Magic, a prized resource, is the only thing between peace and war. When magic runs out, four estranged royal siblings must find a new source before their country is swallowed by invading forces. The first in an Indian-inspired duology.
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.
This is book one of a duology, and the newest book, The Crimson Fortress, drops tomorrow, November 14! I saw this book, skimmed the synopsis, and I knew I had to get my hands on book one. Luckily, it was available in the library so I completely devoured it in one day. And wow was I impressed. The depth of characters, the thrilling journey, the heist! This book really had everything. I cannot wait for book two to drop tomorrow (I already have it on hold!).
The Ivory Key is a story that takes place in an India-inspired fantasy world, except that it has something called magic that can be mined and forged into objects. However, after her mother’s tragic death, Vira is thrust into her position of maharani (queen) of the land. The country’s biggest secret? Their quarry is almost out of magic. And without this magic, the land’s economy grows poor, people grow desperate, and the borders of their land grow week. Vira, just barely 18 years old, must navigate her new position and save her land. But that’s not all, the story also takes place through the POV of her siblings, who each have their own battles to face, very different from Vira.
The characters were truly so amazing in this book. Considering how many siblings there were, each one really felt unique and had their own struggles to triumph over. It really had that YA coming-of-age feel that really drove the story forward. While yes they had immature and petty moments as any young adult would, it felt very real, and the weight of each character’s burdens of being in their positions was really well executed, and I think it really brought me into the story. I was so invested in each character, and their development arc, which is a sign of great writing. For me, Vira’s position was especially enthralling, being thrust so young into a position of power where there is no way to please everyone, yet there is only so much you can do.
The plot was also marvelous. The multiple POVs were very well-coordinated, and the tying of the plotlines back together was absolutely excellent. Even though it had me looking this way and that way, I found it really easy to follow, and I was truly invested in all the different stories, which is not something I can usually say for this kind of book. The final heist that takes place is also extremely exciting and fast-paced, I simply couldn’t put it down like some sort of thriller. It had that Indiana Jones sort of feel and I was truly living for it. I can’t say enough good things about this exciting plot.
I really enjoyed the world building in this book too. While it wasn’t crazy amounts of world building and expansion, it felt like it had just enough to keep the mechanics and story clear, while providing a lot of mysterious just-beyond-your-reach aspects that keep things intriguing. The history that was built into the world too was also very thought out, and I thought there weren’t too many loopholes, and the way the country came to the point that we find the story was plausible, and I really felt for the rulers who had to make all the tough choices to get to the situation they found themselves in.
This book had a surprising amount of twists, turns, and reveals, it was actually very much written like a thriller, except that it was more of a fantasy/adventure type of story. It was a really interesting balance and it made for a (rare) quickly absorbable fantasy that I couldn’t help getting invested in. A search for a magical object for the future of the land, and siblings each with their own hidden agendas. How will they work together? Who will be the one to double-cross? Or triple-cross? One simply cannot know.
The ending was also incredibly exciting, and the epilogue was one of those rare ones where I found it really added a lot to the story, so that’s a nice bonus at the end of a book. I seriously can’t wait for the book to come out tomorrow and I really hope that I’ll be able to get my hands on it soon. I can’t recommend this one enough!
Overall Recommendations
The Ivory Key is an India-inspired fantasy in which magic is a fast-depleting resource. The new young ruler, Vira, must find a legendary ivory key in order to save her land. She forms an unlikely team with her siblings, who all have their own agendas, and each looking to prove and achieve something. This is an exciting fantasy adventure, with plenty of thrills, intrigue, and twists and turns to boot. This is one I definitely recommend!
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