Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for the early arc of this book. This unfinished series had great potential. It is a cool world and magic system. I really like the chemistry between Ashoka and Rahil. I hope they are endgame. Shakti really annoys me. The big bads are very hate-able. Overall looking forward to the next in the series.

prince ashoka is the youngest son of the tyrannical emperor adil maurya, who has considered his son an outcast due to his rather pacifistic views. when the emperor suddenly dies, ashoka is sent to govern an annexed region terrorized by nature spirits. many believe he is doomed to fail, and ashoka has to work hard against becoming his father throughout this assignment.

shakti is a mayakari bound by a pacifist code, though she won’t let this stop her from getting revenge for the annihilation of her people at the emperor’s hands. she sets out to disguise herself as a maid and dismantle the monarchy by having the royals ruin each other.

i requested this after seeing so many people talking about it and being intrigued by the plot, and i’m so glad i did! this was such a cool fantasy dealing with themes of genocide, power, and revenge. i loved our main characters so much. as they had separate storylines, they didn’t interact much, and i thought that choice made sense for the book. overall, this was such a captivating book. i’m looking forward to the sequel!

3.5⭐️
Spice: YA

I’ll be honest, I struggled on what to rate this book. I almost DNF’d several times at the beginning of the book because I was just bored and it was not capturing my attention the way I thought it would based on the overview. The plotline felt like it was a little stagnant and took longer than expected to get to the point where things were happening. I ended up doing this as a combined e-book/audiobook To see if I could power through it because I felt it had potential. I am glad I stuck with it because I started to enjoy the story much more once we got to the capital.

I liked the political intrigue and the sibling dynamics of the royal family. I think Shakti’s POV was more difficult for me to get into, and I believe it’s because a lot take place in a mind/dream/spiritual realm for her. However they got more entertaining as the story went. Ashoka has an interesting character arc and I’m definitely interested in seeing how that develops. Both characters seem to deal with achieving their goals and how it fits with their morals.

I do wish this were a standalone novel or duology rather than a trilogy, but I’ll be continuing when the next book releases either way. I’m very curious for some answers after the ending.

Thank you to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. After witnessing the Emperor Adil brutally murder her aunt, Shakti sets on a path of revenge by cursing the Emperor and turning against her pacifist mayakari way of life. The Emperor’s youngest son, Ashoka, longs to rule differently from his father’s cruel ways and grapples with how to gain more power while remaining true to his nonviolent ways. This first novel was definitely setting the stage for the sequels. We end the novel with a lot of unanswered questions - why the Emperor hates witches, why the Emperor dislikes his youngest son, what magic creates the collective, etc. Overall, 3/5 stars. I am curious though where the author plans on taking the story.

In The Prince Without Sorrow, a bloodthirsty emperor—Emperor Adil Maurya, Prince Ashoka’s father—persecutes mayakari (witches) like Shakti. Mayakari are traditionally pledged to pacificism, except Shakti can no longer stand idly by, and the curse she unleashes brings her and Prince Ashoka into an unstable alliance.

Shakti’s impulsiveness is the primary driver of the plot, which made a lot of events feel a bit too convenient. It was frustrating, too, because I felt like we never got to see Shakti or Ashoka use their cleverness fully, or their relationships with friends and family developed before they are completely upended. And despite being opposites, extremes, neither Shakti or Ashoka seem to teach each other a lesson about being moderate. Maybe this will come in the sequel, but I was hoping their alliance would prove a bit more formative from the get-go.

The world-building, as it stands, also feels surface-level. We don’t know much about the history of the mayakari as a people other than them being staunch pacifists and the victims of Emperor Adil’s relentless oppression, which also paints him rather two-dimensionally. There are nature spirits and a spiritual connection called the Collective that Shakti accidentally becomes privy to and other countries that are more tolerant of mayakari yet don’t seem to contest Emperor Adil in any meaningful way? A lot of these details felt thrown in as the story progressed rather than truly integrated into the characters’ lives and environments.

I think The Prince Without Sorrow laudably tries to tackle moral quandaries like the justification of violence, group identity in the face of oppression, etc., but gets these themes muddled with other unclear aspects of the plot and worldbuilding.

Do these characters have plans? Errr, loosely. Sort of. There are consequences to their actions at least.

The world here has a fascinating take on nature magic and how karma ties into the ability to curse.

Wijesekara bring so many interesting topics to the fore in this book: persecution, pacifism, vengeance, ambition, honor. There is a whole host of characters touching on these topics too, and they don't bother being circumspect.

The characters (Shakti, Ashoka, the other Maurya siblings, the host of mayakari we meet) all have opinions, and our two main characters, Shakti and Ashoka, are driven and flawed. We don't have much dimension for the big bad character yet, but there were some hints dropped that there may be more to his story that will add some dimension to his character. This is the beginning of a promising story, but I am hoping for a deeper dive into what's at stake and a little more thought on consequences from the main characters in future books.

It was marked as adult, but even with that I struggled not to class it as YA.

This book was a delight to read--it scratches the epic-fantasy-feeling itch, but clocks in at under 400 pages, making it far more manageable (and less vulnerable to narrative bloat). It is full of political scheming, yet the narrative is truly a character-driven one, spurred forward by two sharply contrasting characters who both want the same result and must grapple with how far they are willing to compromise their values to reach that goal. At the heart of the story are classic questions like the cost of revolution and the necessity of violence, but reframed through a world and magic system that incorporate Buddhist concepts like karma, an intriguing phenomenon involving a collective consciousness of long-dead souls, and the mayakari code that forbids violence despite their ability to curse. The nature spirits also lend an environmentalist slant to the story, which I appreciated. And, for those who just want more cool magical creatures, this world has winged serpents and giant leopards, which are pretty darn amazing.

I will say, there were quite a few places where the prose was just a tad awkward--where I could tell what a sentence was going for, but the way it was worded didn't make grammatical sense or conveyed something that didn't match what was seemingly intended. This isn't a slight on the author (this was totally on the editors), and for some, it may not be an issue at all, but for me, it was jarring every time it happened, especially because I was otherwise thoroughly engrossed!

The only other thing I wanted to point out, since y'all know I love some ace rep, is that based on one specific paragraph, Shakti seems to be written as aromantic (and likely also ace). I sincerely hope that she remains this way throughout the series and doesn't get subjected to the trap of "she's never felt romantic attraction...until she [meets the right person/heals from trauma/other problematic ace stereotype]," because (a) we aroace girlies would like more visibility, (b) it's honestly refreshing to read a story where you can be confident that romance isn't going to derail the revenge plot, and (c) I'm too busy caring about Ashoka's feelings for Rahil to get invested in (and possibly hurt by) a SECOND potential relationship in this series.

All told, this was a very strong series starter, and with the huge revelations in the final few pages, I can't wait to see where the story goes in book two!

I was provided an ARC via Netgalley, all opinions are my own. In full transparency, I borrowed the audiobook from my local library after publication date and listened to the audiobook while following along with the ARC.

This is the first book in a trilogy and follows Shakti, a witch whose order follows pacifist teachings, but when the emperor orders her village and everyone she loves brutally murdered she breaks that code. Shakti seeks revenge with a curse upon the emperor, but as with all magic it takes an unexpected turn she never expected. She seeks to overthrow the new emperor from within, but she has also discovered new abilities that will either aid her cause or get her killed. Our second point of view is from the emperor's son Ashoka who practices pacifist ways, despite his father being a violent tyrant. His siblings follow his father's tactics and Ashoka is shunned for his peaceful ways. When Emperor Adil unexpectedly dies, Ashoka must not only find his way under his brother's rule, but he seeks to make changes within the empire by bargaining with his brother and sister for power.

Shakti and Ashoka's paths only briefly cross despite their goals being similar. They both want to save the witches from persecution and violence. They both want the the new emperor to rule with a more peace minded approach, but they both are going to have to break some rules to get to their desired outcomes. I enjoyed the magic and the lore woven into the story and look forward to seeing how that evolves over the rest of the series. I also look forward to seeing where Shakti's revenge arc and Ashoka's pacifist takeover arc take them. There is clearly alot more story to be told.

This book poses quite a few questions about morals, politics, and societal norms. Many of the characters are set in their ways one way or the other, so discussion about change is often not well met or leads no where. I'm expecting as our main characters continue on their chosen paths, we will see these questions and conversations come up again and our characters will begin to sway the masses to their causes, but this book feels more like it is setting the stage for more to come. I can't tell if they will aid each other in the future or become enemies, but I look forward to finding out as the story continues.

A prince born into violence, seeking peace.
A witch shackled by pacifism, seeking revenge.
In a world where nature spirits roam the land, and witches are hunted to extinction, Ashoka and Shakti will be forced to grapple with the consequences of power: to take it for themselves or risk losing it completely.

I loved the premise of the two main characters wanting the opposite of what they were raised to believe in. I loved the Indian folklore setting. The magic system is interesting witches are pacifist who have the ability to curse others, raise the dead and talk to nature spirits. The magic starts a a huge center point of the book but easily fades to the background and isn't throughly explained to understand why the emperor hated and persecuted witches so much. The "collective" is intriguing idea that will have a impact on the series but alot is yet to be seen and i feel like it could be used more. Both main characters have in there own way lived sheltered lives and have yet to mature to realize that their actions have consequences. Both blindly more through the book with a very thoughtful plan to achieve their goals

This book does not mess around. The Prince Without Sorrow is packed with political intrigue, rich worldbuilding, and characters who make you want to yell at them (in the best way). Ashoka is a prince trying not to be like his father, while Shakti is a witch ready to burn the empire down—put them in the same palace, and you just know things are going to get messy.

The tension, the stakes, the slow unraveling of secrets are all sooo good. The setting is lush and immersive, and the magic system feels fresh and fascinating. If you love morally complex characters, slow-burn rivalries, and fantasy that makes you feel something, this book is 100% for you. I need the next one yesterday.

"How typical — The Powerful fearing Power they didn't understand."

"Giving up is still an act of courage, little bird."

"Hatred was not born, it was made."

GENRE: Political & mythology Fantasy
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
FORMAT: eBook Arc

Would I recommend to others?:
Yes, The Prince Without Sorrow is a multi POV (two characters in this book) that follows along with Ashoka and Shakti and is a more character, vibes and following gut instinct rather than a fixed plan and plot. After reading through some reviews, I can see that this book would not be for everyone but I quite enjoyed the folklore in here, the view of pacifism and the way certain characters are influenced by outside factors to stick to their beliefs. I think if you enjoy a middle paced, Multi POV, character based plot, this book is for you.

Who is this book supposed to be for:
The Prince Without Sorrow is an Indian inspired Political or Epic fantasy. I did not think there was much romantic angst as mentioned in the synopsis/blurb but otherwise, I'd fully agree that this is a political fantasy book.

I did have a look through the reviews before deciding to partake in a book tour for this book and after finishing it, I am mildly surprised that a lot of people did not like it but I think it ended up in the wrong audience. This book is not for those who dont enjoy EPIC FANTASY because that's what this is: a political book with witches being prosecuted and heavily based on an Indian folklore. If you dont like Folklores or mythology AND epic fantasy, you most likely won't enjoy this book.

And again, this book has like maybe 0.5% romance and nothing more in the romance department. (I love Romantasy and enjoy them but this book is not Romantasy or Romantic Fantasy in any way.

Long Review:
Okay now, let's dive into my actual review. I enjoyed this book thoroughly and in the beginning, I was worried I wouldnt due to the reviews I have been seeing. It captured my attention quite easily, the multi-POV was done naturally in my opinion and we see character growth + development throughout the book and isn't that how reality is? How politics and killing spree done by emperors or rulers really works?

The Prince without Sorrow dives into how we have idealism and concepts we stick to but in a time of war and killing persecutions, can a whole race stick to their codes (which are pacifist in nature) while they are being killed off one by one? This book very much reflects reality in terms of the fact that if the Mayakari, who are known for having pacifism codes, decide to fight back because they can no longer tolerate the elimination of their race that has been happening. And, make no mistake, this happens in real life, we are always coming down with the fact that: If attacked, are we, the opposition and the persecuted side, not allowed to defend ourselves?

It gets even more interesting in The Prince Without Sorrow: the multi-POV that we have are dual characters who are political alliances because they HAVE to be. They are opposite in everywhere and the contradiction between them is as clear as night and day. Shakti is a Mayakari witch, who grew up with pacifism ideals from her family but has taken to violence because she cant condone standing still and allowing others to harm her and hurt her loved ones or her people. On the other hand, Prince Ashoka is the son of the Emperor who is in charge of starting the persecution against Mayakari people. He grew up with violence ideals shoved down his throat, aside from his mother, who taught him ideals belonging to Mayakari or pacifism. He refuses to hurt and kill anything.

Throughout the story, what happens is we see both of these things challenged: Shakti's tendency to violence is challenged and just how far she will go is another concept we see her deal with and grow through it. We also watch Prince Ashoka try to adapt and combine the needs to protect the persecuted and his pacifism ideals. We also see how he tries to not change and become more like his father and siblings.

This plot is very fitting with an epic fantasy, we see world building, character growth and everything set in a place to give us book two and book three (meant to be a trilogy). We watch Shakti balance both parts of her morals: Mayakari Pacifism versus the need to retaliate and seek revenge:
"She wanted to curse him. To use her abilities to gift misery to the Ran Empire's ruler. But she could not. It was not the mayakari way. They were women who used their power to maintain peace, not sow seeds of destruction, it was their code, a mark of their livelihood."


The way the contradiction in Shakti's personality exists throughout the book is one of my favourite themes of The Prince Without Sorrow and I quite enjoyed seeing this fully:
"Why did she leave her late at night to fight?
Because not fighting would have had me end up like you, aunty."


And something that is brought up quite often in The Prince Without Sorrow is how people try to hammer either Shakti or Prince Ashoka based on what they THINK they both should be. This is a continuous theme that is seen throughout the story of how Shakti should be a peaceful, do no harm female and Ashoka should be the prince who is violent, following in the step of his father. What was lovely to see was the fact that Prince Ashoka had a few of his people, who supported him no matter what and isn't that what unconditional love is about?:
"Sau's voice wasn't filled with vitriol. Like Rahil, she never teased him for his softness. He was a weed growing among sunflowers; they had long since understood that he lacked the ferocity of his siblings."


And this brings us into the next theme of the book: Prince Ashoka versus his siblings: Arusha & Aaraya. Arusha and Aaraya are both similar to their father, one more than the other. However, Prince Ashoka being the pacifist, is nothing like either of them. Even in the small things, such as dealing with their winged serpents, Ashoka has to deal with their opposing way of living:
"Arush's apathetic curiosity had hurt something and now Ashoka had to fix it. Typical."


And not only that, but in fact, the sibling who has a tendency to lean more towards violence, addresses killing Mayakari citizens the same way one would address the weather:
"Aarya talked about genocide the way Saudamini talked about the weather."


And let's end this review with one important quote, about a theme we see in many books: how humans and humanity will be the ending of nature, of the world as we know it:
"Ashoka understood then that humanity was a horror beyond anything else he could imagine, and the nature spirits suffered because of it."


Okay, now we will need to wrap up my longer than usual review but please do give this book a chance if you are into epic fantasy and folklore fantasy. You might be surprised as this lovely book one in a trilogy and explore themes we do not commonly see in other fantasy books.

Thank you to Colored Pages Book Tour, NetGalley, the author and Avon & Harper Voyager for the eArc in exchange for my honest review.

Ugh I was expecting so much more from this which is a me problem. This read YA for me and didn't feel finished. I'm going to check out the next book and hopefully it explains everything better.

I'm calling this at 50%. I might go back someday - this was not offensive in any way to me - I simply keep finding other things to read instead and after spending a lot of time with these characters in this world, I'm not interested in continuing at the moment. I always thought I was a character-based reader, but I also need plot. I think it's possible that both of these things could develop, but the pacin is so slow that I don't have a handle on either characters OR plot as of yet.

I will say that the world building is interesting: in this South Asian-inspired world, there's an oppressed class of magic users whose belief system focuses on pacifism and balance; the ruling class has scapegoated them and is actively trying to destroy them all.

There are 2 POV characters: one, the emperor's son who hates his father's violent ways; two, one of the "witches" who has strayed from her pacifist teachings to curse the emperor. I think there's a political plot brewing, but honestly I'm not sure. This might work for someone with more patience, but it is not a good fit for me right now.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the nove.

My stop on the @b2weird tour. I thought she fit the orangish hue of the animals on the cover of "The Prince Without Sorrow" by Maithree Wijesekara. The other orange animals I've worked with would not be so accepting for book pictures.

Shakti is a mayakari, a witch, despite being a pacifist in practice, enjoys the art of combat. When Emperor Adil puts her aunt and village to the sword, she places a curse on him, which is against the tenets of he powers and has consequences. Prince Ashoka, son of Adil, hates violence. He can't hunt, won't kill, and desires the empire to change from its warmongering ways. These two will meet and change the course of the land.

Thank you, Harper Voyager, for the copies for the B2Weird book tour.

Reasons to read:
-Sahry has never done anything and is perfect
-That's a fun way to have an antagonist stick around
-Siblings doing sus stuff as control and direction of the empire is up for grabs
-Can literally have folks interact with the embodiments of nature
-Big cats that seem chill, unlike reality

Cons:
-Can talk to the land and still folks won't listen, curse the parallels to reality!

This was a great fantasy. Wonderful characters and interesting word building made this something to behold.

4.5 rounded up. This is a solid debut that starts off an interesting story blending politics, royal intrigue, and personal vendettas. On Goodreads, this is incorrectly tagged as a "romantasy"-- it is the furthest thing from a romance (which I am totally fine with!). Our two POVs are not in love, and they don't interact much in this book. We have Prince Ashoka who has decided that the way his father and siblings approach ruling their kingdom is wrong, and he seeks to rule with compassion and conflict resolution rather than force and genocide of the mayakari-- a powerful yet pacifist witch sect. Then, we have Shakti, who is a mayakari who is absolutely fed up with the oppression of her peoples and decides to act outside of her sworn philosophies. Both characters are on separate trajectories, yet the side characters in both POVs overlap, as do larger world-building events, so they don't feel disjointed. I can totally see how in future books their story arcs will be closer. Having both characters in different places focusing on different things helped build the world for me and helped me understand the greater contexts and conflicts at play. By the finale, I couldn't put the book down and the cliffhanger had me wishing for book 2 immediately! Some other aspects I loved: the archillian-level pining between Ashoka and his bodyguard, and also the large megafauna like leopards and flying serpents and nature spirits ranging from tiny to giant. Overall, this is a solid debut and I'm very much looking forward to the remainder of the series.

A huge thank you to B2W Tours, the author, and the publisher for providing me with a copy of the arc in exchange for my honest thoughts and tour participation!

What a beautifully written, wholly unique debut fantasy!! I was drawn to this book because of the Mauryan Empire inspired world, including a fantastical retelling of the story of Ashoka The Great. These are things I haven’t seen much of in the fantasy world, so I couldn’t wait to dive in. And I was not disappointed- the author has created a lush, magical world, filled with gorgeous imagery, and a captivating story that had me hooked.

🦌Prince Ashoka is born into an empire that despises & hunts witches. However, he is able to hold onto his own values, which differ greatly from his tyrannical father. He wants peace, & seeks to make political choices based on his personal morals.
🦌Shakti is witch, whose people are pacifists, and live by a code that forbids such things as violence and revenge. But when a loved one is murd€red, she forsakes this code, and goes down a path that has her seeking vengeance- something that is in diametric opposition of everything her people stand for.
🦌The story explores these fascinating themes: can a person embrace peace when raised to be cruel and intolerant, and conversely, when a person born into pacifism chooses violence, can they live with the consequences of those choices?
🦌I found myself completely lost in this world, pondering these thought-provoking overtures, and reveling in the gorgeous world that the author created. She balanced the heavy political themes with an intricate magic system, fascinating characters, and fantastical creatures- & a dash of romantic tension to sweeten the pot. This is the first in a trilogy, and I’m completely invested in seeing where the story goes, and what becomes of these characters.

✨Thank you Harper Voyager US, Colored Pages BT & Maithree Wijesekara for my review copy!

This was a great read! I thought the premise was really interesting. It’s inspired by the Mauryan Empire from Ancient India, and there’s unique fantasy elements. I also thought the juxtaposition of the two MCs was really cool. One is born to a violent ruler but desires peace, while the other is born in pacifism yet declares vengeance.

Ashoka is the third child of Emperor Adil and is nothing like his father. I thought Ashoka’s development as a character was very interesting. As a prince, and as a governor, he is expected to make choices to benefit his people. But what happens when those choices go against his reluctance to use violence under any circumstances? I am intrigued by Ashoka’s growth and can’t wait to see the choices he makes in the sequel!

Shakti is a mayakari whose people have been constantly killed by Emperor Adil. When her own aunt is burned to death, Shakti vows revenge against the emperor. Unexpectedly, Shakti gains new powers that help her get close to the royal family. Throughout the book, I didn’t think Shakti’s character grew much. Her ideals stay the same, and she uses her powers in a narrow-minded way. But, then again, her impulsive nature is her charm. With the powers she has, I am excited to see where her story goes!

Story wise, I am completely intrigued. This first book does a great job of setting up the world. But, there’s a lot I am curious about. I want to learn more about Emperor Adil and Empress Manali. Their past is mentioned, but I’d love to know more. And since this is set to be a trilogy, I think this story can go in so many directions, and I’m very excited to see how it develops!

Thank you to Colored Pages Book Tours, the author, and the publisher for the gifted copy! All opinions are my own.

Shakti is a mayakari, a witch bound by a strong ethical code. Her people are feared for their power and hunted, and when she has the chance to take revenge against the emperor, she defies her training and curses him. Ashoka is the emperor's youngest son, and he's never gotten along with his father. He hopes that his father's death will give him a chance to create a new name for himself, but the emperor's will limits his access to power. As he pushes the limits in his new role, his older siblings work to increase power in the Maurya empire.

I'm glad I was able to access the audiobook for The Prince Without Sorrow, because I suspect I would not have been able to finish this book in print. While there are some clever components, there is no overarching plot, and I found myself more annoyed at the political machinations of Ashoka and his siblings than enthralled. This could easily fall the other direction for some readers, so if political fantasy is something you enjoy, I can recommend giving this a try.

This was a great fantasy inspired by the Mathuran Empire of Ancient India. I loved the court politics, the two differing POVs, and the underlying message of taking care of the nature that we have. While there a few things that I had some lingering questions about, I still enjoyed the characters and the world Wijesekara built. 🌿

The story follows Shakti, a mayakari/nature witch, who is more driven by her need for vengeance than following the edicts of her people; and Ashoka, the youngest pacifist prince who struggles with his fury over being belittled by his violent family for his beliefs and morals. I really enjoyed the contrasting personalities these two had compared to their upbringings. I really liked Shakti’s desire to let her violent tendencies speak for her and how she evolves over the course of the plot. The one thing that kind of confused me about her was why her aunt determined Shakti was unfit to learn the ways of mayakari even though she is one of them. 🗡️


I will have to admit that Ashoka was my favorite of the two. His contrasting views compared to that of his father and older siblings created for a fascinating family dynamic and at times it reminded me of the family dynamic of Ali, Muntadhir, and Zaynab but if they had not had the loving relationship that their mother, Hatset, had cultivated for them. I loved his determination to remain as far as possible away from his father’s violent disposition while still hoping to convince his family to take the least violent route to solve problems. I loved his pining for Rahil and how these two formed a lasting bond despite their positions. 🐍

As much as I loved the plot and the way that Wijesekara took the reader on so many twists and turns, I was rather left with some lingering confusion as to how the mayakari came to have their powers and really understand their persecution other than through systematic persecution by the Ran Empire. I’m hoping that this will be further explained in the upcoming sequel so I’m super intrigued now! 🧐

All in all, I had a great time with this and would definitely recommend this to those who miss the dynamics of Ali and Nahri but without the underlying romance and thought, this would do great in an Ancient Indian inspired world. Thank you goes to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for accepting my request to read this in exchange for an honest review (and for waiting for me to post this review a week late due to my international move), and to the author, Wijesekara, for crafting such an interesting world and group of characters! ❤️

Publication date: March 18 so go look for it at bookstores!

Overall: 4/5 ⭐️