Huge thank you to Netgalley and Orbit for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Jasad Crown by Sara Hashem
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If you go into this duology expecting romantasy, you may be a tad disappointed. But if you’re looking for an EPIC political fantasy with a sizzling slow burn romance with an incredibly satisfying payoff, this one is 100% for you. This one is for fans of The Cruel Prince, A Fate Inked in Blood and Throne of Glass!

The Jasad Crown will keep you guessing at every turn-- and will subvert your expectations over and over and over. Sylvia and Arin are in a never ending battle of wits that only builds their chemistry more and more. I am so impressed with Sara Hashem’s ability to craft and create an entire political landscape that feels entirely real, without being confusing or info-heavy.

My literal ONLY complaint about this book is the length: it took me a much longer time than usual for me to read it, and I think this story would’ve made an even better trilogy than it does duology. That being said, I’d certainly rather have too much of something than too little!

The ending had my heart in pieces, taped back together by the last few chapters (just the way I like it!)

The Jasad Crown releases July 15th! Now would be a great time to crack open book one if it’s on your TBR- and be sure to preorder!

4.5/5 Stars
I felt like this was a decent conclusion to the duology although the ending may not be what everyone was wanting or was expecting. The worldbuilding in this book was just as excellent as the first, and I loved the way that our characters were developed.
Slyvia had excellent character development between the 2 books and really did come into her own being the leader of the Jasad’s. Also Arin started to question his being and his family was amazing, and helped him develop more and become more likeable for me. Their romance was still there, and made sense for them in the amounts we got it in and how we received it 😊
Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit Books for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I am left in shock from the ending... The angst.... the tension...... the plot twists!!!!!

I'm going to be digesting and pining over this ending for some time, it felt cruel and unusual from Hashem, but I cannot wait to see what might come next from her mind.

Such a phenomenal ending for a gripping duology.

A massive shoutout to Netgalley for allowing me to read this e-copy early!

“Do not toy with me. This—this is the last piece of my heart I have left, do you understand? I don’t know how to protect it once it is outside my body. If I trust you and then you cast it into the dirt, it will be the death of both of us. What is left of me will kill what is left of you.”

Aye, what the fuck

“Murder is only treason if left unfinished,” Arin said. He tucked his hands into his pockets and turned to the door. “When I am done, they will call it succession.”

I am dead inside

This is going to be chaotic, and I had to leave out so many good quotes, otherwise, this would have been even longer than it already is

"Arin firmly believed an attempt on one’s life was the highest form of flattery. Becoming a threat by the very virtue of your existence, inspiring the sort of mad dedication that drives men to murder...what could be more of an accomplishment?"

This was the first sentence of the book ^^ off to a great start and really setting the tone lmao

4.5 stars

Where to begin? The fact that from page one, Arin was unhinged and I loved it? The fact that we got Marek and Sefa’s POV, and they killed me? The fact that Sylvia was slowly losing her mind, and so was I?

Hm, no, not there

“Everything I have is hers to command. What she wills, I will create. What she hates, I will destroy. I am the weapon of the Malika, and it is her alone I pledge myself to.”

Let’s talk about the fact that there were more knife-to-throat scenes in this. Let’s talk about how this book emotionally ruined me. Let’s talk about how I never want to talk about the end of the book again. I am ded

"For the truly enlightened among us are those who understand that the realities we build were already built for us."

Sara once again built a magnificently structured world with a beautiful tone, dark/dry humour (literally top tier funnies), and tension (even though they were separated a little, there was still tension! Like, how did that happen?? I love it). The side characters, Sefa and Marek, Arin’s guardsmen, everyone was so well done!

“If you let it, fear will make ruins of the future. You will build the rest of your life on the grave of every good thing you might have had, if only you had let yourself try.”

The way I love our two main characters together is not normal. Man, they were great. Sylvia, or Essyia, was strong, violent, caring, terrified, hurting, and afraid. Arin was, well, like I said, unhinged. He was just so done with everything, and I was living for it. He was also almost always 3 steps ahead, and that was just a great time lmao

"Why enjoy a moment when I was just so good at ruining them?"

I did have the same problem as the first book, the world-building, while amazing, was very dense, so I struggled with the first 50%. Like, I still really loved the first 50%, but it was hard to get through.

Overall, you are not prepared for this book. So, read this duology, please, and suffer with me.

*pause around 20%*
Had a hard time being engaged in this book. I love the writing and the world though! I wish there was a recap and character list to refresh my memory from the first book
Going to reread and revisit this book shortly

Unfortunately, I’m going to have to put this one down until I have time to reread the first book. I cannot remember a thing about Jasad Heir and this book jumps right in. I feel like we needed a recap or a cast of characters page at least. I’m so lost! I’m sure it’s well written but hard to commit to 600+ pages when I’m so confused in the first 50.

thank you to netgalley and orbit for the opportunity to read an advanced copy. all opinions are my own.

rating: 4.5/5*

the jasad crown is an excellent conclusion to the scorched kingdom duology. it delivers on both the plot and the romance, and the ending left me satisfied. this will both hurt your feelings and make you kick your feet. i loved it.

there’s a chance not everyone will like the ending, but i personally am a fan of it. i like how the very end feels earned, and that there isn’t some last minute overly convenient twist that lowers the stakes of the entire series.

i have two minor complaints: there were definitely some patches where the pacing was off, and there were times where the dialogue felt extremely juvenile. nothing necessarily wrong with the latter, but it was definitely jarring, and more common than in the first book.

First, I am devastated that this duology has come to an end. I think I highlighted like the whole book! I am so emotionally attached to these characters, Sylvia and Aren are god-tier for me. I appreciate how morally grey all the characters are in this book, they are just so human, and genuinely conflicted they were. Especially Sylvia, she was grappling with so many expectations, then alongside trying to decide what she wanted, and her character development was beautiful. This book was quite fast paced compared to the first book, I almost needed a small refresher, but I was not lost, things were well set up but I did forget how much world-building there was. I am going to write a longer review soon.

The Jasad Crown is book 2 in The Scorched Throne duology. In this book, Sylvia is trying to save her people and restore her lost kingdom. Meanwhile, Arin is trying to discover the truth behind his past, conflicted between supporting his father and doing what he believes is right. I adored this series and was pleasantly surprised to like the second book even more than the first. The characters were relatable and the ending was absolutely beautiful.

I’d give this book 4/5 stars! ⭐️

The first book of the Scorched Throne duology didn’t blow me out of the park, but did intrigue me enough to pick up the sequel. I found The Jasad Crown to have a lot of the same weaknesses as the first — the pacing was inconsistent and the plot tended to drag. However, Hashem’s ability to write compelling characters is undeniable (and the ending of this book was perfect).

Eek, be still my heart.
Here we have my most anticipated read of the year: The Jasad Crown by Sara Hashem, which comes out on July 15th.
The Jasad Heir is the second book in The Scorched Throne duology and the plot picks up five days after the events of the first book.
This was a 5-star read for me. I fell hard for The Jasad Heir—it’s a top favorite of mine, so I was very excited to receive an eARC.
But yeah, I loved this book. The pacing for a 681-page book is insane, it’s non-stop—it feels like every scene is important, that every chapter propels the plot forward. I started off reading this book slowly, wanting to take my time and simply bask in the wealth of the author’s words. The book clearly had other ideas, though. The tension is thick throughout the book until the very end, and I always roll my eyes when I see someone using the word “unputdownable” in a book blurb, but that is exactly the word I’d use to describe The Jasad Crown, especially once you hit the final third. I binge-read the last ~30% with tears in my eyes. It’s not new for something to happen in a book to make me ugly-cry (even if on public transportation), but it was a new experience to basically sob my way through a large portion of a book. I didn’t just get hit hard by emotions, they came back around the block and ran me over repeatedly.
I do think this duology could have also worked as a trilogy, but that’s mostly just me being selfish and wanting more.
I love Sarah Hashem’s writing style, it’s unique and the snarkiness that’s peppered throughout the different POVs feels genuine and complemental to that character. I look forward to reading more by this author!
Thank you @netgalley and @orbitbooks_us for the eARC.

Sara has become one of my FAVORITE authors this past year. I am so glad I came across this duology bcs idk what my life would look like without having been able to experience these stories. I cannot express how freaking AMAZING this book is! The pacing, the romance, the characters literally everything about this book draws you in from the very beginning. I really hope we get a spin off or a novella of some sort because I have so many questions. The last 20% left me in tears i don’t even want to relive those memories…. Thank you Sara for the emotional damage i would gladly except more of it from your stories.

FINALLY we get a real enemies to lovers

When you love a book you're scared to read the next one in case it's a let down.

FEAR NOT. This is the most perfect conslusion to The Jasad Heir. This was a perfect romantasy duology to me. It was epic, the stakes felt real, and I love watching Arin and Sylvia develop as individuals and together.

Survival was not the story of my success. It was my eternal punishment.

Sylvia is one of my all time favorite main characters. She's doing the best she can, she's not perfect, and she will do whatever it takes to get what she wants. (And what she wants is ususally to save her loved ones, above all else.)

I love this world, I'm sad it's over, and I will read Sara Hashem's grocery list if that's the only thing she writes in the future.

To whom it may concern,

Let it be known I am willing and ready to beg on my knees for a novella, a short story, or any and all bonus content to follow *that* epilogue. An epilogue that will go down as one of the greatest of all time and yet here I am greedily insatiable for more and more. Whew!

Thank you.

Now let’s get down to business.

For a book well over 600 pages you’d think I’d have my fill, and you’d be right, this is a sensational five course meal. And yet I have become so enmeshed in this world, so attached to our lead characters, and so impacted by this story that goodbye seems far too cruel. I need to get back into that world, I can’t let it be over. Not yet.

Needless to say: I loved The Jasad Crown.

I utterly, absolutely, positively, wholly loved this book. I loved this duology.

Without a doubt this entire duology is one of the best written works I’ve ever had the pleasure to experience.

Let’s begin my beautiful, tragic, heart-achingly poignant couple at the heart of this story, Sylvia and Arin. They remain tantalizing leads. Arin takes charge of one of the new POVs and it's to brilliant execution. Following his storyline along with Sylvia’s deepens the connection between them. It elevates the heart-wrenching, massively complicated love story that delicately builds between the two. Sylvia and Arin begin and end with one another. Their love is all-consuming and all-transforming. They build each other up, they challenge one another, and they wholly respect one another. They make up all the parts of what should be a close to perfect relationship, but prophecy, politics, and magic keeps their love not only forbidden, but seemingly impossible. And yet they confront the impossible at every turn. Even when not sharing scenes, even when far apart, the bond between the two is indelible. As it is inevitable.

I love both Sylvia and Arin, not just for their romance but for who they are as individuals. I admire their strengths, appreciate their vulnerabilities, and find levity in their differing takes on humor. Their characters enrich the already shining world they inhabit.

And they do not stand alone in bettering the already great. Arin is not the only new POV, we also have two more, for a total of four. Sylvia remains our main lead as Arin takes on main co-lead. Then in smaller bouts we receive POVs from Sefa and Marek. This is where I did feel some slight but ultimately fleeting mixed feelings. At times I was quite attuned to their storylines, but other times I felt they slowed down the pace. I became impatient to get back to Sylvia and Arin. That said, I do find much merit in their perspectives. Their POVs come more in interludes, but one’s arc resolution carries tremendous weight, and any frustration I encountered vanished upon understanding its endgame.

And so much of this pay off is found all throughout this stunning narrative, found in this astounding world-building.

We have our complex, intricate, evolving, gorgeously detailed and layered world-building. At times I had to retake some steps before advancing, because every detail counts and missing any of it can trip you up as you try to move forward. But it’s so rewarding to intake all that information and see how it inevitably pays off. That said, I do think rereading this duology will be massively enriching in catching details that escaped the sight. It’s a reread that will serve to further elevate a work that’s already reached the stars.

From phenomenal character work, to an epic scope in world-building, to a powerful, poignant storyline, The Jasad Crown encompasses every component you want in a book you will remember forever.

Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for this advanced complimentary copy, I leave this honest review voluntarily.

6 stars. This was everything I wanted and more. MASTERFUL. This is the second book in an epic fantasy (with romance), Egyptian-inspired duology.

Politics + Plot = amazing. I highly suggest rereading book one before diving back in to this world because the way things are woven together is excellent. This was so fantastic.

Pacing- I think it’s great. Not too slow, not too fast. There’s A LOT of plot in these pages and I never felt it dragged.

Fantasy / magical elements = lovely. Interesting! The biggest thing I want to compliment I can’t say because it would be a spoiler

Romance - full of tension, banter, characters that have zero business falling for each other. Who may be each others undoing. Inner monologues go CRAZY! And the verbal sparring between this two is unmatched. I reread scenes many times just to take in the words again. The way they feel about each other is so visceral. No spice but I PROMISE YOU the TENSION will push you over the edge.

FMC- tall, strong, absolutely badass. Vicious , impatient, intuitive, and REAL. A mane of wild curly dark hair.

MMC - tall, cold, calculating, incredibly smart, five steps ahead, wickedly deadly.

Cast of characters - large-scale. These books are set in a land with different kingdoms, with each their own “royalty”, rich villages, poor villages, resistance groups, etc. and we amass a cast of characters from every part with about two handfuls playing major roles

Multi-POV: most of the chapters are in the FMC or MMCs POVs but we do get a few from other characters as well. And I’d give my left lung to get the opposite main characters POV during some of these chapters.

Egyptian-inspiration: is ALL OVER these books, from the way the lands are described. To the food and dishes detailed. To the animals, nicknames, language, descriptors. To the honorifics used for the various members of royalty etc.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Sara for the opportunity to ARC read. Now I beg you let me buy a copy of the second character art card PLEASE.

TikTok/Bookstagram video reviews coming soon

What an incredible conclusion to The Scorched Throne duology.

The Jasad Crown picks immediately where we left off from The Jasad Heir and really doesn't slow down for a single moment. I did not expect to have so many emotions while reading this book, but they ran from anxiety to anguish to sheer heartbreak to laughter to joy and back again. The author did such an amazing job of finishing the story, tying up all the loose ends from the first book very completely, and ended it on a note that I was hoping against hope for. I wish I could read the duology again for the first time, it just hit so WELL. I highlighted more in this book than I have in any other I've read recently, so many lines were just so profound and hard-hitting. It felt like I held my breath for the last 10% of the book and though I can breathe again, I just want to be back in the story again.

Thanks to Orbit Books, Netgalley, and Sara Hashem for providing me with an eARC of this book!

Sara Hashem is definitely one of the best new fantasy writers out there. Wit and intelligence and empathy shines through every sentence she constructs.

The Jasad Crown was a fulfilling sequel to The Jasad Heir. I am actually quite sad that this is the end of these books! I would have read several more.

Sylvia and Arin fully have my heart!

A FANTASTIC ending to this series that did not disappoint. Giving this a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

I love a good duology and The Jasad Heir/Crown gives dark fantasy with lots of commentary on war and displaced diaspora is really great. I also love having a somewhat unwilling, grey protagonist who is actively having to navigate external and several internal dialogues about what she is supposed to do. There is a lot going on in the story that can at times be a bit tricky to keep track of but overall I loved this series.

The second book in The Scorched Throne series plunges readers back into a world of political intrigue, ancient magic, and fierce determination. This epic fantasy continues our FMC's quest to reclaim what was lost and challenge a tyrannical empire. Hashem excels at creating a vivid and complex setting, complete with fascinating cultures, intricate power dynamics, and a unique magic system. The narrative is fast-paced and action-packed, full of unexpected alliances, betrayals, and thrilling confrontations. The characters are well-crafted, particularly the FMC, whose strength, resilience, and wit make her and engaging hero to follow.

This series is an excellent choice for fans of intricate world-building, high-stakes political maneuvering, and strong female leads. It delivers on the promise of epic fantasy with its blend of adventure, magic, and a deeply engrossing plot.

Heartbroken to say this was a dud for me. I would almost rate it 2 stars.

Jasad heir was one of the best enemies to lovers books I’ve ever read. I had high expectations for book 2 to deliver. Since this is a sequel and I’m bummed, let’s just list it all out


- conflict between primary characters is resolved too easily and conveniently. A lot of little plot points are moved around to make the romance work and redeem certain characters.

- the plot outside the romance dragged. I am someone who prefers real plot with my romance, so having one take the vast majority of the book is usually AMAZING- however the plot to this final book was so damn…middling. It felt like a series of random moments being thrown against a wall. About half of those things were people saying the main character can’t be trusted or otherwise doubting her and her attempting to prove them wrong. The politics felt un compelling and there was an overall lack of stakes, like we spent the whole book fucking around

- infinite deus ex machinas. Like so many. Any time anything needs to move along, there’s a magical vision that makes it so. And those visions are frequently boring


Which gets me to my last point- I was just bored. Non stop wishing I was doing anything else. The plot bored me, the romance bored me, the characters felt like not a single one except the main Arin grew at all, and all of Arins growth felt forced and artificial.