Take a photo of a barcode or cover
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I did not like The Oleander Sword and I was very nervous heading into the finale, but Suri sticks the landing!
One of my big problems with TOS was that there were PoVs where the characters didn't accomplish a whole lot, and PoVs for characters that I didn't think needed them. This is still an issue in this book, where two characters get a handful of PoV chapters that were not needed for the narrative and involved in plotlines that didn't go anywhere... but at least the main characters are (mostly) doing useful things and are pursuing clear goals, making this book feel snappier and more impactful than TOS. I have some other quibbles with this book (particularly some actions taken by Malini and some things that are under-explained), but this was a solid book and a return to form of the first one.
I am very satisfied with the trilogy and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for epic fantasy in non-western settings, focused on morally complex female characters, and featuring queer characters where being queer is an important aspect of their person.
One of my big problems with TOS was that there were PoVs where the characters didn't accomplish a whole lot, and PoVs for characters that I didn't think needed them. This is still an issue in this book, where two characters get a handful of PoV chapters that were not needed for the narrative and involved in plotlines that didn't go anywhere... but at least the main characters are (mostly) doing useful things and are pursuing clear goals, making this book feel snappier and more impactful than TOS. I have some other quibbles with this book (particularly some actions taken by Malini and some things that are under-explained), but this was a solid book and a return to form of the first one.
I am very satisfied with the trilogy and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for epic fantasy in non-western settings, focused on morally complex female characters, and featuring queer characters where being queer is an important aspect of their person.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Child death, Homophobia, Torture, Vomit
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Torture
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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
Suri daringly looked at the tropes of tragic and happy endings in the face and chose to create a third path. This is an intricate and vivid crescendo where all the threads of lore and magic and faith and history come to life and reveal fully that they where key pillars of the plot all along. The yaksa, the nature of faith, its power and where it comes from, why this magic found this world. And yet, our lovers, in the end, refuse to bend to the will of prophecy or fate. Tasha looked at the tropes that line the field of epic fantasy and said "I will make a third path," in unison with Priya's thoughts in the book. Rao's final arc brings tears to my eyes as he realizes truly what he lost, who he lost and what Aditya was to Rao. It's a picture burned into my mind, the moment his feelings come to light. A kiss upon polished lacquer. Many of our heroes live, but the world is fundamentally changed. In the process we see the struggle to quash misogynistic ideologies, the struggle to understand the nature of faith, to understand the not-magic within the human experience, we see the struggle to both excise the rotten core buried beneath generations of trauma and sacrifice and yet preserve its people, its culture, its independence. What does it mean to put an end to ancient ways? Does it spell death for the culture that rose from it? Or does it just mean an upheaval, a change that will forever reshape what it means to be of that culture? This book is a profound ending to an incredible series. It will not go precisely how you expect. It will not inflict tragedy where it is not necessary. It will instead show you the people left standing in the wake of horrific war picking up the pieces of what was broken and carrying on with loss in their hearts. It will instead show you peoples, empires broken and reformed and changed, and characters ready to move on. It will ask you, "what next?" and answer with a meager hope for a better world and only the certainty of a love unending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Alcoholism, Misogyny, Xenophobia
adventurous
hopeful
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:
Yes
I love women 🥹
An incredible end to an incredible series. The women are so empowering, complex individuals who are very open about the imperfections and struggles. Such strong relationships too!
Tasha Suri props to you 👏🏼 the most original and refreshing fantasy series I’ve read in a very long while. From the plot to the magic system to the characters. I loved reading this and I miss the world already.
An incredible end to an incredible series. The women are so empowering, complex individuals who are very open about the imperfections and struggles. Such strong relationships too!
Tasha Suri props to you 👏🏼 the most original and refreshing fantasy series I’ve read in a very long while. From the plot to the magic system to the characters. I loved reading this and I miss the world already.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Violence, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I liked the ending, how it all wrapped up but the first 350 pages were such a slog, nothing really happened, kind of boring too... Which is really sad, I was so excited for this book but it was a letdown
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, War
Moderate: Sexism, Xenophobia
Minor: Child death, Confinement, Sexual content, Murder
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, War
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I just finished this book and oh my love, I am a whirlwind of emotion. It's really not an easy task at all to finish a series in a way that is satisfying but god did Tasha Suri master it. I cried, I laughed and I oohed and aahed and I had the most wonderful time. I so look forward to rereading this series again and again. I am truly so luckily to have the privilege of living in a time where great authors like her are still publishing new books! I am already looking forward to reading "The Isle in the Silver Sea" <3
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Sexual content
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
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:
Complicated
Maybe it’s not a good idea to write a review immediately after finishing a book, but I’m going to do it anyway.
The Lotus Empire feels incredibly slow to begin with, and Priya and Malini remain, for the bulk of the book, passive actors in a plot that mainly concerns them and puts them at odds with each other. For all I sometimes questioned Rao’s POV in this book, he and Bhumika serve as main agents of plot development for the first half or so of the novel. I feel like I managed to read through the first half of the novel so quickly because I’m attached to the world, its core cast of characters and how Tasha Suri’s writing. If the first book had been more of this it would've been hard to stay engaged.There were some things that I liked: the introduction of the temple children, as sad as them being chosen was; seeing Bhumika and Jeevan travel the world, and the depth of Jeevan’s feelings for her; Rao and Sima’s developing bond; seeing the world through Arahli Ala’s eyes, and his struggle to shake off Ashok, and seeing the yaksa struggle with the humanity that came from wearing flesh brought them.
However. The book really picks up at about ~60%/70%, and then I really couldn’t put it down. We finally get hints of what needs to be done to free Priya and Malini from their fates and save their homes and loved ones. They take a much more active role, and I think for the first time in this series, I really did believe in their love and their bond to each other. The climax that builds in that final third of the novel was chaotic and bittersweet and rough, but I was enthralled.
I’m still left with a few questions as to how some things played out the way they did, and I still have certain questions regarding certain characters and what became of them at the end. I found the ending satisfying.I did think it was surprising that all of the main characters survived—even if Priya had been dead for almost two decades—but I do appreciate that Suri probably didn’t want to lean into a bury your gays trope, even if the main theme of this book, in particular, was sacrifice. Overall, the universe was stunning and I loved the interwoven themes of faith, love, power, and sacrifice. The juxtaposition of Malini, Priya, and Bhumika—different women with different gifts, who love and are loved, capable of good deeds and terrible ones—was so refreshing to read. I loved their morally grey alignments, and how they could be both selfish and selfless at the same time. For me, that was the real highlight of this novel.
The Lotus Empire feels incredibly slow to begin with, and Priya and Malini remain, for the bulk of the book, passive actors in a plot that mainly concerns them and puts them at odds with each other. For all I sometimes questioned Rao’s POV in this book, he and Bhumika serve as main agents of plot development for the first half or so of the novel. I feel like I managed to read through the first half of the novel so quickly because I’m attached to the world, its core cast of characters and how Tasha Suri’s writing. If the first book had been more of this it would've been hard to stay engaged.
However. The book really picks up at about ~60%/70%, and then I really couldn’t put it down. We finally get hints of what needs to be done to free Priya and Malini from their fates and save their homes and loved ones. They take a much more active role, and I think for the first time in this series, I really did believe in their love and their bond to each other. The climax that builds in that final third of the novel was chaotic and bittersweet and rough, but I was enthralled.
I’m still left with a few questions as to how some things played out the way they did, and I still have certain questions regarding certain characters and what became of them at the end. I found the ending satisfying.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, War
Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Religious bigotry
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:
No
Content Warnings
Minor: Body horror