This was very meh. If it had been shorter, I might've been a bit fonder of it, but as it was, it was almost unbearable to read. There'd be a scene I was interested in, and then like 50 pages of nothingness. So little happened, and yet so many pages were filled.

I will admit that I liked the world and magic system. We didn't get too much of it, but considering this is a trilogy, I expect both of these elements to be developed in later books. As they were, they were intriguing and lush. Both took commonly used elements from other books and combined them in new ways, which I always like to see.

I also appreciate this one for keeping a love triangle(?) without making a victor clear. Because honestly, I have no idea what's going on with the romances in this book. If I had to choose, I'd go with Taha purely because he got more page time. But I can't even tell if the other guy is a love interest or not... Really, I have no idea. I prefer that to blatant favoritism though!

I got this one for a tour, so I was kinda stuck reading it. If I wasn't strongly suggested to finish, I would've dnf'ed around the 50% mark. This had potential, but it wasted too much of it in wandering plots and bland characters.

Thanks to Turn the Page Tours for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review

Spice Road is a debut young adult fantasy novel following Imani, a young woman who has garnered quite the reputation as a djinni slayer. She lives a comfortable life in the hidden desert city of Qalia and as a Shield, she is charged with protecting her city and the secrets it holds, particularly that of the magical misra. Though she is from an old and wealthy family, her brother’s death and her younger sister’s actions have somewhat tarnished the Beya family name. When Imani discovers that her brother may be alive and helping rebels in the outside world, she and a group of Shields set out to bring him home so that they may keep their secrets safe.
I was drawn to this book by its promise of spice magic and hidden desert cities and I generally enjoy Arabian-inspired fantasy books filled with djinn, endless dunes, and lush magic. Spice Road has all of these things and more and it was an entertaining, though somewhat frustrating read. Frustrating because Imani was the stereotypical uber talented main character who we are told is the next great Shield and totally brilliant all the while disproving this at every turn. Imani makes foolish decisions and acts rashly and, while she may be talented with the blade and her iron affinity, she’s lackluster in all other areas.
Half the book (or more) was spent leaving Qalia and traveling through the magical desert to Alqibah. There were a few moments during the journey that were thrilling and served to deepen the lore, but largely it was Imani trying to look cool and unconcerned by her traveling companions. Because of course, she’s with other Shields that look up to Taha, a talented beastseer, instead of her and she secretly harbors a grudging crush on Taha. Upon arrival in Alqibah, the characters make a series of foolish mistakes that could have easily been avoided and are quite clumsy and then they go on a daring and equally harebrained rescue mission to save Imani’s brother.
I think this could have been a great book with some additional polishing, but as it stands it’s just good. I also recognize that I’m not the target audience for a young adult novel and I do think this book handles topics like colonialism in an approachable manner. I would have loved some more lore from Qalia and Alqibah and proper development behind the Harrowland empire so they weren’t just a paper cut-out of a villain. This is a planned trilogy, however I probably won’t continue on with the series unless I see some seriously rave reviews.

I enjoyed this story, filled with magic and family and adventure. I thought it was well paced and the various obstacles Imani and the others faced kept the plot interesting.

What I didn't love were the characters themselves. Imani is self-righteous, thinking she's the best fighter and everything she believes must be true. She also gave up several times when faced with difficult circumstances and others had to prod her to keep going. She did change somewhat over the course of the journey and I'm hoping is more likeable in the sequel.

Taha was kind of bland and needed more depth to him than his abrupt personality shifts. Qayn is still mostly a mystery and Amira is mostly irritating. I hope these characters get fleshed out more instead of being so one dimensional.

Overall a decent read and I do think I'll check out the sequel when it comes. I'd like to learn more about magic and the world itself.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the copy

DNF. I really liked the premise but the writing did not work for me at all. It wouldn't be fair to the book if I finished reading and gave it a low rating.

Thank you to Random House Children's, Delacorte Press, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

A fast paced YA fantasy that I enjoyed despite leaning more toward adult more content. This book was emotional a bit twisty and kept me turning pages. Would recommend for fans of The stardust thief.

Imani is a Shield. A warrior of a secret city deep in the Saharan desert, who uses magic to protect her city from djinn and other monsters that threaten their existence. When she finds that her dead brother may still be alive outside the desert, she sets off to find him. But the journey is complicated by a mysterious djinn who can lead her to her brother, a wayward sister, and some fellow Shields forced by their council to help retrieve her brother, but who have their own agenda. Imani's biggest concern though, is the question of why her brother left his family behind to fight for barbarian rebels. 

This book had a great combination of magic, mid-Eastern like setting and culture, and complex characters. The general plot was a quest to bring Imani's brother home, but more than that, it was a journey for Imani herself, to open her eyes beyond her privileged upbringing, and to learn to think about others. But the plot was great too, and I'm looking forward to continuing this series.

Coming from a magical city that thought itself the center of the world, Imani finds there's a lot more to the world than she was taught. There are dark sides of her own city she'd never been aware of. Her wayward sister refuses to follow rules, an idea the law abiding Imani can't relate to. And her brother may have had good reasons for choosing to help the strangers outside the desert.

With the help of a djinni and some others, Imani sets out on a journey that will uncover some uncomfortable truths about herself, her people's history, her brother, and about her companions. Finding her brother may not be the hardest part of her mission. Can she trust her fellow scouts to bring her brother back home, or do they have secret agendas of their own?

I was hooked by the first sentence.It’s intriguing. Stirring. Magical. Happily, it involves tea, swords, falcones, djinnis, and it’s kind of basda$$ too. I love how this introduces the characters and immediately sets the scene. You get the flavor of the book within the first page and the aroma! I’m all smiles. And the little sister? Can’t help but root for her spunky personality — at times she’s much savvier than her older sister. 😉

At random, Maiya’s choice of words had me laughing out loud; it had me chuckling at the visuals. “My fingers are like lettuce…” “Short buildings sit beside tall buildings which sit beside long buildings, like uneven rows of green-stained teeth.” Somehow, through the magic of writing, this quirky prose adds to the story and it works to make this story unique!

It’s mysterious, adventurous and full of longing. With an abundance of twists and turns and plot changing surprises. Ultimately it’s a story of discovery, assumed destiny and family and loyalty. A great recipe for a series where the Spice Road is just the beginning.

I buddy-read this with Dini and we had some similar thoughts. I think she had a harder time getting into it than I did though. From the beginning, I was hooked!

My favorite aspect of this book was the enemies-to-lovers trope. It just gets me every time and might be what sucked me in right away. The thing is, I’m a little nervous that a love triangle is going to bloom in subsequent books. I’m hoping not because it’s my least favorite trope. There are some instances though that might lead that way.

From the beginning, I enjoyed Imani and her sister. Their dynamic is definitely not the best but I think there’s going to be a lot of improvement there. Honestly, there are times when Amira outshined Imani. There are some stark differences there and Amira is much more involved with what’s really going on in their home. Imani is just basically a soldier that follows orders and doesn’t question anything. I think, this is where people will struggle to love Imani when they meet her. This gives so much opportunity for Ibrahim to show us a great character arc, which we do get by the end. I can’t wait to see more of Amira though.

Taha is the love interest and he’s something else. I had such a hard time figuring out his character because it changes so much. I think there’s something going on with him that we can’t see/understand. I’m hoping that book two will shine a light on that because it can be confusing. Just think of his character having a lot of whiplash between having many emotions and becoming an emotionless robot. It can be quite frustrating but I’m holding out hope that there’s something to it and not just his struggle. Qayn was also a character that I enjoyed. He brought a lot of humor in some intense moments. He’s supposed to be hunted and killed by the other characters. It was nice seeing that struggle/balance between them. He has much more going on than we know. I cannot wait to learn more about him. The little pieces we do get are not enough!

One of the things I struggled with was the world-building. More importantly, the lack thereof. There are a lot of cool magic and magical creatures in this world. Yet, we do not get to see a lot of that. I need to know more about the magic and how it works. Where are all these creatures and why should they be killed? I do think we get to see another side of the council when a lot of questions come into play. We learn that Imani grows in power but why and how? How does Qayn know more about it than her? I am hoping that book two will clear a lot of things up, which I’m sure it will.

Overall, this was a really quick read for me. I just dived in and had to know what was going to happen next. There are a lot of emotional moments and some shocking ones too! I have no idea how some characters will come back from things and I have no idea who to trust. There’s a great cast of characters and book two sounds like it will be full of action!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Delacorte Press for an e-arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

If you are looking for an epic fantasy to sink your teeth into, look no further. Spice Road by debut author Maiya Ibrahim is an epic fantasy adventure across an Arabian-inspired land full of monsters and djinni where danger lurks behind every face you meet. Following a young Shield searching for her missing brother, Spice Road is a delectable tale of courage in the face of adversity.

Sixteen-year-old Imani is one of the strongest and youngest magic wielders in her time. With an affinity for iron, she can manipulate her dagger in combat, making her a formidable foe and earning her the nickname of Djinni Slayer among her fellow Shields. However, her accomplishments and her family’s reputation is overshadowed by the disappearance of her older brother, Atheer, who went missing a year prior along with a stash of misra (a spice that gives them their magical abilities). Despite her strengths and loyalty, Imani is questioned and doubted by the other Shields, and in her grief, Imani begins questioning and searching for her own answers.

I loved this book from beginning to end. Imani is a fantastic narrator for this story. I loved seeing the world through her eyes. The author does a fabulous job of conveying the danger of the monsters who live in the sands between Imani’s village and the outside world. I got so engrossed in this story that when it endedI was bereft. I wanted to stay there! Imani is lost in her own grief, and we are able to see how that grief colors her perceptions of the world around her. When she discovers her brother may be alive in the kingdom across the sands, we see a shift in her. We see why she is known as the Djinni Slayer and why other Shields may have a hard time trusting her.

There are so many wonderful characters in this book besides Imani. I loved Qayn, the djinni who knows Atheer and convinces Imani to bind him to her dagger and he will show her the way to him. He opens Imani’s mind to the possibility that not all monsters are evil as she has been taught to believe. Qayn is morally grey (which y’all know I love!), and I found myself just as drawn to him as Imani is. Then, there is Taha, another Shield who is the same age as Imani and just as strong in his own affinity. Taha is sent with Imani to recover Atheer by the council. He is an enigma to Imani and the reader. He can be kind and almost shy in his interactions with her, and then just as quickly turn cruel. He has many secrets, and Imani is determined to uncover them.

Overall, I loved Spice Road! I could write another ten posts on the world building, the characters who I didn’t mention here, the potential love interests, AMIRA, and so much more. This easily will find its way onto my top reads of the year for 2023. If you are a fan of epic fantasy, I highly recommend it.

Thanks again to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the eARC to read in exchange for an honest review!

First and foremost, the cover art of "Spice Road" is absolutely gorgeous. A total cover buy! It very much matches the mystery and magic vibes of the story within. The map is also a sight to behold.

“We will fight, but first we will have tea.” This fantastic opening line immediately hooked me. The immersive details and description of the world the author has created also drew me in.

The Sahir is a place of tea, spice, and magic. It is a sliver of humanity believed lost long long ago. That is how the people of the Sahir have stringently lived in order to protect themselves and the magic blessed to them by the Great Spirits. The Forbidden Wastes and the monsters and secrets that lurk within its endless sands separates the Sahir from the rest of the world.

The structure of the Sahir is a familiar one. It was easy to discern that the Sahir has more secrets than it dares to admit and that there is more going on at present than what Imani and most everyone else was strongly led to believe, such as issues among family, government, faith, and class. Such stories are always ripped with interesting conflicts that are manifold.

The day her brother, Atheer, was discovered to have been stealing misra and later disappeared was the beginning of Imani’s entire world being torn asunder. The urgent mission to bring her brother home is full of danger, high emotions, and revelations that gradually reveal how dire a situation Atheer’s actions, the actions by members of the group sent to retrieve him, and by those currently in positions of power have caused.

In Imani’s desperation to bring her big brother home and repair her heartbroken family, she struggles to hold on to the very foundation her life and that of the Sahir has been built upon for ages. Thoroughly disoriented, Imani is forced to question all she thought she knew, which causes her to make a series of mistakes that were kind of exasperating at times, but I understood where she was coming from. Her sense of duty, of what’s right and wrong, and her convictions were heavily at war within her. The truth is sometimes a bitter pill to swallow and people are more than how they appear on the surface. I think Imani did fairly well trying to make up for her mistakes past and present. There was a lot she had to take in and come to terms with in just this first of three books, and with much room still to grow further.

As for the romantic aspect, I’m still ambivalent about it because of how it was incorporated within the story and based on the background (as I now know) of the love interest…and perhaps other potential love interest??? Regardless, this particular romance portion is a good sub-conflict that has plenty of avenues it could take as it continues to unfold.

"Spice Road" was an emotional, high-stakes read that I think will be a hit with many readers. The tension and action never lets up, leaving you precariously on the edge of your seat. Imani has so much more to learn and big decisions to make if she is to succeed in the end.

Spice Road was such a fun read and I found all the characters super well-written. I would keep recommending it to people and then have to clarify that the book is technically not out yet, but now that it is I’m super happy to add to the positive reviews for this book and give it the love it deserves.

As far as first books go, it does a good job of establishing the world, our central characters, and their dynamics. I love that the magic system is based on tea and while I do think some more rules and limitations would be interesting to establish I’m very excited to see how the system is developed.

The star of the show would be the characters who start off as your basic YA tropes, but quickly establish themselves as unique and realistically rendered. I loved the conflicting feelings they all dealt with and how each character had a lot more to them than it first seemed. I recall marking so many parts where the characters would foreshadow the way their thoughts would change and I loved how there were consequences to every action committed. The skill with which all the elements of the story and the characters emotions were balanced was fantastic. I love flawed characters and Spice Road wasn't afraid to display and discuss those flaws whilst having its characters grow beyond them.

I tend to always be more lenient for first books, because it's just the beginning and we're unlikely to see the character go through a whole lot of character development, but Ibrahim managed to prevent her characters from falling flat while setting up interesting stakes for the rest of the series.

4.24 stars!

As someone who loves both YA and Adult fantasy, this felt like a a great book to pick up for fans of The Stardust Thief. Though TST is marketed to an older audience, I think both have a similar tone, a sense of adventure, world-building that unfolds through the character's travels, and a vivid desert setting with a full cast and interesting obstacles to overcome.

My only reason for not giving this a full five stars was my slight frustration with how many times the main character gave chances to someone who I felt had crossed the line a few too many times. Everything else, though, I really enjoyed.

Though I'd mostly describe this as a fun adventure fantasy, I do think the devastation shown through colonization was very bleak, yet all too real, which gave the story an additional layer of depth.

Overall, I quite enjoyed this one, and I look forward to checking out the sequel.

An exciting YA fantasy set in a richly imagined world of magic and danger. There are a lot of themes in this book: family, patriotism, social (un)justice, love, just what do you do when beliefs you've held all your life are challenged. and will you make a stand when your life and others are at risk if you do so? It makes for a strong story.

I particularly liked the growth of characters. Some made me frustrated with how blind they could be even when you liked a character over all. But that is very realistic. The writer has been able to create characters who aren't just stereotypes but are complicated.

But that's not to say there isn't plenty of interesting magic and adventure too. The book ends in a good place but the adventure is not over. Danger and action are still to come I'm sure in a future book.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

4 Stars

Spice Road follows seventeen-year-old Imani, a shield for the hidden city of Qalia, and has an affinity for iron awakened by drinking the Misra tea. Her accomplishments and family name has been tarnished by her brother, who was discovered to be stealing Misra, the nation’s coveted spice, disappearing soon after thought to have died beyond the Forbidden wastes. When Imani uncovers hidden evidence that her brother may be alive and spreading Qalia’s magic to outsiders, she goes on a journey to bring her brother back before he spills all of the nation’s secrets alongside two unlikely allies: Taha, a powerful beastseer, and Qayn, a mysterious djinni.

Spice Road is the start of a new and upcoming Arabian-inspired new young adult fantasy trilogy. Arabian and Middle Eastern-inspired fantasy worlds are some of my favorites to read, so I absolutely fell in love with the worldbuilding. The worldbuilding was so detailed and vivid allowing me to visualize the setting as the story progressed. The magic system was intriguing, combining magic with tea as a way to activate a user’s affinities. With Spice Road being the first in a new trilogy, hints and teases are dropped as a taste of what’s to come in terms of the magic system.

Our story follows Imani, a determined and headstrong protagonist who acts as a shield and soldier for the hidden kingdom of Qalia. Ibrahim does a brilliant job with Imani’s character development as Imani struggles to question everything she’s been told her whole life. She starts off the story as stubborn, unwilling to change but once she’s revealed to the world outside her own, she grows and changes. Imani’s journey to bring back her brother to Qalia pushes her to confront the change in her life while allowing her to see the privilege she’s had in Qalia and that she’s not so different from the outsiders.

Spice Road does an incredible job of exploring themes of colonialism and family, which can be seen directly in Imani’s story. The themes of family dynamics are done well as we as the readers see Imani and her sister’s interactions with their differing perspectives regarding their brother. Imani’s journey of learning that the outsiders are not so different from herself allows readers to ponder the question that even if you aren’t experiencing oppression yourself, does that mean you should do nothing or take a stand against said oppression?

While Imani was the star of this story, Taha was a very intriguing character often acting as a foil to Imani’s character creating an interesting dynamic between the two. Taha has the potential to be a quite complex character in future installments as he grapples with his internal struggles with a difficult past, conflicting relationships, and loyalties.

The plot behind Spice Road was captivating, feeling like something new and different from other young adult fantasies. While the pacing towards the beginning of Spice Road leaned more towards the slower side, it quickly picked up as the story gets further into the plot and the readers begin to learn of Imani’s ignorance of the world.

Spice Road is perfect for readers looking for an Arabian-inspired young adult fantasy series that emphasizes themes of colonialism and family while providing compelling character dynamics.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley.

Deep in the desert sands there's a place with magic called Qalia. Those who drink the misra tea awaken the abilities inside of them. This city is a secret to all outsiders and Imani is a Shield who works tirelessly to keep her city safe from monsters and outsiders. Imani is working her way to becoming a powerful shield when her reputation is shadowed by her older brothers traitorous stealing of the misra. After he disappears, Imani and her family believe him to be dead. But she soon finds clues that her brother is alive and outside of Qalia. She makes a deal with the Council to take a team to the outside lands to find her brother and return for him to be punished. But there's more than she bargained for beyond the wastes.

This book had such an intricate magic system that was so interesting to read about. Imani and her fellow shields all had different abilities that led to them being important to the mission. With a shield who can use falcons to see from high above, the ability to manipulate the ground, the ability to become a lion, and being able to connect with a blade; the magic system is so much fun to read! The characters were also interesting enough to keep the story moving and they made you care about them enough to see the story to the end. The only issue that I came to in the book was pacing. The action in the story was very spaced out so I found the middle chunk hard to read and I was skimming sections. The inner turmoil that Imani is going through became the forefront and it no longer felt like a fast paced fantasy, but a character driven narration. This might be something that others enjoy if they like that huge character growth, but I felt that it detracted my attention from the high stakes. The inclusion of a society that is being taken over by an outside entity that driven to manipulate and profit off of the spice trade really felt powerful and I think that the next book in this series will really dive into the powers at play with a conquering superpower. I know that the story that we had in this book will build into that and I'm excited to see it play out.

All in all, this book was an enjoyable and fun read about a secret magical city within an area of great turmoil. I can't wait to continue this series.

I did like the concept with the magic going on here plus the worldbuilding made the book a fascinating read.

Thank you to Random House Children's, Delacorte Press, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

Spice Road, Maiya Ibrahaim's debut novel, introduces us to a Middle-Eastern-inspired land in which the residents possesses a special type of magic that is unlocked through tea made from a sacred tree that was gifted to them in return for pledging an oath to fight against the evil monsters and spirits they encounter. Imani is one such individual who discovers that there may be more to the world outside her region than she was led to believe; this challenge to her world-view is the bases of the entire book - one that not entirely successful in my opinion.

There are some intriguing elements in the book - enemies who might be more trustworthy than originally thought, the different types of magic possessed by various individuals, even the fact that the taste and the aroma of the tea changes depending on the individual drinking it and their present mood or outlook on life at the moment. However, while the plot is promising, the execution is where things fell flat for me. I struggled to connect with most of the characters, and because almost the entire first half of the book is spent traveling, the pace of the storyline felt like it was dragging.

The manner in which the book ended sets up the continuation of the story into the next book in the trilogy, but since I was not especially emotionally invested in the characters or their goals, I am uncertain whether or not I will join their journey when it resumes in the second book.

From my blog post: I think I’ve been obsessed with this book since I saw the cover and then fell deeper in love as I got into the story. There are various types of magic in this story but how it is accessed is what adds another layer to it. Along with the magic and mythical creatures, there’s lots of trouble to both get into and out of with twists you very well may not see coming (if you can catch me a little off guard, then that’s an accomplishment). I also really enjoyed the banter in this story and the development & break down of relationships. For me, this story read like a movie and I think the world would be at a disservice if it is not adapted for the screen in some way. I also can’t wait to see what happens in the next book.

Maiya Ibrahim is a genius - who else could combine tea and magic into one. Spice road is an epic book with mesmerizing world building. It starts off with the 17 year old Imani heading out to protect her beloved desert city and bring back her older brother who has been accused of theft of magic. Imani is the best Shield there is in her city- trained to protect her city from djinns, ghouls and all kinds of monsters. The book traces her journey to the outside world without magic and her own coming of age with concepts of justice and humanity. If I can make a comparison without sounding like a crazy fan, it is that Maiya has woven a “Black Panther” for the Muslim fantasy world! And I cannot stop re-reading this beautiful book.

This book is magical, full of love, strife and electrical romantic moments. What more could you ask for? The plot is engaging from page one of the book which makes the reading journey so enjoyable. The story without giving away the plot revolves around sibling love, magical creatures from Arabian and south Asian folklore and an entire magical universe.

This story makes us question- do we believe in fairness and humanity only in relation to "us vs others" OR do we believe in fairness and humanity for all. Very rarely does a story make you question your worldviews as well as enjoy reading non-stop.

This is definitely one of those books that is more teen than adult friendly. It's very quickly paced, but because we're constantly moving from one plot point to the other, our characters don't really get a ton of development outside of our mc, Imari. Imari's development is basically "realizes she has an insane amount of privaledge" and was frustrating to read, though it's something that I went through at that age as well (so again, I think this is just a matter of me not being the target audience). She makes a bunch of silly decisions and I didn't really love her as a character. There's some romance, but that's also pretty cliche and eye-roll inducing. The real miss here for me was the change to do a bunch of worldbuilding - middle eastern mythology is really rich and outside of the barely explained tea magic, all we get are djinnis.

TLDR: This book was not for me, but I think teens, the target audience, will likely like it! Hand it to fans of We Hunt the Flame.

2 stars - it was ok