The Phoenix King by Aparna Verma

Pages: 513

Publisher: Orbit 

Released: 29th of August 2023 

In a kingdom where flames hold magic and the desert hides secrets, an ancient prophecy comes for an assassin, a princess, and a king. But none are ready to face destiny—and the choices they make could burn the world.

“If we carry the burdens of our fathers, we’ll never know what it means to be free.”

For Elena Aadya Ravence, fire is yearning. She longs to feel worthy of her Phoenix god, of her ancestors who transformed the barren dunes of Sayon into a thriving kingdom. But though she knows the ways and wiles of the desert better than she knows her own skin, the secrets of the Eternal Flame elude her. And without them, she’ll never be accepted as queen.

For Leo Malhari Ravence, fire is control. He is not ready to give up his crown—there’s still too much work to be done to ensure his legacy remains untarnished, his family protected. But power comes with a price, and he’ll wage war with the heavens themselves to keep from paying it.

For Yassen Knight, fire is redemption. He dreams of shedding his past as one of Sayon’s most deadly assassins, of laying to rest the ghosts of those he has lost. If joining the court of flame and serving the royal Ravence family—the very people he once swore to eliminate—will earn him that, he’ll do it no matter what they ask of him.

But the Phoenix watches over all and the fire has a will of its own. It will come for all three, will come for Sayon itself….and they must either find a way to withstand the blaze or burn to ash.

What I Have to Say 

This book was brutal. I thought for a bit that the author was going to kill ever single character in the book. It was really effective to show loss and tragedy on a character. It's going to be interesting to see how the rest of the series progresses. 

This book contained a bit of a mix of Fantasy and Scifi, it was definitely the plot and culture of a fantasy book with the weaponry and tech of Scifi occasionally popping up. It threw me a bit at first because I would forget I was reading a Scifi book and then there'd be a pulse gun mentioned. I got used to it, but I do wonder why the author chose to have that mix rather than just pure Fantasy. 

I really liked the culture in this book, of which there was plenty. I think I would love a book or series completely about the Yumi because they fascinate me completely. There was not enough written about the Yumi in the book for me. 

Aside from the culture though I found the book didn't leave much of an impression on me. I'm looking forward to the sequel because of how the book ended and I'm hoping that one catches my attention more. 

4 stars 

My thanks goes to Netgalley and Orbit for gifting me this copy for review. 

Spice Road by Maiya Ibrahim (audiobook)

Pages: 411

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton 

Released: 24th of January 2023 

The first book in an epic fantasy series for fans of Sabaa Tahir, Hafsah Faizal and Elizabeth Lim, set in an Arabian-inspired land. Raised to protect her nation from the monsters lurking in the sands, seventeen-year-old Imani must fight to find her brother whose betrayal is now their greatest threat.

In the hidden desert city of Qalia, secret spice magic awakens affinities in those who drink the misra tea. With an affinity for iron, seventeen-year-old Imani wields a dagger like no other warrior, garnering her the reputation as the next greatest Shield for battling the dangerous djinn, ghouls, and other monsters that lurk in the sands beyond city limits.

Her reputation has been overshadowed, however, by her brother who tarnished the family name after he was discovered stealing their nation's coveted spice - a tell-tale sign of magical obsession. He disappeared soon after, believed to have died beyond the Forbidden Wastes, and leaving Imani reeling with both betrayal and grief.

But when Imani uncovers evidence her brother may be alive and spreading their nation's magic beyond the desert, she strikes a deal with the Council to find him and bring him back to Qalia before he can reveal the city's location. Accompanied by Qayn, a roguish but handsome djinni, and Taha, a powerful beastseer whose magical talents are matched only by his arrogance, they set out on their mission.

Imani will soon discover there are many secrets that lie beyond the Forbidden Wastes - and in her own heart - but will she find her brother before his betrayals endanger the fate of all of Qalia?

In this epic and action-packed fantasy, one young heroine navigates the treacherous road between protecting the ones you love and staying loyal to the place you call home. 

What I Have to Say 

This is how to do an epic adventure in the right way. I was worried with so much travelling, it would drag a bit, but it was filled with action on every page. It really led to highlight the distance between the two nations and the scope of the sands between them. 

Imani's journey was interesting. I've books before where the character discovers that they're living in a place of privilege and that maybe not everything they've been told is true, but I've never felt every revelation and ever moment of questioning so deeply. I could see every step of the journey that Imani was going on. 

The narrator was a good reader,  but I was left wanting a little. She didn't really do many voices and it was hard to tell which character was which especially between the female characters. I was disappointed because other than that she was good at reading and putting expression into the text. 

There are so many things I want to know more about and so many things I'm excited to see in the next book. This was a fantastic start to a new series. 

 My thanks go to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with this copy for review. 

Traitor to the Throne by Alwyn Hamilton

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 512

Publisher: Faber & Faber 

Released: 2nd of February 2017 

This is not about blood or love. This is about treason.

Nearly a year has passed since Amani and the rebels won their epic battle at Fahali. Amani has come into both her powers and her reputation as the Blue-Eyed Bandit, and the Rebel Prince's message has spread across the desert - and some might say out of control. But when a surprise encounter turns into a brutal kidnapping, Amani finds herself betrayed in the cruellest manner possible.

Stripped of her powers and her identity, and torn from the man she loves, Amani must return to her desert-girl's instinct for survival. For the Sultan's palace is a dangerous one, and the harem is a viper's nest of suspicion, fear and intrigue. Just the right place for a spy to thrive... But spying is a dangerous game, and when ghosts from Amani's past emerge to haunt her, she begins to wonder if she can trust her own treacherous heart.

What I Have to Say 

I adore this series. Not only does it show a world full of exciting exotic settings, but it is also written in such a beautiful way. Sometimes Hamilton adopts an almost fairytail way of story telling, recounting things and making everything more magical by doing so. The only problem with that came in this book, where at the start she recounted everything that happened in the first book, which I felt was just too much of an info-dump. It's fine when it's a story that we haven't been told yet, but I just didn't need a recap like that. 

One of the things that defines these books, other than the setting, is the characters. The characters are so well defined. You can easily see how true their reactions are. Whether it's Jin running away so he doesn't have to see his girlfriend die, Ahmed covering for his brother or Amani desperately trying to rescue everyone. I love all the characters so much. 

But it's because I love Amani so much that I felt she was given a disservice with what happened at the palace. I felt that her headstrong and reckless nature was cast aside a little while she relied on others to get her out of danger. It felt very much like she was being changed into the the damsel in distress, waiting on her prince to come rescue her. And maybe that's mostly because she was kept in the harem rather than in a different part of the palace. It just felt wrong really. An injustice to this strong woman to see her dressed up and paraded around like something to be owned. 

Even so, these books are still such beautiful books and I can't wait for the next one to find out what happens next! 

My thanks go to Netgalley and Faber & Faber for providing me with this copy for review.