The Jasmine Throne
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4.4 • 108 Ratings
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
WINNER OF THE WORLD FANTASY AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF 2021 BY PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, LIBRARY JOURNAL, BOOKLIST, AND THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
A ruthless princess and a powerful priestess come together to rewrite the fate of an empire in this “fiercely and unapologetically feminist tale of endurance and revolution set against a gorgeous, unique magical world” (S. A. Chakraborty, author of the The City of Brass).
Exiled by her despotic brother, princess Malini spends her days dreaming of vengeance while imprisoned in the Hirana: an ancient cliffside temple that was once the revered source of the magical deathless waters but is now little more than a decaying ruin.
The secrets of the Hirana call to Priya. But in order to keep the truth of her past safely hidden, she works as a servant in the loathed regent’s household and cleaning Malini’s chambers.
When Malini witnesses Priya’s true nature, their destinies become irrevocably tangled. One is a ruthless princess seeking to steal a throne. The other a powerful priestess desperate to save her family. Together, they will set an empire ablaze.
Praise for The Jasmine Throne:
"Suri’s writing always brings me to another world; one full of wonders and terrors, where every detail feels intricately and carefully imagined." —R. F. Kuang, author of Babel
"Raises the bar for what epic fantasy should be." —Chloe Gong, author of These Violent Delights
"An intimate, complex, magical study of empire and the people caught in its bloody teeth. I loved it.” —Alix E. Harrow, author of The Once and Future Witches
"Suri’s incandescent feminist masterpiece hits like a steel fist inside a velvet glove. Simply magnificent." —Shelley Parker-Chan, author of She Who Became the Sun
"A fierce, heart-wrenching exploration of the value and danger of love in a world of politics and power." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Lush and stunning....Inspired by Indian epics, this sapphic fantasy will rip your heart out." —BuzzFeed News
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Suri (the Books of Ambha series) astounds with the spellbinding epic fantasy that launches her Burning Kingdoms trilogy. When Princess Malini, the sister of Parijatdvipa's Emperor Chandra, refuses to sacrifice her life to secure her ruthless brother's throne, he imprisons her in the Hirana, a treacherous labyrinthine temple in the conquered country of Ahiranya. There, Priya, an Ahiranyi temple child with secret elemental powers, acts as her maidservant. Malini plots to secure her freedom while Priya seeks to understand her own tragic past. As the pair grow closer, both must weigh their loyalty to their respective countries and people with their partnership and growing feelings for each other. The result is a fierce, heart-wrenching exploration of the value and danger of love in a world of politics and power. Though it takes time to settle into the complex magic system and extensive cast, Suri's confident and passionate prose expertly guides the reader throughout. This is a blade-sharp, triumphant start to what promises to be an exciting series.
Customer Reviews
A slow burn (pun intended)
This book is genuinely exquisite. It reminded me of reading Lord of the Rings for the first time - the joy and occasional frustration of learning about a world so entirely unknown. It took me about halfway through this book before I started to become comfortable in the vocabulary and culture of this world, but, oh my, it was worth it!
The characters in the book are so heartbreakingly real. I empathized with the three main characters in ways I don’t think I have done in other books.
My experience in reading this was that I had to struggle through the first have of the book. I felt the author chose to throw readers into the deep end rather than providing a lot of exposition to bring them along. But, the story was written so well that I could not give up. When things did come into focus for me, though, then I was all in on these women’s stories! Thus the 5 stars. Read this, but be patient - it will pay off big time!
PS - the pun relates to a major theme in the book. It is made pretty clear right at the beginning!
Gorgeous, golden world of blood and fire
Loved the complex religious and political system, detailed worldbuilding, and incredibly vivid descriptions of the deathless waters and what happens to those who enter them. The beginning of a romance between two incredibly powerful people caught in a war where neither can be free of responsibility or act only in the ways they would choose was wonderful and hope for more of it in the next books.
Wonderful read!
Beautifully built world. Wonderfully strong and smart characters. Really loved the depth of the characters. The way the world was built with the gods and religions adds so much to the story and is woven is so well. Would recommend it 100%