Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri
Series: The Books of Ambha #1
Published by: Orbit
Pub Date: November 13, 2018
Pages: 496
Format: arc | Source: gifted
Genres: adult, fantasy
Rating:

A nobleman’s daughter with magic in her blood. An empire built on the dreams of enslaved gods. Empire of Sand is Tasha Suri’s captivating, Mughal India-inspired debut fantasy.

The Amrithi are outcasts; nomads descended of desert spirits, they are coveted and persecuted throughout the Empire for the power in their blood. Mehr is the illegitimate daughter of an imperial governor and an exiled Amrithi mother she can barely remember, but whose face and magic she has inherited.

When Mehr’s power comes to the attention of the Emperor’s most feared mystics, she must use every ounce of will, subtlety, and power she possesses to resist their cruel agenda.

Should she fail, the gods themselves may awaken seeking vengeance…

Empire of Sand is a lush, dazzling fantasy novel perfect for readers of City of Brass and The Wrath & the Dawn.

This was pretty damn wonderful. Empire of Sand was so richly written, in setting and character and emotion. It was actually a bit slow for me to get through because it was so dense and rich, but in a good way. I had to take my time and savor it! I really enjoyed the Mughal- India inspired setting and the attention to culture and religion, as well as the magic system & how it related to myth. I’m pretty sure this is a standalone, which I also love because I liked getting to see the story through to the end (note: I’ve since learned the next book is a companion sequel!). Tasha Suri writes such an intoxicating blend of choice and freedom and ritual and love- lots of tension and politics and magic. There’s also a very slow burn, tender romance which was pitch perfect. And Mehr was the sort of MC I love- strong even in her privileged position, but malleable enough to learn, stretch, and grow both through unfortunate circumstance and her own choice. I’m running out of adjectives to describe everything but I really enjoyed this book. It felt epic in every sense!

Have you read Empire of Sand yet? Is it on your TBR or holiday wish list? Let me know!