Thank you to Orbit Books and Amy Leow for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Scarlet Throne by Amy Leow is a first person-POV villainess origin story fantasy inspired by Nepalese religious traditions where a young girl is made the earthly representation of a goddess. Binsa is this representative, standing in the place of the goddess of wisdom, Rashmatum, but in actuality she is the host of a demon called Ilam. When her time as a goddess is running out due to her age, she plots to do whatever is necessary to hold on to her power.

As a lover of messy women and complex female characters, this book is exactly what I've been looking for. There is absolutely nothing that Binsa won't do to hold on to her power, whether that's manipulating the priests and her replacement-in-training to killing the townspeople who look to her as their goddess and draining them of their blood to feed her demonic power.

Content warning for depictions of emotional abuse

I would recommend this to anyone looking for an excellent villainess origin story, those who enjoy stories with messy women desperate for power, and those looking for an Asian revenge fantasy.

I love unreliable narrators when the writing is done well, and this was done WELL. The FMC reminds me a lot of Wanda Maximoff in her Wanda/Vision era, and this was so damn good.

As another reviewer stated, this is definitely a book for those that enjoyed the end of R.F. Kuang’s THE POPPY WAR. I did feel as though Binsa did not have much substance beyond her ambition and need for revenge but this may have been done purposefully due to the character’s circumstances. I am very interested to read more about Ilam and to see where the author takes the story for the remainder of the trilogy.

I screamed when I got approved for an ARC of The Scarlet Throne, because this is one of my most anticipated books of the year. I added it to my GR the second it was announced, long before it had a cover. There was just something about the synopsis that made me certain I had to read it. I was a little scared going into it, though, because what if I didn't love it? Well, I'm happy to report that it was just as good as I was hoping it would be!

The Scarlet Throne is full of messy, morally gray characters, and I adored every minute of it. Binsa is a living goddess, and it was fascinating to follow her machinations as she tries desperately to hold on to her power. There are themes of emotional abuse and filial loyalty that I also thought were really well done. Overall, I'm just so happy I finally had the chance to read this book!

Thank you to Orbit and to Netgalley for granting me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I enjoyed this. I loved the opener. I love the FMC i was honestly cheering her own and I can understand why she made a lot of her choices. This reminded me a lot of Poppy War and I loved it.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The Scarlet Throne by Amy Leow is a first person-POV villainess origin story fantasy inspired by Nepal. Binsa is the living embodiment of a goddess…except that she actually houses a demon, Ilam. When the local priests say that Binsa has been the host of the goddess for far too long, she isn’t willing to give up her position.

I love messy women and Amy Leow absolutely delivered. Binsa is willing to sacrifice human lives in order to guarantee that she won’t be forgotten and won’t lose her place, the place her mother forced her to take. Her relationships with her mother and her brother, Ykta, is also incredibly messy. Her mother was cruel and calculating and made Binsa feel like she was only worth something as long as she was the goddess. Ilam was previously hosted by Binsa’s mother, further complicating matters because it is an eternal connection to her mother but Ilam also wants his own power to grow.

Ykta has been Binsa’s tutor for years but none of the priests are aware that he is Binsa’s brother because he was sent away before she became the goddess. The two scheme for Binsa to remain on the Scarlet Throne, with Binsa essentially starving herself so she never reaches puberty. All of this gets complicated when Medha, a young girl, is chosen to take Binsa’s place and they grow attached to each other, with Medha viewing her as an older sister or a mother-figure and Binsa forming something of a family with Medha.

I was previously aware of the living goddess of Nepal and was really excited to see a book taking that idea and showing it respect.

Content warning for depictions of emotional abuse

I would recommend this to fans of villainess origin stories, readers looking for a book with a messy female lead who will do what she needs to to accomplish her goals, and those looking for an Asian fantasy dealing with revenge.

3.5 stars?

This is a hard one to review. On one hand, it’s a dark character driven book, full of awful characters (and one charming child). On the other hand, the point of it all seems only to be power, which makes actions and motivations frustrating.

Most of the characters are pretty vile, especially when you take a hard look at their actions. There are demons, some magic, traumatic pasts, and mysterious happenings. At the center of it all is Binsa, ostensibly the earthly host of a goddess. Binsa’s one driving motivation is to hold on to power. But she, and those around her seem to take actions that just made me think, ok but what next? Like this will work for a short time, but where is the long term thinking here?

This was a compelling character study in some ways. And the last 80% was pretty great. I’m just surprised that a trilogy is going to be wrung out of this. I think had the book ended 1 page earlier, it could have been a fantastic tragic standalone.

This quote sums up the whole book to me:
“What are you really? What did you want to be?”
“I don’t know,” I whisper. “I just did whatever I could.”

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the preview. All opinions are my own

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit Books for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. Spoilers below.
4.5 Stars

If you’re reading this book and, at the beginning, you think there is going to be a redemption arc, you’re wrong. You’re so wrong. Binsa is the embodiment of “we support a woman’s right to be wrong.” She is a strong, independent, and morally corrupt main character. As the book continued , she just got worse. And I loved it! Leow writes a fantastic unreliable narrator that I both sympathized with and was appalled by. Binsa really just burned the whole house down and Leow did a beautiful job capturing the humanity of a person who is not longer wholly human. Binsa is a product of her upbringing and it shapes every (evil) thing she does.

I also loved Binsa’s relationships with other characters. I do think some of them could have been developed a little more, but the way she built relationships with them just to tear them apart really made the betrayal all the better.

I also loved the political intrigue in this story. The world is complex and intricate. Binsa faces an uphill battle as she fights to keep her place as the “living goddess” and she is often messy, scrappy, and doing the wrong thing.

One thing that I didn’t always jive with was Medha, the six-year-old replacing Binsa. I felt she talked above her age a few times that took me out of the story. And the writing was choppy in some places, though some of that can be explained away by Binsa’s inner monologue

Overall, this was a fantastic first book in a promising trilogy. I’m sad that I read the ARC of the first book because I’ll have to wait even longer for the second. Maybe I’ll be lucky enough to read an ARC of that, too...

Leow writes a fascinating story of corruption, revenge, and what it means to want something so badly that you’re willing to burn down a world to get it. Binsa is complex and I found myself rooting for her, despite all the terrible things she was doing.

I recommend this book!
Look for it on September 10, 2024 from Orbit Books!

3.5 rounded down to 3 stars.

While avoiding spoilers… Overall, I liked the book. I generally liked Binsa’s character and her journey. I just don't think I connected with the story as much as I hoped to going into it and at several points I found myself wanting more than what was on the page.

In my opinion, some of Binsa's reasons for doing what she did fell a little flat and some of the actions she took felt abrupt. Maybe it’s because it took me a little longer than usual to get through the book, but I kept forgetting why she was doing the things she was doing and what her reasoning for her actions was. Part of my personal struggle with getting into the story I think stems from the fact that Binsa was very much trapped in her environment - in her role as Rakhti of Rashmatun, she wasn’t allowed to leave the temple grounds, so in a way I felt that that made the story seem smaller as we weren't able to really explore much of the world.

I don’t know if I’m wholly satisfied by how the book ended and part of that I think is because its the first in a trilogy. It wrapped up fairly nicely though, so I am curious as to what will happen in the next book!

A solid story about a young girl who is a product of her circumstances and who grows to be the worst version of herself.

I loved seeing Binsa’s deep descent into her villainy throughout the novel. You hope that she will change her mind and follow a lighter path but still can’t help but be delighted when she doubles down on her beliefs and convictions and becomes a true villain.

Really solid start for the new series. Will definitely be picking up the sequels.

Thank you a million to Orbit and NetGalley for the ARC.

The Scarlet Throne is the first of a planned trilogy called The False Goddess. Binsa, our protagonist is a "living goddess" who is trying to find a way to stay on her throne. (It is a limited tenure--early childhood to menarche.) As an extra complication, our protagonist is not actually a living goddess! She is possessed by a demon, and a "blood shaman."

The story plunges into a twisty political plot as Binsa struggles with a priesthood determined to dethrone and replace her, a demon that hates her, and general unrest in the city she rules. Binsa is also struggling with the morality of her actions as she slowly begins to succumb to using blood magic. (Prior to the beginning of the novel she had been avoiding it, because blood magic is eventually lethal, and involves murdering and torturing people.)

Binsa has to deal with a great deal of trauma and PTSD due to her mother also having been a blood shaman. (The mother also stage-mothered Binsa into being selected as the new goddess. If by "stage mother" we mean "abused Binsa extensively and trained her to impersonate a goddess, and murdered a bunch of people.") As the novel progresses, Binsa makes some horrifying discoveries and and is slowly drawn into doing some extremely horrifying things in her efforts to maintain control of the throne.

Amy Leow treads a fine line with Binsa, who is both a character you can sympathize with...and a monster in the making. The balance between "sympathetic" and "monster" tips wildly, until you aren't sure what to think about the character, until about mid book when tensions really begin ramping up and secrets start spilling out. The overall theme seems to be "morally gray person is dragged down by their own trauma, a demon, and possibly the ghost of her mother, if the ghost isn't actually a hallucination.")

Overall, this is a well written novel. The only issues I have with the novel is some aspects of the worldbuilding. (There is an author preface that mildly spoilers the issue. I would recommend not reading it until you run into the bit of worldbuilding that I bounced off of.) This is one of the few books where the plot drew me in, rather than the character(s) experiencing the plot. (This is because most of the characters are con artists, horrible bureaucrats, and venial priests. This is a very dark read!) I'm extremely invested to finding out what happens next.

This review is based on a galley copy received from NetGalley.

I struggled to get into this one, the writing was good I just couldn’t find myself to be interested enough in the characters and plot.

This was an amazing book. Leow's world building and character development really thrived and created an amazing story to read. I loved the tension that was built until the climax hit and I can't wait to read more from Leow and this series. The pacing was great and kept me engaged throughout the story, the imagery helped transport me into the world, and these characters were so much fun to read. I highly recommend this book.

"The Scarlet Throne" is a well-crafted debut novel by Amy Leow, notable for its smooth pacing and clear progression of events. The plot is easy to follow, and the author's straightforward writing style is both engaging and accessible. Leow strikes a balance in her diction, avoiding the pitfalls of oversimplification while remaining respectful to the complexities inherent in drawing from South Asian culture.

It is commendable that Leow acknowledges in her disclaimer that she drew inspiration from Nepal, particularly from the Kumari or Living Goddess tradition. However, this aspect might be seen as a misstep, as Leow does not have a personal connection to Nepali culture. Given that the tradition is still practiced today, the portrayal of the Rakhtas as vessels for demons under the guise of goddesses could be considered irresponsible. This parallel may feel damaging or offensive to those who actively practice or are closely affiliated with this tradition, potentially impacting the culture at large.

The book is marketed as "a dark, heart-thumping political epic fantasy," featuring scheming demons, morally complex heroines, talking cats, and ruthless priests. While the story is enjoyable, I found it leaned more towards a mystery thriller than a political epic fantasy. This genre shift, though different from what was expected, did not diminish the pleasure of reading it. I was captivated by the character of Binsa, a protagonist who gradually transforms into a villain. The author skillfully made this transition feel natural, prompting readers to root for Binsa despite her dark path. Binsa is portrayed candidly, with a consistent emphasis on her flawed appearance and character, which adds depth to her as a grungey female lead. However, while her ambition to maintain her position as Rahkti is evident, the reasons behind this desire are not fully explored. The contrast between her current status and the potential consequences of losing her position could have been more clearly defined. Nonetheless, it is refreshing that Leow did not glamorize Binsa, avoiding the common trope of superficially attractive female leads with poorly developed edgy personas. Binsa's quest for power feels genuine and compelling, making it easy to support her ambitions.

The world-building in "The Scarlet Throne" is adequate, though it falls short of creating an immersive epic fantasy experience. The narrative is primarily character-driven, and while there are hints of political intrigue, these elements are not fully developed. The story leans more towards mystery, which, while enjoyable, diverges from the full fantasy experience some readers might expect.

Another aspect that could have been improved is the development of secondary characters. Binsa's interactions and relationships with other characters are crucial to the plot, as her actions affect them significantly. Greater focus on these relationships would have heightened the stakes and deepened the emotional impact of the story. By the end, I found myself indifferent to the fate of the characters Binsa discarded in her pursuit of power, which lessened the story's emotional resonance.

Despite these critiques, I thoroughly enjoyed reading "The Scarlet Throne." I am grateful to Orbit and NetGalley for the eARC and eagerly anticipate the continuation of this trilogy. Amy Leow's writing shows great promise, and I look forward to exploring more of her work in the future.

Finally, I would certainly recommend this book to readers seeking their next fantasy adventure, especially those interested in a narrative with a cultural twist.

This is the first book in the trilogy, and introduces us to Binsa — a selfish, cruel, self-centered, angry young woman who will do anything, say anything, hurt anyone to stay in power. She grew up in poverty, raised by an abusive mother who was kind one moment, cruel the next, and whose only goal was to make Binsa the next mortal vessel for the goddess Rashmatun. Now Binsa lives as that vessel, a girl one moment, a goddess the next, but it’s all a lie.

The goddess is gone, and it’s just Binsa playing a part. Now she lives a life of luxury, of beautiful fabrics, ornate jewelry, respect, comfort and the illusion of power. But a mortal vessel isn’t supposed to last too long, and the priests are already looking for a replacement.

It’s an interesting dance as Binsa tries to maneuver against her high priest and finds herself out played at almost every turn, causing her to reach deeper and deeper into her connection with the demon who feeds her magic — a false copy of the divine magic she should have — and who feeds upon her soul in turn. This is a twisty, snarled, unpleasant book with a character who shed her morals long ago. It’s about her rationalizations, her excuses, how she feels like she’s pushed into doing horrible things; the story tries to make her sympathetic, pitiable even as what she does is morally questionable at best, wrong at worse.

There are other ways open to Binsa, but those paths don’t lead her to the end she wants: To remain the false goddess and hold that power forever. If you like flawed characters, broken characters, and villains … this book should be right up you alley. Binsa never tries to play the “I’m the victim” card. She knows what she’s doing, and why she’s doing it. She feels regret, but it doesn’t stop her. She’s a terrible person and I love her for it.

The world building is revealed more in hints and conversations rather than taking the focus of the story, but there’s enough there to add a lovely flavour to the book. The mystery of the lost goddess, where she is and what happened to her, are cleverly done, and the nature of the divine and the demons was a nice surprise. I had so much fun with this book and hope that, if you give it a chance, you do, too.

I also want to thank Net Galley and the publisher for granting me access to an advanced reader copy.

I wanted to love this so badly, but I just didn’t and I, honestly, struggled to finish this one.
I love a good villain story, but this just didn’t work for me.
There was so much potential and it just fell short.
Binsa was an okay character, but I felt no connection to her.
The overall writing and prose were good. Although I felt like we needed the world-building to be fleshed out more (maybe in the next book?).
Overall, an okay read.
I am unsure if I will continue reading this series.

Well, this was one I had high hopes for - I LOVE a nasty female POV character, particularly in the genre of fantasy. Rin from the Poppy War Series, or Zhu Chongba from She Who Became the Sun both were ambitious, passionate, and thoroughly interesting to follow as they navigated their own desires with that of influencing the power of a country. So I was excited to pick up The Scarlet Throne, which promised me an ambitious female character masquerading as possessed by a goddess and was instead possessed by a demon. Flipping it open and reading the first few paragraphs I thought: OH NO. First person. Protagonist is sixteen. Is this YA?

It's.... not. Not really. Plenty of amazing adult books have been written in first person, there is zero romance, and while the protagonist IS young, the plot itself is a little more nuanced than what I would expect from a YA book. I will say, however, that the writing's structure veers juvenile. This isn't a slam on YA books, but I expect a little more depth from a book that's touted as one belonging in the adult fantasy section of the store. Despite the first person narrative, Binsa keeps herself from being known by the reader quite a bit. She's at a distance. We read about her reactions to her inner emotions: ("my shoulders tensed. I forced a smile on my face") more than we read about what she's actually thinking and why. This is a massive problem when you're supposed to be rooting for a controversial protagonist, and even more of a problem when you don't actually understand why the protagonist is doing the things they do.

It's compellingly written. I do agree with the criticism others have given that it meanders a little toward the middle. Because Binsa's goal is to keep herself in power rather than change things, the plot stagnates, and there is very little character development. You do eventually learn about her traumatic past with her mother, but it's trickled throughout the narrative in a stilted way. ("I try not to think about that.")

It's very much a novel with growing pains, I think. Amy Leow is a good author, but this one didn't match up to what it was marketed to be for me.

The Scarlet Throne is definitely one of these books that you should judge by its cover. Amy Leow has written a story that was able to grip me from the first line and I’m not even exaggerating. The world was rich and colorful and filled with politics and drama. Like really what not to love?! Also, Binsa was an incredible protagonist. Exactly the type that I just LOVE to read and follow in a story. Without spoiling anything, I can guarantee you that she’ll leave a lasting impression on you. I’ve already freed up some space in my shelf for The Scarlet Throne because I’m certain I’m going to read it again.

If you are a fan of Forest of a Thousand Lanterns (like I am), I think you’ll enjoy this book.

Our main character, Binsa, may be young, but she’s had a taste of power and will do anything to keep it, even if that means a little murder along the way.

I thoroughly enjoyed Binsa’s descent into villainy. I think it’s very difficult to pull off a character doing unlikeable things and still have readers rooting for them, but Leow does it. Even as Binsa was doing all these horrible things and making terrible choices, I still found myself sympathizing with her and the way she was treated by her mother growing up and how, once she no longer held the throne, everyone would forget about her. No one wants to be forgotten.

I did take off a star for the slow beginning. It took almost 70 pages before I really felt invested in the story, which for me is a long time to wait. If you like a fast-paced read, this probably isn’t going to be the book for you. That being said, once I was hooked in, I would follow Binsa and Ilam anywhere. I can’t wait to see what these two get up to in book 2.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for the arc.

The Scarlet Throne is the embodiment of "Gaslight, Gatekeep, Girlboss."

If you stan:

💅🏼 an unreliable narrator
💅🏼 corruption arcs
💅🏼 women's (fictional) wrongs
💅🏼 revenge

then this book has it all.

If you love Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch's character arc, then this is the book for you.

And bonus, there's no romance!

Nowadays, it's difficult for me to have high hopes for fantasy novels. With the tropification of fantasy (and novels in general), and the Wattpad quality writing that gets traditionally published more often these days, I try to keep my expectations <s>low</s> reasonable.

But The Scarlet Throne had none of those.

This is a well-written political fantasy that puts me in the headspace of reading a single POV from A Song of Ice and Fire mixed with the dark vibes from the later Poppy War books. (If any of that even makes sense.)

For those that care about pacing, this is a slower paced fantasy novel and takes its time to build up the suspense and the climax. This might not work for readers who prefer something faster paced. Personally, I didn't mind it since the plot and characterization kept me engaged throughout the novel. There weren't any major lulls in the story for me, so even with the more dialogue heavy scenes, or the lore dumping, I didn't get bored at all.

The author had me hooked from the author's note right to the very last page.

So, why not five stars?

I won't lie, maybe I'm too dumb, but the political scheming became a little too convoluted for me. And some of the solutions to Binsa's problems in the first half were giving deus ex machina. Major problems were easily solved just in the nick of time when I wanted to see Binsa fail or get called out. There were too many coincidences that relied majorly on luck.

But other than that, I'm very excited to see how the rest of the trilogy pans out! I'll be keeping an eye on Amy Leow's future releases!

Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for this arc.