This did not disappoint after book 1 already proved to be a solid start to the series! Action-packed and rich in narration of the character's interior, this was a page-turner from start to finish!!! I love a good political fantasy & this one takes the cake.

Much like in book one, the switch between the multiple pov's is perceived to be a little frustrating at times. While the side characters's views were supposed to add to the depth of the story, I think the plot does not necessarily need to rely on this in order to work!

The prophecy of the nameless god—the words that declared Malini the rightful empress of Parijatdvipa—has proven a blessing and curse. She is determined to claim the throne that fate offered her. But even with rage in her heart and the army of loyal men by her side, deposing her brother is going to be a brutal and bloody fight.

The power of the deathless waters flows through Priya’s blood. Now a thrice born priestess and an Elder of Ahiranya, she dreams of seeing her country rid of the rot that plagues it: both Parijatdvipa's poisonous rule, and the blooming sickness that is spreading through all living things. But she doesn’t yet understand the truth of the magic she carries.

Their chosen paths once pulled them apart. But Malini and Priya's souls remain as entwined as their destinies. And saving their kingdom from those who would rather see it burn will come at a terrible price.

Rate : 4 out of 5
Thoughts : It's a solid, very solid installment after the first book. Highly recommend!
Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy!

The Oleander Sword is the sequel to The Jasmine Throne and it couldn't get published fast enough. I'm thrilled that this world and these characters are going to live on in yet another book, and that one can't come fast enough either. The world that the author has created is so unique and rich. You are immediately drawn in and you can't escape. High fantasy at it's best with a vengeful princess and priestess with great power, magic, political intrigue, and romance. I highly recommend you pick up the first book, and I promise you'll devour all of them in short order.

THIS is how you write a sequel. Just building off of the brilliant worldbuilding of The Jasmine Throne, Suri kept barreling on the momentum she established and my god that pace, the journey, the FEELINGS. Absolutely can't wait for the third book!

Overall: <i> Special thanks to NetGalley and Orbit for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. </i>


<b> Content warnings: gore, violence</b>

<b> Rep: SLOW BURN, sapphic, morally grey MCs, political intrigue </b>

<b> Thoughts </b>
Where is book 3??? I need it yesterday. I'm so upset at myself for not reading this sooner!!!

This book just might be my favorite of this year. I took forever to finally start it and I regret everything second that I put off reading this. Oh my god I literally cannot wait for book 3.

This sequel was everything I was hoping for and more! The story Suri weaves elevates everything she set the stage for in The Jasmine Throne. I appreciated how the multitude of character perspectives helped further the character development and laced the story together.

A stunning follow up to The Jasmine Throne, just as rich and complex and simply delicious to devour. Absolutely adored it, and that explosive ending! Instantly impatient to get my hands on the next book.

This was a solid sequel in this Indian inspired epic fantasy series. The second volume resolved many of my small quibbles with the first book. I appreciated that this book had less emphasis on romance while focusing more on narrative progression and character development.

*eARC provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

The amounts of times I wanted to google the events in the Age of Flowers cause it felt like real history but couldn't because it came from Tasha Suri's mind... she writes so well.

Scared and excited for book 3.

This book was such an amazing read and I had a lot of fun reading it. My friends and I actually did a buddy read. Highly recommend!

This is like a better Game of Thrones. The setting is southeast Asian with vibrant religions, complex relationships within families and between rules, and a fairly epic love story. The plot in this book follows Malini as she works to defeat her cruel brother, the Ahiranyi people as they fight for their own freedom, and various other contingents who are often pawns in other people's successes and failures.
There were some point of views that I found less necessary than others, but with such a spanning story, I enjoyed the way the different insights led to a better overall story. And the ending of this book was fairly epic!

Another sequel, another hit! THE OLEANDER SWORD, the sequel to The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri, emerges with a beautiful opening that gently places us right back into the world. Suri's wiritng is impeccable and breathtaking, like being bathed in warm milk and rising with wings. The plot is slow-going but not in a bad way and with tons of political intrigue and unexpected moments. Plus, the intricate character work makes you savor the journey. THE OLEANDER SWORD nicely expands the magic system and introduces a new and scarier conflict. While The Jasmine Throne was unarguably Priya's book, THE OLEANDER SWORD is most definitely Malini's and I loved it! I also appreciated that Priya and Malini are not irrational in their pining for one another; they have clear goals separate from one another and they weigh these goals with equal gravity to their feelings towards one another.

3.5 Stars - While I love the first book in this series and will still be reading the third, this one did not draw me in as much, and I found the pacing slightly more meandering than I would have liked. As always, Suri’s writing itself and her ability to create a strong sense of atmosphere are superb, and I remain completely attached to her two oh-so-memorable (and powerful) leading ladies.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

Exceptionally written. I will read anything by Tasha Suri. She takes Fantasy to a whole other level for me and other readers.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me free access to the digital advanced copy of this book.

I'm sorry but if Priya wanted to crush my windpipe with her bare hands, I would simply let her.
you and I aren't the same.

Incredible follow-up to an incredible book. Could not recommend more. It has such an enticing, vivid universe and characters.

DNF 31% in.

I generally have trouble keeping track of names, and the dizzying array of point-of-view characters made it too difficult to continue, especially in combination with the slow pacing. It makes it feel like too many people are talking and nothing is happening. Even the very brief battle wasn't enough to help. I tried to read it for two months but it started feeling like a chore so I stopped.

“You must know that power is a magic like any other. It demands sacrifice.”

This series is undeniably god-tier fantasy. The Burning Kingdoms is an Indian-inspired series about morally grey lesbians fighting back against patriarchy and the evils of empire while also falling in love, written with beautifully evocative prose. I’ve been obsessed with THE JASMINE THRONE since I read it last summer and THE OLEANDER SWORD has been one of my most anticipated releases of 2022. Now I’ve been utterly destroyed by the second book and honestly, I would gladly do it all over again.

Suri has braided together politics, faith, ambition, love, and loyalty into a twisting, captivating story, playing off the pieces set in book one, ratcheting up the odds in the final chapters of book two, before finishing with a heart-stopping ending that’s a perfect setup for an epic book three. I’m not going to get into plot specifics to avoid spoilers but I love how she builds on themes of power and family and sacrifice, leaning into the messy and the complex, pushing her characters to their individual extremes and elevating the odds for everyone. There were some plot points I guessed from the foreshadowing and others that were a total surprise and had me screaming. Malini and Priya are as fierce and stabby and lovable as ever, and I cannot wait to read more of their story.

It’s such a joy to read an unapologetically feminist series with a full South Asian cast, where the characters are allowed to be their glorious complicated selves, where imperialism is explored but whiteness doesn’t dominate, where women have their vengeance against infuriating and insufferable men, where queer love blooms powerfully in secret intimacy. It’s brilliant and thought-provoking and absolutely gorgeous to boot. Inject Suri’s writing into my veins and I will die happy. Thanks to Orbit Books for the eARC! Now the intolerable wait for book three begins!

Content warnings: many kinds of violence, death, suicidal ideation/completed suicide