I had listened to The Jasmine Throne audiobook a few months ago and was intrigued to see which direction Tasha Suri would take the story as the trilogy continues. The Oleander Sword builds off of what I loved about the first instalment of the trilogy; an interesting magic system, revenge, forbidden love, and the threat of something larger looming on the horizon. As expected, Suri delivers it all with beautiful prose, which serves to make the heart-wrenching scenes of the book just that much more bittersweet. The one place I found the story lacking, however, was in its pacing. While it makes sense that it would take a large army time to move and prepare for battles, the slow pace made it feel as if little was happening in between. Overall, the book was a great continuation of the story, and I’m looking forward to the next book to see where Suri concludes the trilogy!
*Spoiler*
Especially now that Priya and Malini will be facing the yaksa and the betrayal that has separated them!!

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing me with an eARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley, Tasha Suri and the publisher for the chance to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. I loved The Jasmine Throne, and I was so glad for the chance to read the sequel in this brilliant series.

However, I'm so incredibly saddened to not have the third book right after finishing this gut wrenching, beautiful story. There's so much to unpack. Five stars. The sequel perfectly followed up the first book, and although obviously continued the story, it stood on its own with such tenacity - when some sequels I've read seemed to serve more as a middleman to the third book. I cried, I chuckled, I cheered and I'm left in a haze until I can read the third and final book. The character development was incredible and relatable. The romances were sweet, complex and shows that love is not black and white (especially with power, politics and general well-being at stake).

The religious trauma and themes were very relatable, as it was in the first book, but more developed as the plot thickens. There was so much commentary on sacrifice, familial ties, loyalty, morality, religion, social justice, politics and so many more subjects that explore our humanity. It was so well-written and thought provoking - easily one of my favorite reads. I highly recommend this series, and it should be required reading for fantasy fans. Beautiful.

Please check trigger/content warnings, as this story contains graphic imagery such as gore, torture, violence, religious trauma and other triggering themes.

For fans of She Who Became the Sun, The Poppy War, Six of Crows, Spin the Dawn (just to name a handful).

Def struggled from 2nd book in trilogy syndrome ! BUT bc I believe in it and it’s doing what nothing else is doing I’m giving 5 stars. We need more desk rep, we need more queer rep.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for letting me read an advance copy! All opinions are my own.

If you loved The Jasmine Throne, you will love this even more. WOW. It took me almost an entire month to read the Oleander Sword, and it’s still a hands-down five stars. Before this, I was beginning to think I was in a fantasy slump, but this dragged me right out of it.

Although this book is long and felt it, and was sometimes slow paced, everything that happened felt necessary. More so than the first book, there were two diverging and often seemingly unrelated major plot lines—and watching them slowly come together as the book went on was magnificent. I loved the plot! It’s dark and bloody and war-filled, with more action than the more political first book. It kept me hooked and constantly wondering what was going to happen next. The lore and magic all felt richer and I loved all the new developments. The writing, too, was stunning in and of itself, even more so than the first book.

Malini and Priya’s romance definitely did not disappoint! I’m a sucker for a tragic love story, and watching these two characters who feel so deeply for each other try desperately to find a way to be together when their situations make it virtually impossible hit all the notes I wanted it to. The yearning, the tenderness, the angst—just, wow. Both the other POV characters and the side characters were all so complex and well developed, too, that I ached and cheered for all of them. Even Chandra’s POVs did such an incredible job of showing his thought processes, of showing why he could do the terrible things he did. Having read so many books recently that claim to have morally grey characters but really don’t, it was such a relief to see how flawed and grey even the best of these characters could be.

All in all, I’m beyond impressed. I loved the first book, and despite its density, The Oleander Sword blew that out of the water.

1-5

Women’s purity is overrated. Why aren’t men held to the same standard?

Cardamom tea sounds so delicious for a cold evening. Pickled mango seems like a nice snack. Alas, I'm always hungry.

Enjoying Malini and Priya’s letters to each other. I wonder when they'll get to see each other again.

It pains me greatly to hear about the heart sisters. Why is it that women have to burn? Again, why not men?

Chandra’s attitude is annoying af. Someone was coddled as a child.

Meddling priests are in every religion. Hate them all.

6-10

Yikes. The rot is spreading.

This general is annoying. I get it. You’re in charge of the soldiers. You still have to listen to your empress. How dare they have a council without her?

Deepa is sneaky. Curious to see where this takes her.

Rao's true name. Sweet boy.

Aditya has too much faith in Chandra. His naivety grates.

Bhumika’s daughter is a menace. I do take stock in the phrase let kids be kids. Plenty of time for reigning in your attitude later.

Politics. Polygamy. Ick.

11-15

Oh Priya. Malini wants you there for reasons. 👀

Rukh is my precious baby.

It's always interesting to see a servant's perspective. They hear so much.

I am so over the priests, the high priest most of all.

Something needs to be done about Aditya so that Malini can feel secure in her throne. But at that point, what's to say her "allies" don't just go back to Chandra, just because he's a man?

Parul, CT TK and Dhiren are all new POVs.

16-20

Kritika needs to stop threatening Bhumika. And calling her tainted.

Braving the deathless waters must be so scary. I wonder why some are chosen, while others aren't.

Suppressing a people's language and culture is always wrong.

Sima's loyalty means everything. I hope she never wavers.

I was feeling like this book had middle book syndrome, but Malini's latest chapter may end that. I need a more intense meeting between her and Priya. It is interesting to learn that not all of the priests support Chandra. I knew his fire wasn't magical. I do wonder who this mysterious benefactor is.

I don't trust these newcomers. Bhumika is right to be wary. I fear for Priya's safety if and when she returns.

21-25

I knew Prince Ashutosh would seek retribution for this but it was his men’s fault. Superstitions run deep.

The weird fire? What?

Deepa is cold and calculating. I may have just acquired a new favorite.

26-30

Mahesh is about to get it. Can’t say it’s not deserved.

Malini is really so much nicer than Chandra. Yet she gives me Dany vibes. All hail the queen!

Show them the false fire. Do they believe it?

Not sure what this Rao and Aditya physical fight is about but can we get a visual representation? For reasons?

Rukh is a terrible spy. Choose someone else. Literally anyone else.

The yaksa are insane. Actually.

31-35

Malini was prophesied to kill both of her brothers? Was this just a dream?

Breaking news. The rot is spreading. Shocked.

Wtf is wrong with Ashok and the rest of the elders?

I hate to say this but the Malini/Priya moments are boring me this book. No one is sadder than me.

36-40

I don’t get the owl reference.

Malini isn’t a general. She hasn’t seen war. Is this ambush really a surprise? Still gives me Dany vibes, though. Please don’t ruin her character.

Which yaksa is impersonating Bhumika?

Really not sure how Ashutosh made it out alive. Don’t really care.

Heavy earrings are such a pain. If they stretch your lobes without you wanting them to, what is the point?

Excellent dinner party. Invite me. Just kidding.

41-45

FUCKING FINALLY

A thought. If the false fire can halt Priya's magic, is there any chance it can kill these yaksa? Maybe the other kingdoms aren't wrong. Maybe we don't need another Age of Flowers. This almost pains me to say. Everything has a side.

Can we just let Malini live? Why does every man want her to burn? I do not condone this.

You can't just throw the word wife out and not expect me to get excited!

46-50

Can we trust Kunal? Can we trust anyone? Interesting how he knows Rao.

Instead of burning women, here's an idea. Let's burn Chandra instead. Everyone will be gloriously happy. Well, I will.

Damn. Those high priests show no loyalty.

51-55

Priya has to hollow out her heart? What will this mean for Malini?

There seems to be a lot of controlling in each of these religions. Not a theme I'm particularly fond of.

I will never look at growing flowers the same way.

I knew we couldn't trust Kunal.

Oh, Aditya. I sort of had a feeling this would happen.

56-60

Malini = Daenerys

Chandra = Viserys

And while I have a weird crush on Harry Lloyd, bad wig and all, I understand the need why his character had to die.

I think all of us have been eagerly awaiting Chandra's demise. Is he dying? Is he dead? Can we finish the job, Malini?

Oh.

Why can't my babies Priya and Malini just be happy? Why have you forsaken me?

What just happened? What is this book?

Rukh is a baby. Who gives a baby a baby?

Who tf is Arahli Ara?

The Dany vibes are so strong with this one.

61-62

Well, the prophecies about both brothers came true. Will the others?

--

All in all, while I enjoyed this book, it suffers from middle book syndrome. I'm still quite eager to read book 3.

I was really excited to read the sequel to The Jasmine Throne, as it featured a set of elements I don’t see often enough in high fantasy. And while The Jasmine Throne was a fairly enjoyable read with interesting characters, cool dynamics and a lush new world with its own nuance, The Oleander Sword disappoints in every regard. This book feels like it took some of the strengths of The Jasmine Throne (like the magic system and the worldbuilding) and all the weaknesses (excessive povs, lackluster politicking, etc.) and expanded upon the weaknesses.
Frankly, a lot of the issues I had with this book are issues I have with a lot of fantasy trilogies. This book has some of the biggest second book syndrome I’ve seen. And it affects every part of the book.
Firstly, the characters. In The Jasmine Throne, I found Priya, Malini and Bhumika quite compelling; their individuals stories felt original, interesting and well fleshed out (Bhumika was—and still is—my personal favorite). In this book, the main trio feels … off. The biggest setback in my opinion, in terms of character, is Malini. She has the most mind-numbing arc, and her screentime is essentially her politicking and being the absolute smartest among her impressively incompetent generals and advisors. It quickly gets very irritating to read; she sees through everyone and everything and the only setback is a few characters that make the absolute stupidest decisions that reek of incompetence and beg the question ‘why are you even a general?’. Bhumika follows a similar sort of arc with everyone around her being laughably incompetent compared to her, but her arc is saved by the yaksas, as they present a new danger that makes it feel like Bhumika’s situation has actual stakes. One of the things that got ruined for me in this book was the main sapphic ship—the love story of Priya and Malini, because it starts to feel far too unbalanced and not compelling enough. Priya remains endlessly, unreasonably loyal to Malini, while Malini just… does her thing. I don’t think the development of their relationship was particularly well written, as a result of which the final twist didn’t really pack an emotional punch for me.
I already wasn’t the biggest fan of most side characters in The Jasmine Throne, and the sentiment carried through The Oleander Sword. Rao, Aditya, and the rest of recurring pov characters don’t really offer much; they’re not easy to get attached to and are occasionally very irritating. Chandra seemed like a formidable force in The Jasmine Throne through Malini’s painful memories of him, but in this book, I almost wish Tasha Suri hadn’t given him a pov, because all it did was reveal him as a petulant idiotic child.
The plot dragged quite a bit, and only took up in the second half of the novel. Specifically, Malini’s pov chapters felt slow and irritating because of the way her politicking was written. I did like the direction of the yaksa plotline, because it introduced horror-like elements that were very entertaining to read, and suited Suri’s writing style really well. The book is paced in a way where 80% of the novel is really static, while the last 20% of payoff a lot happens and little of it packs an emotional punch.
I did really enjoy the magical aspects of the novel. The magic system and the new antagonists feel original and interesting and are very entertaining. I loved the eeriness of the yaksas, that was probably my favorite aspect of the whole novel.
Overall, I still enjoyed some aspects of it, and I’m looking forward to see how Bhumika’s character arc unfolds, and I hope the final installment of the trilogy doesn’t disappoint.
Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced reader's copy of The Oleander Sword.

Suri’s The Jasmine Throne was hands-down one of the best fantasy releases to hit shelves in 2021, a doorstopper of a series opener that immediately set up her Burning Kingdoms trilogy as one to keep a close eye on in the fantasy genre space. Set in a fully realized magical world inspired by ancient India, its sprawling, complex story features half a dozen major POV characters and multiple distinct kingdoms with their own clearly defined cultural histories, political hierarchy, and religious practices. (It’s an amazingly rich and lived landscape, is what I’m saying.)

Thanks to the thorough world-building that takes place in Jasmine Throne, Oleander Sword is able to hit the ground running, weaving together the battle for the fate of a kingdom, the future of the series’ central relationship, and the threat of an encroaching magical disease known as the rot into something truly epic in scope. Wrestling with issues of theology, politics, magic, family, and love, this is a sequel that takes everything you loved about the first book in the series and cranks it up to eleven before essentially smashing it on the ground while you watch. (And I mean that in the best possible way.)

*4.5 Stars*

Every one of Suri's books has a long build up and this one was no different. Although much was happening for the second book for the Burning Kingdoms series. The build up is worth it for me in this series. Suri isn't afraid of hurting some feelings and I love that.

The prophecies are being fulfilled, regardless of how the characters' think it will end up. Malini plays political games that are needed to see her where she wants to be; Priya is bound to Malini with reckless and scorning love; Aditya and Rao are trying to serve the Nameless as best they can; Bhumika is doing what an elder can to survive and build up Ahiranya, which seems to be growing stranger by the day. New characters are met and things are going down in this book.

The scene between Malini and Priya in this one??? *chef's kiss*

If you want politics, action, religious wars, enemies to lovers, sapphic rep, south asian rep, and powerful women in many roles, then give this series a whirl!

Disclaimer: I received The Oleander Sword through NetGalley and I'm voluntarily leaving this review.

Malini is still determined to claim the throne as the empress of Parijatdvipa but knows that she has a long journey ahead of her. Not only must she engage with her brother’s forces, but she also must try to keep the men following her in line. Priya is an Elder of Ahiranya and wants to rid the land of the rot that is spreading and plaguing it. She’s torn between her duties and wanting to be near Malini. But when unexpected conflict rises that threatens the world as they know it, they realize they must work together to save everything they care about.

I was so excited to read this work after how much I loved the previous one, but I was a little disappointed. It heavily explored the politics, strategies and battle planning of Malini, Priya, and Bhumika, which made for a slow read overall. Several interesting things still happened in this book, but unfortunately, there were chapters of exposition, inner thoughts, and planning that were not as interesting or engaging as I hoped they would be. The best part of this work was learning more about the yaksa, their role in the world, and all of the lore incorporated surrounding them.

The characters stayed well written, and I enjoyed getting to learn more about some of the secondary characters. Though the cast of characters remained large and even grew some, which at times made it difficult to keep track of exactly who was who. Thankfully, despite the lag in the plot, the characters’ voices and personalities were not lost or lessened.

This book suffers from Middle Book Syndrome in my opinion; It was a good read but didn’t live up to my expectations after the previous book. I still recommend it to those who are reading this series, as the next book promises to be intense. My thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books for allowing me to read and review this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Thank you Orbit Books for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Oleander Sword was a wild ride, with so many twists and turns. In my opinion, sequels need to raise the stakes from book 1 and that's exactly what The Oleander Sword set out to do. The romance between Priya and Malini was enthralling and beautiful. THE PINING! OH MY GOD IT WAS EXCRUCIATING.

The political intrigue had me flipping the pages so fast. The plot was intricate and not overly complicated. I'm so invested in this world and these characters. I can't wait to see how this series ends next year.

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 Orbit for providing me with physical and digital copies to review.

https://booksandwheels.com

Tasha Suri. How could you do this to me.

This book took all my emotions, strung them along, and then slowly and systematically crushed them. And I loved it. I absolutely cannot wait for the next book in the Burning Kingdoms, I NEED to find out what happens to these characters. Words can't describe... Loved it.

Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for the ARC of the book!

4.5 stars

Tasha Suri has become one of the authors I can count on to deliver a solid, well-developed fantasy read. Her characters and worlds are detailed and fleshed out, and all of her books are entertaining and original. The Oleander Sword was no exception.

I have noticed that the one downside to finding an author I like is that sometimes I end up comparing that author’s books to their other books rather than to books in general. I do believe the Oleander Sword suffered a bit in that respect. It seemed a bit slower and less original than the first book in the trilogy, the Jasmine Throne. But I recognize that my opinion is probably slightly skewed by the fact that I generally find battle scenes and political intrigue boring, and those plotlines were inevitable based on where the Jasmine Throne ended.

With that being said, I recognize that even though I did not like the Oleander Sword quite as much as the Jasmine Throne, that really isn’t saying much at all because I enjoyed both books more than I enjoy most fantasy books. There were some interesting plot developments, and I can’t wait to see where the story goes next.

Last year I reviewed The Jasmine Throne and concluded with “Will I read the sequel? Not sure yet.” Well, thanks to NetGalley and Orbit giving me access to the eARC, the answer proved to be yes! I’m pleased to report that The Oleander Sword improves upon much of what I already liked about Tasha Suri’s first novel in this trilogy.

We pick up some months following the end of the first novel: Malini is prosecuting her civil war against her brother for control of the empire of Parijat. In Ahiranya, her love interest, Priya, is working with temple sister and fellow elder Bhumika following Ahiranya’s secession from the empire. Initially separated, events conspire to bring Priya and Malini back together, while Emperor Chandra resolves to crush his rebellious sister. Rumblings of old gods renewed mean that a mortal war may be the least of everyone’s worries.

It has been a while since I have enjoyed a military fantasy novel as much as this—or to be more accurate, a fantasy novel that depicts nations at war. Suri focuses less here on the logistics of campaign than the relationships among characters. I’m not knocking bean-counting fantasy novels if that’s your thing, but it is increasingly not for me. Whether we’re talking the star-crossed romance between Malini and Priya or the battle of wills between Malini and her generals, Suri delivers an ever-shifting set of circumstances that always left me wanting more.

At the same time, Suri delves deeper into the mythology of this world, and this is why I marked my review as containing spoilers: the yaksa are fucking terrifying. They land perfectly in that uncanny valley between human and eldritch horror: just human-like enough to feel relatable, except there is something so off about their conduct. Suri captures this perfectly by having the returned yaksa literally wearing the bodies of former temple elders. The yaksa are the type of gods who see humans as uninteresting except as worshippers. Their chilling amorality is, to me, a thousand times worse than a malevolent deity, because there is so little to bargain with when it comes to yaksa. Either you serve them or they wipe you off the board.

So whereas the magic in The Jasmine Throne was interesting and fresh but underdeveloped, here it becomes its own subplot, takes on its own life. Priya and Bhumika’s powers, the rot, and a deeper story of how the yaksa came to this world—all of it comes together quite nicely. To make things even juicier, there are no heroes in the building: the people who drove the yaksa from this world long ago? They worship either a nameless god or deities who demand that women willingly throw themselves into a fire to ascend. So, that’s not a great choice either….

Indeed, “there are no good choices” might sum up the theme of The Oleander Sword quite nicely. This is a book about sacrifice, both willing and unwilling. It’s about second chances and grand mistakes, as well as incredible gambits that fail more often than they succeed. It’s a book about the cruelty of doing what is right instead of what is easy.

So much of this book feels like Suri read a lot of classic fantasy and then said, “OK, but let’s make it diverse and make it my own.” You’ve got your multiple POV characters. You’ve got your maligned heir to the throne attempting to take what’s hers backed by a prophecy. You’ve got your priesthoods and religions and various gods ranging from merely “burning women at the stake” to “transforming you into an Ent if you piss them off.” You’ve got your two main characters in love but of course they can’t be together because reasons.

Basically, The Oleander Sword is catnip for fantasy readers. If, like me, you read The Jasmine Throne but were on the fence, give the sequel a try. I love it when I take a chance on the second book in a series and it elevates my opinion of the series and the first book. Now I’m excited for book 3.

I cannot think of words to describe this book. The ending has me absolutely wrecked. I need the third installment. This is such a good book, especially for being the middle book. The characters are brilliant and consistent with The Jasmine Throne. The plot and pacing are wonderful. I love the POV structure and the way that information is revealed. This is an amazing fantasy series.

Thanks to Orbit and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an honest review.

I was so excited to read this book because its predecessor, the Jasmine Throne, was one of my favorite books of 2021. It was great to come back to the world of Priya and Malini. Although this book does suffer from a touch of middle book syndrome (it feels slower and definitely includes more political set up and such), it was an incredible addition to the series.

The book picks up approximately a year after Priya and Malini separated for Malini to wage war against her brother and Priya to learn how to rule the newly independent Ahiranya. Will Priya and Malini's love be able to survive their nation's different (and possibly opposite) needs? You can expect blazing pining and devotion as well as gut wrenching sacrifice and betrayal.

I am ready for the third book!

screaming, crying, throwing up

if you liked the first book, you're gonna like this one. nothing really more to say on that lol. if you liked The Traitor Baru Cormorant but hated the ending (me) I think you're gonna like this series a lot better. I certainly do.

I just finished the book and tbh I'm still reeling but I wanted to say; the writing in this book is so lush. I'm not huge on war books and battle scenes frankly tend to bore me (they get so repetitive !!!) but Suri has an amazing way with words. I was intrigued by literally every scene. I think it has a great deal to do with the fact that Suri doesn't really indulge in violence porn; war happens, people are hurt terribly and die, but it's not glorified. it's a thing that has to happen, to save lives, to see Malini's vision through, and every POV character recognizes that (minus Chandra, you tiny gremlin) so the violence feels weighty in a different, thoughtful way rather than just gross.

there's a ton of different POVs in this book. mostly it is cycled between Priya and Malini but other characters come and go, to give the audience insight into things we otherwise would not get to see happen. I really enjoyed quite a few of them and even the ones I had no particular affection for the character still made good chapters.

I am going to be waiting for book three a bit rabidly. I'm putting blind faith in Suri here that they'll see this trilogy through gloriously, so don't do me dirty like the faceless mothers' priests smh.

An absolutely stellar second novel!

Tasha Suri has written a book so good that I am at a loss for words as to how I am supposed to review it. How does one review a masterpiece, except by rambling on about their praise for it like a bumbling fool? Well if Tasha Suri has made me a bumbling fool, I am proud to be one.

What I will say is this, Suri was extremely ambitious in her goals for this novel. Through the world building, plot, and character development, Tasha Suri went above and beyond and proved her talent as an author. I expected nothing less after reading The Jasmine Throne. I am in absolute awe of her and will be picking up every book by her from now on!

3.5 stars - This definitely felt like it was very heavily planning for the next book. We still have multiple POVs shared from a variety of significant and insignificant characters throughout the story, which did get confusing at times. There was so much planning, meetings, and discussions about the next steps - this dragged on a bit unfortunately. I was very happy to see some romance and sex included! It's open door and not explicit, but after a very low steam first book of hand holding and a couple kisses, that was a highlight!

There also was plenty of foreshadowing for the plot twists and turns, which one of them I was so happy about, and the other makes me want to slam my head against a wall. It sets up the next book perfectly though, and I understand why it happened. I just don't want to deal with the emotional turmoil that's forecasted for the third book.

I'm really hoping that after two books of pretty heavy plotting and planning, there's going to be much more action and less political maneuvering in the future book. I really enjoy the world building and magic system based around nature that this series has, and fingers crossed for a little bit of adventure and excitement moving forward.

I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

tasha suri needs to pay for my therapy after this one. because WOW.

the oleander sword follows priya, malini, and their peers as they pick up from the events of the jasmine throne in this epic and mesmerizing fantasy sequel. we see these characters grow immensely both individually, and interpersonally. both priya and malini are not only facing their internal demons, but also face the wrath of malini’s brother, who has set out to expand his rule to every corner of the kingdom. on top of this, the dangers of the magical system overloom. so much happened in this book, i was hooked from beginning to end.

i also loved the sapphic romance prevalent in this book. priya and malini have such a fantastic dynamic with the best kind of chemistry … but the betrayal at the end of this book … i’m miserable.

thank you to both netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc of this book. all thoughts and opinions are my own. 5/5 stars!