The face that she shows Priya and the one that her army sees are two very different sides to the same coin. There’s something incredibly coldhearted and bloodthirsty about Malini. Malini is willing to use every weapon she can to wrest power from her brother, and that includes Priya. Her followers would rather fight for someone else and when Chandra seemingly pulls a miracle out of nowhere, she realizes her grip on her vision is tenuous at best. She now has an army at her back, and she’s on her way to hopefully crush her brother Chandra’s forces under her feet. Malini is so close to getting what she wants. As with book one, The Jasmine Throne, I was immediately sucked in and held in thrall. It’s a gorgeously written, breathtaking tale of manipulation, revenge, cruelty, and the things sacrificed in the quest for power. You can find my review for The Jasmine Throne (The Burning Kingdoms book 1) here. Thank you to Orbit Books and Angela Man for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. And saving their kingdom from those who would rather see it burn will come at a terrible price. But Malini and Priya’s souls remain as entwined as their destinies. Their chosen paths once pulled them apart.

But she doesn’t yet understand the truth of the magic she carries. Now a thrice born priestess and an Elder of Ahiranya, she dreams of seeing her country rid of the rot that plagues it: both Parijatdvipa’s poisonous rule, and the blooming sickness that is spreading through all living things. The power of the deathless waters flows through Priya’s blood. But even with 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. She is determined to claim the throne that fate offered her. The prophecy of the nameless god-the words that declared Malini the rightful empress of Parijatdvipa-has proven a blessing and curse.

The oleander sword by tasha suri