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 bargain: 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 for the sake of their respective homes. But when a new enemy rises, they will once again find themselves fighting together to prevent their kingdoms, and their futures, from burning to ash.

The Lotus Empire brings Tasha Suri's acclaimed Burning Kingdoms trilogy to a heart-stopping close. As an ancient magic returns to Ahiranya and threatens its very foundations, Empress Malini and priestess Priya will stop at nothing to save their kingdom-even if it means they must destroy each other.

'Tasha Suri will go down in history as one of the great fantasy authors of this era. The Burning Kingdoms trilogy takes her extraordinary imagination, her lyrical style, and her gift for crafting intricate characters, then fires them in a furnace of war and ancient magic and sapphic yearning, giving us an epic like no other. Malini and Priya will carve themselves into your memory'

Samantha Shannon, author of The Priory of the Orange Tree