Name: Empire of Sand
ISBN: 9780316449717

Tasha Suri

A nobleman's daughter with magic in her blood. An empire built on the dreams of enslaved gods. Empire of Sand is Tasha Suri's captivating, Mughal India-inspired debut fantasy. The Amrithi are outcasts; nomads descended of desert spirits, they are coveted and persecuted throughout the Empire for the power in their blood. Mehr is the illegitimate daughter of an imperial governor and an exiled Amrithi mother she can barely remember, but whose face and magic she has inherited. When Mehr's power comes to the attention of the Emperor's most feared mystics, she must use every ounce of will, subtlety, and power she possesses to resist their cruel agenda -- and should she fail, the gods themselves may awaken seeking vengeance... Empire of Sand is a lush, dazzling fantasy novel perfect for readers of City of Brass and The Wrath & the Dawn.

Empire of Sand

Sophia 

Colleen

4 Stars
 
*A gloomy yet compelling Fantasy story inspired by South Asian lore*
 

  

 
 
I love stories inspired by mythology and folklore. Empire of Sand caught my eye because the story is inspired by Mughal India. While it draws on many aspects of their culture and folklore, it is not a retelling of any one particular tale. Rather, Suri used that as a basis for creating a vivid and captivating world where mythology comes to life.
 
The story is centered on a young woman named Mehr who is caught between two worlds. She is the illegitimate daughter of a governor in a male dominated society. But Mehr also carries magic in her blood from her mother’s nomadic desert tribe. People with that lineage are ostracized and hunted. They are either killed or mysteriously disappear. For years, Mehr is cloistered behind her father’s privilege and is able to hind her magic – until one day her secret becomes known and loses control of her life.
 
The story was much deeper and darker than I was expecting. This is not a Young Adult story. I will include a content warning for racial prejudice, forced marriage, sexism, loss of free will, slavery, and a very questionable sex scene. If you are looking for a breezy, adventurous Fantasy story, then this isn’t it. Empire of Sand is slow, character-driven, and bleak. Nevertheless, the writing is lyrical and atmospheric. And although the story is very slow burn, the suspense built up well. I didn’t know how the story would end.
 
I was surprised by the love story as well. Although aspects of it were questionable and uncomfortable, I was undeniably engaged in their plight. It was good to read a story that wasn’t overpowered by cheesy, angsty love.
 
Although this story was different from what I was expecting, I was still captivated the whole way through. From the oppressiveness of Mehr’s lack of control over her life to the creepiness of the nightmarish Daiva, I was totally sucked into the evocative world that Suri created. This was an impressive debut novel, and I look forward to seeing what the author does next.
	

RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 5 Stars
Writing Style: 4 Stars
Characters and Character Development: 4 Stars
Plot Structure and Development: 4 Stars
Level of Captivation: 5 Stars
Originality: 4 Stars

'Empire of Sand thoroughly swept me away' S. A. Chakraborty, author of CITY OF BRASS 'A darkly intricate, devastating, and utterly original story about the ways we are bound by those we love' R. F. Kuang, author of THE POPPY WAR A NOBLEMAN'S DAUGHTER WITH MAGIC IN HER BLOOD AN EMPIRE BUILT ON THE DREAMS OF ENSLAVED GODS Mehr is a girl trapped between two cultures. Her father comes from the ruling classes of the empire, but her mother's people were outcasts, Amrithi nomads who worshipped the spirits of the sands. Caught one night performing these forbidden rites, Mehr is brought to the attention of the Emperor's most feared mystics, who try to force her into their service by way of an arranged marriage. If she fails in their bidding, the gods themselves may awaken and seek vengeance... From British debut author Tasha Suri, Empire of Sand is a lush and beautiful tale set in a magical world inspired by medieval India. 'Draws you into an intricately realised world of blood and secrets. An arresting and magical history told through the eyes of an indomitable heroine. I cannot ask for more' Jeannette Ng 'Astounding . . . the epic story set my heart free' Fran Wilde 'The best fantasy novel I have read this year' Miles Cameron TASHA SURI is a librarian in London. Follow her on twitter at @tashadrinkstea for updates.

Sanika Palande

4.25 stars
Best South-Asian fantasy I’ve ever read (although admittedly I haven’t read that many). Besides the lush and beautiful world-building, the (slow-burn) romance between Mehr and Amun was just 🥺🥺. Those two have my whole heart I mean where have I seen an arranged marriage trope actually done right

Sandra Tammaru

Original plot, intresting characters, a well-written lovestory, angry gods and a false god... whats not to love! Thoroughly enjoyed it!

Livia

Oh goodness, is this about to be another favorite book of mine? Because bloody hell, that was fantastic.

The characters, the magic system, the setting, the plot, the WRITING, god bless, Tasha Suri managed to weave them beautifully into a work of art. I admit, at times the plot felt dragging, but this book is very much a character-driven story, and seeing each character, good, bad, and everything in between, with their own motives and beliefs, their own flaws and strength, is so rewarding (the only character I truly despise was the Maha because I honestly don't feel anything for him). Mehr was very spoiled and, in a way, a brat in her own way. She thought only of herself and her desires without considering other people's positions, which sometimes is precarious. After she was brought away from her sheltered life, she learned more about people and their nature, how to be more empathetic and understanding, while also learning how to be strong internally and faced her own fears. Her character growth was such a joy to witness, and her relationship with Amun. Oh boy. Don't even get me started. It's positively slow-burn and torturous, the way they build trust so slowly from small acts of kindness that blossoms each day into something wonderful. I truly loved them.

I only hoped that the sequel would be just as good, if not better than this book. I'm always eager to add another duology to my list of favorite duologies to recommend to my friends


  5/5 stars

Cassidy

The beginning was slow and to be honest, it was kind of hard to get into, but my god it’s beautifully written and enthralling when it gets going. Excited to read the second one.

Fraser Simons

I really enjoyed this book but it took me ages to read because of the focus on power dynamics and abuse, which I’m dealing with at a personal level currently so it was a little too real. 

That said, it was emotional and compelling. The descriptions were rich and the magic is very cool. I found it touching, with the abuse she has to endure sometimes hard to read but very well handled, in my opinion.

A good read! I read this because I loved The Jasmine Throne and figured I’d give the author’s other books a try. I didn’t enjoy this one nearly as much - I think it’s actually YA and I was under the impression it was adult (?) 
Also, no LGBTQ characters, if you also read The Jasmine Throne and were hoping it was queer too. 
Overall, pretty good, but I won’t be reading the sequel. 

Sheila

Hoo boy, this one was a bit dark and depressing. It gets better by the end, but coupled with the relatively slow pacing you end up spending a lot of time in some pretty dark places. It would have been better if I had read this at a different time, but regardless I can acknowledge that this was one heck of a story.

Sahi K

I finally finished this book after putting it off for a long time, but I think I was appreciate it more now. It has stunning characters and a beautiful love story, a very familiar but also novel world building and a steady pace that makes you wanna savor the book. Mehr and Amun are perfect examples of resilience and quiet strength, who fight for their freedom and love in the limited ways they can - I admire them so much and I can’t think of many characters I’ve felt similarly about in recent times. 

I listened to the audiobook and I have to say it felt very soothing in a way and I would highly recommend it. And if you like your fantasy stories to be written on the more contemplative side rather than blazing through the narrative, then you should definitely give this one a try.

Toni Turner

Hi I’m crying. We love a book that is one long heartbreak that ends in a Big Bang of happiness and hope.

Naomi Verkleij

Nickie Mohler

I was very excited to read this after reading the blurb for it. I thought it was beautifully written. I enjoyed this world and it's magical storms, and I liked the characters as well.

This story follows Mehr, part Amrithi, part Ambhan noble. She is an outcast. The Amrithi are hunted by the emperor and often killed because of the magic they possess. Mehr hides her Amrithi heritage because she lives with her father, a governor for the emperor. 

When a storm comes, Mehr dances the rite. Her magic is exposed and she draws the attention of the emperor's feared mystics. The Maha is the most powerful and feared of all. He wants Mehr to marry one of his mystics. He wants her power. 

It is against Mehr's Amrithi heritage to do this, but, if she doesn't, her family could lose everything, including their lives.

I really enjoyed this book and am eager for the next one. I received a copy from Net Galley.

Ben Nathan

I think the words I'm looking for are not good, but here's why...
The first 20% or so of the book are a character with immense privilege complaining the she had any limits on her privilege. It kind of made me hate her.
The next 70% of the book was just a constant stream of emotional domestic abuse that made me constantly say "who hurt you?" Also, we can add it that we had a character that basically didn't see a problem with it in their head much of the time. It was SO fucked up in a not good way.
The last 10% was basically a watered down much worse version of the first Mistborn book.
Now, here's the part that really bothers me...they keep saying "choice is sacred" in the book and the main character makes 4 choices the whole book. They were twice "have a man subjugate me", once "sacrifice myself for others", and once "sacrifice myself for the man I love". That's it. She's basically a passenger in the story who has no agency.
So why does this thing that I hate get 2 stars and not 1. It's good prose and description, but damn, it's bad story/characters.

Lauren James

Plot/ Story. This actually turned out to be a really sweet love story. Mehr’s personality kind of matches my own. She’s really sweet and will do her job unless she’s pushed and pushed then she will bring wrath down. She’s got this awesome ability to “control” (it’s more like persuade) the desert spirits. And she’s powerful too. I am super interested in learning more about the Amrithi people and their magic.

Magic. There wasn’t really much to the magic system per se, only that the Amrithi people have the ability to talk to / persuade the desert spirits. It was beautifully written about though. The magic was strongest when there were storms and it was a dance between the Amrithi and the spirits. Depending on what symbol you traced or made with your hands, it would mean something different. Think sign language.

Characters. The more I review, the more I realize that I am a character driven person. If I don’t like the characters OR if I don’t understand their reasoning, then the book won’t get as high of a review from me. I LOVED the characters in this book. Mehr was relatable in the sense that I feel as though I would make the same decisions as her and feel the same way. She got down and depressed at one point and had to make the decision to take a lickin’ and keep on kickin’. We’ve all been there. I know I have. And the sweet, sweet love between Mehr and Amun!!! SWOON! They were forced together but when fighting side by side and knowing the other was all they had, they fell in love. For me, it enhanced the beauty of the story.

Final Thoughts. I definitely want to read the next book! Suri’s writing is alluring

Janki Shah

Includes Extras, including an interview with the author, an excerpt from Realm of Ash by Tasha Suri, and an excerpt from Torn by Rowenna Miller.