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!)

An explosive return that’s just as good as the first book “Jasmine Throne”. Full of love, pining, and betrayal.

There were plenty of twists both anticipated and unanticipated. Dare I say this one was more heart wrenching than the predecessor. With a new big bad in the midst I can’t wait for the next one!

The Oleander Sword by Tasha Suri is a sapphic adult fantasy like no other! The first of The Burning Kingdoms Trilogy, The Jasmine Throne, was among my fave reads last year and is an absolutely gorgeous Indian-inspired epic fantasy. It jumps between multiple POVs, including ruthless and ambitious women who will do anything to protect the ones they love…or to seize power and reclaim their identities.

There is epic nature-based magic and spiritual powers described in such vivid detail. Fans of Avatar:The Last Airbender and of She Who Became the Sun would love this series! The world is so well fleshed out that I am utterly transported into Priya and Malini’s world.

This second book has even more world-building with the Yaksa and the rot, military plots, monks, political maneuvers and betrayals. And MORE sapphic tension!?? I devoured this book and cannot wait for the final one!!

Thank you @netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.