I enjoyed the world building and scale of the story, however I found the characters to be extremely boring. There was also a big info dump that I found uninteresting. The commentary on class was great

A fantasy with commentary on class, government corruption, and opposition, the spice gate will transport you to a land completely new and exciting.

I loved this and the metaphors it had. The magic system was intriguing and cultural. Character growth was great.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! I liked the story, but the execution fell a little flat for me. The pacing of the plot felt odd to me. Lots of descriptions felt longwinded and conversations between characters felt a bit stale, causing me to either want to skip paragraphs to get to the next point or to only be able to read this book in small doses. I did like the caste / class issues that were included, however Harini and Amir’s romance felt like it was lacking depth. Overall, the world was interesting but it felt like the characters lacked depth, making it difficult to get invested in the story.

You know, this was okay. It unfortunately did not meet the expectations it set up for itself. Its such a unique and detailed idea that I wanted so badly to fall in love with this book. It fell short for me, unfortunately.

This is a new debut epic fantasy called The Spice Gate. This story is a series of 8 kingdoms that are ruled by spices. Spice is the currency of this world. There are 8 gates to travel through these kingdoms and you have to have a specific spice as a “fee” to the Gods to travel between them. Also, there is a particular marking of the body that designates a person as a Spice Carrier.
Relics of a mysterious god, the Spice Gates connect the eight far-flung kingdoms, each separated by a distinct spice and only accessible by those born with this special mark. This is not a caste of distinction, but one of subjugation: Spice Carriers suffer the lashes of their masters, the weight of the spices they bear on their backs, and the jolting pain of the Gates themselves.
This is the story of Amir who is one of these spice carriers, but he dreams of escaping his fate of being a slave to the rich who gorge themselves on spices as addicts. He also has a mother and brother that he is supporting and protecting.
Amir’s journey is one of traveling through gates, adventure, Gods, assassins, and throne keepers. Amir will have to decide what kind of world he wants to live in if the world survives at all.
There is a great deal of world-building in the beginning of the book which was slow to start for me and took a bit of time to move forward. There are many characters and the names are a challenge to read and the pronunciation was difficult for me, which slowed it down even more. I enjoyed the premise but did not connect with any of the characters. I honestly lost interest after 200 pages and wasn’t sure I wanted to finish the book. But I did finish it and rated it 3.5 stars. I can see that this story would appeal to many.

Did not finish book. Stopped at 49%.
The main reason for DNFing this book is that it did not draw me into the story as it should have, and I found myself lacking connection with the characters in the story.

The premise of this book is that Amir is a Spice Carrier, meaning he can travel through the Spice Gates that connect the kingdoms. But being a Spice Carrier means you are lower class, treated poorly, and forced to do hard manual labor your entire life. Amir wants to get out of his position and daydreams of obtaining the Poison, which allows anyone (not just Spice Carriers) to travel through the Gates. With the Poison he could safely take away his brother and pregnant mother to a better place, one where his brother will not endure a life of hardships, and Amir will no longer be a Carrier.

The reasons I DNFd the book are as follows:
- I feel like this book was written to be an epic fantasy, but simply just tried too hard
- The worldbuilding was expansive and beautiful, but yet overshadowed the characters and their development
- The main character of Amir was hard to connect to. He wants what is best for his family, but is also more of a reluctant hero. Getting 49% through the book without much character development or a character arc was hard for me to feel invested in his story
- The small romance side plot felt very unbelievable
- The plot felt both too fast and still slow paced
- The book's plot was meandering, where I feel like any summary of this book would take at least two pages to type out. Too much was happening, too many new things were being introduced, and too many shifts were happening in the plot that it no longer felt cohesive.

I would have enjoyed the book better split into two: with keeping the slower pace, but having more character development, and more time in some of the places. It just felt like Amir was being thrown around the world, and while I enjoyed being in the world, it just wasn't the right balance for me.

The Spice Gate by Prashanth Srivatsa is an ambitious fantasy novel set in a richly detailed world where the mystical Spice Gates connect eight distinct kingdoms. These kingdoms, each defined by a unique spice, are accessible only to those born with a special mark, known as Spice Carriers. However, this mark is not a blessing but a curse, condemning its bearers to a life of servitude and pain. Amir, one such Spice Carrier, dreams of escaping his grim fate and saving his family from the same cycle of oppression.

Srivatsa’s world-building is a standout feature of this novel. The intricate attention to detail, especially in weaving aspects of Indian culture and cuisine into the narrative, creates a setting that is both vivid and immersive. The concept of the Spice Gates, the distinct kingdoms, and the complex relationships between gods, assassins, and throne-keepers adds layers of depth to the story's universe.

However, despite these strengths, The Spice Gate struggles to maintain momentum. The novel feels overly long, and Amir, the protagonist, lacks the compelling qualities needed to keep the reader fully engaged in his journey. While the world around him is rich with potential, Amir’s character development and personal stakes often fall flat, making it difficult to stay invested in his quest.

The pacing is another issue, with the story dragging at times, making it feel more like a chore than an adventure. Although the book aims high with its ambitious plot and world-building, it ultimately fails to deliver a narrative that is as engaging as its premise. For readers who appreciate detailed world-building and cultural references, The Spice Gate may still hold some appeal, but it might not be enough to keep everyone hooked through its lengthy pages.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

A wildly creative story that follows Amir, a spice carrier turned reluctant hero when his dreams of freedom for his family lead him to stumble across a mysterious conspiracy that will change the fate of the world. Unable to extricate himself from the machinations of the plot he has fallen into, Amir finds himself caught in an attempt to unravel it, and is soon travelling the world , crossing swords with dangerous people, and confronting horrors and truths beyond his imagination.

The Spice Gate is a triumph of world building, character work, and storytelling. The only thing I think some readers might take issue with is the pace of the plot, which felt slow from time to time.

In a Nutshell: As much as I love spices, ‘The Spice Gate’ wasn’t my cup of masala chai. Complicated (but interesting) worldbuilding, repetitive writing, unappealing protagonist, confusing plot. Very disappointed.

Plot Preview: (Don’t know how much you’ll understand from my preview. For a better idea, read the GR blurb.)
Amir is a poor spice carrier who dreams of escaping his dreary burden and saving his family. Unfortunately, the only possible way to do this involves some unobtainable spices, heinous rich people, and tricky inter-kingdom conspiracies. The more Amir strives towards his goal, the murkier the proceedings become, until he is too entangled in the schemes and needs to take some tough decisions.
The story comes to us in Amir’s third-person perspective.

I'm not an avid reader of epic fantasy but the Indian connection of this novel tempted me much. However, as anyone who cooks with spices knows, getting the spice balance right in every dish is crucial. Too much or too little of any can sully the whole taste. This book has too much spice, thereby killing the flavour.

Bookish Yays:
😋 The sheer scale of this epic fantasy: as mindblowing as strands of genuine saffron.
😋 The regular mentions of unusual Indian dishes such as idli and patoli: as welcome as a glass of ginger nimbu paani on a summer day.
😋 Some of the secondary characters: working as well to enhance the story as a dash of cardamom does to a dessert.

Bookish Mixed Bags:
😬 The plethora of Indian words from various Indian languages: an interesting choice but won’t work for every reader, just like peppercorns don’t click with every gastronome. Western readers will definitely miss out on the subtleties as there is no glossary.
😬 The fictitious quote at the start of every chapter (taken either from fictitious books or assigned to fictitious persons of the Spice kingdoms): Intriguing at first but to be skipped and kept aside later, just like curry leaves in a gravy.
😬 The worldbuilding: as refreshing and tasty as coriander leaves but also as sticky as an overcooked khichdi. Tough to determine what’s what and where’s where, but somehow does its job.

Bookish Nays:
🥵 Amir: as bland as unsalted rice. Boring to gulp, tough to advocate!
🥵 The plot development: as confusing as sorting out kalonji, sabja and black sesame when they aren’t in their respective packets.
🥵 The romance between Amir and Harini: as unbelievable as finding a green chilli in ice cream. What a strange combo!
🥵 The frequent references to piss and excreta and spit, sometimes even as a part of the magical system: as annoying as discovering three bay leaves in a single serving of pulav.
🥵 The initial few chapters, with the overload of characters, places, and sinister schemes: as confusing as standing in the spice aisle of an Indian food store and wondering where to begin.
🥵 The dragged pace combined with the length: as tedious and longwinded as powdering dry red chillies with just a mortar and pestle.
🥵 Logical loopholes: as frequently found in the plot as turmeric is found in Indian dishes.
🥵 Finding caste and class issues even in an Indian fantasy: as unappetising as biting into unground cinnamon.
🥵 The writing: as repetitive as saying ‘chai tea’ or ‘naan bread.’
🥵 The overuse of the word ‘Gates!’ as an exclamation: as eyeroll-inducing as store-brought ginger-garlic paste.
🥵 The infodump ending – as predictable as finding a giant black cardamom in biryani. (And almost as irksome!)
🥵 Dramatis Personae at the end instead of at the beginning: as useless as discovering kulfi at a buffet when you have already stuffed paan into your mouth.

All in all, I had been looking forward to this delicacy. This Indian reader was thrilled to find an Indian author writing a debut work in a fantastical India-inspired setting and infused with Indian spices. I wish with all my heart it has worked better for me. After all, this Indian cannot imagine life without spices. Unfortunately, this turned out to be way more over-spiced than I like.

Perhaps if you are a more avid reader of epic fantasy, you might be able to make better sense of this story. So please read the GR blurb to get a better idea of the plot, and other reviews to get a more balanced opinion of the novel. If you do pick it up, I hope your palate loves it and that it ends up more chatpata (flavourfully spiced) than feeka (insipid) for you.

2 stars.

My thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager for providing the DRC of “The Spice Gate” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. Sorry this didn’t work out better.

I struggled to connect with the narrative and the writing style, though the plot sounded quite compelling. I think it will suit other readers better than it did me.

I HIGHLY recommend this book for readers who are looking for epic fantasy but that is not based in Medival Europe. It follows the main character Amir, who is from the lowest of a caste hierarchy system. based on a spice trade. Overall, I loved this book and the author's usage of immersive imagery, It feels like you have to be transported to the setting itself. The world-building and characterization of Amir as he discovers who is as well manage a magical ability that flips his world upside down and those within it. I am a new fan of this author and look forward to reading more from them!

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for this advanced copy! You can pick up The Spice Gate now.

What an incredible, imaginative book! Prashanth Srivatsa did a fantastic job immersing readers in this story full of mythical portals and multiple realms. I found the magic system and world really fascinating, especially with how distinct each of the eight kingdoms were. I do wish the beginning hadn't been quite so heavy on the world-building, but once you throw yourself into the story, things start to fall into place.

Srivatsa also played with themes of class and religion in really interesting ways. Despite being set in a fantastical world, this book draws eerie parallels to the injustices we see today. Amir's fight is one we've all witnessed in some way, shape, or form, and I really appreciated his growth throughout the book. While I didn't always connect with his character, I did appreciate his motivations to help his family and fight for a better future for his people.

If you're a fan of complex worlds and action-packed fantasy, this is your book!

This is an amazing fantasy with a classic cover. Trust me, this debut is one to watch and one to scream over. <3

The Spice Gate by Prashanth Srivatsa is a fantasy unlike anything I have personally read before. We enter into a world where spices are the currency and entry into a new city through a can only be entered by carriers. However, something is amiss. With a world full of spices, assasins, kings, queens, and immortal creatures, this book takes a reader into a world that is intriguing as well as mesmerizing.

Amir is a carrier and wants a better life for himself and his family. Carriers are an essential part of all eight kingdoms but are treated as outcasts. They carry precious spices, but they themselves don't have them for their households. Will Amir be able to figure out a way for the betterment of his family?

I was intrigued by the premise of this book when I requested this on Netgalley. The world building of this story is amazing. I loved that part of the book. However, I wish that this book would have been a duology, and the author had developed the world and characters a bit more. The initial 30% of the book I struggled with because there was so much information dumped. I had a hard time following the characters. I persevered, and I am glad that I did, though. Everything becomes a little later. It's a prose heavy story, and the reader needs a bit of patience. I would be definitely keeping this author in my wishlist for their future books.

Thank you, Avon and Harper Voyager, for this book.

The Spice Gate starts off by asking us what we would do for our family. Too often I think we find these epic fantasy stories with characters who want to be a hero. They want to have that grand story book life, that heroic journey. They're ready to give it all up for that. To be selfless and noble. But for Amir, he just wants to take care of his family. And while he finds himself in the largest conspiracy ever, there's a sense that fate has plans for him. That despite wanting to protect his family the world be damned, destiny is calling.

The Spice Gate is colorful debut that ultimately dragged on for too long—though I look forward to Prashanth Srivatsa’s future works.

As is typical of high fantasy stories, the worldbuilding is dense and potentially overwhelming. Amir is a Carrier, an underdog in a society in which the magical spice trade is instrumental to each kingdom and each individual’s lifeways. It is also a system that is heavily class-divided, and I enjoyed Srivatsa’s use of characters from all castes to critique the creation of subservient groups, especially the lens of myth and religion through which some justify sustaining these systems. Amir was relentless in insisting the system was unjust, even as he acknowledge the beauty and opulence these divisions could foster, and I found it realistic that he clashed with others who shared his ideals but not his vision for realizing them.

Srivatsa ensured that within the wide cast of characters, each had something to contribute; Karim bhai’s compassion, for instance, or princess Harini’s frustrating resolve. In such a multilayered world and among such robust characters, however, I felt that Amir almost fell out of the picture. He was frequently dragged along by conflicts, and it seemed like despite his convictions, he rarely acted; much of his complexity stayed internal or confined to his dialogue. It sounds harsh, but I would’ve liked to see him grow more of a spine by the end, without sacrificing his sense of smallness that reinforces the improbability of his mission.

Despite the meticulousness of the worldbuilding, I often lost sight of the plot. Many times I was able to trust the process and come to an understanding of the snowballing conflicts, but by latter half of the book, I could tell I was just trying to power through. Some of that was likely due to my ambivalence toward Amir, but I also think Amir’s heroic scene should’ve been expanded, and earlier extended scenes could’ve been omitted/shortened.

All that said, Srivatsa’s language was enriching, clever, and well-suited for the high fantasy genre. I would certainly another one of Srivatsa’s books, I just think that The Spice Gate missed the mark for me.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

I adored The Spice Gate. I recommend it for fans of fantasy with rich worldbuilding and lore.

This book was just, not good. It wasn’t bad, but certainly not something I would recommend. I almost DNF’ed it at 40% and looking back I wish I would have. It does have an interesting premise, the writing is where it fails for me. That, and random plot holes that just didn’t make sense. It’s set in a world where different kingdoms are connected via Spice Gates and only someone with a spice mark can pass through without a drug. But the Carriers are seen as a low caste even though they are integral to the spice trade and economy (each kingdom specializes in a spice). We follow Amir as he slowly rebels against all the constructs that are in place, both from a religious and political standpoint.

A brilliantly crafted world! I absolutely love the unique elements of this book. The spice trade, the caste system, the portals, all of it!

If you read and liked Spin of Fate by A. A. Vora, you absolutely need this book in your life. The conflicts within society and within the main character are similar, though each book is truly unique.

Amir is young, naive, and sees everything though a limited view. However, he does grow as he understands more of the world around him. He champions against systemic injustice, and though he doubts himself often (and waffles when choosing a side), it is because he truly wants what is best for his world. He just doesn’t know what that is.

This book speaks heavily to societal indoctrination and division. How people at all class levels begin to believe the same rhetoric, whether it is damaging or beneficial to themselves.

I feel like there were a lot of loose ends and individual storylines that weren’t resolved. I’m kind of glad for it, as it allows the readers to shape the world for themselves. I also appreciate the lack of villain redemption arcs. That would have been unbelievable in context, and I’m glad the reader chose to show the villain still pursuing his own agenda.

Overall, this was unique, thought-provoking, and fun. I really enjoyed the read!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy to read.

The Spice Gate was a colorful & creative standalone epic fantasy – while the world building wasn’t quite integrated smoothly and the dialogue was a bit awkward at times, I really appreciated the vision and journey.

In a land of eight distant kingdoms, spices are both power and balance. Each kingdom cultivates one critical spice, and each kingdom is connected to the others only through the magical Spice Gates, a gift from an ancient and powerful god.

Amir is a Carrier – the spicemark on his shoulder distinguishes him as a person who can travel through the Gates and transport spices from kingdom to kingdom. Though Carriers are critical to every aspect of society, they are a terribly oppressed group, essentially treated as slaves. Amir experiences extreme pain, both from moving through space in moments and from the sacks on his back, and he fears for the day his kid brother will enter the trade.

He dreams of escaping the kingdoms and their cruel royalty altogether, and all he needs is one vial of the Poison (which will help his spicemark-less pregnant mother travel through the gates alongside her sons to live among rebellious pirates). But as Amir searches for his freedom, he gets sucked into a deeper conspiracy – and perhaps a revolution against everything he thought was true about his world.

I think this book has a challenging start - there’s a lot of info & lore tossed at you all at once in a bit of a clumsy way - and I can see a lot of readers DNFing this one. However, if you’re comfortable diving into new fantasy worlds and open to being a bit confused throughout the first chunk, I think it’s worth it.

It’s a story about fighting back against oppression & the costs of revolution and reshaping, what it means to re-evaluate ancient traditions through a more just lens, and about what it means to be a good parent, child, and sibling.

The romance element here is between Amir and Harini, a young woman who is also a throne keeper. Harini very readily dismisses the way she has been raised to view the world (we see this briefly in a flashback) and is wholeheartedly there for Amir. In my opinion, the nature of Amir and Harini’s relationship is a little too fairytale-esque when paired with the more brutal elements of their hierarchical world. I just don’t buy that Harini is SUCH an inherently good soul that she is able to immediately see past everything she has been told.

As far as the writing goes, I generally found it quite compelling. The dialogue was the biggest issue (differentiating between character voices, leaning into cliches, mixing words so it felt partially fantastical and partially modern, and so on). But the descriptions of places and the inventiveness of the magic system really let the author’s creativity shine, and I thought the action scenes were well done.

My favorite elements were most definitely the mythological ones. The description of the ancient god was visceral and chilling. And the beasts who prowled the outer forests were just as good. The sensory elements (how the spices smelled - how they brought up emotions & memories - the tastes of food) were really beautiful, too.

CW: death (parent), classism, murder, gore, animal death, grief, abandonment, addiction, mental health, vomit, excrement