It's not always that you can say that a trilogy has remained consistently strong, but I believe that the Burning Kingdoms trilogy has remained consistent in its quality and in its intrigue. Suri so deftly draws us into these characters and picks up with new turmoil and machinations and adventure. I love the literary foils, the relationships, and the character arcs (especially those tragic ones). I love the importance that Suri places on platonic and familial relationships and the way she winds them all together. While I do enjoy the various other perspectives she litters into the story to tell a cohesive narrative, it can at times feel repetitive or unnecessary. I think she does well with pacing overall, but will admit that there are a few points that I felt dragged on (consistent with her writing across the trilogy). Regardless, if you've started the series, I highly recommend finishing it.

This is the third and final book in the Burning Kingdoms Trilogy, and you absolutely must read the first two before attempting this one. It relies on character relationships and major plot developments from the first two books, so please be aware that this review could possibly include spoilers for those previous entries in the trilogy!

Like the first two books of the series, Tasha Suri takes a long time setting the stage and maneuvering the narrative to get to the point where the dominoes fall in exactly the right pattern. I'll admit that it was hard for me to get into the book, probably because of my current (easily distracted) mindset. But once I understood all of the moving parts, I was captivated by the way they all came together.

Something I've loved about this series from the beginning is that suri gives her female characters so much range: the women of this book are leaders, but they're leaders precisely because they've fought back against the roles they were supposed to play. Sacrifice is a major theme in the book: it's a huge part of the worldbuilding and a big part of what the characters are reacting to and pushing against. For example, since book 1, Malini has resisted being burned alive for her religion. By this third book, we understand that women who have burned for the faith do, in fact, provide a powerful weapon against forces threatening their world. In a different fantasy series, this might naturally lead to the main character understanding that their sacrifice might ironically be required in the end. But Malini and the other women of the Burning Kingdoms series do not accept this divine destiny as divine right.

While Malini and Priya are both, in some senses, "unlikable" (that is, they manipulate, fight, kill, lie, and generally do "bad things" to hang on to their power and protect their lands), I love that they don't learn the lessons of the patriarchy ("to rule, you must rule the way men do" / "my sacrificial role as a woman IS actually my fate, who'd'a thunk?") and instead forge their own ways of ruling and being and interacting with the world.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

Another series finale. Has been a pleasure to push Tasha Suri's Burning Kingdoms trilogy for Orbit the last couple of years. Closing it out with "The Lotus Empire" (Out 12 November 2024). Well that was a rather dramatic ending for the last book. Definitely didn't leave a mountain of questions or anything. But hey, answer time.

Malini has her throne. Empress of Parijatdvipa, just there is still that priest who thinks she needs to burn (yay religion). Also the rot spreading to other regions, the beings with power over the earth arising, and Priya to deal with. She has has the fun job of being in charge now, except for the bosses who don't exactly care about humans. Oh and the being from beyond the Deathless Water who is just a BIT too interested in her. If only Malini and Priya could move past the whole "stabbing you in the heart" thing and sort this all out.

Reasons to read:
-OH that's what they are
-Religion, not even once
-Comeuppance!
-More povs with their own issues, got really invested in Rao's stuff
-Platonic friendships
-A good ending

Cons:
-Could y'all pick worse times to do nutty religious stuff than that?

The fiery conclusion to The Burning Kingdoms, The Lotus Empire, is Tasha Suri stabbing us with thorns in our thoughts, emotions, and notions about the various themes she has explored in this series. A feminist powerhouse of a tale, The Lotus Empire explores what it takes to be a woman: the strengths, successes, failures, selfishness, and heart, to make a compelling sum of romance, betrayal, action, and good ol’ dark fantasy magic!


Picking up The Jasmine Throne on a whim, the first book of this series, turned into one of my favorites when it was released. As an Indian, I am constantly searching for novel dark fantasy stories that don't rely on the “Epics” for inspiration. The Jasmine Throne created a unique world with familiar tropes told in a new and exciting way, bringing focus on various social and religious issues stemming from cultural dogma faced by many South Asian peoples, with plenty of heft and research tapping into Suri’s Indo-British heritage. Moreover, the book was just plain fun, introducing us to the two powerhouse leading women, Malini and Priya, dragging us into their whirlwind fate that would decide the fates of countries and thousands of people in the kingdoms of Parijat and Ahiranya.

The Jasmin Throne did a stellar job of introducing us to deep characters with morally grey motivations, yet maintaining real and heartfelt interactions and relationships that gave great depth even to the smallest of side characters, creating a rich and rewarding world full of plot twists and palace intrigue. It also introduced us to the nature or flower magic system in a unique way. An evil magic system with nature at its source is not common in the fantasy space, and seeing flowers and vines being wielded in this way was a special experience to read, creating unease very few other magic systems can evoke.

If The Jasmin Throne was all about setting up the world and introducing us to our beloved Priya and Malini, its sequel The Oleander Sword was a hi-octane war dark fantasy novel, with grand battle scenes and action-packed set pieces. The cliffhanger ending of that novel set the BookTok girlies into a teary spiral, with an emotional gut-punch setting up the major divide that would pave the way for the concluding chapter in the trilogy, The Lotus Empire.

As we enter The Lotus Empire, we find now crowned Empress Malini of the Parijat Empire at opposing sides to her once-lover Elder Priya, of the Ahiranyi people, and high elder to the religious cult that worships the flower-eldritch demonic yaksa. The yaksa intend to bring upon the second Age of Flowers upon the land, infecting all of humanity with their botanical rot via their demigod vessels. Empress Malini, the mother of flames, is the only one that can stop the yaksa from bringing the end of humanity via Elder Priya.

Oh yeah, we’re in Lovers-to-Enemies land!

“Perhaps wisdom and war cannot go hand in hand”

Much of The Lotus Empire circles around the conflict between Malini and Priya, and their romance is a cornerstone of the entire series, that comes to a head in this final conclusion. In contrast to The Oleander Sword, Empress Malini takes on a more dominant, almost aggressive persona in The Lotus Empire, and is prepared to sacrifice whomever it takes for the safety of her newly won empire. Elder Priya, on the other hand, takes on more sympathetic role, trying her best to use her power to protect the Ahiranyi people from their extreme fanaticism.

“We are alike, you and I. We’ve tasted true power. There is nothing worthwhile for us after death.”

The nature of power is a central premise of The Lotus Empire as both Malini and Priya explore their positions of power to attain their own morally grey, and oftentimes selfish goals. A realistic portrayal of leaders and an interesting lens to perceive “strong female leads” beyond the romance angle, which by itself would have yielded a flat tropey tale. The Lotus Empire explores the nature of sacrifice for belief, family, love, country, and religion in a highly critical way. The allusion of burning the women of Parijat to save the empire draws heavily from the reality of “sati” among Hindu peoples in the Indian subcontinent, and the general subjugation of women in those cultures.

“Do you understand what emptiness is… It’s a gift. It is a promise. You need no god. Only your own fate, carved by your own hand.”

Suri also delves into the flawed nature of dogmatic worship of religion, tying the aforementioned concepts of sacrifice, and the blind lengths to which entire armies and nations will go in their jingoistic belief of higher powers. In that regard, Malini and Priya also serve as paragons of feminist excellence as they rail against those very structures of belief, while not being idols of virtue themselves.

The Burning Kingdoms series has excelled in telling a narratively rich and dense story by pursuing several POV characters, often at a breakneck pace, fleshing out the motivations of most of the major players. The downside to this approach is that much of the dread and suspense of the approaching crescendo is taken away since we can look through the eyes of all the antagonistic forces. Nevertheless, with the stoic Bhumika, the lovelorn tragic softboii Rao, the relentless Sima, the sagely Lata, and the steadfast Jeevan, The Lotus Empire is filled to the brim with deep characters with their motivations, and flaws, yet making significant contributions to the plot. In particular, Suri did a stellar job with Bhumika’s plot throughout the series, yet Rao was found wanting spending more time than would be appreciated wallowing in self-pity, grinding the cadence of the book to a halt.

If there is any critique to be leveled against The Lotus Empire, it is the uneven pacing. Suri has wowed us with her tight superlative prose, toeing the line of eloquent description and push-forward straightforwardness that belies her small catalog, catapulting her passed many established authors in the genre. However, having bitten more than she can chew with the first two novels, Suri tried to fruitfully hit all the right notes of the lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers, along with palace intrigue, and the magical sections with the yaksa, while exploring the various side characters, and tying everything back to the central emotional conflict between Malini and Priya, led to a lot needing to be squeezed into a little space. Much of the first half meandered, before steamrolling us through the action setpieces into the final climax which sped past without having enough space to breathe.

The Lotus Empire is a rewarding conclusion to the fantastic Burning Kingdoms trilogy. To me as a gung-ho male steeped in grimdark and dark fantasy with mostly male personas, this series was a breath of fresh air into exploring what it is to be a woman in a real, corrosive, explosive, romantic way, giving much insight into what it truly means to be a strong woman in fantasy.

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit Books for giving me early access to this book! All opinions are my own.

WOW! This book was absolutely beautiful, and a wonderful finale for the series. If you haven’t read the first two, this series is inspired by ancient India, with such a unique magic system. On top of that, you have a multitude of points of view, which normally can be a lot but Tasha uses masterfully to get her story across. By far the best part of the book are Priya and Malini; watching them grow from maidservant and prisoner to priestess and empress was so moving and motivational. This series is a must read for fantasy lovers! 5⭐️

THIS WAS SO GOOD!!! A few pacing issues — I think the tribes were a bit underutilized/underdeveloped, and I swear everyone was crossing the continent in the span of a chapter. But it hit all the emotional notes, and I loved the politics and religious plot points. Such a good ending to a great trilogy!!

The Lotus Empire, and The Burning Kingdoms trilogy as a whole, does everything epic fantasy should and does it flawlessly. 5 stars across the board!

The world-building is expansive. Each book deepens the mythology, loosely based on South Asian folk worship of yaksas (nature spirits), and questions what it means to worship, what power is allotted to gods and to humans. Although Ahiranya remains the primary focus of action, each book also provides insight into new places within the Parijatdvipa Empire. The third book expands from Parijat and Srugna into Alor and the Jagatay territory beyond the empire's northern border.

The character development and relationships are where this series truly shines! Empress Malini and Elder Priya were three-dimensional, their rational and not-so-rational actions made perfect sense given their histories, social entanglements, and the options available. I adored their slow-burn romance and its culmination in the third book as an intense love / hate passion, which nevertheless managed to stay away from the abusive power dynamics so common to “darker” romances now.

Even rarer, the secondary characters and relationships were equally well-developed. The shifting relationships between the Ahiranyi temple children, rebels, governing household (maids, cooks, guards), and yaksa across the trilogy was fascinating. As was their varied thoughts on what it means to sacrifice to gain and maintain freedom from oppression, whether external or internal. In the third book, I particularly loved the sweet romance between Lady Bhumika and her faithful guard Jeevan, and that the yaksa (the Big Bad) had a semi-sympathetic backstory and family dynamics.

The structure and pacing are also spot on. Each book is a full story arc: Ahiranyan rebels and Princess Malini rebel; Empress Malini vs her brother, Emperor Chandra; and humanity vs the yaksa. There are numerous chapter POVs, but every one provides a necessary perspective on events and the characters appear again at some point. There is no purposeless filler anywhere in the trilogy. The intricacy and yet continuity of events and characters across books is truly astounding. And all the plot threads are tied into a neat and satisfying bow by the end of the third book.

The descriptive writing is in turns gorgeous and unsettling. But without veering into purple prose. I could perfectly picture the characters and landscapes. (Also, shout out to artist Micah Epstein for three stunning book covers!) Here is one passage from book three that I found particularly evocative:

“The water beneath them, for a breath, stilled. And Priya saw one reflection in the water—one being, bigger than either of them. Her face, wrought strange, with a skin of bark whorled with stars; one mortal eye and another of flowers. Mortal skin at the throat and the shoulders, then a riot of flowers again at the heart. As she watched, it rippled and changed—flesh, to flowers, to utter cosmic starlight. It was awful, and it was beautiful.”

In summary: A stunning conclusion to a brilliant trilogy! This is the best adult fantasy series that I have read since 2020. The world-building, character development, and descriptive writing are all perfect. Just perfect. I can’t wait for a special edition box set to come out because I will be buying that too.

Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit for an advanced copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a powerful and satisfying conclusion to this trilogy.
The whole trilogy is such a satisfying multi-POV journey. Suri uses different narrators in such a seamless way, weaving the story together and landing mini cliffhangers along the way that just make you want to keep reading. Not to mention Suri's rich and lush world building continuing to be such a strong thread even throughout this book.
The explorations of faith and devotion that have been building through the series really find their peak here - Rao's search for a new devotion after losing Aditya, Bhumika's faith in her path regardless of what it has cost her is a nice foil to what Rao is going through. The entire back half of Malini's journey with her faith in Priya while the priests of the mothers try to drag her under their own faith was so heartwrenching.
The culminationg of Priya and Malini's relationship in general i felt was so well executed. Suri all through the books has struck the perfect rivals to lovers marks for me with the internalized struggles they both continue to grapple with despite the feelings they can't ignore.
The friendships, too, were really a strong point for me - particularly between Sima and Rao - and build such a great layer to the relationships and emotional depth that really shine in the whole trilogy.
I found the yaksa's getting more human to be such an interesting and unexpected plot line but set up for the conclusion and what happens with Priya so well.
Really looking forward to more epic fantasy from Suri

Officially, one of the best trilogies to ever exist in the fantasy genre. This was exactly what I needed to read/finish during this week. I cannot wait to own the whole set and reread them in the coming years.

I'm still stunned by that end so RTC.

In The Lotus Empire, the thrilling conclusion to Tasha Suri’s Burning Kingdoms trilogy, Malini has ascended to the throne of Parijatdvipa, rejecting the sacrificial pyre, while Priya struggles with the dangerous power she has gained. Bhumika, separated from her memories and powers, embarks on a mission to destroy the Yaksa, a race of powerful beings who have manipulated and subjugated their world. As war looms and the stakes rise, the three women must reconcile their personal losses and confront the ancient forces threatening their kingdoms.

Suri delivers an exceptional finale that brings these complex characters—Malini, Priya, and Bhumika—together in a battle against a new, terrifying enemy. The novel explores the price of power, loyalty, and sacrifice, with each character facing devastating choices. The intricate world-building and cultural history that have been developing throughout the series are fully realized here, making this a deeply satisfying conclusion. The relationships, particularly between Malini and Priya, are painful yet beautiful, with moments of love and betrayal that will leave readers emotionally shattered.

With epic battles, moments of sapphic yearning, and the final clash for Parijatdvipa’s future, The Lotus Empire is a powerful conclusion that will resonate long after the last page. Suri has crafted one of the best fantasy trilogies in recent years, and this finale is a testament to her storytelling prowess. The Burning Kingdoms trilogy is an unforgettable journey, and Tasha Suri’s skill as an author is nothing short of legendary.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC!

The Lotus Empire takes all the promise from the first two books and absolutely delivers! This book is chock full of big emotional moments, even more fascinating worldbuilding, plus twists that give earlier events a whole new meaning!

I've been fascinated by the worldbuilding in this series since the first book with the fresh South Asian setting, the lore and religions (especially of the yaksa) plus the Rot being such a great and very visual plot device. This final book really did a lot to expand on what was set up in the first two books as well as change some of the context around some pretty big moments.

What I think will really steal the show for most people, though, is the deeply powerful emotional moments we have in this book. Some of it does play around romance (which is present though of course still not the focus of this trilogy) which I actually found to be some of the best moments in the series despite not being a romance fan. We also had some great endings to quite a few character arcs for characters with big and small parts.

Overall this did everything I want in the final book of a trilogy: it elevated the previous books while adding more to the story and world, it had incredible endings to character arcs, and it wrapped things up in a satisfying way while still leaving plenty for you to ponder.

An awesome finale to what's been a wonderful series to a close. Tasha Suri brings Priya and Malini's stories to a close in the best way possible for both of them, though I do have trouble believing where Priya in particular ends up at the end of this. Check out my YT video for further thoughts on this banger!

4.5 stars
I received an ARC from the publisher and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
At long last, The Lotus Empire is about to be released, bringing the epic Burning Kingdoms trilogy to a close. While I was a little uncertain how I’d fare with this book, given it’s been two years since the last book came out, Tasha Suri’s writing has a way of engrossing me regardless of what it is, and I soaked it all in while becoming reacquainted with the world and characters. The world building remains impeccable, and I love all the internal politics among these large, rich cast of characters.
Speaking of which, I did remember initially being thrown with book one with the multiple POVs, and adapting with the second one, but I’m in a weird headspace with multi-POV books lately, even for continuations of series I’d already started. However, I had no such problems here, with each POV being engaging throughout.
I’ve always loved the complex bond between Malini and Priya, with their romantic arc continuing to be a highlight this time around. I enjoyed how this bond continued to be tested as the dynamics between them once again shifted with Priya betraying Malini.
That’s not to say that there aren’t interesting aspects to some of the supporting characters, with Bhumika dealing with loss of memory, and Rao’s POV being so heavily colored by depression. It does seem like this book had nothing but misery for everyone for the bulk of the narrative.
One minor downside, although an expected one, is that the pacing is a tad bit slow for a final installment, especially in the first half. But I can’t hold it against the book too much, as there’s a lot of ground to cover just for the characters and their various arcs, which are interwoven beautifully. And the second half is truly epic, even if it does culminate in a somewhat quick ending. However, it’s also an ending worthy of these wonderful characters.
This was an almost flawless conclusion to a trilogy, and while I initially had somewhat mixed feelings to the series concept, it’s risen in my rankings to become a potential favorite. I’d recommend the series to readers interested in richly drawn South Asian-inspired fantasy.

This series is so good. I can't say too much about this one without spoiling the first two books, but the conflict with the yaksa grows and takes center stage. I have loved the journey of Malini and Priya's relationship. I love the lore and history of the Parijat empire. I liked seeing a glimpse beyond the empire. It's not the ending I was necessarily expecting, but it feels right. A wonderful series.

A compelling read and a great wrap-up of the Burning Kingdom series.

I thought that The Lotus Empire was a great end to the series. I really appreciate Tasha Suri's writing and world-building as it really allowed me to feel as if I was in the story and made me invested. I appreciated the varying POV's in this book especially as it helped drive the plot along while providing enough explanation and background of what was occurring (this is often important in military/political elements of books). I did find that at the start it was a little slow to get into the book and took a few chapters but my interest and the book really picked up as it progressed. It did at times feel as if the pacing was off but that's for me personally. The character development throughout the series was great and I loved seeing how Priya and Malini developed and grew both separately and together. I also loved having more of Bhumika and Rao in this book as they are characters I loved. The elements of warring religions were powerful in the series but especially so in book and was very well written. Overall I really enjoyed the Burning Kingdom series and am sad that it's done but thought it had a great finish. Overall I enjoyed this book and the series and would recommend it.

To save their kingdoms the two former lovers must stand against one another, but the threat of a new evil will have the two standing by each other's side once more.
The Lotus Empire is the epic conclusion to the Burning Kingdom's trilogy.

Remember how I preferred THE OLEANDER SWORD on the second go around? I have a feeling I would love this more with more background, kind of like my PIRANESI re-read.

The first 2/3 is very slow. I want to say sophomore book slow. Chapters are long. There are many POVs. While we are familiar with most of the POVs at this point, there are some new ones. The last 1/3 picks up very quickly. The chapters are miniscule, almost short bursts. Most of the action is packed in this part of the book. I would have preferred it a little more spread out, but the story is gripping all the same.

I tried to do a modicum of research, but I need someone familiar with the Indian subcontinent to tell me which country is based on which. Some, I can tell with naming conventions, but friends, please lend a hand.

While THE JASMINE THRONE revered gods and a time long past, now that the yaksa have awoken and returned, it is easy to see the motif of monstrous gods. I remember rooting for the underdog. I thought the Parijatdvipans had it wrong. Turns out everyone has it wrong. All gods are monstrous.

And even as the yaksa and their frightening powers scare me, what scares me more is the priests of the Mothers of Flame. I know the idea of burning is based on sacrifice and choice, but it still monstrous to see it done. Does this make the nameless gods the most "normal"?

I was captivated by Priya and Malini's romance in the first book. When it broke in book two, as things often do, I was sad for days. Their positions take a bit of an opposite turn in this book. If you think you know what is going to happen at the end, you don't. And it's great. I may have cried.

Rao, that sadboi, is still my favorite character. However, there are many close seconds, so maybe that doesn't count at all. I loved exploring more of this world, especially beyond the map shown at the beginning.

If you see me reading Tasha's entire catalog, well, hi.

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit

I can’t believe I got an e-arc of this from Netgalley (in exchange for an honest review).

I loved seeing the conclusion to this story. I loved more sapphic slow burn. And despite four stars, I didn’t love this as much as I expected to. The ending character development wasn’t super satisfying to me. And we went off on some tangents that felt somewhat out of place. Regardless , I would recommend this series to anyone. So worth the read.

Let's answer the important question right off the bat: Does Suri stick the landing in The Lotus Empire?

Yes. Yes she does.

That said, she does stumble a bit on the way there. I remarked in my review of The Oleander Sword that I was impressed that book didn't feel like the second book in a trilogy. Unfortunately, The Lotus Empire somewhat DOES, even though it's the final book. You can tell that Suri knows where she wants to end up...but she has to fill up a bunch of pages before she can get there and sometimes it doesn't entirely feel like she knows how she wants to do that. Priya's storyline is solid. Malini doesn't really do that much. Rao and Bhumika in particular are under-utilized in this book, with Malini sending Rao off on a fetch-quest that ends up being of questionable use and Bhumika doing the same thing of her own volition (and with amnesia). I wish that her relationship with Jeevan could have been developed a bit more as part of that, but alas.

Still, this ends on a very satisfying note. The story got a lot bigger than it was in the first book and it can be VERY hard to wrap something like that up without it feeling dropped or cut-off in some ways, and I didn't get that here. It feels solidly complete, and in a way that fits the story entirely.

This was such a powerful and moving and satisfying conclusion to a truly epic fantasy. Tasha is a master of building tension, high-stakes, and relationships that are so real and passionate and flawed.

The first and most obvious relationship is between Priya and Malini, and I have never before rooted so HARD for a relationship that toxic. They love each other to a FAULT. They risked themselves and their loved ones and their lands for each other. They made bad decisions as rulers/elders because they were blinded by their love for each other. And they eventually figured it out and got a little better, a little healthier, but their love is an all-consuming, all-devouring one, and I loved reading every single word of it.

The strong female friendships were such a joy to read. Malini and Priya both only really made it as far as they did because of their friends and their sisters. Bhumika, Sima. Lata, Sahar, Deepa, Raziya. Being a woman in power is no easy thing in this world, and Malini was able to surround herself with kind and/or clever women who loved her so much. And the other friendships, of Rhuk and Javeen and Ganam and RAO! Every single character was going through it and they still were able to love and support each other.

The yaksa showed their true colours in the biggest way in this instalment. Learning about their history, seeing how they truly only care about being worshipped and not their worshippers. Religion and faith were such strong themes woven throughout the entire trilogy, and the climax really drove them home. This book wrecked me, and the final chapters slowly pieced me back together.

Thank you, Orbit and NetGalley, for this eARC. I adored this.