4 ⭐️

Overall I would say I’m satisfied with this conclusion to the Burning Kingdoms trilogy. It didn’t quite reach the amazing highs of books 1 and 2, but that was a hard bar to live up to. If you are looking for a lot of answers and deepening of the lore, you won’t really get that here. What you will get is a deep exploration of the ramifications of the end of book 2 and an explosive conclusion as things come to a head. If what you love about the Burning Kingdoms is watching the characters interact, then you will likely have an even better experience with this book than I did. That being said I still would highly recommend the trilogy. The characters are phenomenal, the world is so cool, and the exploration of the personal cost of making decisions in times of conflict on those in power was fascinating.

Thank you to Orbit for providing me a copy to review.

Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVE this series!! Priya is MY GIRL. Malini is RUTHLESS. They will fight for their kingdoms until their dying breaths!! I loved watching them work through the levels of betrayal from the previous book to find each other again… I would DIE FOR THEM. They are everything. And no, I’m not exaggerating. Their dynamic is just so good. They get to see each other in a way no one else does, and it continues to pull them back together despite their mistrusts of the other.

Every POV felt so essential to the plot and the structure of the entire story. I truly appreciated every character and their chapters.

The ending was so good but it truly hurt my feelings 😭❤️‍🩹 Tasha, I am sending a therapy bill to you soon.

This is for sure an underrated series!! I recently purchased all 3 books. NO REGRETS.

CW: war, blood, injury/injury detail, death, violence, child abuse, gore

The Lotus Empire went above and beyond providing an extremely satisfying conclusion to The Burning Kingdoms trilogy. This book was one of my most anticipated books of the year - and with that kind of pressure on a book sometimes they do disappoint but I was so pleased this was not the case. Malini has her throne but does not have Priya and must deal with the growing threat of Ahiranya and her own priests wishing to make her burn. Priya has been trapped in Ahiranya by the Yaksa and specifically Mani Ara who seeks to join them. Prince Rao suffers from his grief over the loss of Adyita and what his faith must be now. Bhumika has sacrificed everything to attempt to save her homeland.

Truly a wonderful conclusion and I will continue to recommend this series to everyone who is looking for a fantasy series.

The Lotus Empire by Tasha Suri is Book 3 in the The Burning Kingdoms Trilogy and it is good. This entire trilogy is above 4 stars. This book was released two weeks ago so I'm late in getting my review done. I need to thank #netgalley and Orbit Books for my e-arc. I really enjoyed this read. This book, and all the books in this series, are poltical fantasy with detailed world building, strong character work, good pacing, a sapphic romance, epic fight scenes and emotional endings. It is a strong series that I highly recommend.

this trilogy may hands down be one of my all-time favorites. tasha suri I now trust your writing with my life

sighs, where do I begin. I guess I can start with the heart of this story, priya and malini. I've been so invested in them since the beginning, and despite predicting just where their relationship would end up by the end of the oleander sword, I don't think I quite expected the level their connection would reach in the lotus empire (I mean this in the best way possible). I imagine that there might be some people who will read the lotus empire and not enjoy the direction their story goes in, but I am a sucker for the power of love to conquer all. the lotus empire is about the metaphysical and intangible way that love changes you, grants you strength, draws you in an inexplicable way to the ones you love. that despite how badly every force in the world tries to pull you apart, the love that's there will always carve out a new path for you forward.

anyway these lesbians can fit soooo much yearning. I love them for it. I cried over them.

the lotus empire is also about faith and sacrifice. it's about what you choose to believe in and follow, whether it be something that's holy or something that's mortal. it's about sacrifice and how everything has a price to pay. nothing comes for free or easily to any of these characters, and I think tasha suri has done an amazing job throughout the trilogy of putting characters in situations where they must make difficult choices, and the aftermath of what they have had to sacrifice because of their choices ensures that the momentum of the plot is still compelled by all the character emotions at play.

and of course, the lotus empire is about fighting against fate. fighting against what feels inevitable, what the world has dictated for you to be your destiny and choosing your own path. I am a sucker for these types of narratives too, where the future is not set in stone and that the strength of willpower and love gives the characters strength and compels them forward to change that fate.

rapid fire other things:
- bhumika. ohhh bhumika and jeevan that is all
- my heart hurts so much for rao. his entire journey has been downhill since oleander sword and man does it not get much better for him
- the yaksa. I love them so much and their strange eerieness. I love the horror they introduce to the story it's so chef's kiss
- just the way tasha suri writes. yes it's absolutely beautiful and lush and descriptive but I love how there's so much that's said in the narrative and also so much left unsaid. the weight of the words that aren't explicitly said that just leaves a hanging ache, a melancholy emptiness. it's so good

I don't think it's a perfect story. unfortunately there are a few story elements that don't quite end up anywhere, or I just wished that more were done with them.. but I personally didn't mind that? like some of the things that characters find and think are the solution to the problem don't pan out to mean anything and I think that's okay. they still shape the narrative and build out the world in other ways, and keeps the ending unexpected. so despite that, I still feel that the lotus empire is what feels like the perfect end to the trilogy. it's a bittersweet ending, but it's one that feels right

What a conclusion!!! I absolutely adore this trilogy - it's not perfect, but I can't help but be totally and completely in love with these characters and this world. This conclusion was satisfying, incredibly action packed, and full of the yearning I was hoping for from our sapphic main characters.
I think that the end of the book didn't quite hit for me - there were a few too many uses of "and she told him of this" without actually explaining what was going on, hiding the information from the reader until the reveal was just right, that bothered me. And if you so much as look too close at the fact that one character would never be allowed to be near another one because of a previous assassination attempt, a fair bit of the plot falls apart, but it's fine, because sapphic yearning trumps all LOL

I also think Tasha Suri's writing has gotten better and better with every single book she writes. She's becoming an auto-buy author for me, because without fail, her fantasy stories are always exactly what I need and love.

I’m appalled at myself, but…I just have no interest in finishing this.

Maybe I should have reread the rest of the trilogy before diving into Lotus Empire? Maybe? Except that didn’t seem like the issue – I had no problem remembering who was who and what was happening. But there’s no sense of urgency; a lot of POV switching that doesn’t really add anything to the story, and…nothing really happening for the entire first half of the book?

I’m not kidding: I made it to page 303 of 606 on my kindle, exactly 50%, and it all feels so…vague? Meh? Nothing’s happening, and it doesn’t feel like anything’s going to happen.

There’s a high possibility that the problem is me – my reading has been seriously wonky this month, it’s been a struggle to stay interested in any book. But at the moment, I don’t want to continue, and I don’t foresee picking Lotus Empire up a second time in the future.

This book is a compelling story that draws readers into a vivid and captivating world. The protagonist faces challenges that test their strength, resilience, and humanity, creating a narrative filled with emotional depth and complexity. As the plot unfolds, surprising twists and profound revelations keep the audience engaged from start to finish. The themes explored in the book resonate universally, making it both thought-provoking and relatable. Ultimately, the story leaves a lasting impression, inviting readers to reflect on its deeper meanings long after turning the final page.

A stunning conclusion to the trilogy and evidence of just how well-built this series is as a whole. This picks up right where we left off at the end of Oleander Sword, adding a few new POVs into our rotation right at the start and building out the ancillary conflicts at play in this stage of the war. Suri's writing is so lush, and her ability to build intensity through rapid POV changes and surrealist scenes is remarkable. Once again, the yaksa stole the show for me in this installment, keeping us unsettled while building out the God-lore of this universe.

For long-time fantasy readers, Suri's intentional focus on female agency in every single story line is so refreshing - in a literary world where women are so often sidelined to martyrdom or romantic plotlines, we see in Suri's world what it looks like when men deliver on these fantasy expectations. What does it look like when men sacrifice themselves for an empress, when men express unrequited love and longing, when men are at the center of emotional court politics and manipulation? And more important, what does it look like for women to direct generals, for women to negotiate international alliances, for women to claim God-power, for women to reject self-sacrifice, for women to live (gasp) selfishly? This genre is so dominated by male writers, that it is exciting to see authors like Suri subverting so many of the classic epic fantasy devices for her purposes, and then putting at the very center a heart-wrenching sapphic love story.

Cannot recommend this series highly enough - it's dark, unsettling, romantic and adventurous, and it will satisfy those who love seeing immortals meddling in human chaos. So, so good. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a complimentary advanced reader copy.

Such an epic and satisfying conclusion to The Burning Kingdoms Trilogy. The Oleander Sword left us in a very emotional place and it left our FMCs, Priya and Malini, on opposite sides - separated by both distance and ideologies (oh and there is the whole matter of Priya trying to kill Malini, oops). The Lotus Empire brings us back into the heat of things and kept us engaged with both what is happening to the world as a whole, but also how Priya and Malini are feeling about the decisions that were made and who it impacts who they are now.

There is so much revealed about the yaksa, the revered gods of the Ahiranya. And it is so good. A lot of it is expected, but there are some fabulous twists on it all. This whole series lives up to the hype and my love for these books never wavered throughout. The magic and world building continue to astound in this final entry in The Burning Kingdoms Trilogy and I am very happy about where things end up for both Priya and Malini by the end. They both get what is needed for them to be where they need to get themselves by the end (so vague, but no spoilers!).

Thank you to @orbitbooks_us and @netgalley for the ARC. All thoughts are my own.

in the third installment of the burning kingdoms trilogy, empress malini and priya will stop at nothing to save their kingdoms, even if it means destroying each other. malini has claimed her right to the throne of parijatdvipa, but now must burn to seal her legacy or find someone else willing to take her place on the pyre. the magic of the deathless waters runs through priya, but she still feels helpless to save her kingdom...until protection is offered in exchange for a sacrifice.

reading this was kind of bittersweet for me. i’ve been following this story for over three years now, so i really didn’t want to say goodbye! with that said, i thought this was a satisfying conclusion. this had the perfect amount of action, conflict, and tension. we got some point of view chapters from other characters, which i really enjoyed as this pulled the story together even better. i loved seeing how priya and malini’s relationship developed throughout the story.

i highly recommend this to people who enjoyed the previous two books. i look forward to reading more from tasha suri!

3.5 stars

The Lotus Empire is a beautiful and emotional ending to The Burning Kingdoms trilogy. However, with a meandering and largely uneventful plot, this final installment did not feel nearly as grand or rewarding as I expected.

Starting with the things I enjoy, Tasha Suri’s writing is genuinely beautiful. The way she uses metaphors and descriptions in this story to explore the characters’ feelings and complicated relationships was a pleasure to read. I wouldn't say the writing goes as far as to be “purple prose” but it is rare that the writing of a book alone stands out to me as much as it did in this series.

The Lotus Empire excels at capturing the moral complexity of the world, the characters, and the history of the Burning Kingdoms. There are characters you are rooting for and that you want to see happy, but the conflict is not a simple matter of good vs. evil. Every side has good and bad elements. Even the most villainous characters have moments that earn your sympathy as the reader. And your favorite characters make choices that you likely won't like or agree with.

I also loved how the book explored sacrifice and how sacrifices are used and framed. Many of these characters must decide between what they want, what they need, and what others need from them leading to some incredibly heart-wrenching moments. The way this theme of sacrifice was intertwined with Malini’s character arc was particularly interesting. Through her character, we really get to explore the complexity of the empire and the role of religion.

My main issue with this book comes down to the pacing. And there have always been things about the pacing in this series that did not totally work for me. But it is the most glaringly off in this final installment.

The majority of this book feels basically directionless. Things were technically happening but it did not feel like anything was being accomplished or that the plot was moving forward in any real way. For the majority of the book, I did not even fully grasp what the characters were working towards outside of a vague sense of there needing to be a confrontation. This stagnant feeling is exacerbated by the fact that Priya and Malini do very little to advance the plot until the very end of the book. Rao and Bhumika contribute way more to the plot despite being relative side characters. I love them and I found their stories incredibly compelling, but I did not understand why they did more than the two main characters.

Maybe it is because I have never really been convinced by Malini’s character throughout this series, but I don't love her ending. I like pieces of the ending. The ending is emotional and there are some beautiful moments in the final scenes. But in terms of where it leaves these characters, I don’t know if I found it satisfying.

I have enjoyed The Burning Kingdoms trilogy and I think Tasha Suri’s writing is phenomenal. However, I feel like it is important to note that I do not love this series. So do not let my—slightly more negative—review dissuade you from reading this series if you have loved the previous installments.

Thank you to Orbit Books and Netgalley for gifting me a copy of this book. It does not affect my opinion in any way. The Lotus Empire is Available now.

The Lotus Empire was one of my most-anticipated books of the year. I expected an epic ending to an outstanding trilogy. Author Tasha Suri more than delivered. The Lotus Empire was gorgeous, brutal, and absolutely brilliant.

I do wish there was a recap of the previous events because there is so much happening (although final copies might have a "previously on" section). Priya and Malini find themselves on different sides of war, but it is one unlike others: Malini is fighting against yaksa, godlike figures who leave nothing but destruction in their wake. They have chosen Priya as their beloved, and she is slowly becoming something other. However, Priya is smart. She knows that, while the yaksa promise protection for her people, she can't trust them. She must choose who to align herself with: the woman she loved and tried to kill, or the powerful yaksa who have promised protection, but only if she sacrifices everything.

If you don't like books with multiple points of view, this series won't be for you. There are several and they tend to switch between chapters. It never gets confusing, though. Each character has their own unique way of thinking, not to mention their own separate thing going on. In fact, they spend much of the book circling around each other, coming close to meeting before dancing away. It is only after the halfway point that Malini and Priya really interact. Then the fires of war that threaten to destroy everything become a full-blown conflagration.

I could go on and on about the characters. How Malini almost scared me with her cold-blooded willingness to make brutal decisions, how Priya's physical strength turned into strength of character, how my heart broke for Rao, or how Bhumika was quietly integral to the survival of an entire nation...but I'll stop myself. Suffice it to say, the characters were amazing to read.

The story built to a heartstopping climax, and the pace picked up accordingly. By the end, I felt like I was on a roller coaster, with highs followed by abrupt rushes into danger. I honestly had no idea what would happen. I both wanted to savor the excellent writing and rush to the end to see who- if anyone- survived. The Lotus Empire is the perfect ending to a truly fantastic series.

If you like creative worlds, political maneuverings, supernatural beings that are truly terrifying, and excellent characters, The Burning Kingdoms trilogy is for you.

Emotionally raw and just as epic as the first two installments, Lotus Empire is a perfect conclusion to a wonderfully unique series. I don’t usually cry while reading but the last quarter of this book had me weeping. Malini, Priya, Bhumika, Rao, Padma and Jeevan will stay with me for a long time.

Overall, I thought this was an excellent conclusion to a great trilogy. Lesbian fantasy? Count me in, every time. I'm here for it.

Tasha Suri’s writing is beautiful and immersive. Like the first two books, the pacing is slow with multiple POVs, weaving together a lot of events without relying on constant action. However, the last third picks up significantly—shorter, faster-paced chapters built the tension so well.

While I usually prefer fewer POVs, especially when side characters are included, Suri does a great job interconnecting the characters and storylines. That said, I would have liked the focus to stay on Priya, Malini, Rao, and Bhumika. I was always rooting for Priya and Malini, hoping their love would endure. I especially loved the moments where they allowed themselves to be open and vulnerable with each other. Rao's story stayed with me the most. His inner struggles and the weight of his guilt were deeply affecting. It’s heartbreaking that he never got the chance to fully share his feelings for Aditya.

The ending really worked for me—sad, sweet, and satisfying. It felt like the perfect conclusion for each character, especially High Priest Hemanth. If you know, you know.

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit Books for the eARC and the opportunity to join the adventure.

It's always bittersweet to come to the end of a series that you've loved, as part of you wants it to continue forever, and another part of you feels so fulfilled to have the full story. This was no exception, and is just a beautiful series, first and foremost.

I've loved the world and the flowers/growth/rot motif throughout the series, along with the cast of complex characters. (Could I have used a refresher on some of the characters going into this book? Absolutely.) The mythology with the yaksa has also been a standout, which is a good thing, obviously, as it's the backbone of the story, especially wrapping up the trilogy.

The highlight of this book was easily the writing. Tasha Suri has a way with words, injecting so much emotion and vibrant imagery into so many of the passages. This has been a constant across the entire series, and happily, does not let up in the final instalment.

My sole qualm was the pacing of this one. The first two-thirds were quite a slow burn, moving things in place and whatnot, which was buoyed by the aforementioned gorgeous writing. And the last third was basically micro chapters, where each chapter was only a few pages long before jumping to the next POV. I get it, mirroring the chaos of the climax of the story, but it felt choppy, especially after how the earlier parts of the book were the exact opposite. There's surely some kind of happy medium to be had.

This will definitely be a series that I'll reread in the future, and part of me thinks it might hold up even better to read all three back-to-back. All in all, this was a gorgeous series with a vibrant world and mythology, and characters (and a romance) that you can't help getting emotionally attached to.

Thank you to the publisher, Orbit, and to NetGalley for the ARC.

Three years ago I read The Jasmine Throne, gave it three stars, and said I might read the sequel. Then that sequel, The Oleander Sword, got a four-star rating and an even better review. Now the conclusion, The Lotus Empire is out, and … y’all, this is top-shelf fantasy. Like, we’re talking one of the best fantasy novels I’ve read this year, and a stunning conclusion to The Burning Kingdoms trilogy. Tasha Suri has outdone herself. Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for an eARC.

No spoilers for this book but spoilers for the first two!

Malini is now the empress of Parijatdvipa, but at what cost? The stability of her throne is tenuous. From within, the priesthood threatens to withdraw their support if she doesn’t cast herself on the pyre to burn for the nameless god. From without, the now-ascendant yaksa have isolated Ahiranya and, through Priya, are orchestrating the return of their mother Mani Ara to usher in a new Age of Flowers. Enemies to lovers to enemies again, Malini and Priya each fight for the survival of their people despite being unable to rely on the power they have accrued in the past year or so.

The world Suri has created here is so lush and fascinating. As I ruminated in my review of The Burning God, I think mainstream fantasy’s Eurocentrism has been to the genre’s detriment. What Suri has done here feels extremely fresh not just because she is drawing from a slightly different mythological inspiration but because she’s also challenging more colonial ideas about storytelling. You still have empires and war and conquest. But we don’t have the same obsession with heroes and villains. Suri complicates our understanding of what it means to be a protagonist in a very satisfying way. Wow.

Picking up where The Oleander Sword left off, The Lotus Empire pits Priya and Malini against one another. I was so hesitant to say good things about their romance in the first two books because it just isn’t my thing. For some reason, however, this book has sold me on their love story. Their tragic, doomed, star-crossed love story. I am obsessed. Suri managed to touch this aromantic gal’s heart, and I want these two to live happily ever after even though I knew, as the story unfolded, how unlikely such an ending would be. Every scene with the two of them—and all the scenes where they are apart—drips with alluring chemistry and burning desire in a way that does not disappoint. Wow.

Similarly, Suri spins a compelling story of competing deities and the price of power. Malini and Priya (and don’t forget Bhumika!) have sacrificed so much for the power they wield. They sacrifice even more in this book. I remarked in my review of The Jasmine Throne on the presence of the female characters in this series, how they are not only high-profile but how many there are in positions of power, and that is doubly true here. Suri exemplifies how you can have “strong” female characters whose strength manifests in diverse ways. Some are warriors, some are leaders, some are sages, some are … just existing. Just grandmothers and people trying to survive in this war-torn country. Wow.

The yaksa suck, the nameless god seems to suck—there is this underlying sinister aura that surrounds the deities who seem to populate the void behind this world. Inhuman yet powerful creatures are no one’s friend, but if you are willing to pay the price, you can harness their power to your ends. That’s the message here. Pay to play and beware what you reap. Having thrown her lot in with the yaksa out of fear of reprisal against Malini, Priya now comes to rue her hollowing out at the hands of Mani Ara. Her crisis of faith is such a great parallel to Malini’s complete lack of faith.

The trajectory of this trilogy has always been one of two women coming together, travelling in parallel, and then realizing they are indeed on opposite sides of an immense conflict. How could they possibly reconcile when they are fighting for the opposite outcome? I could see there was a third path coming from at least the middle of the book, but I really had no idea how Suri could achieve it in a way that didn’t feel cheap. I don’t want to spoil anything, so all I am going to say is that Tasha Suri pulls it off. Seriously, this is one of the most intense and satisfying endings to a trilogy I’ve seen in a while. I love it.

I loved this book. I just want to make this clear, want to sing its praises, for a few reasons. First, authors of colour don’t get enough support. Second, my opinion of this trilogy has steadily improved from the first book. Indeed, I recently read Suri’s debut novel, Empire of Sand, and it’s stunning to see the arc of her skills as a storyteller grow from that book to this one. Third, I struggled at first to get back into this series (it had been two years since I read the last book). If you had asked me for my prediction when I first started The Lotus Empire, I probably would have said the book would get three or four stars, that I was reading it to complete the trilogy. Not so now.

This book is the perfect blending of romance and tragedy and epic fantasy. Although it could stand on its own, it’s worth your time to go read the first two books so you get the maximum emotional payoff (and devastation) when you read this one. The Lotus Empire does not come to play, and it has cemented Suri in my personal canon of fantasy authors to watch.

4.5 Stars

The long awaited final installment in the burning kingdoms series was absolutely worth the wait and solidified Tasha Suri as an autobuy author who perfectly balances my love of rich immersive worlds full of political machinations and heart wrenching sapphic romance (see also: work by Saara El-Arifi, Andrea Stewart, and Samantha Shannon)

In The Lotus Empire we find Bhumika filled with purpose despite the loss of her memories, Malini angry and heartbroken following Priya’s betrayal and Priya left to assume the duties of high elder and try to protect her people while mourning these numerous losses. With this, the plot moved slowly (but in a GOOD way) towards the final climax (which empire will win the war?) weaving through the layers of character development as everyone, even our loveable side characters Rao and Jeevan, navigated so much loss and grief.

The Burning Kingdom series exemplifies Tasha Suri's mastery in intricately weaving political intrigue into a story deeply driven by character development. The themes were powerfully relevant to our existing political atmosphere in revealing how easily religion and faith can be manipulated to serve personal ambition and draw entire factions into conflict where neither side remains purely righteous.
There is such humanity in this story; love and sacrifice and hardship, found family, grief, and hope found in moments of immense darkness.
The ONLY reason I did not give this 5 stars is because I wanted just a little bit more of and from Malini and Priya (and Bhumika and Jeevan!) by the end, but overall I am at peace with how the story ended.

I loved it and I think I will 100% reread this series again in the future just to spend more time with its world and characters. What is next, Tasha Suri!? Whatever it is, I can’t wait to find out.

I absolutely love The Burning Kingdoms trilogy! The Lotus Empire was the perfect ending to one of my favorite series. If you haven't read it yet, what are you waiting for??? It's a perfect mix of epic fantasy with a powerful sapphic romance!

Tasha Suri wrote one of my favorite FMCs in Malini, channeling female rage while maneuvering through her role as empress and dealing with the priesthood who believe her only purpose is to burn. Priya is discovering the depths of the yaksa's power. Rao is having a crisis of self. And Bhumika is still as strong as ever, even if she doesn't remember who she is. I love them all!! I'm always a fan of additional POVs added to a series conclusion, so I really enjoyed the extra few added in. They were spaced out well and I didn't feel pulled away from the story or main characters.

The first half is a slower pace, but I didn't mind being in the heads of Priya, Malini, Rao and Bhumika while they navigated their paths forward following the shocking end to The Oleander Sword. I flew through the last 40% of this book. The pace picks up as everything ties together and I couldn't put it down!

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit for an early copy in exchange for this honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️I am so done with people underrating Tasha Suri. If you enjoy N.K. Jemison, if you’ve love Gideon the Ninth, and Annie Leckie? If you’re still waiting for Winds of Winter? You need to get on this train.

You know what I’m gonna say it. This one is gonna be a classic. This epic fantasy trilogy has it all, and the ending does not disappoint. It feels of the moment. The writing is glorious at the sentence level. I kept highlighting sections of my eArc because I wanted to remember whole paragraphs because they felt so current and modern.

The plot does not stop and it does not take prisoners. It’s gritty and true but not grim and dark. As close to perfect as fantasy can get. Start with Jasmine Throne, thank me later.

I received an ARC in exchange for this honest review. #epicfantasy #bookreview #romantasy #sapphic #bookstagram