I stopped this one not too far in. I didn't like the writing style. It felt like the author was trying too hard to write a certain way instead of writing in a way that made for a good reading experience. I thought the dialogue was cringey and hard to follow at times and there was nothing pulling me into the story.

I had really high hopes for this book, but while I was reading, I kept going back and forth.

For one, I like the concept. The premise is strong, and there's a lot of elements of the worldbuilding that felt like they could be captivating - the magic from tea, the protected city of Qalia, all the different kinds of affinities, and the creatures and landscape of the Sands. However, these aspects weren't fully developed and that left me 1.) a little confused, and 2.) disappointed that they weren't explored further.

Moreover, while the plot was steady in pace (at least in the second half), the direction was predictable. It's like when you watch a new action movie and you know from the beginning the exact way the bad guy is going to lose, but you watch it anyway for the entertainment. I just like a little more surprise or uniqueness in my plots! Although, I will say that the ending did leave me curious about how the plot will progress in book two - there is opportunity for fun twists and surprises!

My second-to-largest complaint was actually the themes of colonialism, prejudice, privilege, and ignorance. Now, before you start screeching in complaint - I do think these are very valuable themes to explore. I loved the fact that Maiya Ibrahim took the opportunity to explore them and point out the issues in adhering to certain viewpoints. However, I found the discussion surrounding them a little heavy-handed. It's very obvious what the "right" opinion is, and there were a couple monologues describing why things should or shouldn't be the way they are. Call me whatever you'd like, but I prefer more subtlety with such heavy themes, and indeed, I find them more powerful when done so.

Similarly, Imani was very irritating as a main character. She was definitively privileged, spoiled, and ignorant. It was hard to like her as a character, but it was also hard to root for her change of view - moving from ignorance and pride to humility and awareness of others - because much of Imani's "change" happened in very cringey dialogue: "What?? They have people who are hungry here?? This does not happen in Qalia!!! Everyone is taken care of." And such. I found a lot of the dialogue in the book felt unnatural and like telling us things instead of showing them. (Like how Imani is a "very talented Djinni Slayer," but we never see this in action, we just hear about it.)

Which leaves my biggest qualm - the characters. I have already touched on Imani specifically, but even the rest of the characters were not my favorite. Taha came across as a bully and a fake, as he was only nice to Imani in private. Everyone acted so childish for being the "best of the best" of the Shields. Again, dialogue was used to tell and not show, so I felt like we didn't get as much depth on the characters as we could have.

All in all, this is a good debut. I enjoyed reading it, even with my qualms, and I will likely read the next book. I hope to see the author improving her craft as time goes on; she has the ability to create a wonderful fantasy story!

Thank you for the advance review copy!

Overall, I was disappointed by this read. It was one of my most anticipated releases of 2023 and I think that the subject matter is fascinating (tea magic! magical deserts! hot djinnis!) but not well executed. The plot was entirely predictable, the characters were two-dimensional, and because 50% of the story is a journey through the sands, it dragged until the second half of the story.

Elements of the writing were beautiful, I think the author has a knack for world building and conceptually, the story would have been good if it were executed more effectively.

Thank you Hodderscape for allowing me to read this in advance of my Fairyloot edition.

Where to begin!?
The pros:
I will say, M. I. Really knew how to write her world, culture, history and scenes. I really saw it when she was describing the people and the atmosphere of the poorer parts of the city which Imari has never seen and of course takes in more details than the average person thats been exposed to that inhumanity before.
She wrote her family ties and love well, i will say that, no matter how annoying Imani is.
Taha was a rollercoaster to read, he is definitely 2 faced and I’m not even super sure why the nice side was exposed when at the end of the day it meant nothing in his actions.

What I thought was meh
I definitely thought there could be more back story in the Qalia setting. Especially with Amira slacking off and somehow being friends with unsavory people. Imari knows that but what does that mean when she thinks no one goes hungry in this city??
Imari is definitely bull headed, her thoughts are the same as her blunt ignorant phrases, it screamed elitism. If that was on purpose, good for M.I. To the reader, some things seemed obvious and it felt like i was 2 steps ahead.
The side characters were falling flat, it was just Imari and Taha in this story, not even Qayn was really in this story, maybe 15% in the story.
EVERYONE jumps to conclusions every time something new happens, gets tiring. Especially anything that deals with Qayn (Who never did anything he didn’t say he wouldn’t do).

OVERALL i would say the story and the brutality of a beautiful culture being slowly erased was written very well. The characters were lacking with a sprinkle of last second love triangle, but really, the original love story was toxic AF. I’d be more okay with this if Qayn literally was on the page longer than when Imari’s life is in danger, but most of the book he’s stuck in a knife completely off page.

I really enjoyed this one and I'm looking forward to the next one in the series!!

Spice Road is seen through Imani's point of view, as she and several others embark on a journey to learn the truth of what happened to her brother Atheer. With this being said, you know only what Imani knows until things are brought to light and I really enjoy that, as it kept me on my toes trying to figure out what was going to happen next or how people felt, react, etc. I enjoyed that there are different abilities, or affinities, to Qalia's spice magic. To which Imani doesn't know how powerful some people are, including herself. Imani is often clueless of what is going on outside of her bubble as she grieved her brother for so long, but soon learns things across the Forbidden Wastes. There is some romantic tension between some of the characters, but is definitely not the main plot- but I'm excited to see what happens with that for sure!!

Overall, I would definitely recommend this, especially to those who enjoyed The Stardust Thief and We Hunt the Flame! I'll definitely be on the look out for the next book, I gotta see what happens with the ending of this one!!

Thank you to Random House Children's, Delacorte Press for an eARC of Spice Road!

Fast-paced, an incredibly unique magic system, and full of adventure and betrayal at every turn. I was on the edge of my seat wanting more with every passing chapter. Eye-opening and full of important lessons, this is one fantasy novel you won't want to put down after you've picked it up! The writing is incredibly well done and it's hard to believe this a debut novel! I can't wait for the next installment of the Spice Road trilogy already!

I adore desert fantasy, so I was very excited to read Spice Road. I found Imani to be such a relatable main character, especially her relationship with her sister. The worldbuilding was lush and magical, and the narrative voice and plot made the story accessible and fast-paced. It felt like I couldn't turn the pages quickly enough. I loved the central themes of family and the sibling relationships. Highly recommended!

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for granting me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this authentic Arabian inspired journey tale by debut author Maiya Ibrahim. While it took me a while to warm to Imani at the beginning, once the journey started I was well and truly hooked and couldn't wait to keep reading.

I'm a sucker for both the love triangle and enemies to lovers tropes even though they're a YA staple, so when they surface in a book with intriguing characters, including cheeky djinns, I'm in. What attracted me to this story in particular was the setting, and the culture, familiar to people of Eastern and Muslim worlds. The history of colonisation is cleverly alluded to and told from the point of view of those who'd been invaded.

I enjoyed the plenty of action and adventure, the twists and turns, the relationships between characters and character development of the heroine. This was a stunning debut and I look forward to the next instalments.

Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an eARC.

Spice Road features protagonist, Imani, as she and a cohort of magically trained warriors leave their hidden kingdom on a mission to recover her brother, who was believed to be dead. When Imani leaves the safety of her world, her eyes are opened to the realities of other lands.

Spice Road was one of my most anticipated reads for 2023, so I'm sad to say it didn't quite live up to my personal hype. I think it's a fine book and many will love it, I just think it fell a little too low on the YA scale for me.

What I liked:
- Fast paced
- Full of adventure
- Unique world, magic system, monsters, and mythology
- A different cultural representation than what can often be found in YA fantasy

What didn't work for me:
- Again, I feel like this fell on the lower end of the YA age spectrum
- Moved a little too fast. The book felt like it didn't allow time for natural development. I saw a separate review that said it felt like we missed the first 20% of the book and I agree. This would have greatly benefited from more set up
- Imani never seemed to learn from her mistakes which made me question her character development throughout the novel

Again, I think there are plenty of people who will love this book. It's fun, it's got adventure, it's trope-y. This is just more of a me thing.

I recommend this for readers looking for other cultures to immerse themselves in, those looking for a fast paced read, and fans of YA fantasy.

I absolutely loved the world building of this novel. Magic based on spice indulgence is so unique and was interconnected beautifully with real world West Asian culture.

The plot was definitely the strongest contender in the novel. I love how family matters and even the characters themselves found one way or another to drive the plot forward. This is something many books fail at doing as well as Ibrahim has here.

What I love most from this book is the unique magic system, strong family (sibling) relationship as well as the betrayals and surprises throughout the plot which keeps me intrigued until the end.

As for the characters, I like them but I hope we’ll get to know more about them as the series progress especially the main characters.
My most favorite characters are Qayn and Amira! Amira is hopeful and somehow wiser than her sister, Imani. Qayn is very mysterious, his background story is intriguing and I hope he will show up more in the next book.

I don’t really like Imani (the FMC), she still has a lot to learn in making the right decision and I’m hoping she’ll grow after what she went through in this book.
There’s also Taha – the love interest, I really want to like him but he’s got a long way to go to make up for what he’s done.

The love-hate, rivals-to-lovers romance is not too strong, I was hoping for more interaction between them.
I’m very curious about how the romantic relationship will go in the next book. (In fact there’s even a potential for love triangle 👀)

Overall, for a debut novel this is a great one. It is a good start for a new fantasy series. The world building can still be explored and I’m really looking forward to read the next book in this trilogy!

⚠️ 𝐓𝐖: Politics, Colonialism and Grief

Thank you to TBR and Beyond Tour, Netgalley, author and pubsliher for giving me an e-ARC of the book and for having me on this book tour. I’m leaving this review voluntarily!

I read this book as part of the blog tour hosted by TBR & Beyond Tours. Special thanks to Delacorte Press for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 4 stars!

I have to admit that the start of this book was rough going for me and I was even a little worried that it'd be my first low-rated read of 2023. But I'm glad that my persistence paid off because I ended up loving how this went and that ending has me so eager for the next book already. I'm invested and I can't wait to get my hands on the next instalment to see what happens next! 😍

I enjoyed the world-building in this book. It wasn't perfect and there were elements that I wish had been better expanded upon—for example, the magical history of the Great Spirit, the clan tensions and family history, but it didn't bother me overly much while I was reading. We do learn a little bit about how this magical society functions and we do get glimpses of the political tensions between clans, but it's not very in-depth and a bit more tell than show. I would've liked to see more of the differences in treatment between the more affluent clans rather than just being told about it. Aside from that, I really enjoyed the setting and atmosphere. From Qalia's desert oasis town vibes to the unknown sands and the magical city held within to the chaos of a colonized city teeming with fear and brutality across the desert border—every location was so vividly depicted and easy to picture. I think my favourite was the magical desert city but it was also, by far, the creepiest location as well!

The plot itself was pretty straightforward and simple as we follow this group of Shields from Qalia as they cross the desert to retrieve Atheer and bring him back home so he can answer for his treasonous actions. The story is told from Imani's point of view and although I tend to prefer multiple POVs, especially when the story involves a 'crew' such as it does here, I appreciated how getting only her pov allowed her character to grow as much as she did. Getting only one pov also increased the tensions between characters and I had a lot of fun trying to understand their motives and whether they were genuine and trustworthy or not. I will say there were some great character and plot twists that I didn't particularly see coming and it shocked me and made me furious too, but there's no doubt it also has upped the tension so much and I can't wait to see how these relationships play out in the next book!

As much as I was invested in their journey, it was really the characters, specifically Imani, that made reading this book such a roller coaster ride for me. I admittedly couldn't stand her at first and there were multiple times I wanted to put this down and stop reading because it was so unpleasant being in her head! She's sheltered, naive, spoiled and entitled, and honestly believed she knew everything right and good and true. In reality, she was willfully ignorant about many things from her privilege to her brother's disappearance and her sister's changing behaviour. She was really something else at the beginning but I told myself to have patience and I'm so glad that I stuck with this story because Imani's growth throughout the journey was so well done! The changes don't happen quickly and although part of me wished that she "opened her eyes" sooner, it felt more organic and believable how it unfolded. As she found herself making decisions and encountering situations she never thought she would, she was forced to acknowledge her privilege and confront her worldviews and harsh judgement of others when their actions deviated from what she considered to be right. She doesn't immediately accept her views might be flawed nor does her character do a complete 180 once she does accept it—she still makes mistakes and stupid decisions, but she makes a concerted effort to be more open-minded. I really appreciated that about her character and it made me enjoy the latter half of the story so much more.

Aside from Imani, there were quite a few side characters but most of them were pretty flat in comparison and existed mainly to push the story along. I was really curious about Taha and until now, I still haven't figured out what's up with him. There's no doubt he's been through a lot, especially knowing what his father is like, but the minute I think he's one type of way, he does something to prove that completely wrong. It makes me wonder what's really going on with him and I hope that we find out in the next book! I also wanted to learn more about Qayn and I'm slightly disappointed that he didn't have a bigger role in this first book. There's no doubt that we're going to get a lot more of him in the coming book but he really felt like a prop in this. Another character that I really liked and who piqued my curiosity was Amari, Imani and Atheer's younger sister. She's feisty and stubborn as hell and there were times when she acted pretty immature but then I remembered she's actually pretty young and she acted like it. But there also seems to be more backstory to what's been going on with her and I'm hoping that once the crew returns to Qalia, we'll get to learn more about her character. There's a big focus on family and the complicated relationship between siblings. I admired Imani's dedication to rescuing her brother and I also liked how strong the sibling bond was between the three of them.

Overall, despite a rough start and a slightly rocky road along the way, I thought this was a great debut YA fantasy novel. I was definitely invested in these characters and their journey by the end and I can't wait to see what happens next; all I know is that it's only going to get more intense from here.

3.5 stars

This was a slog for me at first, but I persisted, and I'm glad I did. The strongest part of this story was the world-building and the plot--I loved watching it unravel; the details that the author included really drew me into their culture, both in Sahir and Alquibah, and I look forward to learning more in future books. The weakness in all of this is that I didn't like many of the main characters including Imani, the narrator, as well as Amira, her spoiled brat of a sister, and Taha, her "sworn enemy". Even in the latter half of the story, Imani acted in a way that was so arrogant it had me yelling at her. That said, I'm glad I stuck with it, and I learned that Imani could admit she didn't know everything, that she might make stupid choices that she should own up to and that Amira might be wiser than her. Also, as much as I wanted Taha to break from his chosen role, it makes sense to me that it might take longer than one book for that to happen. The book does a great job highlighting the damage of colonialism as well as the idea that the "chosen ones" have a responsibility not just to themselves but to all of humanity.

Overall, I think this is a very solid start to what should be a great series as well as a debut novel the author can be proud of. I look forward to reading the rest of the books in this series.

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

Spice Road is an absolute stunner of a debut. Ibrahim takes staples of the YA fantasy genre (a fierce heroine, a love triangle, and an epic quest) and makes them into something entirely new. Imani's world is painted so vividly that I could feel the desert sun as I read. As for Imani herself, she is the rare YA protagonist who stands as a compelling protagonist while still being a believable teenager. Unlike the misra tea she drinks, Imani's grappling with understanding the truth of history and where she stands in it is universal.

Thank you to Netgalley and Delacorte Press/Hodder & Stoughton for allowing me to read this e-arc in exchange for an honest review. I really loved the concept behind this book, with the set-up of the magic system, and the overall plotline. It had some stuff going for it, but the execution fell short. I was partially motivated to finish this book for the review - the first third of the book didn't hook me and could have been more interesting (it felt like a lot of set-up and not a lot happening).

The worldbuilding fell flat too. I feel like there wasn't enough explanation for a lot of the magic other than "this is how it is" and given the bare bones - like how many different types of powers are there? I don't even know. We also were just thrown into it and have no idea what the categories looked like.

While I appreciate that the MC is someone who has faults and actually ends up realizing that she has held some biases and wrong viewpoints/treated others poorly in the past, she was...kind of rash and impulsive for someone who is suppose to be the upcoming best Shield member and the youngest one. I feel as though if she was given that honor, she would have a lot more discipline and restraint and control over her emotions than she showed in her actions/dialogue. I appreciated that the characters felt like real people and actually had to make hard choices at times and that there is not a "perfect magical solution'. However, the writing was just okay. It was overly flowery at times (and to be honest, started boring me), and while there were some lines/prose where I was like wow! it felt like the author was trying to accomplish this with every single scenic description and...sometimes a rock is just a rock. Also the weirdly set up love triangle going on...it was weird and I could have done without it.
It is a good debut and allows for the set-up of the sequel really well, but I think there are areas that need to be strengthen.

"We were forgotten, considered the stuff of myths, alongside djinn and ghouls."

As one of my highly anticipated reads for 2023, I was excited to delve into this one. Unfortunately, I found myself somewhat disappointed, and I want to preface this review by saying that it may due to my preconceived notions of what it would be. I think part of the problem is that I was expecting more magic and monsters. The first third of the book contained some of the Middle Eastern lore I was looking forward to, but after that, SPICE ROAD quickly shifted to themes of imperialism and its impacts on the people falling under colonial rule. While an incredibly important topic, I was expecting something different.

Also, I had a lot of issues with the romance. It came across as an "I hate you and then I love you, but then I hate you again" relationship, and it didn't always seem healthy. I personally feel that this novel could have been beautiful by solely focusing on the familial relationships, which were definitely conveyed as incredibly important throughout the novel. I would love to learn more about the Beya clan in the next book, as there are allusions to them having a stronger "drive to master" their magical affinities, but we never learn why.

All that said, I felt that the pivotal action scenes were captivating and done well. After acclimating to the shift in plot, I found Ibrahim's debut to be enticing and a unique way to tackle the YA fantasy genre. I'm looking forward to the second installment (and hopefully, more magic and monsters). This is the February pick for the #fantasyfrenemies, and I can't wait for our discussion! Many thanks to Delacorte Press and Maiya Ibrahim for the complimentary eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Delacorte Press for the eARC. I enjoyed the overall premise of Spice Road but did have some issues with the female main character. Imani seemed very immature throughout the story - I felt her character could have had more growth. I most enjoyed reading the parts of the story with Qayn and am curious to learn more about his backstory. Overall, I am interested is seeing what happens in the next book.

New favorite book alert!!! Wow! To say I was impressed with Spice Road by Maiya Ibrahim would be a major understatement! If you are a fan of the Daevabad trilogy by Shannon Chakraborty, then you will love this debut book!

The novel follows Imani as she embarks on a journey with her nemesis to find her brother, who she thought was dead. She faces a series of adversities that challenge her view of life and discovers that her brother’s reasons for leaving the Sahir were not so simple. Along the way she must conceal the fact that she illegally bound a djinn to her dagger because he was the only one who knew where her brother went.

The best feature of this novel is that it was completely immersive. I truly felt like I was experiencing everything with Imani. The descriptions were so vivid, and the actions scenes so intense. Ibrahim did a phenomenal job of creating such a realistic and magical world. I was surprised that this is her debut book because she writes like a well-seasoned author.

Furthermore, the characters in the book made the story come to life even more. Imani is such a compelling main character. She is so humanly flawed, yet also lovable. As a reader, I felt my emotions changing with hers, which is a very powerful feeling. Likewise, the supporting characters were three-dimensional and robust. Each one was necessary to the story and helped move it along in a unique way.

Finally, there was the perfect amount of romance in the book. I am typically not a fan of books where the main character has more than one potential love interest, but that is hinted at in Spice Road, and I ended up loving it. Either way, it seems like Imani’s love story will play into the enemies-to-lovers trope, and I think Ibrahim is setting it up flawlessly. Personally, I am team Qaymani (Imani and Qayn) all the way!

Overall, I literally can’t wait for the next book in this series! Spice Road is going to have a special place on my bookshelf for sure!

An amazing Arab story full of wondrous magic, breathtaking verbiage, and gorgeous world building. I felt like I was somehow in Kuwait (where part of my family is from), in ancient Arabia, as well as another world all at the same time. Maiya Ibrahim is an author to be on the lookout for, with her wonderful storytelling. I ate this up! So grateful for my ARC.

Book Summary:

Imani is seventeen and one of the best fighters, destined to be perhaps the best Shield in generations. As such, she is sworn to kill every djinn and monster that crosses her path – no matter what.

Yet Imani can't run from her past. She can't pretend that her brother didn't disappear. Worse, he left in a situation that left his reputation in disgrace, leaving a stain on her family. When presented with the chance to bring her brother home and set things right, Imani doesn't hesitate, even if that means allowing a djinn to live.

My Review:

It's safe to say that I've been looking forward to reading Spice Road. It promised to be an Arabian-inspired fantasy with lots of great tropes (enemies to lovers, potential love triangles, etc.). Overall, I would say that it is a solid read – absolutely worth checking out.

Though it didn't quite live up to my expectations, I will blame Imani for that. For a gifted fighter, she sure doesn't act like it. Her decisions made me want to scream, which unfortunately did affect the relaxing nature of this read.

Still, I did enjoy the magical worlds, the djinni, and the exploration that came from a quest to find family. Likewise, the undertones in Spice Road make it even more compelling, so I appreciated all of that.

Highlights:
Mythology
Young Adult Fantasy
Arabian-inspired Fantasy
Djinni
Enemies to Loves Trope

Trigger Warnings:
Missing family
Prejudice