User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
↠ 5 stars Declared the rightful empress of Parijatdvipa by the prophecy of the nameless god, Malini embarks on a vengeful path to usurp her brother and lay claim to her throne. Meanwhile, Priya, now an elder of Ahiranya and thrice-born priestess, gambles the extent of her power to eradicate the rot taking hold in her country. Set apart by their respective roles, Priya and Malini’s destinies remain forever entwined, but as Malini’s campaign to depose her brother takes a brutal turn, coming together may be the only option to truly achieve what they both desire. War wages and the deeper Priya reaches into her power to turn the tide, and Malini turns to pent-up rage, the cost of their advance blooms into something truly deadly.
The Oleander Sword is a sequel of such brutal reckoning that I was completely unprepared to venture into. After the astonishing start to the series that was The Jasmine Throne, its sequel quickly lept to the forefront of my anticipated upcoming reads for 2022. An expansive and otherwise ambitious addition to the series, The Oleander Sword stole my heart and destroyed my soul with a slow and delicate grace. Tasha Suri elevates everything previously contended in the first installment, focusing more heavily on battle strategy, and examining the temple of Ahiranya and the Yaska. Everything about this sequel is awe-inspiring, from the intensely romantic and tender moments between Priya and Malini to the gradual undertaking of a stolen empire. Once again, Suri provides a staggering amount of character perspectives to wade through, woven together in an intricate tapestry that renders itself to the overarching themes of power, loyalty, and love. One character that really stood out to me this time around was Bhumika, who carries the weight of what is happening with Ahiranya towards a sacrifice that was absolutely heart-wrenching. Alongside the ongoing war, and the unsettling shift back at Ahiranya’s temple, there was not a moment in this book where I was not caught in its unforgiving clutches. The political tension underpinning the actions of every character, and the divided loyalties threatening to fracture the established alliances only made this sequel all the more disconcerting. Like its former, The Oleander Sword elicits a slow pace, that culminates in an ending that left me thoroughly anguished. Intensely ruthless and brutal at its core, The Oleander Sword is an astonishing sequel that blooms with betrayal, romance, and unintended sacrifice. Tasha Suri's Burning Kingdoms is an exemplary fantasy series, and I’ll be waiting patiently for its finale in the coming year.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing this arc in exchange for an honest reviewTrigger warnings: death, violence, war, suicide
Rating: really liked it
Malini please let me be your footstool
Rating: really liked it
My thanks to Orbit books, Tasha Suri and Netgalley.
Love, love, love this story!
Has it only been a year since the last book? Really? Seems like I've been waiting forever! Here it is!
Was it good? Yeah, it was. Am I now counting the long days until the next book? Yep!
Things have changed in this book. War is on. Malini against her brother. Emperor/Empress.
Priya? Well, far as I'm concerned Priya is the heart and soul of this story. I adore her.
Whereas the first book was lush, this one wasnt. This book "let the shit hit the fan."
I had to re-read the first book before going into this one. What I discovered is that while the first book was very character driven, this second book focused on character development and EVERYTHING that could possibly go wrong! Crikey!😜 Lisa likey!
Was it as engaging as the first book? No.
But really, what the hell do you expect? Second books develop a saga. War, bluster. Blah. First books develop character. Third books? Jeezum crow! I'm ready!
Rating: really liked it
[
1-5Women’s purity is overrated. Why aren’t men held to the same standard?
Cardamom tea sounds so delicious for a cold evening. Pickled mango seems like a nice snack. Alas, I'm always hungry.
Enjoying Malini and Priya’s letters to each other. I wonder when they'll get to see each other again.
It pains me greatly to hear about the heart sisters. Why is it that women have to burn? Again, why not men?
Chandra’s attitude is annoying af. So
Rating: really liked it
4.50 Stars. This did suffer some from second book syndrome, but I freaking loved it anyway! The Jasmine Throne was my favorite adult epic fantasy book last year so I could not wait to read this and while this book wasn’t quite as good -as it did slow down some in comparison- I really enjoyed it and I’m in love with this series. I personally had a really rough last week which included a bad pet scare and I spent a lot of time at emergency doggie vets (Lady, is still with us but we are waiting on tests to know more) so there were many times I just needed a great story that would transport my mind to another world and that was exactly what this book did. It was the perfect book at the right time for me and I could not be more thankful. It was also so beautifully written that even if I didn’t always love the story choices, I just didn’t mind.
I do want to mention that this is sapphic, adult, fantasy. I know some people have the label YA on this but it is Adult. There is a good amount of violence and death and one sex scene that is not explicit. This book feels darker in tone than I remember the first book being, but I have read YA books that have felt darker and more violent than this book so I think it would be appropriate for kids who read older YA books, but again I’m no expert in judging kid appropriate things. I also want to mention that this series is epic fantasy, with big sweeping casts and large books. I would also put this second book under military fantasy as the military campaign for the throne is the main part of this book. Because of this change I would now recommend this series more to fans of the first book, and fans of epic and or military fantasy. As much as I love and widely recommend the first book, I don’t know if I think the series as a whole, would be as enjoyable for someone who is newer to the fantasy genre or who is not much of a fantasy fan.
The romance was a small part of the book but like in the first book, I enjoyed it anyway. The small parts that were there were dramatic and fun to read. A fake example: “I love you so much” “No! I love you and can’t you see how tortured I am?” “You think you’re tortured? No, I’m the one so tortured by my love for you.” Yep gimmie more of that! I’ll read that angsty drama all day long, thank you.
You may have guessed by me calling this military fantasy that this book really focused on Malini’s story the most. While Priya’s story progressed, it just didn’t move at the same speed, but book 3 looks almost to be the opposite and I can’t wait to see what happens to Priya next. I’m assuming it will be the final book but I don’t know for sure. Everything is such a mess I can’t help but wonder how anyone can have a happy ending or even a sorta peaceful ending. All I know is I can’t wait to read the next book and find out. Suri is writing a wonderful epic fantasy series here and I feel very lucky to have found it.
A copy was given to me for an honest review.
Rating: really liked it
well, my expectations were destroyed so i guess i got what i wanted 🤡
The second book syndrome was strong in this one.
If you’ve read my review for
The Jasmine Throne you know how much I loved that book (i think i described it as one of the best fantasy novels out there)...sadly I cannot say the same for
The Oleander Sword. If you are hyped (like i was) for this release, I must beseech you to check out more positive reviews as my one will have no positives (besides praise for that cover). It seems I have a notoriously bad relationship with sequels & follows up. I often lose interest in a series and don’t even bother reading them, or I put them to the side after reading a few chapters (either because i remember too little from the previous books or because i just can’t get into them), or will myself to push through them and in addition to finding them disappointing they also end up changing my perception of the previous instalment(s)...which is what happened here. I was enthused by the writing and characters that I started questioning my appreciation for
The Jasmine Throne. I knew that this being a sh*tty reading year for me (most of my most anticipated releases were disappointments) there was the potential of my not liking this…so I made sure to be prepared: i re-read The Jasmine Throne a couple of weeks before reading
The Oleander Sword (once again i was really into it, even if i did lower my rating from a 5 to 4 stars) just so I had the characters, the world-building, the various plot-lines all fresh in my mind…and I am sorry to report that it did not make a difference.
Where to start...in
The Oleander Sword I found the characters, Malini especially, annoying and one-dimensional. The narrative doesn’t allow for ambiguity, or if it does it has to make a big deal about it. Rather than having the characters be things like clever, artful, and conniving, we are told time and again that they are those things or that what they are saying or doing falls under those things. Interactions that should have been tense and charged with a sense of unease or potential danger, simply lack that oomph, as more often than not the characters’ motivations and intentions are explained to us in a very exposition-heavy kind of way. Malini is presented to us as the classic morally gray heroine who just has to do bad stuff to stop the Big Bad (aka her brother). Yet, she had this girlbossing energy that was really off-putting here. Time and again we are reminded of what’s at stake, why she has to prove herself to her newfound allies, why she has to go all ‘Elsa’ (conceal don’t feel)...and yet I found her far from an intimidating or potentially ambivalent character. It frustrated me that a lot of the time when she is being assertive she speaks ‘sharply’ and ‘tightly’...as if a woman in power cannot modulate her voice and she has to be made to appear ‘strident’. She was not a fascinating character, nor was I really rooting for her which is exactly the opposite of how I felt about her in The Jasmine Throne. In The Jasmine Throne, we see her at her worst and having to find a way to escape her confinement. Here she is meant to be a leader, the rightful empress, the girlboss par excellence…but when it comes to it, she has a weak personality that very much hinges on her position. Her allies were bland, and I often forgot who they were, so I did not feel intrigued by all the in-fighting. While Malini gets to become this (annoying) girlboss, Priya regresses in many ways. The story seemed to sideline her, and for much of the narrative, her pining after and subservience towards Malini were rather out-of-character.
I could go on listing things I didn’t like about
The Oleander Sword: the plot is meandering, a lot of stuff is related to us (as opposed to having that scene be included in the narrative), and the characters are far more one-note and uninteresting than they were in
The Oleander Sword, and consequently, the romance between Malini and Priya, that had me feeling all of the feels in
The Jasmine Throne, was very much a dud in my books. The writing too felt flowery and trying hard to go for that "girls are like daggers" type of style that is ubiquitous in the young adult fantasy genre.
As much as it pains me, I fell out of love with the story, the world-building, and the characters that I had grown to care for in the first book. Suffice to say that I will no longer continue reading this series…however, this does not mean you should follow my lead. Chances are most fans of
The Jasmine Throne will actually love
The Oleander Sword, it just happens that I am a contrarian so this sequel and I did not hit it off.
before reading:
that cover is 😍
I am ready to be destroyed again.
Rating: really liked it
The Oleander Sword brings the reader back into the rich Indian-inspired world of the Burning Kingdoms.
It begins where the first book ended, with Malini embarking on war against her brother while finding her footing as Empress. Meanwhile, Priya, now an Elder and thrice-born from the deathless waters, leads alongside Bhumika as they try to manage the rot plaguing Ahiranya’s land and people.
Although they are leaders of regions with contentious relations, Malini and Priya’s lives will cross again in their efforts to save their kingdoms.
This complex fantasy has multiple POVs that really help to give a full scope of the empire’s activities. Although Malini, Priya, and Bhumika tell the bulk of the story. Malini’s character development was exceptional. There is no easy path for her. She’s definitely my favourite.
I read the first book in this trilogy recently and must say I enjoyed this second instalment a lot more. The first book set the scene, but this one expanded the world-building. Not only does the reader get to see more of the empire, but there’s also more information revealed about the yaksa and the rot.
There is some action, but it mostly focuses on the characters and the difficult choices they must make to save their people.
I cannot wait for the third and final instalment. I highly recommend this series.
Thank you to Orbit for providing me with physical and digital copies to review.
https://booksandwheels.com
Rating: really liked it
I'm sorry but if Priya wanted to crush my windpipe with her bare hands, I would simply let her.
you and I aren't the same.
Rating: really liked it
this does in fact, suffer from the second book syndrome but i can't believe next book is going to be the last
Rating: really liked it
Idk why people who haven't read the book yet- since it hasn't bloody come out, are rating it 1 star. So please take this as a disrespectful fuck you. Xoxo
Rating: really liked it
Malini is still determined to claim the throne as the empress of Parijatdvipa but knows that she has a long journey ahead of her. Not only must she engage with her brother’s forces, but she also must try to keep the men following her in line. Priya is an Elder of Ahiranya and wants to rid the land of the rot that is spreading and plaguing it. She’s torn between her duties and wanting to be near Malini. But when unexpected conflict rises that threatens the world as they know it, they realize they must work together to save everything they care about.
I was so excited to read this work after how much I loved the previous one, but I was a little disappointed. It heavily explored the politics, strategies and battle planning of Malini, Priya, and Bhumika, which made for a slow read overall. Several interesting things still happened in this book, but unfortunately, there were chapters of exposition, inner thoughts, and planning that were not as interesting or engaging as I hoped they would be. The best part of this work was learning more about the yaksa, their role in the world, and all of the lore incorporated surrounding them.
The characters stayed well written, and I enjoyed getting to learn more about some of the secondary characters. Though the cast of characters remained large and even grew some, which at times made it difficult to keep track of exactly who was who. Thankfully, despite the lag in the plot, the characters’ voices and personalities were not lost or lessened.
This book suffers from Middle Book Syndrome in my opinion; It was a good read but didn’t live up to my expectations after the previous book. I still recommend it to those who are reading this series, as the next book promises to be intense. My thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books for allowing me to read and review this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Rating: really liked it
3.5 starsThis was a solid sequel in this Indian inspired epic fantasy series. The second volume resolved many of my small quibbles with the first book. I appreciated that this book had less emphasis on romance while focusing more on narrative progression and character development.
I look forward to continuing on when the third (and likely final) book comes out. If you are interested in this series, you will want to start back at the beginning with The Jasmine Throne.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
Rating: really liked it
Thank you to Orbit Books and Edelweiss for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Oleander Sword follows the path The Jasmine Throne laid out for Malini, a prophesied empress at war with her brother, and Priya, thrice-born priestess and Elder of Ahiranya. The Jasmine Throne saw them parted as Malini started her quest for vengeance against the emperor, gathering allies and starting a war to determine Parijatdvipa’s fate, and Priya, Elder of Ahiranya, trying to find her footing with its new independence and using her newfound powers to keep the rot plaguing her country away.
But Priya promised Malini that if she ever needed her, she’d come.
When it becomes apparent that the only way to save both countries from the people who would rather see them burn is to work together, by using Malini’s cunning and influence and Priya’s raw power, Priya comes when called, even if it means leaving Bhumika, High Elder of Ahiranya, alone.
In Ahiranya, Bhumika is left to deal with not only the rot plague, and the turbulent and fragile rulership of a freshly freed country, but with an old threat reemerging, from the Age of Flowers, who threaten to consume everything the three women fight desperately to protect.
My first thoughts finishing this novel were: wow. Epic. Pain. [insert a bunch of expletives] but also: “Second book syndrome nowhere to be found!!”
I worried that since it’s been a long time since I read The Jasmine Throne, this book might be hard to pick up, but this proved fast-paced, easy to read, altogether addictive, and hard to put down. Every time I picked it back up, I’d read and keep telling myself “just one more chapter” and then I’d read another, and another. Like a woman possessed, I could not help but keep reading, to find out what happened next.
And easily, easily, better than the first book! Which is not to say that the first book was nothing less than very good, it’s just that this book was viciously, breathtakingly stunning and I can’t think of a single bad thing to say about it.
All three women had magnificent, compelling story arcs, centering around who they love, and what they must do. Priya, torn between her love for Malini, and her duty as an Elder. Malini, torn between her quest for vengeance and to liberate her empire and her feelings for Priya. Bhumika, torn between her love for her infant daughter and leading Ahiranya, dealing with the threat there. Absolutely nothing was held back as they each had to make agonizing choices that changed their fates forever. Malini deciding exactly how far she’ll go and who she may become in order to become empress, Priya deciding how far she can push her newfound powers to their limits and what will happen if she does, Bhumika deciding how to deal with forces worse than an oppressive empire. The cost and the effect of each impossible, weighty choice.
I felt their pain, their uncertainty, both their helplessness and their agency. Everything made sense. Everything hurt.
I loved the setting, how the magic and scenery were complimentary opposites. From the Empire’s holy fire, fervent prayer, and hot sun, to Ahiranya’s cool waters, verdant greenery, and pulsating life. Both the rot and the powers given by the deathless waters are so vividly described, they somehow manage to be otherworldly and ethereal, yet concrete and palpable.
And the magnetic, slow but inescapable, pull that Priya and Malini feel towards one another while Malini must embody an untouchable, godsent empress and they must focus on a war they have to win??? *chef’s kiss*
As always, no spoilers, but that ending…. PAIN.
The Oleander Sword was an impressively addicting sequel, filled with epic highs and anguished lows, scorching flames and creeping decay. A book that pushes the limits, asking the questions: What would you do for power, for love, for freedom? What would you sacrifice for it? What would you let yourself become? and demands answers. It is a shining example of what female-led and female-written high fantasy can be. I eagerly await Book 3 and will supplicate before Empress Tasha Suri, if need be.
Rating: really liked it
2.5/5first what i liked: the magic system is really fascinating to read about. i enjoyed bhumika's chapters and the subplot about resurrected deadly gods was intriguing. priya's character is also fairly cool (that is, whenever she's away from malini). the use of religion as a major motivating factor was pretty interesting. also, it's just really nice to see an epic fantasy with vast worldbuilding and so many moving parts dedicated to desi sapphics.
now on to my (many) criticisms:
- malini is such a poorly written protagonist. her chapters were painfully repetitive. her political savviness is really just the men around her being stupid. we're told over and over by the narrative how she's a brilliant scheming genius but in reality, all her wins are through plot conveniences and other characters helping her out of their own volition.
- priya and malini's romance was quite disappointing to me (though i can see why people would love it). it's so unbalanced; it's just priya being malini's loyal lapdog, constantly giving and sacrificing for malini while malini's focused on her own goals. this paired with the fact that priya is from the country colonized by malini's empire was really off-putting for me.
- also, it's extremely frustrating to see the themes of colonization and imperialism that the series started off with get pretty much abandoned in this book. with the trajectory the plot takes, you can tell the author never truly cared about exploring those themes.
- someone please tell me what rao and aditya's storyline added to this book. because all i'm seeing right now are a waste of pages.
- speaking of wasting pages, it's actually impressive how tasha suri took
the jasmine throne's weakest aspect - too many POVs - and added even more utterly useless POVs. what exactly did we get from malini's maid's POV??? and the girl barely gets mentioned again.
- the pacing was horrendously, needlessly slow. i understand first books in an epic fantasy series being slow-paced since you need to establish the world, magic, characters, etc. but what excuse does a sequel have?? it made this book a struggle to read.
- the villain was annoying as hell, sure, but not all that threatening.
- as for the climax....well if you're invested in malini x priya, you'll be emotionally impacted. i did like it though and i'm interested to see where things go from here.
overall, i think suri should've just focused on the eerie, magical aspect of
the oleander sword instead of the political one. hopefully, the yaksa plotline taking prominence in the final book will save this series for me.
Rating: really liked it
Sometimes I try to be fancy with my reviews but I'm just gonna cut straight to the chase with this one:
The Oleander Sword was absolutely incredible--not just a stellar novel in its own right, but also a sequel that improves upon its (already excellent) predecessor in almost every way.I don't even know how to review this because I honestly don't have a single bad thing to say about it.
Everything about The Oleander Sword worked for me. It's such an ambitious novel; it takes big leaps--with its characters, its plot, its worldbuilding--and it sticks the landing with every single one of them. The world feels so much more expansive in this installment, which is exactly what you want out of a sequel. Because Suri has already adeptly laid out a solid foundation for her world and characters in the first book, the sequel allows us to delve more into that world, and to get a broader view at how its pieces fit together. What's more,
The Oleander Sword takes seriously the ramifications of the events of its predecessor; where
The Jasmine Throne planted some important seeds for us,
The Oleander Sword allows us to see them grow. Maybe this doesn't seem all that praiseworthy--aren't all second books of a series expected to follow up on the events of the first?--but
it is.
The Oleander Sword is impressive not just because its excellent as its own self-contained story, but because it delivers on what its predecessor sets up. Suri's writing promises, and then follows through. Onto the characters, who are the beating heart of this book, and whom I ADORED. Of course, I have to start with Priya and Malini, whose dynamic just blew me away.
The Oleander Sword is a much more romantic book than The Jasmine Throne, and it is so much the better for it. I say this not just because I love reading romance, but also because the romance adds a real sense of stakes and gravity to the story. Priya and Malini's romance is tender and heartfelt, extremely personal to both them, but at the same time it's inextricable from the political power dynamics that they find themselves instrumental to. Their relationship cannot exist outside their political circumstances precisely because it is very much part of
shaping those circumstances. And let me tell you, it is just SO damn compelling to read about!!!!!! The intimacy! The honesty! The angst! More than anything, I found it all to be incredibly moving.
Suri has such a deft hand when it comes to writing about these characters' feelings and vulnerabilities; they never feel anything more, or less, than human. I've talked a lot about Priya and Malini, but I also want to spotlight some of the other character dynamics that we get here. One of my favourite dynamics--one that was a real pleasant surprise for me--was the relationship between Rao and Aditya. We got to see a bit of these two in the first book, but the way their dynamic evolves in this one was so interesting. Aditya is very much still his elusive self, a little aloof and a lot inwardly focused; what changes here is the way Rao relates to him, and the way that the events of the plot alter their dynamics. And I loved getting to hear more from Rao, too. I felt much closer to him this time around, and could really sympathize with how adrift he felt amongst all the political machinations he's caught up in. I also want to mention Bhumika, who is an absolute standout, as per usual; we've always known her to be ever competent and resourceful, but this book sees her challenged to her core. I don't want to give too much away, but her POV was easily one of the most poignant ones of the book.
Finally, I want to mention the writing, because
Suri's prose is just luminous. I don't know how she does it, but there is something about Tasha Suri's work that is always so extremely
readable. Her prose is easy to read but never plain or boring.
It has a real sense of grace and economy to it; it says what it needs to say, and says it well. The Oleander Sword was a lot of things--emotional, engaging, well-paced and -plotted--but what stood out to me most after finishing it was how epic it felt. The story of this series has become so much more expansive with this second installment, and I cannot tell you how unbelievably excited I am for the final book. Like, if the
second book has already done
this much, then I can't even begin to imagine what the third one will do.
Thanks so much to Orbit for providing me with an e-ARC of this via NetGalley!
