Another fantastic read from Tasha Suri. I cant say too much in this review, as this is a finale after all, but Tasha delivers a breathtaking end for Malini and Priya, that will leave you weeping and filled with hope at once. The world gets developed more, our characters ties strengthen, and Tasha shows how good she truly is at this genre

Tasha Suri does an excellent job with prose and the art of writing in general. However, I was so bored throughout this entire book that I really didn't care what happened one way or another. The pacing of the whole series was not to my taste. There were too many chunks of time that felt directionless or like they didn't contribute substantially to the overall journey. I think that I am the outlier here and that my review should not be taken too seriously, because I think this series just isn't for me on a personal level. With that in mind, I'm going to leave this review short. I think that Tasha Suri is a phenomenal author and I don't want my review to negatively impact her since my review is mostly just based off of personal preference.

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

3/5 stars

There is nothing more satisfying than reading a brilliant ending to a trilogy and The Lotus Empire is certainly that. Much like the rest of the series, this book is rich in complex character arcs and insight into the questionable ethics of influence and power.

Priya remains the beating heart of the series and I felt that Bhumika’s character arc was heartbreaking, poignant and beautiful (also shout out to our guy Jeevan).

Rao and Rukh continued to be the side characters that could and my only complaint was that with such an abundance of additional character POVS we didn’t get one for Rukh. Rao manages to be the most devastated prince while keeping our love and hope for him alive.

The writing, as it has been throughout the series, is beautiful and captures the magic and landscape of this world so well.

My only complaint would be that in the complexity of everything that is going on, there are a lot of POVs that take us away at times from our core characters. The lining up of events, movements and players is intricate and I think if I hadn’t read The Oleander Sword right before this then I would have been lost. And as much as I loved it, I’m not entirely sure I know what happened at the end!

4.5

phenomenal conclusion to the trilogy, its characters were perfectly wrapped up. It will be sad leaving this fully realised, expertly crafted world. not really much else for me to say because i don't want to repeat what i've said in my previous reviews but Tasha Suri did it again.

A story of yearning, love, grief, survival, fate, war and freedom.

“Do you understand what emptiness is, Rao? It’s a gift. It is a promise. You need no god. Only your own fate, carved by your own hand.”

Absolutely stunning conclusion!!!! I AM IN AWE!!! Tasha Suri is a magician. I have known that since the first Suri novel I ever read and it continues to be true even now. I'm absolutely blown away by this book. It provided such a fitting finale to the story. This series is an absolute must read and I know I will be recommending it to EVERYBODY!!! They need to see the magic of Suri and fall in love just as I have.

A solid 3.5 stars, but man, I wanted to love it so much more.

You know that feeling when you’ve been waiting forever for the final book in a series you love, and then… it just doesn’t hit the way you hoped? Yeah. That was me with this book.

Don’t get me wrong the writing is stunning. The world-building? Immaculate. The themes of sacrifice and power? So well done. But the pacing? Oof. The first half of the book dragged SO MUCH that I kept waiting for something - anything - to actually happen. There were too many POVs, and honestly, most of them felt more important than the MCs. Priya and Malini barely drove the plot, which was frustrating since, you know… they’re supposed to be the heart of the story.

And the romance? Look, I love some good angst, but this felt like two people who were TOLD they were in love rather than actually "falling" in love. Where was the tension? The longing? The depth? It just wasn’t giving what it needed to give.

The last quarter finally picked up, and I liked the way the story wrapped up, but getting there was rough. If you loved the first two books, you’ll probably still enjoy this one, but for me, it just didn’t stick the landing.

Thank you Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for providing the ARCs in exchange for an honest review.
#TheLotusEmpire #NetGalley

This was a fantastic conclusion to The Burning Kingdom series! I don't know how to review it without spoiling earlier books so if you haven't read the first two yet please ignore my review and just know it gets 5 stars from me 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

The end of The Oleander Sword was gutting and so this book starts off dealing with the aftermath. The overwhelming feeling is of grief, in all the points of view really but especially Malini and Rao. Bhumika feels grief for what she left behind even if she doesn't know why and Priya is surrounded by yaksa with the faces of people she lost.

As the story moves on the grief is still there but the characters are more focused on survival and how to deal with the yaksa who are a threat even to those that worship them. I honestly loved all of the points of view, Rao's journey might have been my stand out this time but Bhumika, Malini and Priya also have my heart. Having the point of view of the yaksa was super interesting as well.

I loved the development of the magic, seeing what Priya is now capable of and learning more about the magical fire. I really like how it shows what is behind the original story of the mothers and from that you can see how history has twisted and weaponised their story against women. One of my favourite elements is seeing the effects of the sacrifices the yaksa have made in order to survive and their reactions to the consequences.

Overall I loved it so much and I'm sad it's over.
Luckily we've got The Isle in the Silver Sea to look forward to from Tasha Suri this year and I can't wait for what is sure to be a new obsession.

I feel like I should have reread the previous books before reading this one because I was so lost. I really wished for a recap of the previous books and I hope that was done more. I mean the previous book came out over two years before this one so I didn't remember it well.
Anyway, that kind of kept me from being fully invested but it was still a good story with a good conclusion. I ended being somehow swept up and I enjoyed getting to know this world again. This is a series I'd love to reread and I will be reading more books by Tasha Suri.

I’m so sad to be leaving this series behind! I loved every book in this series, though I think this one was not quite the five star read the others were. There was no real reason for it, it just didn’t have the same impact on me.

I would advise readers to reread the other books before starting this one. There were a few things I’d forgotten completely and I just think it would have been a better reading experience if I’d read them closer together. I definitely plan on doing a full trilogy reread now that they’re all out!

The thing I loved most about this series is how grey all of the characters are. All of them did bad things. All of them had lines that they crossed. I liked the way that this was faced in the story. How the characters had to literally go through fire to get out the other side. It was almost a tragedy where the characters had to reap what they sewed before they got their ending.

This is honestly one of my favourite trilogies of books and I’m sure it will continue to be.

The perfect resolution to this trilogy, steeped in myth and intrigue, running on politics that change with the winds.

It was the ending of the previous book, that had made me want to be able to pick up this book as soon as possible and I am so glad that I did. This book had definitely brought a lot to the series. I still loved the multiple pov, and the overall writing style which brought an amazing pacing to the book. The characters in this book still had so many challenges in which they had to face, and with everything that they had to go through kept their development coming. Malini and Priya are still two of my favourite characters from this series. There was events that occurred in this book that had completely shocked me as I hadn’t expected it. It was something about the whole ins and outs of this book, it really kept me glued to the story to a point I didn’t want to put it down. And I easily felt like the ending definitely made me very emotional because of the events of the book but also as this would be the last time following these characters

God, where to even begin with the conclusion to this series?

It's my second favorite in the trilogy (I remain to be a second book person!) but I have to applaud Tasha Suri for successfully carrying everything through. I genuinely thing everything here was a win. The character arcs were detailed and complicated and the two main characters truly went through an arc with every book but also over the course of the series - to end in an extremely satisfying way. The side characters weren't left in the dust, either, and I liked that.

What I liked especially is that through some side characters, Suri very cleverly uses dramatic irony and I LOVE that the reader is always let in on something, but never on absolutely everything. There are always seeds offered to the reader but it's just enough to make the reader want more.

It's no surprise to anybody at this point that I love this world, I love the magic system, and I love how it feels like there are scales that are getting tipped from one side to the other the ENTIRE time.

This series, to me, is actually the perfect representation what I want fantasy + romance to be. It's tight, it's sweet, it's heartbreaking and it fits into the world perfectly - and neither genre suffers for the sake of the other one. I cannot wait for Tasha Suri's next release.

Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for the arc!

🌟🌟🌟🌟/5

This is one of the most satisfying conclusions I've ever read. I adore this trilogy for its stellar worldbuilding and the amazing cast of characters. And oh, how the characters shine in the final installment.

Tasha Suri is a master at writing morally complex characters that you can't help but root for. After the ending of the oleander sword, tensions are high. Priya, Malini and Bhumika's POVs are equally compelling and add so much to the story. I'm usually wary of romance in fantasy novels but the sapphic longing in this one is so incredibly well written. Suri explores themes of faith and sacrifice in a compelling way. Her prose is elegant and lyrical but not overly flowery. This series has everything and epic fantasy lover wants. The belief system and political intrigue were expertly plotted. While the highs outnumbered the lows, I must say that the pacing was a little off. A lot of the book felt directionless and unnecessary. It could've done with more action. I was going to give this a rating of 3.5, but oh, that ending. I've become attached to these characters over the course of 3 books and it was letting them go was hard. The resolution to Priya and Malini's story might not work for everyone but I thought it was perfect. The epilogue made me quite emotional.

Overall, I think the Burning Kingdoms trilogy is a journey worth taking for any epic fantasy lover and I'm excited to read whatever Suri comes up with next!

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher Orbit for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review.

TW: war, death, violence, fire, injury, murder, body horror, religion, references to genocide

The final book in ‘The Burning Kingdoms’ trilogy, ‘The Lotus Empire’ follows on from the shocking ending to ‘The Oleander Sword’. Malini and Priya’s alliance- and relationship- is now over following Malini’s rise to power and Priya’s betrayal. Priya has taken her place as a priestess of her people in Arihanya, regaining her magic and becoming one of the few who can communicate with the gods (the yaska). However, within the deathless waters that granted Priya her powers, another, far greater yaska lurks- one with flowers for eyes, Mani Ara- who offers Priya even more but only if she’s willing to sacrifice her humanity to save her country. Malini is the Empress of Parijatdvipa but not without losses, including her love for Priya and her beloved brother. Heartbroken but determined to keep going, Malini is faced with a rebellious priesthood intent on driving her to burn on a pyre in the name of their gods. The only alternative to her own sacrifice is to find someone else to do it, and Malini thinks she knows who could. As the rot of Arihanya threatens the borders of Parijatdvipa and Malini’s reign is proven insecure due to constant interference, a far more ancient and deadly threat rises. Betrayed and estranged, Priya and Malini must work together one last time to try to save both of their countries, even as they are destined to stand against each other.

The first two books of this series were stunning, but ‘The Lotus Empire’ takes the hurt and betrayal felt in the aftermath of ‘The Oleander Sword’ to a brand new level, combining it with deep grief and the terror that Priya has let loose a force that no one can survive. Priya has came so far from being the rebel turned servant of the first book, and the unintentional leader of the second, while Malini has only became what the reader knew she would: a formidable empress, struggling to balance her experiences as a prisoner and as a warrior with what it required of her. The relationship between Malini and Priya has always been my favourite part of this series, I’ve adored every moment I’ve spent with them and I’m so glad that I read these books. They’re soft and brutal, loving and cruel, betraying each other and trusting only each other. This series is a masterclass in beautiful writing- from the language, the world building, the magic system and the cost of it, and the deeply complex and morally grey characters and the connections they have. I have to mention Bhumika, Priya’s adopted sister, and all that she has sacrificed throughout these books; her journey in this one, travelling without her memory, genuinely broke my heart so many times. Prince Rao really got to me as well, his experiences of crushing grief and realising he wants to live were moving. The ending, while bittersweet because I’m so attached to returning to these characters, was beautiful. The way that the yaska are written, the way they take on the faces of those lost and seem so far above Priya, is terrifying but also painfully recognisable as these gods are forced to live in human forms. ‘The Burning Kingdoms’ is one of the best complex sapphic and political series I’ve ever read, it’s been a joy to pick up another one every year. I can’t wait to see what Tasha Suri will write next.

4.5/5

I am a broken shell, I am ruined, I am wrecked. This was so beautiful. I have no words (but I will still blab away in this review for ages because I am in utter awe).

Tasha Suri's skill has never been more apparent. This series is so magical and so unyieldingly painful, brutal and beautiful. It is full of such heart and hope and unwavering love. It is so wonderfully written, Tasha Suri's prose never fails to absorb you, it is astoundingly poetic. We are not merely reading words on paper, we are breathing the rot-green air of Ahiranya, we feel every lick of heat from the promise of mother's fire, we are alive and real in the world alongside the characters.

And what a cast of characters they make. I have adored them all for so long and it's been such an incredible journey to see them through to the end. We have watched them grow into people larger and more powerful than they ever dreamed of being, we have watched them warp themselves and change, and cut out their hearts. I loved how much they still had to grow, even in this last book, I loved how complicated and tangled the vines of their hearts still hung. They are such well-written, human characters, with flawed ideals and conflicting motivations, and so much tragedy about them all. Quite simply, I adore them and I am so very sad to leave them.

I, absolutely no exaggeration, cried throughout the entirety of this book. There's such tragedy woven into the pages, such vibrant life that burns even brighter when parts of it crumble away. Loss echoes in our characters' hearts, betrayal chokes them. They start this book with a thick and cloying sense of devastation that never truly leaves them. I just adored every single step, every last chapter.

Bhumika's chapters were the ones I probably cried hardest at (although that might be a lie, as I very genuinely did just cry at everything) and when I said before that there is such tragedy written into these characters' stories, I sincerely meant it. The Oleander Sword ends quite shockingly for every last one of our main characters, and I knew this book would be an emotional one as it sits in the aftermath of these events, as we are forced to deal with the repercussions. But I think I underestimated just how devastating it would be to read (I'm sure Tasha Suri is somewhere out there cackling evilly—and we love her for it).
Bhumika is a hollowed out shell of the person she was, she has her purpose and she has made her sacrifices. She is followed by the most loyal of her guard who walks with her every step, who protects and defends who she is and who she once was. She has made the ultimate sacrifice and she has done so to save her homeland. For Ahiranya, she will do anything.

Rao is another character who truly sits in the grief of the events from the last book and his is a wretched and broken journey. He is no longer who he was, his faith and his heart have abandoned him. His is a journey of learning how to live again. And that is no easy feat.

Priya and Malini are locked into their eternal dance; through that unbreakable thread that links them we see the tides of war shift and fall, weaknesses exploited and grasped at with greedy hands, love made into something darker and more twisted. I cannot talk of one without the other.
Malini refuses to burn. It is not her fate. She will fight against this destiny, smoke already in her lungs. She has done so much, lost so much, to be where she is and she will not lose Parijatdvipa now.
All Priya has ever done, she has done for Ahiranya. She has sacrificed herself, hollowed herself, to become what her land needs. She is a temple child, she knows its waters, she is the green. But her land demands all of her, it demands more than she is able to give.

Another perspective I adored was Arahli Ara. It was fascinating to look through his eyes and see things both foreign and familiar, to see the burden of memory and humanity.
I will not say much more as I want this review to be accessible to those who haven't read this series yet, but I implore you to read it!

The world of The Burning Kingdoms is brilliant, it's so unique and fascinating. I love how entwined our characters are with the very soil beneath their feet, with the way the wind stirs through the trees and the plants wilt and grow. The rot is such a compelling part of the world and I adore how vastly it affects the empire.

As with the world, I found the politics of this book incredibly nuanced and complex. I kept finding myself worried to death wondering how it would end, but I never should have worried, Tasha Suri is an immensely skilled writer and she always had it well in hand. I loved the ending, and I (obviously) sobbed all throughout.

I come away from this series with tears on my cheeks and a sense of loss in my heart. I hate endings, I hate having to leave something behind. I will never get to experience this world and move alongside these characters for the first time ever again. I have come to the end of my journey with them. That devastates me. And, maybe you think I'm being dramatic, but I think that's exactly what a good book should do. It should transport you, it should move you, it should change you. And I can say with iron certainty that this series did every one of those things.

Without a doubt, Tasha Suri is one of my favourite authors and The Burning Kingdoms a favourite series. All I keep thinking is, beautiful. It was truly such a beautiful story and a beautiful end. I am eternally grateful that Tasha Suri wrote this incredible series, I so wish it wasn't over, but I loved every moment of it.
If you take nothing else away from this review, take away the fact that I am begging you to read these phenomenal books! I can't wait for what comes next (The Isle in the Silver Sea is one of my most anticipated books of 2025)!

Thank you Netgalley and Orbit for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I love this trilogy, it's very dear to my heart. I'll always think fondly of Malini and Priya (and Rao, my poor Rao). The final third book does give us a satisfying and amazing ending, even if it's also heartbreaking in places. I do feel like the meandering plot and the rather slow pacing kept me from enjoying it as much as its predecessors, though.

Seing Malini as empress and Priya as Elder was satisfying in so many ways. Suri never shies away from the complexities of morality in her trilogy, and it's what made this such an intriguing read. There is no clear good and evil and many of the conflicts presented (though there are some clearly evil characters as well), and even the big bads, the Yaksa, are not as onedimensional as one might expect. I loved delving into the lore, into the dense and fascinating world building. I loved the glimpses we got of the world beyond Arihanya and Parijatdvipa (and honestly, I would so read a book about Rao's journey).
I admittedly had to remind myself of a few things and characters because it's been a while since I read the last two books, but they returned to me easily after a synopsis or two. Which I do recommend - if you go into this blind or can't recollect the who's who of the admittedly rather big cast of characters, you might not enjoy this as much. If I had had the time, I would've reread the previous two books.

Suri's writing is wonderful again, the book's only real issue is the pacing which I've mentioned before. The beginning's plot of Malini going to war against Priya after that heartwrenching betrayal in book 2 was picking up speed quickly, but then it kind of slowed down into what felt like a long stretch of preparation for a conflict that just wouldn't come, and when it came it was rather quickly dealt with. There was a lot of meandering during the middle part of the book especially in Malini and Priya's chapters, while Rao and Bhumika were really the characters that moved the plot forward and worked towards a clear goal. Which is probably why they were my favourites this time around.

Still, the finale sticks the landing even though I'm not sure I'm personally satisfyed with how some of the characters ended up, but that isn't Suri's fault, just personal taste.
The Burning Kingdom trilogy is, all in all, one I can wholeheartedly recommend because it's unique, exciting, heartbreaking and all around well-written.

Since I started my reading of the holy sapphic trifecta in january 2023 I am always in awe of Tasha Suris writing and how she is able to break hearts - not only those of her characters but also those of her readers.

The Lotus Empire is no exception. Often I wondered how this book can end. How these characters can ever meet each other again. After the events of the second book everything was on edge and how Suri was able to balance these themes is amazing.

I wanted to reread the first to books before jumping into this one but time, stress and mental health didn't allowed it. But I want to praise how Suri took every kind of reader (also those like myself with a little foggy remembrance of the details of that first books) and took them on this amazing journey.

Especially how the magic of Priya evolves and how masterful her use of it and her connection is described made me love this book even more. How the rot and Priyas magic expands, how Malini accepts part of Priyas magic and rekindles their connection - I cannot grasp how many emotions this ride took me on.

I will now swear to pick up everything by Tasha Suri! =D

The Burning Kingdoms falls into that elusive category of trilogy's where the series get's better with each book. My love for these characters and the world they inhabit grew with each page, ensuring that they worm their way into your hearts like the rot that is eating it's way through the empire. It's brutal, brilliant and this last book brought at almost horror element to the story adding to the depth and tension of a story already wrought in it. I honestly don't think this series could have ended any better, it may have broken me into a thousand pieces but it was a fitting end to the story and one I loved.

Fair warning that this review will contain spoilers for the first two books in the series, because I can't talk about this book without mentioning what came before. The ending of The Oleander Sword broke me in so many ways, so in a way I thought I was prepared for what was to come, but oh, how wrong I was. I think I'd cried 4 times within the first quarter of the book, and it just ended up going downhill from there. I hated the maw that had opened up between Priya and Malini, a space so wide it seemed impossible to traverse. Priya's actions at the end of the second book shook, not just Malini, but the people around her and left Malini in a precarious position. One where she needs to bring down the Yaksa, needs to fight the Ahiranyi's, but also wants Priya to live, to protect her, even after what she did. Their relationship is woven so intricately through this series, but now it's turned brittle, something so fragile that a simple touch could bring it crumbling down, but these two women are strong, they have clawed their way to power, fought against those who would call them witch, who said they must burn, and they will not let themselves, or their people go down without a fight.

The ending of the last book also saw Bhumika give herself & her memories up for a chance to stop the Yaksa once and for all, and boy was I not prepared for how emotional her parts of the book would make me. I've loved her as a character since the first book, as complicated and brutal as she can come across, she is simply trying to do her best to protect her people. The knowledge she gains has such an important part to play in the story, but it was truly heartbreaking seeing her become this husk of the woman she was before. Someone who had no one to love, who didn't remember her sister of child, or even the love of Jeevan who had to travel with her knowing that she didn't know who he was to her. And then there is Rao, grieving the death of Aditya, the man he loved but could never admit it. He is lost, floating through life with no plan, no mission, hating the nameless for taking Aditya away from him, but then Malini sends him away. He see's it as a punishment until he gets there and realises that he might just have the one thing that can end this war for good.

These are our main POV's, but Suri makes sure we are aware of every little going on within the Empire, every deceit, every little whisper, thanks to the additional POV chapters she graces us with. It really adds an extra depth to the story, allowing us to almost predict events before they happen, but don't think that lessens the impact in any way because that couldn't be further from the truth. Instead these chapters build on the tension that already exists, building to these inevitable clashes that still knock the breath out of you when they happen. Suri's writing and the overall pacing of this book make it almost impossible to put down, there are so many twists, so many heightened moments that had me on the edge of my seat. Her writing may be beautiful and prosaic in parts, but this is a brutal story, one with hope and love woven through, but certainly not a happy one.

I mentioned the almost horror aspect that was woven through this book, something that Suri brings to the story through the Yaksa. These beings that claim to be there to help, to bring a new age where those who worship them will be looked after. But we know the truth of them, the danger, the clawing need they have to cleave this world into something new, something fit for them and not humanity. Their features are enough to claim horror, half human half... nature, claiming the faces of those thought dead, but it's their desperation that is the true horror. Their willingness to kill simply to claim a few more second and third born among their worshipers, their intention to bring more temple children into the Hirana re-starting the circle of worship and sacrifice that Priya and Bhumika had tried to hard to stop. They see humans as weak, seeing them as nothing more than a means to an end. But humanity is not something easily squashed, and the very thing they think a weakness is what gives people the strength to bring them down.

Suri writes her Women as complicated, unforgiving beings and I honestly can't get over how real they feel, but also how happy it makes me to see characters like this on the page. Not simply women in power, but women who have killed for it, who have lied for it, women who don't claim to be good, to be wholesome, rather those who wanted power and took it. She shows the strength in women, in the whispers that wives share when they think no one is listening, the power they have over their husbands, and how someone clever, someone who knows about that power can and does use it to their advantage. It's a story filled with feminine friendships, alliances, and sometimes betrayals, but Suri shows the true power and brutality that women can wield if they take the chance to claim it. And the icing on top of the cake, she makes the main romance queer, makes them long for each other with a yearning that lasts through betrayals and stabbings. Makes them dream of each other, and of a world where they could be together, be happy, without the burden of power weighing them down.

The ending of this book broke me in so many ways. I cried both happy and sad tears, but it was an ending worthy of all that had come before it. I liked how Suri didn't take the easy way out, she showed the sacrifices that needed to be made, and despite all the horror and destruction that was woven, it was an ending filled with hope, but one also heavily steeped in reality. This series was brutal and beautiful and everything in between. Suri has created a masterpiece of fiction, and a series that will undoubtedly become a modern classic.

I have been waiting for this book to release for far too long, but oh my god, it was so very easy to fall back into the world of the amazing Burning Kingdoms series. While it has been quite sometime since i read the previous books, it was quite nice to return to this world and see all the familiar characters again, including Priya and Malini. I know there’s a few plot threads that I may have missed, but this is a series that I intend to read again so I know I’ll pick up on those later. Like the previous books in the series, The Lotus Empire has multiple perspectives, each showing different plot points that come together beautifully. It is in this book that we get to see how the events of book 2 have affected everyone and how both Priya and Malini are now dealing with the pressures of being leaders, trying to maintain their power. The angst this book delivers is just impeccable and lowkey made me kind of emotional too.

Priya and Malini have come so far from when we first met them and the conclusion to their story is done perfectly, at least I feel so. Tasha Suri’s writing is absolutely stunning, keeping you very grounded in this story. She has created the perfect multi-perspective interwoven narrative that I am obsessed with. The Lotus Empire offers a heartstoppingly perfect conclusion to what has been an incredible series and I, for one, cannot wait to read it all over again!

Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC of my most of anticipated book of the year.

WHAT a series finale!! 🥺 I've waited 2 years for this book and I am not going to be over it any time soon. The trilogy as a whole has been so precious to me ever since reading the first book, and it will 100% keep its spot among my favourite series of all times ❤️ I just finished the book, as I'm writing this review, and I feel SO much - so bear with me here.

Tasha Suri built the most incredible, rich and tangible fantasy world, and took her reader onto such a rollercoaster of a journey! I don't know what I can even say without giving spoilers for the earlier books... but gosh, do I love these characters so much ❤️ They made me cry, smile and feel so intensely.

The Lotus Empire is a high fantasy tale of power, reborn divinities, faith in all its forms, strong women, powerful bonds and earth-shattering love. It's the story of two fate-defying women who have every reason to hate and kill each other, yet can't extinguish the incredible feelings between them. Of an empire fighting divine enemies returning after centuries asleep. Of a smaller nation fighting for its survival against all odds. Of people giving up everything of themselves to fight for what they believe in. Of sacrifices, heartbreak, loyalty and betrayals.

Priya, Malini, Bhumika, Rao - each of the main POV characters had me absolutely rooting for them, feeling alongside them, wanting to find out what was next around the corner for them. I never wanted to skip a chapter to return to someone else's POV, because all of them were so captivating! Even though the first half or so of the book was quite slow in terms of pacing, the author drew me in constantly 👏 The second half was then simply unputdownable, with the pace picking up and the plot roaring up towards its end.

So, in case it wasn't clear, I'd recommend you pick up this series if you love high fantasy with very high stakes! It is not a light read - it is in fact quite dark - but, I think, a rather unforgettable one.

🪷❤️

𝘈𝘣𝘳𝘶𝘱𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘱𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘸𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘱 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘨𝘭𝘺, 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘪, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴.