what did i just read

"I hope it wasn’t too traumatic." Tasha Suri says in the acknowledgments... Well, I have never been more traumatized in my life.

This book contained the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. It made me the happiest person on earth and the saddest at the same time.

If you thought The Jasmine Throne waw great, oh you're in for a treat. Tasha Suri steps it up about 100 notches in this one. The Oleander Sword truly had me on the edge of my seat the entire book.

In book one, I had many questions about the world and why it was the way it was, but I read this, and it just clicked. There was literally a light bulb moment halfway where it all made sense. A genius wrote this book, I am telling you.

Priya and Malini. It hurts. There was a terrible sense of foreboding throughout the novel. They really are THAT morally grey power couple.

OH bhumika! rao! their point of views I love. Especially Rao, him finding himself and his path this book was great. Someone give that boy a break. Bhumika's pov was genius. Her relationship with Jeevan was a work of art.

How many times can I say that I love this book without getting annoying? I don't think I can wait long enough for book three.

3.5

I feel like I need to start this review by saying that, though I enjoyed The Jasmine Throne, I was not obsessed with it. As a result, I was much less invested in The Oleander Sword than I needed to be to overlook all of my problems with it. The book gets a full .5 stars back just because I love Tasha Suri's writing. Even though I didn't enjoy the plot I enjoyed the reading experience.

The main problem that I had with this book is the pacing. The book covers (almost) an entire revolution and yet it felt like nothing was happening. The chapters are filled with internal reflection and repetitive conversations. Even the attempts at romantic tension didn't land for me. Things do pick up towards the end and I enjoyed the direction the story seems to be going.

I already struggled with all of the random POVs in the Jasmine Throne and they were even worse in The Oleander Sword. I understand how they could be seen as a way to expand the story and show the many different lives that were impacted by the conflict. But instead, they spread the story too thin, broke the tension of the scenes with the main characters, and made the story more confusing. I understand why Rao and even Chandra's chapters were included, but the random chapters for the maids, other princes, or soldiers should have been taken out. If they don't end up becoming important, the addition of their perspectives just distracts and confuses the reader.

I was highly anticipating the inclusion of politics and battle strategy in book two. Though these were definitely the parts I enjoyed the most, I still don't think they were done particularly well. The siege of the High Prince's fortress was a major plot point of the book but I don't even understand why it was so important. None of the battles that are used to justify Malini's status as a "brilliant strategist" are actually included in the book. The battles that are included are either over in a page or are completed entirely off-page. To be brutally honest it felt like Tasha Suri either didn't want to or didn't know how to write military conflict. Malini's military struggle against her brother, the reigning emperor, is the main plot of the book. And yet the way it was resolved was so unsatisfying I wanted to stop reading.

I was far more interested in Bhumika's chapters and the various major developments that happened in her chapters. And yet these moments were treated as a subplot. To keep it vague and avoid spoilers, the way that the magic is expanded on and explored in this book was enchantingly creepy. There were chapters that literally made me nauseous they were so effective. I suspect that these points will become more important in book three, but that depends on whether Priya gets the spotlight she deserves or if we continue to focus on the disastrous evolution of Malini's character.

Other than slowing the pacing of the book, the other main problem I had with the additional POVs is that they really took away from Priya and Malini. Priya was really sidelined in this book and it felt like she spent the whole time acting as a supporting character to either Bhumika or Malini. Because of this I honestly (and don't hate me for saying this) wasn't rooting for the romance for most of the book. The ending between them was really powerful which gives me hope for book three, but Priya deserved better than to spend the whole book pining.

Malini. I was so frustrated with Malini for the entire book. The main problem is that we are constantly TOLD that she is this badass, blessed empress who is a genius battle strategist and so much better than her brothers. But nothing that happened in the book made me believe that. She makes almost no decisions about the war she is leading. I realize that she was fighting to gain control of her generals for a large part of the book but all we see is her complaining about the plans other people are making. With all of her promises of a better future to the people following her, she seemed more naive than clever. Her chapters are incredibly repetitive as she reassures herself and those around her that she is destined to rule or comments on how people wouldn't treat her the way they do if she were a man. I genuinely cannot tell if Malini is faithful or not. Even in her own internal dialogue she acts like every move she makes is destined by the mothers and yet it doesn't fit her character to believe in fate. Her "show no emotion" act was so convincing that I was consistently thrown off when she showed any kind of sentiment toward Priya. In an effort to create a multifaceted, morally grey character Malini became contradictory and difficult to root for.

Neither Malini nor Priya shone in this book but I did find myself attached to new side characters. Sima was a fantastic companion to Priya, and I really hope we see more of her in book three. I also loved all of Malini's court ladies. Bhumika is somewhere between a side character and a main character and I honestly didn't like her in The Jasmine Throne. But her chapters were my favorite part of this book and I loved Jeevan and Ganam. I love Rao so much but the whole plot line between him and Aditya felt so unnecessary. I want better for him in book three but I have also never been more sure that a character was going to die in a final battle.

This is a very long rant review because I am incredibly disappointed that I did not love The Oleander Sword. As I said earlier, if I had been fully invested in the book and the romance I could have looked past these flaws. But the slow start really made me focus on all of the flaws. Though I think it lost its way as many middle books often do, I am optimistic for the final installment in this series and still highly recommend this series.

Thank you NetGalley, Orbit, and Tasha Suri for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is an interesting book full of a detailed world and unique characters. This is such a unique series and I devoured this book quickly. Fantasy fans and fans of the first novel will love this one!

4.75 ⭐️ rounded up I think is what I’ve settled on. There were so many fun twists and turns and the nature magic was on an entirely different level with this one…like hit damn. The only thing was this was a lot more action/army focused than the creepy temple vibes of book 1 which I liked just slightly less. Regardless this series is a hidden gem in adult epic fantasy and has one of the most compelling romance subplots in an epic fantasy I’ve read in ages and I am scared for my girls with where book 3 is headed.

Tasha Suri can do no wrong for me. She has such a way with character writing while also being able to create such a deep and complex world. I beg anyone to give her a try if you are craving something wholeheartedly unique and original. For anyone desperate for Sapphic romance with women who aren’t afraid to cut, please please read.

A great sequel for the already amazing "Jasmine Throne", can't wait to see where Suri will take the story next.

The Oleander Sword was absolutely fabulous. Tasha Suri is a gift, and this book is no exception to what we know to expect from the author.

-I thought The Jasmine Throne was just an okay read, but I wanted to give this book a shot
-All the characters felt similar and it was hard to differentiate between the characters and remember who is who and how they are tied to things
-I was really bored

TASHA SURI I LOVE YOU. THE OLEANDER SWORD IS EVERYTHING. I NEED BOOK 3 IN MY HANDS IMMEDIATELY.


I have no criticisms, but I have seen people say that this installment suffered from middle book syndrome. I personally did not feel that way, but can see why others did. 11/10 stars.

Yearning and suspense by the bucketload in the Burning Kingdoms' second instalment



Last year, I said that The Jasmine Throne was one of the strongest in an impressive year of diverse fantasy, introducing a new fantasy world full of history, intrigue and queer yearning. Now, we get to see how the story continues in The Oleander Sword, and this time both the yearning and the suspense have been turned up as high as they can go. Spoilers are ahead for the first book of the series, and it's very much worth starting there if you haven't already.

Like the first volume, The Oleander Sword largely follows the intertwined journey of two women, both of whom now occupy powerful roles in their respective lands. Malini, the imprisoned princess of The Jasmine Throne, has received a prophecy and declared herself empress in opposition to her despotic younger brother's rule, and now marches on said brother with support from several of the kingdoms that make up the empire of Parijatdvipa. In the former Empire territory of Ahiranya, former maid Priya has also come into an inheritance, becoming the first Elder in a generation and gaining the magic needed to turn back the Rot, a sickness which still threatens to overrun her people. For Malini, the rise to power is welcome but comes with the frustration of trying to keep the loyalty of men as a woman in a highly patriarchal society; for Priya, political leadership is an unwanted challenge, mostly left to her fellow elder and temple sister Bhumika while she takes a more hands-on approach to Ahiranya's problems.

Despite going their separate ways, and taking their countries down potentially conflicting paths, Priya and Malini are of course still obsessed with each other, and it doesn't take long for the understated but ill-advised personal letters to start. Once that boundary has been crossed, and with a difficult siege lowering the morale of her army and casting doubt on her prophesised leadership, it's a small step for Malini to call Priya to her side, and ask for her help in battle so that she can enact her promise of Ahiranya's future freedom. If there wasn't tension dripping off every page every time these women think about each other, Priya's answer would be an obvious "no thanks", but, of course, she's easily enough convinced. Within the first act, then, Suri reunites her would-be lovers and leaves the fate of Ahiranya to be told largely through the eyes of Bhumika, with a broader cast of occasional POV characters brought in to round out the storytelling gaps.

Almost immediately, the story in Ahiranya takes a turn for the pant-wettingly terrifying, as the resurgence of magic brought about by Priya and Bhumika ends up having unexpected consequences. I think it's better to go into this section unspoiled about the details, and so I'll talk around what exactly happens here, but there's a progression of the body horror elements from the Rot, an illness which causes people to grow progressively more plants on themselves until they are all plant. The idea of people sprouting flower buds and mossy growths is unpleasant enough, but it's taken to the next level when the origin of the illness and its intended purpose is explained. The events in Ahiranya also make us reconsider any views we might hold about the land being a straightforward underdog to Parijatdvipa's unjust rule: while there's no justification made for colonisation or prejudice, the events of the book also confront us with the shortcomings of backward-looking restoration, especially when the past one is trying to restore is not a well remembered one. Bhumika's storyline here is heartbreaking and offers her very little to celebrate, as she comes up against forces that are far, far beyond her own power.

Priya is cut off from her homeland, so its problems don't reach her for the bulk of The Oleander Sword. Instead, she joins Malini and is thrown into her own political quandry as other leaders treat her with everything from grudging acceptance to outright hostility due to her heritage and her magic. The pair are at their best when they are supporting each other through the challenges of patriarchy, and while The Oleander Sword doesn't close the gap between their overall goals, Priya's higher status as an Elder does bring greater equality to their relationship, even if her power is rarely exercised and goes mostly unrecognised by the men around them. Make no mistake, though, the real leveller is how often both of them think about that time they kissed during The Jasmine Throne, and how much they both want to do it again. The fact that the pair of them are in the middle of an army is brought up as an impediment to further kissing right up until it isn't any more, and if this feels a little convenient, let me reassure you that both of these disaster lesbians have plenty of ways to make new impediments to kissing all on their own, and oh boy do they ever make things complicated by the time everything has played out.

All the elements that make Suri's fantasy writing so interesting are on display here, particularly her depiction of how women wield power in patriarchal societies and particularly how they do so around norms that separate out the two genders. It's particularly satisfying to watch the men around Malini make jokes about how they'll have to bring their daughters to court instead of marrying them off, assuming that this will just be a different way of using daughters to serve their personal interests, only for one such daughter to immediately display political ambitions of her own and side against her father's betrayal. Malini's own power rests on a prophecy from the Mothers, a deified group of immolated women whose blessing could be twisted to "require" her own death, if certain religious authorities have their way. Priya, gets both the freedom and the prejudice of being a total outsider, with power that can't be taken away but can be dismissed and used to invoke disgust. It doesn't help that - surprise! - the Rot has left the borders of Ahiranya and the kind of magic Priya wields is now linked to a very immediate threat for the rest of Parijatdvipa, rather than a generations-ago conflict. Throw in some grappling with the limitations and drawbacks of that power, and you've got some great tension right there. With added dread, because oh god these plant powers, where are they going to lead, nowhere good it seems.

The Oleander Sword doesn't conclude so much as it sets up the pieces for its final volume. Will anyone kiss in that one? Maybe, but not without even more emotions, and perhaps a giant battle for the future of the entire world playing out in the background. If that sounds good, then I'll see you there.

I loved this sequel! This was a really great and captivating sequel to "The Jasmine Throne." I thought that the world was extremely well built on, and the characters were also super well developed. The tension in this book was great, and the emotions were very realistic. As with the first book, I had a great time reading this, and loved the characters and the politics. Tasha Suri's writing is beautiful. and I can't wait for the next one!

There was no disappointment or second-book syndrome here!! If anything, I enjoyed this book more!! Tasha Suri’s prose is beautiful, and she was able to captivate me as a reader by keeping me intrigued in the story. Malini and Priya’s forbidden love also holds enough angst that was well written without it being agitating

another thing I liked about this book is that I was able to find it a lot easier to follow the changing POVs since there is a large cast of characters. in THE JASMINE THRONE, I often felt confused by the number of people and I had to keep track of who was who as the POVs shifted. here, however, it was much easier

to Tasha Suri, NetGalley, and Orbit Books, thank you very much for letting me read an ARC of THE OLEANDER SWORD!!

Overall rating: 4.75 ⭐️

I love this series. The second installment in particular did so much - to the characters, to the world, and it tied it all in such a shocking in ending! I can't believe I have to wait months before the third book. So many emotions felt and the romance in this book is still one of my favourites. Highly recommend it!

Malini has claimed herself empress, and Priya serves as an Elder of Ahiranya. But Malini must fight for her throne and her path is unsure. Priya's magic barely staves off the rot blooming around Ahiranya. But when Malini calls for Priya, Priya comes. And Bhumika is alone when the unimaginable happens.

The Oleander Sword raises the stakes of the first book and moves the plot along, worthy goals of any second volume in a series. But it's still a sequel, and sequels are hard to read. I hesitate to evaluate what appears to be the middle book in what's likely a trilogy— only reading the third (and final?) volume will confirm if the questions raised in this one get a satisfying answer. But we see quite a lot of character development and world building in this one, so I think the third volume is set-up for success.

And that cover is EXQUISITE.

I unfortunately decided to DNF this. I thought the first book was okay, but decided to continue with the series, but it’s just not for me right now.

This was a perfect sequel to the Jasmine Throne. It ended in a place that felt like a good conclusion for this book while also leaving me in suspense waiting for the next installment of this series. As always, Tasha Suri’s writing style is lush and beautiful, and I was in awe of how complex but also clean the plot was. While I felt the Jasmine Throne was a little unfocused due to the amount of POV characters, this book balances them all perfectly and made me love the first book even more.

The Oleander Sword brings the reader back into the rich Indian-inspired world of the Burning Kingdoms.

It begins where the first book ended, with Malini embarking on war against her brother while finding her footing as Empress. Meanwhile, Priya, now an Elder and thrice-born from the deathless waters, leads alongside Bhumika as they try to manage the rot plaguing Ahiranya’s land and people.

Although they are leaders of regions with contentious relations, Malini and Priya’s lives will cross again in their efforts to save their kingdoms.

This complex fantasy has multiple POVs that really help to give a full scope of the empire’s activities. Although Malini, Priya, and Bhumika tell the bulk of the story. Malini’s character development was exceptional. There is no easy path for her. She’s definitely my favourite.

I read the first book in this trilogy recently and must say I enjoyed this second instalment a lot more. The first book set the scene, but this one expanded the world-building. Not only does the reader get to see more of the empire, but there’s also more information revealed about the yaksa and the rot.

There is some action, but it mostly focuses on the characters and the difficult choices they must make to save their people.

I cannot wait for the third and final instalment. I highly recommend this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book was a bit more slow-paced than the first of the trilogy, but I really enjoyed the way it further built the world of The Jasmine Throne and how it dove into the politics of war. I especially liked the expansion of the yaksa plotline. I also loved the way Priya and Malini were developed both as individual characters and as two people in a complicated love story. It felt much darker overall than The Jasmine Throne did, and did not shy away from the horrors that are inevitable in a conflict such as this one, making it much more emotionally heavy in my opinion. It also wove together the different points of view and different storylines in a way that made everything feel connected, perhaps more so than the first book of the series. I am already itching to read the third book and cannot wait to find out how this trilogy will end!

content warnings: death, violence, plague-like disease, war

The best books are those whose characters grip you; you keep turning pages and are committed to determining who will live and survive. Tasha Suri accomplished this in the Jasmine Throne's first book and exceeded expectations with the Oleander Throne. She dove in and reintroduced us to our main character, Empress Malini, no longer caged and politically navigating her way to Hassinger. And Priya, an Elder of Ahiranya, has finally reclaimed her country.

Highly recommend this if you're looking for: Fantasy, Deep World Building, Queer Characters, Enemies to Lovers, Fuck Around -> Find Out, Anti-Colonial Vibes

Why 5 Stars?
- The compelling plot must compete with the character growth as each chapter passes. The development is perfectly paced. Suri pulls the strings of the story together, continuing to world-build a complex universe since the War of Flowers.
- Priya and Malini are tied together, and both are committed to seeing their separate countries find peace with new leadership. The path they take there is initially different. As they parallel each other, we can see Malini's cruelty to the people in her life from the beginning. While Priya has been open and engaging must now put herself in new shoes.
- Side characters fleshed the story out and pulled at your heartstrings. I loved Rao, Bhumika, Ashok. But moreover, I loved how each character told an important story that shows how complex the world is (even the gods). Bhumika offered the perspective of a mother, an elder, and someone in touch with leadership. Rao, a fellow prince, was a compelling supporting character who felt queerly masculine.

Thanks to Orbit books, Tasha Suri, and Netgalley for the ARC.

!!!! This book is SO GOOD, y’all. The political plotting, the creepy magic, the tension between Priya and Malini: amazing. I love Malini’s merciless scheming so much. The rare example of a second book in a trilogy that doesn’t sag. (WHAT a cliffhanger, though!)