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mirifairy's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Torture, and Murder
Moderate: Slavery, Xenophobia, and Blood
Minor: Suicide
karatics's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Cursing, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism
mandkips's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, and Murder
Moderate: Slavery, Torture, and Blood
Minor: Suicide
rbash2391's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
The worldbuilding was difficult for me to understand at first, but as the story progresses and we hear more about the lore from different characters, you get an understanding of the magic system. Mehr is the descendant of an exiled, persecuted, nomadic people who are blood-related to the ancient spirits and gods. They perform dances called rites with specific movements and hand-signing to communicate a story. Mehr, as a noblewoman and daughter of the governor, is able to make the choice about who and when she wants to marry. As an Amrithi, she should not marry, because vows are bonding in a way that can be painful or fatal if broken, but she is forced to choose marriage by a group of followers of the country's spiritual leader. If she doesn't choose to marry the mystic who offers to her, it could put her family and especially her child sister in danger. She chooses to marry and is ripped from her comfortable, secure noblewoman's life to travel across the desert with her new husband to the stronghold of the emperor's spiritual leader, the Maha. His keep rests upon the part of the desert where the gods sleep, and he has a plan to force Mehr into service for the empire.
This book is really fraught with familial pain and abandonment. It was very angsty and bleak but not for the sake of it. Mehr is given the illusion of choice, which is a theme throughout this story. She learns there is one person besides herself that she can trust, and consciously chooses not to take advantage of that relationship. This choice is noble and intelligent and pays off for her, as the relationship with the stranger who becomes her husband is genuine and a source of safety, comfort, and rest.
There is an obvious bias in this world against hte Amrithi people, who are darker-skinned, and the Maha has bound Amun, Mehr's husband, through magic. It is a form of enslavement, and while the Maha takes advantage of children who are outcasts, pariahs, and in need of community, none moreso than Amun. He is labeled and treated as a monster from his early years on, and the Maha brands Amun with painful vows that force him to the Maha's will. Mehr's use of Amrithi magic during a dreamfire storm identifies her as having magical abilities and therefore a perfect match for the Maha to bind to Amun, and thus to the Maha's service, through the vow of marriage.
Each character is given a choice or the illusion of such in this story and their decisions reflect what they value. Mehr chooses to marry Amun because she believes that will protect her family, without knowing who Amun is or that she will be vowed to serve the Maha who intends to use her for sacrilege. Mehr chooses to leave Amun and the Maha, and fight against her vow, although it causes her a lot of suffering to do so. Even though it's painful, she fights for her freedom and to not be used as a pawn towards the Maha and Emperor's ends. Finally, she chooses to return to Amun to protect and release him from his enslavement. Mehr uses her leverage over the Maha, who begins to physically decline after their choice not to perform the rites that keep him immortal and in power.
Amun has no choice but to obey his vows to the Maha, or die and suffer throughout eternity. The Amrithi long have a history of choosing death over this kind of servitude, but it is still a choice. He chooses to circumvent the Maha's demand to consummate the marraige, acting under a semantic loophole to protect Mehr and reduce harm. And when they are finally compelled to consummate the marriage, Amun makes the choice to do so rather than allow his vows to dictate his actions, only after Mehr gives him permission. I hesitate to say that she consented, because consent cannot be present when you are under compulsion or duress, which was the case for both of them. In the end, when Mehr insists that he choose his future apart from their marriage, he is finally free of his vows and still chooses to court Mehr in a traditional way so that their relationship isn't completely founded on the vows to the Maha and each other.
Mehr's mother chose to abandon her illegitimate children with their governor father when they were young. She leads a group of Amrithi through the desert; when Mehr finds her mother after escaping the Maha, she is able to return to the Maha to save Amun, against her mother's wishes. Her mother tried to take away that choice from Mehr in order to save their tribe.
Lalita chooses at first to live as a courtesan, hiding her identity as Amrithi, because she wants to live life on her terms. Then she must abandon that farce and return to the desert when her identity is revealed. We don't have to scorn her for hiding her heritage, because it's something she must do for survival and acceptance into the life she wants, but she still subjugates the society that rejects her by teaching Mehr the rites and being that mentor and mother figure.
The Maha takes away everyone's choices through vows, manipulation, and forced servitude. He even takes away the gods' choices by enslaving Amrithi to perform the Rite of the Bound to direct the dreams of the gods to his bidding. In this is his hubris and demise: that he would enslave and mistreat others to seek eternal life and power, but in his final moments choose to release Amun from his vows. This is perceived as a weak, mortal choice, punishable by death at the hand of the most loyal follower of his cause, who could not stand to see her sister be victim to anyone less than a cruel god. Kalini would rather his evil deeds and ambition be the fate of legacy and legend rather than a pathetic, frail mortal.
This book is really fraught with familial pain and abandonment. It was very angsty and bleak but not for the sake of it. Mehr is given the illusion of choice, which is a theme throughout this story. She learns there is one person besides herself that she can trust, and consciously chooses not to take advantage of that relationship. This choice is noble and intelligent and pays off for her, as the relationship with the stranger who becomes her husband is genuine and a source of safety, comfort, and rest.
There is an obvious bias in this world against hte Amrithi people, who are darker-skinned, and the Maha has bound Amun, Mehr's husband, through magic. It is a form of enslavement, and while the Maha takes advantage of children who are outcasts, pariahs, and in need of community, none moreso than Amun. He is labeled and treated as a monster from his early years on, and the Maha brands Amun with painful vows that force him to the Maha's will. Mehr's use of Amrithi magic during a dreamfire storm identifies her as having magical abilities and therefore a perfect match for the Maha to bind to Amun, and thus to the Maha's service, through the vow of marriage.
Each character is given a choice or the illusion of such in this story and their decisions reflect what they value. Mehr chooses to marry Amun because she believes that will protect her family, without knowing who Amun is or that she will be vowed to serve the Maha who intends to use her for sacrilege. Mehr chooses to leave Amun and the Maha, and fight against her vow, although it causes her a lot of suffering to do so. Even though it's painful, she fights for her freedom and to not be used as a pawn towards the Maha and Emperor's ends. Finally, she chooses to return to Amun to protect and release him from his enslavement. Mehr uses her leverage over the Maha, who begins to physically decline after their choice not to perform the rites that keep him immortal and in power.
Amun has no choice but to obey his vows to the Maha, or die and suffer throughout eternity. The Amrithi long have a history of choosing death over this kind of servitude, but it is still a choice. He chooses to circumvent the Maha's demand to consummate the marraige, acting under a semantic loophole to protect Mehr and reduce harm. And when they are finally compelled to consummate the marriage, Amun makes the choice to do so rather than allow his vows to dictate his actions, only after Mehr gives him permission. I hesitate to say that she consented, because consent cannot be present when you are under compulsion or duress, which was the case for both of them. In the end, when Mehr insists that he choose his future apart from their marriage, he is finally free of his vows and still chooses to court Mehr in a traditional way so that their relationship isn't completely founded on the vows to the Maha and each other.
Mehr's mother chose to abandon her illegitimate children with their governor father when they were young. She leads a group of Amrithi through the desert; when Mehr finds her mother after escaping the Maha, she is able to return to the Maha to save Amun, against her mother's wishes. Her mother tried to take away that choice from Mehr in order to save their tribe.
Lalita chooses at first to live as a courtesan, hiding her identity as Amrithi, because she wants to live life on her terms. Then she must abandon that farce and return to the desert when her identity is revealed. We don't have to scorn her for hiding her heritage, because it's something she must do for survival and acceptance into the life she wants, but she still subjugates the society that rejects her by teaching Mehr the rites and being that mentor and mother figure.
The Maha takes away everyone's choices through vows, manipulation, and forced servitude. He even takes away the gods' choices by enslaving Amrithi to perform the Rite of the Bound to direct the dreams of the gods to his bidding. In this is his hubris and demise: that he would enslave and mistreat others to seek eternal life and power, but in his final moments choose to release Amun from his vows. This is perceived as a weak, mortal choice, punishable by death at the hand of the most loyal follower of his cause, who could not stand to see her sister be victim to anyone less than a cruel god. Kalini would rather his evil deeds and ambition be the fate of legacy and legend rather than a pathetic, frail mortal.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Suicide and Abandonment
msradiosilence's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Tldr; I love Amun and Mehr, and I really liked how well rounded this book is.
Read my full review at: https://www.rainyreader.com/single-post/empire-of-sand/
Read my full review at: https://www.rainyreader.com/single-post/empire-of-sand/
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Infertility, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, and Classism
bookishbutch's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content and Suicide
griffinthief's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Racism, Grief, and Colonisation
Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Abandonment
morganphoenix's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Slavery, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Bullying, Genocide, and Physical abuse
Minor: Infertility and Suicide
booksthatburn's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
EMPIRE OF SAND is a transformative story of vows, agency, and choice, a slow-burn romance between two people who didn't get the chance to freely say yes, and the cruel power of a man bending even gods' dreams to his will.
The main character (Mehr) is biracial in a fantasy setting, and part of the story is how this combination of identities is distinct from being merely half of one identity and half the other, but is also/instead its own thing. Her father is from the main ethnic group in the ever-expanding empire which is slowly devouring the desert while exploiting the gods' dreams, her mother is from a nomadic people who are used for the magic in their blood. Often the characters who seek to use her are trying to exploit one part of her heritage rather than treating her as a unified whole, and her narration shifts in how she describes herself throughout the text as her relationship with and self-conception of her identity changes.
The world building is really good, it focuses on the people in a way that highlights the space, and whole effect comes off wonderfully. Information about the setting comes up as it matters to Mehr and the people around her, like walking through a space slowly which is being illuminated as it's described by someone who cares deeply about it.
The villain is genuinely chilling, taking advantage of how easy it is for powerful abusers to control how much of their cruelty is on display to any one person. There's a sense of helplessness (frequently explicit) that Mehr is surrounded by people who wouldn't believe her if she truthfully claimed that the marks on her skin were caused by the Maha, it's made worse when some of the women at the temple keep trying to save her... from the husband she didn't choose but is slowly getting to know. They can clearly see that she's being abused, but because of how totally the Maha has enthralled them they wouldn't believe the truth. Mehr has a lot of compassion for the servants and mystics around her, referring repeatedly to the way that it makes sense that they would love so completely this person, the Maha, who has done nothing but hurt Mehr. The slow pacing helps convey the tension and uncertainty of living around someone who has been unspeakably cruel and might be so again, sometime, but not necessarily right now.
One of the strongest messages around choice in this book is that finally getting to choose doesn't have to mean avoiding something you were previously forced to do. If it did, then it wouldn't really be free, because then every action would still be dictated by that prior lack of agency. I love the slow burn romance, every quiet moment and intimacy has so much feeling behind it, they care so much about consent even though their abuser is contriving to remove all their choices, it's just done so well.
I'm definitely reading the sequel, I want to see what they'll choose to do next!
The main character (Mehr) is biracial in a fantasy setting, and part of the story is how this combination of identities is distinct from being merely half of one identity and half the other, but is also/instead its own thing. Her father is from the main ethnic group in the ever-expanding empire which is slowly devouring the desert while exploiting the gods' dreams, her mother is from a nomadic people who are used for the magic in their blood. Often the characters who seek to use her are trying to exploit one part of her heritage rather than treating her as a unified whole, and her narration shifts in how she describes herself throughout the text as her relationship with and self-conception of her identity changes.
The world building is really good, it focuses on the people in a way that highlights the space, and whole effect comes off wonderfully. Information about the setting comes up as it matters to Mehr and the people around her, like walking through a space slowly which is being illuminated as it's described by someone who cares deeply about it.
The villain is genuinely chilling, taking advantage of how easy it is for powerful abusers to control how much of their cruelty is on display to any one person. There's a sense of helplessness (frequently explicit) that Mehr is surrounded by people who wouldn't believe her if she truthfully claimed that the marks on her skin were caused by the Maha, it's made worse when some of the women at the temple keep trying to save her... from the husband she didn't choose but is slowly getting to know. They can clearly see that she's being abused, but because of how totally the Maha has enthralled them they wouldn't believe the truth. Mehr has a lot of compassion for the servants and mystics around her, referring repeatedly to the way that it makes sense that they would love so completely this person, the Maha, who has done nothing but hurt Mehr. The slow pacing helps convey the tension and uncertainty of living around someone who has been unspeakably cruel and might be so again, sometime, but not necessarily right now.
One of the strongest messages around choice in this book is that finally getting to choose doesn't have to mean avoiding something you were previously forced to do. If it did, then it wouldn't really be free, because then every action would still be dictated by that prior lack of agency. I love the slow burn romance, every quiet moment and intimacy has so much feeling behind it, they care so much about consent even though their abuser is contriving to remove all their choices, it's just done so well.
I'm definitely reading the sequel, I want to see what they'll choose to do next!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Slavery, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Racism, and Self harm
Minor: Suicide
CW for rape threats, major character death (graphic).perpetualpages's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
CWs: Themes of Imperialism; death and parental death; descriptions of blood, injury, murder, and graphic violence; references to suicide and suicidal ideation; references to self-harm and blood magic (for ritualistic magic); manipulation; magical stripping of consent; misogyny
I finally did the thing, and wow I love this so much.
Empire of Sand is a story that unflinchingly examines the long-term, cyclical effects of Imperialism and interrogates how effected communities can ever hope to heal from it. It shows a character who is struggling to find agency within a system that was designed to strip her of her freedom and choice. When your choices are forcibly taken away, how to you navigate intention and how do you reclaim agency over your decisions and your personhood? Over hundreds and hundreds of pages, EOS painstakingly peels back the layers of these questions, presenting us with a powerful heroine determined to restore balance to this world at all costs.
I was completely blown away by the characters in this story, especially, and how they fought every day to stay true themselves—and to each other—in the face of inevitable destruction, pain, and loss. The story argues that choice is not merely about action, but rather it's about connection and intention. It's about forcibly wresting what we've always been taught to believe about ourselves from the hands of those who seek to erase us and taking the time to understand what is true to us on our own terms. It's about how rebellion and the reclamation of power comes begins with small acts of defiance in private, in the margins of what is unspoken.
The relationship between Mehr and Amun is so beautiful and tender. Despite the situation they're in, despite the powers they're both forced to succumb to, they find a way love each other that they get to define themselves, and that reciprocal connection between them was one of my favorite parts of the story. I appreciate how the story shows us that being "strong" doesn't mean you can't depend on other people and lean on those around you to bolster that strength. There was such a wonderful give-and-take between Mehr and Amun that really moved me and kept me invested in the story.
The other highlight, for me, was the magic system and how it deeply ties spirituality, culture, and dance to magic itself. It's rare to see magic that's so concentrated within the movements of the body and the meanings behind those movements, how there's even more power when two people are moving in sync, and I found those descriptions to be especially powerful. There's such a deep connection not only between the magic users, but between the dancer, the earth, and the Gods. That was a major feature in the story, and I think the magic was showcased in such a brilliant way.
The only thing I found slight fault with was the pace of the story. Going into it, I knew it was a slower-paced book—which is totally fine and something I tend to enjoy in my fantasy novels—but I personally didn't feel like the slow pace was quite warranted. There were large portions of the story that felt a bit repetitive, and there were times when we were forced to go through the same routine of chores, practice, failure, and pain without much changing. I thought the story could've afforded to be a bit tighter in some areas, but at the same time I understand that sitting with the characters in those moments is part of what makes their resilience and their triumphs that much more satisfying.
Overall, this was a powerful and unforgettable story that I'm going to be thinking about for years to come. I can't wait to read the companion novel, hopefully soon, and then absolutely anything Tasha Suri decides to write after that for the rest of time!
I finally did the thing, and wow I love this so much.
Empire of Sand is a story that unflinchingly examines the long-term, cyclical effects of Imperialism and interrogates how effected communities can ever hope to heal from it. It shows a character who is struggling to find agency within a system that was designed to strip her of her freedom and choice. When your choices are forcibly taken away, how to you navigate intention and how do you reclaim agency over your decisions and your personhood? Over hundreds and hundreds of pages, EOS painstakingly peels back the layers of these questions, presenting us with a powerful heroine determined to restore balance to this world at all costs.
I was completely blown away by the characters in this story, especially, and how they fought every day to stay true themselves—and to each other—in the face of inevitable destruction, pain, and loss. The story argues that choice is not merely about action, but rather it's about connection and intention. It's about forcibly wresting what we've always been taught to believe about ourselves from the hands of those who seek to erase us and taking the time to understand what is true to us on our own terms. It's about how rebellion and the reclamation of power comes begins with small acts of defiance in private, in the margins of what is unspoken.
The relationship between Mehr and Amun is so beautiful and tender. Despite the situation they're in, despite the powers they're both forced to succumb to, they find a way love each other that they get to define themselves, and that reciprocal connection between them was one of my favorite parts of the story. I appreciate how the story shows us that being "strong" doesn't mean you can't depend on other people and lean on those around you to bolster that strength. There was such a wonderful give-and-take between Mehr and Amun that really moved me and kept me invested in the story.
The other highlight, for me, was the magic system and how it deeply ties spirituality, culture, and dance to magic itself. It's rare to see magic that's so concentrated within the movements of the body and the meanings behind those movements, how there's even more power when two people are moving in sync, and I found those descriptions to be especially powerful. There's such a deep connection not only between the magic users, but between the dancer, the earth, and the Gods. That was a major feature in the story, and I think the magic was showcased in such a brilliant way.
The only thing I found slight fault with was the pace of the story. Going into it, I knew it was a slower-paced book—which is totally fine and something I tend to enjoy in my fantasy novels—but I personally didn't feel like the slow pace was quite warranted. There were large portions of the story that felt a bit repetitive, and there were times when we were forced to go through the same routine of chores, practice, failure, and pain without much changing. I thought the story could've afforded to be a bit tighter in some areas, but at the same time I understand that sitting with the characters in those moments is part of what makes their resilience and their triumphs that much more satisfying.
Overall, this was a powerful and unforgettable story that I'm going to be thinking about for years to come. I can't wait to read the companion novel, hopefully soon, and then absolutely anything Tasha Suri decides to write after that for the rest of time!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Misogyny
Minor: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Death of parent