First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers. What if, instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?
The Rules:
- Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
- Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
- Finally… reveal the book!
First Lines:
“Two things stood between me and a good night’s sleep, and I was allowed to kill only one of them.”
Do you recognize the lines?
Here’s a hint:
It’s a new fantasy.
Still not sure? Here’s another hint:
It’s a debut novel.
The First Lines Friday book is:
The Jasad Heir
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 | Reviews
They are great lines!
Right! Such a great book!
That is a great first line. It has me laughing out loud.
lol Right! It definitely makes you want to read more.