The Prince Without Sorrow by Maithree Wijesekara, Obsidian Throne Book 1 Pub Date 03/18/2025

Shakti is one of the mayakari's, witches linked to the Nature Spirits and persecuted by Emperor Adil. And while the Emperor believes they are dangerous creatures, hell bent on humanities destruction that couldn't be the furtherest from the true as their one overriding tenant is to do no harm. However, after the Emperor himself burns Shakti's aunt at the stake right in front of her Shakti, in her grief, she crosses a line that she may never be able to come back from.

Ashoka is the youngest of Adil's children and viewed as the weakest. He adheres to the tenants of the mayakari and rebels against his father's bloodthirsty campaigns against them whenever and wherever he can. After his father dies unexpectedly and his cruel but stupid brother ascends The Obsidian Throne Ashoka knows that now is the time to truly stop his family's bloody legacy, but, will he lose is soul in the process?

This was truly excellent. And while as you can see I only gave it four stars (I'll explain why later) it was one of the best books I've read where the author has left it up to the reader to wholly interpret their characters actions. Is Shakti justified in her increasingly cruel vengeance against the Maurya family? Does the wholesale slaughter of her people justify literally pushing Aarya, Ashoka's older sister, to the brink of madness? And has she simply not made everything significantly worse? This goes the same for Ashoka, he holds on to beliefs for so long and while when he does finally snap the chain he keeps on his control is the death of one worth not just the lives of the many but the simple goodness in Ashoka? And will this cause him to follow the same path his father did, using the same justifications? Wijesekara does not answer these questions ever. She leaves the interpretation wholly up to the reader, and I found that to be absolutely brilliant. And I can promise you I changed my mind on whether or not the ends justified the means here several times throughout the book. 

You've also got this nature vs. nuture thing going on to some extent. Shakti is raised to abhor violence but she rebels against that almost as soon as she's old enough to say "Fuck this noise". Whereas Ashoka is not only surrounded by it he is subject to it. So is Ashoka inherently good while Shakti is not? It's an interesting question for certain. 

In terms of world building, pacing, etc, this was really well done as well. The magic systems were interesting, especially since we still have no idea what the collective means, how it works, why it even exists, etc. While it was not completely unique or original, I think it's a system that could be utilized more often. Carrying your ancestors around inside of your subconscious would definitely carry a pretty hefty price tag. The Minor and Great Spirits were reminiscent of Princess Mononoke, and I really loved that. 

My one complaint was that I think Ashoka's absolute dedication to not cross his own moral boundaries to the point where he misses opportunities to undermine his cruel siblings happened way too often and for little things I believe he should have comprised on. He would have got his way faster (and this is clearly what I was talking about earlier in terms of its up to the reader to interpret), not to mention saved lives. And to be fair, there were many times it felt like the only reason he adhered to this strict moral code was simple spite, which, while totally valid, I think it went a bit too far. 

I definitely recommend this one. It's one of those books that there is a distinct possibility that every character is the bad guy to a certain extent. For me, this is a reflection of how humanity truly is. Plus, as I've said a few times, it's up to the reader to make that determination, and that oddly feels like a heavy burden to bear for some fictional characters. 

As always thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the eArc!