The Prince Without Sorrow, Maithree Wijesekara
The Prince Without Sorrow, Maithree Wijesekara
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The Prince Without Sorrow
Book One of the Obsidian Throne

Author: Maithree Wijesekara

Series: Obsidian Throne #1

Narrator: Aasiya Shah, Kishore Walker

Unabridged: 12 hr 10 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: HarperAudio

Published: 03/18/2025


Synopsis

Drawing on inspiration from the Mauryan Empire of Ancient India, debut author Maithree Wijesekara plunges readers into the first amazing book of the Obsidian Throne trilogy, a new fantasy series of hunted witches, romantic angst, and political intrigue. Perfect for fans of The Hurricane Wars and The Jasmine Throne.A prince born into violence, seeking peace.Prince Ashoka is the youngest son of the tyrannical Emperor Adil Maurya. Considered an outcast by his father for his rejection of the emperor’s brutal onslaught against the witches of the empire, Ashoka longs for change. When the sudden and unexpected death of his father leaves the monarchy in disarray, Ashoka is sent to govern a tumultuous region annexed by Emperor Adil that is terrorized by nature spirits—a task many see as doomed to fail. Suspected by a disdainful governor and evaded by distrustful witches, Ashoka must question his rigid ideals and fight against becoming the one person he despises the most—his father.A witch shackled by pacifism, seeking revenge.Shakti is a mayakari: a witch bound by a pacifist code. After witnessing the murder of her aunt and village at the hands of the emperor, Shakti hurtles down a path of revenge, casting a curse with unexpected consequences. Posing as a maidservant in the famed palace of the Mauryas and armed with newfound powers beyond her imagination, Shakti attempts to dismantle the monarchy from within by having the royal progeny ruin themselves and turn their father’s legacy into nothing but ash.In a world where nature spirits roam the land, and witches are hunted to extinction, Ashoka and Shakti will be forced to grapple with the consequences of power: to take it for themselves or risk losing it completely.

About Maithree Wijesekara

Maithree Wijesekara is an Australian-Sri Lankan writer based in Melbourne. Graduating with a Master’s degree in Dentistry in 2021, she splits her time between telling people to please brush their teeth, and writing stories inspired by the fantastical and the real world. When she isn’t writing, you can find her attempting to finish her never-ending TBR pile and ingesting unhealthy amounts of coffee. If given the chance, she will slip in a mention of her dearly departed Labrador during conversation.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Sierra on November 14, 2024

I did not enjoy reading this book. The Prince Without Sorrow is set in a world where mayakari (witches) are persecuted endlessly and violently by an evil emperor. The story follows two main characters: Shakti and Ashoka. Shakti is a witch herself who comes into incredible powers that she wants to use......more

Goodreads review by Krystal on February 14, 2025

I liked it, but it also wasn't as memorable as I wanted it to be. Plot: Shakti is a badass (persecuted) witch, and Ashoka a pacifist prince. Naturally their lives entangle. Although not all that much? I expected there to me more interaction between the two, but this book is mainly focused on Ashoka an......more

Goodreads review by Billie's Not So Secret Diary on February 24, 2025

The Prince Without Sorrow by Maithree Wijesekara Obsidian Throne #1 Fantasy NetGalley eARC Pub Date: Mar 18, 2025 Avon/Harper Voyager Ages: 16+ Prince Ashoka is the third child of Emperor Adil Maurya, but he is nothing like his father and wants nothing to do with his father's bloodthirsty war against the pa......more

Goodreads review by Lanie on March 07, 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. Howeve......more

Goodreads review by Kat on February 19, 2025

The Prince without Sorrow is just not an enjoyable book. The writing, while serviceable on the surface, is very surface-level and YA for what is supposed to be an adult fantasy book. The plot is largely based on convenience and coincidence rather than building any stakes. While one of the two story......more