one of my favorite reads this year!

i really love reading this book. although that is also to say that this isn't for everyone--especially its length and pacing.

the jasmine throne is filled with nuances and commentaries about colonization, tyranny, and the erasure of history and origin due to the two mentioned subjects. i really enjoyed seeing the story in different persons, with different positions and roles in society (especially the women). we get to see their world unravel through the lens of a maidservant, a wife, a banished princess, weaving a long tale of fate and magic. one of my favorite parts would be the last three chapters where bhumika, malini, and priya are wearing their new roles and importance for the next book.

the prose does not try to be deep, nor is it shallow. it's very easy to follow and imagine. the author is commendable for guiding its readers to visualize the complexity of the story. the characters are also very different from one another. personally, i find malini and priya like 'the push-and-pull love line' because they are so different from each other, yet it makes sense when their wit and personalities combine.

if you want to read a book with a great world-building (and yearning), the jasmine throne may be for you.

postscript: if you want to see a cunning milf (enter: bhumika) this book is for you. go for it.