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bookwormbullet's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: War, Sexual content, Violence, and Death
ezwolf's review against another edition
adventurous
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? It's complicated
5.0
I know I'm a day late but here is my review!
I absolutely loved The Jasmine Throne and was so excited to read The Oleander Sword. Both Malini and Priya are such interesting characters and the supporting cast also adds so much to the story. I'm not usually a fan of alternating POV books, but I personally really love Bhumika and Rao and so getting to read their POV was fun!
The way that women play a part in the book and series as a whole is amazing. The way that there's an entire religion based on women sacrificing themselves willingly, but also the same people who worship that religion looking down on the real women in their lives. The way that Malini created an entire entourage of women of guards and maids and even though her army was made up of men, the most important people to her are women and the same of Priya as well.
Tasha Suri has an incredible way with words and specially in this book there were a lot of lines and passages that stood out to me. In particular the scene where Malini reminisces about how she would make Priya her wife if she could, what it means to be a sacrifice/give a sacrifice without knowing the price, and finally when Rao is thinking back on Aditya's words "What is a star, but a distant fire, reaching for you across worlds?"
I did not see the way the story was going to take the turn for at all and the build up at the end was fantastic and I now eagerly await the third installment of The Burning Kingdoms series!
Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!
I absolutely loved The Jasmine Throne and was so excited to read The Oleander Sword. Both Malini and Priya are such interesting characters and the supporting cast also adds so much to the story. I'm not usually a fan of alternating POV books, but I personally really love Bhumika and Rao and so getting to read their POV was fun!
The way that women play a part in the book and series as a whole is amazing. The way that there's an entire religion based on women sacrificing themselves willingly, but also the same people who worship that religion looking down on the real women in their lives. The way that Malini created an entire entourage of women of guards and maids and even though her army was made up of men, the most important people to her are women and the same of Priya as well.
Tasha Suri has an incredible way with words and specially in this book there were a lot of lines and passages that stood out to me. In particular the scene where Malini reminisces about how she would make Priya her wife if she could, what it means to be a sacrifice/give a sacrifice without knowing the price, and finally when Rao is thinking back on Aditya's words "What is a star, but a distant fire, reaching for you across worlds?"
I did not see the way the story was going to take the turn for at all and the build up at the end was fantastic and I now eagerly await the third installment of The Burning Kingdoms series!
Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, War, Grief, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Death, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Classism, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, and Sexual content
Minor: Alcohol, Pregnancy, Torture, and Vomit
psbibi's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, and War
onthesamepage's review against another edition
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Second books in a trilogy are always a risk, because most of the time, the book functions as a setup for the epic conclusion, and suffers as a result. Not so with this book, which did do a fair amount of setup, but never at the expense of the story. There was so much happening throughout, and all of it was gripping and interesting. I found myself constantly gravitating towards this book over other books I was reading, because I wanted to know how the characters were doing and what they would end up having to deal with next.
Our main perspectives in this book are Priya, Malini, and Bhumika, and in a surprising twist, I think Bhumika's chapters fascinated me the most. She is left behind in Ahiranya while Priya goes to help Malini win her war, and shit almost immediately hits the fan. Bhumika is a subtler character than the other women, but no less strong, and I really liked seeing the way she dealt with everything that was being thrown at her. Also, the romance between her and Jeevan is so freaking sweet.
Rather than giving us an entire book where Priya and Malini barely engage with each other, the first dose of romance comes pretty soon, in the form of a couple of letters the two sneakily exchange. There is a lot of longing and pining, and even though they have feelings for each other, this is no less a slow burn than the first book was. The power dynamics between them are really interesting; Malini wields traditional power as empress, and Priya adores her enough to go along with everything, but Priya is really the more powerful of the two, and I loved seeing the way they navigated that.
I don't want to say too much about the plot, but you can expect some interesting reveals about the yaksa, Priya's powers, and the rot.
Second books in a trilogy are always a risk, because most of the time, the book functions as a setup for the epic conclusion, and suffers as a result. Not so with this book, which did do a fair amount of setup, but never at the expense of the story. There was so much happening throughout, and all of it was gripping and interesting. I found myself constantly gravitating towards this book over other books I was reading, because I wanted to know how the characters were doing and what they would end up having to deal with next.
Our main perspectives in this book are Priya, Malini, and Bhumika, and in a surprising twist, I think Bhumika's chapters fascinated me the most. She is left behind in Ahiranya while Priya goes to help Malini win her war, and shit almost immediately hits the fan. Bhumika is a subtler character than the other women, but no less strong, and I really liked seeing the way she dealt with everything that was being thrown at her. Also, the romance between her and Jeevan is so freaking sweet.
Rather than giving us an entire book where Priya and Malini barely engage with each other, the first dose of romance comes pretty soon, in the form of a couple of letters the two sneakily exchange. There is a lot of longing and pining, and even though they have feelings for each other, this is no less a slow burn than the first book was. The power dynamics between them are really interesting; Malini wields traditional power as empress, and Priya adores her enough to go along with everything, but Priya is really the more powerful of the two, and I loved seeing the way they navigated that.
I don't want to say too much about the plot, but you can expect some interesting reveals about the yaksa, Priya's powers, and the rot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Minor: Death
qace90's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0
I received an advance copy from the publisher via Netgalley for review purposes; this in no way influences my review.
Oleander Sword is even better than Jasmine Throne and has me utterly adrift in feelings. Full review closer to release, but trust me - you need this book in your life!!
Full review:
I finished Oleander Sword and now I don’t know what to do with myself. How dare it end there?! Where’s the next book?! I need to know what’s going to happen next!!
Oleander Sword picks up a year after the events of Jasmine Throne. Bhumika and Priya are Elders of Ahiranya and trying to lead their country into a prosperous future, but are having to deal with the politics of the highborn and also trying to stop the spread of the rot, if they can’t reverse it’s effects. Malini is empress but she’s still having to fight to hold that title, especially as her brother Chandra has found a weapon that makes people question the veracity of the prophecies claiming she is the true and rightful leader of Parijatdvipa. Her claims to the throne are also hindered by men who would rather see her brother Aditya as emperor, as he is the eldest and was once the crown prince, but he has no interest in ruling; he sees his place as a priest for the nameless.
This book had me immediately in my feelings and needing someone to scream with because the way Tasha Suri executes emotional complexity alongside political machinations and ripple effect manipulations is nothing short of masterful. The prose is absolutely gorgeous, but for me this book is all about the emotions. Everyone is trying to do what they believe to be the right thing and so many are working towards their goals for love - of someone, of country, of faith. I love the complexity of these characters and how hard it sometimes is to sus out who is in the right and who is in the wrong - especially as so many of these characters are doing bad or harmful things for the right reasons.
Oleander Sword is absolutely gorgeous on so many levels and really delves into complexities of motivations and goals while also giving space for softness and love. But even the soft, loving elements have thorns and hurt. Priya, Malini, Bhumika, and all the other characters are trying their best in a world and time when sometimes the best you can do is offer your enemy a quick death. But who is the true enemy when ancient powers are coming back into the world?
I just, I am utterly in awe of the writing and the story Tasha Suri is telling with this series and cannot wait for the third book’s release. If you’re a fan of epic fantasy with complicated motivations, nuanced interpersonal dynamics, and messy, messy feelings you absolutely need to read this book!
Oleander Sword is even better than Jasmine Throne and has me utterly adrift in feelings. Full review closer to release, but trust me - you need this book in your life!!
Full review:
I finished Oleander Sword and now I don’t know what to do with myself. How dare it end there?! Where’s the next book?! I need to know what’s going to happen next!!
Oleander Sword picks up a year after the events of Jasmine Throne. Bhumika and Priya are Elders of Ahiranya and trying to lead their country into a prosperous future, but are having to deal with the politics of the highborn and also trying to stop the spread of the rot, if they can’t reverse it’s effects. Malini is empress but she’s still having to fight to hold that title, especially as her brother Chandra has found a weapon that makes people question the veracity of the prophecies claiming she is the true and rightful leader of Parijatdvipa. Her claims to the throne are also hindered by men who would rather see her brother Aditya as emperor, as he is the eldest and was once the crown prince, but he has no interest in ruling; he sees his place as a priest for the nameless.
This book had me immediately in my feelings and needing someone to scream with because the way Tasha Suri executes emotional complexity alongside political machinations and ripple effect manipulations is nothing short of masterful. The prose is absolutely gorgeous, but for me this book is all about the emotions. Everyone is trying to do what they believe to be the right thing and so many are working towards their goals for love - of someone, of country, of faith. I love the complexity of these characters and how hard it sometimes is to sus out who is in the right and who is in the wrong - especially as so many of these characters are doing bad or harmful things for the right reasons.
Oleander Sword is absolutely gorgeous on so many levels and really delves into complexities of motivations and goals while also giving space for softness and love. But even the soft, loving elements have thorns and hurt. Priya, Malini, Bhumika, and all the other characters are trying their best in a world and time when sometimes the best you can do is offer your enemy a quick death. But who is the true enemy when ancient powers are coming back into the world?
I just, I am utterly in awe of the writing and the story Tasha Suri is telling with this series and cannot wait for the third book’s release. If you’re a fan of epic fantasy with complicated motivations, nuanced interpersonal dynamics, and messy, messy feelings you absolutely need to read this book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, and War
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Animal death, Suicide, and Torture
- Grief - Immolation - Battle - Drowning - Threats toward a child’s safety - Alcohol consumption - Sensual/sexual content - Reference to torture (off page) - Poisonlaurareads87's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This is what I want in epic fantasy: a compelling setting, political intrigue, amazing world-building, meaningful diverse representation, and a plot I’m consistently excited about. It’s also what I want in a middle book of a trilogy: self-contained enough to not feel like it ended too abruptly while still leaving me on the edge of my seat for the third book. The ending — I won’t say much about it but suffice to say that I’m waiting extraordinarily impatiently for book three and am a little bit stressed about it! The multiple perspectives — and there are a *lot* of them — feel distinctive and are used to great effect in developing the characters and their motivations, and the religious and magical elements that were intriguing in the first book are further elaborated here beautifully. One of the absolute best fantasy series happening right now — highly, highly recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing an ARC in exchange for this review.
Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing an ARC in exchange for this review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Blood, Death, Murder, and Gore
Moderate: Xenophobia, Sexism, Misogyny, Grief, Suicide, and Torture
Minor: Animal death
ktkeps's review against another edition
adventurous
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Xenophobia, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Sexism, and War
mxkanteven's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
I… I lack the words to express how I’m feeling because I just finished the books.
The Oleander Sword doesn’t have the dramatic conclusion of the The Jasmine, it’s much more of a steady build towards the final boss battle. Which isn’t here yet by the way.
It holds your attention well, but the addition of new formation does make it a more a complex read because you’re already following an existing narrative.
All that said, I cannot wait for the next book to come out!
The Oleander Sword doesn’t have the dramatic conclusion of the The Jasmine, it’s much more of a steady build towards the final boss battle. Which isn’t here yet by the way.
It holds your attention well, but the addition of new formation does make it a more a complex read because you’re already following an existing narrative.
All that said, I cannot wait for the next book to come out!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: War and Death
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