Week 20 Review: The Jasad Heir

From Goodreads:

In this Egyptian-inspired 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.

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.

My Review:
I absolutely loved reading this book! I've been interested in reading it for a while, but just didn't have a chance to pick it up. And then book 2 was on NetGalley, and I got it, so I had to read this one first. I'm so glad that I picked it up, because it was fantastic to read!

The writing was wonderful, beautiful with a flair for the dramatic which was so entertaining to read. The way things were said was eloquent, and I wish I could write these reviews with such a mastery of prose, but alas, my reviews are simple and repetitive. 

I really enjoyed getting to know these characters. Sylvia is hot-headed and chaos incarnate. Arin is straightlaced and a mastermind. Their interactions were so much fun to read, with the power that he has over her with the knowledge that she's a Jasadi. But she doesn't let that discourage her, which was so much fun to read! 

That this has a competition, yeah, that's a big draw for this book. That it took place all over the place, after her training completed, and we got to see more of the world and these characters, was just great. I was worried how it was going to turn out, especially since she was the champion of the country that destroyed hers. Which makes what happened in the climax understandable, and so epic! Now I'm itching for book 2, and I'm glad that I can dive right into it! 

Loved reading this book and I can't wait to read the sequel now! 

Author: Sara Hashem
Series: The Scorched Throne #1
Read: May 16th, 2025 
Source: Library 
Reason Why: Sounded really good, and it's a DAC Book, Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2025 Book and a WTC Book! 
Publisher: Orbit 
Published: July 18th 2023

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars