March 2025 FBR - Main Buddy Read: The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri

[Ashley, The Tipsy Challenger]

Welcome to the March "Main" Buddy Read!
starts 1-Mar-2025, ends 31-Mar-2025

As we step into March, we are excited to announce our Formal Buddy Read for this month, inspired by the vibrant and colorful celebration of Holi, the Festival of Colors! This month, we’ll explore themes of resilience and transformation, where powerful forces collide and hidden secrets shape journeys of self-discovery.

The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri

Author of Empire of Sand and Realm of Ash Tasha Suri's The Jasmine Throne, beginning a new trilogy set in a world inspired by the history and epics of India, in which a captive princess and a maidservant in possession of forbidden magic become unlikely allies on a dark journey to save their empire from the princess's traitor brother.

Imprisoned by her dictator brother, Malini spends her days in isolation in the Hirana: an ancient temple that was once the source of the powerful, magical deathless waters — but is now little more than a decaying ruin.

Priya is a maidservant, one among several who make the treacherous journey to the top of the Hirana every night to clean Malini’s chambers. She is happy to be an anonymous drudge, so long as it keeps anyone from guessing the dangerous secret she hides.

But when Malini accidentally bears witness to Priya’s true nature, their destinies become irrevocably tangled. One is a vengeful princess seeking to depose her brother from his throne. The other is a priestess seeking to find her family. Together, they will change the fate of an empire.

When using this Buddy Read to get Bonus Points for a Challenge, please check with the mod running the Challenge for any posting requirements not listed below!

🚀 2025 (Impossible) Solar System Challenge: While there's no specific post count requirement, your participation should go beyond simple statements like "I liked the book." Quality of contribution matters more than quantity, so focus on crafting well-considered responses that add value to the discussion.

[Ashley, The Tipsy Challenger]

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[Ashley, The Tipsy Challenger]

I went out and bought the series for this today, so here's hoping I enjoy it. I will start it today at some point!

[Bernadette]

Borrowed from the library for me. I don't buy many books.

[Ashley, The Tipsy Challenger]

Bernadette wrote: "Borrowed from the library for me. I don't buy many books."

I am a library girl - but I wasn't going to be able to get this from the library for MONTHS. Given the ratings, I decided I would be ok owning it. And they were ALL pretty, so I bought them all........

[Bernadette]

Ashley wrote: "Bernadette wrote: "Borrowed from the library for me. I don't buy many books."

I am a library girl - but I wasn't going to be able to get this from the library for MONTHS. Given the ratings, I deci..."

Interesting - I was able to get the audio & physical book without any wait. Haven't decided which to use yet.

[Ashley, The Tipsy Challenger]

I just went to check again - I have access to 3 libraries

23 week wait and "several months" wait, ugh!

[Ashley, The Tipsy Challenger]

I'm well into this now and I'm very intrigued. There's a lot going on -- world building, there's a lot of Indian cultural references that I'm struggling with, but not enough to hurt enjoyment. There's a bunch of characters! Multiple POVs to contend with!

Overall, I am really liking it so far.

[Bernadette]

Multiple POVs - sounds like I need to read the book, not listen to the audiobook. I'll e starting it soon.

[Teddie]

I'm listening to this and enjoying it so far. Between what I've been reading and watching on tv lately, colonialism has been popping up all over!

[Ashley, The Tipsy Challenger]

I am really enjoying it! I'm almost done, and lots is going on! I will report back once I'm finished.

[Kiandra]

Think I can get this started today finally.

[Teddie]

This book is a journey, in a great way. The character development is so well done.

[Ashley, The Tipsy Challenger]

Teddie wrote: "This book is a journey, in a great way. The character development is so well done."

I very much agree. This book is so well written, I feel immersed in the story.

[Bernadette]

I'm finishing another book today and this is my next read. Your comments are encouraging for a good book. Tax season is interfering with my reading though, it's been slow going.

[Ashley, The Tipsy Challenger]

Bernadette wrote: "I'm finishing another book today and this is my next read. Your comments are encouraging for a good book. Tax season is interfering with my reading though, it's been slow going."

I still have about 100 pages (maybe less) and I started a new book (Sunrise on the Reaping) because I couldn't help myself - it came in the mail... ugh! lol

[Bernadette]

I'm 25% in and I agree with what everyone has said so far. I'm glad I'm reading this instead of listening because of the multiple POVs.

As Teddie said, the book is a journey, but it is a journey I am enjoying. The world building is very lush & descriptive (see what I did there😉).

[Bernadette]

A little over 50% complete. There is a lot going here with POVs of many characters, places and the politics. I find myself going to the map and cast of characters list occasionally to find out or remind myself who someone is. It was a good choice for me to read this instead of listening.

Random thoughts:
▪️Rot, a disease that makes a person rot like a dying plant sounds horrible.
▪️Forced dug use: Needle-flower is an addictive drug - NOT a medicine. Easy to get hooked, hard to get away from.
▪️Religious "sacrifice" by burning - fanatics can be dangerous people

[Bernadette]

Finished! Thanks to you Ashley I have another series to finish🤣

[Bernadette]

The Jasmine Throne tells the story of Priya, a maidservant with hidden powers and a mysterious past, and Malini, the princess who refused to sacrifice herself on the pyre and was imprisoned by her tyrannical brother. The storyline is filled with politics, violence (nothing too explicit), rebellious groups, magic, and religious beliefs. There are also other POVs from rebel leaders and ruling lords of Ahiranyi.

Suri's writing built a complex world that was lyrical and immersive with vibrant landscapes, complex characters, and intricate plotlines. The themes of resistance, rebellion, identity, loyalty and the struggle for power are explored.

Both Malini and Priya embody the spirit of resistance, challenging the status quo and seeking justice, they are so strong and fierce. Bhukima is also another strong female.

It took a long time for us to find out what Rao’s given name was and when we finally out, I was not at all surprised.

I would agree with some of the reviews saying this felt more like a prologue story than the main event, as it did not really end with a bang that I was expecting. And there are two more books after this one!

[Teddie]

Bernadette wrote: "...the book is a journey, but it is a journey I am enjoying. The world building is very lush & descriptive (see what I did there😉)."

LOL. I really enjoyed this, and am looking forward to continuing the series - will be good to read a character-driven series that focuses on rebelling against an authoritarian government. :|

[Ashley, The Tipsy Challenger]

Bernadette wrote: "Finished! Thanks to you Ashley I have another series to finish🤣"

🤣🤣Sorry! (not sorry)

[Ashley, The Tipsy Challenger]

Whew, I finally finished it! I kept putting it off for other things! Here's my review:

The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I absolutely loved The Jasmine Throne! The world-building was delicious—rich with detail, steeped in Indian-inspired lore, and so vivid I could almost smell the jasmine and incense. But what really made this book shine were the characters. They were deep, flawed, and compelling, and the story felt entirely driven by their choices and relationships.

I also adored how unapologetically feminist this book is. The story is full of strong, complex women—warriors, priests, rebels, and survivors—each with their own agency and motivations. Priya and Malini’s dynamic was especially gripping, layered with tension, trust, and slow-burning devotion.

The political intrigue, the magic system, and the themes of empire and resistance all hooked me completely. I’ll definitely be continuing the series—I need to know what happens next!



View all my reviews

[seacat]

Finished this yesterday but oh my god!! I loved it so much. The world building, the politics, the grey characters, everything I just loved so much.

I am a huge sucker for slowburn so Priya and Malini had my heart! And I love that even after them getting together, there is still some complications but the love remains.

I also loved that the nameless religion had names with prophecies. That is so interesting to do! Suri's brain is huge and I need to remember that when I play dnd because gosh, I need to make something similar because it's too good.

What was everyone's favorite character?

Mine was Bhumika. At first I really didn't have much of an impression of her and thought she would show up just once and fade into the background. I was soo happy I was wrong. She really grew on me. Her strength brought me to tears. The way she has to be so cruel yet so kind to protect her people. How incredibly smart she is.

I even loved her complicated relationship with her husband and why she ended up marrying him. Her talking about her pregnancy and her husband in one of the chapters gripped my heart so much. Gosh, I loved her with my everything. I longed for her everytime we jumped to another character because I needed to know she was okay.

My Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Ashley, The Tipsy Challenger]

I think my favorite character was between Priya and Bhumika. Bhumika is pretty awesome, so I think she might edge out Priya by a hair!