The Jasmine Throne

My relationship with novels that have won the World Fantasy Award is a mixed bag. On one hand, there's no denying that they have literary value. On the other, they usually come in flavors that I really don't savor. Such is the case again here, as while this book has much to recommend it in terms of the quality of Ms. Suri's prose, setting, and themes, the bottom line for me is that this is mostly a romance novel and, in general, romance novels don't usually hold my attention; particularly when you have a book that mostly seems to exist as a prequel to a (hopefully) more exciting book. If you find yourself reading this novel and the relationship between the two main characters is not holding your attention, I have to warn you that it show more doesn't get better; and I regret to be making that judgement. show less

ya know what? 5 stars haha. i really like the author’s writing style and tbh the world itself feels pretty original and unique. to be fair, i don’t know much about indian mythology. it might only feel original to me cuz i don’t know better. however, in terms of my enjoyment, though possibly ignorant? how i would rate my experience of reading it? 5 stars.

the hook advertisement of this book and i guess of the series is that it’s about “morally grey lesbians” and the author really wasn’t lying. not only was the fact that it was a wlw relationship written by a woman for other women refreshing, but they were legitimately morally grey. they weren’t reduced to the feminine one who likes girly things and the masculine one who show more rejects anything stereotypically feminine. they were just two women who had their own personalities (which included the normal combination of both falling into some stereotypes and not falling into others) and their own desires. desires that weren’t mary sue “i need to save the world cuz i’m a ~selfless hero~.” they wanted things they recognized were horrible and felt guilty about. but they also still did what they desired cuz they valued themselves over what was right or expected of them. i really enjoyed that. it felt very human.

it’s just in general very pleasant to read a book written by a woman who isn’t ashamed of being a woman. that’s too common in this genre. somehow having a female protagonist who is badass means rejecting she’s a woman and treating it as a detriment to her growth as a person. that doesn’t make sense. that’s continuing something really annoying and something i’m really really sick of in media. there’s a huge misconception that feminism is creating a female who isn’t able to be feminine. or that has to pretend that masculinity cannot possibly be present at the same time as femininity. it can never simultaneous. aka you can only be a toxic tomboy or a bimbo in feminism. that’s,,, really dumb. and just not realistic.

anyway, i digress. i just say all that to praise that the book completely ignores that weird trend of “feminism.” and honestly for that alone i may have given it 5 stars. it also just has a good plot tho and good pacing and foreshadowing. just in general good writing. i definitely recommend. show less

Be still, my elemental, queer heart! This book is sexy, deep, mythological and compelling. The thing I love so much about this first installation is how deep we go within the characters and what drives them... a battleground between good and evil where I'm not quite sure for which side I should be rooting, all slowly unraveled in some of the most beautiful prose I have ever read in a fantasy series. *fans self* I can't wait to see where Malini and Priya take us, and each other, next!

READ IT!

The first time I got this book from the library, it was too much for me. The book has a lot of violence, a lot of burnings, a lot of misogyny, a lot of complicated people with painful histories causing each other pain. I was not in the right place to be able to read it, so I sent it back and put it on hold again. This time, though — this time I loved it.

The characters here are so morally grey, so prickly, so difficult, and, for the most part, so easy to love. I wanted them to succeed, both on a personal and plot level — I wanted them to learn to do the things they don’t know how to do (trust, love, give, lead, care, depending on the person), and I also want them to succeed at the thing they’re all trying to do (win freedom for show more their country and defeat a genuinely awful emperor). I also loved the main pairing; I am invested and rooting for them, even if they are kind of their own happiness’s worst enemies.

The worldbuilding is also incredible. So many different local religions that offer so many different abilities, all incredibly well done, all integral to the plot. I want to put examples here, but absolutely all of them would be spoilers, so — just. This world is incredibly, and I’m so glad there will be other books in it.

I’m also slightly alarmed by that, because I really really want the series as a whole to be this good, and there are a LOT of threads to manage and resolve in the books to come. But I’ve loved Suri’s writing so far, and I’m hopeful this series can stay as good as it is. show less

The depth of character in this fantasy novel gave me something to walk away with, something to wait for in the sequel more than just the novel's compelling plot of revenge, strength, and power. Malini is a deeply complex character who begins to blossom only at the end of the novel, and Priya's steadiness, her kindness, makes her real and alive in a way that is rather unique. The places and people of this novel, and the fear and respect for Nature and its raw power and beauty, linger with me.

An engaging fantasy novel set in an Indian-inspired world, The Jasmine Throne follows Priya, a maidservant with a mysterious past and Malini, a princess who's been sent into exile. You've got political intrigue, religious clashes, the consequences of imperialism and misogyny, a magic system whose full repercussions may not be clear even to its users, and a soupçon of body horror.

This is an enjoyable read with fairly complex characters, realistic family dynamics, and some promising—if preliminary—worldbuilding. The pacing is a bit wonky and the number of POV characters needed to be trimmed a lot, but I liked what Tasha Suri is doing here enough to continue on with the series.

I barely know where to start with a review of The Jasmine Throne. I’m all strangled vowels and twisted feelings and a deep-burning satisfaction that yes, THIS is how you do fantasy right.

Expect intricate world-building, complex characters and an epic plot of conspiracies and revolution alongside a slow-burn, simmering queer romance. For once, I have no criticism of the many POVs - all of which added something, rather than distracting - as each narrative wrapped around and across the others, developing my understanding of the whole. While it's slow to build, The Jasmine Throne never felt over-long; and the pay-off is in the way Suri brings everything together in the final act. There is so much in play - so many conflicts left to play show more out - that the next book can only be devastating. I can't wait.

Full review

I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. show less