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adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What an experience!
I was already in love with the series from the get-go, and that cliff-hanger left me starving for more. And this final installment really, really ended the series in a fitting and satisfying way.
The first half is a little slow, taking it's time and moving pieces around to establish the conclusion. I'm really glad that none of the supposed solutions were easy and painless. It would've really taken from the darkness of this world of things we're easy.
The second half (and especially the final eighth) of the book was fast-paced, chaotic, and really left me wondering how exactly it was going to be resolved and, of course, how devastating it was going to be.
The epilogue:it's incredibly vague on details, which I like, but our girls Priya and Malini are together, maybe in literally eternity. I wasn't expecting such a happy (relatively speaking of course) ending after so much devastation, but I'm satisfied. .
My first ever 5/5 book, no notes. Definitely going to check out more of Tasha Suri's works because wow!
I was already in love with the series from the get-go, and that cliff-hanger left me starving for more. And this final installment really, really ended the series in a fitting and satisfying way.
The first half is a little slow, taking it's time and moving pieces around to establish the conclusion. I'm really glad that none of the supposed solutions were easy and painless. It would've really taken from the darkness of this world of things we're easy.
The second half (and especially the final eighth) of the book was fast-paced, chaotic, and really left me wondering how exactly it was going to be resolved and, of course, how devastating it was going to be.
The epilogue:
My first ever 5/5 book, no notes. Definitely going to check out more of Tasha Suri's works because wow!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, War
Minor: Confinement, Torture, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Such a beautiful conclusion to the trilogy. I found that the pacing issues in The Oleander Sword were gone, and Suri’s writing is lyrical and impactful as ever.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Fire/Fire injury
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Confinement, Sexual content, Torture, Pregnancy
Minor: Animal death, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Death of parent
adventurous
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
bhumika, my beloved <3
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, War
Moderate: Misogyny, Blood
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a very solid ending to a series I've loved, but I do think this is the weakest in the trilogy. This almost felt like a middle book to me—I thought The Oleander Sword was fantastic because so much happened, the pacing was tight, and everything was spot on. The Lotus Empire felt a lot slower, and more than half of it is spent on setting things up for the conclusion, which is usually what happens in the middle book instead. There was a lot of experimenting, which I don't mind, but also journeying, which isn't my favourite thing to read about, and it took a while before things finally started to speed up.
As always, the characters and relationships are a highlight. I loved every interaction between Malini and Priya. Their tumultuous romance is so satisfying to read. I did miss getting to see Bhumika shine the way she did in the previous installments.
The writing is beautiful as always, but I do think the ending felt a bit too neat. There was also a prologue that never goes anywhere, and I don't understand why it was included at all.
Regardless, The Burning Kingdoms is a fantastic trilogy, and one I would recommend to any fantasy reader.
As always, the characters and relationships are a highlight. I loved every interaction between Malini and Priya. Their tumultuous romance is so satisfying to read. I did miss getting to see Bhumika shine the way she did in the previous installments.
The writing is beautiful as always, but I do think the ending felt a bit too neat. There was also a prologue that never goes anywhere, and I don't understand why it was included at all.
Regardless, The Burning Kingdoms is a fantastic trilogy, and one I would recommend to any fantasy reader.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Misogyny
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“You can love something knowing it can destroy you. Maybe you love it more for it.”
Tasha Suri’s final book in her Burning Kingdoms trilogy takes us on a journey that explores humanity, emotion, and the nature of faith.
Her world is as sweeping and evocative as ever, taking us from the terrifying forests of Ahiranya, all the way to the snowy wastelands beyond Parijatdvipa. As always, Suri’s writing is beautiful and captivating and proves to be a true draw of this book.
Rao and Bhumika were an undoubted highlight for me. Their stories were so interesting and poignant, and I loved delving into their experiences. Malini’s court of women was epic - Lata, Deepa, Sahar, and Raziya were all so individual and well-drawn. One thing I adore about Tasha Suri’s writing is her unflinching portrayal of female characters - they are allowed to be weak, fierce, cunning, compassionate, monstrous, and most importantly human. It’s really refreshing to see in the high fantasy genre. The romances in this series also succeed in ripping out my heart every other page, so 10/10 on that score.
Although I feel this is the weakest book in the trilogy, which was a little disappointing for a conclusion, Suri gives us a solid finale which was both moving and bittersweet. There were some issues regarding pacing, world building, and character development, but overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend this trilogy to anyone looking for High Fantasy that centres on fierce and varied female characters.
Tasha Suri’s final book in her Burning Kingdoms trilogy takes us on a journey that explores humanity, emotion, and the nature of faith.
Her world is as sweeping and evocative as ever, taking us from the terrifying forests of Ahiranya, all the way to the snowy wastelands beyond Parijatdvipa. As always, Suri’s writing is beautiful and captivating and proves to be a true draw of this book.
Rao and Bhumika were an undoubted highlight for me. Their stories were so interesting and poignant, and I loved delving into their experiences. Malini’s court of women was epic - Lata, Deepa, Sahar, and Raziya were all so individual and well-drawn. One thing I adore about Tasha Suri’s writing is her unflinching portrayal of female characters - they are allowed to be weak, fierce, cunning, compassionate, monstrous, and most importantly human. It’s really refreshing to see in the high fantasy genre. The romances in this series also succeed in ripping out my heart every other page, so 10/10 on that score.
Although I feel this is the weakest book in the trilogy, which was a little disappointing for a conclusion, Suri gives us a solid finale which was both moving and bittersweet. There were some issues regarding pacing, world building, and character development, but overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend this trilogy to anyone looking for High Fantasy that centres on fierce and varied female characters.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, War
Minor: Torture
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual content
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I'm crying too much to write anything smart. A wonderful ending to a fantastic adult fantasy series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, War
Moderate: Gore
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicide, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content, Blood
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
what a perfect, enthralling, riveting, and emotional end to a perfect, enthralling, riveting, and emotional series. The Lotus Empire is simply stunning. excellent and beautiful prose, enticing story, captivating characters, full of grief and despair and hope and magic. how do I move on now that it is over? I wish I could read it, and the whole series, for the first time again and again. but instead, I will carry it with me for as long as I live, recommending it to everyone around me. do yourself the kindest and biggest favor and read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism