Book Highlight: The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri

Title: The Jasmine Throne

Author: Tasha Suri

Publisher: Orbit

Publication Date: June 8, 2021

Genre: Fantasy

Exiled by her despotic brother, princess Malini spends her days dreaming of vengeance while imprisoned in the Hirana: an ancient cliffside temple that was once the revered source of the magical deathless waters but is now little more than a decaying ruin.
 
The secrets of the Hirana call to Priya. But in order to keep the truth of her past safely hidden, she works as a servant in the loathed regent’s household, biting her tongue and cleaning Malini’s chambers.
 
But when Malini witnesses Priya’s true nature, their destinies become irrevocably tangled. One is a ruthless princess seeking to steal a throne. The other a powerful priestess desperate to save her family. Together, they will set an empire ablaze.

_{-from Amazon}

---

Why This Book

The Jasmine Throne is a story of empire and power and the women who will not meekly do as they are told. It’s about a princess, Malini, who refused to climb onto a pyre to have her soul purified, so she’s sent to slowly die in the crumbling Hirana, isolated from everyone except her jailer, only for a thirst for vengeance to fester in her heart. It’s also about a maidservant, Priya, who has a secret and hidden ties to the Hirana, who deeply values service and loyalty, who finds herself sent to the Hirana to cook and clean and to keep away from the princess.

I’ve chosen this one because it holds a slow burn sapphic romance. Malini and Priya are a princess and maidservant, but they’re drawn together in a push and pull that has them wary of each other. There’s so much happening in this book, so romance wasn’t a focal point, but it was woven in for an ending that tore my heart in two. This one was all about the small scenes between the two women that slowly built into something with a beating heart.

---

Reviews

My review: “There were some really amazing parts, but it’s mostly, very definitely, a slow burn romance. It is, though, extremely well done because, by the end, I felt my heart being torn in two from what Priya and Malini were faced with. The moments between them are small, but mighty”

Kat from KBbookreviews gave this 5 stars, saying “Suri masterfully concocts a story full of revenge, rebellion and dangerous alliances that is full of suspense and tension”

Sifa Elizabeth from Sifa Elizabeth Reads rated this a 4, saying “It’s a slow burn book, both in terms of romance and plot. It’s not a fast-paced book that dashes from scene to scene, but rather one that lets the events unfurl like a flower”

Mogsy from The BiblioSanctum gave this a 4, saying “My favorite part of the book was bar none the relationship development, and each woman also had an intriguing backstory that gave even more meaning to their eventual romance. There’s little reason for them to trust one another, and there’s a certain beauty to the idea of two people from such disparate backgrounds coming together and finding each other”

Kara from Kara.Reviews gave this 3 stars, saying “it’s the dynamic between Malini and Priya, and the story that the two of them create together, that makes The Jasmine Throne stand out”

Julie from One Book More gave this 5 stars, saying “A carefully constructed and nuanced story, this book captivated me from the first page and surpassed my expectations. I love the author’s beautifully poetic writing, the gripping storyline, and the amazingly layered characters and world”

---

Purchase Links

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | IndieBound | Bookshop | Hudson Booksellers | Powell’s | Target | Walmart | Abe Books | Audible | Waterstones | Kobo | ThriftBooks

---

Pin this Book

Check out all the other books featured this month on The Curated Bookshelf.

This blog is my home base, but you can also find me on:

Pinterest | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook