“they aim to continue my father’s legacy while I wish to burn it to the ground, and I will do anything to make sure I do.”

We follow prince Ashoka and mayakari/witch Shakti in a dual-POV story with vengeance being sought and power needing a change.

Ashoka is a prince hailing from the incredibly cruel, ruthless and mayakari-despising empire, his father Adil is responsible for the killings of mayakaris throughout the Ran Empire.
Despite Adil and his venom, Ashoka is a pacifist and does not share the same vitriol towards the mayakari.

What I liked about this book is that I had fun, I was intrigued by the politics, magic system, world and sibling rivalry.

I feel like this book fits in a nice spot of being An easy-to-read fantasy that, at least for me, satisfied my craving for a book with sort of classic fantasy vibe that didn’t require the most attention.

The plot went by at a pace where I found myself absorbed into the story.

Each character is residing in different locations with their own plot and both were interesting, Ashoka had the better plot, in my opinion, but towards the end of the book when the political/sibling rivalry started brewing I was finding myself more invested in the position Shakti had found herself in.

Despite my 4 star rating and of my own enjoyment I think that objectively this book is fairly mediocre and a lot of the aspects were simply surface level.
Throughout the book I just found myself wanting more. I wanted the magic explored more, I wanted the rebellion explored more, I wanted the political climate and sibling rivalry built up with more tension and the world at most times felt very flat.

Regardless, I think the flaws were part of why I enjoyed it, and my enjoyment is what wanted more.
I think this book as a fantasy novel will be suitable for all readers whether they read fantasy or want to explore it.

Each character left on a big moment in the story which has just made me eager for the sequel.

Thanks Netgalley and harper Collins for the E-Arc!

I’m a big reader of the fantasy and sci fi genres, and am always interested in hearing of a new debut author, I find it exciting to discover what new nuance, perspective or direction they will bring to the genre and The Prince Without Sorrow by Maithree Wijesekara had all the makings of something huge, telling the story of Shakti, a young witch seeking retribution after her village has been annihilated, and the son of the man and Emperor responsible for this, Prince Ashoka.

I’m really sad to say that this whilst the premise of the book sounded intriguing and exciting, I found myself enmeshed in frustration, and not actually focusing on the plot and premise. There is a lot to be said for this debut, in the way that it takes on challenging topics including violence and the environment but, I struggled with the world-building, the flatness of the characters and the jarring pace of the pacing of the plot.

Unfortunately, as a consequence I struggled to follow the plot and the path of the characters in the narrative and to be honest, couldn’t really find any empathy or engagement for or with them. I also found the targeting of the book to be a bit of a struggle, as it felt more YA than adult to me but, I have to say that this is my personal view and it is likely that others will engage more with this story.

I’m not saying that this series is a lost hope, I actually hold out hope that the plot, character and world-building will further develop as the series unfolds but, I’m not sure that I will continue to read it.

THE PRINCE WITHOUT SORROW is an exciting introduction to a new fantasy series, inspired by the Mauryan empire and featuring vivid worldbuilding, exciting political intrigue, insatiable sibling drama, not to mention witches and angst. Shakti and Ashoka's points of view are perfect yet unique perspectives for the beginning of this story as it unfolds, and I loved how their characters just made the plot even more interesting. I love how the mayakaris are used as not only a plotline, but also for the purposes of political conflict that feels relatable even from a fantasy world. The romance is so fun (and kind of surprising, but in a good way). The ending was a bit shocking but also fun and makes me super excited for the next book so I can find out what happens. This is absolutely the book to pick up for anyone looking for their next immersive speculative read!

A really classy start to a fantasy series. Rich characters, beautiful world building and a compelling premise.

Shakti is a witch in a world where they are hunted for their existence by an emperor with a grudge. Ashoka is the peaceful youngest of the warmongering emperor. When the emperor dies, Shakti and Ashoka’s world’s collide, through sorrow and hardship can they work to build a better world?

If you’re looking for Romantasy this one is maybe not for you, but it’s a very pure and innocent fantasy. Actually there is some swearing and this feels a bit incongruous with the rest of the messaging. There is love but no spice. Not a criticism at all, just know what you’re getting in to.

The narrative alternates between Shakti and Ashoka, Ashoka’s side of the story was definitely my preference and I was always engaged by his chapters. Shakti’s side is important for the plot but less engaging IMO.

The world building is superb, it’s rich and layered and quickly done. I loved the winged serpents , the giant panthers and the nature spirits, I could see and hear the world created. I also enjoyed the way the author set up the emperor dynasty, it was really expertly done and sets the context of the world beautifully.

The love in this story is palpable and just really beautiful to read in Ashoka’s chapters. The relationships between the characters are deep and complex and interesting, there are no purposeless characters or subplots.

Thank you #harperyoyager and #netgalley for my #arc

I was really intrigued by the premise, but the execution just didn’t work for me. The pacing felt off, and the characters lacked the depth I was hoping for. I wanted to love this, but unfortunately, it fell flat.

This was one of my most anticipated releases for 2025, a debut fantasy by an Australian Sri-Lankan Author.

The Prince Without Sorrow is a character driven story that illustrates how choices made in the moment can have lasting effects on ourselves and others.

Based on Indian mythology, it is the first instalment in a new fantasy series. With a lush setting, an expanding empire, fantastical beasts and oppressed witches, this has all the right ingredients for an epic series.

While I found that this was well written and intriguing, it was paced a bit slower than what I would have liked. The plot is largely character driven, and while there are some big developmental arcs for the main and side characters, there is not a lot of events driving the pace of the plot.

I thoroughly enjoyed the setting and the mythology elements. The nature spirits and oppressed witches were great themes. I also loved the description of the mythological beasts, they sound beautiful.

The characters were multi-faceted and quite contrasting to each other. There was quite a lot going on with understanding their motivations (think inception style) and their complex relationship with the emperor. I really enjoyed the concept of the Collective and am looking forward to seeing how it will play out.

The ending was great, and leads well into wanting to continue the series. I am looking forward to seeing how the series is continued.

Thankyou to HarperCollins Australia & HarperVoyager Aus for the gifted ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts. Thank you to HarperCollins UK & Netgalley for an e-arc.

Narration: Dual character, third person POV

Spice: Nil

Tropes:
- Expanding empire
- Witches in hiding
- Indian mythology
- Court & Politics

I loved, loved, loved this book!! I cannot wait for the next one in the series because I NEED to know how this goes down. This story is set during the Mauryan Empire of Ancient India. I have never read anything like it and I loved how unique it was in it's setting and context. I was constantly reminded of Studio Ghibli (nature spirits abound in this story) and Avatar: The Last Airbender (sibling rivalries/trying to live up to Father's legacy). The magic system of the mayakari is so cool, I love how attuned it is with nature and how specific it is in how it's wielded. The characters in this series are soooo good as well. I loved every one of them, even the ones you hate. Their development throughout is a pleasure to read as well. I can genuinely say I don't know how any of them are going to end up as the series goes on because there has been some 180 behavior after multiple characters are forced to make quick decisions their lives and future essentially depend on. Maithree is a wordsmith, she's able to convey such powerful emotions in clever lines that stick with you. One of my favorites is a character hating someone and being so angry with him that she wished she could harness lightening in a bottle and throw it at him. Comeeeee on, ma'am! Highly recommend picking up this title for Fantasy fans and I'm beyond excited (and impatient) to see where the story goes.

Thank you to Harper Voyager and the author for my GORGEOUS advanced reading copies of this book.

An immersive, richly built YA fantasy with an intriguing magic system, THE PRINCE WITHOUT SORROW promises a lot: a conflict between witches and the ruling tyrannical empire, sibling rivalries, and political intrigue. And while the worldbuilding is interesting, I could not quite get past the fact that this book feels very incohesive in terms of its plotting. This is 100% a 'vibes first, plot later' sort of story, where our main characters act impulsively, and there's no real through-line which allows the delivery, in a way that the premise deserves, of what we're promised.

A dual perspective high fantasy, we follow Shakti and Ashoka as they battle from opposing sides against a tyrannical Emperor and his progeny, question their integral morals, and fight for what they believe. After Shakti witnesses the murder of her aunt and the destruction of her village as a result of the tyrannical empire and their constant persecution of witches (mayakari), she deviates from the pacifist code of her people for personal revenge, curses the Emperor, and then sets upon a goal of unravelling the empire from the inside. Prince Ashoka, the often-shunned third child of the Emperor, is sent to govern an annexed region which is being terrorized by Great Spirits. Forced to reconcile even further with the destructive legacy of his father, Ashoka must bring into question his own priviledged ideals of pacifism if he is to truly unseat the tyranny of his family.

Initially, THE PRINCE WITHOUT SORROW sets up some really interesting, juicy moral questions which I was excited to see get unpicked as we follow our two main characters, Shakti and Ashoka. With the oppression of witches, Wijesekara asks, is violence justifiable if it saves many? Is violence ever the answer?

However, our witches are shackled by a pacifist code which almost reads as a response to their persecution, to keep humans from feeling threatened by their powers. Witches continually preach that answering the violence of their persecution - being captured and burned at the stake - is not the answer. It feels heavy-handed, used as a plot device rather than the moral question it should be. Preaching pacifism against a deeply violent oppression also feels like a dichotomy that unintentionally undermines the brutal suffering the mayakari suffer - sure, pacifism can be the way, but the power of pacifism is only as strong as the societal preference for non-violence. This tyrannical empire is violent, and it feels like the mayakari's hold on pacifism as a core belief, while a valid core belief, is fundamentally incompatible with resisting effectively against the empire. This is likely the point! And sets up a truly interesting premise - but the complex ideology behind this power dynamic felt like it was a vague plot point, rather than a fully fleshed out discussion as it should be.

In the sense of being underdeveloped, our Emperor Adil reads as very one-dimensional: I'm hoping there is more unpacked here with regards to his motivations, but it's very 'evil king hates witches' rather than a complex antagonist. The goals shift for our main characters Ashoka and Shakti to undoing the legacy of the Emperor through his children, but the antagonist felt more of an antagonist because there needed to be one.

Perhaps there will be more answers in the coming book(s) regarding whether they truly understand the consequences of choosing absolutes, but for me the overwhelming feeling of this book is that not one single introspective brain cell was responsible for any of the decisions they made.

In terms of the magic system itself, I found this the most interesting thing - despite the aforementioned challenges. I loved the idea of the spirits and the Great Spirits, it felt very reminiscent of the spirits in Princess Mononoke, which is the context I have for this kind of nature-based powers. I loved that this magic system and the worldbuilding itself brought to the forefront the Mauryan Empire of Ancient India, which lent depth to the narrative that I feel ultimately really benefited it. I would have loved more involvement of the clearly magical creatures that we're introduced to - i.e. through Saury, the Prince's winged serpent - as I felt that this was interesting and underdeveloped. More winged serpents! I also wished there was more involvement of the spirits themselves; we're treated to small instances wherein they affect our main characters, offering them visions and premonitions to steer the plot, but I would have loved a deeper involvement with them especially from Shakti, one of the mayakari.

I found the involvement of dreams and dreamscapes truly interesting, and the potential plotlines this opens us to in future instalments is exciting - there are breadcrumbs we can follow which suggests that there is more to the reasoning behind Emperor Adil being part of the Collective - a generational repository of powers, memories and consciousnesses linked to mayakari power. I would have liked a bit more depth here, as I understand that there is likely a 'twist' coming in later novels, but I found this to be one of the most interesting aspects of the mayakari powers and wanted more understanding of how this Collective worked, and also more reflection from Shakti on what it all could mean for the empirical family? I also thought the Collective was not utilised enough. What could have been a great strategic tool for Shakti to aid Prince Ashoka in their shared goal was instead only used for Shakti to cause havoc and insult the Emperor in a way that really de-aged the book.

Ultimately, I feel that THE PRINCE WITHOUT SORROW has a deeply promising set up, but didn't deliver the richness and depth I was hoping with such an intruiging premise. I wanted more emotional and internal depth to both our main characters, more tangible plotwork from the novel itself (even though a good plot shouldn't feel like a plot, it's good to notice the threads being pulled), and a more thought-out discussion of the interesting moral questions that TPWS is raising. My hope is that all my qualms will be answered in the upcoming sequel!

I had really high hopes for this, and the beginning concept started so well.. but 30% however I was sick of thr constant repetitive narrative. By 60% I started skipping bits and did not find the story lacking and getting simpler by the page.
I won't be returning to the rest of the series.

Thank you to Netgalley, Maithree Wijesekara and Harper Collins for a complimentary digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a debut novel by Maithree Wijesekara and the start of an epic fantasy trilogy - don't be fooled by the goodreads tags though as this is not a romantasy, but actually pure fantasy with a little bit of romantic pining (and not between our two leads either). I loved the world building and magical aspects of this book and I really enjoyed both our two characters, though I found Prince Ashoka (the prince without sorrow of the title), to be the more empathetic and relatable of the two. Although I did enjoy our revenge-driven female protagonist, Shakti, I did think there could be more to her then we were shown and would have liked to have seen more thoughts and consequences for her actions. I also really appreciated the lgbt+ elements woven into this story with the casual mention of two aunts being married, the accepted bisexuality, and the potential ace representation found in one of our main protagonists and loved this seeing this particularly within the Indian inspired setting.
However unfortunately, this book whilst having some great ideas and being a promising debut fell short in terms of the actual execution and plot of the story. The author definitely had a tendency to overwrite at times, often including similes that felt a little out of left field and I found the pacing sometimes to be all over the place which disrupted the flow of the narrative. The plot also meandered quite a lot and it took a while for things to actually get going - when it finally felt like we were really hitting some pivotal moments for both the story and the characters, the book suddenly concludes. I understand books in a series tending to end on a cliff-hanger to make you excited for the next in the series but this is never something I'm too fond on, and in this case the book ends so dramatically it felt like no plot point at all had been resolved which ultimately just make it feel quite anti-climatic and unsatisfying. I feel like perhaps some more rewriting and editing could have improved this book as there really is some great ideas and concepts explored here.

I would definitely try future books from this author but unfortunately I don't think I'll be continuing with the Obsidian Throne series.

Sorry guys, I found this one just too difficult to follow. Loved loved loved the premise but it just wasn’t for me.

If you like your fantasy heavy on the chaos and the vengeance, then Maithree Wijesekara’s, The Prince Without Sorrow is the perfect book. A young prince destined to inherit a legacy of tyranny and violence, and a mayakari witch outcasted for her magic become entangled after a curse gone wrong kills the reigning emperor. Now The Prince Without Sorrow is pure chaos. Love me a book where the characters have no coherent plan and are just rolling with the punches and coming up with ideas on a complete whim and that was the essence of this debut in the best possible way. Wijesekara plays with the paths, chosen and inherited and the notion of legacy across her debut with such skill. I loved seeing these characters grapple with their morality as they endeavour to right the past and be different from their predecessors. Shakti in particular struggles with the pacifism of the Mayakari and the consequences of breaking their rules to curse Emperor Adil and enact her revenge, while Ashoka is determined to honor his commitment to nonviolence. Having a dead emperor offering you his unsolicited advice because you are now bound to his spirit is a specific kind of problem only Shakti could handle. She truly lept into this with flying colors and I was so here for her tendency to act on impulse. The Prince Without Sorrow fascinated me with its intricate politics, queer romance, and characters just trying to do the right thing but ultimately going down a path they always feared. There are so many threads present in this debut and I am hanging on to every single one as I await the next installment.

I was intrigued by the synopsis of the book and promised such a unique story that I was sold instantly.
Unfortunately, I think this book wasn't for me, and I had some issues with it.
The writing felt strange and made it challenging to read to the point that I had to reread some parts twice so I could move forward with the story. The plot at some stages felt like the author got lost and started patching things up with scenes and things that didn't make sense.
In terms of characters, I am sorry to say that things weren't better—I couldn't connect with them because they lacked the complexity and as much as I wanted to find something in them to hold on to, it just didn't happen.

First in a series.
A heroine,an outcast,,witches the story gallops along at quite a fast pace. Quite dark in some parts. I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to reading the next in the series.

I loved the premise and couldn't wait to read this. Sadly it didn't work for me at all and I DNF at 26% I didn't like the writing style and struggled to read it.

[ARC provided by NetGalley and HarperVoyager. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review The Prince Without Sorrow.]

Rating: 1.5/5

The Prince Without Sorrow is a multi-POV fantasy debut that follows Shakti, a young witch seeking retribution after the annihilation of her village, and Prince Ashoka, son of the Emperor behind these murders. Taking inspiration from the Mauryan Empire of Ancient India, these characters embark on journeys of self-discovery in a world that values power more than anything.

Unfortunately this just wasn’t the book for me. I went in pretty excited as the premise sounded like the kind of book I would enjoy, but it became clear early on that there were too many issues for me to sink into this story. From lacklustre worldbuilding to unlikeable characters, it’s difficult for me to pinpoint positives. That being said, there are some interesting discussions around the necessity of violence along with themes of environmental destruction that made me want to see what would happen next.

My biggest issue with this book was how one dimensional the characters were. Antagonists lacked depth and I would have appreciated more reasoning behind some of their actions. I also found the pacing to be disjointed and the story didn’t feel like it followed a clear path. Characters came and went, and everything felt a little like a patch-work quilt of situations that didn’t come together well. Of course, this is the first book in a series so although there are a lot of elements that I found to be underdeveloped, I’d expect they might be corrected in later installments.

Another problem for me is that this is marketed as an adult book, but personally it felt much more young adult. In fact, I had thought that was the case all along and found myself making allowances for certain developments, but when I discovered that wasn’t the case, I was a little confused. A younger audience may find more enjoyment out of this kind of story, and I think adult readers would share my disappointments.

To summarise, this was not a book I enjoyed and I wouldn’t recommend it to others. Perhaps with some more editing this story could be improved, but as it stands, there are too many issues that contribute to this being a difficult read.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Soft, pacifist prince meets enraged, vengeful mayakari (witch) in this Indian-inspired fantasy. After his father makes it his mission to wipe out all mayakari in the kingdom, Shakti is left alone. She's angry, at times volatile and not against using violence to get what she wants - as well as a very much "do it now, think later" kinda gal. Third in line to the throne Prince Ashoka, by contrast, weeps over the death of a deer, abhors violence to the point he'll barely defend himself in the face of it, and seems sympathetic to the mayakari cause. The two are polar opposites, which could have made for a really interesting dynamic but unfortunately I felt we didn't get enough interaction between the two. For a debut this is a great start, and I'm very much a fan of the world itself, but I'm not sure if I'm totally sold on all the characters, or sure on their motivations half the time.

Seeing this book has Prince Ashoka and is based on the Mauryan Empire I was intrigued but apart from name of Prince Ashoka I really can't see any other link to the Mauryan Empire in this book.

I would've understood if the copy I received was an early draft that would undergo more editing but no most of this book will be released to the public as it is and it's painful. It really could've done with more editing. The writing is clunky and difficult to read at times. I had to reread sentences at times because the author decided to complicate simple phrases or words. The unnecessary adjectives and usage of words that would be unfamiliar for that era. Did I really read the word Ectoplasm and what is membranous wings? There are many examples like this.

I did DNF halfway through the book because the characters actions just wasn't making sense and Ashoka is such a disappointment to me. In summary our 2 leads - Prince Ashoka is a pacificist and Shakti is a mayakari (a witch) who now cursed the evil emperor father of Ashoka. The emperor hates Mayakaris for no reason at all and is comically evil (ngl did remind me of Merlin tv show). I feel like the author wanted to go somewhere with this plot but the execution is where it failed. I'm sure it would've been readable and engaging just with some good editing.
Thank you HarperCollins for the eARC via NetGalley.

I was really excited for this story, but it just fell a bit flat for me unfortunately. I think the premise is there, but it all just felt a little bit rushed and could do with more of an edit. Then it could have been a bit more built up.

The Prince Without Sorrow is an Ancient Indian inspired fantasy book that heavily discusses the themes of oppression and pacifism.

This is a good debut novel and start to the series, and I had a lot of fun despite a few problems with the characters and the world.

In this story, we follow two perspectives. The first is Prince Ashoka, the youngest child of the current Emperor and a self-proclaimed pacifist. He believes battles can be won with words, unlike his genocidal father and siblings. The second is Shakti, a Mayakari (a race of peaceful witches who are all female) who is the polar opposite to Ashoka. She is very impulsive and aggressive and never thinks through her actions.

The story begins with the Emperor visiting the village Shakti grew up in to hunt the local witches - including her aunt - and destroy the village. Shakti manages to escape, but this event begins a story of vengeance against the empire.

This book is full of political maneuverings and strategising, it is very much a political fantasy at its core. As a book about the persecution of witches, it also heavily explores feminism. Women are regularly burn-tested to see if they're Mayakari, and torture is a common theme. The world is interesting but not very well explained, but perhaps having a map would help with that. There is an intriguing magic system that I'd be curious to learn more about.

I have a few problems with this book. The first is the characters; they are extremely immature despite being (I assume) adults, especially adults who are supposed to be ruling the country. Shakti, especially, is a very annoying character, despite having the more interesting ARC! I must add that there is no direct romance in this book, despite how it's seemingly being marketed, but it does seem like a queer relationship may develop throughout the series.

Secondly, the persecution of the mayakari also does not make sense to me. The motivations behind the Emperor and his children deciding to destroy all Mayakari is never explained. The Mayakari are regularly described as a peaceful people, despite their mistreatment and their ability to fight back, and yet they are constantly being hunted.

The themes are quite heavy-handed and pushed at you throughout this story, and it seems like it's intended to be an anti-pacifism story at its core. I'm not sure if this rubs me the wrong way or not...

To conclude, I did overall have fun with this story, despite the negatives, and I am planning to continue the series once future books are available.