Review: The Lotus Empire by Tasha Suri

I had a hard time writing a coherent review for The Lotus Empire by Tasha Suri because all my brain wanted to do was squeal about how much I love this series and its finale. The Lotus Empire was my most highly anticipated read of 2024 and I’m thrilled to inform you that I loved it just as much as I expected. Tasha Suri brings her epic fantasy series to a close in a rollercoaster of yearning, grief, and hope.

***THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE JASMINE THRONE AND THE OLEANDER SWORD***

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Blurb

Malini has claimed her rightful throne as the empress of Parijatdvipa, just as the nameless gods prophesied. Now, in order to gain the support of the priesthood who remain loyal to the fallen emperor, she must consider a terrible bargain: Claim her throne and burn in order to seal her legacy-or find another willing to take her place on the pyre.

Priya has survived the deathless waters and now their magic runs in her veins. But a mysterious yaksa with flowering eyes and a mouth of thorns lies beneath the waters. The yaksa promises protection for Ahiranya. But in exchange, she needs a sacrifice. And she’s chosen Priya as the one to offer it.

Two women once entwined by fate now stand against each other for the sake of their respective homes. But when a new enemy rises, they will once again find themselves fighting together to prevent their kingdoms, and their futures, from burning to ash.

Review of The Lotus Empire

• Format: ebook
• Pacing: medium
• Plot or character-driven: plot
• Multiple POVs: yes
• Representation: sapphic couple, lesbian and bisexual characters

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion expressed in the following review.

The Oleander Sword left our story at an explosive end. Aditya and Chandra died during Malini’s fight for the throne and Priya betrayed Malini to please the Yaksa. The Lotus Empire begins with the fallout. By allowing so many major plot points to happen during the second book, Tasha Suri created an opening for the Lotus empire to further develop her characters and their relationships as they processed the events of The Oleander Sword and explore new plot points. Once Malini takes the throne, the story shifts to focus on the ancient power awakening in Ahiranya.

The Yaksa were the most interesting antagonists I’ve seen in a long time. Aside from their motivation to claim the world and individual personalities being well developed, there is something deeply horrifying about having the gods you worship rise from the dead, only to realize they care nothing for you except as a means to reach their goals.

CHILLS.

Having such well-developed villains made The Lotus Empire much more tense and emotionally tumultuous.

The magic system also being tied to religion in The Burning Empires series was such an interesting concept. It created more depth to the different cultures depicted in the series by showing what types of gods they worshipped, what power they valued, and how they viewed sacrifice. The magic system in this series is one of my favorites just because of how well it ties into the worldbuilding. Throughout the series, Suri created a very rich and colorful world where each character has a distinct cultural background.

With each new book, I felt Suri got better and better at moving her different pieces to create multidimensional conflict. I especially liked Rao’s point of view in The Lotus Empire, maybe because his grief made him more interesting. Suri was always good at developing her different POVs but I think this final book is when she took herself to another level. Suri deepened the character development of each of her secondary main characters, and almost every character played an active, central role in the story. Even minor POV characters served to add more tension as people used the instability of Malini’s new power to try and orchestrate their own plans.

Bhumika was another character that I really enjoyed during The Lotus Empire. Initially, I was disappointed when she gave up her memories because I thought it would set her character development back, but I ended up really liking how her amnesia was portrayed. Though she can’t remember her past, the reader can easily see that she is still herself. She’s cunning enough to piece together parts of her past and her relationship to Jeevan, even if she’s unwilling to face those facts. Also, anyone who meets Bhumika recognizes her high-born mannerisms and comfort with authority. Through Bhumika’s memory loss, Suri shows her reader that even without their memories, people’s history is still etched into them.

Now, onto our main characters…

Since The Jasmine Throne, Priya stood out to me as one of my favorite main characters ever. I am a sucker for kindhearted characters, and Priya is such a gem. As much as she claims to hollow herself out to claim power, she never loses her love for her people. I love that Priya found her strength through her desire to protect those she loves.

Having said that, Malini really stood out to me in The Lotus Empire as a masterfully written character. If ever you’ve looked for a morally grey hero that’s NOT willing to sacrifice themself or the people they love to save the world, I’m begging you to read this series. Malini is strong and kind, she wants to make the world better, but she also wants to live to see it get better. She wants to be the person to shape the world and be remembered as the one who changed it. I loved how unashamedly ambitious she is. It made her more human and relatable. Who really wants to die? Who wants to give up the power they fought and sacrificed for? Not most people and certainly not Malini. This makes her more interesting as a character and definitely allows her to say the most romantic, swoon-worthy lines to Priya (even when she’s trying to kill her).

And, yes. The yearning and sexual tension between Malini and Priya was unparalleled.

After reading The Lotus Empire, I am so happy that I started this series back in 2022. I’ve had so much fun waiting for each new book in the series and recording my thoughts. I cannot recommend this series enough. If not for the immaculate worldbuilding and epic battles, come for the stabby sapphic romance.

You’ll Like This Book if You Enjoy…

• Epic fantasy trilogies with strongly executed plot and character development throughout
• Immersive worldbuilding
• Large cast of characters
• Angsty sapphic romance

Where to find The Lotus Empire by Tasha Suri

Have you read The Lotus Empire? Let’s chat in the comments!