Fantasy

The Jasmine Throne

The Jasmine Throne

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  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-06-19 08:51:12
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Tasha Suri
  • ISBN：0316538515
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Summary

Author of Empire of Sand and Realm of Ash Tasha Suri's The Jasmine Throne， beginning a new trilogy set in a world inspired by the history and epics of India， in which a captive princess and a maidservant in possession of forbidden magic become unlikely allies on a dark journey to save their empire from the princess's traitor brother。

Imprisoned by her dictator brother， Malini spends her days in isolation in the Hirana: an ancient temple that was once the source of the powerful， magical deathless waters — but is now little more than a decaying ruin。

Priya is a maidservant， one among several who make the treacherous journey to the top of the Hirana every night to clean Malini’s chambers。 She is happy to be an anonymous drudge， so long as it keeps anyone from guessing the dangerous secret she hides。

But when Malini accidentally bears witness to Priya’s true nature， their destinies become irrevocably tangled。 One is a vengeful princess seeking to depose her brother from his throne。 The other is a priestess seeking to find her family。 Together， they will change the fate of an empire。

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Reviews

Kara Babcock ，

Sisters are so inconvenient， right？ We’re always messing with your attempts to run an orderly， oppressive empire hostile to any religion except your own。 Best to just ship us off to some quiet， out-of-the-way prison where we can languish until we decide to jump onto a pyre like a good girl。 But， of course， there is always the possibility we will instead align ourselves with a plucky maidservant who has nascent powers granted by her culture’s nearly-exterminated religion， and then … well， that wo Sisters are so inconvenient， right？ We’re always messing with your attempts to run an orderly， oppressive empire hostile to any religion except your own。 Best to just ship us off to some quiet， out-of-the-way prison where we can languish until we decide to jump onto a pyre like a good girl。 But， of course， there is always the possibility we will instead align ourselves with a plucky maidservant who has nascent powers granted by her culture’s nearly-exterminated religion， and then … well， that would be bad。The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri intrigued me because its description just felt so fresh。 This is a fantasy novel about political intrigue and rebellion， but most of the main characters are women。 Moreover， it takes place in a fairly limited number of locations， none of which are the capital of the empire。 Throughout the story， Suri challenges our expectations of what it means to be revolutionary， and reminds us that the revolution is merely the beginning of any attempt to take back one’s land and culture。 I received an e-ARC from NetGalley courtesy of Orbit。The two principal characters are Malini， a Parijati princess， and Priya， an Ahiranyan maidservant。 Malini’s people have conquered several nations and turned them into vassals; Ahiranya itself is ruled by a Parijati regent who is sympathetic， in general， to the Ahiranyans—and he has married an Ahiranyan wife， who is our third main character—yet who nevertheless is willing to do “what’s necessary” to keep order。 The entire political situation， as well as aspects of the different cultures， is loosely based on cultures located in what is now India。 This departure from Eurocentric inspiration would by itself feel refreshing （not that Suri is unique in this， but it still isn’t common enough to feel common！）。 But it’s the dynamic between Malini and Priya， and the story that the two of them create together， that makes The Jasmine Throne stand out。Malini has led a sheltered life， and it shows。 Politically savvy， she wants to depose her brother， the Emperor Chandra， and replace him with her other brother， Aditya。 Yet she has very little idea of how exigencies in life force people to desperation。 This is a lesson she learns from Priya， a maidservant who was once something more， a child in training to be a priestess to the “Deathless Waters” of the Hirana， which just prior to the Parijati occupation were gifting children with powers that could have been， in the right （or wrong） hands， influential in the conflicts to come。 This is what Ashok wants—like Priya， he grew up in the Hirana， and he wants to wield the powers of the waters against the occupying empire。 But Ashok’s bar for “acceptable violence” is far lower。There’s a lot that can be unpacked here。 In particular， I want to focus on the ways in which each main character thinks change should be achieved。 Malini wants to build an overwhelming military force to challenge the sitting emperor。 Priya initially has very few ambitions for Ahiranya; she is just trying to survive and only ends up drawn into this conflict as a matter of survival。 Somewhere along the way， her spiritual experiences result in a shift of her perspective。 But she always opposes the militancy of Ashok， who is nearly uncompromising in his belief that violent uprising is the only way to free Ahiranya， even if it means lots of innocent people will die。 Finally， Bhumika is a mixture of the traits of these others。 She has more of a taste of power， as the regent’s wife， yet she would also avoid bloodshed if possible。 She is far more pragmatic at politics than Priya too。 All of these characters are fighting， in one way or another， for liberation。 But they also don’t always agree， and that makes for fascinating conversations and plenty of potential for betrayal。It would be easy to carve up some of these attributes along male/female lines。 This book definitely has themes related to smashing the patriarchy—the ending fairly certainly communicates this！ Yet this is not as simple as “men = aggressive” and “women = collaborative。” There’s a lot of aggression pent up in Malini and many of the other female characters， whereas some of the men are chill and not all that aggressive。 In this way， Suri challenges that patriarchy is about natural differences between how men and women interact。 It is indeed a system propped up by cultural and social constructs。 We see this even in the cultural differences between Malini and Priya。One thing I wish we had more time to explore would be the religions and cultures in the book。 We get a small amount of exposition around the nameless god， whose followers receive a ritual name that is actual a prophecy for them to fulfill。 That’s a very cool concept。 But it’s less clear to me what kind of fire deity Chandra worships。 In comparison， we learn much more about the yaksa， the Hirana， and other important parts of Ahiranyan spirituality。 However， overall I was left wanting more on that level。 Priya’s transformations， this idea of “hollowing out，” hints at something larger on a spiritual/moral level。 I wanted to understand the deep cultural divides and how they might have shaped someone like Chandra into a tyrant and left such a mark on Malini。On the other hand， I enjoyed that we never visited the capital except in flashbacks。 It’s cool how all this action is taking place on the edges of the empire， rebellion brewing from discontent and malcontents。 Suri captures the way that sprawling dominions can be fractious and hard to fully control: even when you sound out representatives， those representatives often have a difficult time enforcing your will。I’m loath to comment on the romantic subplot given my aromantic tendencies and how much I tend not to pay attention to these things。 Basically， you’ve got a lovely women-loving-women love story here， and there is definitely some payoff near the end （but it is not， let me be clear， a happily-ever-after type of romance）。 If that’s your thing， this book will not disappoint on that level。My final nitpick？ This book felt very long as an ebook。 I’m not sure that’s anything Suri has done here; I think long books in general feel longer on e-readers。 However， I suspect that this book’s pacing is in general rather slow。 Suri takes her time developing each character and bringing them together， and maybe in my impatience I was hoping that would happen faster。All in all， I’m very glad I picked up The Jasmine Throne。 Will I read the sequel？ Not sure yet。 But I heartily recommend this book for anyone who wants something different in their fantasy， who wants a romance between women， who wants a story that’s a little different。Originally posted on Kara。Reviews， where you can easily browse all my reviews and subscribe to my newsletter。 。。。more

angie ，

3。5/4

Stefanie ，

4。5 and a phenomenal start to a new series。 For folks who've read Suri's Books of Ambha （and you should， they are great） - this is something different entirely。 Yes， it's still a wildly creative high fantasy setting， but we are in multiple perspectives and plotlines and this story moves。 Plus as you've probably heard by now: it stars two legit knife-wielding lesbians HOORAY！First off， the world: in this India-inspired story， Parijatdvipa is a country of six united lands。 Its ruling family is bas 4。5 and a phenomenal start to a new series。 For folks who've read Suri's Books of Ambha （and you should， they are great） - this is something different entirely。 Yes， it's still a wildly creative high fantasy setting， but we are in multiple perspectives and plotlines and this story moves。 Plus as you've probably heard by now: it stars two legit knife-wielding lesbians HOORAY！First off， the world: in this India-inspired story， Parijatdvipa is a country of six united lands。 Its ruling family is based in Parijat， and another of these five lands， Ahiranya， has a history of being violently put down because certain supernatural creatures called yaksa wanted to take over， and imbued their followers with powers that were considered inhuman。 Parijat is full of lighter-skinned people， and Ahiranya is full of darker-skinned people and yes， colorism is a thing here。The two main characters， Priya and Malini， embody these two positions。 Priya is a maidservant with a past she's been avoiding - she was a temple daughter of the yaksa followers， before disaster came for them。 Malini is a princess that has earned the ire of her slightly older brother Chandra， the current ruler of Parijatdvipa， due to his religious fervor。 As the story begins， she's sent as punishment to Ahiranya to be locked up in the Hirana temple - where Priya is just starting to work。Priya's got to grapple with her past - which involves reaching some kind of detente with Ashok， the temple brother who raised her and now leads rebels for Ahiranya's freedom， and Bhumika， the temple sister who married the imported leader of Ahiranya， Vikram。 Meanwhile Malini is struggling to be free of her drugged imprisonment - and continue her revenge against Chandra， and her plots to see her eldest brother Aditya to the throne。All this just really glances the surface of what's going on in this story that truly deserves to be called "epic。" There's a lot in here about religion and belief， fate versus choice， and when and how to be softhearted versus ruthless - which is classic stuff - but there's also Suri's development of Ahiranyan religion / yaksa powers， which is like nothing I've ever read before。 For one thing a lot of the story involves "the rot" - which is essentially people with plants growing under their skin。 Why？？ We don't know， but what an image！There is a love story here， between Priya and Malini， and perhaps I'm spoiled by reading romances but I would have been happier to have the heat level on that dialed up a bit， lol。 I also think it would have landed more strongly if I could have seen the scenes - you have to read a lot into what's happening between them in the writing of the buildup， I felt。Nonetheless this book ends with decisive change for all the major characters。 Folks have leveled up or been pushed off the stage。 It's such a great setup for book two。 Which I will be eagerly reading！ 。。。more

Bryony ，

A big thank you to Netgalley， publishers: Little Brown Book Group UK and Orbit， and to the author， Tasha Suri， for providing me with an arc in exchange for an unbiased and honest review。 I'm just sorry assignments got in the way of my reading and I missed the publishing date。The Jasmine Throne is the first in a series about a morally grey princess - Malini， and maidservant - Priya。 The princess is kept prisoner， isolated by her vindictive emperor brother to live in a temple whose magical bearing A big thank you to Netgalley， publishers: Little Brown Book Group UK and Orbit， and to the author， Tasha Suri， for providing me with an arc in exchange for an unbiased and honest review。 I'm just sorry assignments got in the way of my reading and I missed the publishing date。The Jasmine Throne is the first in a series about a morally grey princess - Malini， and maidservant - Priya。 The princess is kept prisoner， isolated by her vindictive emperor brother to live in a temple whose magical bearing inhabitants he ordered to be murdered。 But one of its inhabitants survived and is hiding as a maidservant in a wealthy household and they meet and ENEMIES TO LOVERS！！* Thank you so much Tasha for the sapphic enemies to lovers I've been waiting for！*There is， of course， much more to the story than that but I live for this trope。I loved the politics in the story （if you know me you know I love anything with fantastic politics） and the character work - it's not only the main characters that are interesting - secondaries and tertiaries are given a real personality and motivations。 I love this because it's where so many good books fall down。The magic system is unique and interesting and set in the most interesting world I've read for a while。 A big thank you to Netgalley， publishers Little Brown Book Group Uk and Orbit and， of course to Tasha Suri - the author for providing me with an arc in exchange for an unbiased and honest review。 I'm just sorry assignments got in the way of my reading and I missed the publishing date。The writing was very visual and I could really see the Hirana in my mind's eye。 The only real issue I had was the pace of the story。 It was a bit slow for me at times， especially in the beginning of the second half but then I am used to fast-moving storylines and as I was reading this alongside my teaching practice I didn't read it half as fast as I would've liked。 The chemistry between the two main characters （Priya and Malini） is incredible。 The moments between them are so real and relatable。 I would have liked to have seen more of an inner struggle exploring the princess/pauper part of the relationship。I highly recommend this book to fans of fantasy， politics， and well-written sapphic representation。 This was my first book by Tasha Suri and it will not be my last。 I'm over the moon that there is a whole other series ready for me to read！ 。。。more

Surbhi Sinha ，

“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 cit “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。I received an e-ARC of this book from Orbit Books and Caffeine Book Tours as part of my participation in their tour。 This did not impact my review in any way， all views are my own。 。。。more

Milena Nová ，

When I read Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri， I was stunned by how gripping and so easy to read her book was。 She immediately became one of my favorite authors and I simply couldn't miss the opportunity to read The Jasmine Throne， since I knew that I would love this book just at the moment when I read the synopsis。 Surprise， surprise， I was not wrong。 The Jasmine Throne is the first book in new fantasy series and I can tell you， it will literally blow your mind up。 The book follows the story of Mali When I read Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri， I was stunned by how gripping and so easy to read her book was。 She immediately became one of my favorite authors and I simply couldn't miss the opportunity to read The Jasmine Throne， since I knew that I would love this book just at the moment when I read the synopsis。 Surprise， surprise， I was not wrong。 The Jasmine Throne is the first book in new fantasy series and I can tell you， it will literally blow your mind up。 The book follows the story of Malini and Priya， two morally grey characters that come from different parts of society。 Malini is an imprisoned princess， only a shadow of the girl she was before。 She was brought into an ancient temple so she could be isolated from the world outside。 But there was something that no one could expect。 Better said， someone。 Priya， a servant who has to clean Malini's chambers。 She seems ordinary， but that's far from the truth。 She has a dangerous secret， that will be soon revealed to Malini's eyes。 Secret， that could change their world and lives。 The main characters of Jasmine Throne have both unique and strong personalities。 And though Priya was my favorite character so far， I think that it's Malini who has the biggest potential to become a character loved by readers。 The romance in this book is the perfect example of slow-burn。 There's only a hint of it throughout the whole book， so if you're not a big fan of romance， Jasmine Throne will be perfect for you。 The way Malini and Priya found their way to each other hearts was so sweet and innocent。 Especially the ending left me heartbroken in a good way。 I wanted to read more and see how will their relationship develop。 Though it's impossible for now， it made me want to read the sequel as soon as possible，The story was very easy to read thanks to the author's great writing， however， I still found one thing I had a problem with。 There were quite a lot of points of view in this book and though I enjoyed most of them， some weren't just as interesting as others。 Personally， I would prefer if there were only a few of them， so the story would have better pacing。Overall， The Jasmine Throne was a wonderful LGBT+ book with an intriguing story， strong and diverse characters， and an ending that left me wanting more and more！ I am very excited to read the sequel for this book， and until then， I can only hope that it will be soon！ And in the meantime， you should read this book， it's on the top of my women love women recommendations！Thank you to Little， Brown Book Group UK， and Net Galley for an arc in exchange for an honest review！ 。。。more

Leanne Mullaney ，

“she could make herself into something monstrous。 she could be a creature born of poison and pyre， flame and blood。”Let me start by saying this book had taken me sooooooo long to read， whilst it was immediately intriguing it was also extremely slow moving and I just couldn't seem to get that want to pick it up 。。。 maybe it was the political feel or I just wasn't in the right mood， I don't know （Im leaning towards th latter） 。。。 In the end I switched to the audiobook so that I could spend more ti “she could make herself into something monstrous。 she could be a creature born of poison and pyre， flame and blood。”Let me start by saying this book had taken me sooooooo long to read， whilst it was immediately intriguing it was also extremely slow moving and I just couldn't seem to get that want to pick it up 。。。 maybe it was the political feel or I just wasn't in the right mood， I don't know （Im leaning towards th latter） 。。。 In the end I switched to the audiobook so that I could spend more time with it each time I picked it up， rather than having to constantly put it down to deal with the kids， the house the husband or whatever and then not have the push to pick it back up 。。。 this worked （woooo！！） and before I knew it I was swept into the story and ended up really enjoying it 。。。 it turned out to be quite the astounding read so I am so glad I persevered！ I can definitely see why so many have loved it。The writing was beautiful and so vividly descriptive 。。。 the world-building was fantastic 。。。 and the characters amazing （They are the kind of characters that will steal your heart and then try to stab you in it but you won't be able to not just love them anyway！！） The characters were definitely the biggest strength in this for me 。。 they kept me going at the start 。。。 so complex， messy and intriguing 。。。 and I loved the dynamics between Priya and Malini。If it wasn't for the fact I struggled so much at the start I would have given this 5 stars！ The audiobook definitely saved this one for me。Overall， a recommend read， a great epic fantasy 。。 I also recommend switching to the audio version if you find yourself struggling like I did。Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC of this one in exchange for an honest review 。。 and to audible for the free credit so I could switch over。 。。。more

Architha | thebookishdweeb ，

Which fictional world would you wish to live in？"Love。 As if love excused everything。 As if the knowledge that he was cruel and vicious and willing to harm her made her heart ache any less"The Hirana。 Once called the high temple。 A place of pilgrimage， faith and magic。 Turned into a prison。'The Jasmine Throne' is an enrapturing tale of kingdoms， emperors， mystic elements and most importantly， feminism。 Priya， a maidservant with a horrifying secret meets Malini， an imprisoned princess; what happe Which fictional world would you wish to live in？"Love。 As if love excused everything。 As if the knowledge that he was cruel and vicious and willing to harm her made her heart ache any less"The Hirana。 Once called the high temple。 A place of pilgrimage， faith and magic。 Turned into a prison。'The Jasmine Throne' is an enrapturing tale of kingdoms， emperors， mystic elements and most importantly， feminism。 Priya， a maidservant with a horrifying secret meets Malini， an imprisoned princess; what happens next is a mystery by itself。With multiple important characters and POVs， this story is an epic by itself。 An epic story of dynasties made and burnt; a rebellion on its way against a tyrant ruler。There are so many things to look out for in this book。 The huge amount of thought given for the amazing fictional world created， the character arcs， the subtle tribute to Indian mythology and the female superiority are just some of them。Long， but definitely worth it！ 。。。more

Bailey Rox ，

Have you ever read a book， love it， get swept away in the story， can't wait to turn the next page and know more about the intriguing tale？ When you finally met the last page you feel a little bit hollow， like you can't wait to read the sequel。 And reading the other book feel a inadequate cause you will compare it to this book you like。This book has that effect for me。 I read it in one day （okay it's night， since I can't sleep while reading this）。 After I finish it I just have no appetite to read Have you ever read a book， love it， get swept away in the story， can't wait to turn the next page and know more about the intriguing tale？ When you finally met the last page you feel a little bit hollow， like you can't wait to read the sequel。 And reading the other book feel a inadequate cause you will compare it to this book you like。This book has that effect for me。 I read it in one day （okay it's night， since I can't sleep while reading this）。 After I finish it I just have no appetite to read the other book。 I want it's sequel！！I have weakness of fantasy book， proper epic fantasy and this book is amazing in that aspect。 All the intriguing and new world for me to explore。 Interesting new character that have their struggle， their strength， weakness and moral。 I really love it。 The only thing that I don't like about this book is I will want more and more of it， and it will make me compare another book that I will read after this 。。。more

Katherine Hieber ，

I am unequivocally in love with this book。

Katherine Gardner ，

Fantastic！I couldn’t put this book down。 Great characters and world building。 I was invested even in the characters I didn’t like。 Can’t wait for #2！

maddie 🌒 ，

Thank you to Orbit for the e-arc！ ✨ 4。25 stars ✨ There is only the moment when power is placed in your hands， and there is one truth: either you take the power and wield it， or someone else will。 And perhaps they will not be as kind to you and yours。" Tasha Suri's The Jasmine Throne is special。 It is honey and sap catching the light， a spark glinting in the darkness。 This sapphic， Indian-inspired epic fantasy fills such a gap in the high fantasy genre， and I could not be happier。 When I say this Thank you to Orbit for the e-arc！ ✨ 4。25 stars ✨ There is only the moment when power is placed in your hands， and there is one truth: either you take the power and wield it， or someone else will。 And perhaps they will not be as kind to you and yours。" Tasha Suri's The Jasmine Throne is special。 It is honey and sap catching the light， a spark glinting in the darkness。 This sapphic， Indian-inspired epic fantasy fills such a gap in the high fantasy genre， and I could not be happier。 When I say this fantasy is epic - it is truly epic。 With ten different point of views （with a heavy emphasis on four or five of them） we are introduced to a vast world with people who have different motives， wants， and desires。 Every time I step away from epic fantasy and step back into it， I remember just how much I love seeing different point of views， especially seeing them come together and then come apart again， and how actions have consequences in the fragile structure of the world that is set up。 This book was super successful in giving multiple point of views - no two people felt the same， and no one was "good" or "bad"。 Everyone had reasons for why they acted how they did， and it was too easy to feel for everyone whose point of view we got。 I will say though， that I think 10 was a bit too much。 Sometimes I'd be flying through the book， invested in the characters I was familiar with and the next chapter would be a completely new point of view who we only got a few times， or just once。 It kinda brought me out of the story a little bit and interrupted the flow of reading。 This world is so fascinating， and each new piece of world-building we got felt like candy。 The author's prose made this fantasy novel come alive - "When she woke it was evening， the air velvety with dying warmth。" "All he had felt from her had been impressions， as muddled as light through monsoon rain。" And don't even get me STARTED on this romance。 Monstrous， powerful women being unnaturally tender， building up and tearing down their walls in a single glance？ Shadows hiding words spoken only to the dark。 Let me just leave these words do the talking: "In the spill of sunlight， her eyes were warm brown， her lashes more gold than black。" "That voice。 The rasp of it。 That mouth， shaping words in the semidark。" Last thing I will say is that what I admired most about this book was the diversity of women。 For so long， I feel like we only got powerful women （literally）。 It was like women only were strong if they knew how to fight。 （Which， don't get me wrong - love my warrior women。 Step on me。） We got so many diverse female perspectives in this novel - some powerful with their connection to the earth spirits， who could manipulate the earth。 Some were politicians， their strength lying in the whip of their words。 Some were trying to be tender。 But all of these women were underestimated， and I absolutely love that for them。 It's so good to see。 Can't wait to read the sequel and see more of these characters I've grown attached to！ 。。。more

Caroline ，

An absolutely incredible start to a series that ultimately fizzled out。 The world building here is honestly first rate。。。。unfortunately that is all the author really managed to accomplish。 While each volume in a series doesn't necessarily need to stand alone， it not only felt as if the author didn't try， the entire book reads like a prologue。 There is no real climax here and every single page of the FIVE HUNDRED+ page manuscript is just building towards the next book。 Which is unfortunate becaus An absolutely incredible start to a series that ultimately fizzled out。 The world building here is honestly first rate。。。。unfortunately that is all the author really managed to accomplish。 While each volume in a series doesn't necessarily need to stand alone， it not only felt as if the author didn't try， the entire book reads like a prologue。 There is no real climax here and every single page of the FIVE HUNDRED+ page manuscript is just building towards the next book。 Which is unfortunate because Suri's intricate world building， complex characters， and realistic， complicated relationships deserve a higher rating than the basic， bare minimum， snail's pace plot drags this book down too。 I am interested in reading the sequel， but find recommending this book a challenge until I see if the NEXT book is worth it。 。。。more

Ffion ，

I'm really glad this met my expectations I'm really glad this met my expectations 。。。more

Anna ，

I’d never read any Tasha Suri books before so when I got the chance to read a NetGalley eARC in exchange for an honest review I was intrigued。 The first in an epic fantasy series based on a different cultural structure？ Suri’s writing delivers beautifully on the world-building， the rot plaguing the people， rebellion in a conquered nation， an empire that isn’t very happy with itself， and different religious beliefs influencing characters too。 There’s a lot going on but it all feels believable and I’d never read any Tasha Suri books before so when I got the chance to read a NetGalley eARC in exchange for an honest review I was intrigued。 The first in an epic fantasy series based on a different cultural structure？ Suri’s writing delivers beautifully on the world-building， the rot plaguing the people， rebellion in a conquered nation， an empire that isn’t very happy with itself， and different religious beliefs influencing characters too。 There’s a lot going on but it all feels believable and structured， elements feed coherently into each other。I like the way the characters are complicated， morally grey and not dominated by their feelings or solely motivated by duty。 There is a touch of romance but anyone who doesn’t like relationship stuff in books will have nothing to worry about here， and anyone who does can read into it as much as they like。 The trouble was I didn’t much mind， which is why I couldn’t give this book 4 stars。 I loved some of the observations that came up in the story and the way different strengths are shown， acknowledged and/or denied in the way people do in real life。 I like the way the women found their strength and I appreciated the lack of the big bad villainous emperor’s perspective - there are several points of view in third person all used well for storytelling purposes。 I just didn’t connect， which is not the fault of the book and will vary from reader to reader。‘The Jasmine Throne’ is the thoughtful kind of fantasy with an awareness of the conversations that are going on today。 It doesn’t exoticise it’s setting， it simply is and does not apologise。 Characters apologise （or don’t） for the way they are or their behaviour， and sometimes they should but just as often they are called out on it because they shouldn’t。 And even though it was slow going， she had prophecies and fate in there but avoided the really annoying chosen one trope！ There is a maturity here that infuses the whole story and the way fantasy is hopefully heading with authors like Tasha Suri。 。。。more

Sajal ，

3。5 I genuinely considered not rating this book because I don't know how to。 I've been a Tasha Suri fan ever since reading her The Books of Ambha duology and I knew that I wouldn't regret reading this。 。。。And I didn't。 This reading experience wasn't what I imagined it would be - more on this later - but this Indian-folklore fantasy world was just so captivating。 Maybe it's because I'm desi and can understand the references and nuances， but I loved visualizing this world。The descriptions， the peo 3。5 I genuinely considered not rating this book because I don't know how to。 I've been a Tasha Suri fan ever since reading her The Books of Ambha duology and I knew that I wouldn't regret reading this。 。。。And I didn't。 This reading experience wasn't what I imagined it would be - more on this later - but this Indian-folklore fantasy world was just so captivating。 Maybe it's because I'm desi and can understand the references and nuances， but I loved visualizing this world。The descriptions， the people， the culture， everything was so rich。 It should come as no surprise that Suri's female characters were all complex and human。 As much as I enjoyed Priya and Malini， I do have to admit that my favourite character here was Bhumika。 I LOVED HER SO MUCH。 She's the type of person that we don't typically see in SFF - a pregnant female character （view spoiler）[who leads a double life， manages and runs everything behind the scene and is also extremely powerful （hide spoiler）]。 *Chef's kiss* But where this book didn't work for me was the actual pacing。 The first 25% of this story was very slow。 I expected this to be another slow-burn fantasy， similar to Suri's other series， but even after the 50% mark， it still stayed relatively slow。 That was when I realized that this wasn't the kind of book that I could binge-read in a day or two。 The plot didn't reach the level of excitement and action that I expected until the last 20%， and by the time I reached that， I was ready to move on to a different story。 。。。more

Eule Luftschloss ，

trigger warning（view spoiler）[ being drugged， trauma， death by fire， child death， terminal illness， going through withdrawal （hide spoiler）]Malini is ordered to be held captive in a temple that saw a bloodbath not too long ago by her brother， the emperor。 Priya is a maidservant， who volunteers for a position in said temple， because something draws her to it。This is high fantasy but based on Indian mythology， and the setting fits as well。 While I don't know much about Indian folklore and religio trigger warning（view spoiler）[ being drugged， trauma， death by fire， child death， terminal illness， going through withdrawal （hide spoiler）]Malini is ordered to be held captive in a temple that saw a bloodbath not too long ago by her brother， the emperor。 Priya is a maidservant， who volunteers for a position in said temple， because something draws her to it。This is high fantasy but based on Indian mythology， and the setting fits as well。 While I don't know much about Indian folklore and religion apart from reading the first Aru Shah book， and I don't doubt that you'll get more from it if you know and can place certain aspects， I enjoyed the deep dive into this world very much。Don't get me wrong， Tolkien's works will always be among my favourites， sometimes it feels like everybody just wants to copy that instead of crafting on their own， and it can get exhausting。 Also， I am sure that there are many readers who will feel seen by this work， an experience I wish everybody to have。 And， you know， pandemic and being a student both mean no travel possible， so I take what I can get。The writing is beautiful， the characters are not only three dimensional but capable of growth。 They're all flawed， and actions have consequences that must be faced。I loved this。 I want to read on。 The ending upsets me simply because I don't want to stop at this point。The arc was provided by the publisher。 。。。more

Kira ，

Very entertaining read！ Vibrant cast of characters and rich magical backgrounds to the world made for an interesting book。 I do hope we get to learn more about the world’s history in the next book！ Really enjoyed reading this one。

drey ，

Tasha Suri’s The Jasmine Throne is epic fantasy with Indian influences。 And it’s fabulous！Complex world-building？ Check。 Mad overlord to overthrow？ Check。 Quest for freedom？ Check。 Weird plant growth threatening people’s lives？ Check。 Political intrigue and double-crosses？ Check。 Choosing between evil and also-evil？ Check。The Jasmine Throne is slow getting to the action， but spends that time building up the backstory and introducing all the characters。 We meet Priya， who survived a massacre atte Tasha Suri’s The Jasmine Throne is epic fantasy with Indian influences。 And it’s fabulous！Complex world-building？ Check。 Mad overlord to overthrow？ Check。 Quest for freedom？ Check。 Weird plant growth threatening people’s lives？ Check。 Political intrigue and double-crosses？ Check。 Choosing between evil and also-evil？ Check。The Jasmine Throne is slow getting to the action， but spends that time building up the backstory and introducing all the characters。 We meet Priya， who survived a massacre attempt somewhat accidentally。 Malini， who’s sent to her punishment in an abandoned temple with an overzealous companion。 Bhumika， who makes a political marriage and uses her influence to help save her people。 And so on。 And as they get involved in plots that threaten their nation’s security – and their lives – these women do what they can to survive with as many of their people as they can。The best part of The Jasmine Throne isn’t just the layers paying homage to Indian culture， it’s that its heroines are women and girls who step up to the plate when called upon。 They don’t sit around simpering and weeping， waiting for the menfolk to fix things。 They grab their weapons and their magic and sally forth。 In a patriarchal world that expects nothing of their women， much less that they’d be riding （figuratively） to the rescue。 Note: Yes， there are men， and no they aren’t all idiots or useless; the focus just happens to be on the women。 And how refreshing that is！In addition to all of the above， The Jasmine Throne also features a female/female romance。 If that’s not your thing， too bad as you’ll be missing out on a lot of other good stuff。 Add this to your TBR pile for some heavier-than-beach-reading this summer！drey’s rating: Excellent！ 。。。more

hiba ，

my first desi sapphic adult fantasy and it's a success god bless。 first of all， this book has the prettiest， most beautiful writing ever and it's also really easy to read。 the way tasha suri was able to bring her world to life with such intricately written， vivid imagery is a gift， i'm in awe。 the worldbuilding is so rich and immersive， definitely one of the strongest aspects of this book。 i love the nature magic and how it served as a metaphor for reclaiming your colonized land， especially towa my first desi sapphic adult fantasy and it's a success god bless。 first of all， this book has the prettiest， most beautiful writing ever and it's also really easy to read。 the way tasha suri was able to bring her world to life with such intricately written， vivid imagery is a gift， i'm in awe。 the worldbuilding is so rich and immersive， definitely one of the strongest aspects of this book。 i love the nature magic and how it served as a metaphor for reclaiming your colonized land， especially towards the end。 the blending of religion， faith， imperialism and fantasy is just so well done。 also， i loved that the author showed how ahiranya had an open， accepting culture before parijati imperialism brought in an extreme form of homophobia and misogyny。 i appreciated the depiction of colonialism as something that not only physically takes over a land but also destroys its culture， religion and history。 i admit， priya and malini's slow-burn romance took me a bit of time to get invested into but once i did， i was all in。 i really enjoyed the angsty， fierce push and pull dynamic between them， how passionate yet gentle they were with each other。as for the side characters， bhumika is a standout and basically my favorite character。 she's the embodiment of the women whose stories get erased in history - the pregnant wife of a general， kept sheltered away from politics。 i loved seeing her true self slowly get revealed over the course of the story。 unfortunately the other side characters， namely the men， were pretty forgettable to me。 i also had issues with the pacing， the book was too long for me at times and i wish there was a bit more action and dramatic moments to balance things out， things were a little too slow and steady。 plus， i think there was a bit of mismarketing around this book - these lesbians are not morally grey i'm afraid。 priya is literally the opposite of a morally grey character。 i guess you could argue malini is but none of her actions are that bad in relation to everything else that happens in the story。 the author really tried to sell malini as this dark， potentially monstrous person but honestly， i didn't buy it。 apart from that， this is a really solid first book in an epic fantasy trilogy and i'm looking forward to the sequel。 rep: indian coded world + cast， indian lesbian mcscws: homophobia， suicidal ideation， immolation， self-mutilation， familial abuse， body horror， drug use 。。。more

kc ，

SO FUCKING GOOD？ probably the best book ive read this year。。。im in love with everything especially the writing style

Pretty Little Bibliophile ，

👑The Jasmine Throne👑By Tasha Suri @tashasuri🙌7 reasons why you need to read #TheJasmineThrone 🙌🌻Women in saris🌻Morally-grey characters and sapphic leads！🌻The food🌻Traditional and religious beliefs🌻The architecture （havelis， temples， pleasure houses etc！）🌻THE WATERFALL WET SARI SCENE 👀🌻Women rising against the patriarchy！🙌You can read the full review here。The Jasmine Throne was in my most-anticipated releases of 2021 and I was so happy that I could participate in the blog tour！ I was intrigued fr 👑The Jasmine Throne👑By Tasha Suri @tashasuri🙌7 reasons why you need to read #TheJasmineThrone 🙌🌻Women in saris🌻Morally-grey characters and sapphic leads！🌻The food🌻Traditional and religious beliefs🌻The architecture （havelis， temples， pleasure houses etc！）🌻THE WATERFALL WET SARI SCENE 👀🌻Women rising against the patriarchy！🙌You can read the full review here。The Jasmine Throne was in my most-anticipated releases of 2021 and I was so happy that I could participate in the blog tour！ I was intrigued from the beginning and I have to say， I loved every bit of it！ And so I also attempted to do a #booksasoutfits inspired by it！The Jasmine Throne is set in a world much inspired by medieval India and along with the author’s spellbinding imagination and writing， the end product was a novel I was not going to forget anytime soon！We follow the two protagonists Malini， an exiled princess of the kingdom， and Priya， a maidservant who is tasked to take care of her。 But not all is as it seems。 Behind the now drug-addled mind of Malini， there was once a sharp wit and Priya was once a temple child。Apart from them， there are a host of other characters – princes， rebels， lords， and ladies， all of whom play various major and minor roles in the culmination of this story。I especially love how the author included myths and legends from our own stories and alluded to them often in the book。 It was like coming across Easter Eggs that really made me， as an Indian person， feel represented and alive！ The world-building was definitely one of the best points about the book， if not the best。 I loved how an entire nation was conjured up by Tasha Suri’s imagination and was given life to。 The romance was thrillingly slow-burn and it kept me on the edge of my seat。 From princess/maid dynamics to allies to lovers， it was a long ride and I was rooting from them throughout。I received an ARC of this book from @orbitbooks and @caffeinetours as part of my participation in their tour。 #JasmineThroneTour #CaffeineBookTours 。。。more

ruined blooms ，

（2。5 stars）I think this had lots of potential but probably needed to be edited more thoroughly （it's quite hefty at 532 pages）。 I ended up skimming more than half of the book towards the end because the writing in this book was okay at best （I prefer to devote my time to books with good writing） but I still wanted to do my best and support and author of colour's books especially because it featured lesbians。It had a really promising start so I'm disappointed that I'm rating it only 3 stars。 The （2。5 stars）I think this had lots of potential but probably needed to be edited more thoroughly （it's quite hefty at 532 pages）。 I ended up skimming more than half of the book towards the end because the writing in this book was okay at best （I prefer to devote my time to books with good writing） but I still wanted to do my best and support and author of colour's books especially because it featured lesbians。It had a really promising start so I'm disappointed that I'm rating it only 3 stars。 The plot was very muddled， the worldbuilding was kinda messy， the implications and the sheer horror of having plants grow within you wasn't really explored， and the writing was mediocre at best （and sometimes included several colloquialisms）。 I'm still confused with regards to how Ahiranya's only source of attraction and income is its pleasure houses and that it has nothing else to offer （keep in mind that it's a whole state）。 The male characters were the most disappointing and tedious to read about but the female POVs were really fun。I'd still recommend this to people looking for lgbt fantasy that isn't white because it was very refreshing to read a story set in a non-european setting and Malini and Priya have great chemistry。 。。。more

Paige Amelia ，

DNF @ 84%

KinkyCurlyNerdy ，

This book was so incredibly gorgeous！ The unique and magical setting was beautifully crafted， the characters were flawed and were easy to fall in love with and the politics were not heavy but just enough to get you fully engaged。 As a forest lover， I was completely stunned by the magical forests， forest-bending and the morbid yet interesting concept of being rot-riven。 I wanted to make sure to take this book slow and enjoy the ride， because I knew I was going to devour this in a matter of 3 days This book was so incredibly gorgeous！ The unique and magical setting was beautifully crafted， the characters were flawed and were easy to fall in love with and the politics were not heavy but just enough to get you fully engaged。 As a forest lover， I was completely stunned by the magical forests， forest-bending and the morbid yet interesting concept of being rot-riven。 I wanted to make sure to take this book slow and enjoy the ride， because I knew I was going to devour this in a matter of 3 days！ And course my lovely and beautiful Sapphic couple， Malini and Priya。 Their romance was a breath of fresh air with waterfall kisses and gently brushing each others hair。 Definitely one of the best reads so far this year！ Perfect for fans who will have clear reader hangovers from massive trilogies such as the Poppy War and City of Brass 。。。more

Eric ，

Loved Tasha Suri's previous books， and this was just as good。 Her settings are such a breath of fresh air in fantasy。 Loved Tasha Suri's previous books， and this was just as good。 Her settings are such a breath of fresh air in fantasy。 。。。more

Gigi ，

DNF @ Chapter 23 （of 70）Oof I wanted to love this one but sadly， I couldn't finish it。 Incredibly slow moving， uninteresting/underdeveloped characters and the inclusion of POVs that felt unnecessary。 A lot of reviews mention that the story picks up in the second half but I just couldn't power through。 DNF @ Chapter 23 （of 70）Oof I wanted to love this one but sadly， I couldn't finish it。 Incredibly slow moving， uninteresting/underdeveloped characters and the inclusion of POVs that felt unnecessary。 A lot of reviews mention that the story picks up in the second half but I just couldn't power through。 。。。more

Janya ，

I know I took forever to get through this book but it was really， really good。 Also I would give my life for Rukh。 Anyway。 This book was really good and I am excited to read the next book in this series。

Anjali （bookstersisters） ，

As soon as I heard this was an Indian inspired adult fantasy I was hooked。 Malini is an exiled princess who spents her days in isolation， plotting against her brother， in the ancient temple of Hirana with its unsettling past and wild magic that lingers even after its Keepers have long since died。 Priya is the maid servant with a secret past assigned to take care of Malini。 But a chance encounter between the two act as a catalyst for the cataclysmic events to come。 I was drawn into the story from As soon as I heard this was an Indian inspired adult fantasy I was hooked。 Malini is an exiled princess who spents her days in isolation， plotting against her brother， in the ancient temple of Hirana with its unsettling past and wild magic that lingers even after its Keepers have long since died。 Priya is the maid servant with a secret past assigned to take care of Malini。 But a chance encounter between the two act as a catalyst for the cataclysmic events to come。 I was drawn into the story from the very first page。 It started out brilliantly and kept me engaged。 There was all these lush descriptions of the forests and intringuing little insights into the magic systems， the different characters with their own secret agendas。 It was all exciting for a while。 But then the pace started to lag。 A lot of things were happening but the magic system remained vague and the true reasons for the characters actions or beliefs remained hidden。 So it took me long time to get to the halfway mark of the book。 But the second half makes up for all of it bu being spectacular 。 The magic system gets more structure， the world building， the description of the attires as well as the food had me drooling， the atmosphere with the plant magic was creepy， the grey shades of the characters got well defined and the all the different plot lines were finally moving in the same direction。 The last 20-30% of the book had me sitting at the edge of my seat， fueled by adrenaline， getting goosebumps and having the bestest time reading about these amazing complex characters。 I was so charged and so full of emotions and literally crying at the end， basically going through the full gamut of human emotions 。 It was a truly spectacular ride at the end and I cannot wait for the sequel！！ The characters were so brilliantly layered， each and every one of them。 Although Malini and Priya are the main protagonists it was Bhumika who owns me。 She was one of the bestest characters I have read in recent times。 The delicious slow burn romance between Malini and Priya was another huge plus in the book。 All in all， my complaints of uneven pace quickly got corrected， and other than that there’s absolutely nothing to deter you from reading this book。 Pick it up for the lush world building， creepy plant magic and the greyest most complex characters and a slowburn sapphic romance。 Highly recommended！！ 。。。more

Kathrine ，

2/5Not a bad book， but nothing about this engaged meI don't really know why I didn't like this。 I just couldn't get into anything that was happening。 Maybe that's because I just read a book with a similar plot， but this just tired me out。 Me having to force myself to read is always a bad sign。 The writing is alright， the characters are okay， and the plot is serviceable。 On a reread， if I'm in the mood for this kind of story， this would be a stable 3。 But again， I had to force myself to finish th 2/5Not a bad book， but nothing about this engaged meI don't really know why I didn't like this。 I just couldn't get into anything that was happening。 Maybe that's because I just read a book with a similar plot， but this just tired me out。 Me having to force myself to read is always a bad sign。 The writing is alright， the characters are okay， and the plot is serviceable。 On a reread， if I'm in the mood for this kind of story， this would be a stable 3。 But again， I had to force myself to finish this。 I don't really have much to say about this book at all。 The setting is interesting， it had a strong start， and I really like Priya。 Apart from that， I felt absolutely nothing。 This had too many pov characters that I didn't care about， and this was very clearly the first book in a series: the plot probably gets going in the sequel， but I have no interest in continuing。I'd like to emphasize again that I don't think this is a bad book， but it didn't have many good qualities either。 The romance was also lackluster， Priya and Malini had no chemistry at all， so I had no reason to keep reading， since I just wasn't invested in anyone。 Please don't ask me the names of the other characters， I couldn't name them if I tried。Overall， yeah。 I can see why people might enjoy this， and I might too someday， but for now， this was a complete and utter bore， and I'm disappointed。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Jasmine Throne

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Jasmine Throne&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Jasmine Throne&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0