4

The Ivory Key

Akshaya Raman
Book
January
2022

Review:

This was good but not great. I thought I wouldn’t like the multiple perspectives but it actually worked really well for the story. This book was really well planned out but something felt missing. I’m not sure what it was but there was just something. I liked all the characters and they all grew on me throughout the book. The magic aspect is very interesting and I liked how we got so many different ideas about the world. I found the whole key thing at the end a little weird and I am not quite sure what happened. I don’t think I will be reading the next book but we will see.

Trigger Warnings:
Graphic descriptions of dead bodies (specifically on page 1 and in Chapter 6), in-depth descriptions of grief and loss, death of family members (they happen off-page but are mentioned throughout the book), recovering from trauma, blood, violence, emotional manipulation, alcohol, discussion of identity policing/microaggressions towards a biracial character, allusions to human experimentation, and discussions of war/invading country.

Synopsis From Book:

Vira is desperate to get out of her mother’s shadow and establish her legacy as a revered queen of Ashoka. But with the country’s only quarry running out of magic–a precious resource that has kept Ashoka safe from conflict–she can barely protect her citizens from the looming threat of war. And if her enemies discover this, they’ll stop at nothing to seize the last of the magic. Vira’s only hope is to find a mysterious object of legend: the Ivory Key, rumored to unlock a new source of magic. But in order to infiltrate enemy territory and retrieve it, she must reunite with her siblings, torn apart by the different paths their lives have taken. Each of them has something to gain from finding the Ivory Key–and even more to lose if they fail. Ronak plans to sell it to the highest bidder in exchange for escape from his impending political marriage. Kaleb, falsely accused of assassinating the former maharani needs it to clear his name. And Riya, a runaway who cut all family ties, wants the Key to prove her loyalty to the rebels who want to strip the nobility of its power. They must work together to survive the treacherous journey. But with each sibling harboring secrets and their own agendas, the very thing that brought them together could tear apart their family–and their world–for good.
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