The Jasad Heir (The Scorched Throne, #1)

THE JASAD HEIR is a riveting epic fantasy and one of my top reads of this year! The story follows Sylvia, who has been in hiding for the last several years in Mahair, a poor Omalian town, where she has built a small life for herself as apprentice to a chemist, living in the orphanage. Sylvia is hiding that she is Jasadi, someone who possesses magic for which the sentence is death and has been since the kingdom of Jasad fell years before. Even more than that, Sylvia is actually Essiya, the Jasad Heir, who was declared dead during the Blood Summit that marked the end of Jasad and the start of the wasteland left behind being known as the Scorched Kingdom. She has no interest in anything beyond her own survival.

However, when a Nizahl soldier recognizes her as a Jasadi, Sylvia reacts in self-defense, ending his life before he could end hers. When the epically dangerous Nizahl Heir, Arin, arrives in Mahair, Sylvia slips up and makes a mistake that would cost her everything - except Arin declares that she is to be the Nizahl Champion in the upcoming Alcalah, a deadly trial that occurs every three years with a Champion from each of the, now, 4 kingdoms. Arin promises her the freedom that she craves if she participates, while he tries to seek out the underground Jasadi rebellion groups, using her as a type of bait. However, as the Alcalah continues, Sylvia begins to question everything she believed about her kingdom, Nizahl, and herself.

This story has all the highlights of an enthralling epic fantasy with a deadly competition, high personal stakes, a ruler in hiding, rebellions, enemies-to-lovers style romance, magic, betrayal, and so much more. The writing absolutely pulls the reader in from the start, and it was impossible to get enough of this world and the characters within. Sylvia was a compelling main character, whose perspective we primarily see throughout the story. She has crafted an understanding of herself and her childhood over time and throughout the years of abuse that followed her escape that have really shaped her character. However, as her world expands, she begins to realize that these childhood mental simplicities are not full truths, and the heart of the matter is infinitely more complex. Through these epiphanies, her world view and plans for the future begin to take new shapes in sometimes surprising ways.

Sylvia also faces a lot of pain and coping mechanisms that she has built over time with some elements of mental illness such as anxiety and/or PTSD that she begins to understand and heal from over time. In many ways, her character growth during the story allows her to begin addressing her inner conflicts and see the wider world, which previously seemed too big and dangerous for her personal consideration. This arc comes to a crescendo in the story, and I anticipate that her growth and path will continue in future books, while she continues to redefine herself, understand her past, and consider what she wants the future to hold. Love and trust are major issues for her, but she is beginning to see the potential in both and recognize them in her own life.

There are a few select scenes from Arin's perspective, and each really added something critical to the story. He is a character whose life has also been defined by his birth with hints to difficulty in his childhood (the reader does not learn his full backstory yet), as well as a terrible betrayal that has also closed him off to love and trust. However, he is also on a path of healing that, while we do not see it in detail, is also really poignant. With the shockwaves of the ending (with cliffhanger) and how this may change everything for both of them, his path will be particularly interesting to follow in the next installment.

In terms of the romance, it was very slow burn and pining. Both Sylvia and Arin have a lot of hang-ups, and while they begin their paths moving through these, it is a slow journey as they contend with the kingdoms, betrayals, rebellions, and the trials of the Alcalah. While this was not a primary element, I still found their relationship to be really fantastic, with great banter, a very well done enemies-to-lovers feel, and pent-up passion throughout. The story is very low steam with their connection being emotional, if only they will admit it to each other. Minimal physical contact made it seem all the more powerful.

The mythology and structure of this world was really fascinating, with these different kingdoms coexisting, formed by the gods whose mistakes have been handed down. The reader gets just enough information to understand what is happening, and it seems we may learn more in future books, which will definitely be a treat. It was unique and fascinating with implications for how the story may continue.

The themes were really thought-provoking throughout around politics, power, betrayal, love, trust, and more. The perspectives of prejudice and empathy evolve as the story does, with the reader understanding what Sylvia learns about Jasad and the other kingdoms, with their strengths and weaknesses. The rulers have manifested their power in different ways, and their cruelties and wisdoms have disparate effects on their subjects and their relationships between them. There are no simple answers between them nor of what happened to Jasad, and this complex discussion of power, politics, and corruption is likely to continue in the future. This would definitely make a great book club debate with plenty to consider.

While this is an adult title, it will definitely have crossover appeal to YA audiences. There is not much physical steam and the deaths and monsters, while sometimes graphic, are no worse than in other similar stories (eg, THE HUNGER GAMES deadly trials). Sylvia also felt very young as her character is growing and evolving with coming-of-age style themes that will resonate with older YA readers.

THE JASAD HEIR is an absolutely enthralling and consuming epic fantasy that I would highly recommend for fans of THIS WOVEN KINGDOM, FOURTH WING, and THE PRISON HEALER. With plenty of magic, atmosphere, and mythology, this series is one to follow!