As always the prose of Tasha Suri is top notch, the world building feels vibrant, and the characters you encounter are believable. Unfortunately, the final installment of this trilogy, when there are so much to carry to the final line, this book falters. I devoured the first two books, eager to know what would happen to the characters and the world, not so for this book. It felt like Suri was out of juice, nothing quite hit the same sweet spot as the first two books. I found it a chore to read, I took a break at about 75% in and took several weeks to get back into it - forcing myself - to finish to see what happen to the world of Priya and Malini.

I have really enjoyed reading this series and I really enjoyed the last boom in this series. The world building was amazing!

An incredible conclusion to what has fast become one of my favorite epic fantasy trilogies of recent years. Themes of sacrifice, forgiveness, and survival run through The Lotus Empire like the rot pulsing through the land itself as Priya and Nalini vie to protect their loved ones against the alien yaksa and the corrupting forces they embody. This book delves deeper into the mystical side of the world than its predecessors, answering many of the lingering questions raised in the first half of the trilogy while leaving enough open-ended to retain a sense of wonder, which is far and away my favorite approach to worldbuilding. As with the first two books, the characters and their relationships lie at the heart of The Lotus Empire, with Priya and Malini's fates at once inextricably bound together and at odds with each other, as each struggles to reconcile their duties and destinies with their love for one another. If you're looking for epic fantasy in a non-Western setting, Sapphic romance, and truly creepy plant magic, look no further than this stunning trilogy.

I think this book was very well thought out and perfectly crafted for the ending of such an amazing series. From beginning to end, I was hooked. I had to keep reminding myself that this was the end! Nothing else was going to happen after this. The romance was as tenuous as ever. The action had me at the edge of my seat. The political intrigue was as perfectly nasty as ever. I very much recommend this book for those looking for the perfect ending to an amazing and recently needed author in the epic fantasy game.

actually convinced tasha suri can do no wrong with how masterfully she wrote the conclusion to this trilogy!! the character arcs were perfect, the deaths were needed and the masterfully woven mythology made me want to learn more at every turn.

AND THE LOVE, THE YEARNING. perfection.

TASHA SURI! This conclusion was everything and more! Malini is my favorite character throughout the entire series! Shes morally gray, who isnt afraid to push boundaries for the ones she care about. She seems ruthless at first in the first book, but as we learm more about her, we see a woman whose had to learn to survive but still remains kindness and a good heart. I loved this series so much! A instant 5 star read!

Though it's my least favourite in the series, I'm still happy to have completed The Burning Kingdoms.

The series is smart, earnest, and feels very Eastern in its way of thinking-- with a large emphasis on community and self-sacrifice. I appreciated the weight given to moral quandaries, the multiple religions, and the nuance and intrigue of the politics.

For the type of reader that I am, I don't think the sequels contained quite enough of the Fantasy elements, nor expanded on them in ways that really caught my imagination. And while I really liked the characters, I felt at a further remove from them by the end of the series, rather than a deepened connection to them.

All that to say-- the final book in a series is so hard to review! I think the series was worth my time, and I think it's worth yours. But while I maintained excitement and enjoyment with The Jasmine Throne over multiple years, the sequels were objectively very good but never approached that same feeling for me.

I likely won't re-read the sequels, but I can see myself returning to book 1 from time to time.

The lotus empire wasn't my favourite book in the burning kingdoms series (I'm not really sure how I feel about the ending) but I still really enjoyed it. The story is so emotional and compelling and I really love the world and characters that Tasha Suri created. Overall the burning kingdoms series is an amazing read and I would highly recommend to anyone who loves fantasy.

Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit for the ARC of this book!

TASHA SURI CAN DO NO WRONG!!!!!!! The plot was NEVER lost, the characters stayed consistent, the twists and turns always kept me on my toes! I went through all the empty throughout this entire trilogy and enjoyed every minute of the conclusion!!

I have really enjoyed the Burning Kingdoms series. What could be more awesome than a bunch of women taking over the Empire?! This is the third and final book! Overall, I highly recommend the series.

I had some trouble getting into this one. Suri does take time to set up all her characters and subplots. There’s some of this in the first two books. Unlike the first two books, the plot moved a lot slower. There are many POV’s in this one. It was nice to get a lot of different perspectives on how they are all dealing with things. At the same time, it was a lot to keep them straight. Since this is the last book, I expected more action and more impact with things. The yaksa are terrifying, and I didn’t quite get that in this book. It feels like they are not as scary and powerful as the whole series makes them out to be. I was a bit let down by that.

The relationship between two of our big MC players was interesting. Malini and Priya are so volatile as a couple, to be honest. Don’t get me wrong, I have loved their back and forth. They are so ruthless and cutthroat that they don’t know when to stop. There is so much there, and I was looking forward to this moment the minute they see each other. They forget about all the lies and betrayals when they see each other. Regardless of their relationship, I adored their character growth separately throughout this series. They both have so much at stake and will do anything. How far will that sacrifice go? I swear, I was about to tear out my hair every time a priest said, “You must burn.” Ugh, why don’t you burn? Mhm… that’s what I thought!! Vasha.. oh… vasha… I get it, but still.

Besides the slow pace and the meandering plot, I did enjoy this. I have adored many of these characters! The sacrifices they are all willing to make were inspiring. It was such a huge theme in this book. How far will they go? This series had a nice conclusion, even if I didn’t love some things about it.

Thank you, Orbit, for providing me with an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for an ARC of this book to read!

I read The Oleander Sword back in 2022 when it first came out, so diving into this one I was definitely a bit lost and probably needed a reread. I remembered where our characters left off pretty quickly though, so I enjoyed Suri's subtle recapping of the previous book. I struggled with the first half of this book. I loved the writing, but I didn't know where the book was going or what characters were ultimately working towards making it drag somewhat. By the halfway point though, everything became much clearer, and the second half went by so quickly. I loved the ending's each character got, and the journey they went on in this book. This book was an absolutely incredible conclusion to the series, and I cannot wait to read Tasha Suri's next book.

It took me a while to finish this book and honestly I would say that it was the worst one of the trilogy and that is unfortunate. Tasha has a great writing style and I like her flow but by the end I was super disappointed. No spoilers but everything does wrap up nice and neatly which I do like.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit books for ARC, much appreciated!

Tasha Suri you capricious queen of yearning whatever am I supposed to do now that this series is over.

I can’t really say much about the plot without spoilers for the whole series, but rest assured that while this one has a slower start, it ties everything together meaningfully and satisfactorily.

And Bhumika my gem never change.

When I originally requested this book via NetGalley I did not realize that it was the final book in the Burning Kingdoms trilogy. Thankfully I was able to find copies of Books 1 and 2 from my local library so I could catch up with the series before diving in to the final book.

The Lotus Empire offers an action packed ending to the ongoing war between the magical kingdom of Ahiranya and the reigning empire of Parijatdvipa. One kingdom ruled by earth magic and gods and a religious empire emboldened by fire magic, empress vs. temple elder, an epic sapphic enemies to lovers for the ages. Both temple elder Priya and Empress Malini are fighting for their respective kingdoms while grappling with their feelings for each other, seemingly interconnected by their love and magic.

The Burning Kingdoms is a political warfare epic fantasy series that highlights the problematic impact of religious fanaticism, showing how religious entities can use human leaders as weapons in an ultimate game of power and dominance.

This series is as beautiful as it is tragic and I found myself completely immersed in the gorgeous world building and entirely invested in the character development. For fans of high fantasy/romantasy series with sapphic representation, heavy political warfare, and diverse magic/folklore.

Thank you to Orbit Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book; all opinions are my own. The completed series is available now!

I've been following this series since the first book, and watching it come to an end is a little emotional! This third book wrapped up the series nicely, and just like the previous books dealt with tumult and political intrigue. This is one of the first fantasy series I ever followed from release, and The Lotus Empire left Priya and Malini in beautiful places, wrapping up the series nicely but not without a few punches to the gut. The only issue I've had across all three books is the choppy and uneven pacing throughout, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the story. I look forward to Suri's new book immensely.

And so ends the Burning Kingdoms trilogy with its fraught love story and constant threat of fire. I’m sad to see it end, but also happy to see Priya and Malini find peace. It’s been a long journey to reach this point, with a great deal of bloodshed, battle, and loss, and probably the most painful love story I’ve ever read. The Lotus Empire is a lovely way to end the series, neatly wrapping up each story line while offering a glimpse into a wider world. The writing is soft, smoothing out the sharp, jagged edges of the story, perfectly highlighting the fear, anger, and bitterness underlying it. I found The Lotus Empire to be deeply emotional, pulled as I was into the lives of Pryia, Malini, Bhumika, and Rao, and yet part of me yearned for just a little bit more of something.

After Priya stabbed Malini at the end of the second book and returned to Ahiranya to become a home for Mani Ara, the mother of the yaksa, Malini has recovered, but now carries the physical and emotional scars of being stabbed by the woman she loves, burning that love into a hate that drives her to go after Priya and the yaksa. With the priests of the mothers hounding her to burn to save the empire from the rot and the yaksa, Malini selfishly clings to life and her throne. Meanwhile, Priya is trying to protect her people while the yaksa make demands. For a while, she follows their demands and seeks the deep power of Mani Ara in order to protect Ahiranya from Malini and her soldiers, but doing so will also mean the rot will spread and everyone will die as the yaksa remake the world for themselves. At the same time, Bhumika is traveling, following a knowledge in her head while also having no idea who she really is and what she’s left behind; and Rao is sent to discover the truth behind a weapon that could be useful against the yaksa while his heart lies shattered with little hope of being pieced back together.

The characters are the stars of this trilogy. There’s depth to all of them, a sort of monstrousness and selfishness to the women and some of the men. They’ve all faced loss, and it’s shaped them in different ways. And yet they push themselves forward, trying to make the world right, trying to make something new even as the past would burn them all down. Somehow, I felt The Lotus Empire was about Priya more than anyone else. At least, I found her journey more mesmerizing, more painful, more bittersweet. She becomes something of a tool, but her hands are tied because she cares so deeply. I kept wanting things to go her way, kept wanting her to triumph. I wasn’t so much a fan of Malini, who felt like she walked that knife edge between love and hate. She was fantastic, especially when it came to protecting her empire and her life, and she ruled with a firm, yet just, fist. But I felt Priya was the heart here, and Malini the one reacting. Their love story hurt in this book, and yet I couldn’t look away. I wanted so much for them to find any kind of happiness.

Bhumika and Rao were always two of my favorite characters. Bhumika is Priya’s temple sister, but, thanks to the events at the end of the second book, she gets sent on a mission she barely knows. It took a bit for my memory to catch up to make her story make sense in my head. I loved her relationship with Jeevan, the guard accompanying her, but I felt like her story didn’t really go very far. She had some wonderful chapters, and I liked her role in bringing the priests of the nameless into the battle, but I found her story lackluster and sometimes boring, and I ultimately found these priests to be a little pointless in the story, so I was disappointed with Bhumika’s story. Rao’s was similarly disappointing. I adored him in the first two books, but he’s clearly heartbroken from losing the man he loved, and it affects him throughout the entire book. It was sometimes a little depressing to read his chapters, and his story also felt a little pointless. I loved that it opened up the world a little more, but the weapon he found, well, I ultimately found that a little useless in the end, too. Instead, his journey was more of an emotional one, and I’m not sure if there was ever going to be an end to it. But I did love the friendship he struck up with Sima, Priya’s friend who stayed behind as Malini’s prisoner.

For as much as I felt Bhumika’s and Rao’s stories threw in things to make the story a little more interesting, I found the story probably had enough meat on it just by following Priya and Malini. The Lotus Empire felt like a clash between the yaksa and the priests of the mothers. There’s a constant undertone that Malini must burn in order to save them from the yaksa, and Malini will do everything in her power to prevent that from happening. There are some twists and turns and a bit of intrigue, but, inevitably, it all comes down to the yaksa against the priests of the mothers. I was fascinated by this story, and kind of impressed by how much they each stuck to their guns no matter what else came their way. I definitely couldn’t determine which side I found more horrifying and monstrous. It was less Priya and Malini that felt monstrous, and more the powers that kept pushing and prodding them.

I had a fantastic time reading The Lotus Empire. I loved the sharp points that were smoothed out by the writing. It made for a very smooth reading experience, and I found myself constantly telling myself just one more chapter. I adored Priya in this one, and it hurt so much to see her jerked around. My mind kept spinning with how she and Malini were going to find their way back to each other, especially since it seemed like they were never going to meet in person again, and it was lovely to watch them dance around each other even if it did hurt. This was enjoyable and certainly much more emotional than I expected, but still a perfect ending to the trilogy. Of course, I longed for just a bit more of something, though I couldn’t tell you what that something would be; I just wanted a bit more from the story, perhaps more exploration into what the narrative offered, especially in terms of the clashing gods. Still, The Lotus Empire delivers a fantastic conclusion that allowed the characters to stay true to themselves while also pushing them to grow just a bit more.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

***Thank you to Orbit Books for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley. My review contains my honest thoughts about my reading experience with the finished book, which I purchased.***

I was so excited to finally sit down and jump back into the world of The Burning Kingdoms. The Lotus Empire was a solid conclusion to the trilogy, and it had me in my feelings at several points throughout the story. However, it was probably my least favorite book of the series.

First, let’s start with what I loved about The Lotus Empire. Suri’s writing was utterly breathtaking, as usual. I was instantly transported back into this world and had such a great time experiencing it again. The characters and their arcs were also a highlight. There were A LOT of POV characters in this one. Suri did a remarkable job of balancing the different perspectives while letting some of the smaller players of the cast have unforgettable moments.

The plot of The Lotus Empire was interesting and did manage to keep me engaged. I just really wanted to see some things in this book that it didn’t deliver. The first half of the book was very meandering, and the pace felt sluggish. Things picked up in the second half, but it still didn’t give me what I really wanted from this story, a face-to-face, huge confrontation between Malini and Priya. Most of their conflict seemed to be resolved via dreams from afar, which I found really disappointing.

I was also a bit disappointed in the additions to the world-building in The Lotus Empire. The story introduced some really cool new concepts but didn’t really do much with them. I would have loved a bit more context to the history of the war between the gods, for example. Many of the big achievements in the plot were the result of new applications of the magic system, which would have been awesome if so many of them hadn’t left me scratching my head in confusion. The yaksa, while enigmatic and quite terrifying, were also a bit of a letdown after all of the build up to their arrival. Their end was sort of noble, but I didn’t feel that their character development was really earned.

The theme of sacrifice played such a huge role throughout The Lotus Empire. So many of the characters had to grapple with how much they were willing to give up. However, I appreciated that each of them had extremely different motivations that impacted their views on the idea of sacrifice. It was fascinating to see the push and pull between the characters as they each tried to figure out how much was too much to give up. The power of faith and its relationship to sacrifice was also explored in interesting ways. I appreciated the amount of nuance the story brought to these topics.

Ultimately, I liked where each of the characters ended up. They all grew so much over the course of the story. I loved how the ending illustrated that the only way to stop the cycle of violence was to be brave enough to quit perpetuating it.

While The Lotus Empire didn’t give me everything I wanted, it did provide a satisfying conclusion to The Burning Kingdoms trilogy. After a bit of a meandering start, it found its stride and barreled into a heart-pounding finale that left me more than a little teary-eyed. I really did love this series and will be watching for whatever Suri does next. Therefore, I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.

This was a lovely book to finish out this series. I enjoyed the different (new) perspectives we got in this book and the time spent to wrap everything up. The ending felt appropriate for all the characters and am sad to be putting this series down.

This is a stunning, thoroughly satisfying conclusion to this trilogy, which is saying a lot considering how great the first two books were. It builds and expands and adds nuance in all the right places, and it's rare that I've come away from a fantasy conclusion this satisfied with the outcome.

Thank you so much NetGalley for a chance to read this eARC.

This is my favorite series ever written (love reading the physical books and the audiobooks are beautiful).

I COULD NOT wait for this final installment in the Burning Kingdoms Trilogy. This book (and series) has a perfect plot, a unique magic system, lots of political intrigue, FF romance, exceptional character building, amazing world building, and multiple POVs.

I have been invested in every character throughout the series and really loved how everything came together in this final installment.

I have read this series and listened to the audiobook multiple times and have enjoyed it more each time. 100% will read anything by this author. 10/10 would recommend to all fantasy lovers.