Thank you Netgalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for sending me a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

The Jasad Heir is an Egyptian-inspired fantasy novel featuring enemies to lovers romance, a complex fantasy world and a game element. Sylvia, a hidden royal and last of the Jasadi royal family, went in the hiding after her kingdom’s massacre. Meanwhile, in a religious contest, contestants from all the five remaining kingdoms compete to honor their gods’ sacrifice. The commander and heir of the Kingdom of Nizahl, unaware of Sylvia’s true identity, selects her as his champion. He knows she’s Jasadi and hopes to draw the Jasad rebels out. He can never know who Sylvia really is…

This book was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. An Egyptian-inspired fantasy sounded so interesting. Unfortunately, The Jasad Heir was a bit disappointing to me. I couldn’t follow the beginning of the story because there was missing backstory information. There was a lot of building up until the game, which didn’t happen until around 60% in, I think. This is why I also couldn’t connect to the main character or the plot in general. I feel like this book was a missed opportunity to explore Egyptian-inspired fantasy. I’m probably not continuing this series.

Magic is the lifeblood of this world. It is the very thing that I would say sustains life. Yet, some would hate it, be envious of it, and oppress others simply for even wanting to use it. Because it is the envious that rules this world, and the passion that is perscueted. Sylvia, or shall we say the Heir of Jasad lives a life in hiding, trying to keep her magic hidden from the glaring eyes of the Nizahl Kingdom, who had destroyed the once glorious Kingdom of Jasad. And that's when life begins to change. Arin and his cold calculating method of persuasion and torture slowly brings Sylvia into his side. Sylvia has to go through trials, revolts, and hiding. She has to go through so much, that no other character has to face what she does. She is a strong woman, running from her past. Yet she has more to achieve, and she must come out of her cowardice to embrace the bold character that she must become if she is to become the Jasad Heir.

It is always fascinating to see this new world of Arabic-inspired fantasy that is coming onto the scene of traditional fantasy. I applaud it and want more. Playing Assassin's Creed Mirage which is set in 8th century Baghdad has got me more interested in Medieval Arabic culture, and when I read this novel, I could only think of where the author has been inspired from, including Medieval Egypt under the Ayyubids. There is immense worldbuilding provided and I want more. That's it. This is another world of magic vs non-magic yet told differently. It is a world full of spices, full of magic and full of tolerance vs non-tolerance. The world is so immersive that I was dazzled by this amazing yet fascinating world. I want more Arabian-style fantasy in this period. The Golden Age of Islam provides such a fascinating context and rich setting for new fantasy novels to come out, and yet we still stick to the same old Medieval England trope.

The Abbasid Caliphate for example, which was recently given a new form of representation in Assassin's Creed Mirage released last year, showcased the richness of Islamic literature and culture. There is so much we could do here, and I urge more authors with Arab heritage in the West, especially now, to make more novels based on this. I as an Indian, am also looking forward to seeing more Indian authors step up and showcase their rich culture to the West, which has been often quite ignored. It is time, that we get fantastic novels like this. It is time, we are exposed to other cultures. I love Medieval England, but sometimes, showcasing other parts of the world isn't a bad thing either.

I would say that sometimes the pacing of the novel slowed down a bit, and a world glossary would have been needed as it would have helped. Writing big epic fantasy novels requires a lot of work, especially from the author's side and sometimes little details like this can be missed. The characters within the novel are bright, amazing and dazzling. Each of them has a certain backstory that you want to discover. Each of them makes you want to go further and further. And I want bigger worlds! What you read will be the product of countless hours of draft and Sara, the author also told about how she rediscovered her Arabic heritage by learning about it. There is special care and attention to detail that you can see in this novel. That said, I think this is a fantastic novel, and you need to go and read it now!