A conventional but interesting tale of Indian fantasy blending magical quest with family duty. What are you prepare to sacrifice in order to achieve your goal (to be free, to protect your people)? And if you sacrifice too much, will it still be worth it?

The world-building is rich and enthralling, perfect for fans of Children of Blood and Bones.

The story is a quest for a magical key, by four siblings, as they strive to save their country from destruction; whilst having to resolve their tremendous differences. This is full of intrigue, action and adventure,

I woke up early to finish The Ivory Key before work and it was brilliant! Amazing world building and I loved seeing the four siblings interact. It left on a massive cliff-hanger so I cannot wait to find out what happens next!

Full review to be posted soonish. I'll update review with links to socials.
I would like to thank the publisher and netgalley for providing me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Anything better than fantasy stories that finally center around SIBLINGS?

While i really struggled at first to get through this book until 60% in due to the lack of plot and pace, i nonetheless enjoyed the characters and the banter between some of them even the friendships and alliances eventually formed, i enjoyed the main characters a lot and felt many young readers with siblings could easily resonate with their woes and triumphs even.

The Ivory key was probably one of my most anticipated releases of the year. South Asian inspired fantasy? I’m there. Siblings angst and drama? Sign me up. Everything about this book appealed to me. Unfortunately it did fall short of my extremely high expectations. The book took a while to pick up and couldn’t hold my attention for long. I had to keep putting it down and taking breaks. I loved all the Indian inspired elements in this book. As a South Indian myself, it was lovely to see more of my culture represented in young adult fantasy books. I did enjoy this book, even though I would’ve have loved some more action. Definitely recommend this as a lower fantasy to people who are just starting out with the genre. Even if it wasn’t for me, I do think other people will definitely like this better than I did.

18 year old Vira wants to establish herself as the queen of Ashoka, but the country’s only quarry is running out of magic. She needs the Ivory Key to unlock a new source of magic. To do so Vira must bring together her disunited siblings to undertake a quest that will benefit all of them.
This is YA fantasy that is exotic. It draws very much from Indian culture, bringing a vibrancy and vivid world that is immersive and spectacular. Raman describes it as part family drama, part treasure hunt.
The story is engaging from the start. It moves at pace with lots of wonderful twists that can only be achieved in a fantasy setting. The siblings have distinct characters, have carved out what they thought were their own paths, being disenchanted with royal life. There is jealousy, resentment, awe and great character development as each goes through a personal coming of age. Each learns something from the other, with some reluctant newfound respect.
Magic is more in the background than the foreground as result of the characters being front and centre. It does lack tension until late into to the book but at this point it does get exciting. A very enjoyable and immersive read.

Definitely an amazing debut by the author with a beautiful new world and amazing chaotic siblings who are working together to save their country.I’ll forever be shaken by the Worldbuilding of this book. It has so many depths and layers and is clearly visible that so much effort was made by the author. You have amazing myths and history of the country, political knowledge and trade between Ashoka and Lyria and how the whole country is affected by it, and and so much detailed description from different variety of luscious foods (believe me I got so many cravings reading this) to the rich and beautiful clothing each character was wearing (I want them not gonna lie).

Also the magic system was so unique and I absolutely loved the fact how instead of there being only few to control the magic, everyone has the chance to do it if they want to!! its fun to read that you don’t have to be special in order to be in control of magic but even a normal person can.

The plot was amazing and well paced that you just couldn’t stop thinking about and just wanted to read more (I mean i finished in a day so yes). The chapters are fairly short and each ending with bangers which keep you on your tiptoes.


So the story follows around 4 siblings and the book is narrated by each of their perspectives. All of them grew up in the palace and went through all the scolding from their mother together and they were still together when their father made them play games and do treasure hunts. But even after all cracks were formed so deep and they have gone bitter against each other.

Vira the new maharani of Ashoka burdened with the crown of a country who is heading towards doom. Rounak the rajkumara who doesn’t have anything to do with royal life and just wants to escape it all. Kaleb, who was wrongfully imprisoned And Riya the rajkumari who ran away.

I may started feeling little hatred towards Vira but reading more and more and the reasons behind her actions and her overall character growth towards the end and the last few pages where she realized that even though she is the Maharani of Ashoka but in the end she is Vira and her actions are not defined by those who came before her.

All the siblings have polar opposite goals and their strengths but in the end they are one whole and work best when together. I absolutely enjoyed the sibling dynamics in the book, the little bit of hatred but lots of love, the protectiveness and the silly fights, reminiscing about their past together and just the overall emotions they has for each other. The Indian representation is truly exquisite and beautiful with diverse characters and lqbtqia+ representation, it absolutely touched my heart reading about these people who are living in a world similar to mine and people who look like me. I am really eager to read the next book and see where each of these characters are headed and where the plot turns next

the books is definitely high fantasy and very plot driven, with extensive worldbuilding so it can be little harder in the starting to make sense of what is happening but after few pages it becomes such an amazing fast paced novel that you cant put down.

In Ashoka, Magic is the prized resource. It is the only thing keeping the neighbouring forces from invading the country. Fearful that the magic will run out. The four royal siblings must work together to find a new source of magic and save their home.

When the siblings discover the secret society and mystery of The Ivory Key. They leave the safety of the palace to search for the Key, each with their own hidden agenda. Vira, the newly crowned maharani wants to find the Key to save her people. Ronak plans to sell the Key in exchange for an escape from his impending marriage. Kaleb was falsely accused of assassinating the former maharani. Who wants the Key to help clear his name. And Riya, the runaway, wants the Key to prove her loyalty to her new family, the rebels.

The Ivory Key is an epic adventure, the gripping first part of a duology. Raman does an excellent job of world-building. Creating a wonderful filled with Indian mythology. Whether she is transporting you to the luxurious rooms within the palace. Or the forest outside the palace walls. Raman describes the colours, smells, and even tastes that make you want to visit Ashoka!

I really enjoyed this although the different points of view messed with my head a bit! Also took me a while to realise they were all siblings. Once I clocked that they were siblings I really liked how the author portrayed their relationships. I really felt for them as they were very estranged and it obviously effected them more than they revealed. I liked the introduction of the hidden clues for the keys, and trying to work it out myself while the characters did. It made it quite fun! I haven’t read many books about Indian Culture but you can tell the author poured her heart and soul into this one!

The Ivory Key is an amazing story, focusing on the relationship between 4 estranged siblings and how a treasure hunt to find magic and fulfil their deceased father's dream brings them back together.

I love the exploration of the relationship between Vira and her siblings - Kaleb, Ronak, and Riya. They have so many issues amongst them, so many things that have gone unsaid and made things especially difficult for them, made it so that they don't talk anymore, but circumstances bring them back together during the course of the story and I loved watching them interact. It was so beautiful to see them start to understand each other the more they talked.

The treasure hunt with all it's clues and puzzles was so much fun too. I will admit I wasn't really smart enough to decipher all clues, so it was really fun to see the characters solving them. The writing for that part of the story was extremely clever.

I loved the casual queerness in the book and how being queer wasn't made out to be some big deal but was accepted readily into the society. We see both main & side characters who are queer and that was just so heart-warming to see, how they were accepted completely and wholly.

The romance, whatever little there was of it, crept up on me and made me root for the couple. It was really well executed and gave me all the feels, leaving me heartbroken in the right places.

After that cliffie of an ending, I absolutely cannot wait for book two!

Really solid debut with a great plot, lush world building and interesting storyline. I loved the fact that this was a story about sisters!

Good for people who like: magic, sibling rivalry, adventure.

A quick and exciting read in a world rich with culture and mythology. There are secrets, plots, a dangerous quest, and plenty of ulterior motives.

The four royal siblings could not be more different from one another. Vira has taken over from her mother as Maharani (Queen) of Ashoka, and with the title comes crippling responsibility, a council who doesn’t think she is up to the job, and a world falling apart with its magic crumbling. Rita has run away to join a group of outlaws, blaming the royal family for hoarding magic and increasing taxes while the people suffer. Kaleb has been imprisoned on accusations that he was involved in the assassination of the previous maharani, and Ronak is set on freeing him so that they can escape the bounds of royal life together. They once used to work together to solve their father’s puzzles, but his obsession with finding the legendary Ivory Key has been forgotten by all but Vira. When a clue to find the Ivory Key is uncovered and the urgency to solve it ramps up, can they work together to save the kingdom and themselves?

The setting is Indian inspired, where familiar aspects such as clothing and food are combined with mythology, an alternative history, and magic. The world is rich and immersive, and easy to be pulled into. The magic system is interesting in that magic has to be mined and infused into objects, leading to problems when resources run low. The quest itself has a real action-adventure feel in the last third of the book - there are magical puzzles, secret passageways, and a pace that barely slows between dangers.

Narration alternates between the four siblings to reveal their conflicting agendas, resulting in an interesting and tense dynamic from the beginning. Being drawn in to the world was effortless. And once the action gets going, it is intense and twisty. The Ivory Key is the first part of a duology. It is perfectly balanced between tying up enough endings to make this book a satisfying read, while leaving enough unresolved threads to promise an exciting book two. A great choice for readers who enjoy Young/New Adult Fantasy stories.

This book was reviewed by Cathy.

With thanks to Bonnier Books UK and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

Shelves: Young Adult; New Adult; Fantasy; January 2022

Young adult fiction is brilliant. It relies on plot and not gratuitous intimate scenes and angst. This is no different.

Vira is maharani, a queen in a matriarchal society, at a young age after her beloved mother was murdered by mercenaries. It was thought that her elder brother Kaleb was part of the plot and, with no real evidence, Vira imprisoned him. This move had alienated Ronak, her younger brother, who is now plotting to rescue Kaleb but says nothing to him on his daily visits to his brother. Meanwhile, Riya, Vira's younger sister, returns to the palace having fled their mother. All four have motives, and only Vira's are known - save Ashoka, their country, which relies on magic which is running out. The others have their plans which run against Vira, but they can fulfil their own purposes by doing as Vira wishes - the search for the Ivory Key, because they all need it but there is only one of it. With Amrit coming along as Vira's bodyguard, the siblings set off on a quest to find the ivory key and the answer to the question of why is the magic running out?

There are twists in this that I didn't see coming but,, then, I'm hopeless at second guessing authors. And the twists make sense, so, maybe, I should have seen it coming. However, it did serve to increase my enjoyment of the book. Set in a land that is based on the culture of the Indian sub-continent, it reads as refreshing and new because it isn't the classic medieval fantasy, not that there's anything wrong with medieval fantasy, but it is good to find something different.

This novel doesn't change the way you think on a particularly deep level, but it does highlight a different way of doing things and that good fantasy doesn't have to be European and it doesn't have to be complicated.

There is more to come. This story isn't done (sorry!) so I shall be looking out for the next installement.

was pretty excited when i received the book. the first few chapters were a bit draggy but once i got through that, i genuinely could not stop because it was so good. i was pulled into this indian-inspired world and i will forever be grateful to akshaya for bringing to us this book.

indian aspects:
i have alot to say here so bare with me. as a south-indian like the author herself, i do have to say that the author does an amazing job with the indian aspects. it was so well done, the representation was on point which made me feel so happy and seen and the fact that it was inspired by south indian architecture???? crying.
also can we take a moment to appreciate raman for the brilliant description when it came to indian food? especially the sweets. i normally despise sweets and cannot eat them at all but akshaya made me crave for them, CRAVE FOR THEM with her writing. no joke. i have never read my food described this good, it was BRILLIANT.
the clothing, the saris, bangles, all those small details made me so happy!!
another thing i noticed was when akshaya wrote indian words like 'maharani' or 'kurta', she did not specify the meaning of those words in english. non-desi readers normally would not understand that. i really liked what she did there because authors of colour don't have to specify everything in their culture, it's the job of the readers, especially white people to research stuff.
it was funny seeing some of the characters names because most of them were names of people i knew irl like my friends or my family.

characters

i really liked the complexity of every character, they all had their own past to deal with.
- vira's chapters were mostly about her making decisions about ashoka or about the ivory key and while i liked it, i wished there were more to her than just that. constantly comparing her to the previous queen and at one point, it felt like it was just her using people to her benefit even though it was for her empire.
- riya is probably my favourite. i liked the "am i this? or am i that?" contrasting identity from her. she was really interesting to read and i want more from her.
- ronak is my least? favourite i think. i found myself wanting to skim through his chapters faster to get to the other sibling pov. its just that there was not much going on. it was either saving kaleb or nothing at all. i think i'd like him more in the sequel!
- kaleb aaah once again "am i ashokan enough? or am i lyrian enough?" we didn't get to see much about him since he was imprisoned for a long time, his pov kicks off almost only after halfway but nonetheless i liked him. also hey, we share our fear and hatred towards butterflies <33

plot
the plot was a bit slow-paced at first, kicked in maybe at 40% of the book and then went faster. could not put it down after i got into it. i was hoping for more of the fantasy elements except just "magic" but it was good anyway. the whole quest about finding the ivory key was fun to read.
i really enjoyed the sibling dynamic, the duo. i'm so glad raman did not make this a "finding my love interest, found family trope" like most books. they all had flaws and it felt like they used each other, but again, it was for all of them.
THE ANGST!!!!!!!!!

romance
spoilers
there's not much romance in the book like i thought it would be and i was so glad. amrit and vira, i love them but halfway through the book, i just knew amrit was being sus and that he'd betray them at one point. but again, i hoped that was not true but it was true but again it was not true. we don't get our explanations until book 2 i need this right now!!!!!
also i need riya and varun to happen can u see the rivals to friends to lovers happening I NEED IT I NEED IT.
also random but i love yash?? even though we only got 2 pages of him.

overall it was an amazing book. can't wait for book 2!!

I loved every about this book and it being one of my most anticipated releases made it so much more exciting to read definitely recommend to everyone

Unfortunately I DNF The Ivory Key.
It's not my normal read but it sounded so exciting and thrilling I couldn't wait to start reading it, but unfortunately i didn't gel with the book, I just couldn't get into the story or connect with the characters.
I do however believe this book will absolutely appeal to other readers, expecially if you like reading YA Fantasy. I'm just gutted it wasn't for me.
However I just want to take a moment to appreciate, just how absolutely gorgeous the book cover is, and so eye catching.

The Ivory Key was one of my most anticipated reads of 2022 and it certainly lived up to my expectations. It was vibrant, thrilling, emotional and magical. A perfect fantasy read for both new and existing fans of the genre. My only criticism is that I wish it was longer.

Check out my Instagram reels for this title:

https://www.instagram.com/bookmarkedbyhani/reel/CYgVQDOK-oi/?utm_medium=copy_link

Thank you to Eleanor Rose at Hot Key Books for my gifted copy of the book and an invitation to join the tour.

This is a great debut from an author who has excellent world building skills. I really enjoyed the magical elements - I’ll be ho eat it’s what drew me to the book in the first instance & I was not disappointed.

Although the first half of the book moved quite slowly, it was more than made up for in the second half.

The four siblings each have their own agenda when they come together for the quest to find The Ivory Key. Like any siblings Vira, Rita, Ronak & Kaleb have their differences and these differences like any between siblings are a source of discourse between the quartet.

The Indian inspirations behind the story I felt were beautiful descriptive within the book, from the food, culture and clothes, to the myths and the magic.

The book ends with several ends lose but those just make me excited for the final instalment of the duology.

Overall a great read and definitely one I would like to read the next installment too.

The author has created a fantastic setting, which is a mythical period of Indian history. The story is a quest for a magical key, by four siblings, as they strive to save their country from destruction; whilst having to resolve their tremendous differences. This is full of intrigue, action and adventure, but the main question is 'who can any of them trust?'