Spice Road follows Imani, a gifted Shield for her people. When Imani learns her presumed dead brother may still be alive, she is determined to bring him back to their people alive. She sets out on a dangerous journey with a motley crew including the mysterious Qayn and annoying Taha. As disasters strike, secrets are revealed and all of them will have their magic tested. It soon becomes clear that the rules Imani has known her whole life are not the full truth. How far will Imani go to rescue her beloved brother, if it means abandoning the principles that have always kept her safe?

I was immediately hooked from the opening line! Imani is a fierce and determined heroine. Her love for her people, her family, and especially her brother make her a very compelling character. As she journeyed across the treacherous desert, I enjoyed how she learned about the depth of her love for her siblings. Yet Imani still has plenty of room to grow, which Maiya Ibrahim expertly navigates, as Imani must decide whether she trusts those she loves to make their own choices.

Maiya Ibrahim writes with all the senses in mind- you’ll feel the heat of the desert, the scorch of the sun, and the smells of the misra tea. The world-building is vivid and impressively designed. I didn’t want to leave this world! Taha is such an interesting character and his interactions with Imani were intense. I absolutely cackled at her response to him at the end of the book. At the same time, Imani has a mesmerizing relationship with Qayn, a once powerful djinni with veiled motives. I’m really looking forward to learning more about Qayn and his past.

I’m so happy this book is not a standalone because I absolutely need to see what happens next!! Spice Road would be perfect for readers who enjoy Amélie Wen Zhao, Hafsah Faizal, and Chelsea Abdullah. I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys sibling adventures, vivid magic, and compelling heroines.

Spice Road releases January 24, 2023. Thank you to Maiya Ibrahim, Delacorte Press, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, Wordpress blog, and Barnes & Noble etc

“Along the Spice Road they went, pillaging. But at the end of the road is a spice unlike any they have known before.”

Imani is the youngest Shield in their hidden City, the infamous Djinni-Slayer. Since her brother died, she has given all of herself to protect Qalia from the dangerous monsters surrounding it. But when the truth comes out about her brother and what he was doing with their sacred spice magic, Imani is driven to travel a dangerous path out of their secret haven and into the world of humans.
She won’t be going alone though. A djinni who claims to be a friend to her brother has bound himself to her beloved dagger in exchange for help along the journey and a beastseerer who is none other than Imani’s greatest rival are on the journey with her.

Plot: 4/5
It took me 20-25% to feel invested but once the journey started I was entranced. I enjoyed the structure of the plot, Ibrahim didn’t spend too long on any one part of the journey.

I will admit that a large part of what kept me so so hooked was the dynamic between Imani and Taha but also Imani and Qayn.

Characters: 3/5
Something runs in the Beya clan that makes them nearly insufferable. Imani is bullheaded and constantly chooses to keep the wool pulled over her eyes rather than see that the world is changing around her. Her sister Amira, however, is a nightmare, basically just a petulant child. I don’t know if she’s meant to be so infuriating but I couldn’t wait for her to leave every scene.

And then SUDDENLY around the half way mark and once they’ve stopped biting each others heads off, they become rather like-able. I actually really like Imani’s character after this point though she is still hotheaded and stubborn.

I had extremely conflicting opinions about Taha in the first bit and I’m still not sure. He’s definitely flawed and needs to get his attitude checked out but the tension between him and Imani is so good. I’m hopeful for his potential character development.

Though I am hesitant to support the age gap, I would be equally happy (if not more) with some romantic development with Imani and Qayn. I think he’s the much more interesting love interest, and apart from one lie (which was easily forgiven), he hasn’t constantly lied and tried to kill her like some one else!

Writing: 4/5
Ibrahim has a lot of strengths in her writing. She’s descriptive and paints a colorful image of the world around her characters. But I will say I’ve never had to look up so many words while reading, especially where another simpler word would have done the trick.

World building: 5/5
I love this world she’s created! The historical influences are clear but Ibrahim adapts them to this magical world in such an incredible way.

Overall: 4/5

This book would be enjoyed by any fantasy lover, especially fans of Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri or The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for a honest review.

Full disclosure, I was not feeling well when I started this book and that may impact my review.

Initially I struggled with this book. I had some issues understanding the magic system and getting immersed in the world. However, I felt the rest of the book made up for this lack of connection later as the descriptions made the world come to life. I was excited about the way the magic system evolved towards the end of the book. In future installments I think this will be a strong element in the series.

Unfortunately, however, I struggled to connect to any of the characters. I found their constant spats aggravating and was frustrated with the way they continuously would put the main character down because of her family. Yes, I think a little of that was necessary, but after a while it became a bit much. The hot and cold nature of most of the relationships was confusing at times as well. It isn’t till the end I finally got some of the relationship building I was seeking, but only in the final few chapters.

Overall, I don’t see myself continuing this series. I feel it had a lot of potential, but I was so disconnected that many of the plot points made little impact on me. However if you are a very plot driven reader, I think you will enjoy this book.

This cover and synopsis intrigued me. This book started out well. The first few chapters hooked me with the introduction of the tea magic how it works, and imani's family history and then her defeating a monster. I was really interested once she bonds a Djinni to her and I thought that would make an interesting romantic dynamic. However, this book took a nose dive after that. I became very bored and had to DNF at 35% Once Imani starts on her journey with this band of characters I lost all interest It started to feel too young of ya for my liking with her being attracted to this guy and not wanting to be but being jealous of his relationship with another character. I didn't like any of the characters aside from the Djinni and I wasn't given very much of him to make me want to continue reading. I think this will hit for some because it is a unique fantasy but it just needed to be more mature for my personal liking.

Great world building the characters wil capture your heart. The magic system is so unique. A very strong addition to the Genre. I highly recommend it to anyone that loves YA.

Imani is one of the most talented Shields, chosen to fight monsters and djinn beyond the city to protect its inhabitants. Since her older brother disappeared after being accused of stealing from the city’s precious stockpile of misra, a magic-creating spice, she’s had to work twice as hard to prove herself. But when she uncovers evidence that he may still be alive and that there may be secret civilizations beyond the endless deserts, she knows what she must do. Accompanied by Council-sanctioned Scouts, Imani knows that she must bring her brother home and protect the secret of their lands at all costs.

What a great read! This fantasy set in an Arabian-inspired land had everything I look for in a fantasy read. The author excelled at worldbuilding, which was the strongest part of this book. From the beginning, little cultural details and information about the setting were woven into the dialogue and prose, making for an immersive and engaging world. I loved the details included about how their magic worked, and that they uncovered some hints about its origins that didn’t agree with their cultural teachings. I would have liked to see more of an exploration of its addictive nature though (we’re told that it’s addictive, but never see anything close to that being the case).

Imani was difficult to like at first as she was dead set in her way of viewing things, but she had some excellent character growth (especially after being called out by her sister a few times) that made her feel both realistic and relatable. The secondary characters also felt well rounded for the most part, adding to the depth of this read. The romance was a little annoying, as it relied on the same miscommunication over and over, but as it wasn’t the focus of the story it was relatively easy to ignore. It was difficult to like the love interest as he was constantly flipping from hot to cold, hate to like with Imani and the reasons why weren’t explored well. I’m hoping the next work will include more exploration of the motives of some of the secondary characters.

This was a great beginning to a fantasy series, and I highly recommend this read! Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for allowing me to read this work, which will be published January 24th. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Thank you so much Mayia Ibrahim, TBR and Beyond Tours, Delacorte Publishing, and Netgalley for providing me an eARC to read and give an honest review!

*4.5 stars*

Wow, wow, wow!!! Spice Road was an amazing way to kick off my 2023 reading journey! It had magic, great worldbuilding, a little bit of mystery, bargains with devils, and a strong, heartfelt familial bond. There was only one thing it lacked, which didn't affect my overall enjoyment of the story, but I just wanted to take it into account in my review.

Let's start off with the problem in this story that prevented me from giving this book five stars: character development (or rather, the lack thereof). While Imani and her family were obviously tight-knit, some scenes just seemed lacking in that familial bond. For example, when Imani discovered Atheer's true fate, she didn't think about how it would affect her family, only how it affected her (which, given the circumstances, I can understand a little. But at the same time, it just seemed out of character for her). In addition, I feel like we just brushed the surface of the characters' personalities and traits, especially Imani's.

Besides that though, there is nothing I can complain about. Ibrahim delivered an amazing plot of searching for Atheer and unexpected twists, including Taha's orders. Imani's bargain with Qayn (who is a djinni) was an excellent touch to the story as well. The worldbuilding is well-done too. The magic system is defined clearly and the cultures (both the similarities and differences) were evident. I liked the fact that Ibrahim detailed the locations because this is one of the first books in a while for me that actually had my brain imagining the scenes to a tee.

Overall, an amazing debut from Ibrahim! I anxiously await the sequel with that ending!

I would recommend this book to fans of Sabaa Tahir and Hafsah Faizal.

Thank you to Random House and Delacorte Press for sending me an advanced copy of Spice Road in exchange for an honest review.

This is a solid debut, the magic system is probably my favorite part of this story and the characters definitely will keep you reading. however this is more plot driven and there isn't a lot of world building and character development which i'm hoping is rectified in the second book since this is going to be a series.

Overall, I thought the book was beautifully written. However, I’m an avid fantasy reader and I struggled with giving this book my full attention. I think the novel could’ve used more world building and while the novel is based on middle eastern culture and mythology but sometimes that slipped a bit into the background. I would still recommend this novel to readers who are specifically looking for fantasy novels with middle eastern representation because I feel that it’s missing from the market a little. Overall, I think it was an okay start to a series and would like to see where it goes

Are you devastated S.A. Chakraborty's Daevabad series is over? Are you not-so-patiently waiting for the release date of Chelsea Abdullah's sequel to The Stardust Thief? Do you miss being immersed in fantastical desert fantasy worlds? Well then, Spice Road is 100% for you. It's an adventure full of djinn, unique powers, and frustrating siblings.

Imani, the female main character, is trying to be the best Shield (a.k.a. monster slayer) that she can be, but her missing brother's secrets mean she has to go on a quest to find him with her arrogant nemesis and his crew tagging along, much to her annoyance and my internal squealing. Cue all the awesome fantasy and romance tropes! Enemies to (maybe) lovers, one horse, epic quests, and, most importantly, magical creatures!

Both Imani and Taha—Imani's rival and possibly something more and just overall a general pain in Imani's you-know-what—have a lot of hidden secrets in their families and pasts, and while nothing revealed throughout this book was particularly shocking, the author did manage to make me feel strongly for the characters, despite how stubborn they could be around each other. Also, the side characters were good too. Imani's siblings had their own time to shine. I loved that. And the mysteries of Qayn the djinni are very intriguing.

Honestly, I loved this book. I loved Imani's strength and tenacity, her sister's attitude, and Taha's frustrating inability to make good decisions. Everything in Spice Road just flowed so easily from the beginning to end. I wasn't left confused like some other fantasy books. My only minor complaints are two teensy tiny things that probably will only ever bug me because I'm ridiculous. How often Taha's sweat is mentioned (nothing explicit, it's just face sweat due to heat) had me cringing. It's only mentioned like three or four times, but it's just something that wigs me out a little for no reason other than being a germaphobe. Haha. Also, the female characters had a tendency to sob a bit too much. It wasn't anything overly distracting, but I did notice the repeated use of the word during my read-through

All in all, regardless of my very small nitpicks, I am ready for book two. I can't wait to see what happens after the reveals at the end of Spice Road, and I know you'll feel the same. Because if you're looking for a story in the same vein as The City of Brass, The Wrath and the Dawn, or Rebel of the Sands, you'll definitely want to pick this one up.

4 stars

*Note: I received a NetGalley ARC of this book to review from the publisher. This in no way affected my opinion/review.

This was an anticipated read for me. I love the cover and the thought of the different aspects of magic. While I didn’t love the story as much as I thought I would. It was a enjoying at times but boring read. The characters lacked depth. I found myself speed reading through first 16% because it was boring. Her sister grated my nerves the most out of everyone in this book. And there were plenty of lackluster characters.
The plot itself was good but it was lacking depth that I wanted to see. The first half there was action but it really picks up towards the end of the book. From the beginning I knew who the bad guy was going to be as well as the love interest if to call it that. I felt very disconnected to the story. I didn’t feel any way towards the character whether they lived or died.

Gorgeous world building! It took me a while to really slip into the world, the narrative. The vastness of fantasy can be a little daunting for me, who typically reads speculative fiction or urban fantasy. But the author really crafted an expansive universe. I’ll admit the romance took a backseat for me, where the brother-sister relationship felt the most compelling.

Very interested to see where the story goes in the next book!

*Much thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review*

I loved this book. I might actually consider it for our World Literature class if it wasn't a trilogy or maybe once all parts are out.

Ibrahim has created a solid book with family and possibly found family emerging. There's also the tempting enemies to lovers trope that seems to be developing, although with a huge blow to it at the end of this one. Imani is a strong female protagonist, which I love to see, as well as her sister, who grows in a different kind of strength as the book unfolds.

I forgot while I was reading this that it was an ARC and not one I had borrowed from the library. After I finished, I immediately looked up to see what the sequel was....and was so sad to remember that this one wasn't even published yet! Can't wait to read the rest of Imani's story.

First of all, WHAT a stunning cover. I could stare at it for hours. Second, this book has the beginnings of a fantastic fantasy trilogy. I can't wait to see where Maiya Ibrahim takes it.

This book has several elements I love to see in YA fantasy:
- rivals to lovers
- travel plot
- great character growth
- politics in the plot
- adventure and tense action
- magic and djinni

While the book did have little annoyances in the writing and character reactions, I could easily look over it and appreciate the fast-paced story and its caring, determined characters. I would definitely recommend if you liked We Hunt the Flame and The Stardust Thief.

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 4
Plot/Movement: 5
Character Development: 4
Overall: 4

Thank you, Delacorte Press and NetGalley, for the review copy!

Trigger/Content Warnings: violence, torture (off page), animal death, kisses

What an incredible start to an Arab fantasy series- I just truly cannot wait till book 2, this book was utter magic!

Genre: YA
Ages: 15 plus
Author: Maiya Ibrahim
Publisher: Penguin Random House/Underlined

TW/Screening- attempted Sexual assault, a few kisses, alcohol, fighting and murder (but honestly nothing overly detailed and I personally found it clean and appropriate for the Age group).

Imani’s brother is missing, presumed dead. But when his horse leads her and her sister to a cave where a djinni tells them what truly happened, Imani embarks on a quest to find out the truth. The problem- tagging along is incredibly hot Taha- her absolute nemesis in everything, and the very troublesome djinni.
Imani has to examine what she knows and what the truth is and decide for herself how to act-in a world where colonization oppresses people who aren’t hers.

Wow, this book was spellbinding and incredible- an arab fantasy that is absolutely perfection. One thing as an Arab that I cannot stand is when Arab culture is not authentic in Arab inspired books- but let me tell u- this book DID NOT DISAPPOINT! I have been waiting for a book like this forever, where Arab culture is intertwined with the very fabric and threads of the story- and it truly was pure magic!

The colonization thread was incredible- it was truly masterfully written to draw empathy and show the wrongful occupation of the Highlanders and I was so happy to see a book address this issue.

Oh and did I mention magic is from a tea called Misra. Everyone that knows Arabs knows tea is our life, so this felt perfectly and utterly appropriate.

I loved the tension and angst as well and the romantic enemies to lovers vibes was right up my alley- and I found it pretty appropriate, nothing too harrowing or abusive in my opinion (lots of conflict and fighting is pretty usual for this genre but it wasn’t gory).

Def check this book out and I personally cannot wait for book 2!!❤️

The Spice Road had the perfect amount of mystery, action, fantasy, family love, and betrayal. The betrayals were exceptionally written and intricately woven within the plot so that I did not see them coming. The writing style is lyrical to the point where I used the highlighting feature on my kindle to mark my favorite quotes. Imani was written with her flaws but she eventually became aware of the damage she created and was willing to change her actions. I also loved her fierce determination and strength and the unbroken love she shared with her siblings. Thank you NetGalley for an ARC.

This is a difficult book to review. While this will by no means be a glowing recommendation, I do think that a lot of people will enjoy this book. For example, if you think that some of the books I like are too heavy on world building, if you enjoy a long character development journey, or if you are actually in the recommended age range (14-17). Sadly, the further into my twenties I get, the harder it is to relate to teen protagonists. However, I still read a lot of YA and it has been a while since I read a protagonist this unlikable. She always assumes the worst of other people's motives and is so self centered. There’s not even any reprieve from other characters: most of the supporting cast is either flat or Imani spends the whole time whining about how they hate her. I think an improvement would be to have multiple POVs, which has been a pretty popular technique in recent YA fantasy books. That way, we could have seen plot points, other characters, and Imani herself through a different lens.
I also was really hoping for more worldbuilding. It is going to be a trilogy, so I’m holding out hope that there may be more in the future, but I would think that this first book would be the time to do it. Especially since the first ¾ of the book went by so slowly. The setting and magic system are really promising and intriguing--I just wish more time was spent fleshing them out.
There are a few things that I enjoyed while reading Spice Road. I suspect this first book is setting up a love triangle and I forgot how much I always love the bad boy type in these ya love triangles. He’s almost never endgame but I have fun with it anyway. I also could not put the book down for the last 100 pages or so. It was kind of a slog to get there, but the ending was pretty fast paced. Before I got to that point, I was not planning to read the other two books, but now who knows? I might just pick the next one up when it comes out. Overall, I went with 2.5 stars, rounded up to 3 here. I really do think a lot of people will enjoy this one, it just wasn’t quite what I was hoping for.
As always, many thanks to netgalley for hooking me up with the advanced copy!

Imani's world fractures the moment she learns that there's a lot more out there for her to experience. The brother she thought was lost left their home to support other nations after theirs remained isolated for so long.

The book does an excellent job of weaving Arab culture throughout its fantasy world-building as we first meet Imani who faces off with the djin. She makes a deal with one in order to find her brother before returning home to propose her idea to travel to find him. Though it turns out that while she is allowed to go, she's not going to like her company creating some fun tension in the greater narrative of the plot.

While its a little slow in some places, the book is easily accessible providing the chance to journey with Imani while learning about its Arab influences when it comes to different food elements and showing how diverse Arab culture is, It does so in a way that feels authentic to explore creating the chance to talk with readers about what they love and would then, in turn, like to know more about.

This is a book that I <I>melted</I> into. I really took my time reading, even though there was a fast-paced plot and so many twists within the pages. I just knew I didn't want it to end!

Our main character, Imani is, foremost, a young girl who loves her family, a warrior, and a magic user whose gift for manipulating the iron in her blade comes in handy. She doesn't like change, and she certainly doesn't like Taha, an arrogant boy whose father rose through the ranks of society to become an outspoken leader in their community. I really liked the setup to this story, especially the hidden city of Qalia that they live in. I wanted to know so much more about this society that has thrived on their own, using a special spice that imbues a person with a magical affinity. Unfortunately, the story takes us away from their home, and out on the road, but I didn't mind all that much as there was so much adventure and intrigue to be found!

There is also some romance, but it is a slow burn, enemies to something more, will they or won't they vibes. There are also some aspects of a bully romance, which I typically don't enjoy, but for the purposes of this book, I looked past it. Mostly. Jury is still out.

I have one small complaint- I felt as if there wasn't enough magic happening! I am hoping that this is something that will be rectified in the next book, because yes, I am confident that there will be a sequel and I can't wait to come back to this story.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fun YA fantasy and kept my attention throughout.

My only gripe is with the main character. Imani reads like she's kind of like if Laia from An Ember in the Ashes was an annoying Helene instead. And I like unlikable protagonists just fine, but I'm also tired of reading the "my ancestors are better than yours so you're inferior than me" line of thinking from first person POVs. At the same time, Imani has a lot of potential as a character, mainly because she's surrounded by a cast of characters who call her out on her bullshit so I'm confident the writer will deal with this as the story goes on.

I'm excited to continue this series!