The Lotus Empire

Suri brings her Burning Kingdoms trilogy to a breathtaking crescendo in this epic grand finale (after The Oleander Sword). Heroines Malini and Priya have gone their separate ways. Malini has promised the priesthood that she will accept the fate she’s been running from her whole life and burn on the pyre in exchange for finally being crowned Empress of Parijatdvipa. Priya has returned to Ahiranya after her feigned attempt on Malini’s life to find the yaksa, shape-shifting nature spirits, wearing the faces of dead temple children from her past. The two women’s paths now cross only in strange, fraught dreams as they seek the best possible futures for their respective lands. Meanwhile, new sources of magic and rot awaken across Parijatdvipa, and trouble stirs within the priesthood. As the yaksa turn ever crueler, the people of Ahiranya and Parijatdvipa grow more and more desperate. The war against the yaksa begins in earnest, while Malini and Priya spiral ever closer to each other. The pitch-perfect balance of action and sapphic romance will keep readers eagerly turning the pages until the remarkable conclusion. This sends the series out on a high note. Agent: Laura Crockett, TriadaUS Literary. (Nov.)