Content Warning: This section discusses anti-LGBTQ bias, colonial and sexist violence and discrimination, physical and emotional abuse, murder, nonconsensual drugging and addiction, and the killing of children.

In The Jasmine Throne, power is both a weapon and a curse, and even characters with noble intentions tend to go astray when they wield power. Those in positions of authority become morally compromised or wholly corrupted by their power. The character who exemplifies this is Emperor Chandra, who uses violence and oppression to maintain control over his empire. However, Chandra’s corruption is both political and ideological. He believes that his authority is divinely ordained, and his atrocities have a religious justification. In the novel, religious structures are deeply intertwined with political power, and the corruption of one bleeds into the other. The empire’s religious practices uphold the emperor’s authority while also enforcing patriarchal control over women’s bodies.

Yet this corruption is not limited to Chandra. Although Malini is a victim of her brother’s cruelty, her character arc is touched by the insidious lure of power while she seeks to escape her fate and reclaim control. She manipulates those around her, using their loyalty and emotions to further her goals.