Spice Road

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Author(s)

Maiya Ibrahim

Publisher

Ember

Genre(s)

Age Range

14+

Release Date

April 23, 2023

ISBN

978-0593126998

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★ THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER ★ Raised to protect her nation from the monsters lurking in the sands, sixteen-year-old Imani must fight to find her brother, whose betrayal is now the country's greatest threat. Get swept away by this romantic fantasy!

In the hidden desert city of Qalia, there is secret spice magic that awakens the affinities of those who drink the misra tea. Sixteen-year-old Imani has the affinity for iron and is able to wield a dagger like no other warrior. She has garnered the reputation as being the next great Shield for battling djinn, ghouls, and other monsters spreading across the sands.

Her reputation has been overshadowed, however, by her brother, who tarnished the family name after it was revealed that he was stealing his nation's coveted spice—a telltale sign of magical obsession. Soon after that, he disappeared, believed to have died beyond the Forbidden Wastes. Despite her brother’s betrayal, there isn’t a day that goes by when Imani doesn’t grieve him.

But when Imani discovers signs that her brother may be alive and spreading the nation's magic to outsiders, she makes a deal with the Council that she will find him and bring him back to Qalia, where he will face punishment. Accompanied by other Shields, including Taha, a powerful beastseer who can control the minds of falcons, she sets out on her mission.

Imani will soon find that many secrets lie beyond the Forbidden Wastes—and in her own heart—but will she find her brother?

Editor review

1 review

Lush Magical World

December 06, 2024

Overall rating

5.0

Plot

5.0

Characters

5.0

Writing Style

5.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

Spice Road is the first in a new trilogy. It features a well-developed lush magical world perfect for fans of Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir and Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton.
Imani comes from the esteemed Beya clan. She is a talented shield with many monster kills under her belt in service to Qalia. When she meets a Djinni named Qayne and learns from him that her brother, Atheer, is alive and a rebel in the forbidden world outside of the Sahir her world starts changing. She strong-arms the council to allow her to accompany Taha, Reza, and Fey through the dangerous passes to find him. What happens next is beyond her expectations and changes everything.
Taha is a complex but ultimately disappointing character. The book description hints at a romance between Imani and Taha, but he is unworthy of her. He is kind and romantic when alone but cruel and aloof when around others, yet she still wants a relationship with him. He betrays her multiple times and she is still pulled to him which feels like the plot is being forced there because I am not rooting for that relationship at all.
Imani believes Qayne is evil because he is a djinni but his character forces her to take a hard look at her actions and beliefs. She has the most character growth around him. There seems to be the possibility of a romantic relationship between them. His interactions with Atheer are the only time I doubted which sibling Qayne may have romantic possibilities. However, Atheer has a relationship with the Rebel leader, Ferida, so maybe Qayne and Imani will come closer in the next book after all.
Beyond the enticing character relationships, this story also brings about themes of colonization. This is a fictional world but has many parallels to historical events in our world. With real-world current wars and tensions this fictional world makes the reader question at what point would you stand back and watch atrocities and when would you intervene.
I used an audiobook for part of the book and the narrator was excellent. Her rich and musical accent perfectly complemented the persona of Imani. The next book Serpent Sea just came out and I am excited to dive back into the story and see what happens next.