifying his behavior. The complete lack of nuance in their relationship left a bad taste in my mouth given the colonizer/colonized dynamic.

The Jasad Heir had a lot of potential and the ending leaves a lot to explore in the sequel. I think there is a chance that the world will shine more in the sequel, but I am not interested enough to continue with this series.

Rating: 3.5/5

Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit books for the eARC. This is an honest review.

In this Egyptian-inspired debut fantasy, Sara Hashem weaves a tale of intrigue, magic, and complex relationships. The kingdom of Jasad lies in ruins, its royal family annihilated, and Sylvia, the lost Heir, wants to remain hidden. However, fate has other plans when Arin, the Nizahl Heir, discovers her magic and makes her his champion in a deadly competition between kingdoms.

The world-building in this book is a standout, drawing inspiration from a non-European culture (sorely needed these days) and immersing readers in a rich and captivating setting. The character development for Sylvia and Arin is commendable, and their evolving relationship adds depth to the story. Sylvia's struggle to balance her identity and her survival is a very compelling journey.

While the slow-burn romance and political intrigue are strengths, some aspects of the book could use further refinement. The secondary characters feel underdeveloped, and important plot events lack emotional impact due to the lack of attachment to them. Additionally, the pacing felt uneven, with most of the action occurring late in the book. The prose occasionally falters, with awkward explanations and attempts at poetic writing that felt clumsy. Sometimes descriptions were difficult to fully realize and I had trouble picturing what was happening in my head.

Overall, The Jasad Heir has promising elements and showcases the author's amazing potential. The strength lies in the captivating setting, slow-burn romance, and intriguing politics. It managed to keep my attention throughout and I did enjoy it thoroughly. With further polishing, Sara Hashem's future works hold the promise of even greater storytelling.

A funny thing happened on my way to review The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem. I seem to have forgotten what it was about. I remember loving it and being excited for the second book. But I could not remember the plot or the characters. Even the synopsis was not enough to jog my memory. I had to go back to the e-galley and reread a few chapters before I recalled the plot and the two main characters.

Upon finishing The Jasad Heir, I immediately rated it five out of five stars. I can look back and see that I flew through its 528 page, reading it whenever I had a moment to spare. I remember that my emotions were all over the place while reading it. I felt all Sylvia's anger and trauma (SO much trauma). While I expected the ending, I enjoyed every minute of getting there and didn't mind that there will be at least a year-long wait to find out what happens next. And then, I proceeded to forget all the details.

Now that I refreshed my memory, I could write about how Ms. Hashem makes it so easy to understand Sylvia's reticence to get involved with anything political. If I had her childhood experiences and memories, I would want to be left alone just like her. I could also say that Ms. Hashem makes it too easy to understand Arin's point of view. Their push and pull relationship makes so much sense based on what they've been told or experienced in their young lives.

Unfortunately, that's all I can write. I don't remember the setting. I faintly recall the world-building and different territories. I have no memory of the trials Sylvia undergoes. I wish I did because I know I loved it.

Novels I forget almost immediately, like The Jasad Heir, are difficult to rate and recommend. On the one hand, I know I loved it. I may not recall much, but I do remember how I felt while reading and after finishing it. On the other hand, I think any highly-rated book should be memorable. Something should stick with you. Maybe the fact that my emotional state sticks with me is a sign that it still deserves my initial impression of being an outstanding book.

Even though I may not recall any details or much more beyond the basic plot, I still won't hesitate to recommend The Jasad Heir to anyone. I will vote for it for any year-end best-of lists. And I won't hesitate to read the sequel, fervently hoping that someone writes a detailed synopsis for The Jasad Heir between now and then. I guess the fact that I am comfortable doing all that says all there needs to be said about it.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the arc and the opportunity to read.

3.5, rounded up.

I can't do summaries for the life of me, sorry!
But this is a fantasy enemies-to-lovers with a twist on Egyptian mythology and what more could anyone want?

WRITING
As a debut, this book was a very promising start. There were definitely some issues with pacing and I found that the beginning of the story slightly dragged in creating exposition and then the ending was wrapped too quickly. Still, Hashem has tight control over her prose. The only two things I had issues with the writing that was, I hate first-person narration in fantasy. I feel it reduces the writing to an almost juvenile level since the intricacies and complexities of the fantasy world are removed from the reader's perspective. I'm a thorough believer that fantasy should always be in the third person with multiple POVS so that we're not stuck too long in one perspective and can get a well-rounded understanding of the story and its universe. Eventually, it started to get tiresome to constantly be in Sylvia's mind especially because her thoughts were almost always circular. I actually really liked the few chapters we had in Arin's POV and just wished that continued through the book.

The second issue was the language. I can understand the stylistic reason to use traditional, old English kind of dialogue for these characters because it is based on old Egyptian mythology with kingdoms, but it was almost a little too restrictive. I had a hard time connecting with them because the language was traditional in its jargon and conversations.

STORY
As mentioned, it was slightly difficult to get into because the beginning focused a lot on exposition. I was honestly just waiting for Arin and Sylvia to clash with each other because together, they were really entertaining, both of them matching each other's energies. The story follows a standard trial plot where Sylvia is roped in by Arin to work for him and participate in the trials. While this is a tried and tested plot, it almost seemed a little too predictable. The story also had a pivotal trials foundation, however, I felt that they were brushed far too quickly. I liked the side plots with the rebellions but even that was sometimes difficult to follow because Sylvia had almost ambivalent about them—and because we never had enough information about the world and its history to care about them.

I did feel that there could have been more exploration of Egyptian mythology and the magic system. I didn't understand both Arin and Sylvia's magic and wanted a bit more worldbuilding so that we could have a proper understanding of the rich culture. What did they eat? What do the buildings look like? What kind of people are they?

CHARACTERS
When I say Arin and Sylvia are true enemies, they are indeed ENEMIES. Authentic, hate each other, and really did try to kill each other multiple times type of enemies. Chefs Kiss.
I did actually enjoy reading their dynamics and found myself rooting for them to get together so that they can try and kill each other again. That one scene with them after the trials was brimming with tension and I did appreciate the growth in their relationship and the series of events that brought them to that point.
Arin, our morally grey hero, is easy to like and root for as well. I look forward to exploring his character further.
Sylvia was a little difficult to follow, and I don't know whether that is because it was in first person or because she is both complicated to like and still a rudimentary morally grey heroine in fantasy. She did fit in a lot of the archetypes that we find these days in fantasy, the snarky, sharp-mouthed, angry heroine. And though her reasons are good for her disposition it was tiresome to constantly be in her head because her voice was too similar to other female characters I've read.

Overall, this book does follow some typical fantasy beats, but I look forward to hearing and reading the next book. The best factor for this story was the Egyptian mythology and I hope we get to see more of that going forward. The ending was a wicked one and I can't wait for what waits for Arin and Sylvia next.

Honestly I had a difficult time getting into this book. Had to finally DNF it at the 25% mark. But I think it's more a case of its me, not you, so I will still definitely be adding this to our collection.