At first, this book really reminded me of Rebel of the Sands. Same kind of deserty world, the main character is called Imani instead of Amani, and she has an affinity for iron while Amani has been surrounded by iron her entire life and is an amazing shot. But to be fair, names can be similar and the iron theme is also present in many mythologies.
That's also were the similarities end. Unfortunately, I'm sorry to say that Spice Road didn't compare to RotS.
The magic system wasn't very imaginative and the characters were quite cliché. The romance barely had any chemistry (even though I'm pretty sure that will change in the next part, considering the ending). Most parts of the book were quite predictable. The ending did have a couple of nice twists, but nothing really surprising.
The title Spice Road had let me think about a mysterious adventure in desert lands. I wanted to be swept away by hot winds, colourful silk shalws and oriental spices. Instead, I got a pretty run-of-the-mill standard fantasy with a bit of sand splattered in between.
Books like this one live of world building. Travelling through the desert? The characters could've just as well stayed at home. They talked. They got into trouble once or twice. But where were the gruelling descriptions of endless dunes, burning sun, freezing nights with jewelled skies and lush oases? Where are the descriptions? I barely had any oriental feeling. The only thing offering that were the djinni and we didn't get much of them. In fact, you could've exchanged Qayn with a snarky map for the longest part of the book. That's actually one thing that really disappointed me, that we didn't get more Qayn. He could've easily been the most interesting character out there. I'm sure he'll get more screen time over the next books, but I would've enjoyed this one more if he had showed up more.
Don't get me wrong - it was a nice book with a couple of pretty nice scenes, but considering my expectations, I was disappointed. And nice is only that - nothing special, nothing breathtaking, not even something especially memorable. Just nice.

Thank you NetGalley and Hodder&Stoughton for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

loved this book, great read. Arabian-inspired fantasy, perfect for fans of Saba Tahir. perfect worldbuilding, good plot, and the story kept me hooked throughout. it did start a bit slow though.

Lyrical writing meets a compelling storyline and a breath-taking world in this wonderful debut fantasy. SPICE ROAD is a lush meditation on colonialism, the weight of expectations, and the lengths we go for the people we love.

Mostly I requested it by its interesting premise: like the Arabian equivalent of A MAGIC STEEPED IN POISON, magic can be ground down and brewed into tea, giving the drinker access to special abilities. I'm a big sucker for unique magic systems, after all! But what really shines from Ibrahim's debut is without a doubt the lyrical, lush writing style that glides seamlessly off the page. Not once is the prose too heavy or purple, as can be the case with writing styles like this one; here it beautifully balances with the story's dialogue and action.

The book starts slow as we are introduced to its cast, world and magic system. For the first half certainly, it begins like any other typical YA fantasy adventure. However, it really picks up about 75% in and subverted many of my expectations, touching upon colonialism, parental expectations, and privilege, so much so that I read the rest in one go.

I was pleasantly surprised and compelled by the ending especially, and the implications of how the story will progress from the crossroads Imani and co. find themselves in. However, I wasn't madly attached to anything: not the characters, not the world, not even the idea of impending sequels. This isn't a fault of the book, and I know other people will connect more with it than I did, but this wasn't my personal, excuse the pun, cup of tea.

If you enjoyed WE HUNT THE FLAME, A MAGIC STEEPED IN POISON, or DAUGHTER OF THE MOON GODDESS, you'll like this high fantasy very much.

WILL I READ ON? Maybe.

Really fantastic worldbuilding, for starters - expansive and rich and magical, the author's lyrical writing style really lends itself to this beautiful world of Swallowing Sands and hidden kingdoms. It was very fascinating and I'm very excited to spend more time in this world as the series goes on. The characters also all felt very complex and real, even the side characters, which is unusual for a story where there are a lot of side characters! I enjoyed how our main character, Imani, had to face up to the fact that reality is not what she thought it was whilst going on this quest to find her missing brother. However, despite the characters feeling quite complex and real, I did not particularly like many of them, and I didn't like Imani especially. She is a stubborn, strong-willed, independent person, and while those are great traits for a main character, at times it just went too far and she was too unbending and too stubborn, to the point where it was a detriment to herself every other chapter. I am really excited to see where the story goes though, because there were so many storylines and plot points that I was desperate to find out where they were going!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'Spice Road' by Maya Ibrahim.

'Spice Road' is a perfect book and I was clinging onto it for dear life. I'd say fans of Hafsah Faizal and Sabaa Tahir would adore this trilogy and get hooked instantly. Perfect pacing, perfect storytelling. My only qualm is that I was so ready for more but it finished. Well, I guess I gotta wait for book two.

DNF.
The immature prose and rushing into foolish adventures by dumb characters without a proper set up was too much to handle. However, do not let my review to deter you into giving it a chance :)

A vivid and imaginatively crafted story framed by themes of class, privilege and imperialism, although almost didactic in its content.

3.0/5

This book was an exciting, innovative and refreshing take on the YA magical/adventure fantasy. Spice Road is set in a beautifully imagined, Arabian-inspired world. As someone who has grown up reading largely Western-set fantasy, I found the rich desert setting of this book to be a breath of fresh air. The characters are all complex and wonderfully written, and I found myself rooting for Imani (the protagonist) from practically page one.

Spice Road will take you on an expansive journey across forgotten cities and ancient desert sands. With the help of mira, a tea that imbues its drinker with magical abilities, and a crafty djinni who will ultimately capture the reader's heart, our main character Imani undertakes the most spectacular expedition in search of her lost & presumed-dead brother. I hesitate to talk much more about the plot for fear of giving anything away, but just know that I found this book a difficult one to put down. If you love adventure-driven fantasy and long for a fresh take on magic, you'll love Spice Road.

Genuinely one of the best fantasy books I've ever read. The character arcs were executed wonderfully, and my heart swelled when I came across terms I grew up hearing. I will never ever grow tired of reading west/south Asian books with Islamic undertones; it always reduces me to tears. 10/10 would recommend to anyone who enjoys a good story!

Spice Road doesn't come out till next year, but I finished it already lol. Going into this, I had no idea of how things would go, but on reading this I really enjoyed the story. Maiya Ibrahim's writing flows really well and the world she has created seems really fascinating. In the beginning of the book, the pacing is a little bit slow, but it really picks up pace and the second half of the book till the climax is full of action. The story just goes on and on and I love that. I also really loved all the characters in the book, from Imani to her sister Amira, to Taha. They were all equally complex. I felt Ibrahim has done a really fantastic job at building the side characters as well; like they're not flat, but well-rounded characters in their own way.

Of course, there's not much I can say about Spice Road because there's still a lot of time till it's release, but I am really excited for people to read it. It's such a good book, so definitely preorder this!