I would like to thank Nazia from Orbit for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review

Publisher – Orbit

Published – Out Now

Price – £9.99 paperback £5.99 Kindle eBook

Please note there will be mild spoilers for the excellent first novel in this series The Jasmine Throne 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.

Middle acts in trilogies are viewed with trepidation. For some its simply a tunnel between the start and end of the story so often little happens. There is also the risk we cannot remember what happened last time. So then what does a middle act achieve? I think a good second book in a trilogy should allow the world to be expanded; be prepared to develop characters and storylines and also surprise the reader. I am very pleased to say that The Oleander Sword by Tasha Suri is a brilliant example of doing all of this and more and marks a welcome return to the Burning Kingdoms series.

A brief recap – the Empire of Parajatdvipa is now ruled by the cruel and merciless Chandra who imprisoned his sister Malini when she refused to sacrifice herself for him and the Empire. Malini was sent as a prisoner to the conquered land of Ahiranya and was to die alone and forgotten. There though she met Priya who was disguised as a servant but actually was an Elder for the powers trying to rebel against the Empire. Working together and realising that they both are in love with the other gave each a form of freedom to go up against their respective oppressors. Malini is freed and now heads an army to take on her brother. Priya has accepted the powers of the Temple and has removed the Empire but there is a lot of work to do to repair the damage and keep it safe from invaders. The two women are separated again but both will find their tasks are far from over.

I was hugely impressed by the Oleander Sword as I think this really cements the story as an epic complex tale but with an absolutely compelling cast of characters you care for at it’s heart. For the initial chapters we have Malini and Priya separated by distance and also their roles. Malini is now a challenging Empress and now has a court and an army to navigate. Suri has given her an arc from being a powerless prisoner just with er brain to now someone with power and influence. Malini is all about strategy – the next moves and the countermoves and here she is in her element but also rather than a prion to face now has to overcome her countrymen’s inherent sexism as well as various groups all vying for power. I like Malini but you do worry she is so ruthless she could do anything…

With Priya it’s a different challenge – being front and centre in power. The country is still under attack and also there is a strange magical condition called the Rot attacking not just the land but also her people – bodies being slowly turned into plants. Priya is having to deal with being recognised and now a leader but now she is an intriguing mix of warrior and healer. Suri shows us the immense magical power that Priya can call upon to make someone’s body better or stop an army in their tracks and we sense she is only on the early arc of that power. When Malini asks for her help it’s a little too tempting for her to go not just to meet her lover but also to escape some responsibility. But compare Priya now to when we first met a book ago and she too is now more confident and exploring how powerful she can be.

This dup really empower the story not just through their skills of magic and strategy but also the emotional bond between them. After seeing them realise how much they care for each other they get separated again but they talk initially through the form of letters and knowing all letters are being read there is double meanings in everything. This suppressed love expressed purely as words on a page to each other builds the tension and when they are reunited this time Priya has to serve the Empress in public. Suri excels at then making a shared glance or touch of the skin say a thousand things and this gentle torture (for us Gentle Reader ok me) builds and builds. It’s a rather brilliant emotional set-up and the long wait until these two finally kiss will be a hard wait but very worth it. Often Epic fantasy struggles with creating a genuine sense of romance between characters but Suri makes it feel very organic and its also key to the plot as well. Love though will not run smooth and indeed the final acts of this book will bring even more heartache for us readers – all making me desperate for the next one.

Malini and Priya are still a central focus of the series, but Suri also has a lot more being developed in this story and all of it is excellently handled. The battle with Chandra I think many fantasy writers would leave until the final book, but this tale pleasingly gives one of the epic storylines a suitably epic conclusion. We get mass army battles, skulduggery, betrayals, and Priya unleashing her magic plus at the heart the truly horrible and misogynistic Chandra himself. At no point does Malini’s battle look easy and indeed she has to put everything including herself on the line to win. In these chapters we extend the cast from Malini’s loyal group of women who easily match up with any male characters even at fighting to Malini’s very enigmatic soldier-priest brother Aditya and the tortured soul that is Prince Rao who is torn between duty and friendship. There are a host of developments where characters sacrifice what they believe in or themselves for the higher goals they believe in. It all comes together brilliantly and there is a cost that reminds people taking on an empire was never going to be easy.

The other more magical storyline being developed is in Ahiranya and involves the return of the mysterious and very very powerful Yaksa – the enigmatic source of the power that Priya and others wield. This time they return themselves to the land and they are incredibly eerier – humanlike (often wearing faces of other characters) and yet also they are unbelievably alien. Every scene they are in is disquieting and builds a horrible sense that the people of Ahiranya are going to be prisoners again. The standout in these sections is Priya’s sister and leader of people Bhumika who initially finds she can finally come out of hiding as Governor’s wife and not a secret rebel and yet soon finds herself again in that role but this time to immense powerful beings who are not above threatening her young baby. There is a mirroring of fates as with Aditya of two people doing things for their sister and people. I loved the complexity and stoicism of this character to do the right thing and I am very very eager to see how this storyline plays out.

The Oleander Sword never feels like a bridging novel. It delivers immense character development; it changes the world and has huge ramifications for what is to come. It moves and changes the dynamics between key characters and sets up a new and powerful foe to be faced down. Everything is different from where we first encountered it and I am now desperately in need for the conclusion. Strongly recommended for all epic fantasy fans.