Review: The Ivory Key by Akshaya Raman

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.

Vira is desperate to get out of her mother’s shadow and establish her legacy as a revered queen of Ashoka. But with the country’s only quarry running out of magic–a precious resource that has kept Ashoka safe from conflict–she can barely protect her citizens from the looming threat of war. And if her enemies discover this, they’ll stop at nothing to seize the last of the magic.

Vira’s only hope is to find a mysterious object of legend: the Ivory Key, rumored to unlock a new source of magic. But in order to infiltrate enemy territory and retrieve it, she must reunite with her siblings, torn apart by the different paths their lives have taken. Each of them has something to gain from finding the Ivory Key–and even more to lose if they fail. Ronak plans to sell it to the highest bidder in exchange for escape from his impending political marriage. Kaleb, falsely accused of assassinating the former maharani needs it to clear his name. And Riya, a runaway who cut all family ties, wants the Key to prove her loyalty to the rebels who want to strip the nobility of its power.

They must work together to survive the treacherous journey. But with each sibling harboring secrets and their own agendas, the very thing that brought them together could tear apart their family–and their world–for good.

• Title: The Ivory Key
• Author:  Akshaya Raman
• Publisher: Clarion Books
• Genre: YA Fantasy 
• Targeted Age Range: YA
• Content Warnings: Content Warnings: graphic descriptions of dead bodies (specifically on page 1 & Chapter 6), high volume of discussion of grief and loss, death of family members (specifically parents–the deaths occur off page but are discussed throughout), recovering from trauma, blood, violence, emotional manipulation, alcohol, discussion of identity policing/microaggressions directed toward a biracial character, allusions to human experimentation, discussions of war/an invading country  (Source: the author)
• Rating: ★★★★

After suffering through a reading slump for the past few months, The Ivory Key by Akshaya Raman was the perfect book to get me backing into the swing of things. This YA fantasy is interesting, compelling and perfectly paced, which makes it a great pick for those searching for their next read. The Ivory Key is the first in an Indian-inspired fantasy duology that has a well thought out magic system, worldbuilding for days, and a family dynamic that is super interesting. In fact, the family dynamics and relationships were  some of the things I loved the most about The Ivory Key, but more about that later.

The Ivory Key is set in the world of Ashoka, where magic is a fundamental key to functioning. Due to the dwindling magic supply, taxes are increased and people are left struggling to make ends meet as the cost of living gets higher. Vira, the Queen of Ashoka, must find a way to help her people, and quickly. Which is where the elusive myth of the ivory key comes in. The ivory key is rumoured to open long lost quarries of magic, which would refresh the dwindling magic supply in Ashoka and bring prosperity back to the country. The only issue is that the key is hidden behind a series of puzzles, and not many people know how to solve them. The world of Ashoka is filled with lush lore and marvellous intrigue, which left me wanting more and more as the novel progressed. In fact, the last part of the book where the siblings are outside the standard realm of Vira’s kingdom was one of my favourite parts of the book, and Raman wrote the jungle so descriptively. It almost felt as if I were along for the adventure, too.

The book is told through four points-of-view, and each of them were wonderful to read. Each of the siblings in this story brought an interesting perspective, and I loved seeing how their motivations to retrieve the same item differed immensely. It made for such an interesting dynamic knowing they all wanted the same item, the ivory key, but for different reasons. And yet, they are forced to work together to find the lost item, and navigate how their decisions and motivations impact the others. Raman writes our band of protagonists beautifully, it’s almost hard to pick a favourite. Our story follows Vira, Ronak, Kaleb, and Riya as they all try to find the ivory key for their own benefit, while keeping secrets from the other siblings. A lot of Ronak’s motivations are fuelled by the desire to free his brother from prison, where he is being kept after being falsely accused and convicted of their mother’s murder. In comparison to Riya, who was motivated by the desire to help the people struggling in their country. It was super interesting to see who would end up siding with who, and how that influenced their choices made throughout the book. At its core, The Ivory Key is a story about family, and I loved them all so much.

That being said, I loved reading about Riya, and how she navigated returning to a life of royalty after running away two years prior. Riya returns to the palace after spending two years with an outlawed group, The Ravens, who steal from the rich to give to the poor. Seeing how she immediately adapts her way of life to fit back into palace politics was fascinating, and I loved seeing how her unexplained disappearance impacted her relationship with her siblings. They were very hesitant to trust Riya to begin with, but eventually warmed up, which I loved seeing. Raman writes the conflicting morals between Riya and The Ravens so well, and it was interesting that it was yet another obstacle between Riya and regaining the trust of her family. After all, Riya had to break several laws that her sister, the Queen, imposed in order to feel as if she was doing good to the people. I loved the dynamic between Vira and Riya so much, I cannot wait to see how it further develops.

I also loved the relationship between Kaleb and Ronak progress through the novel. All of the decisions Ronak makes allows him to continue to develop his plan to break Kaleb out of prison, and allow them to live a free life away from Ahsoka. His motivations are very interesting due to Kaleb’s own distaste for it, and his own desire to be left alone. Their relationship goes through a lot throughout the book. I loved seeing how their loyalty to each other shifts as the story developed. In my opinion, it made the book all that more intriguing, especially considering how consequential Ronak’s decisions are. Overall, I loved reading both of their points of view, and I eagerly wait to be able to read more of it.

Personally, I thought the plot of the book was easy to follow, and Raman has a beautiful writing style. I loved the lush descriptions, and it truly felt as if every tiny detail provided was essential to the plot. Raman carefully constructed an interesting world that I think will become a huge favourite of those who pick this book up. I already cannot wait for the second book just to revisit the land of Ashoka, and all the intrigue that lies there. I think this book is perfect for those who are fans of young adult fantasy, and for those who are looking for a story that isn’t like others we have seen. 

This book is inspired heavily by Indian culture, and as I am not Indian, I cannot speak to how accurate the representation is. Vee from veereading writes an excellent review of this book, and I will continue to add more reviews as they are found.

Happy reading! 

Links for The Ivory Key: Goodreads | TheStoryGraph | Bookshop | IndieBound