oh wow, i find it so hard to understand how this book could be anything less than 5 stars.

the world of the jasmine throne is one of those that feels so entirely real that i can't believe it's fiction, tasha suri's imagination is ... unparalleled. this is such a complex magical world, completely organic and believable in its settings and its people. i almost certainly did not grasp all the nuances of the warring factions and the politics, there is so much going on and so many overlapping plots and characters, it's so intricate and well-thought out. the world-building is so insanely thorough and rich, it's so easy to get absorbed in this kingdom and its empire.

the writing is absolutely gorgeous, each sentence almost lyrical in its poetry, bringing the whole story to life. the characters are so detailed and multi-faceted, with conflicting desires and duties that compete to win out. priya and malini are both so wonderful and complicated, their motivations are spelled out so well
and suri leaves so much room for them to embrace their own monstrousness. it's a gloriously feminist portrayal of complex women and the power they hold. it's definitely heavy on the politics and revolution but priya and malini's romance is also so searingly sweet it makes me ache. it's an end-of-the-world, i-yearn-for-you-from-now-until-death kind of love, but still fraught with the uncertainty of their roles in the coming war. i can't wait for the second book.