The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem

Pages: 523

Publisher: Orbit Books 

Released: 18th of July 2023 

Ten years ago, the kingdom of Jasad burned. Its magic outlawed; its royal family murdered down to the last child. At least, that’s what Sylvia wants people to believe.

The lost Heir of Jasad, Sylvia never wants to be found. She can’t think about how Nizahl’s armies laid waste to her kingdom and continue to hunt its people—not if she wants to stay alive. But when Arin, the Nizahl Heir, tracks a group of Jasadi rebels to her village, staying one step ahead of death gets trickier.

In a moment of anger Sylvia’s magic is exposed, capturing Arin’s attention. Now, to save her life, Sylvia will have to make a deal with her greatest enemy. If she helps him lure the rebels, she’ll escape persecution.

A deadly game begins. Sylvia can’t let Arin discover her identity even as hatred shifts into something more. Soon, Sylvia will have to choose between the life she wants and the one she left behind. The scorched kingdom is rising, and it needs a queen.

In this Egyptian-inspired debut fantasy, a fugitive queen strikes a deadly bargain with her greatest enemy and finds herself embroiled in a complex game that could resurrect her scorched kingdom or leave it in ashes forever.

What I Have to Say 

This book was very much not for me. It was slow, I hated the main character and the romance really creeped me out. I just don't think that there should be romance between an oppressor and the oppressed. I just couldn't get it out of my head that he was trying to wipe out her entire country.  Others may disagree but I don't think genocide has a place in romance. 

I did like the setting though. Though I kept getting a couple of the kingdoms confused because of their very similar names, it was interesting to explore each of the kingdoms through the different challenges of the contest. 

I also liked how challenging it was for her to use magic. The presence of the cuffs really changed things up. 

It ended in an interesting way, but I have no desire to read on with this series. 

2 stars 

My thanks go to Netgalley and Orbit Books for providing me with this copy for review.