The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! š
honuzbubbles's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Death, Violence, War, Xenophobia, and Grief
Moderate: Gore, Bullying, Child abuse, Colonisation, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, and Classism
joygarcialim's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.25
None of the characters were likeable, Iām going so far as to say most of the characters are unlikeable. Even if they were on the side of the morally ambitious, they didnāt have many dimensions or layers, and were mostly just annoying. The only character which had any enticement to them was Qayn.
Examples of bad writing from the book:
Graphic: Colonisation, Death, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Violence, Emotional abuse, Blood, Child abuse, Classism, Hate crime, Medical content, Police brutality, Child death, Sexual harassment, Addiction, Murder, Racism, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, War, Alcohol, Animal death, Physical abuse, Rape, and Slavery
shannnne_reads_words's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.25
Moderate: Grief, Toxic relationship, Violence, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Classism, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and War
Minor: Death of parent, Vomit, Child death, Sexual assault, and Animal death
espressoreader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Animal death, Racism, Torture, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Bullying, Classism, Colonisation, Gaslighting, Grief, Slavery, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Murder, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Addiction, Confinement, and Police brutality
azrah786's review against another edition
4.25
**I was provided with an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
CW: violence, blood, injury, death, animal death, colonisation, war, xenophobia, confinement, torture, slavery, police brutality, physical abuse, emotional abuse, domestic abuse, sexual assault, grief, toxic relationship, vomit
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An exciting debut, Spice Road is a story exploring themes of family, privilege and colonialism that centres on characters from a hidden magical city venturing outside on a mission to the real world to save one of their own. Donāt you just love it when common tropes are switched up a little?
The leading protagonist Imani is a member of the Shields, a group of warriors who defend Qalia from the monsters and creatures that lurk in the cityās borders with the help of Misra ā a magical spice that when infused in tea gives the drinker an affinity over a certain element. Imaniās has an affinity for steel which allows her to have an extraordinary mastery with weapons.
Imaniās elder brother was also an acclaimed Shield but upon being accused of stealing Misra - an act that has brought much shame to their family name - he disappeared and was presumed dead. However, when Imani stumbles upon evidence that her brother could still be alive she is determined to be part of the team sent outside the city walls to retrieve him, both out of love for him and in order to ensure the safety and security of her home from outsiders.
Through Imaniās quest Maiya Ibrahim gives us the lay of the vast Arabian inspired world that she has created, from the magic that these characterās lives are already accustomed to to the unknowns of everything outside of the Swallowing Sands that they come to face.
Magic based around tea will always instantly fascinate this tea lover and pair it with an elemental based power system and I am sold! However, as an already established part of the story I did feel like we didnāt get the full scope of it in this one book. With Imani being the solo POV that we follow throughout this story we mainly get an account of her power over steel ā which was so cool, donāt get me wrong ā but Iām definitely hoping that we get more extensive details and development of the worldās magic in the books to come.
The plot was without a doubt the strongest part of the story, Ibrahim is a really skilled storyteller. The journey from Qalia into the outside world was brilliantly paced and really well put together and I was immediately hooked in by all the action and the tensions of the mission. Despite the dialogue and inner monologue of the MC making the story feel a little clunky at times, I really enjoyed following Imaniās journey.
She is the impulsive sort, always charging in to do what she wants without much forethought of the consequences and a lot of her development comes down to unlearning her privilege. Of becoming more aware of the world around her and seeing the disparity in both the outside world as well as within her own community.
There was an interesting range of character dynamics and each supporting character informed Imaniās development in a different way. Her relationship with Taha is one of those that people are either going to be on board with or not. I have to say I wasnāt fully on board with the romance side of things but for the most part I enjoyed their back and forth and how it played a part in Imaniās character arc.
Sometimes things happened in the story a little too conveniently for how high the stakes were but all in all I had fun reading this book and Iām excited for more!
Final Rating ā 4.25/5 StarsĀ
Graphic: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Xenophobia, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Death, Animal death, Slavery, Grief, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Blood, Colonisation, Torture, and Confinement
Minor: Vomit and Sexual assault
bettysbookishworld's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
Spice Road is an epic YA fantasy set in an Arabian-inspired world. This is a solid debut novel where the dessert world is full of magical and immersive atmosphere. We follow our main character Imani who has been sent to an adventurous mission with a crew of warriors to find her lost brother.Ā
Spice Road held my attention from start to finish! I loved the dessert world and the whole journey was really tense with all the danger lurking around. I really loved fighting and action scenes as they were very well done with many twists and tension. The writing style was immersive with a beautifully descriptive prose. Apart from the actual mission, the story involved themes of colonisation, slavery and the effect it has on the people living there.Ā
Our main character Imani felt very young adult, so I was frustrated many times with her decisions and attitude that was sometimes annoying. However, I found her internal fight intriguing. She had to adjust her thinking about her priviledged world as she has known it previously to a truth she has found out recently. I really liked how her mind was changing and evolving with new information. That's why I liked her character a lot and I hope we will see her further character development in the next books.Ā
The reasons why I didn't give it a full rating are romance and rules of the magic system. The whole romance felt really forced and like an insta-love (which I hate in books). Their mutual adoration and feelings suddenly emerged from nowhere and it just wasn't believable at all. The second thing I didn't like was the magic system's rules. Although I found the tea magic quite unique, the rules of using it were not really clear. At the end, the magic was used at the current situation's convenience. I hope it will be explained more in the next book though.
Overall, it was a great introduction to a new world, characters and story. I definitely want to continue with the series!Ā
Graphic: Colonisation, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Physical abuse, Animal death, Slavery, Grief, Torture, and Toxic relationship
helenareadsbooks's review against another edition
- 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
Imani is a smart and fierce protagonist, and I love her character development in this book. She has lived a sheltered life and is driven by her love for her family and her duty to protecting her home. As she discovers the truth about her home and her brother, she struggles to accept that not everything is as it seems. Spice Road wonderfully explores the themes of loyalty, justice, and anti-colonialism, and Imaniās journey to understanding these concepts and her world is well written, relatable, and reflective of the real world. This book also explores sibling relationships and my favourite part was the devotion between Imani and her siblings. Itās the heart of the story and is what makes it such a compelling read.
Qayn is an intriguing character and I enjoyed the dynamic he brought to the book. The magic system is interesting and I love how it involves tea ceremonies. I also love that there is a wide range of affinities people can possess.Ā
I mostly enjoyed the romance and think the chemistry between Imani and her love interest is great. However, his increasingly toxic behaviour was too much for me by the end of the book. Iām sure his behaviour will be explored further in the next book, but for now, I canāt support them as a couple.
Overall I enjoyed Spice Road and Iām looking forward to the rest of the series! Pick this up if you enjoy adventurous fantasy books with sibling relationships, magic, monsters, and explorations of justice and anti-colonialism.
Thank you NetGalley, Delacorte Press, and Maiya Ibrahim for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Graphic: Violence and Animal death
Moderate: Toxic relationship
Minor: Fatphobia