The Ivory Key is a solid YA fantasy, centering on an Indiana Jones-esque quest and a group of estranged siblings. You would, therefore, think that this book would be perfect for me. And I did enjoy it when I started! But as I read (and as the plot slowed down), my enjoyment waned a bit. And hence, three stars.

The story follows four POVs, each of the siblings. Vira, the maharani, is floundering as her country’s source of magic has been depleted, and finds herself chasing fairytales to replenish it. Kaleb, locked away in the dungeons, is accused of the murder of the previous maharani on account of his Lyrian heritage. Ronak, Vira’s twin, is doing his best to get Kaleb free, including going so far as to ally with a criminal enterprise to do so. And Riya, the runaway princess, finds herself sent back to the palace to infiltrate her sibling’s quest.

Let’s just take as read that I liked the basics of the book, that is, the characters, the worldbuilding, and the plot (for the most part). I won’t go into too much detail, but I did like them. I never struggled through the book in that sense. But I also never really loved it.

First of all, there was the pacing (and this is kind of a more general point regarding pacing that I dislike in YA, I suppose). Given that this book is compared to Indiana Jones, I’m sure I’m not alone in expecting that quest to take up the bulk of the plot. It does not. They don’t solve a single puzzle until just gone halfway. They don’t even leave the palace on the quest until 60% in. What were they doing before this, you ask? I actually couldn’t tell you. I don’t think there was anything of note that happened in that first 60%. It was about establishing the situation, the characters, the motivations, sure, but. I just felt like that could have been done perhaps while questing. Because I was expecting this quest to be a more major plot point. By the time it got going though, the plot had lost any real drive to it and never really got that back.

And then there was the second half of what I was promised: angsty estranged siblings. There was a lot of the reader being told what people felt, being told what they’d thought, but I never really felt what I was supposed to be feeling. All I could think of was that, if you want estranged family angst, you might as well just read Melina Marchetta. I suppose that’s a high standard to hold any author to, let alone a debut author, but that was the case for me.

This lack of feeling what the text wanted me to feel extended to the main characters’ romantic relationships too (which, there’s one major one, one hinted at). I couldn’t bring myself to care about either of them all that much (I was marginally more interested in Riya and Varun, though). And that’s probably what led to the ending missing the emotional impact it should have had, along with the fact that it’s a duology, and I’ve started to be primed for the way first books in YA duologies end.

That being said, I want to end on something I liked about the worldbuilding here, and that’s the fact that, not only is there no homophobia, but it also normalises same-gender relationships. There’s a character who casually mentions her fiancee, there’s another who mentions relationships she’s had with other women, Ronak tells Kaleb they’re going to find a nice boy for him… When I say it’s not enough just that there’s no homophobia, this normalising is what I’m looking for, so I loved that here.

Overall then, I’d say this is a solid debut, a book I did like, but perhaps not a book which I feel all that compelled to read the sequel of.

I had a really hard time getting into this story. To me, it just felt like there wasn't that much going on. I kept finding myself zoned out and had to go back to reread sections many times until I just gave up on it. I didn't connect much to the characters and didn't really care what happened to them. Most of the time I was just hoping it would end. I'm sure some will really enjoy this book but it just wasn't for me. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the arc in return for an honest review!

As with any multiple POV stories, I found myself drawn to some POVs over the others; The Indian culture woven into the story was magical and I really enjoyed the overall plot of the book. Definitely satisfied with reading this book and recommend it if it sounds interesting to you!

If I had to describe this book in one line: “warring Indian royal siblings are forced together on a magical treasure hunt”. But it’s so much more than that...

The Ivory Key is a dazzling story of magic, secret societies, Indian-inspired royalty, and sibling conflicts. It takes all of the best classic fantasy book tropes and twists them into something new. Akshaya beautifully weaves Indian culture into this fantasy book in a way that I have not seen before. I sat for 3 hours straight to finish this book, unable to put it down. It has a fast pace with twists and turns at every chapter.

Each chapter alternates between the POV of four siblings: Vera, a Maharani with the weight of her country and terrible choices on her shoulders; Riya, a runaway who fights against her ruling family; Kaleb, a falsely accused prisoner in the Maharani's cell; and Ronak, a lost soul who seeks escape in dangerous avenues. The struggles of ruling a country tore these siblings apart, but a quest to bring magic back to their land forces them together. Each has their own motivations, and heartwrenching backstories, but we watch a beautiful story unfold as they finally begin to understand each other. The sibling dynamic is impeccable, with heated arguments, genuine hurt, and most of all, a hidden but real desire to protect each other.

The alternating POV’s and stories also allows for a rich and diverse set of characters, with subtle romance and friendship plots artfully weaved in. We see deeply flawed characters, complex relationships, and queer characters - all of which are shown naturally.

Thank you to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children’s Book Group / HMH for Young Readers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was very hard to get into. I loved the plot but the writing through me off. Over all it just wasn't for me.

After being completely sold on "royal sibling drama meets treasure hunt," I'm happy to say that I really enjoyed this. The focus on family relationships--deeply, flawed complicated ones--was a refreshing change of pace and the worldbuilding and magic was quite well done (bonus points for a world in which queer relationships were simply part of the fabric of life). It don't often pick up sequels but I cannot wait to continue reading to learn what happens next. To sum up: "A rollicking adventure of royal family drama, treasure hunts, and hidden histories. I loved it."

The family dynamics of this book is very interesting. The siblings were close when they were young and grew apart. They are now at odds in their beliefs and wants, but are brought back together during their dangerous quest. They remember the importance of family love and loyalty and start to learn a little bit more about each other.

This book also has a lot of great puzzles that the family needs to solve and obstacles to complete. Think Goonies, . It adds an element of fun.

The last quarter of the book was good, and the last ten percent was excellent, but the rest... I had a really hard time getting into the story. There was a lot of backstory and side stories and not a lot happening until the end of the book. But, this is just my opinion, as I know many others who have loved this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children’s Book Group/ HMH for Young Readers for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley #TheIvoryKey

Thank you so much to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING! When Akshaya Raman first announced that she was writing a high Indian-inspired fantasy YA duology following four South Asian siblings on a magical quest, I was immediately hooked. This book won’t be released until January 2022, but I was extremely fortunate to have read the ARC for this in advance. I literally devoured this book in less than a day. The characters, magic system, and storytelling was so well done and after that ending, I desperately need my hands on Book 2! If you’re a fan of The Tiger at Midnight or We Hunt the Flame, or The Gilded Wolves, you’ll love this book!

The Ivory Key follows four estranged siblings living in the Ashokan empire: Vira, the newly crowned maharani of Ashoka after the murder of her mother (the previous maharani of Ashoka): Ronak, Vira’s twin brother and raajkumara of Ashoka: Kaleb, Vira & Ronak’s half brother falsely accused of assassinating of Vira & Ronak’s mother; and Riya, Vira & Ronak’s sister and raajkumari of Ashoka who fled from her family two years ago and joined the Ravens, a rebel group who wants to strip Vira of all her power. Vira is desperate to get out of her mother’s shadow and establish her legacy as a revered queen of Ashoka. But with the country’s only quarry running out of magic, she can barely protect her citizens from the looming threat of war. Vira’s only hope is to find a mysterious object of legend: the Ivory Key, rumored to unlock a new source of magic. But each of Vira’s siblings have something to gain from finding the Ivory Key as well: Ronak plans to sell it to the highest bidder in exchange for escape from his impending political marriage, Kaleb needs it to clear his name and Riya wants it to prove her loyalty to the Ravens. The four siblings are forced to work together to survive the treacherous journey to retrieve the Key, but with each sibling harboring secrets and their own agendas, the very thing that brought them together could tear apart their family–and their world–for good.

The main aspect I enjoyed the most in this story was the sibling dynamics between Vira, Ronak, Kaleb, and Riya. Seeing how each character interacted with one another was so interesting and the fact that each of them had their own motives and reasons for wanting the Key made the story so thrilling. I truly believe that above all, this is a story about the bond of siblings and that arc was really heartwarming to see. Even though these characters had their differences at the beginning of the book, it’s evident that they would do anything to protect one another. Each sibling had their own POV chapter in the book and there was never a moment where I was bored with any of the POVs. Each chapter offered unique insight into their backstories and I was thoroughly invested in all of them. With the first plot twist at the end of the book, I had a feeling that the siblings would be pushed even closer together to bond over what they experienced, yet the second plot twist pulled a 180 on me, and now I’m so intrigued to see how it will affect the siblings’ relationship in Book 2.

The world building and magic system was really well done too. I enjoyed reading about the history of Ashoka and how its conflict with Lyria influenced so many of Vira’s actions as maharani. I liked how the siblings’ father’s legacy also influenced them to go on the journey to retrieve the Key in the first place and how that was a point of bonding for all four of them. The puzzles that were dispersed intermittently throughout the novel were also really cool to follow along as well!

I liked the ending for this book, but I do wish we got to see more of Riya’s interactions with the Ravens because there didn’t seem like there was a definitive conclusion to Riya’s status as a rebel. I think overall this book also seemed like it was mainly setting things up for the big finale in Book 2, which is why I didn’t feel like I got enough closure towards the end of the novel, which is why I would rate it 4.5 stars. Nevertheless, I can’t wait for The Ivory Key to be released early next year and for everyone to read this amazing fantasy!

I loved this book SO SO much. It was really great and I loved all of the perspectives and how all of the events lead up to the very last event. Riya, Vira, Kaleb, and Ronak are all such strong characters, while each battling their own burdens. The plot twists are amazing and you can never tell when they're coming. I can't wait to read the second book in the series. This book is perfect for readers ages 11-14.

This book was received as an ARC from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group - HMH Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I felt like I was on a fantasy adventure reading this book. My jaw dropped wider and wider open the more I read in this book. If this book does not draw you closer to your family, I don't know what will. All for one thing, the Ivory Key. All of the siblings think the Ivory Key is what will make their mother love them the most and be prime to the family legacy but searching for this key is only one element to what they truly want. All the siblings have different motives and because of this , there was a lot of jumping around but it all made sense and I did not feel an ounce of confusion. I know our teen book club will be highly anticipating the release of this book and I know they will have exciting conversations to go along with it.

We will consider adding this title to our YA collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.