The Lotus Empire has been out for a month now, and I am finally emotionally ready to talk about it. While this series isn't my favorite trilogy of all time, I'd still rank it pretty high. My obsession with these characters will need to be studied. I think about the first and second books often, constantly replaying scenes and remembering dialogue exchanges as if I'd seen them on the big screen. I was also watching a lot of really thematically similar shows as I was reading these books (House of the Dragon, The Dragon Prince, Rings of Power, Arcane, to name a few) and I really think if you liked any of those shows, you would enjoy this series. It hits similar beats, is entirely set in an Indian-inspired fantasy, and is just a captivating story to the very end. After the final installment, I know that I will dearly miss a lot of characters. The brainrot I had reading this was so intense, I literally had to make a pinterest board. Here's a breakdown of each book, you can skip to the end for my final review. Starting with:

**Jasmine Throne (4.5 stars) **This story begins with Malani refusing to step into flames and become eternal, as ordered by her Emperor/brother/despot Chandra and the rest of the Parijatvidpa traditions. This refusal lands her in a prison in the Hirana, a castle at the top of a steep hill surrounded by a thicket of trees, jagged rocks, and running water. The Hirana itself has a long and hidden history, as does most of the land where Malani finds herself, called Ahiranya. It is at the Hirana where we meet Priya, a girl with immense power that is hiding out as a maid servant at the very place where she once was a temple child. Within this series, there are two main kingdoms that are discussed, with mentions of other far away lands that will come into play later on in the series. On one side we have the ruling force of Parijatvidpa where the wealth is concentrated and an Emperor rules with fear and a tactic of burning women but claiming its like his heavenly right to do so as he was ordained by the Mothers (gods that the Parajati pray to). In reality, a priest has been whispering in the weirdo's ear since he was a child and he just believes he's special, and has enough cruelty and royal blood to wield that power for ill gains (he's not even the eldest son, we meet him later). The Mothers, the Nameless, the Yaksa are all important pillars of faith to their respective people and impact the storyline heavily. One of the occupied lands, Ahiranya, is covered in greenery and filled with worshipers of the yaksa that hold on to the glory of the old Age of Flowers. These people are constantly villainized and made to be the enemy, as a terrible disease called the rot threatens the crops and the people, killing crops and turning human flesh into tree like muscle, sinew, and bone. The rot is a visceral disaster that is spreading to other lands and becoming a problem for every crop, worshipper, and person. The only known cure is sacred wood carved form a specific tree that is very hard to find. Priya is able to get some supply and typically gives it the children who suffer the most. She has a soft spot for a kid named Rukh (who turns out to be a rebel later that rats her out to her long lost brother, but all that aside,) she takes him under her wing. The only other cure comes up later as Priya finally starts waking up. Priya has a dark past that is hidden even from herself and it starts to catch up to her in waves, one of those waves happening with the tramped princess Malani in full view of her using her abilities. Priya was raised to be a weapon, able to control the environment around her, and has a part of herself carved out to make room for a god by taking a dip in the deathless waters and being once born. Those that have been trained from a young age can be up to thrice born and become elders, but there aren't any left. No one knows this about her abilities except for Bhumika, Priya's temple sister, a highborn from a well to do family, and currently, the wife of the regent that rules over Ahiranya. She's also super pregnant. As far as Priya knows, Bhumika and Priya were the only two surviving children from the temple before it fell (it had to do with fire, lots of kids dying, terrible stuff). The first book is essentially us meeting Malani, the most determined girl in the world who is in a drugged state for most of the book, Priya, who is really resistant to fullfulling any destiny whatsoever, and Bhumika who is trying to make sure her stupid brother doesn't ruin everything she's built and also trying to find a way to make sure her people survive whatever hell comes next. This story really hinges on the pulls and pushes between these female protagonists as they each set the stage for the inevitable war ahead. A few honorable mentions, Sima, Priya's best friend who doesn't know about her past at all and is like super pissed when she finds out. Rukh, who becomes her most loyal companion. Prince Rao of Alor, who has a prophecy that he must complete and is completely loyal to Malani, and Prince Adtiya, a follower of the Nameless god, and the most frustrating soft boy pacifist in the land. His chapters made me want to scream. The stakes were literally women being burned at the stake and his conundrum was like, "Woe is me, I don't want to fight my brother, save my sister, and become Emperor even though I'm the eldest son, I just want to pray all the time, Rao my beloved what do I do??" (not an accurate quote but it's genuinely how he sounds to me). He grew on me later, but in this book I found him insufferable. While I believe the setting and the world building are phenomenal, it's really the characters that stick out the most. I am equally interested in Malani, Priya, Bhumika, Adiya, Ashok, and the entire cast that we are slowly introduced to. Even the small chapters with characters that are briefly on the page before their death, or the ones that see something that only that particular character can see for the reader to get a full glimpse into a scene. I loved all of it. The magic system, political intrigue, high court drama, and complicated history between nations and lands that are typical to fantasy books are all present here. But the real heart of this book comes from Priya and Malani who keep getting wrapped into each other's world. Malani is a driven character who will do anything for power, and Priya is driven by love and will do anything to hold onto it. It really has something for everyone.

**The Oleander Sword (5 stars) ** The second book was hands down the strongest in the series. I loved every second of it. The Jasmine Throne way mainly a set up for this one, which starts off right in the center of the conflict. At the end of the last book, Price Rao named Malani as the next Empress and her actions in defending Aditya and the rest of her allies solidified that claim. It's still rocky for her as she figures out what to do next, but the upcoming battle is set. On one side, we have Malani and her carefully strung together generals and nearly loyal soldiers, on the other, her brother Emperor Chandra and his weirdo whispering priest. We get to see Malani play a game of political chess as she enacts a war for the soul of an empire that was promised to her through prophecy, sheer force of will, and, of course, manipulating her strongest weapon, Priya. She calls Priya to her side to help her in this battle and Priya, ever loyal and also deeply in love, agrees to go. One very interesting thing I find about their dynamic is that neither character is ever trying to stop the other from seeking power or fighting for it, both characters have their own little universe of people to care for and responsibilities to fulfil, but being together is its own special thing. They mean a lot to each other and would fight to the death for each other, even if it means sacrificing a lot of what they've built already. At this point in the story, Bhumika has gained control over Ahiranya after the regent's death (that whole scene was wild and cemented my Bhumika obsession), becomes a thrice born temple elder, and tries to create some semblance of normalcy after everything with Ashok and his rebels. Priya lowkey figures out how to heal the land and stop rot from spreading, but for some reason this is not top priority to her or Bhumika which is.... interesting. Also it's not really brought up again. Priya joins Malani on the battle field, despite this deep guilt she feels for leaving her people, half because she really wanted to go, and half because she knew she could trust Bhumika to handle things while she was gone. This is the last time they see each other in person. Which made me feel a lot of things. Their relationship as sisters and also as two elders with a lot on their shoulders as they are constantly trying to save each other was so special to me. Priya sacrifices so much throughout this series and sometimes, her motivations are not always clear. In this book we start to see some of her own desires, but it was strained by the plot needing to move forward as Malani fought for her throne. The last half of this book had so much packed into it, from Priya realizing her gods were waking up and planning to bring back the age of flowers, to Prince Aditiya sacrificing himself by fire, breaking Rao's heart, and basically guaranteeing Malani's throne in the process. I was genuinely in shock when that happened. He was a frustrating character when he was alive but the fact that his death did more for Malani than his life is just very tragic. Malani manipulates at least 3 holy people and an entire army to finally get face to face with the evil brother hellspawn himself, and while the justice was satisfying, the events after were not. She calls it a suicide to keep the priests in line. Her brothers were no longer a threat, but it is unclear how she plans to deal with these priests who are basically praying for her death by fire. They still very much believe if Malani willingly burns to death, the entire land will be healed and all existential problems will go away. She never really says no to that, she just kind of delays it. It was maddening to read. Meanwhile, Bhumika finds herself face to face with the yaksa for the first time in a generation. The old mask-keepers, all the loyal servants from Bhumika's home, Rukh, they become this new tight-knit family as things get darker in Ahiranya. Ashok comes back only to be kinda dead and just a vessel for one of the yaksa which is super freaky and also really tragic. It was sweet that he spared Bhumika's child and gave her to Rukh but I was also screaming into a pillow while that all happened. The battle scenes were exceptional, especially the scenes when Priya finally used her abilities to their full capacity. I definitely wanted more scenes with my favs, Sima, Raziya (a literal warrior queen), and Rukh (I'm a sucker for a kid that joins the resistance and has a pure soul), but overall I enjoyed this book the most in the series. Malani getting stabbed by Priya was NOT on my bingo card and I read that scene in a plane, sobbing my eyes out. Truly, what a twist. But also, Priya is so real for not killing her but making her hate her instead, like what a sad lesbian girl move. Can't wait for the inevitable moping.

**The Lotus Empire (4 stars) **I have a lot of thoughts on this one and honestly, this is very rambly review that doesn't completely encapsulate what I feel about this book, but it will do for now. In the final installment, we start off a year after the events of the last book. Malani has won her throne (but at what cost, truly) and Priya has left her best fried Sima behind in enemy territory. She is back in Ahiranya, Bhumika has lost her memories and is off with Jeevan (the most reliable man in the entire series) on a side quest that will be super important later. Things are bad across the land as the rot is infecting everything and everyone, the people are desperate, and both kingdoms are about to set to war while a much bigger existential threat comes for the entire human race. The way the character arcs rippled into one another was the strongest and weakest part of these books. Take Malani's arc for example, which was marked by sacrifice and loyalty as she became the Empress that she's fought so hard to become, and after, had to fight even harder to keep that power by trapping everyone under her rule. The way she won certain generals to her side or the way she cast them to corners where they would be more useful (or needful as Suri would say) was truly satisfying to read. Even when she did it to Rao who was constantly searching for purpose that only she could give him, I felt for him, but I also understood her choice to send him away. He was useless to her as a general or advisor. He was grappling with his feelings for the deceased Prince Aditya and that grief really defined him for the rest of the story. His entire arc shifts as we see him mourning the man he was in love with. Both Malani and Rao were linked through destiny and prophecy and when the person they both loved died, their bond had to shift as well. As for other side characters in Malani's orbit, there were definitely arcs that were strained by proximity to her. Although she had this badass troupe of guardswomen, their characterization was not as strong as some other war generals. Raziya was one of my favorite warriors on the page, but she didn't get a ton of time in the story, she felt almost like a figure than a person. On the other side of things, Ganam was my favorite side character in Priya's world. I'm so glad he survived this whole thing. He became an unexpected favorite by the end. The rest of the cast at the Hirana and in Ahiranya started to fade into the background as things got more tense. But to go back to Malani, who is honestly the main character of this series (that's how it read to me anyway) I had to come to terms with who she actually was by the end. Although she waged a righteous war against her brother, it was still, in a sense, her right to fight that battle as a royal with claim to the throne. Yes it was a deeply patriarchal society she was up against, but it was her society. She was not a revolutionary and she did not ultimately change anything in Parijatvidpa for the people or for the future of the throne. I wanted to see her fight against the age of burning women, against the temple that sought to burn her, but as the plot continued, it seemed to be something she stepped around strategically rather than face head on as the yaksa became a central villain and threat. Her commitment to having it all, the throne, Priya, and loyal subjects that bowed to her will and never faltered, was ultimately a weakness. Her grip on power was dependent on manipulation, and even by the end I wasn't sure I believed how it went down. When Priya was burned and Malani practically carried her to the deathless waters, it was a beautifully symmetric scene to the first book when Priya saved her life from the poison and carried her threw the forest and to freedom, but it still felt uncharacteristic for Malani to do. Malani was ruthless through and through, and the only soft parts of her were reserved for Priya, yet the soft scenes were so stretched out. Of all the trials she faced, it was her love for Priya that really could have ended it all and, it didn't Their ending together was not satisfying. I also felt that Priya's arc was not as complete as it should have been. As I said before, I don't particularly think she was a main character, and the constant stripping of her agency was tiring to witness over and over again. By the end, she had become something monstrous, but not through will of her own, but because of corruption. Priya's fierce will and love was her greatest strength, yet, It felt as if a lot of her development was sacrificed to make the yaksa into an all encompassing part of her body and mind. The yaksa turned from an existential problem into a deeply personal one, yet even when Priya used their magic on her own, it was always at a price too great for her. Priya was more corrupted by the yaksa as the story progressed, yet it didn't change her mindset at all. I had hoped for more from her, but the ending was still quite beautiful. Her death was well done as can be far as mc character deaths go, but the fact that this is yet another story with a sacrificial lead who loves everyone around her more than her will to survive is frustrating. Can't the lover be the winner in the end? Why is it always the price of caring is your life? One day I'll find a story with a less bitter end. Also, I still can't believe we didn't get to see her have a finale with Rukh. I love that kid. Bhumika's story arc was the most frustrating of all. What do you mean she had no memories for the entire book, and we don’t see her reunite with her sister till the epilogue?? I was distraught. The character we met in book 1 and 2 is completely gone by book 3, and I still don’t know how I feel about this choice. I think it would have been fascinating to actually see her play off of Malani or Priya in battle/strategy. She remains one of my absolute favorites.

Overall It's rare to come across a series that has all the elements I enjoy in an epic fantasy; a complicated web of political warfare, compelling characters-including side character introduced from the first installment all the way in the last, queer characters at the center of the plot, a robust magic system, and a setting that is so vivid, it's practically animated in my mind. Within these books, there are fantasy terms and belief systems that are named/inspired by actual Indian myths, stories, architecture, language, and customs. If you are familiar with Indian history/beliefs in any way, you will definitely see this world more vividly than other readers, but even without context, the world of The Burning Kingdoms is lush and gorgeously depicted. This series will definitely stay with me. I'ts been a month since I read it and I still think about them constantly. So I think that's a fairly good sign. I'd rate the whole series a solid 4 stars.

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