*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

Wow! Hands down one of the best fantasy reads I read this year . probably falls into top three my fave fantasy reads ever. I absolutely loved it and ate it
Iike a starving person. can’t wait to read more in the series and I am so looking forward to my special edition of this book. definitely recommend!

The Jasad Heir is an intricately woven story of betrayal and hidden identity, with a hunger games type tournament, and agonising slow burn enemies to allies to lovers romance. We are introduced to Sylvia as she works as an apothecary apprentice in a quiet village away from the kingdoms and political systems that destroyed her family and sent her into hiding. Despite having magic Sylvia is unable to channel it until her hand is forced but the consequences of using her magic put her at the mercy of Arin the Heir of Nizahl and the one person that would kill her immediately if her true identity was ever revealed.

I adored the world-building and magic system within the book and the map at the start was useful as there is a lot of travelling throughout the kingdoms and the monster-filled Essam Woods. Sylvia’s companions and Arin’s guards make for an interesting group of secondary characters who each help to direct Sylvia and Arin’s decisions and the outcome of the story.

I can’t wait for my Illumicrate copy to arrive and would recommend this book to anyone that loves epic world-building with forbidden magic and forbidden romance, though be warned the ending will leave you wanting more so be prepared to be left with a cliffhanger!

Ratings
Spice: 🌶
Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Characters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Please don't send any arcs in pdf format, they are very uncomfortable to read. Neither your authors or their works deserve that.

4.5 stars 🌟

This book has one of the most memorable opening scenes I've ever read. Those frogs were put to good use.

The writing style is simplistic making it very easy to get into the story. The prose is distinct enough to nod at it being set in a different part of the world that what is most prevalent (we are in an Egyptian inspired world) while simultaneously immersing you in the setting. The pacing is very well done because it doesn't linger too much in the competition aspect when we get there which is where most fantasies with this element tend to lose me.

I would have liked more from the setting in terms of description same goes for the different kingdoms practices, culture, customs etc. The only place we truly learn about is Jasad which makes complete sense because that's her home but considering how much time she spends with Arin and his soldiers in preparation for the Alcalah tournament it could have been an opportunity to learn more about his culture and people.

Events were built up to gradually and it never felt like the plot was happening to our characters, their decisions were the ones pushing the story ahead and the way they dealt with problems as they arose was consistent with who we came to know them to be and made sense with the world.

For once I am satisfied with the amount of magic involved in a book. Even though this has a magic depleting from the world aspect it never felt like it was lacking. The descriptions of the magic and what was being done with it were nice but our MC still had to rely on her own skills to get out of various binds throughout.

It's told in first-person single POV through an MC that reminded me very much of Nahri from the Daevabad trilogy in the opening chapters but Sylvia is very much her own person. She offers very funny commentary in her internal monologue and I am nothing if not a sucker for a woman that makes me laugh. She's a planner and will not hesitate to do what's needed to keep herself safe especially if it means killing someone to eliminate them as a threat.

It's very refreshing to read about an MC that doesn't shy away from getting blood on their hands in order to protect themselves. She also doesn't bore us by guilt tripping herself over the deaths of random people she has to kill to ensure her continued survival. If it's Sylvia against someone else rest assured she will do what needs to be done and not lose a single second of sleep over it. Where are all the cutthroat female MCs? I need more.

Believe me when I say this book is incredibly funny. I laughed constantly throughout it but it knew when to employ humour. When the knives came out it would take on the serious tone it had to employ so as not to cheapen those moments. That being said, please understand that there are a lot of big feelings here. Sylvia is going through an identity crisis this whole book and every emotion that comes with that is explored.

Themes: Identity, sacrifice, being worthy of love, family.

Sylvia

She's experienced a lot of trauma in her life and as a consequence of that will put herself first in every situation. When I say I understand stand her at a fundamental level I mean that I was her and still am in some extent. Our situations are very different but the way she thinks is one I am familiar with and with each reveal I felt her pain and anguish because I've had those same emotions. There was a particular scene where I cried actual tears so you know she had me in my feelings.

She's very hardened due to her upbringing at the hands of an abusive caretaker, that period of her life was torture and now every decision she makes stems from that time of her life. She selfishly persues her own safety at all cost and will not hesitate to stab someone to keep herself safe. At the same time she's someone who thinks every decision through to its ramifications because she can't afford to misstep.

She wants to just be left alone to live the rest of her existence without having to consider others.
She goes through an identity crisis and that's all I can say without spoiling things. She grapples most with how much of herself she owes to her people and whether that should matter considering everything she's facing.

Arin
If paranoia was a person. He's exhibiting higher forms of thinking to a level that is disconcerting. His tactics are brilliant and his mind is truly terrifying because of how far ahead he considers things before acting. I need to know more about this man because the glimpses we got point to him being very fascinating.

The Jasad Heir was an absolutely incredible read.

The fact that this is Sara Hashem's debut novel makes it even more impressive! The writing style just itched a scratch that I've been looking for in fantasy books recently and it just made me absolutely inhale the story. The clear messaging on things such as racism, sexism and war and love was beautifully done.

The world building made it so clear as to where they were, what it looked like and just gave a nice padded out feeling to the whole story. I felt invited into each place, it was rich and textured throughout.

I am so thankful to Orbit and Netgalley for letting me read this absolute gem of a book! Will definitely be purchasing this one!

4/5 Stars

As someone who does not like enemies to lovers, I am bewildered to find that I enjoyed this one. I want to thank Little Brown Book group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

But once I stopped needing to survive, what would be left? What if the worst parts of me had already cannibalized the best?

When the kingdom of Jasad burned and its magic was outlawed, Sylvia was but a child. After barely surviving the event and its aftermath, all she wants is to forget her past as the Jasad Heir and survive peacefully. Enter Arin, Heir to the very kingdom that scorched hers. When he discovers her magic by chance, Sylvia is forced to make a deal with him to escape persecution, and so the cruel game begins.

Amidst the many many books the internet is hyping up these days, this is one that truly delivers on its promises. We get a beautifully complex Egyptian-inspired world, in which powerful magic has been outlawed. We get strong characters, interactions and development across this first installment. We get enemies to lovers in a way that had me uncertain at first, but ended up convincing me as someone not too keen on this type of romance. We get a compelling narrator with Sylvia, who talks about struggles that will resonate with a lot of readers, namely - as the author mentions in her interview - through the guiding question:

What do you owe to a place and a people you’ve barely known, but without whom you wouldn’t exist?

All in all, truly a terrific debut that I’m sure lots of people will love!

I really enjoyed the Jasad Heir, and it is particularly impressive given it is a debut. The world building was impressive, with a really rich lore which is I really enjoy in fantasy books. I usually hate the 'enemy to lover' troupe but I think this is one of the best examples I have come across, it really did manage to get across the character changing attitudes towards each other as the story progressed. I really enjoyed as well Sylvia as a main character, she is not a typical protagonist and her personal development was very well written. The side characters as well were very well written. Thoughly recommend to fantasy fans!

Wow. I hardly know how to review this book.

The Jasad Heir was so unexpectedly brilliant and engrossing, I both sped through it but also dreaded reading it becuase then it would be over. I am so sad it is over because what a fantastic ride this was.

Let me break down my favourite elements of this.

1. The first standout feature of this book for me was the actual writing style itself. I was marking quotes left right and centre - Sara Hashem knows how to write intriguiing sentences and how to pack a punch just with words. The messages on class, on sexism, on war and love and betrayal were all given to the reader through these beatiful passages.

"I hated him for more reasons than I could ever name. But hisrestraint - it infuriated me beyond sense. How do you predict the patterns of a river that never floods, never ebbs or flows."

"You think your mind is a blank slate, where you can build your own networkds of information from skratch, through pure logic and reason. You ignore that each child enters a completely unique world, founded on different truths. We build our reality on the foundation our world sets for us."

2. Another part of this book I adored was the mix of old tropes e.g. enemies to lovers, competition rebellion - but how it is made so fresh with a unique egyptian influence, a more comples and thorugh out world and history, and even a couple plot twists here and there.

3. A pet pieve I often have with enemies to lovrs in fantasy is how the (usually) male in the situation is stoic and dissaproving but you can tell from teh very beginning that they have feelings and they ate hardly actual enemies. NOT HERE. Sarah Hashem made sure we KNEW that Arin was a bad bad man, willing to kill our protagonist, who had no qualms with death and torture. I won't spoil the book but Hashem, in line with this, made sure that the hints of romance we got rhtoughout the book were not based in "oh hes jsut hot" but in truths being revealed, of allegiences changing, of nlocked memories etc. I ADORED that it was slow burn, I adored that it left us wanting MORE.

4. For once a fantasy with war and death and such is actually dark and gorey. I really appreciated that some of the more violent fighitng scenes weernt skimmed over and we got some ganrly details which actually made the difference for me in feeling out our protagonsits abilities and her desperation. It also felt more gut wrenching when violence occured so as eraders we arent jsut skimming over these scenes.

Overall, I hihgly recocemnd this book to fans of Throne of Glass and Nevernight, if you like slow burn, dark and drawn out fantasy, with high stakes and politics and history and magic then READ THIS BOOK.

Captivating Fantasy with Pacing Quirks - "The Jasad Heir"

Rating: 7/10 Stars

"The Jasad Heir" takes readers on a captivating journey through a meticulously crafted world. With intriguing characters, an immersive setting, and a well-woven plot, it promises an enjoyable reading experience. However, pacing issues arise, with a slow start and a rushed conclusion.

The main antagonist and side characters shine in "The Jasad Heir," brought to life with depth and complexity. The world-building is exceptional, immersing readers in a vividly depicted setting. The intricate plot weaves intrigue, politics, and personal quests, keeping readers engaged.

Despite the book's pacing quirks, "The Jasad Heir" is recommended as a summer read, particularly for those new to adult fantasy. The rich setting and vibrant world-building create a captivating backdrop. If you enjoyed the similar vibes of "Final Strife," this book will likely appeal to you.

In conclusion, "The Jasad Heir" is a captivating fantasy with an enjoyable reading experience. Dive into its immersive world, intriguing characters, and plot filled with twists and turns. While pacing issues may be present, it remains a recommended summer read, especially for newcomers to the realm of adult fantasy seeking an enthralling adventure akin to "Final Strife."

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher who sent me a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. The protagonist is complex. She’s not your typical heroine. The author creates a complex world of political intrigue that had me turning the pages. The enemies to lovers trope is present and if I had one criticism it would be that a little more spice would have been nice.

I have been so hyped for this book since it was announced and I'm so happy to say it lived up to my expectations. Filled with magic, monsters and incredibly morally corrupt but expertly written characters, once I got started I seriously struggled to put this one down. Sylvia has spent her life hiding who she is, the Jasad Heir, next in line for a Kingdom that has been destroyed and it's people hunted to near extinction by the people of Nizahl. But when a moment of anger see's Sylvia unleash her power in front of Arin, the Nizahl Heir, she quickly finds herself in a dangerous position. Arin offers her a deal, enter a deadly competition as his champion and help her lure in a rogue band of Jasadi rebels & he will keep her secret. But Sylvia's secrets run deeper than Arin could ever guess and the pair quickly enter into a game of cat & mouse, neither willing to allow the other to see more than they want, and soon the pair will have to decide between their allegiance to their kingdom, or their own budding feelings.

Seriously, if you love complicated, morally grey characters you need to pick this story up. Told mainly through the POV of Sylvia who is someone torn between two worlds. The one she has created for herself as a nobody, and the one in which she is the only living heir to Jasad. When Jasad fell she was thought dead and swept away by someone she thought an ally, someone who trained and tortured her in secret to take back their kingdom, but that's never what Sylvia wanted. She wanted a simple life, where she was simply 'Sylvia' not Jasadi, not the Heir. But as the story progresses and she learns more about her kingdom, her family and their magic, she starts to realise that giving up the mantle of 'heir' isn't as easy as it would seem. She's feisty, unafraid in the face of danger and fiercely protective of those she cares for, even if she doesn't show affection easily, and it was incredibly easy to empathise with her and want her to succeed in the tournament.

We only get the odd chapter from Arin's POV, but we see plenty of him thanks to the time he and Sylvia spend together. He's a bit of a contradiction, someone known to hunt Jasadi and take them back for sentencing, which usually means death, but he's also someone who believes in fairness. Despite being a Jasadi he treats Sylvia with a kind of respect, but there is an anger inside him, a deception he hasn't quite recovered from, one that means he keeps Sylvia at arms length, never willing to let her get too close, past his carefully worn defences. Alongside Arin we meet a whole bunch of secondary characters that you will absolutely adore, and others you will absolutely hate. From Sylvia's fellow 'orphans', to Arin's personal guard and the rulers of the other kingdoms, each character is brilliantly brought to life and some play a hugely pivotal role in the story itself.

What Hasham does incredibly well through this book is show that there are no true good guys or bad guys in war. Sylvia has this ideal memory of Jasad, one of a peaceful kingdom with kind and gentle rulers something that, as we progress through the book, we learn might not be the whole truth. She shows that although the Nizahl complete destruction of Jasad may have pushed the boundaries of 'fair' the Jasadi weren't exactly innocent in their actions. We're kept on our toes, not knowing which version of the truth we should trust, who we should believe, but she does paint a blindingly truthful portrayal of war and how fear is an intense and dangerous motivator for it.

The worldbuilding was incredibly well done, though I do think there were some points when it became a tad info dumpy, and these parts did slow the story down a little. Originally there were 4 ruling kingdoms, and after an event that saw their magical leaders put into a permanent sleep they decided to create a 5th Kingdom, the Nizahl, who would oversea the other 4, keeping them in check and ensuring that no one kingdom gained too much power. Unfortunately, Nizahl built and built into essentially the main power and once they took Jasad, they became the main and most powerful force. Because of the pacing issues, I do feel like the last part of the story was a little rushed, there were so many developments, plot twists etc, but they were all seemingly left to the end, and that just didn't allow them to be as developed as they could.

I have seen this described as a fantasy romance and, while there were certainly romantic aspects to the story, I wouldn't say it plays as large a part in the plot as you might think. The parts that we did get were exceptional, and I loved how the author showed Sylvia fighting against herself. She does start getting feelings for Arin, but then hates herself for liking the heir to the kingdom that destroyed hers. Their relationship is incredibly slow burn and what starts out as enemies, builds to a grudging respect to am almost kind of friendship and then, right at the end, to something more. So yes, there is a romance and, I think going in knowing this you probably read more into some of their interactions then there probably is, but this is first and foremost a political fantasy.

Hashan's writing is delectable and brings her world and charcters to life. We get plenty of introspection as well as some truly kick ass and horrifying fight scenes, largely in thanks to Sylvia taking part in the championship. It's a slow burner in a lot of ways, but one with one epic pay off, the ending of the book blew me away and I am desperate to get my hands on book two!

The world building was strong from the start and it was enough to keep me interested throughout the whole book. Yet what made me want to put it down was the relationships between the characters. Especially the romance...

We are so grateful for Orbit to receive an e-arc of this book! This was one of our most anticipated 2023 releases.
We were so excited for an Egyptian inspired Fantasy story by a muslim Egyptian American author, as we need more of those.
Unfortunately this one was very disappointing to us. The beginning of the book was very hard to get into due to the lack of world building. It felt like we were missing something in the background of the story.
In addition, I couldnt connect with the characters nor the writinf style.
I think this mainly is due to the author still finding her voice in a debut novel. However, what I did not appreciate was the romance that had very abusive tendencies. This is not a healthy relationship and should have trigger warning for this.
All in all we would love to check out the author's next series as the idea for this was amazing and has a lot of potential.

Love the Egyptian setting of this book, when I read other reviews mentioning this I was super excited to get started. I found the page of this book to be way too slow for me. There was a lot of building up to the main aspect (the trials) which didn’t really get started until two thirds of the way in. I found the magic system rather hard to understand (or could just be me being thick) and even after reading the whole book I’m still unsure. There is a typical enemies to lovers storyline - broody, aloof male MC and angry with an attitude problem female MC.
I feel like this book has really missed a good opportunity to explore an Egyptian fantasy setting!

I loved this book! It has all of the elements for a great story and it absolutely was!!! Completely hit the mark with this one, Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for early access to this book in exchange for my honest review.

I have been fortunate to have been approved for an ARC by Little, Brown Book Group UK through Netgalley

The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem has been in my sights for well over a year, ever since I accidentally came across Sara's TikTok account. A high-fantasy novel of hidden identities, deadly stakes, internal turmoil between duty and inner peace, exploration of perception, against the backdrop of a post-war world and political intrigue, painted with the strokes of Egyptian inspiration, and of course, a sub-plot of enemies-to-lovers? Well, how could I ever refuse?

Before I proceed with the reasonings of my opinions, here's the short and sweet version - beyond my excitement and anticipation for the Jasad Heir, solely based on its premise, this story now holds a very special place in my heart! I've had an absolutely delightful time reading about Sylvia's journey, and will be patiently waiting to discover what her future holds when book 2 eventually comes out!

When I picked the book up, I was expecting a well-written novel exploring darker and important themes, why providing delicious angst. What I had not anticipated, was to also experience a charmingly presented sense of humour. It might be that it is specific to my taste, but I found it tickled me in all the right ways. The interactions between Sylvia and Rory, the chemist with whom she apprentices, Sefa and Marek, her friends (though she'd be loathe to admit it), or Arin - the Nizahl heir and commander, dedicated to hunting her, were quick to provide a moment of uplifting relief. Just in the right moments, and just enough, to balance out the severity of the situation, giving both the readers and characters a moment of reprieve.

Sylvia is easily the star of the show. Her struggle and initial apprehension with her duty as the lost heir of Jasad, to her people, country, and ancestors, was refreshing to read. While there many plot events that drive the book, the reason the story excels in my eyes is the focus on Sylvia's internal journey. Learning to open her heart, overcoming her struggles, and discovering what she truly wants for herself, and what matters to her. She is humorous, skilled, brave and caring (again, she'd be loath to admit it).

Arin can easily share the spotlight with her. Their interactions were a joy to read, and were perfectly balanced to allow for mistrust, fear and hate, and room for feelings which neither could have anticipated to bloom.

Another great aspect I would like to specifically highlight, is the prose in moments of stress and fear. I am not well-acquainted with the intricacies of horror writing, however, I found Hashem's descriptions to weave a beautifully terrifying atmosphere.

There are some things which I would like to take note of. Certain parts of the novel seem like they could have used a little more fine-tuning to get the pacing, world-building, or tension even stronger. At times it felt like we are trying to get from one important scene to the next, without blending them quite as seamlessly. At others, it felt like the moment was not given the time for its impact to set in, before we were whisked away to the next event. However, these are down to fine-tuning and personal preference, as someone who enjoys sitting with the characters for longer. Seeing as it is a debut novel, I consider them non-issues and they have not hindered my enjoyment of the book.

The ending of the Jasad Heir has given me the exact emotional turmoil I had been seeking and am looking forward to continuing Sylvia's and Arin's arcs when the story of the Scorched Throne continues in the sequel!

Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for providing me an eARC to review!

Unfortunately this just did not work for me :(

It was cool to see a protagonist who wasn't immediately wanting to martyr herself for her lost kingdom, but I could not connect to Sylvia at all. The beginning felt very disjointed and like we were jumping between scenes without much explanation, which made it difficult for me to get a grip on Sylvia and her relationships. It was a lot of tell not show about her past and how much of a baddie she is, and I feel the moments where she laments how now she has to live meekly and invisibly would be more interesting if we had seen more of her past first-hand. I also didn't anticipate loving the romance between her and the prince, and based on some other reviews it seems like there isn't much nuance to the exploration of their relationship as coloniser/colonised.

The plot seems fine (though based on what I read it seems like the classic 'lost princess with powerful magic takes back her kingdom'), but there were some quirks in the writing that made it difficult for me to fall into this story - dialogue felt awkward, characters were introduced strangely, and the setting and its history wasn't really coming together. I appreciate that we weren't massively info dumped, but I don't think we were given quite enough clues to put things together without the author having to revisit the information again as the story progressed.

It reminds me of a few titles that I just haven't gelled with as much as I'd hoped - An Ember in the Ashes, The Unbroken and The Final Strife - but I think fans of those books could really enjoy this. It's always cool to see more Arab/Muslim representation in fantasy, so I'm sad that this just didn't work for me.

3.5 (rounded up) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to Little Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for an e-arc of this book.

This was a really solid start to what is going to be a series.

I like the MC, and am keen to see how her story develops further-also keen to see more world building and expansion on the magic system.

At times in the text it became unclear who, or what was happening but it didn’t last for long, so didn’t take me out of the story too much but I hope in the second instalment some of this is tightened up to really help elevate the prose.

Keen to see what happens next!

"I am where I want to be"

This story has it all, hidden and suppressed magic, a strong ruler in hiding, enemies to lovers trope, excellent world-building and political intrigue together with loyal friends and a hot enemy. The beginning is slightly slower as you understand the world and relationships but once this is clear, the story is unputdownable as you follow Sylvia along her race to become champion.

The tension between her and Arin is palpable with the history of their kingdoms coming between them. I love Sylvia's strength of character and her need to protect her friends. There were heartbreaking moments that have you biting back tears and moments where you grin like a loon. The characters were beautifully nuanced and complex. Overall Sara tells a beautiful story of political intrigue, unexpected love and loyalty.

Also that cover is just stunning!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Little Brown Book Group for allowing me to read this early in exchange for an honest review

If you like a good story about hidden heirs, bound magic and not-so-evil enemies, then this is the story for you. After all who doesn't like the idea of a forbidden love, enemies to lovers, and painful magical touches?

This story is about "Sylvia", an apothecarys apprentice who likes to flaunt the rules and has a hidden cache of supplies reach to grab if she needs to run. And why would she need to run? Because she is of a hunted race of magic users the other four kingdoms have been condemned to death. She lives as an Orphan, and with her friends tries to live a quiet and unremarkable life. Until Arin, the Nizahl Heir comes to their small town and picks Sylvia to be his Champion for the upcoming "Games" in the worship of their gods. The problem is, Arin knows what she is, and he makes her an offer she can not refuse.

This book, while it does have many common tropes in it, is set in an imaginative world, full of dangers, darkness and creatively hard creatures. Sylvia does not come across as the whiny "chosen one" type that some books have, and in fact, you start to empathise with her very early on. Arin is a character that you cant help but like even when you shouldn't, but then I always like a "frosty" man who you know is going to start to thaw eventually.

A rich and beguiling world that I can not wait to explore in the next book. A must-have for your shelves.

The Jasad Heir had all the premises to be a great story, but in the end didn't live up to my expectations. The writing style wasn't captivating enough and sometimes was a bit confusing. Consequently, I didn't feel attached to any characters. They were okay but not fully fleshed out. Also, the pacing was a bit off and the tournament only started at 70% of the book, when my interest had already faded. I'm sad I didn't love it because it could have been really an amazing book.