Thank you so much Bonnier Books and NetGalley for the e-arc of The Ivory Key by Akshaya Raman in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

The Ivory Key is a fantasy that delivers an holistic, intricate and wholly immersive magical world and an engaging, twisting tale involving 4 siblings that doesn’t fail to deliver sub-plots, secrets and all the nuances and pain of a dysfunctional family.

The Ivory Key is set in a country struggling from the loss of a strong and controlling Maharani (ruler,) an emerging new ruler, struggling to find her place amidst politics, inherent beliefs and family dynamics, and an emerging loss of magic, the source of the country’s wealth and ultimate survival.

From the start The Ivory Key doesn’t shy away from the complexity of the story, introducing a dazzling array of characters, politics, world-building, magic and all the ingredients of a fantastic journey to replenish the magic of their country. 

The story contains elements of Robin Hood amongst the factions that each of the siblings are aligned to, that are conspiring against each other, but primary focus is drawn to their dysfunctional relationship and whether they can solve these to rediscover their trust and faith in each other.

This book seeks to explore the depths of these dysfunctional relationships amidst an intriguing and onion like story of mystery, puzzles, riddles and codes and of course a treasure hunt, telling the tale from multiple POVs and it does to a point, but this is just the first in the series and amidst so many events and adventures, it just isn’t possible.

Overall a very satisfying first book in a series, that draws together the excitement of a treasure hunt, with the mystery of an unknown history, the challenges of dysfunctional family relationships and past grievances, and the politics and strife of a country in the midst of change at a time of need and loss. I’m definitely ready for book 2 and can’t wait to see where the siblings journey to next.

DRC provided by Hot Key Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Representation: Indian-coded primary, secondary and tertiary characters, queer Indian-coded secondary character, queer Indian-coded tertiary characters.

Content Warning: death, violence, alcohol, war.

The Ivory Key by Akshaya Raman is the first instalment in an Indian-inspired queernorm fantasy duology dealing with family, fate, betrayal and hope.

Four royal children. Four different paths. One ready to do anything to save his brother and get some freedom, even betray his own siblings. One imprisoned for a crime he did not commit. One conflicted between the family she left behind and the one she chose for herself. One on whose shoulders rest the destine of a magic reign with no more magic, and enemies at its doors. An ancient artefact could be the last hope for everything and everyone.

I definitely did not love this book, but I definitely did not hate either, hence my three-star rating. It was perfectly fine. I like the story as a whole, but for me it did not have that spark that makes you fall in love with a book. The characters were all okay and interesting in their distinct ways (although I am very partial to Kaleb, Ronak and Etka), but they still were not enough to turn this novel into a little piece of gold. The three characters I mentioned before are probably the only reason why I am still interested to continue because I want to know what their futures will entail and how their journey will proceed.

Nevertheless, I still want to commend Akshaya on how effortlessly she crafted a queernorm society in her novel. As I was writing this last sentence, I thought of another book I read in spring which had somewhat similar aspects to The Ivory Key, but lacked the inclusiveness Akshaya created in her world and that reminded me of the grudge I harbour towards that book and all those books in which queerphobia reigns supreme and there is not even an effort to challenge it. This decision really separates the authors who care from the ones who do not.

While I cannot say I have not any reserve about the book, I still think that The Ivory Key by Akshaya Raman could be a more than enjoyable read for those readers who love fast-paced novels, with only hints of romance, some adventures and mysteries aplenty.

If my rating were based on the quality of the writing, I would give this a very high rating. Unfortunately my rating is based on enjoyment and I found that average. It was a good story with some interesting mysteries, but I didn’t feel connected to the characters. There were 4 main character POVs and another main we didn’t see from and none of them had me really rooting for them. There were multiple sibling relationships and none of them felt like they had ever been close or could be in the future. Characters are very important to me but that’s not the case for everyone. It was a solid start to a series, just one I will not be continuing.

This is a slow burning story that kept me reading till late in the night because I was fascinated by the four siblings, the intrigues and the world building.
The setting is inspired by Indian cultures and I found the world building fascinating and complex.
The magic system is well explained and quite original.
The siblings are multifaceted and fleshed characters, each of them with their agenda and with different reasons for joining the quest.
This is not an action packed story, the action started after the middle of the book but I was fascinated by the storytelling and the different POVs.
It was an entertaining and riveting read, highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Complex family dynamics meets Indiana Jones-style in this Indian-inspired fantasy offering from fresh new voice Raman. A must-read for all lovers of diverse SFF YA.

Vira, who has been maharani of Ashoka only a few months must find a way to replenish magic, which is running low in the quarry where they mine it. She must protect her region from the threat of war. To get more magic she needs to find the legendary Ivory Key. To do so she will have to work together with her estranged siblings. Will they be able to work together or are the wounds of the past too deep?

Sharing an epic feel of a tale inspired by a mythic India, the vivid writing just takes you away to a beautifully forged world. Intrigue is potent in the narrative, a narrative of rich detail, painting the world to completion in your mind. I really like the idea of magic being a natural resource and being imbued into objects.

The multiple POVs are all-encompassing and flow into each other in a continuous stream of captivating storytelling that soars when the hunt for the key begins. These POVs delve deep into each character's psyche, are teeming with insightful honesty. Siblings each with their own agenda: Vira, the unsure maharani, Riya who ran off and joined the rebels, Kaleb who was wrongfully imprisoned for the assassination of his mother and Ronak, who has begrudgingly stayed in the place and hopes to save his brother. Family dynamics more complicated than just siblings' rivalry, a past that has burned relationships and hurt their souls.

A slow burner, there were parts where I wished for a bit more action or the action being more detailed. Also, I do not want over the top but sometimes the emotional turmoil between the characters could use a little more drama, not so understated.

This is a tale of lost maps and treasure hunts, secret societies and wisps of betrayal. I loved the twist on what we think we know and there was also a gasp-worthy revelation that opens the doors widely for the sequel to be excellent.

Over the last few years I have felt myself somewhat falling out of love with Young Adult Fantasy as a 'genre', thinking maybe it's time I gave up and admitted it just isn't what I'm interested in anymore. And every time I almost give up along comes a book like The Ivory Key which just reignites my love of everything that makes YA fantasy wonderful. The worldbuilding, the characters, the relationships, the tropes, and in more recent times the glorious diversity that (a lot of) YA brings to the table.
This Indian-inspired story of four siblings on a quest to restore magic is *such* a good read and I will definitely be recommending it in 2022. I devoured it in about a day and I genuinely did not want to put it down I was having such a good time.
I will say that the 'treasure hunt' aspect of the story really doesn't come into play until around 60% of the way through the book so those wanting a purely quest-like story might find this isn't what they are looking for. That being said I found the set up and the getting to know the characters portion of the story hugely enjoyable and safe to say there is a fair amount going on that you need to get your head around before you start solving puzzles.
The idea of magic as a resource is something that has been explored in a number of books but I thought that the nuances to do with the loss of magic within this particular story was really well handled and I'll be very interested to see how things play out in the sequel...
Overall I think this is an incredibly well written YA book which manages to feel totally new and very familiar at the same time. The one thing I would mention is that if you read this now you'll be joining me in the agonising wait for book two!
I received a free digital copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

My gosh, what an amazing debut. I can't wait to read the next book in the duology. I mainly enjoyed the sibling dynamic between Ronak, Vira, Kaleb and Roya and I loved reading about their own motives. Being South Asian made me love this book even more as I didn't have books like this growing up. Also the world building and magic system was very well written. I loved how each sibling had their own POV's written it made it much more enjoyable to read.

i’m always on the look out for diverse fantasy novels, so when i learned that hotkey books was coming out with a south-asian inspired duology, my excitement for this book was incredibly high!

when it comes to rich world-building and dimensional character development, this novel does not disappoint. though the first part of the novel is relatively slow-paced, at no point was i inclined to put this book down, as raman uses sharp prose to weave together a complex mixture of themes and plot lines to keep readers entertained. expect royal family drama, sibling bonds, lush descriptions of indian-inspired settings and food, and the unravelling of ancient histories and secrets— all culminating in a satisfying plot twist by the end.

each chapter switches pov’s between the four estranged siblings, and though usually such a number of perspectives can seem cluttered, it worked incredibly well with this book, and i felt each character was explored equally and the plot line never failed to interest me.

i will hugely recommend this to any reader interested in fantasy and/or YA books in general, and i’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for announcements of the second book in the near future. this was such a perfect escapist read for me, and the cover is some of the most stunning artwork I have ever seen on a book!

many thanks to hotkey books for my e-arc :)

THE IVORY KEY is a great debut that's part messy family drama and part Indiana Jones-esque adventure, wrapped up in an Indian-inspired world.

This is a book that can best be described as an "Action and Adventure Fantasy." After years of working in a library and shelving kids books under "Action and Adventure" where kids solve puzzles and go to abandoned sites to find treasure (particularly the "solve it yourself" puzzle books which I'd devour) but not finding a YA equivalent, I think it's safe to say that THE IVORY KEY fills that gap.

There are lots of puzzles for the siblings to solve separately (and then together) in order to find where the key is. And then once they get to the resting place, we have a truly Indiana Jones-esque hidden temple sequence. Traps and sneaky architecture galore! (Is this the only bit I remember of the films? Yes. Am I thrilled that this is not a white bloke there to pilfer but siblings trying to save their own country? Double yes.)

It was a very rich world, and a lot of care had clearly been taken with the details. From the magic point of view, there are all sorts of little mentions of how magic affects daily life (for the rich!) from magically warmed baths to lights and prisons.

I really appreciated that, on the linguistical side, the author simply uses the actual term for the object/concept rather than using an English one that won't be so accurate. She trusts readers without a background from the region to work it out from context. I have no knowledge of any language in that region, but I could still follow along easily. Yes, I am a nerd with linguistical world building, but it really does add depth to the world.

As for the siblings... well, there's enough drama between them to make a soap opera writer run back to their writing desk to get their script up to the same level. Every single sibling has a rough relationship with the other three. I mean, one put another in prison and is arranging a marriage for a third. The fourth ran away from them all.

I really liked how they all had their own reasons for wanting the key that tied back to their disagreements with their siblings. It made both their personal reasons for distrusting each other and their "professional" need to keep secrets deeply interlinked. Thus them working together felt like a much trickier goal to achieve (and also more rewarding when they did.)

A lot happens at the end, setting up several interesting conflicts for the next book, which I will look forward to next year.

Vira becomes the Maharani of Ashoka after her mother is assassinated. But her people have no idea that their country is running out of magic and is vulnerable to attack from neighbouring countries. But if Vira can find the fabled 'Ivory Key' she will have a way to unlock new magic reserves and save Ashoka. But the only way she can do it is with the cooperation of her three troublesome siblings. Ronak is a reluctant prince, obsessed with buying freedom from the obligations of his royal position. Kaleb is actually in prison - accused of the former Maharani's assassination. And Riya ran away to join the rebel insurgents, stealing from the rich to feed the poor, and now is only back in the palace to spy on her family for them.

This is a fun, fast-paced story with four very different protagonists - each attempting to prove themselves and do what they believe is right in a series of video-game style challenges. I loved the vivid, Indian-inspired world of Ashoka and the idea of a fantasy adventure centred around four siblings.

A fun, fast-paced YA fantasy in an Indian-inspired setting.
Magic is a mined resource but what the people don't realise is that the magic is running out, threatening the stability and safety of the country.
The new, young maharani and her three siblings must try to put aside their difference and go on a quest to find the Ivory Key, an artefact that they hope will unlock more magic.
Deciphering clues, hidden cities, booby-trapped temples - if you enjoy B-movie type adventures like The Mummy or Indiana Jones, then this is the book for you.
It takes a while for the adventure part of plot to get going, the first half is spent developing the characters, relationships & motivations of the 4 siblings. I enjoyed learning more about each of them.
The action/quest section was really fun & exciting but I'd have liked it to be a little bit longer.
Like the movies mentioned, it does rely on some convenient events or info being dropped at the right time. But this didn't bother me or affect my enjoyment.
A really fun, enjoyable adventure with a great cast of characters and an inventive setting. I look forward to the next.

Thank you to Hot Key Books and NetGalley for an E-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This book definitely met my expectations! I really enjoyed it! I loved the characters, the setting, the magic system, and some of the relationships.

I loved the estranged siblings coming together for a mission concept of the book. It's something that I haven't seen or read before so it was quite refreshing to read. I would have liked to see more of the backstory behind them and what they were like before they were estranged.

The book was definitely fast-paced but it felt like everything was happening way too fast causing me to be confused at parts but other than that, I loved everything else.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Ivory Key was one of my most anticipated reads. It has some of my favourite tropes — Princess brings back the magic, quest, dysfunctional siblings, secret societies and was inspired by ancient India. I was also excited to read a book written by a South Indian and clearly saw many references that I absolutely loved. Sadly, the characters and the storyline fell flat for me. The beginning of the story started off very weak with the characters motivation falling flat. I expected a lot of tension among the siblings but what I got was a watered down version of it. Throughout the story, all conflicts were resolved so easily that I was left disappointed. The actual quest started later in the book and it was achieved so easily. This was supposed to be a quest for an ancient secret that was hidden with painstaking difficulties but they succeeded it just like that. The twist at the end came as a surprise but I didn't care for any of it at that point. The sequel might be good but I'm not sure I'll read it. All in all, it was a really good inspiration of ancient India and has a diverse set of characters but falls short in delivering the tension filled quest I was promised.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This review may contain minor spoilers.

The Ivory Key follows four estranged siblings from the royal family of the Indian-inspired Ashoka. In this world, magic is a physical resource and it is running out fast. The siblings must overcome their differences to find a new source of magic to protect and save their kingdom. Faced with scheming criminals, a band of dangerous mercenaries, and an ancient secret society, each of their skills becomes useful in their quest against the clock.

The setting of this novel is rich, colourful and fully immersive. The departure from "conventional" fantasy settings is refreshing and creates an engaging world where you forget that you're reading. The other strong point of this book is the magic system where magic is a physical thing which can only be used on objects rather than being used by itself. Once again a departure from convention, this book feels like something completely original.

This is the first part in a duology, however the ending did feel slightly rushed and clunky. Each of the siblings is hurt or faces some kind of dangerous situation in the final legs of their quest and yet each time the danger is immediately cleared and the characters are barely even rattled let alone retaining any injury (with the help of some magic salve or something else). By the final 20% of the book the sense of tension was diminished and the stakes didn't feel as important because everything else had been overcome so easily.

Overall the originality of the setting and magic system is enough to warrant that this book is a strong YA novel worthy of the 4 stars I've given it despite the slightly disappointing rushed ending. I will definitely read the second instalment and strongly recommend this book to any fans of fantasy.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This was a really fun read. It's great to see a fantasy world inspired by Indian mythology, and the four central sibling characters were developed well. Splitting the story among 4 perspectives necessarily means we don't get to see enough of each character though, so I'm looking forward to seeing that more in the next book. The plot was enjoyable and I'm intrigued to see where Raman takes the story in the next part.

A marvellous book, in the old fashioned sense of marvellous, magical and mysterious, a lovely family dramatic tale of trust, betrayal, loyalty and the desire to work together for success.
There are four siblings, each of whom have a different motive for the search for the Ivory Key. We are in the land of Magic and spell binding fantasy, but, the source of this magic is fast running out, and then the Kingdom will be vulnerable to War and Occupation. The Ivory Key will help in the replenishment of this loss, but, as everyone has a hidden agenda, is the hunt worth the risk? Is it better to settle for the Status Quo? Just because you are family, can you trust your siblings? Just because you rule the Kingdom, does everyone have your best interests at heart?
Not quite Harry Potter, or LOTR, but utterly fascinating in every detail, I certainly had to look a few things up, mainly food, clothes,locations, festivals and Gods, yes Google search was kept very busy initially, but the story absolutely flowed, the excitement and intrigue was maintained, and a few bombshells were dropped , quite heavily on one occasion!!
I thought it showed very beautifully, how to rely upon hidden strengths within yourself and the family. Trust and loyalty created a very strong bond, with an unexpected betrayal of this by a certain character, that I certainly did not see coming!!
A brilliant beginning, with a shocking and intriguing end, I genuinely cannot wait for the second book!!
I am not your target audience, being in my mid sixties, but I love this genre. It’s so much more exciting than the books that were available when I was at school, books were allocated according to gender, I had to wait years to read Sherlock Holmes for example! This book reminded me of The Silvered Serpents by Roshani Chokshi, having the common themes of family, betrayal and magic.
A brilliant debut book, I wish I were that clever! My thanks go to Netgalley and the publishers Bonnier Books and Hot Key Books for my ARC, in exchange for my honest, unsolicited review. I have rated this as a five star read, and I will post this review to Goodreads and other outlets.

after looking forward to an indian inspired ya fantasy, i really hate that i didn't like this better. my main issue is that there's not a lot happening in the story. it didn't pick up until at least 60% when the quest finally starts and the end of the book becomes interesting. but by that time i'd lost interest in the characters, their motivations fell flat and the tension between these estranged siblings just didn't hold.

that being said, i really liked the magic system and the worldbuilding inspired by ancient india. secret societies, lost temples, hidden secrets, all of them formed a solid foundation for the story. and as always i felt so good to read about a world with elements familiar to me. i will be looking out for the sequel to see what's in store for the characters!

i do think the younger audience would be invested in the book. though, please feel do check out this south asian fantasy 2022 debut, it might not be for me but it *could* work out for you! especially if you like a decent multi-pov story, about siblings on an adventure.

I loved this book so much!!

The Ivory Key is told through all four of the siblings’ points of view, which really lets the reader get to know each character’s personality, motivations, and thought processes. In books with multiple povs it’s so easy for certain povs to be more enjoyable to read than others, but that absolutely wasn’t the case here for me. All four of them are very different people, and some of them make better (or worse) decisions than others, but I loved every single one of them and loved all of their povs! I was never happy about anyone’s pov chapter ending, and I was never unhappy about anyone’s pov chapter starting. I also found their dynamic as siblings who love and care about each other deeply but whose relationships are deeply fractured at the start of the story to be very interesting, and I think that the development of their relationships was handled very well through the book. Raman has described this book as a love letter to complicated family dynamics and she absolutely delivers on that.

To be honest, the way I feel about this book can be put very simply. Reading The Ivory Key made me remember why I consider reading to be one of my favourite hobbies in the first place. I’ve been really busy lately with university and life, and a lot of what I’ve been reading for the past couple of months has been for my degree, not great, or required a lot of effort on my part to focus on it even if I was enjoying it. From the very first page this book defied all that. Raman’s prose is clear and engaging, it sucked me right in and was so easy to read without feeling at all like it’s been dumbed down. The story was interesting and exciting, the romance was well written and I cared about its development, I loved the fantasy world (and appreciated that not only is there no homophobia but being gay is so normal that it doesn’t garner additional comment) and the magic system is unlike anything I’ve read before and I’m very here for it, and as I’ve already gone into detail about I loved the characters and their relationships with one another. I could pick out every little thing about this book and talk about them more, but there’s only so many times you can say ‘I liked it’ before it gets boring for everyone involved. This book made me rediscover that I like reading, and was a much needed break for me during what’s turning out to be a really stressful time in my life. I’m so glad I decided to pick it up when I did and I cannot recommend it enough.

i really wanted this to be my fav book (because im desi) but the characters and plot were super hard to connect with. nonetheless i loved the south asian fantasy world akshaya raman has created and i am curious to know about any other book she writes. i wish her the very best.

thank you for the arc in exchange for an honest review!