damn i cried like a baby

overall i found this book much harder to read tbh, mostly because it was almost twice as long as the first one, but it was so worth it in the end.

i love that we got so much more out of the side characters, as well as more information about the world the story was in. i absolutely loved Vaida and Sefa’s chapters, Vaida is such an intriguing character.

only giving it a 4/5 because it took me quite a while to get invested into the story again, it felt really slow at the beginning. aside from that, absolutely amazing!

I was just drawn into this story and I just couldn’t get enough of it. I was so disappointed to turn the last page and I immediately wanted more. I can’t wait to see what's next from this author.

This book destroyed me in the best way possible!

I struggle to put into words how much I enjoyed this book. I found it slow to start, if only because I hadn’t done a reread of the first book and was forgetting some of the details from book one. By about 1/2 way through though I couldn’t put it down! The last 20/25% of the books absolutely epic.

The books was filled with angst, banter, tension, and so many emotions. My heart felt like it was ripped out at points,

I’m still processing everything.

I am going to restart the series and binge it all in one sitting.

A must-read this summer for anyone that enjoys an epic fantasy with a slow burn romance!!

The Jasad Crown picks up the pieces after The Jasad Heir's ending shattered them across the kingdoms. And even though this is a duology, half way through this book, I wanted it to be a trilogy...at least!

The characters are very easy to fall in love with in this story and have a great depth to them. The pacing in the Jasad Crown is fast and doesn't slow down until the last few pages. Sometimes, it felt a little too fast though and I wanted more from various scenes that ended rather abruptly.

The world building is top class and immersive. This story twists and turns and at some times I can tell where it's going and other times, it's a surprise. As someone who has read A LOT of fantasy, being surprised in where the plot is going is novel and always a pleasure when it happens.

One of my favorite things this author does is clue the reader into things that happen later but are a mystery until they are revealed and the result is amazement, especially at the characters abilities. The mystery is expertly woven in throughout the book. I never felt that the author was explaining anything, rather I felt like I was living the story alongside the characters.

The Jasad Crown has more POVs than The Jasad Heir. We have POVs from Marek, Sefa, more from Arin, and Sylvia/Essiya of course. Interestingly, Essiya's POV is first person but the rest are third person, which I very much enjoyed. We got to live through the eyes of the other characters but truly still felt the story remained Essiya's as the true lead.

The romance in this book is one of my favorite of all time. It's a slow-burn low-spice which is PERFECT and exactly what I LOVE. I'm not a fan of books that feel like the story is just written to justify the spice! I also appreciate when each party is on even footing where both are strong individuals who can go toe to toe and not one or the other is disadvantaged to the other. Such as say one being a powerless human and the other a magical Fae, no thanks! (not anymore lol). So this romance was refreshing and I ATE up every moment.

Themes (not limited to): Found family, lost heir reclaiming kingdom, mystery, epic magic, romance, friendship, loyalty, betrayal, sacrifice, grief, fighting/skills, politics, etc.

Short form review:

THINGS I LOVED:
> slow burn romance (6 STARS)
> character and relationship development
> fantastic world building
> mystery elements (also plot elements kept as secrets aka characters making moves behind the scenes)
> story telling is phenomenal

THINGS I DIDN'T LOVE:
> the very end (felt a bit flat compared to the rest of the book)
> Efra (one of the most aggravating characters!)
> a duology - this story might have been better served as a trilogy

How do you move on from such a book as this?

Thank you to orbit for the eARC. I truly love this and the Jasad Heir with all my heart. This duology is one of a kind and masterfully crafted.

The Jasad Crown was THICK. But every moment was leading to a finale I could have never seen coming. Such devastation and heartbreak. I shed many a tears at the end. Following Essiyas return to the Jasad people in the end of the Jasad Heir, this book is her journey to bringing back her kingdom and finding yourself along the way. Looking at magic, self worth, and love - there are so many ways that the characters in this book develop. Aarins POVs, along with Sefa and Mareks, were masterfully crafted.

At the end of the day though this book is about survival vs sacrifice and the weight of the world being put on the young people of the futures shoulders.

I truly cannot express how much I loved this duology, the mythology roots, the politics woven, and so much more.

Finally - THE END OF THIS BOOK. HOW COULD YOU SARA?!

The Jasad Crown was one of my most anticipated reads for this year and boy did it deliver! I'm so glad that this was only a duology as my poor heart probably could not have taken any more waiting for the conclusion to Sylvia and Arin's story.

This is a true enemies to lovers story at its finest. There is so much angst and longing that I had to step away from the story at times just to take a breather before continuing on the journey. It was this intensity that made the romance so much more satisfying in the end. The character that surprised me the most in this story was Arin. His character development was exquisite. To see him go from an immovable and untouchable character to a broken man questioning every fiber of his being had my heart breaking for him. There are not enough words in the world to express how much I loved his character arc. Also, the mythology in the book was well-written and I was excited to see it all come full circle in the end. What made this book a five star read for me is the fact that it was anything but predictable. The final scenes is this book had me feeling every emotion known to man! The only critique I have is one that I've seen from other readers: I wished there was more to Arin's epilogue since it felt a little abrupt. The ending was perfect, but left me wishing for more.

Overall, I would highly recommend the Scorched Throne duology to anyone who wants an angsty and slow burn enemies to lover romance with a Egyptian style backdrop. Although it will tear your heart out at times, the story is well worth the journey! I'm so thankful to have been gifted an e-arc from Orbit and NetGalley of this book!

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!