【 THE JASAD HEIR 】

book #1 in the Scorched Throne series

I loved every page of this and I can’t wait for book two.

Genre: YA Fantasy
Author: Sara Hashem
Published: July 2023
Publisher: Orbit Books
Pages: 486 [paperback]

I had high expectations going into this and yet it surpassed even those. The Jasad Heir is truly an excellent read that is not to be missed for YA fantasy readers.

The world is rich in character and the author has done an amazing job weaving a political stage that isn’t overwhelming or difficult to follow. The cast of characters is to die for and a sizzling love-to-hate romance will keep you on edge with your toes curled in anticipation. The dark, complicated past of the main character adds great levels of depth to the plot and made the stakes so much higher.

There are friendships in all shapes and forms to get behind, challenges that are like gauntlets to take your breath away, and sass in bagfuls to keep you laughing.

Not to mention the wonderful, Egyptian-inspired setting of the book that draws on the author’s heritage and offers a world that feels so real you could touch it. This book, along with the likes of Spice Road and The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi, is part of what I hope continues to be an emerging and epic sub-genre of YA fantasy that taps into the lore and myth of Arabian folklore and storytelling.

Give me more!

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Title: The Jasad Heir
Series title: The Scorched Throne
Author: Sara Hashem
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Ten years ago, the kingdom of Jasad burned. Its magic outlawed; its royal family murdered down to the last child. At least, that’s what Sylvia wants people to believe.

The lost Heir of Jasad, Sylvia never wants to be found. She can’t think about how Nizahl’s armies laid waste to her kingdom and continue to hunt its people—not if she wants to stay alive. But when Arin, the Nizahl Heir, tracks a group of Jasadi rebels to her village, staying one step ahead of death gets trickier.

In a moment of anger Sylvia’s magic is exposed, capturing Arin’s attention. Now, to save her life, Sylvia will have to make a deal with her greatest enemy. If she helps him lure the rebels, she’ll escape persecution.

A deadly game begins. Sylvia can’t let Arin discover her identity even as hatred shifts into something more. Soon, Sylvia will have to choose between the life she wants and the one she left behind. The scorched kingdom is rising, and it needs a queen.

In this Egyptian-inspired debut fantasy, a fugitive queen strikes a deadly bargain with her greatest enemy and finds herself embroiled in a complex game that could resurrect her scorched kingdom or leave it in ashes forever.