Book Review: The Jasad Heir by Sarah Hashem

About the Book:

Title: The Jasad Heir

Author: Sara Hashem

Series: The Scorched Throne #1

Page Length: 529

Publication Date: July 18, 2023

Publisher: Orbit

Synopsis: In this Egyptian-inspired debut 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.

LINKS:   Goodreads   |    Amazon

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, including Amazon, and I may earn a small commission, at no cost to you, if you purchase through my links.

---

My Review:

I thought this was a fantastic debut by Sara Hashem. Exciting, immersive, and full of twists and turns, the novel gripped me from the first pages and didn’t let go until the very end.

This is one of those reviews where I struggled to organize my thoughts. I enjoyed so many elements of the book that I wasn’t sure what to focus on in my review without giving too much away. The characters, the world-building, the fantasy elements, the themes, the plot, the gorgeous writing style – I loved it all! I actually have another post scheduled that spotlights a bunch of my favorite quotes from the book because there were so many poignant and powerful lines.

And the characters! They’re fascinating. Often torn between loyalties, Sylvia, Arin, and so many others have a moral greyness to them. I loved Sylvia. The story is told from her unreliable perspective, and her story is tragic, complicated, and mysterious. This is a young woman with a ton of secrets, many of which would put her life at risk if exposed. I like how we slowly learn more and more about her past and what happened to her that led to the present. There’s also a strong cast of supporting characters, and I particularly like Sylvia’s friends and the found family aspect of the story.

And the romance! Ahh! I, of course, have to talk about the explosive enemies-to-lovers romance because IT. WAS. EVERYTHING. Sylvia and Arin hate each other, and they butt heads through most of the book. Their relationship is slow-building and contentious, and the tension is so thick! Through it all, Sylvia and Arin have an amazing amount of chemistry, and their banter is top-notch. I’m all for an angsty love story, especially when it feels forbidden, which is exactly what Sylvia and Arin’s feels like. Both characters fight their feelings, but how can you fight something so strong? There are so many scenes where I was all but chanting “Kiss already,” and the build-up and constant push and pull between the couple was perfection.

The Jasad Heir has everything I love in a YA romantasy. I’m so glad I buddy read this because I was screaming through most of it. Between the layered and nuanced characters, the twisty plot, the complex world-building and political intrigue, and that fantastic romance, there was a lot to gush and ruminate about! There are also some really thought-provoking messages and questions posed throughout the story about what makes a monster, how people define themselves, and what we owe our country and our culture. And after that ending, I NEED to get the next book ASAP! lol This is definitely going down as one of my top fantasy reads of the year.

Thanks so much to Orbit books for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

Rating:

Favorite Parts:

• The writing style.

• The character development.

• The romance!

• The themes and messages.

Tropes:

• enemeis to lovers
• hidden princess
• political intrigue
• forbidden romance
• found family