The power of the deathless waters flows through Priya’s blood. Now a thrice born priestess and an Elder of Ahiranya, she dreams of seeing her country rid of the rot that plagues it: both Parijatdvipa’s poisonous rule, and the blooming sickness that is spreading through all living things. But she doesn’t yet understand the truth of the magic she carries.
Their chosen paths once pulled them apart. But Malini and Priya’s souls remain as entwined as their destinies. And saving their kingdom from those who would rather see it burn will come at a terrible price.
THE JASMINE THRONE was such an epic delight in 2021. It was this big, bold, decadently written slow burn. It was weird & sexy & dangerous, and was also 1/3 of the famous Sapphic Trifecta.
Obviously the anticipation for THE OLEANDER SWORD has been feverishly high, and goddamn…Tasha Suri has just dismantled any expectations I may have had for this book. THE BURNING KINGDOMS trilogy is easily shaping up to be one of my all-time favorites!
THE OLEANDER SWORD just feels massive in scope, adding in several more POVs than we saw in THE JASMINE THRONE. This one takes on a much more military fantasy vibe, with Malini’s claim to the throne being backed by several key allies. They now form a sizable army, marching toward the inevitable conflict with Malini’s brother, the fanatical Emperor Chandra.
That said, even those that seem to back Malini as Empress may have ulterior motives. It all feels extremely fragile & combustible…fucking yikes.
It’s kind of remarkable that THE JASMINE THRONE featured a really slow burn romance, and THE OLEANDER SWORD does too. The relationship between Malini & Priya is always kind of smoldering at the edges of the story, but here there is quite a bit of distance between the two; initially because Priya is now an Elder of Ahiranya, working to rid her country of the magical rot that is consuming everything in its path.
But then Priya begins to serve Malini in a more official capacity, and so the intimacy between them exists only in stolen moments.
This is a wonderful sequel, and one of my favorite books of the year. The tension between Malini & Priya just leaps off the page…I think the relationship between them is certainly at the heart of these books, but there’s so much else going on. Tasha Suri is a phenomenal writer, and she completely immerses the reader in this world. There are some really strange & disorienting passages in THE OLEANDER SWORD, but you never feel lost, which I really appreciate as a reader.
Also, while people tend to (rightfully) key in on the love story between Malini & Priya, this book has some badass action sequences & some creepy/unsettling moments too! Gah…so damn good!
Huge thanks to Orbit for sending a copy my way! I absolutely adored this!
Grimdark Dad 