THE JASMINE THRONE (B PB)

I adored the book, the story, the characters everything was so perfectly written. Definitely going in my top 5!!!

“She was meant to be so much more once. She couldn’t be the person she’d been reared to be. But maybe, just maybe, she could allow herself to want just a little more than what she had. Just a little.”The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri is the first book in The Burning Kingdom trilogy. It is a desi-inspired epic fantasy which is set in the kingdom of Parijat. A kingdom ruled by a cruel emperor – Chandra. An emperor, who in the name of faith, sets women alight.It is a fantasy set in the conquered city of Ahiranya to where the emperor’s sister has been exiled for secretly preparing to overthrow the horrid ruler. It is also about a maid servant working in the regent’s mahal who usually wonders of everything she could be but isn’t, this is a maid servant with a secret.Princess Malini is cunning, smart, beautiful and manipulative. The maid servant, Priya, is kind, caring and a complete badass if the need arises. These two women who are two sides of the same coin are the main characters in this story.The story unfolds from multiple point-of-views. Chandra, Malini, Priya and many, MANY other characters. While this works to the advantage of the plot for the most part, the sheer number of characters who’s POVs have been introduced becomes tricky to keep track of at one point. A few even seemed unnecessary and their role was simply to act as a filler.As Malini’s and Priya’s destinies cross at the Hirana after Malini has been sentenced to exile for not stepping into the pyre as commanded by her evil brother, you can almost immediately begin to feel a heavy tension build-up between the two. Priya needs to keep Malini alive because she is after all the emperor’s sister and any harm to her would be devastating for her city. Malini needs to befriend Priya because she is probably the only one who will help her escape the Hirana.This builds up to an enemies-to-lovers plotline, a forbidden romance kind of epic fantasy which keeps you on your toes the entire time. They’re both morally grey, they will not shy away from using one another to get what they need, they will make the hard decisions, they will kill and they will be monstrous if they have to be. What I liked about these two characters, in fact every character in this book, is that every person knows who they are, they know the implications of their actions, and they don’t try to be nice for the sake of being nice. Once the secret is out, they do not beat around the bush trying to portray themselves as anything else but themselves.Suri has done a splendid job of depicting the politics of cities conquered by kingdoms, what it means to be fighting for what you believe in and toxic family behaviour. I enjoyed the reading experience because of the small length of the chapters, the variety of representation, the food and especially because we have women fighting in sarees!I enjoyed the intricate world building – of the city, the rose garden, the Hirana, the monastery, the sangam and even the deathless water. I didn’t initially understand the lush magic system completely but as it starts to be exposed slowly, I found it to be quite unique. The Jasmine Throne in its core is a complicated story of powerful and authentic female characters which always fun to read in any fantasy book. The only thing which did not work perfectly for me was the uneven pacing throughout the book. Though I expected that since it’s a trilogy and this is only book #1. So having said that, my final rating for the book would be 4 bookmarks out of 5.

With women of colour who love women as leads.But first about the writing. The writing is evocative and beautiful and weaves in myths and motifs from South Asia but not in the way of an imaginative retelling (like Amish Tripathi's) but in the way of a story born out of a background filled with such tales. Think Lord of the Rings (and a huger percentage of fantasy since then), set in a world that brings to mind what people thought of the European Middle Ages but not specifically European or even of this world. Suri's world is likewise set in a world that might bring to mind an ancient to medieval South Asia, but only just so. Only in symbols, folk tales, and some of the cultural items. Otherwise, this is a whole new imaginary world and a whole new story.The two protagonists are bold women who are exploring what seems to be the central question of the series. What is strength? Is strength love and the ability to provide for and protect those who love? Or is strength the ability to hurt those who harm you, or those who do not listen to you, and to keep yourself from being hurt by cutting out what love you can from your heart? Is love strength? Or is it a weakness? Is want love? (I am not entirely sure this last question would be explored, but as an ace it is a question that comes to me as I read the book.)That is not the only question explored of course.The series also considers imperialism and zealotry--which is not surprising but still creditworthy given not just our history but the contemporary times both in Britain and in South Asia--and what looks to be a complicated history of a flipped history of invasion and conquest. All that seems to be is not. At least as far as the Ahiranyi (the currently conquered) and the Yaksa are concerned.There is also the question of absolute fate. I don't know if that will be explored in depth in the series. A trilogy may not leave enough space for that. But there is a hint of it in some of the story.The secondary characters are absolute delight too. Strong and well-etched and standing independent of Malini and Priya. I love Rao, liked Prem, and am fascinated by Bhumika. Ashok's journey is cautionary and one that should be a question for everyone. Does decolonization mean, flipping the hierarchy?Best of all, as the author says in her acknowledgements: This book does make desi (and I include people resident in South Asia in it) gay women feel seen. Somewhat. I am happy about that (and to the acknowledgement).I am looking forward to the next in series.

The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri is the epic desi fantasy I’ve been waiting for my whole life. If you’ve loved Game of Thrones, The Poppy Wars, The Daevabad trilogy, then this book is for you.o A shrewd, vicious princess who refuses to burn on the pyre at the directive of her cruel emperor brother.o A maidservant whose birthright has been stolen from her.o A band of ruthless rebels, willing to do whatever it takes to free their beloved homeland from the yoke of the empire.o A mysterious aliment—a rot—that kills people by turning them into trees. Yes, trees.o An ancient temple, now in ruins, but once brimming with magic, which is as much a character as the people. A living, breathing thing.o Magic.The Jasmine Throne has all the ingredients that make for a great fantasy— morally ambiguous characters, intricate world-building, a complex political system and above all, wonderful, sensory writing. The descriptions left me breathless, no really, so much smoke!This fierce, feminist, unapologetic tale stole my heart and more. Malini and Priya will do whatever it takes to ensure their survival, even if it means making an empire burn. And fall in love in the process.