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shadow_cat94's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
The things I didn't like about this book was the ending and the main character, Imani. I will be as vague as possible for the ending to avoid spoilers. In the final 20 pages we finally reach the climax of the story only for it to get resolved peacefully with an exchange of a few words. It felt anticlimactic, rushed, and frustrating even after I finished the book.
As for Imani, I was hoping for her to go through more character development during her journey than she did. There is nothing wrong with starting your book with a stubborn, selfish, and prideful main character as long as they end somewhere else at the end of the book. She is also a warrior known for these great feats, but she quickly gives up when confronted with large obstacles which made her warrior characteristic feel conflicting. Her only saving grace is her love for her family, which is to an obsessive point. Overall, I think Amira - the sister - should have been the main character.
Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Torture, Medical content, and War
_nika_'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
4.75
Published: 2023
Pages: 488
Genre: YA-Fantasy
Read in English
What you can expect:
-arabian-inspired setting
-magic tea
-a handsome djinni
-a fiercely loyal fmc
-a grumpy beastseer
-themes of grief, betrayal and colonialism
Plot:
Seventeen-year-old Imani, part of her desert cities defensive forces, is known as the djinn-slayer. Through a secret spice tea she gains the ability to manipulate her iron dagger into any weapon she chooses. After her sister runs out into the desert to catch the fleeting horse of their presumed dead brother, she uncovers evidence that her brother was giving away the spice to rebellious forces of another kingdom. Desperate to save her brother she suggests a search and rescue to the cities council. However, the council parnters her up with the more expierenced scout Taha and his cousins. Imani accepts to join her greatest rival on the mission, not having another choice if she wants to bring her brother home safe.
I was invested in the plot from the very beginning. I wanted to learn more about the magic, the setting and the mysterious kingdom waiting beyond the desert. From the beginning of the journey until the end the pacing stays enticing. Even at moments were I expected it to slow down there were always new details being uncovered. The end of course gets even tenser and delivers a thrilling finale.
Characters:
Our female main character is the djinn-slayer Imani, with an affinity for iron. She is fiercly loyal to her family and has a clear moral code. Following her through the story she has to battle fitting the new impressions into her moral code and world view. This makes for a well done inner conflict, that doen't need to rely purely on a love interest.
The male main characters are Taha and Qayn. Taha being Imani's rival through their family history and opposing perspectives. His affinity allows him to see into the minds of different animals and controlling their actions. Imani struggles to understand his motivations through out the whole book as Taha himself is under pressure coming from his father and tends to act unpredicably. Qayn on the other hand is a centuries old djinni, who promisises Imani to assist her with finding her brother in exchange for his life and a ride to the kingdom Imani's brother was last seen in.
I personally really enjoyed the characters and getting to know their indivual motivations. While Imani occasionally made some rash decisions, in my opinion that is to be expected from a 17-year old getting their world view turned upside down. Taha's hot and cold with Imani had me guessing at his motivations along side with her. Qayn's mysterious past had me intruiged from the first meeting. Like Imani I found myself questioning his honesty and true plans for Imani and her brother.
Final Thoughts:
The main selling point of this book for me is the beautiful writing. It is so stunningly executed that I constantly felt in awe of an unreal world. The main themes of grief and in the later half colonialism felt very real yet tastefully done. Especially Imani's struggle to face this other, cruel world outside of her sheltered home resonated with me. The romance plays mostly a smaller part in the plot, however the ending has me excited to see how it will develop in the next book!
All in all I can definitely recommend this to anyone still fond of YA! I can't wait to read the next book and see how Imani deals with everything she's learned.
Moderate: Animal death, Racism, Violence, Grief, Murder, and Colonisation
Minor: War
kbairbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
cinnamonandpancakes's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
For what it's worth, I think a fan of YA Romantasy would likely enjoy this much more than I.
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Violence, Grief, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Racism, Sexism, Torture, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
manaledi'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? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Animal death, Violence, Xenophobia, Colonisation, War, and Classism
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Torture, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
readingelli'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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Colonisation and War
Moderate: Violence
fromjuliereads'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? Yes
3.0
Things I loved:
- the writing itself. Ibrahim has fantastic writing that makes you curious about this world.
- the worldbuilding is done so well! I loved that there were journeys and a map, everything made sense and added up, and was so well done!
- I actually really liked the plot and the story. While it hit pretty close to what is going on in the world right now, making it a difficult read at times, it is a well done story. The reveals of the information worked well and I am incredibly curious to see what happens next in terms of the plot, based on the ending.
The things I struggled with/ what made this a 3 star read:
- I REALLY struggled with the characters in this book. I struggled to find them likeable to be honest as they all have major flaws. And while I appreciate flaws being a part of the characters, these ones were just too big... if all of the characters are unlikeable, I find it really hard to root for them. I did like Qayn from the beginning though, as he is a fantastic character. I will also note that a couple characters have very good arcs, and their arcs make me curious where they will go with the next books. But as this set everything up, it was a struggle.
- I'm not sure if this is a spoiler so I'll keep it vague, but the supposed "romance" that was trying to happen was so incredibly toxic thaf I couldn't get behind it at all. I get that they are teenagers and experiencing the harsh realities of the world or stuck under a terrible influence but my goodness. The switches in temperament/ personality and the toxic nature of the interactions irked me way too much. I can understand if the author is trying to do something with this as part of the story going forward in terms of how toxic it is, but not knowing where the story is going and seeing it as the possible "romance" for the series really doesn't work for me.
I am curious to read the next book, as I mentioned for the plot, and for Qayn and the sibling relationships. I think the next book would be the decider if I finish the series or not.
Definitely an interesting debut YA fantasy!
Highly recommend reading TW/CW before reading, as it was a LOT darker than I had initially expected for a YA book.
Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Racism, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying and Blood
Giving stitches to someone, family member missingcjwitch's review
- 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? Yes
4.5
It's a book that reminds readers that sometimes, the right choice isn't going to be a popular choice. It might not even be a legal choice. But standing up for what is right and fighting for those in need is still, ALWAYS, the right choice.
Spice Road is beautifully descriptive and I was fully engaged in the story from the start, despite my early dislike Imani, our FMC. For much of the book, she stubbornly and intentionally clung to the ignorance that granted her privilege both in and outside of her society...to the point of convincing herself that any independent thought or action from anyone around her must be caused by that individual being "not themselves" at the moment or influenced by outsiders or lying due to some plot against her/her family.
She truly believed that her government and the "old families" were correct and just and she frequently attempted to force her rule on everyone around her. She refused to listen to anyone, and whenever the possibility that she may be wrong occurred to her, she stubbornly pushed the thought away and refused to consider it.
It wasn't until Imani arrived in the outlands and saw the citizens, who her government taught were corrupt and unworthy of magic, that she realized that the government may have an agenda of their own. It wasn't until she came face to face with starvation and brutality that she began to open herself to the truth of her world.
Imani's growth through her journey was incredible and the lessons she learned applies fully and completely to our own world. All people deserve to be safe and free and, if someone is oppressing or hurting another, it is our duty to become their shield, in whatever way we can.
Moderate: Death, Violence, and Colonisation
Minor: Sexual assault
hardcoverhaven'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Racism, Violence, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Child abuse and Emotional abuse
scrubsandbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Animal death, Violence, and Colonisation
Moderate: Grief and War
Minor: Sexual assault