Empire of Sand

Loved this book. Gorgeous prose, excellent worldbuilding, interesting and compelling characters, nifty magic system involving a signed language that is holy. Imperialism and systemic oppression given the weight that they deserve. Something something strength in femininity - I'm not the best qualified to speak on this and every attempt to put it into words is failing, but I've rarely if ever seen something like this where womanhood itself, trappings and all, is depicted as strength - even in a patriarchal society - without being reduced to something like "because women can affect men". I may have seen this before in trans narratives; if I have in cis narratives, though, not as well as I have here.

Two things I'd particularly like to highlight: one, the persistent emphasis on choice and boundaries and consent, even (or especially) in a situation where these things are very, very hard to come by; and two, the fact that even when Mehr's situation is desperately bleak - which it is for a majority of the book - there are moments of hope and humanity sprinkled regularly throughout. Small moments, overshadowed by the hopelessness of the situation, but all the same they allow the reader - and the characters - time to breathe. Which is absolutely crucial, especially in a novel like this.

Selling points: bi-cultural protagonist; excellent worldbuilding; Indian-inspired fantasy; just all-around excellent really

Warnings: slavery / abuse / near-absolute lack of autonomy; abuse of religious power; forced marriage

This is interesting. The basic outline of the story is familiar enough: young woman with special gifts is forced to hook up with young man with similar or complementary gifts. After initial fears abate, young woman and young man fall in love, use special gifts to save the world. Unlike other such heroines, however, Mehr is no expert in martial arts. She caries a sharp blade, but this is for ceremonial purposes. Her supernatural skill lies in her dancing, with which she summons powers upon which the fate of the world balances. This is a heroine that does not become some kind of honorary boy - which is refreshing.

Tasha Suri says that she drew for inspiration on Bollywood. I know nothing about popular Indian cinema, which is my loss. But while the reader will recognize references to Hindu custom, to Indian landscapes and so forth - including a certain way with the English language - they will not feel out of their depth for lack of firmer reference. I thought I caught some allusions to Indian history : the Empire could be either Mughal or British, and the ambiguous feelings the heroine and her tribal family have towards it are interesting in this light. While the Empire hunts and harries them, they nevertheless fear its fall, believing perhaps that without the Emperor's recognition of their utility, they will fall prey to even more vicious forces.

These are large themes for a first novel.

Empire of Sand got off to a fantastic start, with rich world-building based on Mughal India. The Amrithi are hated in the empire for their association with daiva, and Mehr must suppress that side of her heritage. Yet, some people still cling to the old ways and wish to use her blood for protection. It would seem that daivas are real and can be controlled by the Amrithi.

When one fateful night draws the attention of the empire's mystics, Mehr is forced to take a husband. There is a huge amount about arranged marriage in this book. It is important that she has a choice, it is a noblewoman's right to choose her husband even when the introductions are made for her. What Mehr does is choose someone in order to protect her family.

It explores what happens in an arranged marriage, where affection can come later. Just because it is arranged does not mean it cannot be good. However there is a dark edge to this because the mystics want her bound to them for nefarious reasons. There is a reason why Amrithi never marry. I liked the way the relationship between Mehr and her husband develops. They are both being used, manipulated, and they make the most out of a bad situation.

The writing is wonderfully descriptive and it's easy to imagine the opulence of the governor's residence versus the sparseness of life in the desert. However I felt the pacing was a bit slow and I lost a bit of interest in the middle section.

I liked the message that you can't just rid evil from the world without upsetting the balance. We have seen so many countries destroyed by leaving power vacuums in the real world, it's nice to have fiction that takes this into account. It even shows how good people can fall victim to evil, because when they have nothing else, a little kindness can mean the world.

Some ends were tied up a little too neatly but it's a refreshing change to read a fantasy debut that stands by itself. I believe there are other books planned but whether or not they follow on directly or are companions, it really doesn't matter.

4.0 stars

I received an ARC from the publisher in a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this a lot; it's a cut above your average YA fantasy. I keep reading YA fantasy novels even though they frequently disappoint me, so it was nice not to be disappointed for once. Tasha Suri has given us well-drawn characters, strong prose, interesting worldbuilding, complicated relationships, even more complicated moral situations, and a big win for Team Free Will. Though there will be other novels set in the same universe, this story stands alone and is satisfying in itself.

Mehr, the main character, is a great mixture of prickly and caring, a real survivor. She's got some wonderfully complex familial relationships and her "chosen one" status is much more complicated than that sort of thing usually is (thank God). The worldbuilding doesn't feel like a retread but also isn't too complicated to follow. This is a book that takes its time, which I really appreciate, though I suppose some might find it slow. The tone is a great mixture of dark and hopeful--some very bad things happen, but hope shines through the whole book. The romance has a nice us-against-the-world aspect to it, with two people in an impossible position trying to be good to each other, which I love. At least 75% of the time with romances, I think the book would be stronger without the romantic aspect, but this was one case where I was invested in the relationship itself and thought it was great for revealing aspects of the characters as individuals.

One of my favorite things about this book is that it avoids some of my biggest YA pet peeves. For one thing, it's not in first person PRAISE THE LORD. We've got a nice third person from the pov of the female lead, plus a few short interludes from other characters scattered throughout. Second, the romantic interest isn't a jerk. In fact, he's sweet and kind and gentle! He might fall into the brooding category if only because he doesn't talk much and carries a great deal of self-loathing around with him, but he's got every right to be immense pain, considering what he's been through. This is not a boy whose pain you roll your eyes at. He earns your sympathy. And there's no love triangle.

I think Empire of Sand is a great start to Suri's career and I'm excited to see what she does in the future.