The Ivory Key
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Based on 1 review
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that The Ivory Key is the first book in a duology fantasy by Akshaya Raman. It takes place in Ashoka, a country the author models after ancient India, but with magic. The story opens with the discovery of a dead body riddled with arrows. There are kidnappings and imprisonments and a man is stabbed with cobra venom. Nothing gets gory, but one arrow wound bleeds so much that a character passes out. Other content is mild: some drinking among older teens at social gatherings, "s--t" is uttered, and there are a few kisses exchanged. At the center of The Ivory Key is the story of four estranged royal siblings. They learn the importance of family and to embrace the responsibility they have to protect their country.
Community Reviews
Fun South Asian fantasy with lots of puzzles
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What's the Story?
In THE IVORY KEY, Vira, the maharani of Ashoka, finds the body of her betrothed in the forest covered in poison arrows. Things get worse from there. Vira and her captain of the guard are captured by a gang called the Ravens and she runs into none other than Riya, her estranged sister who ran away two years earlier. Riya returns to her family, but with a motive to help the Ravens and others on the fringes of society. She's going to steal the magic horded by the palace and bring prosperity back. Riya's brother Ronak also plans to steal from his kingdom, but in order to escape with their imprisoned brother, Kaleb. Kaleb was framed for the assassination of their mother and Ronak will do anything to free him, even involve himself with a murderous treasure hunter. Everyone has their secrets, even Vira, who finally confesses to her siblings that the precious magic resource of Ashoka is nearly gone and the country can only survive if they find a mysterious key hidden for centuries that will lead them to a new supply.
Is It Any Good?
Four estranged royal siblings are forced on a treasure hunt together in this exciting, magic-filled world that evokes ancient India. These brothers and sisters have quite a bit of team building to do before they can search for The Ivory Key and save their kingdom. One sister is a runaway living with a gang, one brother is trying to run away after he steals enough money, his twin sister is the maharani who makes bad decisions, and her other brother is the victim of one of those bad decisions, imprisoned for the assassination of the last maharani, a crime he didn't commit. When Vira, the maharani, finally admits to her family that the magic that protects their country is waning, they slowly begin to rely on each other to address the problem. These complicated family dynamics are explored well and you really get a sense that there's hope for them all to be close again.
But enough sibling squabbles, let's get to the treasure hunting! Debut author Akshaya Raman delivers the wonderful backdrops for piecing together one puzzle after another -- tunnels, ruins of monasteries, even whole abandoned underground cities. She also puts some fantastic obstacles in their way, both human and magical. And there's a deadline to get there: solstice, of course. Raman could have gone much bigger here, she could have lingered on puzzles and scenes and made her puzzles even more difficult to solve -- she wouldn't have lost her readers. Even though this part is rushed, it still sets up the finale well and leaves some pretty curious questions to ponder about what's real and not in this world of secret societies and magic.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the four royal siblings in The Ivory Key. Why are they estranged? What brings them together? How does honest communication help them come together? In what ways can you be a better communicator with your own family members?
A common theme in young adult books is forging a path separate from your parents, even when it's hard. How does Vira eventually do this? What other young adult books can you think of that tackle this subject well?
Will you read the finale of this duology? What did the characters learn at the very end of their quest that will be important in Book 2?
Book Details
- Author: Akshaya Raman
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Princesses, Fairies, Mermaids, and More, Adventures, Brothers and Sisters
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Clarion Books
- Publication date: January 4, 2022
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 12 - 18
- Number of pages: 384
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Award: Common Sense Selection
- Last updated: April 1, 2022
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