A stunning conclusion to the trilogy and evidence of just how well-built this series is as a whole. This picks up right where we left off at the end of Oleander Sword, adding a few new POVs into our rotation right at the start and building out the ancillary conflicts at play in this stage of the war. Suri's writing is so lush, and her ability to build intensity through rapid POV changes and surrealist scenes is remarkable. Once again, the yaksa stole the show for me in this installment, keeping us unsettled while building out the God-lore of this universe. 

For long-time fantasy readers, Suri's intentional focus on female agency in every single story line is so refreshing - in a literary world where women are so often sidelined to martyrdom or romantic plotlines, we see in Suri's world what it looks like when men deliver on these fantasy expectations. What does it look like when men sacrifice themselves for an empress, when men express unrequited love and longing, when men are at the center of emotional court politics and manipulation? And more important, what does it look like for women to direct generals, for women to negotiate international alliances, for women to claim God-power, for women to reject self-sacrifice, for women to live (gasp) selfishly? This genre is so dominated by male writers, that it is exciting to see authors like Suri subverting so many of the classic epic fantasy devices for her purposes, and then putting at the very center a heart-wrenching sapphic love story. 

Cannot recommend this series highly enough - it's dark, unsettling, romantic and adventurous, and it will satisfy those who love seeing immortals meddling in human chaos. So, so good. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a complimentary advanced reader copy.