How! How! How do I go into this one without telling too much about this book or the first one? I read this one and I already want to re-read book one and this one. If you like mythology, retellings, epic fantasy, strong characters, and flushed-out and vivid world-building, then you will like this series. Some content warnings are violence, gore, body horror, infanticide, drug, and more; so please look up more info if needed. I don't feel like I can go into the plot, I think if you like anything talked about then you will like this read.
I read this by audio and oh my gosh, it is done amazingly. The Vikas Adam, top tier!
A desert vibe retelling, fantasy of mythology of a battle of powers in an epic world.

I found this to be a compelling sequel to the first story. I think it was such an interesting world created although I found there were a lot of characters to keep track of and I found myself getting mixed up frequently. The pacing of this book also felt a little off at times. Sometimes fast paced and full of action, other time it felt too slow. Overall I found it to be an enjoyable read, but not necessarily my cup of tea.

This one was okay. Not really for me.

It didn’t really pull me in and I personally wasn’t a huge fan of the narrator.

Nothing memorable.

This was a really fascinating and epic sequel to Upon a Burning Throne and once I got used to the new characters and setting, I loved it! The idea of a wagon trail caravan that takes seven years to reach its destination is so unique and the found family attached to that caravan is wonderful. I also enjoyed the interaction between Jarsun and Tyrak and found all of the political machinations were deeply satisfying. I am so intrigued to see how the two sides of the world will come together in the conclusion and cannot wait to see how everything turns out. Overall, a fabulous installment in a truly epic series.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A Dark Queen Rises is the second book in Ashok K. Banker's The Burnt Empire Saga trilogy, which began in 2019 with his Upon a Burning Throne. The series is a fantasy adaptation of the Mahābhārata, the Indian/Hindu epic, which I've read a couple of other adaptations of - unlike those other adaptations I've read, Banker's series seems to keep the sprawling nature of the original work, with the story ranging widely between characters and places, rather than focusing on a single direct story. The first novel in the series was interesting as a setup, as it established the variants of the classic story, but it was very much a setup novel.

To my surprise, so is A Dark Queen Rises, which takes place largely along the same time period as book 1, but in another part of the world, following Krushita, daughter of Jarsun, who was introduced in book 1's prologue and then never appeared again. In essence, this is an adaptation of the births of Krishna and Draupadi (as far as I can tell despite having never read the original works) rather than of the Mahābhārata itself, and it works pretty well in that right, with interesting characters and ideas along the way. On the other hand, it's kind of disappointing as a second novel, as what's going to have to happen in many respects - with one surprise near the end - is apparent for a long while, and the book spending a long long stretch of time with a character who clearly is fated for death and little else (Judging from wikipedia, I suspect this is even more the case if you are familiar with the source material). I'm excited to move on to the conclusion of this series, but I really wish I'd gotten some of that here instead.

Note: As noted above, this was read in part as an audiobook (probably about 40% in audio, 60% in print). I'd also originally read the first book in print, but then reread it in large part in audio. The reader is the same between this book and the previous one, and is fairly good, even if a bit slow in his reading style. He doesn't give various characters particularly distinct voices, so if you're looking for that (like other audio-readers are able to do) you won't find it here, but the audiobook is a totally functional and solid way to enjoy this story.


--------------------------------------------------Plot Summary------------------------------------------------------
Queen Aqreen of Aquila once seemed to have it all - now she has fled her city and her husband Jarsun along with their daughter Krushita, in an attempt to save them both from Jarsun's plans. For Jarsun is the magically powerful Krushan outcast whose plans involve setting Krushita upon the Burnt Empire's Burning Throne, a plan that Aqreen knows will not end well for her daughter or herself....as her dead father's fate can attest.

But when the wagon train Aqreen picks to journey to Reygar is attacked by Jarsun's undead minions, it all seems for naught....until Krushita, still a small child, wields her magical powers to stop the attack. But Jarsun will not stop after only one attempt, and it will require all of Krushita's growing powers - along with the mentorship of the mysterious sage Vessa - and to, as Vessa prophecizes, defeat Jarsun once and for all.

Meanwhile, Jarsun continues his plans to grow his own empire to challenge the Burnt Empire, building up his forces and mentoring the sinister Tyrak, a monstrous prince with the powers of an Urrkh, whose cruelties and rage threaten to consume his own people and those of his neighbors. Yet when the gods and prophecies conspire to birth a boy to defeat Tyrak, it becomes clear that an Avatar of a god is being born into this world for the task, one who with Krushita's assistance could become a savior capable of saving the world from Jarsun himself....
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Upon the Burning Throne started with a prologue featuring three babies who were claimants to the throne: brothers Adri and Shvate, and Krushita, the daughter of the feared evil Krushan Jarsun. The story began with the Krushan leaders rejecting Krushita unfairly because of her father, and Jarsun vowing revenge.....and then Krushita is never seen again throughout that book, although Jarsun wages multiple wars and attacks on the growing Adri and Shvate's forces and their godlike ancestors. Instead the story builds up Adri and Shvate until the central characters and conflict of the Mahābhārata is setup - with two sets of claimants to the throne clearly set up for civil war in the Five demigod children of Shvate (this book's version of the Pandavas) and the Hundred and One offspring of Adri.

A Dark Queen Rises does not pick up the story from there - in fact it never gets to that part of the story at all, instead focusing entirely on Krushita and the story of Tyrak, all far far away from the center of the Burnt Empire where book 1 is taking place alongside it.* In fact, oddly, Krushita 's story is kind of secondary, as there isn't too much too it other than her growing up along the wagon train, which is increasingly attacked and jeopardized by Jarsun in a few memorable sequences (most notably where they face a wave of undead) and Krushita is forced, along with the help of Vessa - who is scheming throughout this book and the only prominent character from book one aside from Jarsun to act here - to grow her powers and to try to scheme on her own to stop her father....and to save the mother and people she cares about. Krushita is an easy girl to like - one who is not very childlike at all, but her well-meaningness, as well as increasing power and uncertainty about Vessa's plans and how she can move forward, make it easy to enjoy even if she's not really a child.

*The book actually starts with a prologue that teases what is to come, and then flashes back to the main story, with the prologue only returning in the final chapter*

And then there's what is almost the real protagonist here, a villain protagonist, in Tyrak, the monstrous murderous prince who is first stopped by his noble enemy neighbor, is mentored by Jarsun to become a demon and cruel leader....then goes awry with rage and cruelty after he finds out about the prophecy of his defeat, gets cut down low....only to be raised up once more through the efforts of a few until he becomes a terror again...only to get cut down. Tyrak's story is an odd one to talk about - its well done, especially as it goes in pathways up and down that aren't quite as expected, and Banker does a great job showcasing his development into different kinds of monsters, whether that be through rule, fighting, sport, or just evil murdering suppression. And yet at the same time, it's hard not to feel a bit disappointed that there's all this focus on Tyrak, who we know from the very early prophecy is going to die at the hands of the prophesied one, and is only important for the birth of that being (our Krishna in this story....sort of).

A Dark Queen Rises don't get me wrong is done very very well, with it describing its story in very epic fashion, from the fights, to the sports, to the character developments, to the magic, to the gods, etc. There's a lot of really interesting stuff here. And yet, it can never quite escape from the fact that it feels like the plot is on rails to a destination you can see coming from very early, especially in Tyrak's story. The one exception is the finale of Krushita's story, and how the tables are turned, but other than that, it just kind of feels like the book is telling backstory that really didn't need a whole book, getting us to where several important characters can now be set into place to fight in the battle setup by the end of book 1, which we will pick up back in book 3.

Adaptations of classic epics are hard, because well....they're often constrained by a set story, especially if they're very straight adaptations like this one is at times. And this book only makes that constriction even more felt by not having forward plot momentum. I'll be back for book 3 - I have an advanced copy of it actually - but I'm really hoping it will payoff all this in interesting ways, as this book did not.

When I finished Upon a Burning Throne my first thought was "This is Game of Thrones but in India" and now that I've finished A Dark Queen Rises, my suspicions are confirmed. I love this world, love the lore that they live in, and I love the characters. The villain is NUTS, the main characters are loveable, and no one is safe.

I will say that this series is not for the feint of heart, there is a lot of violence and gore in here. But I loved this so much. Highly recommend

This is a great book, full of magic and I really love that it's better than the first one, this book it's what I wanted for a summer read of fantasy

I enjoyed parts of this book (including meeting a new villain), but there were a LOT of action scenes which were just okay. A significant part of this book dragged and was incredibly repetitive to the point that I barely registered when something happened. While this was not as compelling as the first book, I still found myself racing through it easily and I'm very interested in how the story will continue.

The pacing and the action scenes were so well done (and better than the first installment) and I loved it. The only thing is that I didn't completely gel with the audiobook. Though he has a smooth voice, in some sections the way he narrates makes the derivative writing style even more apparent.

Unique setting, especially as an American. I genuinely loved how the characters and disparate parts interconnected. A bit dry, but solid. I will definitely recommend it, but too much sex to have in my school.

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media Recorded Books for the audio ARC of A Dark Queen Rises. It was my choice to read and I'm leaving this review voluntarily.

Goodreads doesn't have the audio version up yet and I don't have the ASIN because I had the audio galley copy.

I read the first one in ebook format and just like I thought when I wrote that review, the audiobook is the way to go with this epic story in The Burnt Empire. The audiobook narrator Vikas Adam does an excellent job creating distinct voices so I knew who was talking without having to rewind. Also, one of the main characters is a young girl and some narrators cannot nail that young voice without sounding horrible. So, I was happy that Vikas Adam pulled it off and she didn't sound shrill or whiney or annoying. It was really well done. When I read the first one, sometimes I would forget who I was following and would have to turn the pages back to the beginning of the chapter so the audiobook helps with the large cast and epic scale.

It does feel though like the lens has zoomed in and we are following fewer people in this one which I liked as well. There are some scenes that are difficult to read, these books are being compared to Game of Thrones and I would say that if you had difficulty in some of those books (or show) scenes then this may not be the book for you.

The bad characters are really bad and so they do bad things that are hard to read about. But, their deep evil makes the hero moments even more exciting, epic, and I was rooting for them stronger because of my hatred of the bad characters.

Again, there are some amazingly epic, wtf moments just like I said in my review of the first one and I'd love to see these adapted to a show. It ended in such a crazy way and I can't wait for the next one!

Banker continues his lush and vivid adventure across the Burnt Empire, bringing new characters unto the field, fighting for peace and moving parties into place to sweep across the land to assert control and subjugate.

As with Upon a Burning Throne, Jarsun has not let his greed for power subside and has now swayed new apostles to his war. But there are forces massing in order to maintain balance in the empire. The stage upon which power rises and falls is always changing and those who would take advantage of such vacuums that arise as a result, are highly motivated.

With rich descriptive prose, the landscape and different kingdoms' political and monarchical systems are introduced further expanding on the world. Banker has drawn upon the respect for balance that is weaved into the Hindu way of life, the acknowledgement of the power that lies within the natural world, and the forces that will ensure that whenever the natural order is askew, equilibrium will be attained.

My only gripe with how this story unfolded was the fact that the women were too much in the background, considering the title and the premise that they have major roles in defeating the villain. Banker focused too much on male warrior prowess, superiority, and lineage.

The intricate political machinations, consolidating of power and states, strategic movements and placement of players on the board was entertaining and satisfying. Characters that are wily, devious, and excel at playing mind games are my favourite to read; Banker does well with crafting them and the ways they are willing to use anyone to seize and secure power.

This is truly an epic that is rich with mythological and cultural concepts and ancient empires of India and readers that love sagas that incorporate compelling villains and heroes will enjoy this tale.

Ashok K. Banker takes us on a thrilling, vivid, and intense ride with A Dark Queen Rises. The Burnt Empire Saga continues, weaving an intricate tale of intrigue. It is hard to tell what is more enjoyable, the writing or the narration. Vikas Adam does a magnificent job bringing each character to life. His pacing is superbly matched to the text and kept me riveted. Then there is Adam's skill with characters and his ability to make you forget anything else you may be trying to do while listening. Putting this down was difficult! (I received an ARC from NetGalley of this title but all opinions are honest and my own.)

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

After finishing the previous book for this saga, I was really excited to jump into A Dark Queen Rises. Both books were pretty hefty and a lot happened as well. In the beginning, meaning the first book, there was a ton of people to keep track off that it hurt my brain quite easily at times. This time around, it seemed a bit easier for me. Maybe because it's an audio but who knows? It was also really interesting to see how the names were actually pronounced.. and I realized how easily I butchered them in my own mind. Oops?

Without revealing too much, this book was jam packed with action - a lot more than the first book. The pace was overall a lot better than the first one as well. Trust me, it will still have some spots here and there that are slow moving or drag a little bit but it seriously picks up right after that.

I'm definitely enjoying the heck out of these two books and I have no idea what the next one will bring me. Or when it will even be out. All I can say is that I'm really excited to dive into it. I need more adventures and sassy characters. I just need more to fall in love with.

This audiobook was very enjoyable. The author is able to draw you in with his storytelling from the beginning. The world was immersive and full of magic. Absolutely loved this story.

I HAVE SO?? MANY?? QUESTIONS???

Probably slightly less than a full 5 stars in terms of my personal enjoyment because this book had more battle scenes than the first book, which is just not my personal preference (but I have a feeling I'm probably in the minority here so if you found book 1 a bit slow and not action-packed enough, you'll probably enjoy book 2 more), but this was just such a good follow-up to the first book that I'm just going to give it 5 stars anyway.

This is now one of my new favourite series. It is just so grand and epic in every sense of the word, and the intricacy and care that Ashok Banker has put into the worldbuilding in this series is absolutely phenomenal (though like I mentioned in my review of the first book, I am not familiar at all with the Mahabharata, so I'm not able to judge it in comparison to the original text). I was a little worried about following completely new characters, but my worries were completely unfounded. I absolutely loved Krushita and Drishya, as well as some of the side characters (Bulan in particular is a favourite).

I have so many questions that are still unanswered, which is to be expected in book 2 of a 9+ book series, and I cannot wait to have them answered in future books. Apparently, the third book is titled The Blind King's Wrath, and I am literally buzzing with excitement because I cannot wait to see how all of this is going to be somehow connected.

If you are a fan of political fantasies and/or fantasies with a more classical style of narration, I cannot recommend this series enough.

Oh wow! This story is full of magic, love and betrayal. I remember my grandfather telling us the story of Mahabharata and this story is similar yet has it's own hold.

One of the things I really enjoyed is the way Banker had created a world that is so realistic and entertaining. Absolutely loved the characters and each characters are so defined.

I can't say anymore without spoiling the plot so please you really need to read this book. The story ended with a cliffhanger and I can't wait for the next book, The Blind King's Wrath. An absolute brilliant read.