4.5⭐️

This was such solid conclusion to this trilogy!!!! The overall world building was fantastic, the character development was heartbreaking yet wonderful to read, and the ending was perfect. I really enjoyed the random POVs thrown into the book as a way to show what was happening in background, but they were very low stakes where you didn’t have to remember where each of these characters were and what they were doing before reading their chapter. This is sometimes an issue with multi-multi-pov books, but not here.
Definitely a classic high fantasy story with betrayal, tough choices, and “what the fuck” moments. I thought the story dragged just a bit in the middle section, and the ending was extremely rushed without closure for a lot of plot points, but I also liked how it was left up to interpretation and will make you think about the “but what about xyz” once you’re done reading

Overall, this series is an absolute favorite & I will be recommended to everyone. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review

The Jasmine Throne ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Oleander Sword ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️♾️
The Lotus Empire ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.💫

Thanks you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the book! If you enjoyed the first two books in the trilogy I think you will love this too! It had the perfect bitter sweet ending that I love and the mixed point of view really works here as a way to get many different perspectives on the complex events happening. Honestly I was so excited to get the opportunity to read it early, but when I went to start I was almost too scared to read it since I have enjoyed this series so much, but it is worth it, and I can't wait for it to actually come out so I can buy it and add to my collection.

Since I don't want to give any spoilers, the rest of my review is about the trilogy overall and how I think it really works together. The characters of Priya and Malini have grown so much as individuals and in their relationship together throughout the three books that they feel like real people with wants, hopes, and dreams. You understand why they make the choices that they make because you know what they went through to get there. I also think the stakes ramped up in a very interesting way throughout the books, always keeping with the theme of love and the things that we have to do for the people that we love .

Tasha Suri has definitely become a must read author for me and I am excited to see where she goes next!

After finishing the first two books this summer, the Lotus Empire was my most anticipated book for the year. Both of the first books are 5-star reads, and this final book maintains that 5-star streak.

This book continues to tell the story of Malini, Priya, Bhumika, Jeevan, Rao, Sima, Rukh, Padma, the priests, and the rest of the Ahiranyi and Parijatdvipan characters in a way that immerses you in their world. Tasha Suri (yet again!) showcases her exceptional skill in world-building; this final book is a testament to this.

The character development is as rich as ever, and the different puzzle pieces - political, societal, religious/spiritual, and power dynamics - are written with such thought and depth that each character has a strong and distinct voice.

She finishes this book so strongly without tropes or stereotypical plot twists, which gives the characters powerful endings that do them justice.

I adored the conclusion of this trilogy and wish I could get more books focused on the other characters just to stay in the world Tasha Suri wrote a little longer (I loved it that much!).

Fantastic ending to a fantastic series. Tasha Suri really did justice to these characters. Was completely absorbed by this book.

The Lotus Empire is the third and final book in the Burning Kingdom trilogy. It was a perfect conclusion to the series. I love everything about this series. Tasha Suri is an excellent writer. She did an exceptional job with the worldbuilding, the characters were well developed, and the plot was engaging from start to finish. Overall, I love this series so much and highly recommend it to every fantasy reader. Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I'll post my review closer to the publication date.

I'm so sad this series is over! I've fallen in love with the world and the characters over the course of these 3 books and I just wish there were a little bit more. Some of this is just plain greed; I'm not ready to quite let go of this series just yet. Another part, though, is that despite the whopping page count, I still felt like there was something missing from this finale. I mean, there's so many different plot threads that needed to be tied up and yet I still felt like some things were left dangling in a way that didn't quite satisfy me.

That being said, Tasha Suri's writing is, once again, stunning. I'm always in awe of her writing and her ability to draw the reader into her world. There were multiple character moments that definitely felt like a (good) punch to the solar plexus. I do think that the ending felt a little hurried. I appreciated certain moments, for sure, but I wish there'd been a slight lingering(?) so that I could really savor the ending.

Overall, what a wonderful series and I'm sad to see it end. I can't wait to see what else Tasha Suri writes, though!

“My beloved, Priya thought with all the wildness and tenderness of a mortal woman over the mortal woman she loved. And with the abstract vastness, the emptiness, of a yaksa loving a mortal who was part of her. A mortal with a piece of a yaksa forever in her heart. My Malini. I’ll come back for you. I promise.”

Oh boy, I am in shambles.

I feel like I am not going to emotionally recover from this book. The way each character faces such heartache while ultimately receiving a happy ending brings me such joy.

First of all, shout out to my favorite character: Jeevan. I don’t know what it is about this man, but my heart soared every time he was there was Bhumika. Below are some of my fav quotes from their moments:

“your man with his saber and the way he looks at you, like the nameless wrote loving you into his fate” 221

“For all that I have lost, I am glad I never lost you.” 383

“She did not tell him not to call her my lady. It felt different now. Precious.” 384

“Jeevan knew her better” 425

“He did tell her how much he did not want to leave her; did not tell her that he loved her, and how much he’d feared losing her in the horrors of the temple, and all the horrors that came before it. The sickness on their journey to Alor. The bandits, the hunger. The roiling waters around the village. The yaksa who awakened beneath the monastery, and the fire. But he said, “Bhumika.” And she knew.” 436

Out of all the romances, their quiet and beautiful one was my favorite. I giggled and kicked my feet, and then sobbed at the last one.

Then, there is Bhumika and Rao. I have nothing to say other than how much I adored their chapters. Especially Rao’s movement through grief. When Aditya found him at the end; “His gaze was gentle, and vast—a world of soft starlight.” My heart.

And of course, Priya and Malini. I am going to be honest here, I really despised Priya for the majority of this book. I really could not understand her motive and it really irritated me. Priya was suddenly blindly faithful to the yaksa, and I had honestly not seen that to be a part of her character. Maybe I missed it, but regardless I was annoyed. Beyond this, I see little to no flaws within this book. And I love Malini. She can do no wrong.

Overall, emotionally devastated. I am sobbing at 5am, simply because I had to finish it; I had to know. And it did not disappoint.

What a great conclusion to an epic trilogy! Thank you to netgalley and the publisher, orbit, for the ARC.

Still wiping my tears. I have no words. Will finish this review when they come back to me.


Tasha Suri is literally mother??


Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for the e-ARC of this spectacular book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Amazing, magical, and triumphant! I wish this wasn’t the end of such a magnificent story. I have followed this series through all three books and don’t want it to end.

Thank you, NetGalley and Orbit Books, for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Some spoilers below!

I am rifling through the many words I could use to describe this book. I’ve settled on: stunning, rich, shattering, emotional, and complex. It was tough to narrow it down to 5 because my mind is swirling around this book, lamenting that it’s over and so glad to have been able to read it.

The heart of this book are its women, full stop. Malini, Priya, Bhumika are the burning center of this book. I don’t think that this would have had the depth, richness, or delight if they weren’t at its core. Suri does a beautiful job writing the joys, heartbreaks, and fierceness of women and these three are never not leaping off the page with emotion.

And emotion, oh my god. How have I not already said that I cried? I got to the end of the book and had to wipe tears from my eyes. The story wraps up in such a satisfying and earned way that I genuinely put this book down and wanted for nothing else.

Overall, I think this book is a seriously strong and stunning conclusion to a trilogy that captured my attention immediately. Suri writes strong female characters with a depth that often feels missing from epic fantasies. And her ability to write a complex romance—and oh god, the romance—in the middle of an anti-colonial political intrigue epic fantasy is unmatched.

Priya and Malini are going down as some of my favorite characters of all-time: complex, heartfelt, conflicted, deeply in love with each other, unyielding, and driven. I will be thinking of them fondly.

If you like strong endings, sapphic romances for the ages, women-led empires, and rich prose, this is the book for you!

This is how an epic fantasy should end!

I took the time to do a second read through the previous two books so that I could fully appreciate this final book in the Burning Kingdoms Trilogy and I am so glad that I did. This is truly an all immersive trilogy set to give the reader a deep understanding and view of the world the characters live in. The characters themselves are developed with such detail that the reader feels their love, pain, loss, and even joy. I feel intimately connected to each of them.

The Lotus Empire brings us to the final battle between the the mortal empire behind their Empress Malini and the Yaksa gods who have become a seemingly indestructible alien enemy. We follow Priya as she tries to reconcile her heart and Bhumika as she discovers herself. It is a remarkable story of sacrifice and love against the odds.

Thank you Orbit and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this perfect conclusion in exchange for my honest review.

I loved it and loved it some more. Great finale. I won't forget this trilogy. It was absolutely magical. The world building and lore was my favorite. Highly recommend this whole trilogy.

5 stars

I am so glad I chose to reread the first two books before picking up The Lotus Empire. It made this highly anticipated read that much more enjoyable. I ate this book up very quickly, and the ending climax actually made my heart racing. I did not know how Suri would conclude this trilogy, but I am delighted with the outcome.

The previous book ends with Priya's betrayal, so I was curious to see how Malini would handle that situation. Malini definitely stuck with her character and did not disappoint in her reactions. Their reunion after continuing to dream about each other was something I really enjoyed. Both women go through a lot in their journey, and their mental states certainly suffer. Both are stubborn in their loyalty and genuinely love each other even when they're on opposite sides. I have a bit of a gripe with their reunion, which I felt was a little too easy, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story overall.

I really enjoyed Buhmika's journey and seeing the POVs of Rao and the yaksa who inhabits Ashok's body. Suri is the most talented author when it comes to multiple POVs. There are even one-off POVs that really enhance the story and don't distract from what's going on. It adds another layer to the world and a lot of tension for the reader. I liked seeing the yaksa and Mani Ara evolve as characters for whom you have sympathy despite them being the ultimate bad guys.

The last 20 percent of the book was impossible to put down. I am going to go back and read it again just to absorb more of what happened. The conclusion was satisfying for all the characters involved. Like I said, I didn't know if this would be a HEA or a tragedy, and it turns into a bit of both. I love this world, and I will definitely be visiting again.

Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit for the ARC.

Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions found within are my own.

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What a great conclusion to an epic trilogy! This book had everything I'd come to expect from Tasha Suri at her best and then some. Sweeping sword's-edge love/hate romance! Kingdoms and the fate of humanity hanging in the balance! Great, three-dimensional characters I had come to love over the course of three books!

It was the latter which really carried the day. Normally, I'm not the biggest fan of multiple POVs, but that grudge was held solidly at bay by the fact that I'd come to care deeply for each of the narrators. Sure, we may be leaving Malini's side for a bit, but I genuinely want to know how Rao's doing, and so forth.

Another highlight was Suri's portrayal of the yaksa, who were both convincingly alien and callous and a credible threat, and still somehow relatable and tragic in their own way.

In her final volume of this trilogy, Suri balanced threats and stakes masterfully, and most of the antagonist confrontations were quite satisfying.

And of course, we had Priya and Malini. I had no idea going into this book whether we were going to get a happy ending or a grand tragedy. The way the story unfolded, I would have been satisfied with either, so long as it was epic and true to the characters, and I particularly liked how things ultimately unfolded.

This book wasn't perfect - the pace lagged a bit in parts - but it was ultimately such a satisfying conclusion to a series I deeply enjoyed, I'm going to give it a full five stars.

5/5

The Lotus Empire is a brilliant blossom of wrath and enduring love set ablaze in a final fight over Parijatdvipa’s future. Full of rage and unbridled determination, The Lotus Empire is a testament to Suri’s craft and everything her characters have fought so hard for, clawing their way toward a future of their own design. With her signature chapters jumping between our core three characters and other side perspectives providing necessary contexts, Suri brings an ending to fruition that honors the entire journey across this trilogy. There’s plenty of sapphic yearning, epic fight scenes, and emotional endings to cling to and leave you completely bereft by the end of this final chapter. This finale was everything I was hoping for and The Burning Kingdoms trilogy as a whole is some of the best in fantasy and deserves all of its flowers. Tasha Suri is an absolute legend and I need everyone to bear witness to her talent with this life-changing conclusion.

A full and comprehensive review is now up on my blog, linked!

I don't mean to be dramatic, but this has been possibly my most anticipated book, period, since I read The Oleander Sword two years ago, and somehow it managed to actually live up to that absurd amount of hype? It was literally everything I wanted it to be, and yet it still managed to surprise me.

The writing was beautiful as ever, and the multiple POVs were as well-utilized as ever. Interestingly, I went back and reread the first two books before reading this one (which was definitely the right choice, because I forgot quite a lot in the past two years that would have made this last book much more difficult to follow, or at least much less impactful), and I remember thinking the first time that there may be just a few too many POVs to manage, but rereading, I didn't feel that way at all. For this last book, I stand by my newest assessment that they all have their place, and even the occasional one-off perspectives add something I would have missed without them.

It really is all about the characters for me. I have grown so attached to these characters and their various dynamics, and this book gave every single arc the most satisfying conclusion I could have imagined.

I don't know what to say to readers who were normal about the first two books, but if you're like me, I think you'll be just as pleased as I was. I will be back.

Oh my <i>god</i>. Just… oh my god. The Burning Kingdoms Trilogy is a trilogy I’ve been in love with since I read the first book a few years ago, so like many I’ve been waiting for The Lotus Empire for the past two years. And when I say that it does not disappoint? It does not disappoint!

A stunning conclusion to a beautiful series, Suri manages to not only tie up old and existing threads over the past two books, but introduce a few new ones. This book felt genuinely unique, not just an end to an ongoing story, but an actual continuation and expansion of the story we’d seen thus far. She manages to deliver on all the promises of The Jasmine Throne and Oleander Sword, but also make the reader wish for more without the wishing feeling like unfulfillment. This is a book I will be thinking about for ages.

I recommend this book if:
- You read the first two
- You like satisfying conclusions to a 2 year long wait to your favourite anti-colonial desi lesbians

Now, to get my one gripe out of the way. Spoilers ahead obviously for the book.

<b>1. My single complaint</b>
While this book is unequivocally excellent and does a fantastic job expanding on what we’ve already seen, I was dissapointed by the lack of worldbuilding around <spoiler>the Mothers of Flame. While I do understand why, and the book doesn’t really suffer because of this, it felt weird. Previously the Mothers of Flame religion had been a grand tour de force, seeming the only thing powerful enough to oppose the Yaksa, however in the Lotus empire, the entire conversation around the religion becomes just that, a conversation. They’re only really discussed in relation to religious extremism, and not actually as a religion itself. Whereas the Yaksa become the big bad deities, and the only gods really interacted with. I had honestly been expecting this religion to play more around with all these gods and religions, but instead Suri decided to veer away from that in this conclusion, and I kind of wish she hadn’t. Nevertheless the book was enjoyable. But at least for me, this was the major let down of the book.</spoiler>

That being said, let’s get to the important things!

<b>2. the characters</b>
Priya and Malini are back at it, girlbossing so close to the sun, as they scheme across the continent. And both of them are as vicious, delightful, and heartbreaking as they were in the first two books. I loved how they developed and changed throughout this book, the lengths they went to, the choices they made.

And oh boy, do they make some <i>bad</i> decisions. There were points where I was reading and going ‘oh no, this is not about to end well.’

Like always though, Suri manages to handle the characterization of each of her 500 POVs with a grace I wouldn’t think is possible. She manages to show the no-so-slow deterioration of Priya and Malini’s mental health, and the <spoiler>inhumanness of the Yaksa</spoiler>, all while making each characters voices incredibly distinct. Never once did I feel lost, even as we rapidly jumped between multiple POVs and places and plotlines and motivations. On an author even marginally less talented the book and it’s narration would fall apart, but like the genius that she is, Suri manages to pull it off like a grand magic trick, never showing exactly how she does it, and even making it look easy.

<b>2. The romance</b>
Let’s be real. We’re all kind of reading this in the hopes that Priya and Malini get a happy ending, yeah? Yeah. Now, I’m not going to spoil if they do or don’t. But I will say that the ending there is is incredibly satisfying. Suri knows what her readers are craving, and she manages to deliver not only that, but a few surprises along the way. Not only does she include tropes that I adore, she introduces tropes I normally hate and made me love them. Do you know how good you have to be carrying something off to make me squeal over a trope I hate? You’ve got to be better than flawless.

Priya and Malini epitomise the concept of long-distance longing in this book, and the pain of being enemies with your soulmate. Ultimately it is terrible and it is beautiful.

Also, when I tell you that there’s a season about half way through that had me screaming? Tasha Suri what the freak!

<b>3. The pacing</b>
The pacing, like always was fantastically done as well. The book begins at a break neck speed, breathing down your back, and doesn’t let up for a moment, yet manages to not feel rushed or crowded as it does so. By expanding more on the world, Suri manages to hit a goldilocks zone of storytelling, worldbuilding, and action, allowing herself variety beyond just endlessly wrapping up plot points. And that really does this book a favour, especially for the length of it.

TLDR: Ultimately, The Lotus Empire is a stunning conclusion, dazzling its readers with aplomb and Suri’s unrivalled epic fantasy talent. There is genuinely no high fantasy authors publishing like Suri is right now. If you had any worries about the conclusion to the Burning Kingdoms, abandon them all. You need not fear.

4/5 stars! This was the epic conclusion to The Burning Kingdoms trilogy by Tasha Suri. I love the queer representation in this story. The pacing in this story was fast and action-packed. I enjoyed it very much. I did find that, at times, the characters were more 2-dimensional in this book than the first two, but WHAT A CONCLUSION!

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

This was my most anticipated release of the year and it did not disappoint! In fact, I think it somehow exceeded my extremely high expectations? I truly cannot think of a better ending or a better fantasy trilogy. Tasha Suri pulled out all the stops (once again) with her evocative prose, compelling character work, complex politics, and terrifying battle sequences.

(Spoilers for the first two books.) Priya and Malini are estranged after Priya's betrayal at the end of the previous novel. As the magic of the yaksa returns, aided by temple elders Priya and Bhumika, Malini worries for the fate of her newly won empire. It seems that Parijatdvipa must fight Ahiranya once again even as Malini struggles to prove herself to those that would prefer her to burn and for her brother's heir to take the throne instead. Priya must face what it means to have yaksa in charge and demanding followers to worship and children to pass through the deadly waters. She is beginning to wonder if having their gods alive again is such a good thing after all. Power and faith both come with a price and both Priya and Malini must decide how much they are willing to sacrifice.