first thank you so much to sara hashem and her team for an ARC of this book!!! second O M G this was so good! it was humorous but also thought provoking and has such well built characters that feel so real and you just want to hug them all. the journey that we take from the end of the jasad heir to the end of the jasad crown is truly so unique but also so familiar and fresh at the same time. the little moments of true humanity and love that we get to see in all the characters was so special and seeing arin and sylvia get to grow and develop was such an interesting and real process to watch

i am now a forever sara hashem fan and will read anything she writes

ARC REVIEW: The Jasad Crown by Sara Hashem
(thank you to Orbit, Netgalley, & of course Sara Hashem for this early emotional destruction.)

I’m not okay. I am not okay.
This book wrecked me in the best, most feral kind of way.

The Jasad Crown isn’t just a finale... it’s a reckoning.
This duology was never just about the romance (though if you want slow burn tension that makes your spine tingle… trust me, it delivers). It’s about power. Grief. Resistance. And what we do, what we become, for love.

Sylvia might be one of my favorite heroines I’ve ever read. Sharp, haunted, unapologetically complicated. And the MMC? He would kill for her. Die for her. Wait for her across time and ruin if he had to. Their bond is earned. Every layer of their enemies-to-lovers arc is a battlefield of longing, and I couldn’t get enough.

And don’t even get me started on the POV shifts. Seeing the world through the eyes of the side characters we met in book one added so much depth and emotion. I genuinely don’t know how Hashem packed so much plot, so much character depth, and so many gut-punching twists into one book. It could’ve easily been a trilogy, and I would’ve eaten up every page.

If you're craving a political, high-stakes fantasy with a true enemies-to-lovers arc (no spice, just vibes), characters that cling to your ribs, and writing that cuts and consoles at the same time, The Jasad Crown is it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖: out JULY 15th1! add it to your TBR now

I absolutely enjoyed the conclusion to this duology! The pacing was excellent and I was kept guessing about where the story was going next. It was just about everything I want in a fantasy: battle scenes, romance, trials and games, a revolution, and a unique magic system that I’m still not sure I 100% understand, but that just means I keep thinking about it and the story. What is even more surprising to me is that with all those things happening, the story did not feel rushed and the pacing felt just right to me. I loved the characters and their growth through the series and the setting having an Egyptian-esque feel is unique from so many of the other popular fantasies. The ending left me gutted but hopeful. I will definitely be recommending this book!

Thanks to Netgalley and Orbit for this ARC.

As soon as I saw The Jasad Crown was available as an ARC, I jumped for the opportunity to read it as I felt assured that it would be better than the first book. The other reviewers gave me so much hope that I would love the ending. All that to say, I was hugely disappointed and extremely letdown with the result.

Normally, I'm fine reading a continuation novel months or years after having finished the book before, because most authors know enough to add reminders to the reader of major events that happened prior. The Jasad Crown seriously needed a dedicated prologue that rehashed the events. I spent the entire novel confused on who was what and how they related to the events that had already passed. My mind couldn't connect the dots even with the little snippets that were interspersed throughout the novel, which led me to be thoroughly confused at what was transpiring.

It didn't help that after every started in a jarring manner. There were no transitions between chapters and events, and the majority of scenes started in the most unnatural way. I felt like I continuously reread paragraphs to try and figure out how we arrived at this current scene and usually I just gave up and tried to go with the flow. Which didn't exist. The Jasad Crown felt like a rough idea of events that needed a lot more fleshing out. Which was really to the detriment of the work as the key events were grand but the execution was severely lacking.

As I could not follow the flow, I became more distraught with the novel and nitpicky. I already knew beforehand that I do not like soft magic, and prefer my magic to be clearly defined, so finding out that all the Jasadis had whatever MacGuffin was needed to progress the plot really rankled my nerves. This all could have been set up in the prior novel, to explain why the rest of the world was so afraid of Jasadis, but all I knew was the big thing that put the world against them was magic mining. Sylvia's magic had no bounds, and though the final beats of the novel greatly explained why it acted so erratically, the flat characterization made the reader feel as if the characters didn't really care about the consequences.

I could never figure out why Sylvia would go along with what the Jasadis planned. They kidnapped her, kept her locked out of all the meetings, and overall treated her like garbage but at the end of the day, Sylvia fought for them regardless. Absolutely none of the Jasadis had any personality beyond one trait and there were too many new characters introduced poorly for me to bother remembering most of their names. It didn't help that the major Jasadi characters focused more on their hatred of Sylvia, which led to the community feeling super divided and not really one to get things done.

The lack of character depth became more and more clear as Sara Hashem jumped between POVs. No one felt distinct or different and they began to blend and blur. Combined with the jump in time, I was so thrown off that I finished the novel practically at the point of tears. Hashem should have stuck to two perspectives at most, and let the reader enjoy the moment rather than force them on to the next big event.

Another fatal flaw of Hashem's was the lack of understanding physical injuries and battles. I don't give a rat's arse if the magic system can wipe away all the major damage. That doesn't matter in the long run in a fantasy novel. What does matter, however, is the lack of consistency. If a major character has the ability to absorb all magic and essentially mitigate that healing, why does the character keep receiving head injuries? I swear Arin was hit at least 20 times in the head in The Jasad Crown. That man should have severe brain damage and been a vegetable at this point. A "strong skull" doesn't make you immune to being pummeled repeatedly in the head.

This novel needed so much more work put into it than what we got. If you enjoyed this, that's great. Unfortunately the flaws bring down the final result and put a sour taste in my mouth. I did not care for any character death due to how much Hashem fumbled the final result. I really wished I was able to read a more polished copy than whatever this was.

The Jasad Crown is the better half of The Scorched Throne duology. The Jasad Heir did most of the legwork in building a foundation for the complex character/magic/world building, and all of that work really got to shine in The Jasad Crown. There is a lot happening in this book on several levels and the multi-POV telling really elevates the storyline(s). Reading this book was time well spent!


Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the chance to read this arc!

The Jasad Crown was one of my two anticipated releases of 2025 and I definitely enjoyed, although I was expecting more since The Jasad Heir was one of my top favorites. I loved the characters and the twists, but I wanted more from the epilogue considering it took place ten years after the story. I also had issues with the pacing as I struggled to get into it at first, but once the plot picked up I enjoyed every bit of it.

4 stars - would recommend

"Titles do not outlast treason."


Held deep in a mountain refuge, Sylvia has been captured by the Urabi, who believe she can return their homeland to its former power. But after years of denying her legacy and a forbidden alliance with Jasad's greatest enemy, Sylvia must win the group's trust while struggling to keep control of both her magic and her mind.

In the rival kingdom, Arin is caught between his father's desire to put down the brewing rebellion and the sacred edicts he's sworn to uphold. Arin must find Sylvia before his father's army, but his search will call into question the very core of Arin's beliefs about his family and the destruction of Jasad.

War is inevitable and Sylvia cannot abandon her people again. The Urabi plan to raise the Jasadi fortress, and it will either kill Sylvia or destroy the humanity she's fought so hard to protect. For the first time in her life Sylvia doesn't just want to survive. She wants to win.

"Why...it tasted like political pandemonium. So delicious Arin wanted seconds."


3.5 stars. After the absolute GEM of The Jasad Heir, I was BEYOND excited to get to read this early. However, after blazing through, I feel like I expected...more from this conclusion. Don't get me wrong, it is still a solid read but it lacks the pacing and continuity of the first book.

Perhaps this is in part due to more POVs...we now get treated to the addition of Sefa and Marek. There are good reasons for this, and they do provide an important purpose, but I ultimately feel they could have been condensed considerably. I always found myself impatient to get back to Sylvia and Arin.

On the other hand, perhaps it was trying to do too much all at once. Establishing the growing tensions, laying the foundation for the history that later reveals itself, Sylvia trying to become more than just a symbol for Jasad and fighting with both herself and her magic was a lot to tackle.

That said, Sylvia and Arin are still as delightfully violent as they were in the first. Their propensity for making each other bleed as foreplay is unmatched. Their yearning and tension is exquisite. I can say with all honesty that their relationship is one of my all-time favorites, right up there with The Captive Prince. It is truly rare that a set of characters can so strongly carry a story with just themselves...especially considering some of the novel is dedicated to BOTH of their fracturing minds. Vaida was right that Arin loves to obsession...we get to see so much more of it!

"You unravel me utterly."


We get more page time with old favorites (Sefa, Marek, and Jeru) as well as new faces. Though we get to see Vaida's motivations, I ultimately feel some of setup of tensions could have been cut or significantly condensed. Even the conclusion could have been tidier though the political machinations coming to a head were ON POINT.

...and while I'd normally dislike the format of the epilogues, the last one squeezed my heart.

Here's to hoping Hashem will give us a short story anthology later!

Recommended for the duology lovers that want see more of this unique world.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sara Hashem absolutely delivers with The Jasad Crown. The world expands in every direction—more history, more lore, more political tension—and the character work is just phenomenal. Arin and Sylvia are both emotionally complex, morally gray, and completely unforgettable. Their dynamic is filled with tension, longing, and layered choices that made me question everything—right up until the end.

The pacing is sharp, the writing is emotionally charged, and the slow-burn romance aches in the best way without ever needing spice. The themes of control, identity, and power are explored with nuance, especially through Sylvia’s evolving magic, and the payoff is deeply satisfying.

If you enjoyed books like The Shepherd King duology but want more politics, or crave morally messy characters and magic-laced political drama, this is one to prioritize. Hashem’s storytelling only gets stronger in book two—I’ll read whatever she writes next.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the E-ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

A fitting end to the duology, the Jasad Crown does a fantastic job at wrapping up the storylines started in the first book while expanding on the setting and politics of the first book.

The main cast is fantastic, and I found myself very invested in what was going to happen to some of the secondary characters from the first book, especially Sefa and Jeru.

Arin though is the best in this book. The journey he goes through here is fantastic. I loved his story in this book!

My biggest issue with this book is that it started a bit slow. The story ping-pongs back and forth between a few perspectives which slowed the plot down quite a bit during the first third of the book. Eventually things pick back up but it did take me a minute to get into.

I also desperately wanted a naming guide. A lot of our characters have names, aliases, titles, nicknames, and I had trouble keeping track and remembering everyone. The beginning of the book throws you right into things so a recap also would have been appreciated as it’s been a long time since I read the first book - and I couldn’t remember everyone’s names!

Overall, if you liked the first book, you’ll find this a fitting conclusion to the duology!

The Jasad crown, the sequel to the Jasad Heir, was just as good as the first one if not better. This is an Egyptian inspired fantasy duology and if you’re in need of a good romantasy I would highly recommend these especially if you want enemies to lovers because I actually think that is the case in here. This is one of the better romantasy books I have read recently. For me it has a perfect balance of fantasy and romance and I think it’s much heavier on the fantasy side which is what I love. The romance though is perfect and the banter between Sylvia and Arin ahhh I just love them. I did feel like there was a few slower parts in this book compared to the first one but that’s not a huge complaint. Overall, both of these were so much fun more so the first one as I did feel the second installment was a lot more intense.

I devoured Jasad Crown by Sara Hashem in a single sitting — I literally couldn’t stop. From the very first page, I was hooked, completely pulled into a world of secrets, magic, danger, and the kind of crackling romantic tension that makes your heart race.

Let’s talk about Arin and Essiya — the chemistry between them is god-tier enemies-to-lovers. The push and pull, the mistrust, the banter, the burning glances, the unspoken feelings — it’s all there, and it’s done perfectly. Their dynamic had me absolutely swooning and screaming, sometimes both at once.

Essiya’s character arc is nothing short of stunning. I felt every inch of her inner struggle — her desire to do the right thing vs the painful need to survive and protect herself, even if it meant pushing aside her own power and responsibility. That emotional conflict was so real and raw, I saw myself in her more than once.

And don’t even get me started on the side characters — they were all so well-developed and lovable in their own flawed ways. The banter, the tension, the loyalty (even when reluctant) — I fell hard for the found family vibes. It was one of those books where you want to spend just one more chapter with everyone.

The ending? Absolutely nail-biting, gut-twisting, and so satisfying. I couldn’t have imagined a better conclusion, and yet — I already want more. Honestly, I’m ready to reread it just to relive every moment.

If you love romantasy, enemies to lovers, angst, and strong, morally gray heroines, this is your book. I’m recommending Jasad Crown to everyone I know and praying this becomes the next TikTok sensation, because it absolutely deserves that level of hype.

Run, don’t walk. Read this book. Then read it again.

I don’t know where to begin. I’ve been singing from the rooftops about The Jasad Heir since the day I read it (no sleep, just Sylvia). But The Jasad Crown tore me to pieces, put me together, and then tore me to pieces again.

I often rate my books on how long I think about the story afterwards, and I can honestly say it’s rare to read a book that sticks with you like this. I cried for hours afterwards. With a few chapters to go, I had to put the book down and say some prayers and go for a walk because I was so deeply involved and that is the beauty of Hashem’s gorgeous writing.

The plot is never lost, it’s not a pretty story and Hashem doesn’t shy away from the horror of war and the scars left by genocide. The romance is so searing, I am quite sure that there is no man on Earth or in fiction that loves like Arin of Nizahl — quite frankly, because he is a master class of character writing. He is constructed so beautifully and so sharply, even when we get more POV’s, you still feel like you’re being held at knifepoint when he’s on page (in the best kind of way!). And don’t get me started on our Essiya/Sylvia, she’s so complicated I actually won’t be touching that analysis because I’m afraid my mind isn’t up to par.

Gosh, is this even coherent? I even waited a few days after my second re-read to gather my thoughts and I’m still a blubbering mess.

This duology will always be an example of near-perfect literature to me. Often times you are left with a “but i want more!” after a series ends, especially a duology, and as much as I do want to spend every day with these characters, it was wrapped up so perfectly and so painfully that you really just have to respect that it’s over.

Sara, I am angry with you and in awe of you and cannot wait to see what you write in the future. You’re a star, no debate!

The Jasad Crown really blew my mind I expected this book to be devastating and amazing all at once and it definitely delivered. Sara Hashem was really able to weave an intricate world with intriguing magic, an intense plot, incredible romantic subplot, and the inclusion of Egyptian inspired elements. As an Egyptian-American myself seeing the incorporation of so much of my culture in this book made it all the more special to me. The internal conflict that Sylvia/Essiya and Arin constantly battled throughout this book was truly interesting to see and in many ways is reflective, on a different scale, of day to day battles that many people face. I truly have not gotten over this amazing conclusion to The Scorched Throne duology, I can’t wait to see what Sara Hashem has in store for us next and as always happy reading!

The Jasad Crown was absolutely fantastic and the perfect ending to this duology. The tension is top-notch! I wish I could read these both again for the first time!

This was an absolutely BEAUTIFUL conclusion to this duology, an EASY 5 star read for me. I loved it even more then the first book. I always love a Egyptian or middle eastern fantasy and this duology certainly did NOT disappoint. 😍 This is also the slowest slow burn to exist 🔥🔥 The tension and the politics are truly top tier 🤌🏻🤌🏻. I wish we would have gotten a littlllllleeeeeee bit more time at the end with our characters but all in all SUCH a fun read!✨✨

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
❌🌶️ (closed door)

“She still had the temperament of a deranged goose”

If you love ⬇️ you’ll love this doulogy

TRUE enemies to lovers (no punches pulled)
Angst
Found family
Sad emo boy
“Who did this to you” but going both ways
Fate of the world rests on their shoulders
Magical creatures

OHH MY GAWDDDD THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD!!! The journey Sylvia & Arin go on emotionally and literally was masterfully crafted. Truly I haven’t read an enemies to lovers this convincing since Jude and Cardan! In the first book the ate actively trying to kill each other and in this book the definitely don’t hold back their punches. 🤤 But besides the romance we have a classic hero’s story but with someone who’s a bit morally gray and partially in it to just save themselves. There’s SOOO much more to this story but I’m going to 🤐

I’ll leave you with just one more quote from our seggzy man Arin

“They do not get to take her from me”
(While he’s actively trying to hunt her down 🤭)

i was so excited for book two of this series!!! i am so thankful i got to read it early, a i needed to finish this duo ASAP!!

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

This was one of my most anticipated book of 2025 I ran to NetGalley for an ARC when it became available and OMG, I was not disappointed. I was on the edge of my seat while reading.

The book was so good. The yearning between Essiya and Arin during the book was great. I really enjoyed how, despite being apart from each other for a part of the book, I never really felt like they really were.

I was genuinely and pleasantly surprised by the multiple POVs. Arin POVs were a comedy and I loved them a lot. Lot of laugh from me. The plot-twists surprised me as well. I was not expecting most of them.

I loved the new characters so much. Cinnamon has my heart. I loved the presence of the multiple creatures as well. The kitmers were so fun. Shout out to Jeru who was awesome during the whole book.

The ending was cruel, it broke my heart but I have hope as well. I'm so sad I won't be able to read more books with Essiya and Arin again. They have a special place in my heart forever.

I wish we could have learned more about the Awaleen. I was so invested in the last chapters. It was so interesting.

- I once tried to stab my sister for stealing all the mangoes out of my trees as a jest. -
If someone tried to steal my mangoes, I would do the same.

Screaming, crying, throwing up. The Jasad Heir quickly became one of my favorite books, and this is a close second. I can’t wait to see what else Sara Hashem writes!

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

This book wrecked me, took me apart, and then healed me with the last line. I suffered deeply, yet was happy about it. I cried and cried and cried (seriously don't read the last 15% in public). Now, EVERYONE GO READ THIS DUOLOGY!

We pick up not much after the end of the last book. And this time we get four POVs because our characters are scattered: Arin, Sylvia, Marek, and Sefa. Sefa's POV is essential for understanding what's going on in Lubuk, and with Marek we get a side of Nizhal that we don't see from Arin. Ohhhh and Arin's POV is just *chef's kiss.* He's angry, yet coldly focused as ever. Sylvia is isolated with people who see her as a tool. But each time Arin and Sylvia meet, I think my Kindle caught fire. The tension, the angst, the chemistry these two have is off the charts.

There is a TON going on in this book. There are political machinations out the wahzoo, there are betrayals and plots and reveals and twists that make your head spin. It is a lot, but it's so intricately plotted and soooooo slowly we piece things together. Truly, it's mind-bending what we learn--nothing is as we thought from book 1. And it all comes to a crescendo that's INSANE. Honestly the entire back half of the book was incredible.

I felt alllllll the emotions. The end almost did me in, but that final epilogue, and that final line saved me. I'm not even sure this review does justice to the book. But it's a duo I'll definitely want to reread and highly recommend.