ISBN: 978-0-358-46833-2

LHS Library Call Number: F RAM

Novel Length: 375

If you’re looking for a fantasy novel, packed with action, suspense, and family drama, definitely try reading The Ivory Key by Akshaya Raman. Set in Ashoka, a kingdom that runs on magic, this story is centered around the royal family. 

Vira, the maharani of Ashoka, urgently needs to find a way to replenish the depleting stocks of magic in her country before her people find out. Meanwhile, Riya, her estranged little sister, just wants to win back her place in the Ravens, a group of rebels determined to destroy the monarchy. Kaleb, Vira’s falsely imprisoned half-brother, has his heart set on being pardoned and returning to his old life. Ronak, Vira’s little brother, is desperate to flee the country and start a new life, free from the obligations of royalty. And for all four of them, there’s only one way to achieve their goals: by obtaining the Ivory Key, a mythical artifact said to contain the secret of obtaining more magic. Will the four siblings learn to set aside their secrets and spats to find the Ivory Key? Or will they let their differences destroy their goals, and their family?

There was a lot to like in this book. First and foremost, the passing of the perspectives between the four main characters, Vira, Riya, Kaleb, and Ronak, added a lot of depth to the story and revealed more about each character without seeming like an information dump about each character in just one perspective. Having multiple perspectives also helped add history to the world in which the novel is set in and allowed readers to understand how each character felt about this history. 

The introduction of elements of Indian culture into the culture of Ashoka was also quite unique, although some of the parts of Ashokan culture that seemed Indian, weren’t exactly Indian, like the Ashokan goddesses. The thing that really made this book good, however, was the plot. There were multiple layers to the plot, and the author tried to tie in a lot of different details, but rather than becoming confusing and hard to follow, it elevated the story and made it much more fun to read. Furthermore, the author didn’t just try to wrap the story up with a mediocre ending or by killing off all the characters, but actually carried it to the end and ended with a semi-cliffhanger that was coherent and fit with the rest of the story. Overall, this book was quite a good read.

That being said, there was room for improvement. For example, the last few chapters, despite providing a cohesive ending, could have been more interesting. Despite reading the book twice, the climax of the novel failed to hold my attention for very long. If the sheer number of obstacles the siblings faced as they reached the culmination of their quest had been reduced, the ending would have been quite better. 

Another problem, towards the end, was the sudden disappearance of the rifts between Vira, Ronak, Riya, and Kaleb. Although it is possible that their bond as a family could have been strengthened by the hardships they endured in their quest to find the Ivory Key, it was a little hard to believe that all four of the siblings were willing to give up their ambitions and goals to save one another, literally less than a week after threatening and manipulating each other. Nevertheless, these flaws didn’t take away from the main story too much.

Altogether, I’d rate this book 4.5 out of 5. Despite losing a little bit of cohesiveness toward the end, it still had a very deep, multi-layered plot, complex and interesting characters, and a unique setting with a lot of distinctive details.