What I really liked about this is the world building and plot. I am very plot driven reader so that motivated me to continue reading. The pacing was also done well to match with the plot and I enjoyed reading about our main character and her struggles on how to overcome it all.

I almost DNF’ed this book at about 20% in and I kind of wish I had. The plot and story really carry this book but everything else is really subpar. The characters are annoying, flat or so black/white it isn’t funny. And can we please stop with romance arcs where the boy is mean to the girl in public but nice when alone and she still falls for him? That isn’t a healthy relationship. The only slightly interesting character is Qayn. I’m rounding up to 3 stars, but really this is more of a 2.5 for me.

Thanks to Random House Children's, Delacorte Press, and Netgalley for the complementary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

Spice Road is an impressive debut boasting a well-realized world of magic and Djinn. It is a fun coming of age story of learning to care for the other and seek justice. If you are hooked on Djinn fantasy like I am, this one is for you. For those a little more discerning, I have a few criticisms, which may not matter to younger readers. Spice Road did not live up to the hype or the quality of other recent similar debuts.

I rate Spice Road 4/5 because it was more focused on world-building than plot, first introducing us to the characters' hometown and then to the empire they travel to visit on their quest. I also found the various twists and turns of the story unbelievable and the actions of the main character often poorly thought out. Though Spice Road is the start of a trilogy, I do not see myself returning for the sequel.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book!

The strength in this book lies in the world building and plot line of the story. I appreciated the young and strong female lead, especially as a YA novel. She has flaws and the author is not afraid to show them at pivotal points in the book; Imani struggle with loyalty to her family vs her work, finding love in different forms, and learning patience in a job that's pretty fast paced.

I really appreciated the scenes and sights within this book- at times I felt like I could smell the spices, feel the sand on my face, or the heat of the dessert on my skin. While I wouldn't call it a love triangle, I also appreciated the opposite personalities of Taha and Qayn as they fight for Imani's attention. Overall, the book was not as thrilling as I had hope it would be, but it kept my attention and was a fast read. Overall: 3.25 stars for the easy to get into reading style and the fantastic scene descriptions.

WHAT I LIKED:
-Qayn is cool. If he was the MC, I’d probably love this book.
-The plot was consistently moving and had a nice plot twist in the middle of the book.
-There were moments when the writing flowed nicely.
-The magic and world was fun and interesting.

DID NOT LIKE:
-Imani continues to act like a child. She's, knowingly rude, arrogant, dramatic, and stupid. The sister is worse.
-The romance was almost nonexistent and…. Bad. Which is sad because it had so much potential. Two kissing scenes and one of them right after she barfs in the bushes… gross.
-So much of this writing is trying too hard. It's painfully obvious this is a debut novel.
-The dialog is cheesy and at times cringe worthy.
-Most of the plot was predictable. Just imagine what idiot teenagers would do and you’ve got it.
-I feel like I'm missing the first half of this book. It's like someone ripped off the first 10 chapters and said, “start here.”

OVERALL:
This book is fine.... This would be good for a 11–13-year-old who is entertained easily, prefers a plot driven book and doesn’t mind aggravating characters.

Characters/Depth/Growth – 4
Atmosphere/World - 7
Writing Style - 3
Plot - 6
Intrigue -2
Love/Relationships - 3
Enjoyment/Memorable – 3
Total: 28
Divided by 7 = 4.0 (2 1/2 stars) I gave it an extra half for the potential of the story.

1.1-2.2 *
2.3-4.5 **
4.6-6.9 ***
7.0-8.9 ****
9.0-10 *****

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

2.5/5

This was a relatively average YA fantasy book. The plot wasn’t as exciting as the synopsis led me to believe and I feel like not much happened. The writing itself was pretty standard for a YA debut and nothing really stood out to me personally.

I also never felt very connected to any of the characters and I found the MC to be a bit irritating. I know she’ll probably have a character arc and grow throughout the series, but she was still far too immature to be very likeable in my opinion.

Overall, it was an okay book if you’re interested in the synopsis, but I myself will not be continuing the series.

Recommended: eh
for an incredible setting, for a story rife with possibilities and big moments, but also there are characters I hate so much I really wanted to DNF this one

Thoughts:
My biggest issue with this book was Amira. I freaking hate Amira. From basically page two she's being a massive immature pain in the ass while also being super preachy about it. She's one of those people who condemns someone else for doing the exact thing they themself are doing, and she doesn't even realize it. It's awful and I couldn't stand her. The only way I was able to finish this book was by skipping anything she said and any reference to her name for the last 50% of the book. There was nothing redeeming about her for me.

<spoiler>And when she was like "I promise I won't come." I knew it was going to be a lie because that's just how annoying younger siblings work in an adventure story, but god did I cling to that hope that she would in fact stay home. And of course she emerges by way of waking a legendary immortal giant full of rage. I hate her so much.</spoiler>

I persevered mainly because this was an ARC and I wanted to get more than twenty (incredibly annoying) pages in before quitting, and also because I had so much hope for seeing more of the world and the lore of it. I did indeed get more lore, and I was able to slowly fall in love with that aspect of the story. There's so much history built into it, both in the small daily lives and the world-shaping historical beings and events that exist. Learning about each kept me entranced (until shattered by an annoying scream -- if you read my spoiler or the book it'll make sense).

As for the plot itself, the formula is also pretty common for what magic adventure stories are where a powerful (young) person discovers the people in power have lied to them about something important, and they question right and wrong and their very beliefs. It was fine, but nothing particularly new. I was impressed with the amount of punches to the main character. I mean, damn, this is not an easy ride where everything just somehow turns out fine. She actually has some pretty massive losses and setbacks and pain to overcome.

As for the romance aspect, there's not a ton of on-page romance, though there's a lot of her thinking about feelings and kisses and stuff. Given they're on a potentially lethal mission, this makes sense. No time for snogging! What was included added to the story for the most part though, by building some uneasy tension between the MC and the others in her group. Motivation was kept very obscure for a large part of it, especially to the extent of dude's goals for their mission.

To be honest, I probably won't continue this series. There are some new characters introduced along the way (as well as the ones throughout) who I sense will hang around more in later books that I also just don't care for. Some I'm neutral about, but that's not enough to sell me on it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for a free advanced copy. This is my honest review.

In Qalia, Imani’s affinities are prized and give her the honored title of Shield, a warrior who kills dangerous magical beings in the region. However, Imani’s accomplishments are overshadowed by her brother, Atheer, who was caught stealing Spice, the tea magic granted to the people of Qalia by the Great Spirit. When Raad, Atheer’s stallion, breaks free and runs into the desert, Imani and her sister Amira follow into the Forbidden Wastes only to find a djinn named Qayn. The djinn knows that Atheer is alive in Alqibah, the land beyond the Sands that veil Qalia from the outside world. With selective truth telling, Imani gets the council to grant a mission to Alqibah, but not without Taha ibn Bayek, a talented beastseer in tow. Imani finds the journey perilous and the knowledge she gains is not at all what she expected.

For the first book in a trilogy, this was a decent entry. The world building was one of the strongest aspects of this novel. The fact that Qalia is cut off from the surrounding territories creates an interesting dynamic and certainly impacts each character in a variety of ways. There’s much more to explore in both Qalia and Alqibah. In Qalia, the reader is treated to a tour through the First City, which provides some clarity on not only Qalia’s history but also that of the djinn Qayn. However, a repeated refrain from several of the characters relates to the way that history has been rewritten by the victors, causing the Council to lie. As a reader, I hope we return to Qalia and get some more of the unfiltered history. The outside world of Alqibah is dealing with Harrowlanders, white invaders from a distant nation who seek to exploit the area for resources but care little for the native population. Exploring the horrors of colonization through different lenses is a theme I am always on board with. Given the conclusion of the first novel, I expect the remaining books in this trilogy will continue to tackle this theme.

Though the pacing of this story was somewhat inconsistent, there were definitely highlights. The journey through the desert to the Sands was a bit slow; however, this was important for character development as it gave readers the chance to get to know Imani and Taha. Highlights along the journey included various threats along the road, the First City, and the traversing of the Sands. Once the party got beyond the Sands, the pace picked up significantly and the plot unspooled much more naturally.

As a reader, I felt that the characters were intriguing, but they were the weakest part of the novel. Imani was an excellent protagonist; however, her naivete was endearing initially but grated when encountered further into the novel. While she did eventually grow toward the conclusion, I felt like given several of the things Imani had seen throughout the first third of the novel that it happened very late. I’m also very conflicted about Taha. Is he supposed to be Imani’s love interest? His waffling back and forth between being sweet and tender versus cold, distant, and even somewhat abusive did not seem to make him an appropriate romantic partner, especially since there seems to be no growth or softening to his demeanor as the novel concludes. Weirdly Qayn seemed like a better potential love interest, and I wondered if Maiya Ibrahim was trying to set up a love triangle in future installments. I think these confusing elements created some inconsistency with the characters, which made it difficult to fully root for many members of the cast.

Overall, I did find Spice Road to be an intriguing read with a lot of potential. Additionally, unlike many novels with a planned sequel, this novel has a definitive ending and does not have a cliffhanger. I will be tuning in for the next installment with the hope that Ibrahim clears up the character confusion and pacing challenges.

I learned a few days after being approved for this title that I would be receiving a copy in my Fairyloot subscription box. So while I do intend to read the book, I will be using the fully finished publication version and not the NetGalley ePub. Thank you!

The sand blew across the beaten path, pelting the bare skin of her legs as she moved forward. Her horse trudged alongside her, huffing its impatience in this never ending journey. She knew their destination was coming up and her weary feet and mind were looking forward to the arrival. But little did she know what was at the end of this path.

Spice Road is the first book of a YA fantasy trilogy, following the main character Imani, who is searching for her brother who was assumed dead, but rumor has it he is alive. Battling with the will to save her brother, but worried his motives may have been for evil… she wonders if the magic and her city is safe from the outside world.

This was a great start to this new fantasy trilogy and the adventure was a lot of fun to read. I liked the characters and the creative magic system in this world, as well as the creatures and setting. It took a while to lead up to the journey and interaction with various creatures and destinations, but overall a very entertaining book. I look forward to seeing where this trilogy goes!

If you’re looking for a new Arabian-themed YA fantasy to check out, I’d recommend this one!

This book is great for people who are new to fantasy and like watching adventure unfold before them.
I'm happy to say that this book was very fun to read. There were even a couple of instants that had me in a trance because of all the surprising reveals.

I'll start by saying that the setting, inspired by Arabia, was masterfully done. The author did her research well, and executed perfectly. As an Arab this book was like a warm hug when it came to both the atmosphere and vibes.
Also, The magic system was very creative. Involving tea in the matter.

The plot started off pretty well and at times I even had my heart race out of dread and fear. This fear stemed of the chance that what the characters may have discovered next would probably change them. There was even an eerie scene that I had not expected and I was anxious as to what happens next.
But unfortunately, the reason it lost a star for me was that, at a certain part I felt the plot shift a little from a high fantasy to a more philosophical type of story. I felt a little bored there since I've encountered these philosophies in other books and thus felt it was a little repitative.
Although, whatever happened in the last couple of chapters with the many half reveals that will pave the way to bigger reveals in next books definitely did well to have me forget any boredom felt before.

Another lovely thing in the story was how certain characters were very well composed and developed. I felt the many layers to them.
With how good those characters were written, I was sad that our main character developed a little too quickly for my liking, having a very quick shift in her perspective and demeanor. Also, most of the side characters felt a little flat.

Nevertheless, the writing style was beautiful. Easy to digest and run through but still retaining an aspect of poetry.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and look forward to more.

I'd like to add that I listened to an audiobook copy (Also provided by Netgalley) while following with my eyes. And that the Narrator was incredible. Her voice changes in all the right places. She uses the right intonations and emphasis. I was immensely invested in the story due to her amazing way of reading.

Thank you to the Author, Publisher and Netgalley for providing an early copy in exchange for a review.

"The soul is neither static nor finite; we feed it our entire lives through our choices. Injustice shrinks one's soul; generosity expands it. Acts of selflessness fortify it."

-----------------------

Steeped in Arabian myths with djinn and spice enhanced magic, Imani and her siblings are all training in different ways to defend their city. Their family is a part of the ruling council and are well respected within the city. Imani is an iron wielder who is training to be a warrior and has already gained quite the reputation. We follow her as she attempts to recover her brother, a lost scout, who may have been involved in more than the council knew about. She is forced to travel with her rival and two others through the dangerous desert full of monsters to a city she didn't knew existed to try to save him. There is all manner of danger she and her peers must face along the way. 

The Spice Road is fantasy done right. The world building is lush, the magic unique, the plot is action packed and the characters are complex and deep. I love a wholly good protagonist as much as a morally grey ambiguous one and this novel gives us a little of each. Imani is so principled and driven and yet entirely naive of what is really going on in the world beyond her bubble. As someone training to be a warrior, she has cultivated resilience but like any good soldier, expects to blindly follow orders. When she realizes her beloved brother was living a life beyond the one she thought he was, she's thrown into a world where she must stick her neck out and make some really tough choices. Her evolution throughout was fun to watch. 

I also appreciate so deeply that while this is to be a series we got a real ending to this adventure. The door is open to where it can go next but we were not left with the infernal cliffhanger that is so popular in books like this these days.

Thanks to Delacorte Press for gifted access via Netgalley. All opinions above are my own.

Rating: 2.5
I liked the main character in the beginning, but the more the story went on, the more ridiculous she got. I didn't realize this was going to be a love triangle and I really don't see the point in it when the two love-interests have such similar personalities. The magic wasn't really explained at all. I don't know if I'll continue on with this series.

Sadly, this suffers from the usual YA tropes: all tell and no show, weak or missing world building, a really tepid romance, emo love interest who inexplicably enjoys being yelled at/insulted by the heroine, and the ubiquitous impetuous heroine who really is too stupid to survive life. The setting should have been fascinating but just wasn't built up enough, the other characters were cardboard cutouts, and the magic just wasn't that interesting. The book skews very young - more like tween than YA.

Story: Imani is one of the best fighters of her generation. She protects their magical country from supernatural creatures - and from being discovered by the outside world. But then her brother goes rogue and Imani must go out of their magical dimension to find him. The problem is, there are issues with the balance of power in her home and it will soon involve her and her family- not to mention a vicious war and invasion in the mortal world.

So yes, cue YA trope fest. we have an emo love interest who spends most of their travel being insulted or having to save Imani from all the stupid things she does. Add in a younger sister who is even stupider and it is just a frustrating read (especially since the sister is completely wasted in the plot). The adults are, as usually, dense and clueless and only our plucky little heroine can save them from themselves (before their world is destroyed). Bad guys sprout their evil plans and jails are particularly easy to escape from.

Most of the book is a travelogue through the desert and then into an outside city. There's nothing new here and the settings could have been chucked out wholesale from a 'random Arabian city' generator. Our heroine is supposed to be incredibly talented and (surprising no one) has a unique snowflake magic ability. We don't see much of it and she never actually uses it in clever ways - only as a plot device to tepidly show that she has a unique snowflake ability. Of course, in order to do that, she has to constantly do stupid things that are just eye rollingly annoyingly inexplicable.

None of the other characters are interesting. The bad guys are evil (or, rather, EVIL!), her travel companions are as thin as paper and about as interesting to read about, and the adults make some whoppingly bad decisions that make little or not good sense. This is a world of very shallow and immature people.

I found the travel to be kind of boring, the town they arrived at uninteresting, and the banter between the characters on par with a junior high school playground. I found myself skimming a lot of the book as a result. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5 stars
Spice Road is the first in a brand-new trilogy, about Imani, a seventeen-year-old girl raised to protect her nation from the monsters lurking in the sands, who is send on a mission beyond the borders to find her brother Atheer.

“We will fight, but first we will have tea”

Spice Road is a book that has been on my radar ever since I found out about it last year and it is one of my most anticipated releases of 2023! If I were to describe this book in one word; I’d chose enchanting!

From the very first pages I was enchanted by the lush and magical world I was introduced to. I loved learning about the world and the magic system especially. I loved the idea that magic comes from the spice Misra, that need to be drunken every morning as a tea! That plus the affinities that are present makes it such an amazing magic system!

The plot itself was very engaging and page-turning. While it starts of rather slow in terms of plot, the moment the quest starts it became so addicting to read! I loved reading about the quest and everything happening! While I did kinda predict where it was going, I still loved the direction the story took.

The characters are truly written so well! Imani easily stole my heart from the very beginning. I loved seeing her character grow so much throughout the story. From being very lost in the beginning to her changing views as the story progresses! Something I also love very much is her devotion to what she believes in and her loyalty and love for her family, something all from the Beya clan have! I loved Taha as well, he is such a complicated character from who we still have to learn a lot. I feel like we’ve only just scrapped the surface of who he is and I am looking forward to peeling back more of his layers. Qayn was such a fun character who really brought the humor and was a nice balance between the seriousness the quest brought and the tension between Imani and Taha.

The most important relationships that were shown in the book were definitely the family relationships. Everything Imani does is to find her brother Atheer and bring him home. Her somewhat estranged relationship with Amira as well, I loved seeing the growth and how strong their bonds were. They were Imani’s backbone throughout the whole quest. The chemistry between Imani and Taha was also really well written. I loved seeing how it progressed in a really natural way, but not overshadowing the story itself.

The ending was really action-packed and I loved every minute of it. I felt my heart beating faster at all that was happening and I was so anxious to continue reading and learn what would happen next to the characters! It really kept me on my toes in the best way!

Overall, I loved every minute I spent in this enchanted world, learning about it together with an amazing cast of characters. I can’t wait to see where this story will go!!

I really enjoyed this book. It was fast-paced with great worldbuilding and interesting characters that are deeper than they first appear. At times the decision-making of the main character made me raise my eyebrows, but then again it is pretty fitting with a brash 16-year old. I like where the story left off and I'm looking forward to what comes next.

I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Dnf at 10%

I was really excited for this book - don't get me wrong. The premise had everything I was looking for in a fantasy: tea magic? check. female protagonist who is also a fighter? check.

But for me, I wasn't enjoying the voice. Imani's voice didn't click with me. We're supposed to believe that she's this fierce Shield, a soldier in their world, one of the best, but the one fight scene we do see was just so-so.
I would have preferred to have seen more of the town that they live in before they go farther to the outskirts of town and begin the adventure.

3 stars, because the voice issue was definitely a me thing and not anything about the author's quality. Thanks to Netgalley for my free copy in exchange for a review.

A wonderfully written and important story of war, social classes, and a reflection of the real world. I loved the tea magic and world-building, as well as the very important story the author conveyed. I can't wait for book 2!

4.5
Thanks for netgalley and the publisher for giving me an E-arc of this book and here's my honest review.
This book crept up to my top list in no time. I admit that I had high expectations getting into this and thankfully it didn't disappoint at all. The world is so mesmerising and very well-written. Also loved how the author captured the Arabic names, food and some little traditions. The characters had amazing depth and storylines it made me go crazy, also their development was so great I got attached to them so much. Lastly, the plot and the twists, when I tell you the last 20% literally altered my whole experience with the book I mean it. Definitely recommend this to fantasy lovers like myself this is one of the best books out there can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy. Also patiently waiting for more books with these characters can't wait to see what the author will do.

I had high hopes for this read. I overall enjoyed it. I just felt like this book was a bit on the long side and the plot was not as strong as it could have been. I really loved the focused on both the family dynamics and siblings elements. I also really enjoyed the magic system. I just felt like the end middle of the book had some pacing issues. But i loved the character and really thought the magic system was cool!! I will def check out book 2 in the future. It gave me ivory key vibes and also ember in the ashes vibes!!