silverie's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
ros_lanta's review against another edition
3.5
Empire of Sand is a plot-focused fantasy romance with plenty of interesting worldbuilding. It's a very fast read, I started it in the afternoon and had it finished by early the following morning.
Overall it was a decent book but I didn't love it. I think the main problem is that I didn't really connect to the characters or get invested in the romance. I do know other people who love this book so I know this disconnection isn't true for every reader.
Content warning for
Overall it was a decent book but I didn't love it. I think the main problem is that I didn't really connect to the characters or get invested in the romance. I do know other people who love this book so I know this disconnection isn't true for every reader.
Content warning for
Spoiler
a rape scene in this book, albeit one in which the two people are both forced into it against their will.jonnydapoet's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
anna_near's review against another edition
3.0
A South Asian inspired fantasy, this was a solid debut. Tasha Suri's writing was beautiful, and her characterization of the protagonist was brilliant. Mehr is definitely one of my favorite fictional characters. This was the first fantasy novel I've read that has truly explored colonialism and colorism, and it was such an interesting motif- especially within the framework of magic. However, though I enjoyed the reading experience, I'm not sure I actually enjoyed the story.
The world building was dense while somehow never being enough. For a novel that largely centers around politics, next to nothing about the Empire. I had to look up practically everything that was introduced in relation to the magic system because it was so poorly explained. The narrative was third person limited, which is usually my favorite writing style, but in this case it just served to diminish the story. With the exception of Mehr, the characters were flat, which is a major letdown for a character-driven book. In my opinion, first person, with alternate points of view, or even third person omniscient, would have been a better choice.
The romance was also criminally underdeveloped. Neither characters expressed any interest in each other until they were confessing their love, and the chemistry was awful (with the exception of their last interaction) Honestly, their relationship should've just been left as platonic. Their sacrifices for each other would've been more impactful, especially the forced consummation plot (which was so incredibly creepy and not morally condemned enough)
The pacing was additionally very awkward at times. This book did not need to be more than 300 pages, and the editing was not as through as it should be. The middle dragged on, and considering nothing was being contributed to furthering the romance, literally nothing was happening.
This would probably be a two star read if it wasn't for the last 100 pages, which were brilliant. I wish the rest of the book could've been more similar. I probably would recommend just for the climax and ending alone.
So, this book wasn't my thing. But I adore Tasha Suri and the Burning Kingdom series is one of my favorite series.
The world building was dense while somehow never being enough. For a novel that largely centers around politics, next to nothing about the Empire. I had to look up practically everything that was introduced in relation to the magic system because it was so poorly explained. The narrative was third person limited, which is usually my favorite writing style, but in this case it just served to diminish the story. With the exception of Mehr, the characters were flat, which is a major letdown for a character-driven book. In my opinion, first person, with alternate points of view, or even third person omniscient, would have been a better choice.
The romance was also criminally underdeveloped. Neither characters expressed any interest in each other until they were confessing their love, and the chemistry was awful (with the exception of their last interaction) Honestly, their relationship should've just been left as platonic. Their sacrifices for each other would've been more impactful, especially the forced consummation plot (which was so incredibly creepy and not morally condemned enough)
The pacing was additionally very awkward at times. This book did not need to be more than 300 pages, and the editing was not as through as it should be. The middle dragged on, and considering nothing was being contributed to furthering the romance, literally nothing was happening.
This would probably be a two star read if it wasn't for the last 100 pages, which were brilliant. I wish the rest of the book could've been more similar. I probably would recommend just for the climax and ending alone.
So, this book wasn't my thing. But I adore Tasha Suri and the Burning Kingdom series is one of my favorite series.
soumwise's review against another edition
5.0
SPOILER ALERT
‘Empire of Sand’ is a beautiful, deep tale with a strength and seriousness I haven’t come across in a while.
What stood out to me were the world-building and characters. The author beautifully takes a bit of Hinduism, Mughal India and desert life and etches out a whole new original world from them. It’s one thing to just directly refer to culture in the real world; it is entirely another to reimagine it so creatively. Loved that. Daiva especially were such fascinating beings. The scenes where they follow and circle around Mehr in the desert are just gorgeous. The scene with the Elder Mother and Mehr had such a spiritual quality to it; I felt dazed reading it. Reminded me of a scene in the Mahabharatha where Arjuna sees Krishna in his full divine form. In fact I often wished the author would describe the setting even more. A lot of fantasy tends to overdescribe its world but here, I wouldn’t have minded that at all.
Mehr is a character not easily forgotten thanks to her inner strength but reserved demeanor. Mehr’s quite way of rebelling, her seeming compliance with the docile behavior expected from her as a woman, an Amrithi and a stepdaughter but all this while silently preparing the biggest rebellion and firmly standing her ground when it comes to the really important decisions…it all felt much like the carefully balanced rites, dances and sigils she performs. There was also a strong sisterhood between all the female characters; Mehr, Lalita, the female mystics, Ruhi, Usha, Nahira etc. that made me feel at home.
Amun is also a truly remarkable hero. His tender nature, his lack of faith in himself but also his personal growth, fierce protection of Mehr and his defiance of the Maha makes for a touching character that expands the definition of masculinity. (Much needed, if you ask me.)
The power play in the story feels tangible and realistic. Suri beautifully shows how those who desire control over others the most are in fact those least secure about themselves. The Maha turns from a very scary villain to a fairly pathetic character in the end. It also rang very true for me that those who possess special qualities or resources are strangely also those who are oppressed. (I mean, just look at colonial history.) Story-wise however, I felt the Maha’s rather unceremonious death and especially Kalini’s feelings in killing him (although the motive is rather obvious) could be described a little more.
Three cheers to Tasha Suri! Beautiful read!
‘Empire of Sand’ is a beautiful, deep tale with a strength and seriousness I haven’t come across in a while.
What stood out to me were the world-building and characters. The author beautifully takes a bit of Hinduism, Mughal India and desert life and etches out a whole new original world from them. It’s one thing to just directly refer to culture in the real world; it is entirely another to reimagine it so creatively. Loved that. Daiva especially were such fascinating beings. The scenes where they follow and circle around Mehr in the desert are just gorgeous. The scene with the Elder Mother and Mehr had such a spiritual quality to it; I felt dazed reading it. Reminded me of a scene in the Mahabharatha where Arjuna sees Krishna in his full divine form. In fact I often wished the author would describe the setting even more. A lot of fantasy tends to overdescribe its world but here, I wouldn’t have minded that at all.
Mehr is a character not easily forgotten thanks to her inner strength but reserved demeanor. Mehr’s quite way of rebelling, her seeming compliance with the docile behavior expected from her as a woman, an Amrithi and a stepdaughter but all this while silently preparing the biggest rebellion and firmly standing her ground when it comes to the really important decisions…it all felt much like the carefully balanced rites, dances and sigils she performs. There was also a strong sisterhood between all the female characters; Mehr, Lalita, the female mystics, Ruhi, Usha, Nahira etc. that made me feel at home.
Amun is also a truly remarkable hero. His tender nature, his lack of faith in himself but also his personal growth, fierce protection of Mehr and his defiance of the Maha makes for a touching character that expands the definition of masculinity. (Much needed, if you ask me.)
The power play in the story feels tangible and realistic. Suri beautifully shows how those who desire control over others the most are in fact those least secure about themselves. The Maha turns from a very scary villain to a fairly pathetic character in the end. It also rang very true for me that those who possess special qualities or resources are strangely also those who are oppressed. (I mean, just look at colonial history.) Story-wise however, I felt the Maha’s rather unceremonious death and especially Kalini’s feelings in killing him (although the motive is rather obvious) could be described a little more.
Three cheers to Tasha Suri! Beautiful read!
giana_vitale's review against another edition
4.0
I finished this in two sittings because I didn’t want to stop reading. I really appreciated that while a decent portion of this book is a love story, it’s not so solely focused on the romance that the greater plot suffers. All in all, a nice balance of fantasy elements.
imreadden's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
jags1942's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed Tasha Suri’s writing style in her debut novel. It was a breath of fresh air to read a fantasy novel inspired by South Asian history and has piqued my interest in reading some works of non-fiction to learn more about the region and, more specifically, the Mughal Empire. My only wish was that the world of Ambhan Empire were a bit more fleshed out through additional points of view within the story, as it focuses almost exclusively on the main character, Mehr. Regardless of this minor gripe, which is more about my personal preferences for fantasy stories anyway, I look forward to reading the next novel in this series.
toastedbagel's review against another edition
4.0
This book caught my attention in the very beginning but the plot fizzled out. I loved the writing and how the author is able to express the characters through nuances and little details. And even though the pacing is slow, nor did I feel much motivation or urgency in the plot but rather being stringed along in the story, I did root for our main characters, making it an enjoyable read.