Reviews

The Ivory Key by Akshaya Raman

tastefulscorn's review against another edition

5.0

YEAHH!!!! So freaking good!!!! The world-building is so vivid and lush and exceptionally well-done! Writing a character-driven adventure novel this captivating is an excellent feat I hope the author is proud of herself. Like the adventure doesn’t even start till about half way through but laying the ground work for where the siblings stand was so well done and important!

Obviously relationship dynamics are what drive character-driven stories but I’m still blown away by how complex this relationship web is. Also like that the age seniority is more implied and discrete cuz I don’t usually see that. Completely obsessed with their father’s role in the story and as a major contributing force to the sibling’s problems with one another. The betrayals in this book were invigorating and clearly shows the author’s commitment to layering the hell outta these character relationships. Amrit’s whole role in the story simultaneously added 8 years to my life span and stabbed me in the gut. The epilogue also punched me in the face.

Varun and Riya got me! Amrit and Vira own me! I need that second book pronto!!!! The cover is also GORGEOUS!!

divi_reads's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious tense fast-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

4.5

zaferino's review against another edition

3.0

I really wished I had enjoyed the story more. The setting is one rarely seen in YA and much less in fantasy. For that, the book piqued my interest. However, the story was cursedly slow for the predictability. The next step for the journey is easy to see but the progress towards the next step is very slow. I become very frustrated towards the middle of the book. I will admit, I usually enjoy getting to know the characters, but I felt like many interactions were just repeats of past conversations in a different POV. However, I enjoyed the traps and puzzles present later in the book and the mechanics of magic. The characters were interesting to read about in their own ways and each having a POV allowed the world to be explained. I would recommend this book to fans of Indian Jones or similar temple exploring stories who might have been uncomfortable with someone exploring and ransacking areas belonging to cultures the ransack-ers were not apart of.

Note: I found the hardcover at half price ($7), but I kinda wished I had checked the book out of my library instead.

angelajasz's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

b00kdragon's review against another edition

Characters bored me. Premise had good promise

ashlee_'s review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

travelling_bookworm's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

 “Papa had been too obsessed. Amma had been too busy.
They’d done their best to prepare their children to face the world, but in the end, they’d left the four of them largely alone.”

---------------------------------

This was a pretty good YA fantasy, mostly feeling unique due to its Indian-inspired worldbuilding. I can’t say anything was really wrong with it, but I just couldn't get invested in neither the high stakes of the plot nor the fate of the siblings. The adventure and the mystery did not really kick off until the last quarter, and by that time it was too late for me to get immersed in it all. However, focusing on the sibling dynamics instead of romance (as many YA tends to heavily lean on) was the best part for me. 

trishawantstoread's review against another edition

Realized I wasn't in the mood for it

lotus_lo's review against another edition

4.0

This book is an adventure! All of the characters were so dynamic and complex, and my feelings on them kept changing as they revealed more of themselves to us. I loved how we switched between POV characters, I found them all interesting, even if I agreed with some of them more than others. By the end of the book, I felt as though I was reading family therapy mixed with an Indiana Jones movie.
At one point I wasn't sure how the author was going to make a sequel, we were coming up on the end and it felt as though we were finished, the story was done. And then I knew we were going to have to get another book, and I'm so excited.

To read my full, in-depth review go to my website here: https://lotusfloweredlit.com/2022/02/22/the-ivory-key-by-akshaya-raman-review/ The full review is now up!

jnwhit94's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25