"'You are life,' Malini said, hushed. 'There's nothing shameful in that.'"

what an absolutely amazing end to the burning kingdoms trilogy by tasha suri. so many things went down in the oleander sword and yet suri handled them with elegance and grace in this outstanding conclusion. this book and its plot was given time to breathe and the story felt natural and unforced, unlike other fantasies that try to follow a wide cast of characters and their emotions. the love between the characters, cultures, gods, and beliefs were painstakingly beautiful and skillfully reinforced ideas and themes already introduced in the first two books.

I especially enjoyed the display of multiple different religions and how they played into each other in this novel's past and the future. suri does an amazing job of illustrating how impactful faith or a lack of faith can be on a person, especially in a civilization that reveres higher beings and requires sacrifice. malini's efforts as empress of parijatdvipa while being followed by ghosts and deadly expectations were nerve-racking to read yet i couldn't put the book down at all. along with this, priya's encounters and actions with the yaksa and her own community were heartbreaking and so very deeply in character.

not only was the political intrigue intriguing, it was multi-dimensional and truly reflected how dedicated and clever suri writes her characters to be. i had a very good time exploring the world of this trilogy more as a whole after the war. along with this, i was very satisfied with the ending and how some characters' stories concluded. it didn't feel cheap and allowed for light speculation to happen even after the trilogy ended. if tasha suri wrote a prequel, novella, or sequel in the future, i will definitely be the first one in line at my local bookstore to pick it up!

The Lotus Empire by Tasha Suri is full of gorgeous, romantic writing and a stunning magic system that’s both clear and majestic while also showing beauty and horror. I loved the romance plot and how it was handled; it was beautifully balanced with the high fantasy and political intrigue elements. There’s a nice balance of several supporting characters that add to the depth of the story and contribute to the passing. The Lotus Empire really looks at the human condition head on and what it means to be fully human and live within that experience. It’s an excellent conclusion to a beautiful trilogy, and I can see myself rereading this series in the future.

I was rather disoriented by Oleander Sword, but chalked it up to the middle of the series world-expanding messiness. In this final book, the expansive threads of narrative all come to multiple collision courses. All the conflicts building over the last book come to violent ends in quick succession and no one emerges unharmed. This series has been a very ambitious narrative that tackles everything from empire, colonialism, religious fanaticism, and the power of mythologies and narratives that shapes civilizations. In the middle of it all we have Priya and Malini, who cannot help be beholden in love with each other despite constantly finding themselves at odds politically and philosophically. There are no easy solutions to the hot mess of power struggles between gods and men and women, all with valid justifications for faith and agency and survival. The end is not peace but a new reality shaped from the debris of the old one. Along the way, there are a dizzying amount of perspectives, which can be disorienting, but in a story of this scope, the author does a good job of showing the wide range of lives that are affected and changed with the machinations and convictions of the powerful few. Be gentle and pace yourself if you plan to read this series to the end. There is a LOT of commentary about human relationships with each other and one's own spiritual journeys, that deserve to be reflected upon. And while the cover flaunts, as it should, a pair of sapphic badasses (in sarees, be still my baby queer Indian heart), the love story is allowed to be something transcendent, in service of an epic, This is an epic love story, not a publisher blurb friendly romance with light fantasy element. So put down your Romantasy trash, and experience something truly powerful.

SHE STUCK THE LANDING!!! I was terrified to read the third Burning Kingdom book because I loved the first two so much but Tasha Suri delivered on all fronts: great plot and pacing, intrigue that is consistent with each character’s motivations (even minor characters!) and of course the loyalty kink. So thrilled to have this series on my shelf. I highly recommend it to all epic fantasy fans!

An iconic ending to a wildly satisfying trilogy. Tasha Suri is such a master at interweaving narratives via multiple POVs. Even when her characters spend much of the book apart it never felt confusing or scattered. Can't wait to read everything she ever writes I'm a fan for life.

Over 500 pages long but it still passed by so quickly! I feel so much fresh off reading it so perhaps I'll feel differently after I've given it some time but right now? Fantastic conclusion. I should've known Tasha Suri would stick the landing. Initially I was intimidated by how long this finale was, how long it'd been since I'd read the previous book and the general lack of time I thought I had to actually sit down and enjoy it. There was a lot going on between the plot, the number of POV chapters, the 500+ pages, but I think that all added to the story progression in a really satisfying way. I'm just so pleased! Tasha Suri is everything to me!

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I read this to simply complete the trilogy. Maybe high fantasy is not my genre anymore.
But the writing is lovely and we love South Asian representation!

A stunning conclusion to one of the best fantasy series I have read in a long time. I am so excited that the series is finished, as I was going minorly feral waiting to know what happens. This series really is breathing; full of amazing characters, captivating plots, and it's sapphic. Literally, what more could you ask for? Avoiding all spoilers, but this conclusion felt about as perfect as it could be.

I had to go read the first two books not realizing I had requested the third in a series when I got this. WHY DO I ALWAYS DO THAT?

I'll say I'm glad though because I didn't have the long wait others did before jumping in for thar conclusion. And be still be heart...my heart. We will get a novella? Something more? Later? Yes?

This was wonderful! I loved the writing style, the characters, the world-building…everything about it was top-notch. I will definitely be recommending this book!

I loved this entire series so much. The Jasmine Throne is still the strongest book in the series. I found this installment dragged at times. However, it really did stick the landing. I will read everything Tasha Suri writes.

5 giant, blinding stars!

Still wiping my tears. I have no words. Will finish this review when they come back to me.


Tasha Suri is literally mother??


Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for the e-ARC of this spectacular book. All opinions expressed are my own.



My ratings breakdown:
Characters: 5 stars
Setting/World Building: 5 stars
Plot/Pacing: 4 stars
Magic System: 5 stars
Romance: 5 stars (can I give this 6 stars??)
Emotional Impact: 5 stars
Themes: 5 stars
Writing/Tone: 5 stars
Overall Enjoyment: 5 stars

With all due respect and love, what the actual f*** Tasha Suri. This was a beautiful, broken, delightfully well written, painful, bittersweet book. It was everything I wanted and then some and then a bit more that I don’t think any of us wanted. I would give a semi unimportant body part to be able to re read this trilogy again. I cannot recommend it or this author highly enough.

This one ended up sitting at a high 4 star for me. The other two books in this series were immediate five stars and maybe my response to this one has to do with not rereading the other two, but it felt slower. The beginning, to me, felt like it could have been trimmed so we had more time in the back half. Some of the characters, (Malini) made choices that didn't feel completely in character.

Tasha Suri does it again. The queen of fantasy is back. This book did not disappoint, you need to pick it up!

honestly, the first 60% was kind of a drag to get through, but I did for Priya and Malini. It’s criminal Bhumika and Jeevan never kissed, Tasha Suri. Criminal.

A very satisfying conclusion to an amazing high epic political fantasy trilogy. My only complaint is that the world building is SO cool that I wanted more of it but its strength has always been the amazing character work and the relationship between Malini and Priya and that resolution gave me everything I could want. I also appreciated that this trilogy never shied away from the messy social problems that were set up in the first book just to do deal with a world ending evil.

In some ways The Lotus Empire really delivered as a finale to The Burning Kingdoms trilogy. In other ways, I was disappointed. The book started slow and I found myself not being as invested in the story, but Malini and Priya's stories save it for me. I wasn't nearly as interested in the side characters. Not that the story wasn't good, or well written, just wasn't for me.

The world building remains excellent, if a bit slow, and the philosophical questions posed are well written and worth the read.

Overall, it was a good book and a satisfying conclusion to the series. Priya and Malini remain the best parts of the series!

What a conclusion! I’ve been eagerly looking forward to reading The Lotus Empire since finishing the prior instalment, and it certainly did not disappoint. This is such a fantastic series that has so much that I love and look for in fantasy: multiple POVs (a lot of them), compelling + novel magical systems, a fully developed world (nations, religions, cultures, histories), and multi-faceted and morally complex characters. The ending of the previous book was very intense, and there is much grief and devastation in this one and throughout the series. I cannot recommend this trilogy highly enough.

Content warnings: death, murder, war, violence, grief, blood, fire injury / fire, suicidal thoughts, suicide, religious bigotry, forcible confinement

God this. This trilogy is just full of unique magic systems and beautiful worldbuilding and women. which. just. Women.