The Jasad Crown was absolutely flawless. It had everything I could ever want in a romantasy book: a brutal, Egyptian inspired world, a fearless, fierce heroine fighting for her fallen kingdom, political intrigue, forbidden magic, a morally grey, ruthless commander who’s only loyal to one person, and a true enemies to lovers romance so filled with yearning that I barely survived.

This duology gives us four power hungry kingdoms trying to destroy each other, and one vanquished kingdom fighting to reemerge from the ashes. We get POVs from Essiya, Arin, Malek, and Sefa, who are all separated in different kingdoms, and the way it was written fully immerses you in the story. I can’t fully articulate how much I love Arin and Essiya. They are true enemies who despise the other and actively try to unalive each other. She’s the guarded heir to a broken throne who doesn’t let anyone get close to her and is snarky, sassy, and stabby. He’s the stoic, controlled, cold, calculated commander of the kingdom that conquered and destroyed her homeland, and is brutal, ruthless, and unforgiving. Their relationship was the best kind of slow burn, filled with banter, angst, longing, and devotion, and I couldn’t have loved it more.

Please read this duology. The world is so rich and well developed, and we get magic, gods, monsters, political intrigue, reluctant leaders who never wanted to be heroes, and the best romance ever!

Thank you to Orbit Books, Hachette Book Group, Sara Hashem, and NetGalley for the ARC.

📔The Jasad Crown
✏️ Sara Hashem
📆 July 15, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

READ IF YOU LIKE:
🐦‍⬛ fugitive queen
🐦‍⬛ lost kingdom
🐦‍⬛ true enemies to lovers
🐦‍⬛ dangerous magic
🐦‍⬛ monstrous creatures
🐦‍⬛ warring kingdoms
🐦‍⬛ found family
🐦‍⬛ multi POV

4 stars! The Scorched Throne duology, an Egyptian-inspired epic fantasy, ends with a great and somewhat devastating finale.

Sylvia, a sassy and humorous fugitive heir, faces constant challenges in choosing herself or the world.

Arin’s devotion to Sylvia in this book is swoon-worthy. The multiple POVs make Marek, Arin, Sefa, and Sylvia even more lovable.

“I love a woman whose choices are not so perfect. Who found her peace in Arin even when Arin found nothing peaceful in himself.” ❤️‍🩹😭

Highly recommend this duology for a no-spice, enemies-to-lovers story with multiple POVs, world-building, and a unique, magical, fantasy world and political intrigue!

Side note: I believe this could’ve been a trilogy due to more world-building and background information.

🌿| 🅡🅔🅥🅘🅔🅦 - Gripping finale. Very well written. Slow-burn. Imperfect but bold characters. Political gains. Sacrifice. Legacy. Beautiful tension.

👑| Enemies to Lovers
👑| Epic Battle
👑| Found Family

This was superb! The finale of this duology did not disappoint. The writing is lush, atmospheric, and completely draws you in. It had me fully hooked the entire time. The world-building was excellent in every aspect. The Egyptian inspiration makes this feel fresh and unique when so much of fantasy feels the same. The political intrigue is top-tier; it had me on the edge of my seat the whole book. The plot was outstanding and unpredictable. Pacing is phenomenal, and no spots felt like they dragged. It has an amazing, diverse cast of characters. They are very well developed, and they all felt so real. The tantalizing slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romance was fantastic and didn't overtake the plot. I love that she did this as a duology and not a trilogy, but I was kind of sad to reach the end. I can't wait to see what Sara Hashem comes out with next.

First of all, I have to admit this took me two tries to fully read. I dnfed at about 30% the first time because I realized in order to fully enjoy this book, I needed to either reread or explore a detailed refresher of The Jasad Heir first. There was so much rich world building to try to remember after reading book one 2 years ago... without a solid recap in the beginning, I was struggling. I picked this book up for a second time after reading a refresher and the experience was IMMENSELY better. This is mostly due to the unique terminology (which varies by kingdom) and the dependency on remembering a few very specific scenes from book one.

Upon finishing this book finally, here are my thoughts. I LOVED THIS. Once again, I am thoroughly impressed by the ability to build such a vast and detailed world that can be explored so fully throughout the course of these two books. This was an incredible way to close out the duology and I loved the reading experience (the second time around lol). It's long, but it is all so necessary and so very worth it.

A few highlights:
- Sylvia, Essiya, my sweet love. The character progression of this story is outstanding. We see Sylvia/Essiya step up and out in the most brilliant of ways. As with any book character, there are moments of "WHY??" followed by "I get it, I get it". She's real, she's plagued by so many involuntary responsibilities, she's so very dedicated to her people and discovering a way forward for everyone.
- Arin of Nizhal, they could never make me hate you. I am fully obsessed with this man and his overwhelming loyalty to the love of his life no matter what was thrown at them. THE ENDING? HELLO? I am unwell. I am in love.
- Essiya + Arin ?? Resuscitate me, please. Because the tension, the yearning, the long and drawn out desire for intimacy has STOPPED MY HEART. They are SO gone for each other but they are also in the most difficult of positions. There are a few particular scenes that have ROCKED me because of how deeply these two care for each other.
- Marek and Sefa, we have been blessed with POV chapters for each of them and getting a closer look at who they are and how they move through life. I loved getting to explore more of the depths of their soulmate relationship in many phases of life.
- Jeru, Namsa, Maia, Lateef, even Efra, we are set up with a fantastic cast of side characters who build the world and the journey and offer hard truths and unrelenting support.
- Politics galore, I loved the exploration of power and what it means wield and seek more of it. We see the good and the bad sides, we see people use it well and we see people exploit it. It gives us the fullest picture of how this world works, and how it SHOULD work.
- Magic, for better and for worse. This is one area that was sometimes a struggle for me personally due to my tendency to visualize when reading. Some things were very difficult to picture in my brain and therefore I didn't follow it as much. This was largely a problem before I read the book one refresher, but even later there were some scenes with magical creatures and displays of power that were a little fuzzy, but still ultimately worked in context. We see Essiya's struggle with magic, while we see others in their pursuit of magic. And how it all works together is incredible.

Truly, this duology is a gold mine, a treasure trove, and I don't think enough people have experienced it. But I'm in love with the story. I am in love with the world. I am in love with the yearning and the desperate reach for love.

Arin. Just Arin.

This book is such a step up from the first (which I also enjoyed!). The pacing felt tight and the stakes kept me hooked the whole time. Sylvia really shines here. She’s fierce, messy, determined, and finally ready to fight for more than just survival. And Arin? No notes.

I did want more depth in the world building, especially given how intriguing the Egyptian inspired setting is. Some parts felt a little surface level when I wanted rich details to really pull me into this world. But overall this was a super satisfying, emotional finale. The characters are easily the strongest part of this series. Sara Hashem gave us two leads who feel fully realized and have real chemistry.

I love this book...I love this duology...I love Sara Hashem.

I absolutely devoured this book and will NEVER stop recommending it.

Thank you, Orbit, for allowing me to read and review.

The Jasad Crown is a powerful, emotional conclusion to a duology that has stayed with me long after the last page. Sara Hashem blends political intrigue, personal growth, and magic in a way that feels both epic and intimate.

What resonated most with me was Essiya’s vulnerability—her willingness to finally let people in after carrying the weight of a kingdom alone. Her journey to understand her magic, uncover lost memories, and piece together her identity was deeply moving. The struggle of being responsible for an entire people while not fully knowing who you are has haunted her from the start, and watching her claim both her power and her truth was incredibly satisfying.

Arin’s development is equally compelling. He doesn’t just change his perspective—he puts in the work to change the world around him. His willingness to confront his own father and legacy added real weight to the romance and made their partnership feel earned and dynamic.

The writing is sharp, emotional, and immersive, and the revelations about Jasadi history and magic give the world even greater depth. Hashem has crafted a story about identity, memory, and the responsibility of power that’s as heartfelt as it is thrilling.

Highly recommended for readers who love character-driven fantasy, slow-burn romance, and heroines who rise through resilience and truth, not just fire
Romantasy writers take note! This is how world building is done!

The perfect ending to an amazing duology! This was an amazing ending to the series and I absolutely loved it. This series is the perfect book for fans of enemies to lovers filled with angst, banter, found family., and a great slow burn romance. I've enjoyed reading this duology so much and would absolutely recommend this for fans of a good fantasy series. I can't wait to read whatever Sara writes next!

Enemies to lovers, duology, Egyptian Mythology....What more can you ask for? I recommend this book to YA fantasy lovers that are ok with lengthy descriptions and slow going plot (it felt like so much happens in each scene, but then overall it is just a tiny piece of a picture).
We return to Sylvia as she is within the hold of the Urabi. As Sylvia struggles to learn more about what she is capable of, she gains more of an understanding about her family and their past. As Arin continues his search for her, details of his own past and creation come into a clearer light, creating a dark and poetic illumination of a grey character that is very human.
The politics in this book can be a little weighty, but Hashem does a pretty good job easing us into it. I felt like I received more insight to the leaders of the different territories and lands and how the gods have taken them in hand and steered them in certain directions.
Though this book felt a little slower to start, it did an amazing job catching us up on what happened inside Book 1, Jasad Heir. It took me a bit to get reaquainted with our characters, but the events in the first book were quickly remembered because they were so well written. I loved that we get the POV of several characters, not just Sylvia. You needed it to put the pieces of what was going on with different characters in order for the ending to come together as well written as it was.
The writing, as usual, is poetic and angsty. The characterization of Arin at the beginning was so visceral and painful-- I could feel the emotion in every word. "Bad would be the first sentence of a book Arin planned to fill with blood and agony and words so heavy with cruelty they would pin down any tongue that tried to speak them. The page where he would record her fate would wrinkle to escape the horror of his pen, and he would ink it with the blood he poured from her." The character development after this with our main characters is so incredible.
"I am his blood, but I am no one's daughter." This quote encapsulates what Sylvia transitions into as the book progresses. She makes her own way, so strong and stubborn throughout the book that anyone could be inspired by her. Every step of the way, we feel her demise looming closer and closer. I felt like I still trusted her to make the best decisions for her people based on this line.
"Save some stupid for tomorrow," perfectly sums up each moment in the book. What I mean to say is, sometimes the book would change locations, and I was completely convinced chaos and mess was around every single corner. The location changes in the book were slightly jarring, I had trouble following at certain points. Perhaps this was intentional since this particular book was so magic heavy. I think Hashem wanted the reader to feel as uncertain as Sylvia and Arin were throughout it.
This epic quote I encountered in the book perfectly illustrates the ride and character choices throughout this duology: "Our choices come when we realize what we have grown into; when we look at the world around us and recognize our role in it. Only then, when you decide whether you will grow roots or tear yourself free, can you truly be held to account."
There are many wrongs made right throughout the book, but it does tear your heart out to watch the complete journey and go through the grieving with the characters. The ending felt kind of confusing when it came to how and why the climax happened. I was under the impression that Sylvia and her ancestors had past moments to pay for and that was why the ending happened as it did.
We get to catch up with characters later in their process of ruling, and that was interesting. It just made me sad to see these characters paying for the mistakes of their ancestors which they had no say in. But that is partly the point-- all of us are at the mercy of people we have no control over, and it affects us in world changing ways we may not realize until future generations.
I loved:
Sylvia and Arin's character development
Sefa and Marek's POV and their bravery
Duology was hardhitting
Descriptive prose and beautiful poetic commentary
I struggled with:
Transitions between scenes
The ending explanation about Sylvia
Slow going to get to points needed to be made

I loved this book! The storyline was interesting and the characters were well done! I loved the Egyptian theme to this book, it was fun and entertaining! I would highly recommend this book!

Epic, Egyptian-inspired fantasy at its absolute best, this conclusion was everything and more.

At the risk of spoiling events of book 1, there’s not much I can say other than what do you do when you’ve seen to have lost it all and yet somehow find yourself losing more? When there are magics too mysterious and too powerful at play? When you literally cannot touch the one you crave more than anything else? Beautiful freaking storytelling at its finest is what you get with this insane duology that I cannot stop thinking about.

Sylvia’s growth, Arin’s newly-discovered softness, supporting characters that will break your heart, magic that defies all expectations and is gory and stunning all at once – I could go on forever.

Everyone needs to read this gorgeous duology and I am a Sara Hashem fan forevermore because of it.

Content warning: gore/body horror, death, violence.

I reread The Jasad Heir before reading this book. I’m glad I did because I was right back in that world immediately. I’m so thankful that this was a duology. Sara Hashem took an amazing story and maintained the world. I am so impressed with how this story finished. After reading this book, I’ve been devouring enemies to lovers. Sarah crushed it with the yearning between these two characters. Both are perfectly flawed and the confusion they each felt. I’ve been telling all of my friends to read this book, especially now that the series is complete.

Anyone who loves a fully fleshed out world with an interesting magic system should read this, All the characters are full people and after finishing this story, I feel like I know them.

where do I even start?! The amount of highlights I've made, literally almost every single page had a highlight! The way we get to know the pain of the characters so deeply and so well described.

Never have I read such a good enemies to lovers, NEVER HAVE I HAD SO MUCH YEARNING AND ANGST!!!

I was kicking my feet, rubbing my face in frustration, or reading with furrowed brows and a frown at every turn of the plot. I was so captivated, and not many books have the honor of keeping my attention this deeply!

I even questioned if I was a masochist at one point and the answer was yes, I knew this already....

If they don't y e a r n for me the way Arin does I don't want it! 🙅‍♀️

Please, I'm contemplating how to fit a re-read in this year...😶

So beautiful, so honored to be a witness to such a devastatingly beautiful story. I will carry these characters with me forever.✨️

Truly grateful for the absolute honor of an e arc!

A Powerful and Heart-Rending Conclusion

Wow, so I had to sit with this review for a while because I just didn't know what to write—as the conclusion of this was so solid. This book truly delivered a finale that was not only satisfying but deeply emotional, rich with twists and turns I never saw coming.

Essiya and Arin absolutely stole the show. Their connection in this final installment is fire. The tension, the longing, the slow-burn payoff—it’s all there. Arin yearns so deeply for Essiya that he even calls her his wife without them being married. That man had my whole heart through this entire book. Their love was tender, raw, and powerful in a way that felt deeply earned and achingly beautiful.

One of the things that elevated this installment was the attention given to every character. Each one was given a beautifully written arc that contributed to the emotional weight of the story. The additional POVs added so much depth and nuance, rounding out the story in a way that made it feel vast and intimate all at once.

The last 5 to 10 chapters had me on the edge of my seat. I was yelling, sobbing, then yelling again—completely consumed by the unfolding events. The stakes were so high and the emotional tension so intense that I couldn’t stop turning the pages.

This entire duology is stunning. It’s not just a romance or a fantasy; it’s an exploration of trauma, of the cost of power, of generational scars, inequality, and the consequences of letting greed and corruption rule. But at its heart, it’s also about love—how two people who were never taught to love, never meant to love anyone, found each other and created something beautiful.

I love Essiya and Arin with my whole heart. I wish we could get more of them—even though I know their journey has concluded. What a journey it was. This book (and this duology) will stay with me for a long, long time.

Thank you to Sara Hashem, Orbit Books, and NetGalley for an advance copy for an honest review.

This duology was definitely one I was excited to finally jump into. The first had quite a bit of world building and could have maybe used a dictionary but it was good. The Jasad Crown definitely had me hooked. It was intriguing and exciting with plenty of political intrigue and war. The ending really wrapped it all up even though I would have loved a second epilogue lol.

The Jasad Crown by Sara Hasem
[4.5] stars ★ 𓄹 ࣪ .
⤿ no spoilers in this review

⇢ the plot.
⤿In this thrilling conclusion to The Scorched Throne duology, Sylvia, now revealed as the lost Jasad heir, faces her most harrowing choice yet. Captured by the Urabi, who believe that her magic is the answer to restoring their homeland to its former power, Sylvia is torn between two choices as the threat of magic-madness hangs over her head. She must decide: her people or her life.

In the rival kingdom, Arin prepares for war. As tension rises and his father’s army prepares to fight against magic, Arin must find Sylvia before they do even after her betrayal. Torn between duty and his heart, Arin also must decide: his kingdom or save the girl who shattered his heart.

⇢ main characters.
⤿ Sylvia’s arc was truly heartbreaking but so beautifully written. Her character development immensely grows from the first book. She is portrayed as a strong and powerful FMC but in this book, we get to see more of her fears and inner-conflicts. Sylvia is finding it hard to balance her sense of duty to the Jasadi with her sense of survival. Hashem invokes so much emotion into Sylvia that you can’t help but to root for her. In the end, she finally accepts her magic and is able to decide on her own fate despite her loved ones trying to convince her of a different one.

⤿ Arin’s arc was the standout for me in this book and honestly, I think he outshined Sylvia. He stays true to his character in the sense that he knows that he has to do the right thing for his kingdom but in the end, we ultimately see that he chooses himself and love. His journey in this book highlights the complexity of his character and reveals more of his backstory which adds to a painful clarity that follows. Hashem does an incredible job of showing Arin’s vulnerability and devastation as he tries to survive the chaos that threatens to break him. On another note, I’ve never read a character who yearns like Arin does and I don’t think I ever will again. And honestly, who doesn’t love a powerful man who’s asked to kneel by his lover and actually does.

I really enjoyed reading about Sylvia and Arin’s relationship but I wish we had more glimpses of their romantic relationship. This was a TRUE enemies-to-lover with lots of yearning and tension. A real depiction of a relationship built on challenging and changing each other.

⇢ the side characters.
⤿ I adored Mark and Sefa, and I’m so glad Hashem included their POVs in the second book. Their POVs helped understand what’s happening and how it ties into each other. It really added to the overall story. I also loved seeing their friendship with Sylvia and how protective they are of each other.

⇢ the ending.
⤿ It’s been a couple of days after I finished the book and I’m still processing it. It was a bittersweet and emotional ending but it wrapped up nicely and the conflict was solved. With that being said, I have no words for the epilogue. Truly devastating. Definitely grab some tissues.

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 ⭐️. Thanks to NetGalley for an e Arc in return for an honest review. It took me a little while to get through this book, I felt like parts of it really dragged and I got bored but that may be a me problem. I did enjoy the story and really liked the ending. I would say this is a pretty good fantasy with romance subplot.

“I wish more than anything my first thought when I emerged from the water was not of you, that I hadn’t been prepared to tear through every grain of sand and burn every tree in this damned place until I found you.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
🫑

Beautiful writing by the amazing Sara Hashem! She has created one of the most unique fantasy worlds I have ever read. Top-tier magic system and Character dynamics, with the best tension-filled slow-burn romance. 🥰

We had a huge amount of political intrigue throughout. This second book was filled with a lot of information and hidden secrets revealed. The pacing seemed to run a bit slower due to all the historical information and new side characters we met. We also got four Pov's in this. First person POV from our FMC, like book one, and 3rd person Pov's from the MMC and two side characters. More High fantasy focus with a sprinkle of forbidden romance. I would highly recommend reading book one and then jumping right into book two so you have the world fresh in your mind!

I can't wait to see what world Sara creates for us next! 💞

Thank you, NetGalley and Publishers, for this ARC copy!

Thank you Orbit Publishing and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this book!

Okay…I have no idea what to rate this right now. I absolutely loved the Jasad Heir and this was one of my
Most anticipated reads of this year. The romance and tension between Arin and Sylvia is TOP TIER and I can safely say arin is top 5 book men ever for sure. With that being said, there were a two kind of misses throughout the book, at least in my opinion. Personally, the beginning was quite slow and took some time to get things going. Secondly, I loved so much of this book, but the ending?!??? I actually gasped when I went to the next page (at least I thought that was what would happen) and I’m hit with the acknowledgments. To me, it left SO MUCH to de desired. I understand to a point how that ending makes certain sense, but I really just wanted more, considering both the page count and the actual storyline.