I'm sad to say that I enjoyed The Oleander Sword less than The Jasmine Throne. I do believe that this is an amazingly written book with an interesting plot, but I'm just not the right reader for it. Maybe my expectations were misplaced a bit, but it doesn't change the fact that I was a bit disappointed.

Note that I re-read book one before I started this, as I looked at the list of characters in the back and realized that I didn't remember a whole lot of the people that it mentions. So maybe this would be a good series to binge when it is completed so everyone and everything is always fresh in your mind. Even with the knowledge from this re-read, I was still struggling throughout with character names. I definitely see why the many pov's are used. They give an added value to the story, letting you see the same events through different people's eyes and giving you insights in prevalent things that are not within reach of any of the main characters. It adds a lot of nuance to the characters and their actions in a way where you get to realize that nothing is good or bad, but it is all about perception. The writing was again stunning and I even took the time to highlight a couple of phrases that stuck out to me. It has a perfect balance of flowery prose, but still kept it confined enough so it wasn't distracting to read.

As for the characters and their development, the side characters were definitely the ones that stood out the most to me. Sima, Jeevan, Deepa, and some others (sorry if I'm blanking on their names, but there are just a lot of them) were the ones who started to come to the foreground and showed their loyalty, their believes, their souls and their own aspirations. In the meantime, I just couldn't get a grasp of Malini's true intentions and Priya is just going along with whatever she is told to do. She lost some of her character in this book, which is a shame, because I really enjoyed reading about her in book one.

What I realized that is bothering me the most in this series, and seems to be even more prevalent in this sequel, is the magic and the way it is heavily rooted in religion. I personally have a very distinct preference for hard magic systems that generally make sense in a more logical and scientific way. The more I read of The Burning Kingdoms series, the more I realize that it's not going in that direction at all. In fact, the more I learn, the vaguer it all becomes. A lot of the new information on the magic is coming from the side of Ahiranya, so my interest was more focused on the storyline there and less on what was going on within the army. Ahiranya managed to keep me engaged for pretty much all of what was going on there. The other storyline definitely had some interesting and intriguing moments, but then fell into a rut for a lot of the parts in between, making the pacing not consistent enough. I often found it hard to pick the book up again to get through those more boring parts. The ending was pretty intriguing. I'm still interested to see how this is eventually going to end.

This sequel has made me realize that I might just not be the right audience for this book as I prefer my magic systems to be a bit more scientifically grounded. I also don't care enough for religion in general and that really is the main motive for most of the character's actions. I'm sure that lots of people are going to fall in love with these characters and will be encompassed by the lush worldbuilding, rich prose and intricate politics that this book delivers. Sadly, that just isn't me.

Thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK for providing me with a review copy via NetGalley.

Absolutely loved this book, it was even better than the first. The stakes were higher and the romance was urgh, chefs kiss.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for sending me an eARC.

The Oleander Sword was stunning! It builds on the story and the world that we were introduced to in The Jasmine Throne, all while laying the groundwork for what I’m sure will be a dramatic final book. I didn’t know what to expect going into this book. I loved it and I (unexpectedly) teared up in some moments!

Before I start gushing over everything I loved, there is one issue I had. We get introduced to several new characters (and POVs), in addition to the already large cast from book 1. I had to stop a recall some of the more minor characters early on. This, by no means, affected my overall enjoyment of the story.

Now onto the praise!

First, the cover! It’s gorgeous. I love the green. Micah Epstein is an incredible artist and I love his art style.

Second, the characters. Tasha Suri has skilfully crafted these characters that you cannot help but grow fond of, while knowing how cruel or reckless they can be. We see Bhumika doing everything she can to keep her people (especially her loved ones) safe We see Priya struggle to choose between Malini and her own people in Ahiranya. We see Malini being ruthless to achieve her goals and ambitions, to embody being an Empress. We also meet different villains, some we already know (like the horrible ‘Emperor’ Chandra), while others are new. Each of them have their own intentions and pose a different threat to our main POV characters.

Third, the romance and sapphic yearning between Priya and Malini that was my favourite thing about The Jasmine Throne gets even better in this book. I love them so much!

Finally, Tasha Suri has this incredible writing style that has you hooked onto every word. She plays with the readers emotions the same way she does with all her characters. By the end of the book, I (like everyone in the book) was heartbroken and in pain. I look forward to the final book in this trilogy and cannot wait to learn more about it!

Malini is determined to claim the throne from her brother, but she faces battle on multiple sides. Her brother, Chandra, who wishes for her to burn, her generals who would rather follow her brother, Aditya, and who undermine her at every turn, and knowing that a brutal fight is awaiting her, she does the only thing she can think of to win. Now Thrice Born, Priya spends life as an Elder of Ahiranya trying to stop the spread of the rot, a thankless task that never seems to end. She longs for freedom for her people, a life of safety under the rule of those who worship the Yaska like the days of old. She thought her life would take Malini from her, but instead it draws the pair together once again. Their destinies are entwined, and they will need each other if they are to see their desires become reality. But everything comes with a price, and Malini and Priya must decide how much they are willing to pay to make their future come to fruition.

Similarly to book one we follow the story from multiple POV's. The majority we had in the first book: Malini, Priya, Bhumika & Rao, but in The Oleander Sword we get even more POV's that Suri uses to not only build her world, but to foreshadow, showcase the danger that our characters are in, and give us an idea of what is coming. There are some I can't mention for fear of spoilers, but suffice to say they all play a pivotal part in Suri's storytelling and at no point does the jump in pov's become disjointed, they all come at the perfect time in the story, just when we need a breather, a little bit more information to drag us even deeper into the story. Malini and Priya are still our main perspectives and I loved seeing how much they had grown into themselves since the first book.

Malini is a women trying to take control of her Kingdom with the threat of one brother on the throne and the other refusing to take it despite the men wanting him to. She knows her rule is tenuous at best, that she hasn't yet earned the respect of her generals, the men following her, rather they are following a prophecy. Constantly undermined and written off because she is a women, but she is whip smart and unafraid of the men who seek to control her. She is determined to become the prophesied ruler of Parijatdvipa, and nothing will stand in her way. Priya, now a Thrice Born is an Elder of Ahiranya, something she never truly wished for. She wants the power, just not the responsibility, and is more than happy yo let Bhumika deal with the politics while she deals with the rot. When she travels to the camp with Malini she faces an overwhelming lack of trust, dislike, fear, but she will do anything to secure freedom for her people, and Malini has promised that. Bhumika also has a larger pov in this book and I genuinely loved reading from her perspective, she is the honey to Priya's sharp edges, she knows how to work the elite of Ahiranya, but when something happens out of her control, she realises that her hold over the people was tenuous at best.

Tasha Suri has clearly never heard of second book syndrome! The Jasmine Throne was a slow starter, Suri took her time building her world, the lore, the characters and I loved it so much, but thanks to the majority of that work being done in book one, The Oleander Sword moves at a much faster pace. There are still slow scenes, still plenty of lore and world building for those who love it, but the thing I loved most about this book was reading the battle scenes. Suri has this way of writing fight scenes that almost drag you into her story, make you feel like you're experiencing it right alongside her characters. Some of the scenes gave me chills, some had the hairs standing up on my arms. I have been a lover of Suri's writing for a while now, but this story took it to a whole new level. She brought the perfect balance between the scenes where she spends time on character growth, building her world and the faith of the people who live there, and the battle scenes, be those actual fight scenes of rather a battle of wits, of sharp tongues and even sharper words.

There are a slot of moving pieces to this book, there was Malini is fighting to become Empress, the war she fights in the camp to earn the respect of the men surrounding her. And alongside this things are stirring in Ahiranya, things that I can't talk about without giving away spoilers, but things that certainly help us realise where the story will be going in the second book. One of the things I love throughout this series is the overwhelming strength of the female characters. In a time and place where they were seen as second class, as something to be valued, but never seen for their true worth. Suri uses Malini to create a space for women to be strong, to show who it truly is who holds the cards. She has her generals for their knowledge, but her true strength comes from the women who surround and protect her.

The romance was just *swoon.* These two badass lesbians have my heart, and I think a large part of that is because though they care for one another, would do almost anything for them, they both have their own destinies, their own people to look after. After the end of The Jasmine Throne, when they were separated with no reunion in sight, I'll admit to being a little sad, but I enjoyed the scenes at the start of this story where we get to see them being themselves without the other, we get treated to a whole boat of longing, thoughts of the other. And then when they get reunited, the knowing that they both want to be alone, to spend time with one another, but knowing that it just isn't possible in a war camp full of men who don't fully want to follow a woman and certainly wouldn't stand for being intimate with someone they see as the enemy, as a witch, dangerous. Suri certainly knows how to get you invested in a romance that has very little chance of ending happily, but boy oh boy is the journey worth it.

I need book three like now. I'm not even kidding. The ending of this book broke me, but was the absolute perfect set-up for what will be one epic series ender. If Suri wasn't already an insta-buy author for me, this series, and this book especially would ensure she was. If you like your fantasies epic, with characters you would follow to the ends of the earth, incredible world building and a forbidden, doomed romance between two badass women, then you need to pick up this book asap.

I absolutely adored the jasmine throne and the second book was just as brilliant! I cannot wait for the third!

*4.5 stars.

Having loved The Jasmine Throne, this book was one of my most anticipated releases for the year, and I'm thrilled that it didn't disappoint. The story expands to show off more of the world-building and magic system, the relationship between Priya and Malini continues to develop and crackle with tension and I cannot wait to see how this story concludes in the final book. Half a star is deducted purely because I didn't love it quite as much as the first book, but this is a common theme with middle books of trilogies in general for me, still an excellent read!

(Many thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for the ARC.)

Holy Wowww!!!
I think Tasha Suri doesn't know what is "Second Book Syndrome", because this second book is better than the first one.

Well, in case you don't know what is "Second Book Syndrome", here the meaning of that term :
Second Book Syndrome is when the writer fails to write a second book that will live up to the first one. It is something that has plagued many writers. Due to the success of the first book, there is a certain pressure to create an equally great sequel. (Credit : writersrepublic.com)

Also the characters have so much development. And what was that??? I beg you for the third book.. like.. now?

The Oleander Sword by Tasha Suri 4/5🌟
Happy US book birthday to The Oleander Sword!! I loved this sequel to The Jasmine Throne.😍
Who doesnt love very morally grey lesbians?
In this series we follow our two lovely ladies: Priya a maidservant and one of the last of a very ancient priesthood who got their magic from an ancient temple's waters.
Malini the princess and sister of the very evil emperor, who refuses to burn for him and his believes (literally).
While these ladies fates connect there is a very big threath to society where people are infected by the "rot", basically sprouting leaves and turning into trees.
The first book has a lot of world building in order to understand the different lands, religions, cultures and magic. In the second book we focus a lot on the political maneuvering in order to remove Malini's dictator brother. Which has a lot more action and fire in it!🔥
I loved to see the character growth of both our leading ladies, as well as Malini's power of persuasion and Priyas literal power from the deathless waters! While I was expecting this book to have a lot of set-up for the final novel, I did not see a lot of plot and events happening and honestly the way things end I need the final book as OMG what do you do when the literally earth and old gods turn against humanity?

A great sequel for the Jasmine throne. Amazingly written like the first book, loved the plot and the characters. I just can’t wait to read the third book!

Thank you so much to the publisher Orbit Books and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book to review.

The Oleander Sword by Tasha Suri is a stunning follow up to The Jasmine Throne and did not disappoint! This was an incredible sequel and I could not put it down. I loved every second reading this book. I knew within the first chapter that this was going to be a five star read.

I’m so excited to read the sequel and eagerly await its publication.

First of all, thank you to Netgalley and also Orbit UK for approving me an ARC of The Oleander Sword, which is one of, if not most anticipated reads I was looking forward to reading in 2022, especially after the ending in The Jasmine Throne that left me with multiple questions.

The Oleander Sword doesn't take place right away after The Jasmine Throne, so we were introduced to the current situation in Ahiranya with Priya now as an elder and thrice-born trying to lead with Bhumika, and also with Malini as an empress trying to dethrone her brother and trying to gain the trust of her court. I'm just going to leave the plot at that because I fear if I say anymore, it would be counted as a spoiler, lmao.

For me, The Oleander Sword didn't suffer from the second book syndrome. I loved The Jasmine Throne but I loved The Oleander Sword even more, The story is more focused in this, more brutal and intense with the war happening and political tensions happening in both Malini's party and also Ahiranya. There was a new element in the story that I was not expecting as well but it added so much to the series as a whole. I honestly couldn't say whether this book was fast paced or not IMO but I really didn't care because I just really loved how the plot builds up. It definitely feels like it's building up for the last book in the trilogy.

Another thing I liked was that while The Jasmine Throne having an overwhelmingly large amount of cast and POVs, The Oleander Sword doesn't. There were some chapters from a very minor character's perspective but it's more focused on the major characters which I liked even more as I get to understand these characters and their arcs better. I got more attached to the characters that I already loved in the first installment and grew to get attached to another one (yes Rao I'm looking at you). I loved Priya and Bhumika even more in this and I would gladly ask Malini to step on me if she wants to.

What I love most about The Oleander Sword is that we get to see a lot of friendships and different dynamics develop with the characters, like Priya and Sima, Bhumika and Jeevan, Rao and Aditya, Rao with Priya and Sima and Malini with her woman court. There were a lot of relationships growing that we didn't see before in The Jasmine Throne, and watching these in the midst of the plot happening were my favorite. I'm not even gonna say much about Malini and Priya because their yearning got even more intense in this one and I had multiple "screaming crying throwing up" moments because of them. That being said, I suffered multiple heartbreaks over these characters and their relationships like I wasn't expecting myself to get hurt violently over so many of my favorite characters.

Demanding Tasha suri to pay for my therapy because i certainly needed it after finishing this book.

This sequel was superb. I'm not sure I could say it lacked in any way when compared to the first book, which is fantastic. The pacing was better than the first book for me personally but there's such a mounting tension that I had a hard time putting it down to actually get stuff done lol. I am a huge fan of the characters in this book, everyone hits me in the feels and it makes for that much more of an amazing read as I felt invested with everyone's storylines. I don't know how I'm going to wait for the third book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for giving me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

4/5 Stars

"Look Lata," She said softly. "The mothers love their daughters after all."

Tasha Suri has truly surpassed all my expectations. The first book had a lot of problems but it feels like Suri has genuinely improved in all areas and especially as a storyteller.

The writing once again takes the cake. Suri's writing style is precise and ingenious. Void of excessive purple prose, she still manages to be poetic. Some might even call it the perfect balance between purple prose and clinical writing. The book keeps you on the edge of your seat unable to do anything but move on to the next page.

The pacing has improved immensely since the first book but still has flaws. The middle 5-10 chapters prove to be boring and without much content. They slow down the pace of the book and bore the reader quite a bit- not unreadable- rather skip-able.

Moving on, the character development is woefully spectacular. You see the characters evolve in front of your eyes, you see them stumble, fall, change and tackle all the problems the plot throws at them. Each and every interaction feels genuine and you'll find yourself attached to every single character that appears on the page.

The thing is not much happens plot wise. Let us blame that on second-book syndrome for the book does not cover much content for its size. I wish for 50 more pages to wrap up the threads more skillfully before moving onto the finale.

Overall, Suri doesn't disappoint and proves her immaculate prowess as a writer. Cannot wait to read more from her and especially read more about Malini.

PS: Tasha, you need to pay for my therapy because WHAT WAS THAT.

After finishing the jasmine throne, the only criticism I had of the book was how many POVs there are. The oleander sword is the same. At times I struggled to remember certain characters and alliances, but as the book progressed it became easier and the everything came together. I do love having different points of views, but at times it felt a little unnecessary, but still well done.

This was a solid, excellent sequel to the jasmine throne, and sets up perfectly for the finale ( which I know will crush my soul). Malini grew stronger as a powerful character, and the relationships between each of the characters was superbly written. I felt every emotion that was expressed in this book.

Priya, the absolute badass woman that she is, only grows stronger. I love everything about her.
How she has developed makes me happy, she holds the world on her shoulders and never asks for thanks from anyone.

Malini and priya are my absolute loves. Their ‘relationship’ progresses and as each page turned I grew more fond of them both. They are beautiful as one.’ “I was a poet to her”, priya said quietly, letting the confession slip free. “ I… I wrote to her you know”’… “you are like ink, malini thought helplessly. Ink, and all I want is to make poetry of you”. Tasha Suri outdoes herself in describing the romance and emotions between the two, I fell in love, pictured every small touch, felt the burn of their gazes when all they wanted was to kiss one another.

A war has been brewing as Malini wishes to take her rightful place as empress, overthrowing her brother, Chandra. And she will do anything to take what is Hers.

I cannot wait for the third and final installment of this series. The ending has ripped me apart. My favorite political fantasy series!!

The Jasmine Throne was one of my favorite sapphic reads of 2021 and I was so excited for its sequel. This did not disappoint. It is a solid sequel and a good book with the same feel and tone as the first but with higher stakes.

There were more characters in this and the cast is larger and more fleshed out. It is well-paced and exciting and overall a very respectable novel.

I was a little afraid when picking up The Oleander Sword that it would fall prey to the second book syndrome. But it did not happen. It is just as incredible as book one. Reading this reminded me of how I fell in love with The Jasmine Throne in the first place. Tasha Suri's lush prose shines through as she takes us on the next stages of Priya, Malini and Bhumika's journey. I missed these women and I was so excited to read about them again.

As I mentioned, Suri's writing pulls you straight into the story. While yes, this was slightly slower-paced than I had expected; in comparison to TJT, it was also decently paced. The plot moves along pretty fast; there's action and many events keep on happening. It was so exciting to be back with Priya and Malini and read from their perspectives. And the yearning...oh my god, the yearning!! It was just impeccable. Other side characters make an appearance and there's some great plot twists happening too.

In terms of the world-building, I feel The Oleander Sword really ups the ante and the stakes. It shows us the intensity of the war and the ripple effects it can have. And with the way the book ended, things are going to get even more intense from here on out. Honestly, I need the third book already lol (even when the second book has not come out yet)

The first book in this trilogy, "The Jasmine Throne", was one of my favourite fantasy reads in a very long time when it came out. I was, thus, understandably excited to find out how the story of Malini, Priya, Bhumika, Rao and the rest of the cast would continue. I had high expectations for sure - but Suri easily met them with "The Oleander Sword".

This is an amazing second book in a trilogy, by which I mean it doesn't suffer too much from second book syndrome for the most part (though some parts do, admittedly). A lot of things happen, the plot is driven forward in an intriguing and multi-layered way and when I finished it I was ready to beg Suri for the third book. Now, I still preferred book one mostly because "The Oleander Sword" focuses a lot on war, which I just generally don't enjoy reading that much. But the plot is still exciting and I was actively rooting for the protagonists to reach their goals. The pacing is a bit slow sometimes, and especially in the middle chapters the story dragged a little too much, but there were a lot of very exciting action sequences to make up for it.

The characters are, once again, the highlight of this book. Malini owns my entire heart, and Priya grew even more on me if that was even possible. Their romance hurts like hell, but in a good way and I loved how they didn't dance around their feelings. It is clear they love each other but circumstances don't allow them to live out that love, and it's heartbreaking but oh so incredibly well written. I still love Rao as well and am about five seconds away from writing a petition to please not hurt him anymore in the future. My biggest fave this time around though is Bhumika. She is a queen and I loved every single one of her chapters, and I cannot wait to read the rest of her journey. Honestly, Tasha Suri is simply amazing at creating memorable characters. This time around I also enjoyed the antagonists much more.

The writing is once again superb and engaging. There are a lot of povs, which was my one main criticism for book one and it remains my biggest issue with this second book - I just personally don't like pov chapters whose central characters don't do anything for the plot, it's confusing and takes away space for the big characters. This is just a minor complaint though and something I generally don't like in any books, not specifically this one.

All in all this is a solid 4 star read - minor issues keep it from being a full 5 stars, but it still sets up a trilogy finale that I just KNOW will blow my mind. The ending is simply fantastic and I cannot wait to read on. This might become one of my favourite fantasy trilogies.

Rating: 5 out of 5.
5 Stars!

Synopsis: Malini is determined to accept the Fate bestowed upon her. Priya is determined to free people from the Rot and restore Ahiranya. The two soon realise their paths will meet again, but the cost may be greater than either of them could have anticipated.

CW/TW: Body Horror/Gore/Death/Manipulation/Burning/Sexism/War/Violence/Others may be present.

Rep: Sapphic MC’s | Queer side characters | Indian Cast and Indian inspired settings.

Book Review for the First Instalment in the series: Book Review: The Jasmine Throne (Burning Kingdoms #1), by Tasha Suri

OHHHH! BookNerds, The Angst, the Pain, the Tension, the Pining! This book had everything and more. As one of my most anticipated reads for this year I was SO so happy to see it lived up to my expectations.

May Contain Spoilers for Book 1, The Jasmine Throne.

The Oleander Sword, by Tasha Suri is the stunning sequel to The Jasmine Throne (Burning Kingdoms #1), by Tasha Suri. As with book 1, The Oleander Sword is beautifully written. Suri’s prose is gorgeous, she manages to continue to capture the beauty and horror of the magic within this world and creates vivid and rich settings that bring this world to life. Moreover, Suri writes her characters with a sensitivity and complexity that makes them compelling and easy to connect with. The balance of the exceptional settings, gorgeous prose and compelling characters perfectly aids the plot and pacing of the story. Furthermore, the multiple pov allows us insight into multiple sides of the War, gives us access to multiple characters and help to maintain the book’s pacing.

Because this book is a sequel, I will keep it brief as to avoid too many spoilers for this book and Book 1. But, I absolutely LOVED the plot! We pick up not too long after book 1 leaves off – Malini is determined to grab her Fate and take the throne, Priya is trying to prevent the rot and restore Ahiranya but the two’s paths are more entwined than they thought. Suri masterfully intertwines multiple complex plots to weave an intricate and captivating web. I loved Malini and Priya’s storylines, I loved how they intersected and diverged to create a story full of tension, angst and emotion. Furthermore, Suri creates much more than the two plots – with the inclusion of Chapters from Rao, Bhumika (and more), they help to maintain the world and create some subtle plots that slowly become more fleshed out and takes us on some twists and turns that will have your heart in your throat.

We get much more about the magic of Ahiranya and the Deathless Waters, more about the Nameless God and the Mothers, and about the world as a whole and all the beliefs and magic that come with it. It was brilliant to watch and completely fascinating to see unfold – everything in this world grows alongside the plot serving to create something beautifully compelling and engaging.

As I said for book 1, the magic is both horrifying and beautiful – particularly Ahiranya’s. Suri manages to perfectly capture and balance these two components while also adding more to the magic than we have seen before. I adored the magic aspect of this book as much as I did in The Jasmine Throne it is so beautifully written that you cannot help but be drawn in. Suri pushes the boundaries of this worlds magic even further in this book, she takes everything we think we know from book 1 and twists and turns it and gives us so much more, and the road it takes is full of tension. Magic has a cost in this world and Suri does not shy away from it here – the costs grow greater than before and works its way into the plot in intriguing ways.

Suri is a master at creating subtle and complex plots that have so much more going on than meets the eye, but her creativity goes even further than this and shines through in her characters. Malini’s strengths truly shine through in this book – now she is determined to get the throne we get to see the true beauty of her mind. Much like Priya, I was completely enthralled by Malini’s clever and delicate webs spun over the course of the book. However, we also get to see more of Malini’s sharp streak as we watch her make brutal decisions in order to claim her throne. Malini is a completely captivating character and, despite her sharp streak and clever mind, there is still a vulnerability to her that makes her more compelling – one that especially shines through with Priya.

Similarly, I absolutely loved Priya! Priya is a strong character with powerful magic which we get to see a lot more of in this book. Priya is strong and loyal but pushes herself for those she cares about. Despite Priya’s loyalty and soft heart, she can and will make difficult decisions if necessary to protect those she loves. Her vulnerabilities show through with Malini – and her strengths and flaws make her much more compelling. Priya is a character I really do love.

Priya and Malini’s relationship is EVERYTHING. The tension, angst, and pining is so well written – it had my heart in a vice-grip and didn’t let go. Honestly, watching it develop, watching the tension, the way the book ends – it had me completely and utterly captivated and had my heart entirely.

While I loved the two main characters, I also loved the rest of the cast! Bhumika is, once again, a stunning character all around – making the difficult decisions required for her people. Bhumika’s character is excellent and I loved her relationship with Padma (and others 👀). Moreover, I continue to love Rao and really feel for him through this book – I also loved his relationship with Aditya. I just loved the rest of the cast!

Ahhh! There is so much more I could talk about and gush about but I don’t want to spoil this for readers of The Jasmine Throne, or those who plan to pick up the Jasmine Throne! So, to avoid spoilers, i’ll leave the review here!

Overall, I cannot recommend this series enough as book 2 continues to impress and take us even further into this story. The Oleander Sword was everything I wanted and more in this sequel!

*I received an eARC via #Netgalley from Orbit Books in exchange for an honest review! Thank you!*

A kind thank you to the publisher for the e-ARC.

The epicness of the sapphic trifecta continues...The first of the trifecta's sequels is The Oleander Sword, second book of the Burning Kingdoms trilogy following The Jasmine Throne.

I am a huge fan of Tasha Suri's. I love everything she writes, but this series is very dear to my heart. I was nervous before I started it, partly because I want this story to continue forever in my heart, and partly because of the curse of the second books. Oftentimes, they disappoint, despite how spectacular the first book may have been. I was too excited to return to this world, so I literally dropped everything to read this ARC when I was approved. [after I squealed like a banshee for having being approved, that is]

The Oleander Sword showed me that this series will only get better. More complex. More heart-wrenching. And simply more, in every possible way.

The sapphic pining in this book is PALPABLE. TANGIBLE. I felt like it was an entity on its own. Malini's and Priya's POVs were so inherent to the girls' nature. They are so different from one another, and yet, it felt like we embraced and celebrated those differences. We wore it like a crown of pride and acceptance. Both are warriors on their own way. Stubborn. Persistent. Unyielding. Priya with her magic, Malini with her sharp strategic mind. I loved their passion and how fiercely they pursued their goals. I loved that Malini wasn't a shallow throne-grabbing heir but one who knew that her evil brother had to be dethroned, no matter who got the throne after him. But I also love an ambitious woman who fights for what she wants and knows her worth. On the other hand, Priya with all that powerful magic is dedicated to her people and her loved ones, and that is also a special kind of strength.

I especially loved the twists regarding the themes and how the author weaved the nuances of the co-existence of different faiths. The author showed the good and the bad of all entities and sides. Nothing is black and white. I really liked what Rao said once, that his faith is with the nameless god but he still venerates the mothers. I believe that it was a significant meaning, to respect others' beliefs yet holding your own.

The plot was definitely not a disappointment. Magic. Gods. Strategies. War games. Some going well, others going wry. It was clever and well executed. In my opinion, a lot more happened in the second book than in the first one. We briefly switched povs, and even more things happened. I loved the pacing, the action, the STRATEGIES taking place.

The world-building in this series is just phenomenal. The stories, the different faiths, the political background, the society of all people. The multiple layers that shape everyone and everything make me wonder what kind of superhuman the author is. I truly can't comprehend how she created this deep world that seems to have no end. I think she may have a tome for each people and their beliefs and culture, and a book on each character (and there are a LOT of them). I've read many fully immersive books, but this series is something else.

I don't usually like so many POVs but they do enrich the story by offering many angles. In retrospect, their perspectives are meaningful, and I can't imagine the book without them.

The Oleander Sword is spectacular, from the nuanced themes to the sapphic pining, incredibly well-developed characters, and a world-building that keeps transcending.

A desperate plea: Keep Rao alive and well, please, I beg you. I'm so worried about him for the third book. Rao is my precious. Please, Tasha Suri, protect my man.

Also grateful to Illumicrate for offering a special edition that matches the first book because I LOVE this series so much.

Gorgeous, moving, full of magic and suspense!
Often the second books in series loose the momentum of the first one. This was very much not the case here. It very much upped the stakes on the romance, the magic, the suspense.

The story continues where it left off at the end of book 1 with Malini on her way to the throne and Priya trying to rebuild Ahiranya. We meet a bunch of new characters, often seeing things from their POV. It’s never confusing or too much, rather it creates a very vivid world. It is amazing to me how distinctive and well developed even the minor characters in this series are.

As the story unfolds we see court intrigue and priestly manipulation abound. All the while Malini and Priya and Bumikha and Rao and Aditya try to follow their destiny without losing themselves completely. The author consistently gives us outstanding female characters, they all have different strength and lead a fight to live their lives on their own terms. We see women leading armies and fighting, providing spiritual guidance and wielding magical powers, giving political advise. It is a powerful you-have-a-choice-and-can-be-anything-you-want-to-be message for me and I found it really uplifting.

I loved the writing, loved the magic with all its darkness and demand for sacrifice and how the women try to carve a place for themselves in a world that’s essentially hostile towards them.

While I fully empathise with Malini and Priya and Bumikha and Rao and Aditya, I really found Chandra’s chapters fascinating as well. A villain through and through but with layers, with motivation – a living breathing human being. He is petty and vindictive, with delusions of grandeur but also there are moments where we see him lost and vulnerable and scared while still being very much the bad guy.

The romance between Malini and Priya is intense, facing one too many obstacles, embroiled in power struggles and magic that is too powerful, too demanding, too consuming. I can’t wait to see how things between develop in the next book because they don’t look very hopeful right now.

I am not ready to talk about Bumikha and all that happens with Ahiranya. Avoiding spoilers, I can only say it offers a fascinating take on what gods and monsters are and the choice we make to follow one or the other.
There is no cliffhanger, some plotlines are completed, though the major resolution is forthcoming in the next book. And it promises to be an epic struggle to make things right for everyone.

This is shaping to be an awesome series, one of the best fantasies I have read and I highly recommend it.

CW: violence, dark magic, sacrifice, burning alive, torture