Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Jun 2021
576 pages
Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Speculative, Alt. History
Publication Information
A long-imprisoned princess and a maidservant in possession of forbidden magic 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).
Exiled by her despotic brother, Malini spends her days dreaming of vengeance while trapped 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, biting her tongue and cleaning Malini's chambers.
But 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 seeking to save her family. Together, they will set an empire ablaze.
"Suri has created this world with great deliberation...Malini and Priya both have depth and nuance, and their attraction to each other is written with care and sensitivity. Changing viewpoints help move the action along, but this is the first book in a trilogy, which inevitably means that some of the plotting will set the stage for books to come. Offer this to fans of Tanaz Bhathena or S. A. Chakraborty." - Library Journal (starred review)
"Suri astounds with the spellbinding epic fantasy that launches her Burning Kingdoms trilogy...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." - Publishers Weekly
"Lush and stunning...Inspired by Indian epics, this sapphic fantasy will rip your heart out." - BuzzFeed
"The Jasmine Throne is an intimate, complex, magical study of empire and the people caught in its bloody teeth. It's about resistance and power, histories both personal and political, and the heroes who must become monsters to survive. I loved it." - Alix E. Harrow, author of The Ten Thousand Doors of January
"Tasha Suri writes the female characters I didn't realize I was aching to see in fantasy, to devastating effect. The Jasmine Throne is a fiercely and unapologetically feminist tale of endurance and revolution set against a gorgeous, unique magical world." - S. A. Chakraborty, author of The City of Brass
"Like the magic in this tale of reclaiming power, The Jasmine Throne will work its way under your skin with Suri's compelling characters and gorgeous, effortless prose." - Sam Hawke, author of City of Lies
This information about The Jasmine Throne was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Photo: Shekhar Bhatia
Tasha Suri was born in Harrow, North-West London. She studied English and Creative Writing at Warwick University and now lives in London where she works as a librarian. A love of period Bollywood films, history, and mythology led her to write South Asian-influenced fantasy.
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