Tasha Suri

"Alluring, action-packed, and gut-wrenching," (Publishers Weekly, starred review), The Oleander Sword continues Tasha Suri's acclaimed Burning Kingdoms trilogy,in which a powerful priestess and a vengeful princess will change the fate of an empire.

The prophecy of the nameless god—the words that declared Malini the rightful empress of Parijatdvipa—has proven a blessing and curse. She is determined to claim the throne that fate offered her. But even with the strength of the rage in her heart and the army of loyal men by her side, deposing her brother is going to be a brutal and bloody fight.

The power of the deathless waters flows through Priya’s blood. Thrice born priestess, Elder of Ahiranya, Priya’s dream is to see her country rid of the rot that plagues it: both Parijatdvipa's poisonous rule, and the blooming sickness that is slowly 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 they soon realize that coming together is the only way to save their kingdom from those who would rather see it burn—even if it will cost them.

The Burning Kingdoms #2

The Oleander Sword

Jasper

How do you stand against a god that lives inside you?

...that framing a violent hatred in the flesh of faith did not make it any less brutal or monstrous.

'You want to win? You want to kill those who stand against you?' The yaksa was smiling, smiling, luminous in the haze of starlight. 'Then we must work together. Your flesh, my strength.'

'Your flesh,' the yaksa agreed sweetly. Her nail traced Priya's cheek. A hot shadow of pain followed it. 'My strength.'

He touched his knuckles to her hand. His hand was so much larger than her own, flecked with scars. She quietened and looked up at him.

'Careful,' she said in return. 'The mask will burn you.'

'I am not afraid, my lady,' he said solemnly.

'Foolish,' she said. 'I will simply have to protect you, then.' She folded the mask into her pallu. He lowered his hand, and stepped back.

You are like ink, Malini thought helplessly. Ink, and all I want is to make poetry of you.

'I can,' Malini said calmly, even as something sweetly dark coiled in her chest. Power was a pleasure with many forms. To see a powerful man-a man who had betrayed her- brought low was one of its headiest. She did not let it touch her face or her voice. She was like ice. 'I am Empress of Parijatdvipa.'

Did I bow for the sake of Ahiranya, or for Malini? Priya asked herself. It wasn't a question she could answer. She wasn't sure she wanted to.

She could feel a smile tugging her mouth. She let it overcome her face. Let herself laugh as the fire went out.

'Look, Lata,' she said softly. 'The mothers love their daughter after all.'

The fragile thing in Priya's chest splintered, just a little. Malini's words were a reminder that there was so much more at stake than her soft feelings for Malini, or Malini's for her. Politics and war and history all stood like a chasm between them.

'Bhumika,' said the yaksa with Chandni's face, smiling. Speaking in her dead elder's voice. 'Our temple daughter. We have finally come home.'

But he did not. He kept his eyes forward. He followed his gods.

But at the end of it, she felt a little more relaxed. A little more herself. A little more human.

Righteousness, rightfulness-oh, how she hated those words. Their sole purpose seemed to be to keep her in her place: a life with narrow walls and standards of purity that pressed her thin, erased her to nothing but her blood and her good bones and the worth of a pleasing face. A life where she would never contemplate ruling; a life where she would obediently bare her neck for a knife, or gladly embrace the pyre.

The sweetness of ghee and perfume mingling with the char of living women burning.

And whenever she closed her eyes-closed them as they were now-she felt the whole of Ahiranya like a winged insect, beating its body against the cupped palm of her hand. This field-rot or no rot-was no less hers.

But Malini did not have the luxury of such careless cruelty, and her anger burned colder and slower than Chandra's ever had.

Hate me, Malini. Hate me and live. I can love enough for the both of us.

I was foolish, Malini thought bitterly, as her vision began to fade, and her body waver, to ever think I could have Priya and also have this.

Love and love. Like two opposite points she was forever reaching for, stretching her thin. Love for Malini and love for home. Love like a future, and love like a sacrifice.

A pang of grief ran through Priya like lightning. She thought of sitting there with all of them, drinking that wine, laughing with them. Thought of being embraced by all that new trust. By friendship. She thought of how far they'd come, all of them and how rosy the future looked, like something good could be cobbled together out of all the blood and death and sacrifices, the horrors they'd seen.

She was going to ruin it all. She had to ruin it all.

'I am a priest of the nameless,' said Aditya, visibly mustering up his courage. Rao tried to stride forward, but Mahesh gripped him by the arm, his fist a band of iron. 'But I am also Divyanshi's blood. I remember and honor the vows your forefathers made to her. Loyalty to a Parijatdvipan throne. To a shared vision, a shared empire. And now I aso you for a new vow: I will make my sacrifice here. I will see the High Prince's rule ended. I will wrest control of the fire, and with my sacrifice, turn it against him and his soldiers. They will burn, and you will walk free, unscathed, unharmed. And you will return to my sister's side, and say I died for her. You will say Empress Malini was crowned by a willing sacrifice. A new pact between us all.' He swallowed. Smiled, bright and tear-sharp. 'You will honor her.'

'Whatever you cannot mourn, I will mourn for you,' Jeevan said quietly. 'And when your work is done, I will bring you back. I vow, as long as I'm living, it will be done.'

'If I can't hold on to you, then I can hold on to no one.'

I really enjoyed this book. So much happened yet for me it's still a very fun easy read. I did like the first one a bit more. There were some things I wanted to happen that didn't. If they had I feel like the book could have hit really hard. I still enjoyed the book though and I'm excited for when I can finally have the third in my hands.

Lucille

My fault for not realising this was a trilogy and looking at how little was left and having panic sweat realising it wasn’t going to get sorted out by the end… 

A middle book but how could you know? A ton of story. I am very upset.. how could this happen? Because I guess the gays can’t have nice things. PROVE ME WRONG, TASHA. (*Sobs* please?)

I will not be taking questions at this time. 

Apiecalypse Jen

My fault for not realising this was a trilogy and looking at how little was left and having panic sweat realising it wasn’t going to get sorted out by the end… 

A middle book but how could you know? A ton of story. I am very upset.. how could this happen? Because I guess the gays can’t have nice things. PROVE ME WRONG, TASHA. (*Sobs* please?)

I will not be taking questions at this time. 

A little dark, but this series is such a fascinating world unlike anything I’ve read before.

Katy Watkins

grace richards

4.5,,, book! three! now! i fear this trilogy may end rather tragically i am fearing for me life rn

I am not okay

9/9/23 I am still not okay

INCREDIBLE sequel! I expected no less! Tasha Suri continues to elevate the genre of high fantasy with her IMPECCABLE storytelling. This is by FAR one of the most beautiful, heart wrenching, and deep lesbian fantasy romances I have ever read. Malini and Priya make my heart ache. A completely unexpected twist of an ending, too! I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book. 

Sophia 

Carrington Kinslow

"How lonely it was, to have power. How lonely." 

Tasha Suri's "The Jasmine Throne" has been my all time favorite book from the moment I read it. So, naturally, I've been anxious to finally get to read the follow up, "The Oleander Sword." In many ways, this installment in "The Burning Kingdoms" trilogy exceeded my expectations for what would follow the events of TJR, and in some ways, I was hoping for more.

I've seen some reviewers say that TOS suffers from second book syndrome, and while I can see where they're coming from, I truly don't think that is the case here. TJR was brimming with plot. There was a lot of world building, establishing the magic systems and the religions, and laying the groundwork for our cast of characters to fulfill the roles they take on in book 2. TOS is very character focused, with an emphasis on Malini, and basically, lets readers understand how our cast is holding up a year after we last saw them and how they're navigating the positions they've found themselves in.

I don't consider this second book syndrome. It was just as fascinating as the plot-driven "Jasmine Throne" and I don't think it should be criticized on its characterization work, because we really see these characters brought to a whole new level. If you're only here for the plot, I can see why book 2 wouldn't have been as entertaining for you, but I think that Suri's character work is just as strong as her storytelling, if not more.

While book 1 was definitely Priya's book, book 2 is Malini's. If you, like me, thought that the tagline "morally grey sapphics" was a bit dramatic for book 1, buckle up. Malini is well and truly morally grey in TOS as she assumes the role of empress and plots to take her throne. I don't think I'd go as far as saying she has a corruption arc, but she does act in ways that I think many people will disagree with. She manipulates, lies, cheats, steals, and I promise you, you will root for her every step of the way, even if you're raising an eyebrow at some of her tactics. She is cunning and ruthless, a side to her I was so glad to see. She'll do anything for her throne, her country, her people, and she doesn't care how "impure" it all makes her. Malini is without a doubt the strongest element of "The Oleander Sword."

Our other characters have their moments, too. Priya doesn't have much character development, in my opinion, but it's nice to see her be the Priya I adored in book 1, too. She suffers a lot, your heart will break for her but you'll also be proud of her perseverance. Rao takes a more central role in this book, but I do wish he had had more of an impact on the overall plot. His chapters seemed to be a bit more for storytelling than anything that actually moved the plot along, which was odd considering he impacted the plot quite heavily in book 1. He's another character you'll really feel for. And Bhumika. Oh, Bhumika. She was my favorite character in book 1, and oh my god. If you think Priya goes through some stuff... poor Bhumika cannot catch a break. I felt horrible for her, but she's the strongest most dedicated character here and she faces everything with grace. I'm hoping, of everyone, she gets her happy ending when this series is over. She deserves it, after this. 

One small criticism for the characters. Every once and a while, a very minor and unimportant side character would get their own POV. It was usually just to give a very brief, outsider look on the plot, but it was just unnecessary to me and a waste of page space. Same for the several Chandra chapters. These chapters should have been given to other side characters a bit closer to the plot whom you actually care for, like Sima, Deepa, Jeevan, and Lata. 

If you're returning to this world for the romance, I think you will be more than pleased. Priya and Malini have incredible chemistry and the slow-burn nature of their relationship continues. It's tender, all-encompassing, burning, and passionate. It will leave you with butterflies in your stomach and a headache all at once. It's a bit more relevant to the plot here than it was in book 1 and I think it was handled perfectly. I truly have no idea where I think they'll end up at the end of the series, it's very possible they'll be together, and it's also very, very possible that they won't. I like that we ended where we did for them despite it being difficult to read, it leaves so much to deal with in book 3. Also, Bhumika gets a small little romance subplot that I really loved! I hope to see that continue. 


One of the bigger criticisms that I have is that the final act, the villain, felt a bit underwhelming. While it has been a year since I read TJR, I really felt that it was setting up Malini's battle against Chandra and her claim to the throne to be the main plot arc and Chandra to be the villain that has to be overcome. Book 2 basically pulls that rug from under your feet, says that that plot isn't actually a big deal and is dealt with rather quickly, and that something much bigger than a man-made war is coming that will have to be overcome in one book. When I was reading the final act, I was kind of like... that's it? We've won so easily, and now we have a whole new enemy to defeat in the last book? I don't hate that, but it'd make more sense if this series was going to be longer than three books. You wouldn't find me complaining, I adore this series. But for a trilogy, I don't know that we should have shifted gears so drastically at the end of book 2. But, my opinion on that could change when book 3 comes and goes. 

Overall, I thought that "The Oleander Sword" was a wonderful second installment in "The Burning Kingdoms" series, and I simultaneously cannot wait for and dread the release of book 3. I need my answers, but I don't want to say goodbye.

"The Oleander Sword" - 4 Stars

 Spoiler bit I can't help but add 

 You've been warned, this is a big spoiler! Stop scrolling! 







I know that many will likely disagree with me here, but I'm really glad that Aditya died. He annoyed me to no end and I could not stand him. I borderline hated him. I hate characters who have this cringe moral compass that Aditya had, and I could not get over the fact he felt like he needed to forgive anything Malini and that because of this, Chandra deserved to be forgiven too. Chandra. Chandra, who burns innocent women alive. I would have hated to have to suffer through anymore Aditya in book 3. Good riddance.

Paige mandia 

“Do the tides obey you? The waning of the moon? No. Then why should pitiless fate garb you in glory, simply because you believe you should be glorious?”  

There was so much to love in this absolutely stunning sequel to The Jasmine Throne. 

The end of The Jasmine Throne left readers with Malini’s prophesied reign as the rightful empress of Parijatdvipa and Priya’s ascension to Temple Elder after attaining her status as a thrice-born. 

The Oleander Sword wastes no time in throwing readers right back into this thrilling world of blooming magic, cutthroat politics, and delicate romance. I found this sequel to move at a much faster pace than the first installment. While this mostly worked to the novel’s favor in moving the action sequences along, I sometimes found myself wishing for further explanation and exposition. I don’t mind a little extra time spent here and there towards building character dynamics and relationships. I think the ending would have had more payoff for me if some of this novel moved a little slower to let me sit with certain events for longer. However, this pacing definitely helped me get through this one quicker. There was always an action sequence or POV change to keep my interest. 

Speaking of POVs, I personally believe Suri is an absolute master of multiple POV writing. I love how she sprinkled in minor characters every so often to hint to readers who may be involved with the bigger picture. I think Suri reigned it in a bit from the first novel, and this definitely worked in her favor. There were just enough POV changes to keep it interesting and to move the story along, but not too many that I was confused. 

Tasha Suri is a fabulous writer, and her prose always blows me away. She creates such lucious worlds that explode with life right off of the page. Priya and Malini’s relationship was so beautifully created and further developed in this novel. Suri truly writes these characters with so much care––which made the events of this novel all the more heartbreaking. Her prose and character writing will absolutely stick with me long after finishing The Oleander Sword. I absolutely love Malini and Priya, but Bhumika and Rao were standouts for me as well. 

I think there was a great balance between the politics, the romance, and the action. I truly believe with a bit more page-time spent on each of the components of the novel, each character’s motivations and choices would have hit harder for me. While the events of the novel were certainly brutal and heartbreaking, I several times found myself searching for the why? I suspect that it moved a bit too fast for me to fully get behind some of the plot points. 

I certainly have hope for the third installment that there will be great payoff and I am very excited to see how this trilogy wraps up. 

  Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review

Rachael Bahr

Zoe Wilson

Rachel Livingston

The Jasmine Throne has been hailed as a series opener that will 'undoubtedly reshape the landscape of epic fantasy for years to come' (Booklist, starred). Now, award-winning author Tasha Suri's provocative and powerful Burning Kingdoms trilogy continues with The Oleander Sword. The prophecy of the nameless god - the words that declared Malini the rightful empress of Parijatdvipa - has proven a blessing and curse. She is determined to claim the throne that fate offered her. But even with the strength of the rage in her heart and the army of loyal men by her side, deposing her brother is going to be a brutal and bloody fight. The power of the deathless waters flows through Priya's blood. Thrice born priestess, Elder of Ahiranya, Priya's dream is to see her country rid of the rot that plagues it: both Parijatdvipa's poisonous rule, and the blooming sickness that is slowly 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 they soon realize that coming together is the only way to save their kingdom from those who would rather see it burn - even if it will cost them.

The Oleander Sword The Burning Kingdoms #2

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