It took some time to finish this one. I kept putting it down and coming back hoping to fall back in the “lot of like” as I did with the beginning. Could NOT get there. Why a 4 and not a 3? Well, I didn’t think it was a bad book. I think young adult readers will find it enjoyable. The plot and the writing are “easy” but long winded. It’s slo but sho!

The Jasad Heir is a riveting debut novel by Sara Hashem. This Egyptian inspired fantasy had me captivated from the first line “Two things stood between me and a good night’s sleep, and I was allowed to kill only one of them.” It clearly sums up who the main character is, Sylvia, a fighter. I fell in love with Sylvia, she is strong willed, intelligent and sarcastic. I was pleasantly surprised by the humor of the book. I had several laugh out loud moments that helped balance the severe nature of both the female and male protagonists. Sara’s portrayal of feminine rage is raw and unfiltered. For example when Sylvia is trying to cover up a murder she breaks a mans back to make it look like an accident but the author describes the process in such a methodical manner that it is impressive and disturbing at the same time. The point being women are capable of violence. The world of The Jasad Heir is refreshingly different being inspired by Egyptian culture and lore. It’s settings, politics, creatures and magic distinct from mainstream fantasy novels. The supporting characters are memorable and endearing and they help drive the narrative forward. The underlying romance story line is a painstakingly slow tension buildup that had me salivating. I appreciated the the romance was not the main focus of the novel or character but her journey to finding herself and fulfilling her destiny. Arin the male protagonist is a perfectly written morally grey character. Arin has some serious traumas he needs to work through as well as trust issues but you get peeks into his heart and the good that resides in it. The same can be said of Sylvia. And when I say this is an enemies to lovers, I mean, punching and stabbing each other mortal enemies! The story progresses at a good pace and although there are moments where you do get a little world building dump, the fantasy world and magic system is easy to understand. The author provides just enough breadcrumbs to keep you guessing as to what will happen next without giving the plots twists away. All in all I absolutely enjoyed this book. I highly recommend this book for fantasy and romantasy lovers especially if you appreciate a slow burn and a white haired morally grey main male character.


Book tropes: Dual POV, enemies to lovers, deadly political scheming, found family, feminine rage, morally grey characters, slow burn, survival trials.

There’s a lot I liked about this book. The premise is great, the history of this world is rich and I could easily see how there would be plenty for us to keep learning about throughout two more books, the inner tension of our MC is vivid and realistic, there are some truly lovable supporting characters.

The first 25%-30% is the most technically strong I believe - the writing is beautifully descriptive, the world building is cleverly woven in without spoon feeding us too much all at once, and we can feel the tension the author is building between our MC and the antagonist.

After this point, I think the plot and the internal logic fell apart a bit for me. The entire plot of this book is centered around a (somewhat) deadly competition between the kingdoms of the this realm that our MC is forced to compete in. However, I didn’t understand and it seemed like our MC didn’t understand what the purpose of this competition even was. We finally start to see the competitions around the 75% mark, and unfortunately throughout them the stakes feel very low and this part of the book feels rushed. It seemed like we saw our characters at feasts and travelling by carriage between banquet halls more than actually competing.

The slow burn, enemies to lovers plot line also heavily dominated the book past the 30%ish mark, which I actually didn’t mind because their dynamic was probably my favorite thing about the book. There’s absolutely a power imbalance between them though (he is a colonizer who is literally holding her captive in an attempt to further wipe out her people) and I think the attempts to lessen that power imbalance and “humanize” him were a bit awkward. That being said, the dialogue between them was excellent and I thought they made really great foils for each other.

Overall, some strong writing and writing that I think could have been tightened up. It probably could have been about 50-100 pages shorter. A really amazing premise and world, but I think this book relied a little too heavily on tropes. It lacked the gravity to really pull off the deadly competition plotline, but it ended incredibly strong and with a great launching off point for the rest of the series, so I’m hopefully that the stakes will really get cranked up from here.

This was incredible! I really like the story and development of Sylvia. I can’t wait to continue her story and see where this goes.

This was a wonderful debut novel! Sylvia/Essiya's story followed a lot of the same tropes of magical fantasy but also had some fun changes. My biggest qualm is the pacing in the novel. The first 3 chapters and the last third of the book could have been the entire story. While the training portion gave insight to her background it draggggged. In comparison, the exciting action scenes of the actual trials felt short. It is a series with a ton of promise and I hope that the excitement will continue in the future!

A solid debut but unfortunately I greatly struggled with this. The world itself and the culture is fascinating and a breath of fresh air to read about but I found the plot structure and writing to be inconsistent. I often times found myself confused between sequences when characters would move from one room to another but there's no explanation in between to understand the flow of what occurred.

Thank you to Orbit for the Advanced Reader copy, I am voluntarily leaving my honest review.

This is an incredible setting and world. My copy of the ARC did not contain the map that released with the book, which would have helped understanding the locations and relationships to the Essam woods since that seemed to be the center of the story.

I appreciated the complicated backstory and journey that Sylvia goes through as she travels this first book in the Duology and I am excited to see where the rest of the duology takes her. Arin is also an incredible character and I loved getting the very short glimpses into his thoughts and actions at key points in the story.

There are areas that seem to drag, and there are lots of names and titles for characters, a glossary would be nice in the second book (I understand why one would not be included in this one since there are numerous spoilers that would be exposed).

4.25 out of 5 stars. Highly recommend for fantasy lovers (this is not an entry book for fantasy genre) who want to focus on complicated political trials, magic systems, and unreliable characters.

There are some minor similarities to Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas, Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, The Trial of the Grasses (Witcher series), and a certain 4th book of a series that shall not be named.

Okay, this book slapped. For a debut this was really really excellent. If you're looking for your next adult fantasy book, look no further!

→ Egyptian-inspired world
→ Court politics
→ A chaotic, fugitive queen
→ Slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romance
→ “Who did this to you?”

I had a such a fantastic time reading and I cannot wait for the sequel!

Dnf.
I really want to like this book, there’s a lot of good reviews about this book. I tried so hard to go through and finish it but i just can’t. The writing didn’t click with me, it feels dry and didn’t cath my attention.

The magic system is kind of confusing for me. I might try to read it later but for now i just can’t read this anymore

In The Jasad Heir we follow Sylvia who unbeknownst to the city that she now calls home is the lost Jasad Heir. Jasad was once home to a race of powerful magic users, but now its people are hunted and feared. Sylvia spends her days working as a chemist's apprentice and planning her escape should she ever need to make a quick exit. The Jasadi people are now hunted for their ability to wield magic.

Arin is the Nizahl Heir. He is cold, calculating and the heir to the country that Sylvia views as her enemy. In a moment where Sylvia's magic is exposed she captures Arin's attention. So begins a deadly game of deception as Sylvia attempts to keep her true identity hidden as she tries to protect the ones she's come to care about. And there is something about the Nizahl heir that intrigues her even though he is her mortal enemy.

This was an excellent debut. Sara Hashem's Egyptian inspired fantasy was different while also hitting on some of my favorite tropes. We had missing gods, persecuted magic wielders, scheming monarchs, and an enemies to lovers subplot. The world itself was the most interesting aspect of the story. There were countless creatures that terrified and the different countries made for a diverse cast of characters. The world building was also excellent in my opinion and I could tell that it was fully actualized.

Sylvia and Arin as characters were fun to read. I enjoyed that Hashem worked in three specific moments where we changed POVs. When this first happened I was skeptic, but she used them perfectly and it really added to the story. The two main characters were the strongest part of the story.

I did feel like we could've had a bit more development in the other characters. It was actually hard to keep them all straight because there were a few with similar names and not much to differentiate them. The exception being Marek who had a similar weight to Arin and Sylvia.

I also was confused by the magic system which honestly felt slightly generic and I was waiting for it to come forth a bit more. Not necessarily in use, but in how it worked. Even with the main character having her magic bound I would've like to have a better understanding of it.

I will also say that the transitions were clunky. In one moment I would be in one place and then we'd all the sudden be somewhere else and I had to go back to reread. Some of the plot points also felt like they came out of nowhere or they were lost after they were mentioned. I think that is more of first time novelist issue and I have no doubts that it'll improve. It also could be that they will be more developed in the second book.

All in all I would absolutely recommend this book and I am excited to read more in the series.

Sylvia is the lost heir of Jasad. She is hiding in a village when Arin, the heir of Nizahl, suspects her of being more than she appears. He selects her to be Nizahl’s champion in a deadly tournament. Sylvia’s allegiances are tested as rebellions grow stronger surrounding the kingdoms. Will Sylvia be able to win the tournament, or will Jasad’s lost heir succumb?

The Jasad Heir is one of my most anticipated reads of the summer. I am a huge fantasy fan, and the Egyptian lore sounded terrific. It gave me Chakraborty vibes from the get-go, and I loved it! I tend not to like the main character in many fantasy series, but that was not the case for The Jasad Heir. I grew to really enjoy Sylvia and her witty comebacks. She felt thoroughly thought out, and her actions and thoughts always made sense. I also really liked Arin, who we didn’t learn as much about. Still, he was intriguing, and I enjoyed seeing him open up. There are also many fantastic side characters, such as Sefa, Marek and Wes. Many relationships between the characters were also very complicated and not one-note at all.

Let’s talk about world-building. I loved that we learned history, geography and lore through storytelling and how people would react to experiences present in the story. I didn’t feel like I had to memorize facts or keep track of anything. I thought I was learning with the characters, which I love.

There were a few moments where the magic system confused me a little, or I would get people mixed up, but I found everything made sense by the end of the story!

Now this is a long book, and it has politics in it, but I never found it to be a daunting read. Tons of twists, turns, and exciting plot points made this 450-page book read more like a 250-page book. I highly recommend reading The Jasad Heir. I will be adding the second book to my TBR as I patiently wait for its release!

Thank you to Orbit Books and Netgalley for an e-ARC of The Jasad Heir in exchange for an honest review.

"We build our reality on the foundation our world sets for us. You entered a world where magic is corrosive and Jasadis are inherently evil. I entered one where turning a shoe into a dove made my mother laugh. 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?"

The Jasad Heir is a stunning, explosive adult fantasy debut by Sara Heshem full of deadly magic, a queen undercover avoiding death and complex politics. Sylvia is a hidden royal and the last queen of Jasad on the run, hiding away after her kingdom was conquered and hunted after their magic went out of control. Now, any Jasadi found using magic is charged and put to death.

Sylvia wants nothing more than to hide under the radar and live a quiet life. With her magic damping bracelets she does a good job at it until Arin, the Nizahl Heir finds her in the village and he chooses her to be his champion for the games. In exchange for her freedom, he'll use her to lure in the Jasadi rebels - her life for the death of her people.

Sylvia is a queen on the run - and a queen that doesn't want to rule. She's suffocated under the sense of her duty, and wants to leave that life behind. But time after time - there's an emphasis on what she owes her people. They need a queen and she's the only one left.

I LOVED this book SO much - especially the enemies to lovers. These two are born and raised to hate each other, to the point where they can't even touch without pain. But as Arin spends more time building Sylvia into his ideal champion, they spend weeks even being able to talk. This is beyond a slow burn, it's a true battle of wits. They're constantly conniving and fighting to have the upper hand over each other and it's incredible to see.

The lore, magic system and world building in this book is top notch. We span through four kingdoms, each lush with their own backstories, people and culture - which really came alive through the book. Along with incredible side characters, the plot twists and cunning in this book had me on the edge of my seat until the last page. I cannot wait for the sequel.

rep// Arab influences/culture, Egyptian setting/culture, disabled side character, ace-spec side character

cw// death, murder, genocide, torture, emotional/mental abuse and trauma, sexually explicit scenes, referenced SA

Thank you to the publisher for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is such an inventive, voice-y, immersive new fantasy. I loved the found family, the enemies-to-lovers arc, and the Egyptian-inspired world. Hashem is a talent!

I really enjoyed this book! It was a lot of fun to read and several times throughout it gave me anxiety lol. I looove when books invoke reactions. I fully enjoyed the story and loved that it was Egyptian inspired! It’s a debut novel that will be part of a series and I’m very much looking forward to the other books she writes!

It’s about an heir of a kingdom that escaped execution of her family. Her people are magical where others are not, which marks them as outcast and dangerous. Sylvia (the heir) is struggling to blend in and hide herself. She’s had to learn to survive and adapt while trying to conceal her identity from those who would want to kill her. You follow her story as that starts to unravel and it’s awesome.

If you enjoy fantasy, especially political ones with found family and a strong female character, you should absolutely check this out! It just was released! I read this via NetGalley as an Arc. So thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this advance copy!

Thanks Negalley and Orbit for this advanced copy.

This was one of my favorite book this year. I've ordered my copy.

The Jasad Heir was such a powerful story with romance that I adored so much. Powerful female main character and great magic system.

I would like to read all her next books.

The only thing I needed to hear about The Jasad Heir was that it was an Egyptian-inspired debut fantasy with a fugitive queen. That’s it! I was sold.
AND THEN we ended up with our main character and others being ostracized due to their magic abilities, and Sylvia doing her best to keep hers a secret.

In this book you can expect the following:
-Found family
-Beautiful writing and atmosphere
-Morally grey characters you will LOVE
-Romance
-A competition

With debuts I try to take notes on how I am feeling about every hundred pages or so, but for The Jasad Heir I got so caught up in reading the story that I only paused to take notes at the first 100-page mark.
I love that Hashem is working to create such a full world with quite the past. I’m really curious to continue with the series to get more of the magic and mysteries answered.
My one gripe would be that the competition felt like it passed in the blink of an eye. The beginning of this book is fairly slow-paced as we get introduced to everything and get a feel for the world. I would’ve liked for the competition section to be a bit more fleshed out so we could feel a bit more for the other characters that are competing.

I also need far more banter between Arin and Sylvia! I loved getting to know Sylvia but wanted more from Arin. I understand that he is meant to be very cold and off-putting, so we are left wondering about his past but I hope that we get a bit more in the second book.

Overall (TLDR)
This is not a debut to miss out on this year, I got lost in the magic of sinking into a story for the first time in a long time. If you’re looking for a magic-filled world with morally grey characters, a found family, and tons of lore, this is for you! I am SO excited to read the sequel!
I’d give this book a 4/5 stars!

“It wasn’t a choice based on practicality..."

To have loved and loathed a character in such equal measure and to have been constantly unsure of where innocence ended and betrayal began, I have found myself completely consumed by The Jasad Heir. A story so well spun it will take ages to unravel all the various plot threads.

It was unfortunate that I couldn't leave a review for this novel before it's publication date. It took me a bit longer to start the series, and a while more to finish. NOT because the book wasn't a great read, but because life just kept me busy.

The Jasad Heir is a political fantasy, with a main character who is headstrong, and hellbent on surviving. Sylvia is a flawed, morally gray character, but this is what makes her interesting. You won't always agree with her decisions and sometimes she is downright unlikeable.

I think the book would do well even without romance. But since it does have a romantic plotline, the novel is an amazing example of what it means to be ENEMIES to lovers. Arin, the love interest. is also a morally gray character -- cold, calculating, and manipulative. And he is most definitely capable of violence. The relationship between Arin and Sylvia is exceptionally engaging.

In addition, the plot and the world building was fantastic. Readers are given snippets of the world (environment and history) that need to be pieced together. The magic system isn't explained with much detail, which leaves you with questions. But that is something that might be/can be expanded on in a continuation of the novel.

There were countless memorable lines in the story. For example:
"You ignore that each child enters a completely unique world, founded on different truths. We build our reality on the foundation our world sets for us."

Some of the tropes in this novel include:
- slow burn enemies to lovers
- reluctant chosen one
- forced proximity
- lost royalty

Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC via NetGalley!

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC! Wow another great Arabian fantasy and I’m SO excited about this one!!

The story follows the journey of Talia, a young protagonist destined to inherit the powers of the ancient Jasad lineage. As Talia grapples with her newfound abilities, she embarks on a quest to uncover her true heritage and confront the malevolent forces threatening her kingdom. With the help of a diverse and memorable cast of characters, including the enigmatic wizard, Elric, and the resilient warrior, Aria, Talia's path unfolds in a way that keeps readers engaged from start to finish.

One of the novel's strongest aspects is its world-building. The author expertly crafts a rich and immersive environment, complete with unique cultures, mythical creatures, and intricate magic systems. Each location feels SO alive, and offers a sense of depth and authenticity that makes the reading experience even better.

The character development in "The Jasad Heir" is really great! Talia (one of my all time fave main characters) undergoes a huge transformation as she grapples with her doubts, fears, and the weight of her responsibilities. Her growth is gradual and believable, making her a relatable and endearing protagonist. I also thought the side characters were all well-rounded, with their own motivations and personal journeys that intersect with Talia's in meaningful ways.

The pacing of the novel is well-maintained, it has a good balance between action-packed sequences and moments of introspection. Still, there are a few parts where the narrative becomes slightly complicated with all the subplots and new characters. While this adds depth to the story, it can sometimes distract from the main narrative thread.

It captures the essence of a classic fantasy adventure while also incorporating fresh ideas and perspectives. Although the book does sometimes struggle with pacing, it is such an enjoyable experience, leaving me eager for the next installment.

Overall, "The Jasad Heir" is a captivating fantasy novel that invites readers to embark on a remarkable journey alongside compelling characters. With its rich world-building, engaging plot, and relatable protagonist, this book is a promising start to what could become an exceptional series. I really loved it!!!

“But the will of the damned is even stronger.”

The Jasad Heir is an Egyptian inspired fantasy duology. The fugitive queen, Sylvia, has been in hiding since her kingdom was destroyed. When cornered by the Nizahl heir, she strikes a bargain with her greatest enemy and becomes tangled in kingdom politics and a game of champions.

There are a lot of elements that I enjoyed in this book. The descriptive world building crafted from the mind of Hashem paints a picture of commoner life and kingdom opulence. From the imagery of the beasts and monsters to the surrounding landscapes, the writing style lets your imagination piece this world together beautifully.

The characters are the found family you love seeing in books. The beginning portrays Sylvia's life in hiding and those she's grown close to even if she refuses to admit it. She made a very relatable character when it came to her inner thoughts and actions. Her ending scene is what sealed the deal on my appreciation of her. Arin is a force of will and fortitude. He's the broody enemy that slowly has his layers peeled back. A slow churning but lightly sprinkled enemies to lovers.

I did slow down through the middle of the book. For me as a reader I have a hard time concentrating when the plot moves toward the political and historical. That's just me though. The ending comes in like a literal wrecking ball and because of that, I've got my radar up for news on the next release date!

For lovers of epic fantasies (especially ones that wrap up beautifully in a duology) you'll want to hit that TBR add and check this out!

PS for my annotation lovers; you'll want to have those tabs ready. Highly quotable!