Empire of Sand

Empire of Sand, Tasha Suri???s fantasy debut novel inspired by Mughal India, is magnificent. Though there is plenty of darkness within its pages, there is also an abundance of light as the main characters fight back against evil and injustice???not with the strength of force and weapons, but with the strength of hearts and minds. It???s a wonderful exploration of themes like choice and connection, and it???s also a treasure trove of rich storytelling with its vibrant characters and relationships, fascinating world, and beautiful writing.

In short: I loved Empire of Sand and found it deeply affecting.

Rating: 4 1/2 stars

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Mehr lives in a world where she is only half accepted. The Ambhan people have conquered and destroyed the Amrithi, and as a woman with parents from both worlds, she struggles to find her place as a worshipper of the old Amrithi gods and traditions. When the Emperor's mystics take note of her Amrithi powers, they force her into a marriage with one of their own, and Mehr becomes a very important pawn in a deadly game of men, gods, and demons.

When I heard “Indian-inspired adult fantasy”, I was immediately intrigued; when I heard “angry, vengeful gods”, I was sold. Empire of Sands has been one of my most anticipated releases of the year. I feel like there isn't a lot of own-voice diverse fantasy in the adult age range, so to see a story so interwoven with the author's own heritage and experiences as a woman of color, coupled with the inspirations she took from actual history, made this an incredibly fascinating read.

→ L I K E S :

She'd always understood that keeping even the barest bones of her heritage demanded a terrible price. But she had kept her heritage regardless. That was her gravest error.

stories about conquered nations

awful

He had never hated her mother's people. He had just never considered them people at all. They were the kindling wood that fed the fire of the Empire's strength.

demon-esque spirits that appear in birdlike forms.

Mehr knew what it looked like, when another human being stared at her with hatred. What she had seen in Amun's face was a knife turned inward.

swooning over their fleeting, quiet moments

arranged marriages

→ D I S L I K E S :

How strange, that the world still looked so normal when Mehr's world was collapsing around her.

Empire of Sand

pacing.

I love slow fantasy stories,

when something important did happen, it was over-explained to the point of losing its power.

“A choice like a knife at your throat is an illusion.”

another

→ F I N A L THOUGHTS :

Empire of Sand,

→ RECOMMENDING TO... :

All quotes come from an advance copy and may not match the final release. Thank you so much to Orbit for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I finally finished this book after putting it off for a long time, but I think I was appreciate it more now. It has stunning characters and a beautiful love story, a very familiar but also novel world building and a steady pace that makes you wanna savor the book. Mehr and Amun are perfect examples of resilience and quiet strength, who fight for their freedom and love in the limited ways they can - I admire them so much and I can't think of many characters I've felt similarly about in recent times.

I listened to the audiobook and I have to say it felt very soothing in a way and I would highly recommend it. And if you like your fantasy stories to be written on the more contemplative side rather than blazing through the narrative, then you should definitely give this one a try.