The Jasmine Throne

The Burning Kingdom’s Saga is a great example of what modern Epic Fantasy looks like, and it’s been on my to-read list for several years. There’s quite a few ambitious sapphic fantasy series that have made waves in the 2020s, and this is a great addition to that list. I didn’t love everything about The Jasmine Throne, and am very excited to see where the series heads.

Elevator Pitch: set in an analogue of India, this series focuses on the people of a small territory under the rule of an oppressive empire. Their religious temples have been destroyed, their spiritual leaders killed. Rebel groups fight for freedom, and those in power respond by punishing all who live in the province. Our story focuses on two lead characters: Priya, a temple child with mild supernatural powers who escaped the fate of her elders and temple siblings; and Malini, a princess living in exile as punishment for refusing to burn herself alive at her brother’s throne When Priya becomes Malini’s maidservant, both see an opportunity to change the fate of themselves and their people.

What Worked for Me:
I think that Suri’s worldbuilding and thematic work carried the book. Not only did this society look so different from the standard fare of epic fantasy (including those not based on Western Europe), but it successfully established high stakes, creepy vibes, and complex dynamics early and often. Evil Empires aren’t exactly new, but the focus on the validity of different ways to resist that oppression certainly put a different spin on the idea than I’m used to seeing. Layer in plants growing out of people’s skin, slowly eating them from the inside, and I was hooked. If you’re at all interested in what a South Asian Epic Fantasy might look like, this is a phenomenal option. It’s different in a way that feels simultaneously fresh and classic.

I also really liked how committed Suri was to resolving conflicts without resorting to violence. There is violence, to be clear, including a few well-choreographed fights. However, characters were more reliant on their ability to navigate social interactions, act on new information, and manipulate access to divine power as a way to solve their problems. I wouldn’t go so far as to call this book political (the last third, perhaps) but character interactions as a driving plot force was well executed. In particular, I loved the shifting dynamics between Malini and Priya. At various points they are allies of convenience, suspected enemies, hearthrob crushes, and distant figures of admiration.

What Didn’t Work For Me:
I liked the second half of this book a lot more than the opening. Primarily, this was because I thought the book focused on the wrong characters. Both Malini and Priya have more depth than their initial portrayal, which is odd considering how privy the reader is to their thoughts and emotions. I found the stories of two other escaped temple children much more interesting: one leading a rebel group and the other married to the territory’s governor as a concession to try and protect as many as she could. Each of these characters was clearly imperfect, grappling with the nature of the choices they made, and the sacrifices they had to make to reach progress for their cause. Malini and Priya got to this complex point in the end, but I found each of them rather boring in the opening segments. Malini in particular was a struggle: not only was her backstory strangely withheld from the reader, but I also didn’t think that Tasha Suri pushed very hard to show what living under a constant state of sedatives would look like in a character’s internal narration. Both characters’ stories unfolded nicely, but the lack of interest bogged down the opening sections of the story quite a bit. Their need to use each other ended up compelling, but they have thus far felt reactive, instead of proactive. I hope this shifts in future stories.

Along with that, I found that the romantic tension (though I wouldn’t call this a Romance stylistically, they certainly are attracted to each other) to be terribly convincing. I read this novel directly after Hungerstone, and thought it was amusing that two books in a row featured a weak sapphic romantic subplot with zero chemistry, one of whom spent the formative interactions sedated by drugs. I’m still not sold on what seems to be a budding romance arc, but perhaps the sequels will sell me on it a little bit more. 

In Conclusion: an Indian-based Epic Fantasy with delightful worldbuilding, intriguing themes, but perhaps not the most interesting lead characters in the world. 

• Characters: 3
• Worldbuilding: 4
• Craft: 4
• Themes: 4
• Enjoyment: 4