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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
Popsugar 201: A book from your TBR list you meant to read last year but didn’t
This book is about Mehr's little sister, Arwa, who was raised to deny her nomadic, "heretical" Amrithi mother and become a good Ambhan noblewoman. Arwa has tried her best, made a match that had the possibility of raising her family from disgrace, but her husband was the commander of a garrison that has ended up being slaughtered. Everyone in the fort was killed but Arwa herself, and widows have no place or power in this society. Arwa still longs to be of use, to have some sort of purpose, and she finds a way to insert herself into the Imperial Palace itself. Ironically, it's her previously unwanted Amrithi blood that makes her useful. The Maha, the great prophet who forged the Empire, has died and the Empire is in danger of crumbling with him. One of the current Emperor's illegitimate sons has also found a way for his life to be of continued use to the royal family. He will seek the knowledge of the Maha and find a way to preserve the Empire.
Zahir, Arwa's teacher, is doing this by entering the Realm of Ash, the next plane over from the world, the plane of the dead. Arwa's Amrithi blood seems to make it easier to enter this realm. Once Zahir and Arwa enter the Realm of Ash, they can walk backwards through time, through the path of their dead ancestors, and they can learn what their ancestors knew if they eat the ash of which the memories of this realm are made.
Meanwhile, there is of course palace intrigue, bloodshed, and eventually Zahir and Arwa must go on the run. They pose as pilgrims so that they can travel to the desert province of Irinah, closer to where the Maha dwelt, in order to get closer to his memories.
There are a lot of interesting ideas in this book- the Realm of Ash, the idea of being useful as literally being necessary to being able to live, the world of women and how they make their own place within the world of men. I wished that other ideas had been explored more thoroughly. In the Realm of Ash, Zahir and Arwa only followed Zahir's path because he was a direct descendant of the Maha. It seemed pretty evident to me that if Arwa's blood made it easier to enter the Realm, then following her path might also yield some pretty interesting knowledge. This occurred to neither of them. It was difficult to understand exactly what was happening to the Empire. Bad things, it seems, but exactly what bad things and how a "cleansing", which was referred to several times, would help, was unclear. Zahir and Arwa both seem to accept their lot as tools and submit to this, without trying to use their power to shape their own fates until it's life or death.
The book was also slow. I almost tapped out about halfway through because almost nothing had happened. The setting was well-drawn, and the characters were interesting, but the plot had no tension. The romance between Zahir and Arwa seemed like it happened because it was going to happen, not because of any special chemistry between them.
I think the author has some very interesting themes for her books, but it would be good for her to tighten up the story a bit and move the plot forward in addition to exploring her themes. One or two of the questions she raised in this book were never answered and I think it's because there was so much going on that they were lost in the crowd.
This book is about Mehr's little sister, Arwa, who was raised to deny her nomadic, "heretical" Amrithi mother and become a good Ambhan noblewoman. Arwa has tried her best, made a match that had the possibility of raising her family from disgrace, but her husband was the commander of a garrison that has ended up being slaughtered. Everyone in the fort was killed but Arwa herself, and widows have no place or power in this society. Arwa still longs to be of use, to have some sort of purpose, and she finds a way to insert herself into the Imperial Palace itself. Ironically, it's her previously unwanted Amrithi blood that makes her useful. The Maha, the great prophet who forged the Empire, has died and the Empire is in danger of crumbling with him. One of the current Emperor's illegitimate sons has also found a way for his life to be of continued use to the royal family. He will seek the knowledge of the Maha and find a way to preserve the Empire.
Zahir, Arwa's teacher, is doing this by entering the Realm of Ash, the next plane over from the world, the plane of the dead. Arwa's Amrithi blood seems to make it easier to enter this realm. Once Zahir and Arwa enter the Realm of Ash, they can walk backwards through time, through the path of their dead ancestors, and they can learn what their ancestors knew if they eat the ash of which the memories of this realm are made.
Meanwhile, there is of course palace intrigue, bloodshed, and eventually Zahir and Arwa must go on the run. They pose as pilgrims so that they can travel to the desert province of Irinah, closer to where the Maha dwelt, in order to get closer to his memories.
There are a lot of interesting ideas in this book- the Realm of Ash, the idea of being useful as literally being necessary to being able to live, the world of women and how they make their own place within the world of men. I wished that other ideas had been explored more thoroughly. In the Realm of Ash, Zahir and Arwa only followed Zahir's path because he was a direct descendant of the Maha. It seemed pretty evident to me that if Arwa's blood made it easier to enter the Realm, then following her path might also yield some pretty interesting knowledge. This occurred to neither of them. It was difficult to understand exactly what was happening to the Empire. Bad things, it seems, but exactly what bad things and how a "cleansing", which was referred to several times, would help, was unclear. Zahir and Arwa both seem to accept their lot as tools and submit to this, without trying to use their power to shape their own fates until it's life or death.
The book was also slow. I almost tapped out about halfway through because almost nothing had happened. The setting was well-drawn, and the characters were interesting, but the plot had no tension. The romance between Zahir and Arwa seemed like it happened because it was going to happen, not because of any special chemistry between them.
I think the author has some very interesting themes for her books, but it would be good for her to tighten up the story a bit and move the plot forward in addition to exploring her themes. One or two of the questions she raised in this book were never answered and I think it's because there was so much going on that they were lost in the crowd.
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I didn't read the first book of the series, but I enjoyed this one. I really liked the heroine- the fact that she was a bit complacent in her backstory and that she didn't start out rebellious or anything (she was relatively privileged and normal, then had to relearn her world) really appealed to me. The whole world and magic was interesting, but I also just love the widows' sanctuary and the dynamics there at the beginning. I found a certain feminine strength yet realism in those interactions. The latter part of the book was an extremely poignant and beautiful exploration of exploitation and identity that brought me to tears multiple times. The pacing could be odd at times, but overall very enjoyable and (for me) a breath of fresh air.
adventurous
dark
emotional
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:
N/A
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
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:
Complicated
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
hopeful
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:
Complicated
Gave this a reread after realizing that I reread Book 1 a few years back but didn’t actually finish the duology. I remember having the vague sense that I didn’t quite like Arwa as a protagonist compared to Mehr, so thought I’d revisit and see.
Two notable details are that 1) this book takes place seemingly many years after its predecessor and 2) Arwa has no idea at all of what happened to her sister. This makes sense as Arwa was a child then; if I remember the details right, she was about nine years old compared to twenty-two years. It also speaks to the complete denial of her half-Amrithi heritage by her parents.
In many ways, Mehr served as the single, tenuous connection Arwa had to her mother’s culture and people - one that weakened following Mehr’s “disgrace”, Arwa’s subsequent departure from Irinah, and her stepmother’s decision to fully raise her as a proper Ambhan woman. Arwa’s only memory is one from Book 1, when Mehr teaches her of the daiva’s relationship with Amrithi and their pact made in blood.
At the start of this story, the Ambhan Empire is in its decline following the death of the Maha. By this point, Arwa is a young woman, newly widowed after being the only survivor of a massacre. She suspects that she was spared due to her (unspoken) Amrithi blood, haunted by the memories of that day and the possibility of it befalling her again.
Having spent most of her upbringing attempting to contort her personality, behaviors, and desires into the ideal image of an Ambhan noblewoman, only for that to be wrested away by her husband’s unexpected death, Arwa struggles to find a new sense of purpose. So when it turns out her half-Amrithi blood may be the key to saving the Empire from ruin, she throws herself blindly into the service of Prince Akhter’s court.
Once there, Arwa is instructed to assist Zahir, blessed son of the Emperor and a Hidden One, in using occult heretical magic to uncover the Maha’s lost knowledge. What neither one of them expects is that bloodshed, enslavement, and genocide of Amrithi people is the true source of the Maha and Empire’s power. Which then begs the question, is there any other way to prevent the misfortunes befalling the Empire (e.g., famine, nightmares, violence) without resorting to the Maha’s methods?
It’s a compelling exploration of the cost of power, exploitation, and what it means to envision a better world. Honestly it particularly resonated with me in the current state of the world, where it seems people are comfortable siding with those in power at the expense of those without. What makes this work is that Arwa and Zahir have been shaped by their experiences as tools, “valued” solely for their utility in service to their betters; they know that love isn’t always kindness.
I think that’s something I appreciate about all Suri’s books: she creates characters with agency no matter their circumstances. My only real complaint is that this book felt a bit on the long and slow side compared to Book 1.
Two notable details are that 1) this book takes place seemingly many years after its predecessor and 2) Arwa has no idea at all of what happened to her sister. This makes sense as Arwa was a child then; if I remember the details right, she was about nine years old compared to twenty-two years. It also speaks to the complete denial of her half-Amrithi heritage by her parents.
In many ways, Mehr served as the single, tenuous connection Arwa had to her mother’s culture and people - one that weakened following Mehr’s “disgrace”, Arwa’s subsequent departure from Irinah, and her stepmother’s decision to fully raise her as a proper Ambhan woman. Arwa’s only memory is one from Book 1, when Mehr teaches her of the daiva’s relationship with Amrithi and their pact made in blood.
At the start of this story, the Ambhan Empire is in its decline following the death of the Maha. By this point, Arwa is a young woman, newly widowed after being the only survivor of a massacre. She suspects that she was spared due to her (unspoken) Amrithi blood, haunted by the memories of that day and the possibility of it befalling her again.
Having spent most of her upbringing attempting to contort her personality, behaviors, and desires into the ideal image of an Ambhan noblewoman, only for that to be wrested away by her husband’s unexpected death, Arwa struggles to find a new sense of purpose. So when it turns out her half-Amrithi blood may be the key to saving the Empire from ruin, she throws herself blindly into the service of Prince Akhter’s court.
Once there, Arwa is instructed to assist Zahir, blessed son of the Emperor and a Hidden One, in using occult heretical magic to uncover the Maha’s lost knowledge. What neither one of them expects is that bloodshed, enslavement, and genocide of Amrithi people is the true source of the Maha and Empire’s power. Which then begs the question, is there any other way to prevent the misfortunes befalling the Empire (e.g., famine, nightmares, violence) without resorting to the Maha’s methods?
It’s a compelling exploration of the cost of power, exploitation, and what it means to envision a better world. Honestly it particularly resonated with me in the current state of the world, where it seems people are comfortable siding with those in power at the expense of those without. What makes this work is that Arwa and Zahir have been shaped by their experiences as tools, “valued” solely for their utility in service to their betters; they know that love isn’t always kindness.
I think that’s something I appreciate about all Suri’s books: she creates characters with agency no matter their circumstances. My only real complaint is that this book felt a bit on the long and slow side compared to Book 1.
Realm of Ash (The Books of Ambha #2) by Tasha Suri is a great companion fantasy novel. I love the world of this series - it's so richly written that it's practically a character itself. I can't wait to read more from this author in the future.
dark
emotional
mysterious
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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
This was a masterpiece of a sequel. Even though we did not see Mehr often until the end I loved getting to watch the journey of Arwa so many years later and see how she eventually came to accept her Amrithi heritage