Book Review: Spice Road

Spice is the key to magic. The Qualian shields drink a tea prepared with spice and feel the magic fill them. It is a very personal experience. Imani is a shield, and when she drinks the spice tea, she can control her weapons in a way only magic will allow. She is known as the djinni slayer, and she is determined to keep her people safe.

Spice Road by May Ibrahim is a young adult novel that takes the reader into an Arabian inspired world to experience an amazing adventure that crosses vast sands and cities. Imani is a shield who uses magic to protect the people of Qualia. Even at sixteen, she has an amazing affinity for magic. When her and her sister find out that their brother, who they thought was dead, might actually be alive in a nation across the sands, Imani insists on going to find him. The council assigns three others to go with her, including Taha, a boy who has been across the sands before. As her journey unfolds, she realizes there is much more to the world than she ever realized.

Despite this novel being Ibrahim’s debut novel, I am already enchanted by her writing style. The storytelling is extremely mature and seamless. It feels more like an adult novel than a young adult novel. Ibrahim truly allows the reader to understand Imani and her motivations. The first person point of view is very immersive and the flow of the narration is smooth and fluid. It is a hard book to put down.

When delving into the story and experiencing the characters, all of them are very strong, well-developed people. The story explores and develops each one organically as the plot unfolds. Imani, as our narrator and main character, is especially excellent. I really appreciate how much she changes and grows throughout her journey. She acknowledges her initial ignorances and tries to adjust her actions and preconceived assumptions. Many books have characters that fight change, but Imani internalizes what she learns and chooses to improve herself. The people around her help her learn and grow as they reveal more of themselves to her. There are many surprises and interesting things that come from her traveling companions as well as her family.

I also really enjoyed the world that Imani lives in. The world building in this story is well rounded and natural throughout the novel. The world itself has many interesting aspects to explore. The Arabian influences are really fresh and exciting. The descriptions of Qalia and the foreign lands beyond the sands are detailed and immersive, really bringing the landscape to life. The magic system is unique. The user gains magic from drinking a spice that can be dangerous in too large of quantities. Plus, I especially enjoyed the culture that was created around the magic. There are many times scenes that include rituals that embody the culture developed around the use of magic. It will be interesting to see how the world continues to develop in later novels.