This was a perfect ending to the trilogy. Tasha Suri does not disappoint. EVER.

Thank you, NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this.

A fantastic ending to this trilogy, I'm really going to miss these characters and this world. I definitely recommend this trilogy.

“You can love something knowing it can destroy you. Maybe you love it more for it.”

We learned this lesson at the end of The Oleander Sword. Tasha Suri destroyed us cruelly, beautifully, and gloriously with the way it ended. But we loved that book all the more for it. So now we’re back to read The Lotus Empire. We need to know if it will make the pain the series has inflicted on us in earlier books worth it, if it will destroy us again, if this series will end as brilliantly as it began.

The answer to all those questions is, unequivocally, yes.

The setting manages to avoid feeling derivative despite capturing the feel of the Indian subcontinent and weaving it all throughout the novel. Few books I’ve ever read have ever struck that balance so well. It takes an unflinching look at faith; the dangers of following it blindly, the rewards of placing it in those who’ve earned that trust. It burns everything down only to build it up again. Creation and rebirth of people, hope, cultures, empire, and love. It leaves us breathlessly waiting to see where we are on that cycle when the book ends. But I won’t give that away, you deserve to find it out for yourself.

Above all it tells the story of Priya and Malini. Both strong in their own way. Both uncompromising, both set upon diverging paths, both unable and unwilling to leave the other behind. And what a story it is

The Lotus Empire is a searing novel. It’s searing in the devastation it wreaks upon its reads, and in the beauty it shows them. It is an unstoppable inferno that you can’t escape, not that you’d want to. Feel those fires, embrace the inferno.

The Lotus Empire will destroy you, as the books before it did as well. But it’s a story you’ll love all the more for it.

tasha suri i'll give you my life just say the word

the burning kingdoms is one of my favorite series in fantasy ever; i loved the oleander sword and the jasmine throne, and i was so excited for the lotus empire. i smashed that request button as soon as i saw this book on netgalley, and i'm so happy to say that this book really smashes it out of the park and is a fantastic ending.

i really loved the expanded scope of this novel. this novel is about conflict; about priya and malini, and ahiranya and parijat as a whole, in conflict with each other, but also priya in conflict with the yaksa, as she doesn't fully agree with their decisions, and malini in conflict with the priesthood, as they pressure her to burn. the book also follows bhumika and rao as they travel through parijat to secure alliances and secure survival from the yaksa. i love bhumika btw that's my queen.

i loved the new dynamic of malini and priya and their evolving relationship. it was so interesting to see how their relationship changed from them being reluctant allies in the first book and them being lovers while fighting on the same side on the second side to them now being enemies. however, you could tell that they still loved each other; the dream scenes with them were so romantic. chapter 66 changed lives that's all i'm gonna say. in my delusions, malini and priya would've have a happily ever after, but i think we all know that would never be possible for them. however, i think the ending really gives the two of them justice, and is the best ending we could've gotten.

this book really cements the burning kingdoms as one of my favorite series ever; i really think tasha suri is a phenomenal writer. i love how she wound all of the threads in this series together. her writing is so beautiful and tragic and romantic. she really hit the mark with this book; if you like reading fantasy, you need to read this series.

I read this book as I read its predecessors - quickly and all at once, with my heart intermittently pounding hard enough to trigger my smartwatch. The Lotus Empire is an excellent conclusion to the Burning Kingdoms series. It’s very, very intense, perhaps even more so than the The Oleander Sword, leaving a reader with hardly a moment to breathe; the few slow moments are deeply meaningful and deftly chosen to further the character arcs. And as always, the prose is solid and evocative.

All’s that to say - I loved it and can’t recommend it more. Tasha Suri is not only amazing at crafting an incredible storyline and a very engaging world, but she’s also a very thoughtful writer. Not only did I fall in love with the characters (and their love!) but especially as someone of Indian heritage, I found it explored a number of themes and ideas very intelligently; ranging from empire, faith, self etc. The ending, especially, made me both freak out and left me thinking for a while. There's honestly so much I'd like to say about Priya and Malini's character development, and their evolving relationship with one another, but I think that would veer into spoiler territory, so I'll probably revisit this review after it formally comes out. For now, I'll just say that it's all collectively lovely and tragic and beautiful and amazing.

I’m sad to say goodbye to Priya, Malini, and Bhumika, but I’m very thankful I got to follow along with their journey. In my dreams, this series would be amazing as a film or TV series. Thank you, Tasha Suri, for giving us the epic South Asian sapphic fantasy that I never knew I longed for so badly! I read it so fast the first time around because I was so keen to see how things played out, and am looking forward to re-reading it ASAP, perhaps w/ all three books in order so I can savor it more.

Edit: Thank you to Orbit books for the ARC. ARC received via NetGallery for a fair review.

I'll be crying for days thank you very much.

Absolutely incredible finale to a series that gripped me from the very start. Tasha Suri's world building is unmatched. This book pulled on all of my heart strings. I was absolutely sobbing by the last page. Suri wrapped up this trilogy beautifully. Like give me 5 business days to process my emotions.

Thank you to orbit books and netgalley for this arc in exchange for a review. I'll be posting an in depth review once the book is released but READ. THIS. BOOK. Pre-order it and thank yourself on November 1st ☺️

In the Lotus Empire, the last installment of the Burning Kingdoms trilogy, we see the return of new temple children, conflicting religions all seeking to provide an answer to the war against the rot engulfing the empire, and the Ahiranyi's struggles amongst themselves as they try to separate their own cultural and national identity from the new shape of the world under yaksa rule. I thought the character development of the yaksa along with the evolution of the Arihanyi's relationships with them was the best and most interesting part of the book and raised questions about the ideal nature of a relationship between a god and their followers.

Overall, this book is much faster paced than the first two, which meant I ate it up within a few days but also unfortunately meant it lost some of the beautiful detail and prose I expected from Suri. The shallower depth of the book made it harder to follow exactly what was going on with all the political scheming of side characters, which was just not explored or explained in detail. So many people die in this book and the plot line is constantly changing because of that. I was mostly in this for Rukh and for Ashok's ghost.

The characters felt flatter than they did in other books. Priya's major growth in this book when it comes to her loyalties and relationship to the yaksa is hardly even touched with internalized narrative. Still, some parts still made me really FEEL Malia and Priya’s relationship, especially the way their first reunion goes. Other beloved side characters fell flat as well, like Rao, whose entire arc seemed redundant and mostly related to his grief and alcoholism, and Sima, who was rendered almost two-dimensional in her "faithful sidekick" archetype.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the ARC!

I loved this finale. I love this whole series. Tasha Suri is a legend and can do no wrong in my eyes. I’m
so grateful for this ARC as this was one of my most anticipated releases of the year. This book made me feel all the emotions and I’ll be thinking about it for a long time.

I live this series, the way the magic system and characters meld together with beautiful world building. I could get lost in this prose all day

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was an amazing continuation of this series and I loved it! This finale was so amazing! I am speechless!

A stunningly successful ending to one of my favorite epic fantasy trilogies in recent memory. Tasha Suri winds all her stories back together in a way that makes sense both narratively and thematically. I loved the lush world here and the complicated characters. I especially loved the way religion works in this series. This is a must read trilogy for any epic fantasy fan!

I received this book in exchange for a review..

Satisfying ending to Tasha Suri's trilogy. The second book (The Oleander Sword) of the series has an ending that sets an exciting premise for the series finale. Priya turning on Malini (ironically, to protect her from the Yaksa), now back in Ahiranya, back with her friends and loved ones, back in her home...but back with the Yaksa. Malini, meanwhile, carefully plans her next move in Parijati, now officially crowned as Empress. She deals with the priesthood, continuing to pressure to her burn, as burn tradition, and feels that a power struggle is coming. Both women, back in their homes, are dealing with significant uncertainty. They stand with true allies, but also with enemies, waiting any possible moment of pounce.

This sets up the two-pronged conflict of the series finale: 1) The Yaksa, 2) The Parijat Priesthood. At one point, Priya and Malini, respectively, had to rely on them, in order to protect themselves and those they cared about. Now, that both of them are in power, they deal with the consequences of their actions, realizing that they only created another conflict. Lastly, Priya and Malini are in conflict with each other- obviously, with Ahiranya fighting for survival, as well as Malini seeking revenge on Priya and punishment upon the Yaksa.

The Burning Kingdoms as a whole, but especially The Lotus Empire, portray a complex web of alliances and hostilities. Several of the other recurring characters- notably Bhumika and Rao- find themselves fighting for their own survival, trying to find their place in the world, as they navigate the effects of the Priya/Malini/Yaksa/Priesthood conflict.

The Yaksa magic is interesting, although can be a bit vague and confusing at times. However, through the book, I came to understand the Yaksa as a whole, how they were more than simply monsters. The different religions are explored further as well, such as how Rao sees his connection to the Nameless God. This is contrasted with the worship of the Yaksa in Ahiranya, as well as the burnings from the priesthood of Parijat.

I found the conclusion to this series quite satisfying. There is much to reflect on with the central characters, and conflict resolution- but I won't spoil on that. I appreciated the emphasis on the children of Ahiranya, not those associated with the religion, the temple, etc., but with how they are shown as the future, how they have a stake in the world's conflict. This was not forgotten by Suri, how she portrayed the children, and how they suddenly matured much rapidly in the midst of this conflict.

Overall, this was a solid ending to a well-written series. I don't think this surpasses what I viewed from The Oleander Sword (one of my favorites from 2022), but I was pretty satisfied here.

Tasha Suri’s Burning Kingdoms trilogy comes to a triumphant and immensely satisfying end in this masterfully-written conclusion.

When we left our heroines they were on different paths: Malini leading the empire and Priya returning to Ahiranya to serve the deeply uncanny and inhuman Yaksa. These cosmic beings (gods? Monsters? Both?) are skin-crawlingly disturbing and amoral. Priya is torn between feeling that they are the only hope for her people and fearing that they may be their destruction.

Meanwhile, Malini is walking a tightrope of politics, religion, and intrigue. Desperate to find a way to save her empire without destroying herself, she finds she must once again put herself in Priya’s path.

This is a book filled with magic, ambition, love, yearning, romance, war, fire, and water. Tasha Suri has well and truly stuck the landing and given us the ending the characters and the first two books deserved.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

The third and final act of The Burning Kingdoms trilogy concludes the story of Malini, Priya, Bhumika, and Rao. This book, like the previous two, is a flowing narrative blending of emotion and action. From the outset of the first book, it was clear that this was never going to be an "and they all lived happily ever after..." type of story but the ending is quite fitting for the story and even satisfying for me as a reader. I'm sure that anyone who has enjoyed the prior books in this series as much as I did will appreciate this conclusion. Anyone who delights in an epic tale of fantasy, full of power struggles, magic, and compelling characters but has not started this series, should start at The Jasmine Throne. Being able to read the series beginning to end now that it is complete is an added treat.
I received access to this eARC thru NetGalley (for which I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher, Orbit Books) for an honest review. The opinion expressed here is my own.