The Jasmine Throne
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.
Title: The Jasmine Throne
Author: Tasha Suri
Genre: Fantasy / LGBTQ
Paperback: 533 pages
Publication Date: 06/08/2021
Publisher: Orbit
Language: English
ISBN: 0356515648
ISBN-13: 9780356515649
My Review
Tasha Suri’s The Jasmine Throne is simply beautiful. Her prose’s poise hugs this Indian-inspired fantasy almost melodically. I was ready to read something special but not prepared to be so taken by both the lyrical writing and the undertow of the story.
Revolt in layers of resistance against the empire is happening in Ahiranya, a city-state of Parijatdvipa. Princess Malini is held by her brother, the emperor against her will in the Hirana temple ruins that have burned down with the temple elders and children long ago. The burning of women is an important and symbolic part of this novel’s lore and Malini is not willing to step into the pyre for her cruel brother. She’d rather see him fall to his rot than give him the satisfaction.
Priya, the main character, escapes imprisonment and is sent to attend to the princess who is highly guarded by the order of her brother. This is a tough call for Priya, as she tries to suppress her buried memories of Hirana and her ties to its existence. The ruins themselves are built atop the deathless water, and in a confrontational moment with another caretaker, Malini realizes Priya’s secrets. Over time, the two of them slowly gain a mutual empathetic relationship and form an alliance of resistance with attached promises.
There is a tug and pull in the character’s complicated and at times lingering struggles, but the story doesn’t narrowly focus on just their circumstances. Suri gives ample side players the floor to wedge new developments into the equation. Bhumika, the wife of the Parijati regent and close temple sister to Pryia is in a similar, unfavorable condition with a child on her way. As a close confidant to Pryia, she is directing her form of revolt and guidance against the Parijati regent. While another character, Rao, has come to try and free the princess Malini in hopes to develop more allies.
The Jasmine Throne is a complex study of power and longing and the destructive ways of greed and its effects. It’s painful and complicated in parts, and compellingly slippery in moments so close you can feel them. A page-turner for the beautiful prose and the endearing characters, a journey layered with magic to wreck the heart.
Such a gorgeous tale. This book was the best surprise this year in my reading. I already started the second book in The Burning Kingdoms trilogy, The Oleander Sword. I cannot put it down!
I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.
All opinions are my own.
Thank you!
