THE IVORY KEY

‘Four siblings. A country in ruin. One quest to save them all.’ - ‘The Ivory Key’ by Akshaya Raman.This was an impressive debut. While I was initially drawn by its stunning cover design, it was the story, setting, and characters that ultimately impressed me.‘The Ivory Key’ is the first in a YA epic fantasy duology inspired by Indian culture and mythology. It also explores the complex family dynamics between four royal siblings.Vira has recently become the maharani of Ashoka. In this world magic is a physical resource and Vira learns this is running out, creating a vulnerability that could lead to invasion. Vira’s only hope is to find the Ivory Key, a mysterious object of legend, rumored to unlock a new source of magic.In order to do this she has to reunite with her three estranged siblings. Each of them has something to gain from finding the Ivory Key. Ronak plans to sell it to the highest bidder to escape a political marriage; Kaleb, falsely accused of assassinating the former maharani, needs the Key to clear his name; and Riya, who has cut all family ties, wants the Key to prove her loyalty to the rebels seeking to strip the nobility of power.So, four siblings, each with their own agenda and secrets, set out on a treacherous journey. In order to survive they must work together. The narrative moves between the four siblings’ points of view.I was very impressed by Akshaya Raman’s world-building and her attention to detail. I felt transported to Ashoka and drawn into the story. While intended for a YA readership, as a more mature reader I still found it accessible.I certainly plan to read the conclusion due to be published in 2023.

A solid four star read. The second half of this was amazing, with tense adventure all the way through. The first half was just too slow-paced for me to rate this any higher. I understand that with four main characters, family history, secrets and an entire magical lore to explain, there is a lot of introduction needed. But while the author avoids info-dumping, they go a bit too far the other way and end up dragging this section on a lot.Once it picked up though I really enjoyed this! Each character was distinct yet not caricatured, really well-written. I enjoyed the mysteries and the revelations, as well as how the relationships between characters developed. The writing is descriptive and vibrant, with the desi-inspired culture really coming across superbly. It kept making me hungry with all the food descriptions!Overall I had a lot of fun with this and look forward to the sequel.

Great new YA with puzzles and mysteries to keep us thinking, a dysfunctional family and diversity. I really enjoyed this book and can't wait for the follow up.