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A review by mastersal
Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri
5.0
Jan 2022:
After almost a year this book remains on my mind and I keep thinking about how well it did with it did. I am upping the rating to 5 stars because this in hindsight was a fav of the 2021 year.
———
Mar 2021 review:
So I bought this book for my Kindle in May 2019 and it’s taken me almost two years to get to it - and in the end I had to get the physical book from the library.
Basically … what the book has taught me is that I should not buy fantasy books on my Kindle as I tend to forget about them and I miss out.
This was a great debut novel set in Indian inspired fantasy land (I actually recognised the map - joy!!). I am not sure about the Mughal setting per se but I loved some of the inspirations. The magic system - based on dance - made me think of Bharatanatyam. I am not sure what is what the author meant to evoke but that was running through my head.
Side note - I would love to see this book brought to screen - Bollywood if you are listening, please get on that asap please.
Word-building aside, this is probably one of the best fantasy romances that I’ve read in recent memory. I am usually very specific of the hybrid as usually one or the other hybrid takes a backstreet. Here the romance is integral to the plot but also balanced in that it matters to the world and the story and themes. I really enjoyed the control and balance between both - which would make this book kind of mindblowing for me.
The plotting is a little on the slow slide as the romance gets a fair amount of focus in the middle of the book - but I really appreciated that. It kind of fit into the world and the magic system being explored. There is a surprising lack of violence-as-a-solution here which I appreciated quite a bit.
The last 80 pages though really picked up the pace with plot points coming fast. To be honest, some of these elements could have used a little more breathing space. Yes, it would have made the book longer but I would have been fine with that!
Some slight wobbles but really good - 4 stars. I am excited to see more from this author especially with her new trilogy coming this year (in 2021).
Side extra video which is also worth checking out as it was kind of what I saw Mehr and Amun as:
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oR4Sy3yV_4Q)
After almost a year this book remains on my mind and I keep thinking about how well it did with it did. I am upping the rating to 5 stars because this in hindsight was a fav of the 2021 year.
———
Mar 2021 review:
So I bought this book for my Kindle in May 2019 and it’s taken me almost two years to get to it - and in the end I had to get the physical book from the library.
Basically … what the book has taught me is that I should not buy fantasy books on my Kindle as I tend to forget about them and I miss out.
This was a great debut novel set in Indian inspired fantasy land (I actually recognised the map - joy!!). I am not sure about the Mughal setting per se but I loved some of the inspirations. The magic system - based on dance - made me think of Bharatanatyam. I am not sure what is what the author meant to evoke but that was running through my head.
Side note - I would love to see this book brought to screen - Bollywood if you are listening, please get on that asap please.
Word-building aside, this is probably one of the best fantasy romances that I’ve read in recent memory. I am usually very specific of the hybrid as usually one or the other hybrid takes a backstreet. Here the romance is integral to the plot but also balanced in that it matters to the world and the story and themes. I really enjoyed the control and balance between both - which would make this book kind of mindblowing for me.
The plotting is a little on the slow slide as the romance gets a fair amount of focus in the middle of the book - but I really appreciated that. It kind of fit into the world and the magic system being explored. There is a surprising lack of violence-as-a-solution here which I appreciated quite a bit.
The last 80 pages though really picked up the pace with plot points coming fast. To be honest, some of these elements could have used a little more breathing space.
Spoiler
For example, Mehr talking to the daiva was a little too convenient and could have been flushed out a little more.Some slight wobbles but really good - 4 stars. I am excited to see more from this author especially with her new trilogy coming this year (in 2021).
Side extra video which is also worth checking out as it was kind of what I saw Mehr and Amun as:
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oR4Sy3yV_4Q)