Review: The Isle in the Silver Sea, by Tasha Suri

 

In a Britain fuelled by stories, the knight and the witch are fated to fall in love and doom each other over and over, the same tale retold over hundreds of lifetimes. Simran is a witch of the woods. Vina is a knight of the Queen's court. When the two women begin to fall for each other, how can they surrender to their desires, when to give in is to destroy each other?

As they seek a way to break the cycle, a mysterious assassin begins targeting tales like theirs. To survive, the two will need to write a story stronger than the one that fate has given to them. But what tale is stronger than The Knight and the Witch? 

"I’d rather break the world to fit you." 

Tasha Suri's The Isle in the Silver Sea is an atmospheric tale about the importance of stories, also taking a firm stance against colonialism and monarchy and the erasure of diversity. This gorgeous sapphic standalone vividly paints an out-of-time Great Britain completely disconnected from the rest of the world, taking away the memories of whover comes to live there from over the sea. It's a powerful reflection on connection, racism, and revolution, and a compelling tale of reincarnation.

Incarnates are archetypes, but they're also complex characters with needs and wants and the desire to break free. Drawing on many known English tales and even Arthurian legend, Tasha Suri weaves a stunning tapestry of interconnected fates and creates a beatiful reflection on predestination and the choices we can make. Simran and Vina are fated to love each other and die for each other, but theirs is finally a choice to fight for each other and for freedom. The glimpes of past lives make this story greater, showing the magnitude of these unnatural cycles and their effect on the island.

The world-building is perfectly sculpted by the lush prose, detailling a kingdom that's stuck in the past and refuses to recognize change as a good thing. The supporting cast shines, especially the assassin's tragic figure. The pacing stumbles a bit in the second part, but it leads to a perfect finale.

The Isle in the Silver Sea is another masterpiece from a great author.

✨ 4.5 stars

Review: The Lotus Empire, by Tasha Suri

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 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. But when an ancient enemy rises to threaten their world, Priya and Malini will find themselves fighting together once more – to prevent their kingdoms, and their futures, from burning to ash.

"To swim through rage and grief and rise, alive, on the other side."

Tasha Suri's The Lotus Empire is the heart-wrenching conclusion to the spectacular Burning Kingdoms trilogy, expertly weaving a tale of loss, solitude, revenge, and grief. No thread is left unacknowledged, everything accounted for, in this tragedy about love and duty and sacrifice, a masterful story with a bittersweet ending.

We begin as the last book ended, with our lovers separated by war and a bitter betrayal, but still aching for one another, on the edge between love and hate. Malini has to navigate her Court while waging a war against the supernatural threat of the Yaksa and attempting to survive the fanatical clergy calling for her burning; Priya has to contend with the monsters wearing loved ones’ faces, and with the great empire bent on destroying and assimilating her people. Still in dreams they return to each other, their bond too strong and, perhaps, the key to the end of the war.

Amidst the odd POV characters, the POVs of Bhumika and Rao shine with their journeys, to self-love and peace respectively, as they face the circumstances that left them reeling in the previous book. Both of their storylines reach satisfying conclusions.

The worldbuilding expands to new neighboring kingdoms, new people, and an exploration of the Yaksa and of the goddesses of Malini's people. Not every question is answered, and there's a sense of unfinished business, but the powerful moments leading to the end more than make up for it.

The Lotus Empire is the stunning conclusion to a great trilogy.

✨ 5 stars

List: Best Books of 2022

2023 is almost here and here I am, attempting to list my favorite books of the year! This is going to be hard: to avoid a headache, I've decided to list only five titles; but having to choose was excruciating.

Without further ado, in no particular order of appreciation save from this first title who's already among my all time favorites:

You can find my review here. This book has so much heart, and it's so complex and beautiful, that it truly is a must read. If you can read only one book from the many I reviewed this year, make it this one.

You can find my review here. This stunning novel isn't for the faint of heart, exploring the cruelties of Old Hollywood with a dash of faerie, beautiful and dangerous and just as much cruel.

You can find my review here. A delicate exploration of trauma and endurance, of healing despite all odds, of intimacy and acceptance. A lovely book that must be read with caution.

You can find my review here. A perfect second volume for a perfect series, rich and complex and terrifying in parts; love isn't enough when the fate of the world is at stake.

You can find my review here. Perfect for fealty enthusiasts, this book is a loving comfort read set in a richly detailed world and features a thorough exploration of anxiety and power differentials in a relationship.

Review: The Oleander Sword, by Tasha Suri

 

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.

This is such an incredible book. Tasha Suri's The Oleander Sword, second volume of The Burning Kingdoms, doesn't suffer at all from second book syndrome. The narrative only gets richer and grows in complexity and scope; the beautiful prose is truly vivid and immersive. The book moves inesorably towards a reckoning of love and sacrifice that left me speechless with its brutality. Suri makes bold choices, but they work perfectly in the context of the world and the story she's telling, a story of misoginy and religion and the choices we make in a war. The divided loyalties of Malini and Priya are the driving force of the book; their two subplots weave in a heartbreaking way towards a catastrophic ending that redefines battle lines.

The love between Priya and Malini is beautiful because it comes despite all odds and neither of them works under the assumption that they can escape their own duties. They're both incredibly multi-faceted protagonists; but it's the whole cast that makes this book, aided by the skillful use of chapters with different point of views, showing us the thoughts and motives of other characters. While a beautiful love story, indeed, this book is first of all a book about war and its costs; about colonialism and the price of religious war. It's an incredibly complex book that hits all its marks perfectly.

The yaksa are the perfect antagonists, utterly alien and terrifying; the descriptions of the unnatural changes they bring about are especially vivid and horrifying. They aren't beholden by mortal laws; they're other, incarnating themselves from outside, and the sparse backstory that is offered is tantalizing and strange. They're cruel, but because of an impersonal disinterest, not out of real malice. On the other side of the spectrum there's Malini's tyrant brother, revealing himself to be a weak man easily manipulated. In the end Suri manages to make you feel for him while also utterly despising him.

The conflict between love and duty is also explored in the ties between Priya and Bhumika, Bhumika and Jeevan, Malini and Aditya, Aditya and Rao; the tapestry of conflicting loyalties is complex and sometimes ruthless.

The Oleander Sword is an excellent sequel that efficiently tears your heart out and stomps on it.

✨ 5 stars