Bird King Rising is an intense ride from where we left off from Black Salt Queen. Laya not only has a kingdom to run but the challenges of love, family harnessing new powers and a new threat to Mayanara. Trying to protect her kingdom from a new threat how will Laya learn to be the powerful queen she is supposed to be?
Samantha Bansil comes back with more action, a beautiful story and an ending that will shatter you in pieces. Bird King Rising gives you more than your hearts desire and I am floored and excited to see what Samantha Bansil comes out with next.

Bird King Rising completely hooked me from page one. The story wastes no time diving straight into the action and tension—no long recap, no filler, just pure momentum. I especially loved how the lovers-to-enemies dynamic felt sharp and believable, making every confrontation pulse with emotion. The political intrigue threads seamlessly through the plot, adding high stakes without ever feeling heavy-handed. The romantic and emotional tension between the alchemist, the queen, and the bird king is chef's kiss. It's messy, layered, and full of unresolved feelings that make every interaction crackle with intensity. These aren't clean relationships; they're complicated by history, betrayal, duty, and desire in ways that feel earned and real. The push and pull between loyalty and love, power and vulnerability, kept me on edge the entire time. I found myself holding my breath during their scenes together, never quite sure who would break first or what it would cost them. The family drama adds another layer that makes the world feel lived-in and real; every character's loyalty and betrayal actually stings. You can feel the weight of their choices, the way old wounds and new ambitions tangle together. It's not just about kingdoms and thrones; it's about people trying to navigate impossible situations with their hearts on the line. And the female lead? She's everything I want in a protagonist: capable, commanding, and refreshingly free of self-pity. She leads because she must, and she does it well. She's not waiting to be saved, and she may second-guess herself sometimes, but she handles business! She makes hard calls, owns her power, and moves through the story with a confidence that feels both inspiring and hard-won. Overall, this book balances intensity, intelligence, and emotion in a way that makes it hard to put down. It's sharp, fast, and deeply satisfying. The pacing never lets up, but it's not just action for action's sake; every scene matters, every conversation carries weight, and every emotional beat lands exactly where it needs to. This is the kind of sequel that reminds you why you fell in love with the series in the first place.

This book was such a ride. Lara levels up into her most ruthless, take-no-prisoners self yet, making bold calls and owning every consequence. The book was fast-paced, the writing is lush and dramatic, and the lovers-to-enemies arc? Fully delivered.

Sequels are notoriously difficult but I feel that Bird King Rising did a good job of continuing the story well. The character developments made this not only an interesting read but deepened the connections to the different players. Stories centered around war can sometimes get tedious but I felt that the pacing was done well with character driven chapters breaking up action packed scenes.

When I requested this book from on here, I haven't even read Black Salt Queen yet. But I've already heard how good it is and my friends who recommended the book to me were totally right. I devoured it, rated it 5 stars, and proceeded to read this, excited to know what happened next.

And I love how satisfying the Bird King's end is. I love how this book didn’t just explore power but harnessed it until it was like standing at the edge of a storm and called the lightning.

As queen, Laya Gatdula, had everything to prove to her people, her bloodline, and even to herself. The author's writing style made you feel how she was pressured in every decision she made. Although she already commanded the wind and rain, she reached out for more. Was it too much? Nope. Because when the past refused to stay dead and buried, when Luntok, her ex-lover turned rival, became a threat, she had to step... and boy, did she step up!

What I loved most is how personal the conflict feels despite the scale. Between the quiet steadiness of Ariel who supported her and the sharp influence of the uncle who pushed her toward something darker, Laya was constantly being pulled apart. And it was not just between people, but also between versions of herself.

Bird King Rising is a story about power and the cost of harnessing it for your people. It's about choosing between being loved and being feared, between ruling a nation and becoming something of a god or a goddess.

The storytelling was lush, intense, and simmering with tension. It was like watching a storm gather as you proceed to read through, but knowing it’s only a matter of time before it breaks. And when it did, it was the most satisfying thing.

P.S. I'd love to read about Eti's story in the future though... so fingers crossed the author will write a book about it. :D

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

I was waiting impatiently for this sequel after reading Black Salt Queen and it didn’t disappoint! Both books do a beautiful job of weaving together plot progression with character development and the layers of emotional tangles between the characters. There are no tidy unrealistic endings here, and that draws me into Maynara’s story and makes it compelling.

**BIRD KING RISING — Samantha Bansil**
★★★★★

A worthy conclusion to the duology Bansil began with *Black Salt Queen*. Newly crowned queen Laya Gatdula is barely settled on the throne when rebellion stirs in the north and rumours surface that her ex-lover and rival Luntok — the threat she thought she'd survived — may still be alive. The central tension is well-constructed: Laya already commands wind and rain, but the question of whether to pursue godlike power or earn her people's loyalty through restraint gives the novel genuine moral weight beyond its political intrigue.

Bansil writes with pace and confidence, and her world, rooted in precolonial Filipino mythology, remains one of the more distinctive settings in contemporary fantasy. Laya herself is the kind of protagonist who frustrates and compels in equal measure — ambitious, fallible, and never predictable. For readers who followed her from the beginning, this pays off everything the first book promised.

The series begins with Black Salt Queen, where Laya Gatdula steps into power after a brutal and emotional rise to the throne. That first book leans heavily into grief, complicated relationships, and the cost of power, ending on a note that feels anything but stable. By the time we leave it, Laya has the crown.. but not necessarily the loyalty, peace, or control that comes with it. Everything feels fragile, like it could fall apart at any moment.

Bird King Rising wastes no time proving exactly that. The moment this starts, it’s already tense.. rebellion brewing, old enemies possibly alive, and Laya trying to hold everything together while still figuring out what kind of ruler she even wants to be. I liked how it leans into that pressure instead of smoothing it out.. you can feel how heavy the crown is on her. The emotional mess from book one doesn’t disappear, it just evolves into something sharper and more dangerous. It reads very much like a finale where every decision matters and nothing comes easy, especially with the constant push between power, legacy, and survival.

Thank you to @bindery_books for the opportunity to read and feature this title.

👑 Newly crowned queen under pressure
⚡ Elemental magic and growing power
🔥 Rebellion rising against the throne
🦅 Legendary creature tied to prophecy
💔 Ex-lovers turned enemies
⚔️ War, legacy, and impossible choices