The Ivory Key
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4.3 • 3 Ratings
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- $13.99
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
In this epic YA fantasy debut, 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 that’s perfect for fans of There Will Come a Darkness, The Gilded Wolves, and We Hunt the Flame.
Vira, Ronak, Kaleb, and Riya may be siblings, but they've never been close or even liked each other that much. Torn apart by the different paths their lives have taken, only one thing can bring them back together: the search for the Ivory Key, a thing of legend that will lead the way to a new source of magic.
Magic is Ashoka's biggest export and the only thing standing between them and war with the neighboring kingdoms—as long as their enemies don't find out that the magic mines are nearly depleted.
The siblings all have something to gain from finding the Ivory Key, and even more to lose if they don't. For Vira, the Ivory Key is the only way to live up to the legacy of her mother, the beloved former maharani. Ronak plans to get out of his impending political marriage by selling the Ivory Key to the highest bidder. Kaleb has been falsely accused of assassinating the former maharani, and this is the only way to clear his name. And Riya needs to prove her loyalty to the Ravens, the group of rebels that wants to take control away from the maharani and give it to the people.
With each sibling harboring secrets and conflicting agendas, figuring out a way to work together may be the most difficult task of all. And in a quest this dangerous, working together is the only way to survive.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Four royals bound by blood but not loyalty meet in a tangle of conflicting agendas in the Indian-inspired world of Raman's debut, a duology opener. In the Ashokan empire, magic is a physical resource, hauled up from a quarry to protect the realm from its enemies and drive the economy through exportation. Even with this asset, however, the empire's ruling family has fallen into internal chaos: the previous maharani was murdered, the original quarries have long been lost, and Ashoka's young scions are at each other's throats. Eighteen-year-old Vira, the newly crowned maharani, needs to tighten her hold on the throne in the face of impending war; her twin brother Ronak is dabbling in illegal acts; their traitorous 17-year-old sister, Riya, has joined the Ravens, rebels who seek to depose Vira; and their half brother Kaleb lies in prison, accused of the murder. But when the magic begins to run out, the siblings must reunite to obtain a shared goal: the Ivory Key, a legendary artifact supposed to unlock the lost quarries. Though rapid perspective shifts between the siblings can produce a sense of disjointedness, characterization remains largely solid, as does the richly described worldbuilding, tight plot, and moderate doses of romance, making for a complex and layered narrative. Ages 12–up.
