The heir to a destroyed kingdom must make a dangerous bargain with her deadliest enemy in The Jasad Heir, an intricate, brutal, and romantic Egyptian-inspired debut fantasy by Sara Hashem. When the kingdom of Nizahl invaded and destroyed the kingdom of Jasad, they slaughtered the Jasadi royal family and outlawed magic. Only Essiya, the young princess, survived to grow up in hiding as village girl Sylvia. Nizahl's armed forces still hunt the Jasadi, and Sylvia's life depends on Essiya's presumed death and the invisible cuffs that bind her magic. When Nizahli soldiers come to her village hunting Jasadi rebels, Sylvia inadvertently reveals her forbidden magic to Arin, the cold, calculating, and gorgeous Nizahl heir. Instead of executing her, Arin names her Nizahl's champion in the Alcalah, a deadly tournament of nations. He promises to set her free if she lets him use her as bait for the rebels. Trapped by circumstance, Sylvia must match wits with Arin to keep her identity secret even as their burning animosity turns into a different sort of spark.
Fantastical creatures and horrifying monsters combine with scheming royals to create a perilous landscape in this epic fantasy series opener. Sylvia/Essiya is understandably cynical beyond her 20 years, reflecting, "it is the nature of humanity to celebrate the things that want to kill them." Her cat-and-mouse game with cunning Arin is as great a delight as Hashem's intricate world-building. This adventure marks the start of a fantasy series to savor. --Jaclyn Fulwood, blogger at Infinite Reads