Review: The Scorched Throne Duology by Sara Hashem
The Scorched Throne duology consists of The Jasad Heir and The Jasad Crown. Written by debut American-Egyptian author Sara Hashem, the series follows Sylvia, the lost heir of Jasad. Ten years after The Blood Summit, a political gathering that ended in a massacre and the subsequent downfall of the Jasad Kingdom as well as all magic, Sylvia has created a peaceful life for herself in a remote village. With no intention to reveal her true lineage, Sylvia is careful about her movements and ensures she stays out of any trouble. The Kingdom of Nizahl is known for its ruthlessness in prosecuting magic-users, having banned the act after The Blood Summit. When Commander Arin, the heir of Nizahl, finds himself in a small village tracking Jasadi rebels, he comes across Sylvia, who accidentally reveals her magic. To her surprise, he offers her a deal: become Nizahl’s champion in the Alcala tournament, a competition across the four ruling kingdoms, in order to receive immunity from prosecution. In exchange, Sylvia will aid in his hunt for Jasadi rebels. In The Scorched Throne duology, Sylvia navigates duty as its crossed with desire, keeping her feelings at arm’s length, whilst also stoking the flames of a rebellion. She must ultimately decide between the peaceful life she has built, or resurrecting the scorched kingdom whose magic runs through her very veins.
Hashem’s world-building is rich and vibrant; navigating readers through the various kingdoms and their political landscapes. The storytelling is sublime, and readers will fall into the world so seamlessly through Hashem’s stunning prose. She delivers phenomenal lines, ones that’ll have you reaching for a pen to jot down or to underline. I find the term ‘enemies-to-lovers’ is so often thrown around in recent releases, but it is executed so perfectly in this duology. Arin is formidable, a warrior and a strategist, and the commander of his nation. When paired with Sylvia, his better judgement is always pushed aside, and the two are drawn together inexplicably, holding the yearning throughout the series like a taut string that keeps the reader turning the pages. Sylvia is a multi-faceted protagonist, and one of the most relatable heroines you’ll find in fantasy. She is constantly pulled in different directions, and given little reprieve when it comes to mourning her past, and the plethora of trauma that brought her to where she is. But she is smart, and calculating, and so trustworthy of the title as Jasad Heir that you almost can’t believe she ever thought of abandoning the throne at all.
The story explores more than just the star-crossed romance, but also the realities of a torn-apart nation. With Jasadis now scattered across multiple kingdoms, either in hiding or on the run for their magic, Hashem doesn’t shy away from the tragedies that persecuted individuals face. The political intrigue is complex, and there are aspects that don’t feel entirely black and white, often existing within the grey area of morality, which only adds more political complexity to a tried-and-true fantasy formula: a missing heir of a destroyed kingdom.
The Jasad Crown amps up the plot significantly, and tensions are high. The epic conclusion, without giving too much away, is both tragic and sensational, and will cement Hashem as an absolute force of a writer in the fantasy game.
You can purchase Sara’s most recent book The Jasad Crown by clicking here.
By Saberin C.