This book seemed to be all over the place for me. It took a long time to ramp up as well. There were times the story dragged on while other times it quickly we t through what seemed like a important part. The flash backs were a little jarring and it took a moments to realize it that was what it was. Overall way to much happened in this first book.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to the publishers, the author, and NetGalley for this ARC!

Favorite Quote: “Should I not be angered equally for a stranger as for my own family, as I would want a stranger to do….”

Story Synopsis: Imani is a young woman who lives in Qalia and wants for nothing. She’s privileged, has a loving family, and has a magical affinity for iron. However, her brother disappeared. While everyone believes him dead, Imani’s sister, Amira, convinces her he is still alive and needs help. To bring her brother home, Imani gets help from an unlikely ally, as well as gets approval from the Qalia council. As she begins her journey with three companions, Imani is forced to question everything she grew up believing and her values.

Thoughts & Feelings: I enjoyed Spice Road immensely! After reading The Daevabad Trilogy earlier this year, I found I enjoy Middle Eastern fantasy. Spice Road has djinni, magic, romance, and high-stakes adventure. This novel ends nicely but feels like the first of a series, so I am excited to follow author Maya Ibrahim and read more!

Spice Road is a YA fantasy that follows Imani, a Shield warrior with an affinity for iron. When she discovers her supposedly dead brother is actually alive, she ventures outside of her homeland, the hidden desert city of Qalia, to bring him home. Outside the city limits, she discovers a world that she never knew existed, and grapples with her worldview, herself, her understanding of her brother, and the group she travels with.

I really enjoyed the worldbuilding. Ibrahim does a great job describing the lush world. I love her use of sensory imagery, especially smell. It brings the world to life.

I love the tea magic! The people of Qalia access their affinity through drinking misra, a tea that allows them to access their magic. The first line of the book is, “We will fight, but first we will have tea.” Which is awesome.

I also really enjoyed the themes that Ibrahim presents. One of the main themes is truth and honesty, as Imani deals with the many lies she’s been told over the years. Another main theme is colonialism, which comes into play in the latter half of the book. I also appreciated the emphasis on family as Imani struggles to handle her rebellious little sister and hold onto hope that her brother is alive and well.

My favorite character is Qayn, a djinni that becomes Imani’s ally. He is the most complex and expressive character of the bunch, and I’m interested to learn more about him and his past!

But unfortunately, I didn’t like Imani’s character. She starts out as very naive and bullheaded…and ends the story being slightly less naive and bullheaded. She tends to be downright mean to anyone who helps her in the slightest and makes a lot of really dumb decisions. It doesn’t help that she’s also known as the Djinni Slayer…but besides obviously slaying a lot of djinni, we don’t really get an insight as to how she got that nickname at the age of seventeen. She also has a very confusing and lackluster enemies-to-lovers romance with a character who accompanies her on her journey.

I found her to be unlikeable in general, and I had to push through certain chapters because I wasn’t rooting for her the way I should. However, I really loved the tea magic, the Arabian-inspired world, and the mythology aspects of Spice Road. This was a 3 and 1/2 star read for me, rounded up to 4 stars.

Rounded to 4.5 stars.

CONTENT WARNING: grief, mention of suicide, mention of death of a parent, violence, blood, death of an animal, torture, gore, murder

The premise of the story was what drew me in initially, and the idea of an Arabian-inspired setting full of spice magic and a fierce heroine sounded too good to pass up on, especially if it was done well. Turns out, it was even better than I had expected, and what makes it more impressive is that this is Ibrahim’s debut novel.

To start with, the writing itself absolutely blew me away. Ibrahim offers such vivid descriptions that it felt as though I was right next to the characters, while writing in a beautiful and lyrical style. She paints such a realistic picture of the setting that I could see it easily, with the sands of the desert, date palms, minarets, and beautiful architecture of Qalia and other locations that the characters visit. The world-building is wonderful: the magic system is well-explained, as well as the belief system and history of the people in the story.

I loved Imani from the start. She’s fierce and tough, while also being sensitive and devoted to her family and her career. The loss of her brother has hit her hard, but it’s also increased her dedication to being the best Shield that she can be, and she also takes her responsibility as a big sister quite seriously, even though her younger sister makes it difficult. Imani is a flawed character, and is relatively rigid and headstrong, but that just gives her more room to grow. And we do see a lot of growth in her throughout the story, especially as her worldview changes when she learns new things during her travels.

There’s a lot of action and some huge plot twists in the story, although some of them were a bit predictable. Imani is a sheltered, privileged, and somewhat naïve character, although I can’t really hold that against her. It isn’t her fault, and I enjoyed seeing how she reacted when she was challenged and presented with new information. She’s stubborn, which isn’t always a good thing, but she was open to learning, and that’s a difficult combination. It was a fascinating read, and I found myself flying through this read.

In addition, there’s a lot of romantic tension in the story. Amidst the search for Imani’s brother, there is a slow-burn enemies to lovers subplot, and while I enjoyed the tension, I wasn’t quite sure if I trusted the man and didn’t know how I felt about the pairing. Ultimately, I loved how things worked out, and while things didn’t quite tie up neatly, it left things open to be followed up on in the next book, which I’m dying to get my hands on, despite the fact that it probably hasn’t even been written yet

Ultimately, this is an incredible debut, and I highly recommend it. It’s a fast-paced read featuring a fierce female character battling a strong and cocky male character for dominance, and I loved every moment of it. There’s magic, Arabian-inspired settings and folklore, gorgeous and lush writing, enemies to lovers tension throughout the story, mystery, action, and a plot that kept me hooked from start to finish. This is one not to miss, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store from Ibrahim.

5 stars - please pre-order!! You will not regret it!

That this is a debut novel has me completely gobsmacked. Maiya Ibrahim has clearly found her passion and puts her blood, sweat and tears in to her writing. The result is a debut novel that flows smoothly, drags you in to the story with the lush world-building and lore and has its grip on you until the end... even then, you are left wanting more!

I do not wish to give too much away but... Action. Adventure. Lore. World-building. Character development. It was all there! There was nothing stagnant in this storyline, I can promise you that, which has left me with such a book hangover that I don't even know what to do with myself right now.

I am sad that I have finished this book. I am sad that I have to wait even longer for the next installment. But I am so thankful to have found this series and the author!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating - 3.5 stars
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

This has such a unique setting with tea magic and an Arabian-inspired world. Maya Ibrahim's writing was refreshingly unique and beautiful. This story is about Imani's journey across Spice Road to find her missing brother, Atheer. Along this journey, I loved seeing her coming to terms with her ignorance and blind trust in the history of her kingdom Qalia. The other main leads, Taha and Qayn were interesting and I definitely would like to read from their POVs. Despite having great potential for complex characters, the other characters felt one-dimensional. The romance in the story was anything but enemies to lovers. It felt more like a lot of misunderstandings and insta love. I liked the concept of Imani letting go of her inherent bias and fighting for justice. A lot of the time, her actions felt impulsive with no strong motive. I hope to read more about the magic system and see the depths of Taha and Qayn's characters.

Spice Road is a story about Imani, a young woman that is part of an elite group of fighters called the Shields. Her entire world is upended when she discovers that not only is her brother alive but located in a place that lies beyond the sands of her home, a place she previously didn't know existed.

The story itself starts out a little slow as it sets the layout for what comes next, but it a wonderfully descriptive book. You can clearly see the avenues of streets, shops, and homes, smell the spices that linger in the air, and hear the calls of the shopkeepers. It's vivid and strong and you're immediately immersed in the book in all its glory.

The story picks up when Imani meets Qayn, a mysterious djinni that knows Atheer, Imani's brother. He confirms of life beyond the sands and binds himself to Imani so that they can work together to find her brother. It's a forbidden act, so as Imani sets off on her journey, she has to keep Qayn's presence a secret.

The settings are wonderfully evocative, as they travel through abandoned and ancient cities and then the cities beyond the sands. Again, you can see and hear everything as the group of scouts travel through the city. You feel for the people that they meet and your heart is torn between duty and compassion, much as it is for Imani.

There is a wide cast of characters that are unique in their own right and wonderfully distinctive. Each has their own clear personality and can easily stand on their own, but this is clearly a story of family, friendship, and secrets.

This is the first of a trilogy and you'll definitely be wanting the next book as soon as you finish this one. Things are resolved, but a whole host of problems opens up as the book winds up, This is definitely one to keep a hold of and read again.

Upon reflection, this was not for me. I struggled with the writing to connect to the characters and story. I wanted to enjoy this. It might work for others as it did not work for me

Inventive and gorgeously written, Maiya Ibrahim’s “Spice Road” is in a class of its own.

In it, we meet Imani — headstrong and brave, she’ll do anything for her people, who she’s sworn to protect as the likely next great Shield. Her carefully cultivated world comes crashing down when she comes across a djinn, the very being she’s sworn to kill, who tells Imani that her brother is alive — her beloved sibling she’s long thought died after a gutting betrayal.

Of course, there’s more to the story, and Imani sets off on a dangerous journey accompanied by her nemesis, Taha, as well as a few others, to find her brother. Along the way, she’ll find herself having unexpected adventures in brand new places — encounters which challenge the way she sees the world.

I haven’t read a book as unique and compelling as this in a long, long time. Ibrahim has a real gift— one that shines through every single page.

*Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

Spice Road by Maiya Ibrahim is an awesome, adventurous, epic fantasy novel.

A new start to a new amazing series set in an Arabian-inspired land with secret spice magic.

Woah! SPICE ROAD was just as beautiful on the inside as it was on the outside.
I thought the world-building was just brilliant.
The characters are multilayered, fearless, and reliable.
Sixteen-year-old Imani stole the show and kicked some ass.
The plot is thrilling, filled with twists and full of dangerous and unpredictable turns.
Overall, SPICE ROAD is a creative, passionate, epic fantastical novel by Maiya Ibrahim that is brimming with dangerous quest and complex, intriguing characters that once again kept me immersed and entertained from the very first page.
Each scene is so descriptive, I could nearly feel what everything feels like… As if I were there myself.
Overall, I couldn't put this book down. I was just what I needed a new, fresh take on the genre and I couldn't have enjoyed more if I tried.

"Raised to protect her nation from the monsters lurking in the sands, sixteen-year-old Imani must fight to find her brother, whose betrayal is now the country's greatest threat."

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Random House Children's & Delacorte Press,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this eARC!

I absolutely love books based off of Arabic and Middle Eastern culture and this novel did not let me down. It was an adventure to read and I enjoyed it every moment. My entire life focused around reading this book; I could not put it down. The pacing was a beautiful mix of slow and fast pace moments. The character develop was masterfully done. I was rather annoyed with Imani in the beginning and loved her at the end. Everything was done with a master craftsman's hand. The only problem I have is that I now have to wait for the second book and I don't know how I will do that

Thank you much to NetGalley and Random House for the e-Arc!

Spice Road was one of my most anticipated TBR of 2023 and it did not disappoint. Arabian inspired themes with magic, djinni, and lots of adventure! I loved following the protagonist, Imani, on her journey away from home to rescue her brother and the transformation she personally goes through while experiencing the world around her. She starts off so naive and narrow minded, even in her own relationships with her siblings, but after seeing and really experiencing the suffering of the people around her empathy allows her to open her mind and heart. Not sold on Taha. Maybe team Qayn?! Not enough on that yet which is the most exciting part about this story - there is so much more to be told and I can’t wait to see where these characters end up!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved the Spice Road. Ibrahim’s writing is beautiful, and it was such an easy read. This book is everything that a YA Fantasy should be, with rich worldbuilding, an interesting tea-based magic system, and unique characters.

This Arabian-inspired story tells of Imani’s journey across a sand swept land to find her brother, Atheer. Accompanied by a cunning djinni and her fierce rival -Taha and his squad, her quest to find her brother is anything but smooth.

Along her journey, Imani is forced to face some hard truths about privilege, power, and loyalty. She must grapple with the fact that what she knows of the world, of her home, is not everyone’s reality.

I don't want to give too much of the book away, but I really enjoyed this story. Maiya Ibrahim is definitely an author to watch, and I can't wait for the next book. The Spice Road comes out January 2023, and I highly recommend that YA Fantasy fans check this one out!

Starts off a bit slow, and Imani takes a LONG time to mature but I really enjoyed Spice Road! I love bullheaded characters, and i wish we saw more of them (especially bullheaded girl protagonists!). I would have loved to see some of her sister’s pov, as I thought she was a very interesting and easy to love character. I also really enjoyed Qayn! He might be my favorite, after Imani. I didn’t care for the romantic subplot, but I understood its purpose—I think mostly I just really disliked the love interest, and I hope the sequel explores the possibility of Imani/Qayn, as I really enjoyed their dynamic,

I really had a great time with this book and this cover is so beautiful. The world in this book felt organic and the other thing that made me instantly connect with the story is characters especially with Imani and Taha. Overall this book was really magical fun and a very exciting read!
I will definitely be picking up the sequel as I have a feeling I'll really enjoy it and I'm looking forward to seeing where the story goes.

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

First, I would like to thank the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC. I’m a notoriously fast reader that often reads several books in one day, and I finished this book in a under a couple of hours. That’s a testament to the strength and quality of the author’s writing, for, when I’m not invested in a book, it takes me weeks to get through it.

There is such a musical, lyrical quality to the prose. The author speaks brilliantly about the power of hate and the ways in which it can be weapon used—the ways hate can be used to divide people to the extent that they cannot recognize their neighbors, their countrymen and countrywomen, as their brothers and sisters. Ibrahim also beautifully and heartbreakingly explores how hate leads to intolerance.

The main character, Imani, originally showed not quite hate, but a staunch rejection of any evidence of a culture that wasn’t unique to her specific personal history. She eventually overcomes these limiting beliefs and attitudes, so it’s interesting to see this quality of stubbornness tempered by conscience juxtaposed to the ruthlessness and cruelty of men like Bayek, who passed down his meanness to his son, Taha. It was sad to see Taha inherit so much of his father’s viciousness during the latter part of the novel after originally demonstrating softer aspects of his personality earlier in the quest. This father-son duo is quite problematic; they’ve done a lot of damage, inflicted a lot of pain and hurt, and are seemingly unapologetic for it. How ruthless! They are so invested in protecting their cultural history and advancing their own political agenda that they are willing to see the decimation of other people, or even induce the death of others themselves. How brutal!
It is one matter to be ambivalent toward the struggles of other people, it is another matter entirely to be unmoved by human suffering to the point that one participates in or actively contributes to the marginalization and destruction of another cultural group.

In this book, Imani—in seeking to save and redeem her brother from the crime he has committed—actually learns about her own privilege and the blindness it affords her to the realities of contemporary people; she confronts her own ignorance and learns to reckon with the notion that all lives are worth saving.
Hate and ignorance swirled in the minds and mouths of certain characters like the sandstorms that characterized the book, and darkness fell, yet, light remained, even when all readers could see was a silhouette of how great the characters could be, if they were only willing to step into the light, and retreat from the shadows. I can’t say much else because the book doesn’t come out until next year.

All in all, this was a unique fantasy book that highlighted the landscape of inequality, the horizons of struggle, the opportunity for self-improvement, and the pitfalls of humanity—the potential to maraud instead of save, damn instead of help. This book reconciled the virtues of pride with prejudice, the notions of justice with unfairness, and the notion of respect with brazen callousness or disregard for human life/humanitarian aid.
This book is full of magic, monsters—and monstrous boys/men—conflicting moralities, and so much more.
My favorite quote from the book was this: “Light not shared is light diminished.” I resoundingly praise and recommend this book! I hope people check it out when it drops officially in January 2023!

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Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for this arc. I really enjoyed this book. It is an epic fantasy and I am looking forward to a sequel.

I requested an arc of Spice Road road due to the GORGEOUS book cover and synopsis that piqued my interest. It sounded like something right up my alley. I have never read anything by this author before nor had I ever heard of her until finding this on NetGalley.

Ibrahim's "Spice Road" tells the story of a privileged young woman, Imani, who comes from a high status/wealthy family who goes on a quest to find her brother, Imani. During her search for her missing brother, Imani comes to the stark realization that reality is not what she thought it was.

I do not want to spoil this incredible story, but I will say that all of the characters are completely relatable, vividly imagined, you cheer for them the entire time, Imbrahim's world-building is on par with GRRM (lush and expansive), and there are twists and turns that will keep you turning page after page after page after page.

I have no complaints about this story at all. I can see some people might think the pacing is a bit slow in the very beginning but it picks up extremely quickly and then it's a non-stop ride from there. Highly recommend to ANY and ALL fans of fantasy/adventure genres and who want a book to escape from reality for even just a few hours. 5/5 stars!

The Spice Road is an epic adventure full of magic, sand-swept landscapes, and fierce sand monsters. An Arabian-inspired fantasy and it did not disappoint!! I couldn't get enough of Imani and her group. The entire book was action-packed. I'm impatiently awaiting book two!

Buckle up for a quest that will make you want a cup of tea and a dagger. I’m an adult reader who often forgot that this book was YA because the themes of privilege, prejudice, and justice were so well-woven into the world building and tense plot. There’s a side dish of “will they won’t they” romance with a sprinkle of rivals to something more, so if you’re into that this book delivers: Thank you NetGalley for an arc copy for the book in exchange for an honest review.