Where do I even start?! Tasha Suri delivers an epic conclusion to The Burning Kingdoms trilogy with The Lotus Empire! I am still wiping away my tears of emotion as I'm writing this review.

The Lotus Empire picks up where the second book ends, and we take off running into action and political machinations between Priya and Malini. This series may be marketed as an enemies to lovers back to enemies trope, but I would go further than that. I would say this entire series is the story of yearning for what you shouldn't desire. For taking what you know you're owed, even when the rest of the world is telling you it's wrong.

Throughout the book, we see Malini rule as Empress with an iron fist, but still finding ways to imbue kindness into her decisions. And Priya finds way to shirk the demands of her Yaksa Gods as she tries her best to save her people and help Malini, even when these Gods are forcing them to be at odds in the war.

Suri does what is so difficult for authors to do. She closes out her series in the most perfect of ways! This book earns it's pages and word count as we navigate the yearning and the desire and the hatred and the love that Malini and Priya have for each other across time and space. Suri's writing is ethereal and poetic and moving and heartbreaking and inspiring and poignant. I could read 100 books set in this world with these characters, but their story is closed and done and perfect.

I eagerly await to see what Suri does next with her talent. Until then, I will be rereading this epic series and revisiting my love for these characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.25 stars
Returning to this story after the second novel, I was both anxious and captivated by how the conclusion would unfold. I found myself wondering how Malini's army could possibly prevail against the formidable yaksa. Tasha Suri skillfully crafted a narrative that felt realistic, providing Malini's forces with a believable fighting chance.

The perspectives of Rao and Bhumika were compelling, and I especially appreciated Rukh’s resilience during these turbulent times and his unwavering devotion to Padma. I am always drawn to fantasy stories where characters are haunted by gods within them—torn between wielding divine power for a greater cause and grappling with the inner turmoil that comes from losing themselves in the process. This theme, reminiscent of The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang, was executed beautifully.

The pacing of the novel felt just right. Although Priya and Malini spent much of the story physically apart, Suri cleverly maintained their connection through shared subconscious experiences, which added depth to their bond. The relationship between Rao and Sima also stood out to me, faintly echoing the dynamic between Patroclus and Briseis, and adding another layer of emotional complexity.

Jeevan’s gentle care for Bhumika, even after the sacrifices she made to leave, was heartwarming and their shared journey was a joy to read. I mourned for those Priya lost as they ventured into the deathless waters. Suri masterfully evoked an atmosphere of isolation, underscored by the suffocating, almost sentient presence of the yaksa.

Finally, the ending felt fitting, leaving just enough ambiguity for interpretation. It was a conclusion that resonated, staying true to the themes of sacrifice, strength, and the cost of power.

Tasha Suri has done it again. Thank you NetGalley and Orbit for allowing me to read this book as an e-arc-- it's the second series I've completed on NetGalley!

Lush, evocative writing paints some of the most beautiful scenes: Malini, striding forward; Priya, tall against her will; Rao, his eyes both hollow and golden; Bhumika, glittering and shedding herself to protect others. A spellbinding conclusion, glowing like flame and as complicated as a yaksa's plans. Tasha Suri is a masterful wordsweaver, and I cannot stop reading her if I've tried-- and I'd never want to. The characters she creates and the world she builds is magical, dangerous, lived-in, and extremely vast. It keeps expanding, and we learn more, in the more beautiful of ways.

Whelp, I'm not ok.

What a delightful series, and excellent world buidling. I don't think there has been a series that has included religion in the main story line that I've really totally enjoyed, but she's made me eat my words. The characters were so vivid and had such passion in what they believed in, ugh it was so good.

I will be thinking about Malani & Priya for a while I'm sure. They're relationship that was littered with flaws and passion and belonging was my favorite thing about the book, followed very closely by the magic system and world building. It was lush and well described and I would love to see more in this universe, but I know that we're happy with three.

This is a wonderful ending to a wonderful series, and I want more people to get this in their hands.

Thank you to Orbit and Netgalley for an e-copy.

No one writes sapphic fantasy romance like Tasha Siri. This third installment of The Burning Kingdoms is action packed and brutally beautiful. This is the standard of every fantasy trlogy. I was gutted and heartbroken in the best of ways. The world building still amazes me, even three books in, the political intrigue was some of the best in any fantasy book I have read. The character development left me breathless, I loved Yaksa from the very beginning but god didn’t hurt a lot to end her story line. I was so attached and so invested in these characters.

The Lotus Empire is the majestic finale of the Burning Kingdoms trilogy. This series is so intricately complex and a must-read for fantasy fans. It has incredible LGBTQ+ rep, a rich magic system, and complicated politics. As this is the third book, every story thread from previous books is wrapped up beautifully.

Tasha Suri is such an imaginative writer; she creates worlds that feel deeply real. I love how she handled the relationship between Priya and Malini. From the very beginning, Priya and Malini have had a conflicting and nuanced connection. This is all brought to a crescendo in The Lotus Empire, when Priya and Malini must decide how far they are willing to go for power and love. The romance between Malini and Priya is both ethereal and scorchingly hot.

The yaksa and magic system are also creatively done; Suri’s prose is atmospheric and haunting. There is a creeping sense of dread as the rot slowly takes over more and more, while the priests wish to see Malini burn once and for all. It’s so good! I also enjoyed how we got to see the perspective of side characters who became entwined with the yaksa. Readers who seek fantasies about fiercely strong women, excellent LGBTQ+ rep, and epic magic systems will devour this series. I can’t wait to read what Tasha Suri writes next!

Thank you to Tasha Suri, Orbit Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc.

Everything I could’ve wanted it to be and more! This was a perfect ending to the trilogy.

The overarching plot across the 3 books was wrapped up wonderfully and each of the character arcs also land in a satisfying place. This final book definitely cemented this series as a new all time favorite for me.

I highly recommend!

Few series have so tightly held me in their grip as The Burning Kingdom, and it's final book - The Lotus Empire - completes the journey perfectly. Suri brings all the many threads that have built over the past two books together here. Every character is attended too, the loose ends knotted together. I particularly enjoyed Bhumika's journey in The Lotus Empire. Her travels with Jeevan were both incredibly intimate and a crux for the final conflict. And the expanded world we were given was a surprise! I had assumed we'd learned as much as was needed of the empire and its mythology to finish out the series, but I loved the introduction of the Jagartay and the overarching cosmology at the very end. It's safe to say this is a new favorite series. I can't wait to make my husband read them too.

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. The Lotus Empire was SUCH an amazing end to the Burning Kingdoms trilogy. I can't believe it took me so long to get to this series, and I'm so happy I had the chance to read the entire series thanks to the publisher. I loved the character arcs, the growth and felt like it ended in such a satisfactory way, I really loved it.

The Lotus Empire is the third and final installment in Tasha Suri’s Burning Kingdoms trilogy. We begin where we left off at the end of The Oleander Sword: Malini as empress of Parijatdvipa, Priya as High Elder in Ahiranya, Rao mourning Aditya’s death, and Bhumika without her memories. When the yaksa threaten the world, each of them must find a way to work together to prevent the kingdoms from burning to ash.

I was so excited to receive this arc and read the conclusion of this trilogy. I continue to love the way Suri writes. Each character’s POV feels so unique to them, and she includes a lot of sensory detail to ground you in each person’s experience. I love that all of the storylines were wrapped up, with no threads left unaddressed. There’s a lot of payoff in lore in this book as well. We learn who the yaksa were before and how they came to be in this world, and we also learn more about the nameless (no spoilers).

Ultimately, I found the most compelling and emotionally impactful storylines to be Bhumika’s and Rao’s. I was so invested in each of their journeys and cried a few times for both of them.

The reconciliation between Malini and Priya felt inevitable. These two love each other no matter what, and would let almost anything burn to have each other again. I especially enjoyed the way that Malini feels desire for Priya, loving her with her green veins and flowers on her skin, not in spite of them. She does not even hesitate, does not need Priya to be human to love her. However, their reunion felt a little rushed to me, with not quite enough build up or repair to justify them coming back together. It’s possible this is why I found this romance plot slightly less emotionally impactful than others. I do wish that I had gone back to re-read the first two books before reading this one, so it’s possible that doing so would have made Malini and Priya’s story more impactful.

There were other moments that felt rushed as well where I wished the pacing would go a bit slower. I know that this is already a 500+ page book, so this is absolutely personal preference. However, I wanted to see more of the negotiations and political maneuvering and the journeys to and from the various kingdoms. In particular, I desperately wish we had gotten to read the letters that Malini wrote to Priya.

Overall, this trilogy is a great choice for anyone looking for a South Asian fantasy with detailed world building, high-stakes politics, female rage, and morally-gray lesbians. Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for sending me this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Genre: epic fantasy

It’s always difficult to review the third book in a trilogy. Most of the time, a third book either leaves a big emotional 5-star impact that can fade over time. I suspect that once the emotions fade from recent memory, the impact of these characters will remain with me for some time. I cannot recommend this trilogy enough, and now that it’s complete, it’s a must-read for fans of fantasy.

The Lotus Empire is a force. It's a sprawling and complex conclusion to the Burning Kingdoms Trilogy. Be prepared to settle into its pacing: while it picks up immediately after The Oleander Sword, the first half feels like the dust is settling and everyone is taking nervous deep breaths before the Yaksha make their move.

Malini and Priya have always fought for the best for their own people, and this puts them on opposite sides of the new war. There is love still, but also complete (and literal) heartbreak, anger, and a drive for vengeance. Tasha Suri writes her characters with incredible complexity and nuance, and I love that there is no side of right or wrong. Themes from earlier books, particularly the fraught position of women in power and those who dare to take power, remain prominent in the conclusion.

For those looking for an epic conclusion.... I hope you are as satisfied as I was. Each book in this series is long, and this may be the slowest moving of them, so prepare yourself for the long haul when picking it up. The audiobooks to the series are incredible, narrated by Shiromi Arserio, there’s an intentional lyrical quality to the writing meant to mirror a South Asian epic. It’s a series I recommend as a tandem read with audio and print.

I fear I will never recover from the emotional turmoil this book put me through. Thank you and Tasha Suri for the experience that was reading this book

[ 4.5/5 stars ]

In this last installment, Suri takes her time to cultivate the story and still develops several ramifications for what is to come in a slow-burn plot that initially focuses on side characters trapped in diplomatic battles and forced to choose their side. Suri exposes the humanity as she questions the characters' loyalty and sacrifice for a great good. In building paths to create a new world, the story also echoes themes of the cost of power, grief, faith and relationships through characters with much sharpness and angst.

When the perspectives converge at almost 60%, it becomes increasingly rewarding to follow the characters (especially the undeniable bond between Priya and Malini); there's an uncontrolled fury which runs over everything ahead, with such uncertainty that made me afraid of the characters' destiny. The narrative culminates into a beautiful ending, loaded with feelings that I needed and I inevitably teared up. What detracted me from fully embracing this book is that, while I recognize the role of the side characters in building up an expansive storyline, I would have preferred spending more time with Priya and Malini.

What's left when you lost everything you love? THE LOTUS EMPIRE is a ruthless tale of survival of those wanting to forge their own fate. It will demand patience from some readers however it's a gratifying conclusion.

3.5 stars

You really can’t go into this one without clear memories of book two. I tried to power through without a reread and I think it negatively affected my experience. I tried to reimmerse myself using the character guide at the back, but just having names really wasn’t enough.

The first half of the book is almost boring, with Priya and Malini both focused on the day-to-day workings of running a country. And also lots of religious infighting (which ends up being way more important than I would have expected or particularly wanted). Bhumika and Rao definitely carry the first half of the book because they’re actually traveling and seeing new people and doing new things.

But the ending… the ending for all of our main four (Priya, Malini, Bhumika, and Rao) was perfect

If I thought the ending of book 2 could prepare me for the heartbreak of having to deal with the fallout in this book, I was wrong. The prose continues to be stunning even as I just scream at Malini and Priya to kiss and make up already. The "and" there being the critical piece.

If you're looking for a series that carries feminine rage throughout the entirety, I cannot recommend this one enough. It's so good and the rage is just so powerful. This series is for everyone who supports women's wrongs (and also their rights). From the first book Malini and Priya are asking each other "but what if I could make you worse and become worse for you" and I just think that's beautiful.

I can see myself reaching for this series time and time again as well as shouting at all my friends to read it.

I am so honored that Orbit and NetGalley would give me the opportunity to read this stunning conclusion before it came out. I'm so excited for my finished coy to arrive!

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion expressed in the following review.

I had a hard time writing a coherent review for The Lotus Empire by Tasha Suri because all my brain wanted to do was squeal about how much I love this series and its finale. The Lotus Empire was my most highly anticipated read of 2024 and I’m thrilled to inform you that I loved it just as much as I expected. Tasha Suri brings her epic fantasy series to a close in a rollercoaster of yearning, grief, and hope.

***THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE JASMINE THRONE AND THE OLEANDER SWORD***

The Oleander Sword left our story at an explosive end. Aditya and Chandra died during Malini’s fight for the throne and Priya betrayed Malini to please the Yaksa. The Lotus Empire begins with the fallout. By allowing so many major plot points to happen during the second book, Tasha Suri created an opening for The Lotus Empire to further develop her characters and their relationships as they processed the events of The Oleander Sword and explore new plot points. Once Malini takes the throne, the story shifts to focus on the ancient power awakening in Ahiranya.

The Yaksa were the most interesting antagonists I’ve seen in a long time. Aside from their motivation to claim the world and individual personalities being well developed, there is something deeply horrifying about having the gods you worship rise from the dead, only to realize they care nothing for you except as a means to reach their goals.

CHILLS.

Having such well-developed villains made The Lotus Empire much more tense and emotionally tumultuous.

The magic system also being tied to religion in The Burning Empires series was such an interesting concept. It created more depth to the different cultures depicted in the series by showing what types of gods they worshipped, what power they valued, and how they viewed sacrifice. The magic system in this series is one of my favorites just because of how well it ties into the worldbuilding. Throughout the series, Suri created a very rich and colorful world where each character has a distinct cultural background.

With each new book, I felt Suri got better and better at moving her different pieces to create multidimensional conflict. I especially liked Rao’s point of view in The Lotus Empire, maybe because his grief made him more interesting. Suri was always good at developing her different POVs but I think this final book is when she took herself to another level. Suri deepened the character development of each of her secondary main characters, and almost every character played an active, central role in the story. Even minor POV characters served to add more tension as people used the instability of Malini’s new power to try and orchestrate their own plans.

Bhumika was another character that I really enjoyed during The Lotus Empire. Initially, I was disappointed when she gave up her memories because I thought it would set her character development back, but I ended up really liking how her amnesia was portrayed. Though she can’t remember her past, the reader can easily see that she is still herself. She’s cunning enough to piece together parts of her past and her relationship to Jeevan, even if she’s unwilling to face those facts. Also, anyone who meets Bhumika recognizes her high-born mannerisms and comfort with authority. Through Bhumika’s memory loss, Suri shows her reader that even without their memories, people’s history is still etched into them.

Now, onto our main characters…

Since The Jasmine Throne, Priya stood out to me as one of my favorite main characters ever. I am a sucker for kindhearted characters, and Priya is such a gem. As much as she claims to hollow herself out to claim power, she never loses her love for her people. I love that Priya found her strength through her desire to protect people.

Having said that, Malini really stood out to me in The Lotus Empire as a masterfully written character. If ever you’ve looked for a morally grey hero that’s NOT willing to sacrifice themself or the people they love to save the world, I’m begging you to read this series. Malini is strong and kind, she wants to make the world better, but she also wants to live to see it get better. She wants to be the person to shape the world and be remembered as the one who changed it. I loved how unashamedly ambitious she is. It made her more human and relatable. Who really wants to die? Who wants to give up the power they fought and sacrificed for? Not most people and certainly not Malini. This makes her more interesting as a character and definitely allows her to say the most romantic, swoon-worthy lines to Priya (even when she’s trying to kill her).

And, yes. The yearning and sexual tension between Malini and Priya was unparalleled.

After reading The Lotus Empire, I am so happy that I started this series back in 2022. I’ve had so much fun waiting for each new book in the series and recording my thoughts. I cannot recommend this series enough. If not for the immaculate worldbuilding and epic battles, come for the stabby sapphic romance.

This trilogy was so unique and fun. I love the magic in this - plant based magic systems are so cool! A weird magic forest and creepy gods will always get my attention.

The front half of this was a bit slow. Chapters were longer and action was sparse… but the last section picked up the pace significantly. The slow sections were needed to flesh out the world and move the plot, but I wish there had been a little more action sprinkled in there to liven things up.

The plot is interesting but at times I felt like things were a bit too convenient or neat… but I was having enough fun that it was easy to overlook.

The characters in this are the best part. Morally gray women are my favorite, so I loved all of the main women. They were powerful, interesting, and flawed. Rao was also pretty great (though he annoyed me at times)! I was really invested in the side characters like Rukh and Sima.

The relationships between characters were really well done and interesting. I liked seeing flawed people have messy, complicated relationships (platonic or romantic) with conflicting feelings.

I like the way everything resolved and am a sad that this trilogy is over. 4.5 rounded up!

While it's been some time since I've been in The Burning Kingdoms world, I sunk right back in. The Lotus Empire features multiple perspectives as we witness the toll of rebellion. Often the road to peace is one coated in bloodshed and sacrifice. Priya and Malini are working through their mistakes, the betrayals, the wounds they have inflicted on each other. For both Priya and Malini they have to explore what it means to be a leader, to have 'necessary' casualties, and to figure out how to retain their position. It's a story where faith can be twisted and where power can sometimes need reverence or fear.

This is Tasha Suri's world and we are just living in it. Full stop. I simply cannot have been more pleased with how this came to a close. Ending a series is a hard task and one Tasha Suri achieved wonderfully.

A perfect fantasy trilogy and the two leads are toxic lesbians who are completely obsessed with each other? I will praise you always, Tasha Suri!

After Priya's shocking betrayal in the last book, Malini clings to her precarious throne as Parijatdvipa's empress, but many in her camp want to watch her gloriously burn like her ancestors. She sends Rao off to discover a way to kill the yaksa and save her life. Meanwhile, Priya is now the thrice-born of the yaksa and trying to protect her people from Parijatdvipa AND their own gods. As she becomes more hallowed, she becomes more hollowed, making room for an ancient evil seeking to kill everything and everyone she loves.

The stakes are truly so high! I read it all with bated breath as twists made me scared yet also desperate to continue. On opposite sides of this war, it seemed impossible that Malini and Priya would live through everything going on, let alone make their way back to each other. Their relationship was stunningly romantic, and I loved them so much, even when they were forced to hurt each other. Ahhh my HEART! Malini was so cold and logical about everything else but couldn't put Priya aside even when it was best for her plans. With beautifully written female rage AND love, I demand everyone read this series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for this early reader copy.