Scan barcode
beckys_books's review against another edition
5.0
In the hidden city of Qalia magic runs free thanks to misra tea that, once drank, can awaken the magic in those with the affinity for it. Imani has an affinity for Iron able to expertly wield and mould her blade into any weapon she desires. But her prowess is somewhat overshadowed by the actions of her brother, Atheer. Named a traitor and thought dead, Imani has to live in his shadow, but when she uncovers evidence suggesting he may be alive she strikes a deal with the council to bring him back to pay for his actions. Imani wants to bring her brother back peacefully, but there are others accompanying her who have different ideas. The council fear that Atheer has been telling the outsiders about Qalia & it’s magic & will do anything to keep their people safe. Imani has some difficult decisions to make, decisions that will pit her against those she loves, but when she ventures outside of the City and see’s what lies beyond the Forbidden Wastes she will have to decide whether to follow her heart or her head.
This book was so bloody brilliant! Everything I love in an epic fantasy; magical beings, slow burn enemies to lovers romance, an intricate and well built magic system, amazing world building, some truly epic magical fight scenes & brilliantly written characters. Imani comes from one of the founding clans of Qalia and as such has had a lot of her life handed to her. She lives with blinders, not able to see the suffering that surrounds her, assuming that everyone is as lucky and well off as her family. She starts off a little haughty, a little too stuck to the company line, but throughout the story and, with a little help from some friends, she starts to see the error of her ways. She’s stubborn, but also fiercely protective of those she loves, and once she finds proof that Atheer might be alive, will do anything to protect him, even if it means going up against and questioning the council.
Imani embarks on her journey with a bizarre group of people. Taha, a powerful beestseer who is able to meld with animals and control their actions. His father is currently the head of the council and puts Taha in charge of the mission, believing Imani to be too emotional to see clearly. Alongside them are two other members of Taha’s team, both of who look down on Imani and see her as a traitor based solely on her brothers actions. And then there is Qayn, a djinni who initially gives Imani hope that her brother might be alive. He is someone we learn about thoughout the story, getting little hints at his past as well as the reason why he agreed to help Imani in the first place.These all make for an explosive journey filled with heightened emotions, plenty of danger and a little humour. But one of my favourite characters was Amira, Imani’s little sister. Someone she see’s as an annoyance, but she is the one to make Imani question her world views, who allows her to look outside of the rhetoric the council has sold her & makes her start to question why things are the way they are.
Ibrahim certainly isn’t afraid of a little action and I did find myself loving these scenes, especially when we got to see the different kinds of magic being used. She keeps us on our toes, throwing in plenty of plot twists to keep us guessing, and ensuring the story flows. Her writing brings her worlds, both Qalia and Alqibah to life and I loved seeing them through the lens of Imani, Someone who is a little privileged and extremely sheltered. Imani is so sure that when she leaves the protection of Qalia she will see people different from herself, but what she finds are a people so similar they could be related, people whose language is so close to her own, she could understand it with little help. This throws her whole world view, and she starts to question everything she has been told & starts to grow into someone with their own opinions, not just someone who follows the rules to the letter. Ibrahim weaves in Arabian folklore with fables from the world she has created & I loved all the little stories & how they helped build her world.
There was a brilliantly slow burn, enemies to lovers and back to enemies plot throughout the book. Initially, I wasn’t the biggest fan, but the more time I spent with them, the more I appreciated their interactions. He makes Imani question her world view, making her realise that she leads a life of privilege that not everyone is afforded. But he is also your stereo-typical cocky male who doesn’t like having his own world view challenged and I felt that, while Imani grew massively throughout this book, he never really grew at all. Their story doesn’t end tied in a neat bow, instead the author has left it open and i’m intrigued to see where she will take it in the next book.
It’s safe to say I adored this book. It was the perfect escapist fantasy, but with plenty of emotion and heavy moments threaded throughout. If you love delving into new worlds, complicated characters and plenty of action & romance then look no further. I cannot wait to get my hands on the second book.
This book was so bloody brilliant! Everything I love in an epic fantasy; magical beings, slow burn enemies to lovers romance, an intricate and well built magic system, amazing world building, some truly epic magical fight scenes & brilliantly written characters. Imani comes from one of the founding clans of Qalia and as such has had a lot of her life handed to her. She lives with blinders, not able to see the suffering that surrounds her, assuming that everyone is as lucky and well off as her family. She starts off a little haughty, a little too stuck to the company line, but throughout the story and, with a little help from some friends, she starts to see the error of her ways. She’s stubborn, but also fiercely protective of those she loves, and once she finds proof that Atheer might be alive, will do anything to protect him, even if it means going up against and questioning the council.
Imani embarks on her journey with a bizarre group of people. Taha, a powerful beestseer who is able to meld with animals and control their actions. His father is currently the head of the council and puts Taha in charge of the mission, believing Imani to be too emotional to see clearly. Alongside them are two other members of Taha’s team, both of who look down on Imani and see her as a traitor based solely on her brothers actions. And then there is Qayn, a djinni who initially gives Imani hope that her brother might be alive. He is someone we learn about thoughout the story, getting little hints at his past as well as the reason why he agreed to help Imani in the first place.These all make for an explosive journey filled with heightened emotions, plenty of danger and a little humour. But one of my favourite characters was Amira, Imani’s little sister. Someone she see’s as an annoyance, but she is the one to make Imani question her world views, who allows her to look outside of the rhetoric the council has sold her & makes her start to question why things are the way they are.
Ibrahim certainly isn’t afraid of a little action and I did find myself loving these scenes, especially when we got to see the different kinds of magic being used. She keeps us on our toes, throwing in plenty of plot twists to keep us guessing, and ensuring the story flows. Her writing brings her worlds, both Qalia and Alqibah to life and I loved seeing them through the lens of Imani, Someone who is a little privileged and extremely sheltered. Imani is so sure that when she leaves the protection of Qalia she will see people different from herself, but what she finds are a people so similar they could be related, people whose language is so close to her own, she could understand it with little help. This throws her whole world view, and she starts to question everything she has been told & starts to grow into someone with their own opinions, not just someone who follows the rules to the letter. Ibrahim weaves in Arabian folklore with fables from the world she has created & I loved all the little stories & how they helped build her world.
There was a brilliantly slow burn, enemies to lovers and back to enemies plot throughout the book. Initially, I wasn’t the biggest fan, but the more time I spent with them, the more I appreciated their interactions. He makes Imani question her world view, making her realise that she leads a life of privilege that not everyone is afforded. But he is also your stereo-typical cocky male who doesn’t like having his own world view challenged and I felt that, while Imani grew massively throughout this book, he never really grew at all. Their story doesn’t end tied in a neat bow, instead the author has left it open and i’m intrigued to see where she will take it in the next book.
It’s safe to say I adored this book. It was the perfect escapist fantasy, but with plenty of emotion and heavy moments threaded throughout. If you love delving into new worlds, complicated characters and plenty of action & romance then look no further. I cannot wait to get my hands on the second book.
kenomilligan's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
aidangreenleaf's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
spykuh's review against another edition
5.0
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!
This book was great! It didn't do anything mind blowing or super unique, but it was executed well. The pacing is spot-on, and the world-building is introduced naturally without huge information dumps. The world and characters feel complex, with a lot of room to grow as the series continues. The author did a fantastic job of creating a contained story in this book (and I can't emphasize how much I appreciate that), but at the same time setting up the series well with enough background to preview the upcoming political strife.
The romantic elements are predictably YA, but I knew that going in and wasn't unsatisfied. I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a fun, easy to read, YA non-Eurocentric fantasy.
This book was great! It didn't do anything mind blowing or super unique, but it was executed well. The pacing is spot-on, and the world-building is introduced naturally without huge information dumps. The world and characters feel complex, with a lot of room to grow as the series continues. The author did a fantastic job of creating a contained story in this book (and I can't emphasize how much I appreciate that), but at the same time setting up the series well with enough background to preview the upcoming political strife.
The romantic elements are predictably YA, but I knew that going in and wasn't unsatisfied. I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a fun, easy to read, YA non-Eurocentric fantasy.
misskatreads's review against another edition
4.0
Dune but make it Arabian-inspired, less overly complicated, and more magical!
Spice Road a book steeped in myth and folklore that I simply could not put down for fear of missing what happened next. The trials and tribulations these characters go through are so fantastical and intense, I cannot wait for what happens next.
Spice Road a book steeped in myth and folklore that I simply could not put down for fear of missing what happened next. The trials and tribulations these characters go through are so fantastical and intense, I cannot wait for what happens next.
megreadslotsofbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Thank you to Random House Children's, Delacorte Press for an eARC of Spice Road!
Fast-paced, an incredibly unique magic system, and full of adventure and betrayal at every turn. I was on the edge of my seat wanting more with every passing chapter. Eye-opening and full of important lessons, this is one fantasy novel you won't want to put down after you've picked it up! The writing is incredibly well done and it's hard to believe this a debut novel! I can't wait for the next installment of the Spice Road trilogy already!
Fast-paced, an incredibly unique magic system, and full of adventure and betrayal at every turn. I was on the edge of my seat wanting more with every passing chapter. Eye-opening and full of important lessons, this is one fantasy novel you won't want to put down after you've picked it up! The writing is incredibly well done and it's hard to believe this a debut novel! I can't wait for the next installment of the Spice Road trilogy already!
books_tea_and_fantasy's review against another edition
3.0
3 ⭐️
Characters: 6
Atmosphere: 6
Writing: 7
Plot: 6
Intrigue: 5
Logic: 5
Enjoyment: 5
❌ Series DNF
❌ Unhaul
Characters: 6
Atmosphere: 6
Writing: 7
Plot: 6
Intrigue: 5
Logic: 5
Enjoyment: 5
❌ Series DNF
❌ Unhaul
kmiamattingly's review against another edition
1.0
Basically: Go read the Stardust Thief instead if you haven't already. It's also a Middle-East inspired YA fantasy and its basically gender-swapped Aladdin.
I was so excited for this book, but I couldn't get more than 100 pages in. The prose was garbled, like my brain was pinballing around trying to keep up between attempts at poetry, lengthy exposition (lots of telling, little to no showing), and nonsense dialogue. Straight up, the dialogue didn’t make sense at times. I couldn't get a beat on the main character's thoughts or motivations. She and the other characters felt like stock archetypes. Once I caught wind of the love triangle I lost all interest. My personal feeling is the YA love triangle is extremely dated, and I really hated the vibes of Taha, one of the members. Other reviews here said he was a bully, and he certainly came off that way. If that persisted throughout the whole book I would've been incredibly upset. Cannot recommend (which breaks my heart, because I wanna see more YA fantasies from diverse cultures. Just not this one).
I was so excited for this book, but I couldn't get more than 100 pages in. The prose was garbled, like my brain was pinballing around trying to keep up between attempts at poetry, lengthy exposition (lots of telling, little to no showing), and nonsense dialogue. Straight up, the dialogue didn’t make sense at times. I couldn't get a beat on the main character's thoughts or motivations. She and the other characters felt like stock archetypes. Once I caught wind of the love triangle I lost all interest. My personal feeling is the YA love triangle is extremely dated, and I really hated the vibes of Taha, one of the members. Other reviews here said he was a bully, and he certainly came off that way. If that persisted throughout the whole book I would've been incredibly upset. Cannot recommend (which breaks my heart, because I wanna see more YA fantasies from diverse cultures. Just not this one).