Review by Booklist Review
Sylvia lived the first ten years of her life as the carefree heir to a magical kingdom until enemies turned Jasad into the Scorched Lands. After surviving five years of torturous training meant to mold her into a rebel leader, she escaped, seeking a simple life. Marked for death by her birthright and the magic she cannot wield, Sylvia is discovered and forced into a dangerous political game by Arin, heir to the man who destroyed her family. Secrets abound and endanger not just her life but also her sanity, her friends' well-being, and even the fate of Arin, whom she finds simultaneously compelling and infuriating. Sylvia is a reluctant hero but one with a will to survive and more compassion for her people than she dares show. However, this may not be enough to conquer the trials ahead. Hashem's debut novel is inspired partially by her time in Egypt and the rich stories there. Fans who fondly remember the Divergent and Throne of Glass series will find much to enjoy here.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Hashem weaves a complex tapestry of magic, danger, and violence set against some vividly atmospheric worldbuilding in her mesmerizing debut. Essiya is a fugitive, the last surviving royal of the purged Jasad kingdom. Now going by Sylvia, she ekes out a furtive existence in Mahair, a city ruled by the militant Nizahlians, who burned her homeland to the ground. Torture and death await anyone accused of being a Jasadi magic-user, so Sylvia must rely on her fighting skills, feral nature, and survival instinct to get by. Hounded by ghosts of her traumatic past, she deceives and ultimately kills to keep her identity secret. However, when Sylvia catches the eye of her worst enemy, Arin of Nizahl, the heir to the Nizahlian throne, her tight grip over her own fate loosens. Arin, who doesn't know of Sylvia's royal blood, wants her help rooting out Jasadi rebels, who, meanwhile, seek to rally behind their queen. An angst-inducing game of cat and mouse begins when Arin declares Sylvia his champion in the Alcalah, a deadly tournament of fighters from all the known kingdoms. Meanwhile, an attraction as fierce as their enmity blossoms between the pair. Caught in the center of a tumultuous whirlwind, Sylvia must choose between her own safety and the lives of the people she loves. This nail-bitingly suspenseful romantasy will keep readers on tenterhooks. Agent: Jennifer Azantian, Azantian Literary. (July)
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Review by Library Journal Review
DEBUT Ten years ago, the Jasadi royal family, including their young Heir, was massacred during the Blood Summit, a gathering of the five royal courts. Now the surviving Jasadi are in hiding, with their magical abilities strictly forbidden and regulated by vicious Nizahli guards. Unbeknownst to all, the Jasadi Heir, Sylvia, is alive and about to reveal herself, but Arin, the Nizahli Heir, blackmails Sylvia into his service after witnessing her magical abilities. Suddenly she finds herself the Champion for Nizahl in the Alcalah, a series of three trials involving unusual deadly creatures, hallucinations, and survival skills. Battling fellow competitors, Sylvia struggles to hide her magic, her true identity, and her feelings about representing her people's greatest enemy. Full of training details, flashbacks, in-world myths, political machinations, forbidden romance, secrets, and betrayals, this novel explores duty, trauma, and survival. VERDICT An Egyptian-inspired fantasy with a sprawling narrative that will immerse patient readers in its complex world.--Katie Lawrence
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Circumstances force a lost kingdom's uncrowned queen into a gambit of court intrigue in this Egypt-inspired debut. Ten years after Jasad fell, its people live in hiding within the four nations that conspired against their homeland. The Jasadis were the last people in the world to possess magical abilities; to be outed as Jasadi is to face summary execution. Essiya is the heir to the Jasadi throne. Now calling herself Sylvia, the 20-year-old hides her magic behind a pair of invisible bracelets that help stifle its power. When her cousin Felix of Omal throws a young girl under his horses' hooves, Sylvia's magic flares, sending a dagger into Felix's leg...right in front of Arin, the Nizahl Heir, who has the power to sense magic via touch. Rather than apprehend her, Arin saves Sylvia's life by naming her his Champion in the upcoming Alcalah, a tournament pitting fighters from the four remaining nations against each other for honor and glory. Keeping her identity a secret proves more difficult the longer Sylvia remains in the competition, however. Arin and Sylvia's undeniable chemistry eventually pays off at the end of a very long, very slow burn, but Hashem never lets the story stray far from the heroine's journey. The novel's Egyptian inspiration maintains a strong presence throughout the narrative; a number of Arabic words, such as wilayah, khawagai, Qayida, and Awaleen, appear frequently. Sylvia is coded as a person of Middle Eastern descent, and Arin is White. Several secondary characters are Black-coded. Similarities between character and state names, most of which have only two syllables, have the potential to create confusion early on as Hashem introduces the major players and their world; readers may find themselves confusing Niphran, Niyar, and Nizahl, for example, or Mahair, Malik, and Marek. Readers looking for a new fantasy series to latch onto will find much to love here. A promising series starter that strikes a keen balance between court intrigue and romance. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
