this is unfortunately a dnf for me…this was an amazing premise and the first few chapters had me hooked- as the main plot started unraveling though, this started to give “concepts of a plan” especially our fmc 😭 the writing was solid and for a debut im impressed, this just isn’t the fantasy im looking for right now. thank you for allowing me to read it in advance! (i will not leave a public review on a dnf)

This is one of my new favorite fantasy series! I was sucked in from the beginning, with the incredible world building and all of the richly multi-facted characters. I was absolutely hooked and I CANNOT WAIT for the next book in this trilogy. Any fantasy reader will fall head over heels for this new series because it has the makings of an incredible trilogy.

Loved the story, but I do wish the characters had an official plot to what they were doing. They kind of just existed, and occasionally had a thought of ‘just do it,’ and they just went along with that.

3.5 Stars I didn’t hate it, but it wasn’t entirely memorable either. Another Prince and another Witch. Only this time, it’s not a lovers' squabble that occupies the story plot. Prince Ashoka’s father, the king, has been killed by Shakti (a mayakari), a product of a curse. A curse that has left her bound to the king and, ultimately, his children. Prince Ashoka is the youngest of the Maurya Monarch. The Prince does not believe in cruelty. The Prince wants to free the witches, appease the Nature Spirits, and… claim the throne. I found the political turmoil and environmental aspects similar to real-life conflicts, and I liked the voice between the lines of a call to action. The imagery and world-building were surface-level, and the characters didn’t have much depth or direction. However, the storyline was extremely unique, and for that, I stuck around! I’d say this is more YA than adult; the romance is subtle, and other than some musings about kissing, there’s no spice—so I wouldn’t call it a Romantasy. I am interested in seeing where this series is headed and I thank NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the advance reader copy.

This one was tough to get through, but I’ll admit—the ending pulled things together nicely. The story had a solid foundation, but the execution wasn’t quite there. Some parts dragged on way too long with too much explanation, while others needed more detail to really land the emotional impact they were going for. It made the pacing feel uneven, which made it hard to stay engaged.

The characters had potential, but some of their interactions felt a little flat. There were moments that should have been intense or emotional, but they didn’t quite hit because the build-up wasn’t strong enough. It’s like the book almost got there but didn’t take the extra step to really make you feel it.

That said, the last part of the book was easily the best. The resolution actually felt satisfying, and I didn’t walk away feeling like I wasted my time. If the whole story had the same energy as the ending, this could have easily been a four-star read.

Not a bad book, just one that needed better balance. If you can push through the slower parts, the ending at least makes it worth it.

The Prince Without Sorrow centers around the outcast and pacifist, Prince Ashoka and a witch out for revenge, Shakti. It is told in both perspectives, which is always a tough one to have an opinion on because I always feel like we don’t get enough time in any one person’s head to form a clear opinion of their story. That is unfortunately what happens here, as I felt like we clearly understood the why but didn’t dig down deep enough to understand what the end goal was for any of the characters. Without being on board with their goals, the character’s development falls a little flat.

The world building in this book really shined, which was great to see in the first book of a trilogy. Hopefully because this foundation was laid in the first book, the second will have more of a focus on character development.

There is little to no romance here, but I knew that going in. I’m hoping for more in the second, but I wouldn’t be surprised if this leans more heavily into fantasy throughout. Overall, if that is what you’re looking for, I don’t see you being disappointed in this book. I do think it is important to keep in mind that this will be a trilogy, so pick this up anticipating a slow start.

This book was so good to me.

I am voluntarily leaving my honest review.

This is the ultimate story of how getting your lick back may not be the best decision or how turning the other cheek may be the best decision. Imagine being so angry that you shift the entire world's atmosphere—whew!

This book has romantic ideas about sibling rivalry but no romance on the page, which I enjoyed. The conflict setup was solid, and the story never ran dry. Right when I thought I knew what was going on, there was a new twist! I actually felt like I was writing the story as I read it, filling in the blanks left behind..this read was a good time!

This was a ride for me. The world and character building were well thought out, but the magical elements could have been unfolded more. This is only book 1, so I am sure book 2 will continue to unfold this story.

The ending left me with my mouth hung open... what happens with the spare king!? They were not expecting his moxie. I can't wait for book 2!

Thank you to Netgalley, Avon and Harper Voyager | Harper Voyager, and Maithree Wijesekara for the ARC of the Prince Without Sorrow.

First and foremost as always thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book. This was an incredibly good read! The story was beautifully written and the characters were flushed out really well! Loved this! Definitely worth the read!

What an epic start to what is sure to be a wonderful fantasy series! Drawing from the Mauryan Empire of ancient India, The Prince Without Sorrow combines equal parts compelling characters, heart pounding plot and lush worldbuilding. I really enjoyed how clearly inventive and thought out the plot was and I LOVED Shakti as a main character. I truly feel like the plot could go anywhere in the sequel and I’m excited to see where it goes!

I can definitely see how this book would draw in fantasy lovers! Sadly the writing didn't work for me as well, but I am interested to see where the series goes.

*longer review to come and this will be updated.

Getting right to it, this was... fine. The novel is set in a world where witches, mayakari, are ruthlessly hunted by the violent emperor until one day he drops dead. It turns out that Shakti, the main mayakari we follow, has broken one of their four rules and cast a curse now she has to suffer the consequences.

We also follow the emperor's three children. Ashoka is the youngest and is hellbent on not following in his father's footsteps. He is viewed as soft and incompetent because he refuses to take innocent lives.

Shakti and Ashoka cross paths and do what they can to work together to save the mayakari. The problem is neither one of them has a true thought out plan. They operate on vibes alone. What seems best at this very moment?

Honestly I was slightly bored with the novel and didn't care about any of the characters until almost the very end. I did enjoy watching Ashoka change (was it for the worse? Who knows?) and morph into someone that seems like a totally new person.

My main problem with this debut is that it feels like it's purpose was to set up for the rest of the series. It was really slow and then bang it was over. I do think the second installment could be better.

Dnf at 17%.

Mmmno, sadly. The writing is just a big no.

This book nearly had me with the flying snakes, but it’s impossible for me to get over the writing style. Too much flowery prose, and the phrasing is so convoluted, every few paragraphs I was pulled out of the story because I had to make sense of it. The dialogue between characters is just used as exposition 2.0, and it feels so stilted and artificial, it lacks any kind of emotion.

This could have been such a cool concept for a book, but the writing just does it a great disservice.

‘The Prince Without Sorrow’
Maithree Wijesekara
4 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC for review.

‘The Prince Without Sorrow’ is the debut book of author Maithree Wijesekara, it draws inspiration from the Mauryan Empire and brings the reader on an adventure with spirits, serpents, and a touch of swords. I enjoyed the dual POVs of Shakti and Ashoka, their personalities that both ‘don't fit’ in the lives they were meant to lead were refreshing to read about, both deemed imperfect but knowing in their hearts that what they are doing must somehow be justice.

The magic system was familiar and easy to grasp, and the world-building was never so convoluted that it was hard to understand, which I appreciated. This book also tackles a lot of modern-day themes with fantasy twists and handles the nuance rather well, but I am interested to see the plot develop more with our main characters buckling down on how to enact their plans and ideals into the world around them more.

Overall, I am excited to see what comes next for the characters in this novel and it was a solid 4-star read for me. I loved the representation and political pull; however, if you are looking for Romantasy, this would not be your cup of tea.

I really really wanted to like this book, it had a lot of great potential to be more interesting. The plot of the story seems great at times unfortunately pacing and having some unanswered questions just didn’t do it for me.

thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for access to the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
4.5 out of 5 stars rounded up.

A prince born into violence, seeking peace. A witch shackled by pacifism, seeking revenge.

The Prince Without Sorrow is an exceptional debut. A well built fantasy with a solid plot, strong world building, a consequential magic system that i feel is unique to the genre, and a stunning demonstration of character development and growth.

It was such a pleasure following along the main characters, Ashoka and Shakti: one the third son of a tyrant emperor and the other a young witch who has spent her entire life dodging persecution brought about from the emperor's cruelty, And following along two fundamentally very different people from very different worlds kept me going until the very end.. Considering that Shakti and her kind continue to be and have historically been persecuted by Ashoka's family, it was interesting to see from both perspectives the consequences of violence and cruelty laid upon each other. Also, the fact that these two were not at all romantically involved (as is the trend in fantasy) was such a great move on the author's part. It allowed the focus to remain on their relationship as two who have been pitted against each other by their upbringings, fighting against that urge for violence and revenge, and as political allies who will do what they must to serve their own best interests.

This was such a breath of fresh air in fantasy and I simply cant wait for the sequel.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy!

It’s refreshing to come across a dual POV fantasy story where the two POVs aren’t love interests. And I just about screamed at the aro rep!

While this isn’t any sort of groundbreaking fantasy, I really enjoyed the nature spirits and how they tied into the magic system. I had a good time and am interested to see where this goes in the next book. Ashoka’s determination to not become like his father has got to mean that he’s going to slip into villainy at some point and I am here for it.

3.5/5 Stars

A Prince Without Sorrow is a debut novel that blends political intrigue, witchcraft, and deep philosophical questions about power and violence. Drawing inspiration from the Mauryan Empire, Maithree Wijesekara sets up a world where earth spirits roam, witches are hunted, and a young prince must decide whether to embrace or reject the legacy of bloodshed left by his father. At its heart, the book thrives on the juxtaposition between its two leads–Shakti, a witch shackled by a pacifist code yet consumed by her desire for revenge, and Ashoka, a prince raised to conquer but yearning for peace; both are defined by the expectations placed upon them and both struggle to break free.

There was definitely the potential of something interesting here...I was very intrigued by the idea of Ashoka’s character and how he made sense of the world he lived in with a family so different from himself; it took place in a queer norm setting with explicit asexual rep, MLM yearning, and mention of same sex couplings throughout which is always great to read in a fantasy book; and its themes of oppression, rebellion, and feminism (a group of powerful witches standing against a tyrannical empire) hit a sweet spot for me as a fantasy reader.

The plot started out strong and I was instantly pulled into the story but unfortunately the pacing did not maintain the momentum from the beginning and the plot was quickly overshadowed by advancing character introspection and political machinations rather than action. The character arcs were easy to anticipate and they did make sense with how each character was portrayed, but I continuously felt that there wasn't enough backstory to fully understand their “WHY” without just being told (and there was a fair bit of that). I felt similarly in regards to the worldbuilding and magic system which was unique and held a lot of promise, but did feel like it needed more depth to fully bring it to life.

This book is comped to The Jasmine Throne (a favorite of mine) and while it did feel similar in setting and I was at first thrilled by the similarities, the prose is really where it differs. The prose was heavy handed and the language anachronistic at times which would have been an easy fix with a little more intentional editing.

BE WARNED: THIS IS NOT A ROMANTASY (despite being the second genre listed on goodreads). There is no romance here, though some yearning is present that will likely be developed further later on in the series.

I truly did see some potential here and I remain cautiously optimistic that some of the failings in execution can be finetuned in the series next book because at the end of it all, this novel asks its reader a compelling question about whether violence can ever be justified in the fight for liberation –and I’m kind of committed to finding out how our characters will interpret the answer.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for the review copy of The Prince Without Sorrow.

This is unfortunately the case of great bones, no meat. What should have been fantastical world-building and character development ended up being surface level with no nuance or depth and honestly felt like ATLA fanfiction where Aang grew up with Zuko and Azula instead. Every opportunity for something meatier was left uncooked. It was just so frustrating to see what it could have been and no risks taken to make it more than it was. I was so hyped for this and now I'm left salty and disappointed.

2.5 stars rounded up and my thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the eARC.

I really wish I could have gotten into this one. I think the too-flowery writing and the constant repeating of how much the mayakari are hated by the emperor but not really showing us anything special. Telling and not showing is something that can bog down a book in details and make it unenjoyable.

Ashoka was interesting, but I never got the feeling that he was, what 22? 21? He read like a 16 year old petulant child at best.

I don't think I'll be looking for the sequel. It's not for me, but it could be for you!

I know nothing of the Iron Age Mauryan empire of the Indian subcontinent, but this story is apparently inspired by it and now I want to learn more. Thus has two POVs: Ashoka the black sheep pacifist son of a bloodthirsty king, and Shakti the mayakari (witch), whose people are undergoing a genocide at the hands of Ashoka’s father.

This is a debut novel, which was unfortunately evident in the writing (overuse of a thesaurus and some infelicities of language). The story was so engaging that I was able to overlook the writing, though.