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The Burnt Empire Saga #2
A Dark Queen Rises
Returning to Ashok K. Banker’s brilliant epic fantasy world of the Burnt Empire, A Dark Queen Rises features Aqreen and Krushita, a mother and daughter on a quest to protect the innocent and bring down tyrants Queen Aqreen of Aquila leaves her husband Jarsun and flees across the Red Desert. She is determined to keep her daughter from being used by Jarsun to stake his claim to the Burning Throne of Hastinaga, seat of the all-powerful Burnt Empire. But Jarsun is vengeful and can summon legions of demoniac forces at will. The Red Desert is vast, and the journey dangerous. Aqreen and Krushita’s caravan of ten thousand wagons will take several years to reach the only safe harbor, the queendom of Reygar. Jarsun’s pursuit is relentless and his vengeance terrible, but hope shines from the growing powers of little Krushita herself, along with the four-armed, twin-bodied Vanjhani wagon train leader and their band of valiant desert militia. Fierce battles are in store. There are other players in this great game of demigods and mortals, each pursuing their own agendas. The powerful seer-mage Vessa seeks to join Krushita’s talents with that of Drishya, an avatar destined to confront and kill Tyrak, Jarsun’s diabolical son-in-law. Ladislew the assassin aligns with Tyrak for her own reasons. All paths culminate in a feverish finale on the hot sands of Reygar, as father, mother, and daughter confront each other in one ultimate showdown.
508 pages, Paperback
First published April 20, 2021
22 people are currently reading
1155 people want to read
About the author
Ashok K. Banker
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 55 reviews
December 12, 2022
Reread 12/11/2022: bumping down to a 4 stars because on reread, we really spend way too much time in Tyrak's POV.
CW: graphic violence/gore, body horror, infanticide, drug use
I HAVE SO?? MANY?? QUESTIONS???
Probably slightly less than a full 5 stars in terms of my personal enjoyment because this book had more battle scenes than the first book, which is just not my personal preference (but I have a feeling I'm probably in the minority here so if you found book 1 a bit slow and not action-packed enough, you'll probably enjoy book 2 more), but this was just such a good follow-up to the first book that I'm just going to give it 5 stars anyway.
This is now one of my new favourite series. It is just so grand and epic in every sense of the word, and the intricacy and care that Ashok Banker has put into the worldbuilding in this series is absolutely phenomenal (though like I mentioned in my review of the first book, I am not familiar at all with the Mahabharata, so I'm not able to judge it in comparison to the original text). I was a little worried about following completely new characters, but my worries were completely unfounded. I absolutely loved Krushita and Drishya, as well as some of the side characters (Bulan in particular is a favourite).
I have so many questions that are still unanswered, which is to be expected in book 2 of a 9+ book series, and I cannot wait to have them answered in future books. Apparently, the third book is titled The Blind King's Wrath, and I am literally buzzing with excitement because I cannot wait to see how all of this is going to be somehow connected.
If you are a fan of political fantasies and/or fantasies with a more classical style of narration, I cannot recommend this series enough.
CW: graphic violence/gore, body horror, infanticide, drug use
I HAVE SO?? MANY?? QUESTIONS???
Probably slightly less than a full 5 stars in terms of my personal enjoyment because this book had more battle scenes than the first book, which is just not my personal preference (but I have a feeling I'm probably in the minority here so if you found book 1 a bit slow and not action-packed enough, you'll probably enjoy book 2 more), but this was just such a good follow-up to the first book that I'm just going to give it 5 stars anyway.
This is now one of my new favourite series. It is just so grand and epic in every sense of the word, and the intricacy and care that Ashok Banker has put into the worldbuilding in this series is absolutely phenomenal (though like I mentioned in my review of the first book, I am not familiar at all with the Mahabharata, so I'm not able to judge it in comparison to the original text). I was a little worried about following completely new characters, but my worries were completely unfounded. I absolutely loved Krushita and Drishya, as well as some of the side characters (Bulan in particular is a favourite).
I have so many questions that are still unanswered, which is to be expected in book 2 of a 9+ book series, and I cannot wait to have them answered in future books. Apparently, the third book is titled The Blind King's Wrath, and I am literally buzzing with excitement because I cannot wait to see how all of this is going to be somehow connected.
If you are a fan of political fantasies and/or fantasies with a more classical style of narration, I cannot recommend this series enough.
April 2, 2022
4.0 Stars
This was an enjoyable sequel in this East Indian inspired epic fantasy series filled with action and political intrigue. I did not love it quite as much as the first book but still a very enjoyable read.
This was an enjoyable sequel in this East Indian inspired epic fantasy series filled with action and political intrigue. I did not love it quite as much as the first book but still a very enjoyable read.
May 11, 2021
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
After finishing the previous book for this saga, I was really excited to jump into A Dark Queen Rises. Both books were pretty hefty and a lot happened as well. In the beginning, meaning the first book, there was a ton of people to keep track off that it hurt my brain quite easily at times. This time around, it seemed a bit easier for me. Maybe because it's an audio but who knows? It was also really interesting to see how the names were actually pronounced.. and I realized how easily I butchered them in my own mind. Oops?
Without revealing too much, this book was jam packed with action - a lot more than the first book. The pace was overall a lot better than the first one as well. Trust me, it will still have some spots here and there that are slow moving or drag a little bit but it seriously picks up right after that.
I'm definitely enjoying the heck out of these two books and I have no idea what the next one will bring me. Or when it will even be out. All I can say is that I'm really excited to dive into it. I need more adventures and sassy characters. I just need more to fall in love with.
After finishing the previous book for this saga, I was really excited to jump into A Dark Queen Rises. Both books were pretty hefty and a lot happened as well. In the beginning, meaning the first book, there was a ton of people to keep track off that it hurt my brain quite easily at times. This time around, it seemed a bit easier for me. Maybe because it's an audio but who knows? It was also really interesting to see how the names were actually pronounced.. and I realized how easily I butchered them in my own mind. Oops?
Without revealing too much, this book was jam packed with action - a lot more than the first book. The pace was overall a lot better than the first one as well. Trust me, it will still have some spots here and there that are slow moving or drag a little bit but it seriously picks up right after that.
I'm definitely enjoying the heck out of these two books and I have no idea what the next one will bring me. Or when it will even be out. All I can say is that I'm really excited to dive into it. I need more adventures and sassy characters. I just need more to fall in love with.
November 9, 2020
I remember reading UPON A BURNING THRONE, Parts 1 & 2, last year and I really enjoyed them. As such when Simon&Schuster sent me an email regarding this next book in the series, I was quite excited!
The BURNT EMPIRE SAGA is a kind of retelling of the Mahabharata for today's readers. Banker's world is full of a cast of diverse characters, and you often find various parallels between these ones and the original Vyasa's cast. However, Banker's characters although inspired from the original demigods and such powerful and revered ones, are more human and as such much more realistic. I believe it is this very fact that makes this fantasy series, so steeped in reality - because of the gray nature of humanity. It is never only black or white, but rather somewhere in between.
And as is expected of epic fantasy - A DARK QUEEN RISES brings about yet more characters into the foreground and sets the stage as the author goes about letting the reader know of this vast world. Like the previous books, this one too kept me excited and just awed by the majestic world-building of Banker. Where the previous books were set in Hastinaga (Banker's version of Hastinapur) with the characters of Adri, Shvate, Vida etc, A DARK QUEEN RISES is set in the sandy The Reygistan Empire (literally, the Desert Empire). This time around, it follows the sibling duo Drishya and Krushita, both of whose aim is one - to kill Jarsun.
It is very rich, and so reflective and inspired by our own mythology that I was really impressed by this retelling. The complexities that Banker lends to this story is simply on another level and is perhaps one of the many such engaging bits about this series that keeps the reader hooked on. I am so happy that my brother has expressed interest in picking it up - he will be reading Book 1 after he is finished with his current read! I am also quite distressed by that cliffhanger ending and look forward to the next book (The Blind King's Wrath) to come out!
Any guesses as to who the Blind King is? ;)
The BURNT EMPIRE SAGA is a kind of retelling of the Mahabharata for today's readers. Banker's world is full of a cast of diverse characters, and you often find various parallels between these ones and the original Vyasa's cast. However, Banker's characters although inspired from the original demigods and such powerful and revered ones, are more human and as such much more realistic. I believe it is this very fact that makes this fantasy series, so steeped in reality - because of the gray nature of humanity. It is never only black or white, but rather somewhere in between.
And as is expected of epic fantasy - A DARK QUEEN RISES brings about yet more characters into the foreground and sets the stage as the author goes about letting the reader know of this vast world. Like the previous books, this one too kept me excited and just awed by the majestic world-building of Banker. Where the previous books were set in Hastinaga (Banker's version of Hastinapur) with the characters of Adri, Shvate, Vida etc, A DARK QUEEN RISES is set in the sandy The Reygistan Empire (literally, the Desert Empire). This time around, it follows the sibling duo Drishya and Krushita, both of whose aim is one - to kill Jarsun.
It is very rich, and so reflective and inspired by our own mythology that I was really impressed by this retelling. The complexities that Banker lends to this story is simply on another level and is perhaps one of the many such engaging bits about this series that keeps the reader hooked on. I am so happy that my brother has expressed interest in picking it up - he will be reading Book 1 after he is finished with his current read! I am also quite distressed by that cliffhanger ending and look forward to the next book (The Blind King's Wrath) to come out!
Any guesses as to who the Blind King is? ;)
May 26, 2021
Banker continues his lush and vivid adventure across the Burnt Empire, bringing new characters unto the field, fighting for peace and moving parties into place to sweep across the land to assert control and subjugate.
As with Upon a Burning Throne, Jarsun has not let his greed for power subside and has now swayed new apostles to his war. But there are forces massing in order to maintain balance in the empire.
With rich descriptive prose, the landscape and different kingdoms' political and monarchical systems are introduced further expanding on the world. Banker has drawn upon the respect for balance that is weaved into the Hindu way of life, the acknowledgement of the power that lies within the natural world, and the forces that will ensure that whenever the natural order is askew, equilibrium must be restored.
My only gripe with how this story unfolded was the fact that the women were too much in the background, considering the title and their apparent prowess. Banker focused too much on the male warrior image and penchant for violence.
I believe a retelling is a tool that can be used to subvert and upend the very patriarchal tone that exists in so many epics. He missed the opportunity to do that with this book.
And he spent too much time relaying their stories of strength and conquest, using repetition that did nothing to advance the plot.
His love of using multiple character viewpoints for the same scenes dragged the reading experience and his penchant for using animals and women to show the unmatched strength and benevolence of his male characters grated.
The intricate political machinations, consolidating of power and states, strategic movements and placement of players on the board was entertaining and satisfying.
Characters that are wily, devious, and excel at playing mind games are my favourite to read; Banker does well with crafting them and the ways they are willing to use anyone to seize and secure power. But villains with no brain capacity and daddy issues, who show no iota of self-actualization and -acceptance are so dull to read.
The first book in the series was done really well, if a bit long-winded, but now I wonder what was missed because the story pulled me under.
As with Upon a Burning Throne, Jarsun has not let his greed for power subside and has now swayed new apostles to his war. But there are forces massing in order to maintain balance in the empire.
With rich descriptive prose, the landscape and different kingdoms' political and monarchical systems are introduced further expanding on the world. Banker has drawn upon the respect for balance that is weaved into the Hindu way of life, the acknowledgement of the power that lies within the natural world, and the forces that will ensure that whenever the natural order is askew, equilibrium must be restored.
My only gripe with how this story unfolded was the fact that the women were too much in the background, considering the title and their apparent prowess. Banker focused too much on the male warrior image and penchant for violence.
I believe a retelling is a tool that can be used to subvert and upend the very patriarchal tone that exists in so many epics. He missed the opportunity to do that with this book.
And he spent too much time relaying their stories of strength and conquest, using repetition that did nothing to advance the plot.
His love of using multiple character viewpoints for the same scenes dragged the reading experience and his penchant for using animals and women to show the unmatched strength and benevolence of his male characters grated.
The intricate political machinations, consolidating of power and states, strategic movements and placement of players on the board was entertaining and satisfying.
Characters that are wily, devious, and excel at playing mind games are my favourite to read; Banker does well with crafting them and the ways they are willing to use anyone to seize and secure power. But villains with no brain capacity and daddy issues, who show no iota of self-actualization and -acceptance are so dull to read.
The first book in the series was done really well, if a bit long-winded, but now I wonder what was missed because the story pulled me under.
May 20, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media Recorded Books for the audio ARC of A Dark Queen Rises. It was my choice to read and I'm leaving this review voluntarily.
Goodreads doesn't have the audio version up yet and I don't have the ASIN because I had the audio galley copy.
I read the first one in ebook format and just like I thought when I wrote that review, the audiobook is the way to go with this epic story in The Burnt Empire. The audiobook narrator Vikas Adam does an excellent job creating distinct voices so I knew who was talking without having to rewind. Also, one of the main characters is a young girl and some narrators cannot nail that young voice without sounding horrible. So, I was happy that Vikas Adam pulled it off and she didn't sound shrill or whiney or annoying. It was really well done. When I read the first one, sometimes I would forget who I was following and would have to turn the pages back to the beginning of the chapter so the audiobook helps with the large cast and epic scale.
It does feel though like the lens has zoomed in and we are following fewer people in this one which I liked as well. There are some scenes that are difficult to read, these books are being compared to Game of Thrones and I would say that if you had difficulty in some of those books (or show) scenes then this may not be the book for you.
The bad characters are really bad and so they do bad things that are hard to read about. But, their deep evil makes the hero moments even more exciting, epic, and I was rooting for them stronger because of my hatred of the bad characters.
Again, there are some amazingly epic, wtf moments just like I said in my review of the first one and I'd love to see these adapted to a show. It ended in such a crazy way and I can't wait for the next one!
Goodreads doesn't have the audio version up yet and I don't have the ASIN because I had the audio galley copy.
I read the first one in ebook format and just like I thought when I wrote that review, the audiobook is the way to go with this epic story in The Burnt Empire. The audiobook narrator Vikas Adam does an excellent job creating distinct voices so I knew who was talking without having to rewind. Also, one of the main characters is a young girl and some narrators cannot nail that young voice without sounding horrible. So, I was happy that Vikas Adam pulled it off and she didn't sound shrill or whiney or annoying. It was really well done. When I read the first one, sometimes I would forget who I was following and would have to turn the pages back to the beginning of the chapter so the audiobook helps with the large cast and epic scale.
It does feel though like the lens has zoomed in and we are following fewer people in this one which I liked as well. There are some scenes that are difficult to read, these books are being compared to Game of Thrones and I would say that if you had difficulty in some of those books (or show) scenes then this may not be the book for you.
The bad characters are really bad and so they do bad things that are hard to read about. But, their deep evil makes the hero moments even more exciting, epic, and I was rooting for them stronger because of my hatred of the bad characters.
Again, there are some amazingly epic, wtf moments just like I said in my review of the first one and I'd love to see these adapted to a show. It ended in such a crazy way and I can't wait for the next one!
September 9, 2021
The second book in the Burnt Empire Saga, Banker returns to Arthaloka and the political machinations of the Krushan dynasty, this time focusing on Krushni, the daugther of Jarsun and Aqreeen, as she escapes from her father and his plans of conquest, and focuses more on the lead up to the confrontation between Jarsun and her, even though he is continuing his expansion of conquest to acquire the Burning Throne.
Much like a similar fashion to his first book, Banker does not allow for the events of the book to follow a linear pattern, rather having time serve more as a backdrop marker to alert the reader of certain changes in the narrative. With Arthaloka being a massive planet far larger than Earth, time and distance are not measure in the same way. And while the series is inherently inspired by the Indian grand epic "The Mahabharat", the second book does take some liberties and also shifts the narrative practices of epic high fantasy. For example, Krushni, who is the main character in the cast of characters for the book, was not even introduced until this book.
While distinctly Indian and Vedic in inspirations, its important to note that the characters and cultures of this book are not meant to be Vedic in origin. Yet, Banker is able to give a diverse case of characters that span sexualities, gender, culture and power dynamics, all that add to the rich narrative that he crafted. Though not as dense as his first book, Banker does an amazing job in creating a captivating narrative, and I can't wait to read the next book in the series.
Much like a similar fashion to his first book, Banker does not allow for the events of the book to follow a linear pattern, rather having time serve more as a backdrop marker to alert the reader of certain changes in the narrative. With Arthaloka being a massive planet far larger than Earth, time and distance are not measure in the same way. And while the series is inherently inspired by the Indian grand epic "The Mahabharat", the second book does take some liberties and also shifts the narrative practices of epic high fantasy. For example, Krushni, who is the main character in the cast of characters for the book, was not even introduced until this book.
While distinctly Indian and Vedic in inspirations, its important to note that the characters and cultures of this book are not meant to be Vedic in origin. Yet, Banker is able to give a diverse case of characters that span sexualities, gender, culture and power dynamics, all that add to the rich narrative that he crafted. Though not as dense as his first book, Banker does an amazing job in creating a captivating narrative, and I can't wait to read the next book in the series.
May 26, 2022
F I N A L L Y finished, ugh so good, it hit a bit of a slump in the middle but really picked up and I raced through the last third. I can't wait to see how everything ties together in the final book.
February 4, 2022
See my review on The StoryGraph
November 17, 2020
A dark queen rises is the third part in the series, The Burnt Empire Saga, after Upon a buring throne Part I and Part II.
I greatly enjoyed reading the first two books and I was excited to read this one. Unfortunately, this was a bit of dissappointment.
I'm very intrigued by Mahabharata and love reading different versions and new takes on it. The first two books were fact paced thriller retelling of the Mahabharata. This book just felt too drawn out. It is a 632 page book and took me a lot of time to read it.
In this book, we finally get to the birth of Krishna and Draupadi. I enjoyed those parts but the bit with Aqrueen and Krushita felt too drawn out with unnecessary information and same things repeated again and again. I struggled to get through the middle of the book. It definitely got interesting in the end. Even parts with Vasurava got repetitive repetitive really soon in the first half of the book. Tyrak (or Kamsa) was my favorite character to read in the book.
I won't talk more about the plot so I can keep this a spoiler free review.
I had hoped to read more about all the characters we were intoduced to in the previous books. Their stories ended on cliff hangers. It's also difficult to remember so many names, backstories and all the details.
I'm really curious where this story goes and looking forward to read the next book in the series. Hopefully, it will have a memory refresher. I do know that Mahabharata is a vast story with so many substories but the timeline in this feels very confusing.
As always, the writing of Ashok K Banker is very crisp and interesting. I did have to google some words. This book might have been a 4 star read for me if it was shorter and more to the point to the story. It could also have been cut into two parts like the last one.
If you are looking for an interesting retelling of Mahabharata in a whole new fantasy setting, The Burnt Empire Saga is for you.
I greatly enjoyed reading the first two books and I was excited to read this one. Unfortunately, this was a bit of dissappointment.
I'm very intrigued by Mahabharata and love reading different versions and new takes on it. The first two books were fact paced thriller retelling of the Mahabharata. This book just felt too drawn out. It is a 632 page book and took me a lot of time to read it.
In this book, we finally get to the birth of Krishna and Draupadi. I enjoyed those parts but the bit with Aqrueen and Krushita felt too drawn out with unnecessary information and same things repeated again and again. I struggled to get through the middle of the book. It definitely got interesting in the end. Even parts with Vasurava got repetitive repetitive really soon in the first half of the book. Tyrak (or Kamsa) was my favorite character to read in the book.
I won't talk more about the plot so I can keep this a spoiler free review.
I had hoped to read more about all the characters we were intoduced to in the previous books. Their stories ended on cliff hangers. It's also difficult to remember so many names, backstories and all the details.
I'm really curious where this story goes and looking forward to read the next book in the series. Hopefully, it will have a memory refresher. I do know that Mahabharata is a vast story with so many substories but the timeline in this feels very confusing.
As always, the writing of Ashok K Banker is very crisp and interesting. I did have to google some words. This book might have been a 4 star read for me if it was shorter and more to the point to the story. It could also have been cut into two parts like the last one.
If you are looking for an interesting retelling of Mahabharata in a whole new fantasy setting, The Burnt Empire Saga is for you.
May 27, 2021
I enjoyed parts of this book (including meeting a new villain), but there were a LOT of action scenes which were just ok? and a significant part of this book dragged and was incredibly repetitive to the point that I barely registered when something happened. Definitely not as compelling as the first book (so much for the 5 star prediction) but I'm still interested in how the story will continue.
June 11, 2021
Definite improvement to the first novel.
While I still didn't love this book, I also did not have the partial resentment like I had for the first one.
This can be categorized as a sequel but we follow mostly completely different characters, which was a bit jarring to me, although I did like them a lot more, once I got to know them. I did not necessarily like how we always got a lot of characters for a certain amount of time and then we switched but that was also fine.
The sexism wasn't as prevalent in this one, which was nice to see, but there was still a lot of mansplaining, which can be super annoying to read.
Like in the first novel, for me there were too many characters sometimes to follow, leading me to not have a real connection with any of it.
However I am interested in seeing how the story will continue in the next installment, where hopefully all the characters from the first two books will have appearances.
While I still didn't love this book, I also did not have the partial resentment like I had for the first one.
This can be categorized as a sequel but we follow mostly completely different characters, which was a bit jarring to me, although I did like them a lot more, once I got to know them. I did not necessarily like how we always got a lot of characters for a certain amount of time and then we switched but that was also fine.
The sexism wasn't as prevalent in this one, which was nice to see, but there was still a lot of mansplaining, which can be super annoying to read.
Like in the first novel, for me there were too many characters sometimes to follow, leading me to not have a real connection with any of it.
However I am interested in seeing how the story will continue in the next installment, where hopefully all the characters from the first two books will have appearances.
April 30, 2023
4.5 stars! Omg!! This series is soooo good!! Why is no one reading this? I am sad and excited to dive into the final book.. cannot wait for everything to BURN!!
May 6, 2021
The saga continues from Upon a Burning Throne and I loved it as much as the first! I love the new twists on this old story that I've known since I was a toddler. Fell in love with Krushita and Drishya and can't wait to see where this goes. Ashok K. Banker has quickly become on of my favorite authors and I look forward to seeing how the Burn Empire Saga ends and read much more by him.
May 11, 2021
Oh wow! This story is full of magic, love and betrayal. I remember my grandfather telling us the story of Mahabharata and this story is similar yet has it's own hold. One of the things I really enjoyed is the way Banker had created a world that is so realistic and entertaining. Absolutely loved the characters and each characters are so defined. I can't say anymore without spoiling the plot so please you really need to read this book. The story ended with a cliffhanger and I can't wait for the next book, The Blind King's Wrath. An absolute brilliant read.
March 4, 2023
Way too violent for my taste. I won't be continuing the series.
August 16, 2021
I greatly enjoyed the first book, but unfortunately this one dragged a bit for me.
This is the second installment in Banker's Burnt Empire saga, and actually takes place concurrently with the events of the first book. We see this timeline from perspectives in the lands Jarsun is building into his Reygistan Empire, where the Burnt Empire of Hastinaga is only a distant power. Most of the narrative is dedicated to the perspectives of Jarsun's wife Aqreen and daughter Krushita as they flee from him, as well as the perspective of Tyrak, a boorish crown-prince who inherits a monstrous legacy.
The title and commonly posted blurbs/synopses imply that the main focus is on Krushita, but Tyrak's portions take up at least half of the book. Unfortunately, I didn't find him very enjoyable. He's not poorly written; the fragile ego of an insecure and often ignorant man causing anger issues, violence, and oppression is very realistic. Maybe too realistic, because with so many real life issues originating from such people, spending so much time with a fictional one was not appealing to me. I'd hoped for much more time with Krushita and Aqreen.
Still, it was interesting to see what was going on in Mraashk, Reygar, etc. during the events of the first book. And hearing interesting perspectives about the Krushan from those far removed from the Burnt Empire itself. Though I didn't enjoy all the time with Tyrak, it wasn't a bad book, and I do look forward to the next in the series.
As with the first, there are some content warnings to be aware of, if needed: death & murder (including of children & animals), rape, slavery & trafficking mentions, animal cruelty, blood, gore, vomit.
This is the second installment in Banker's Burnt Empire saga, and actually takes place concurrently with the events of the first book. We see this timeline from perspectives in the lands Jarsun is building into his Reygistan Empire, where the Burnt Empire of Hastinaga is only a distant power. Most of the narrative is dedicated to the perspectives of Jarsun's wife Aqreen and daughter Krushita as they flee from him, as well as the perspective of Tyrak, a boorish crown-prince who inherits a monstrous legacy.
The title and commonly posted blurbs/synopses imply that the main focus is on Krushita, but Tyrak's portions take up at least half of the book. Unfortunately, I didn't find him very enjoyable. He's not poorly written; the fragile ego of an insecure and often ignorant man causing anger issues, violence, and oppression is very realistic. Maybe too realistic, because with so many real life issues originating from such people, spending so much time with a fictional one was not appealing to me. I'd hoped for much more time with Krushita and Aqreen.
Still, it was interesting to see what was going on in Mraashk, Reygar, etc. during the events of the first book. And hearing interesting perspectives about the Krushan from those far removed from the Burnt Empire itself. Though I didn't enjoy all the time with Tyrak, it wasn't a bad book, and I do look forward to the next in the series.
As with the first, there are some content warnings to be aware of, if needed: death & murder (including of children & animals), rape, slavery & trafficking mentions, animal cruelty, blood, gore, vomit.
dnf
July 29, 2022I got to about 120 pages in this one and then DNFed. I enjoyed the first book quite a bit despite some writing issues that irked me. It was so fresh and wild and twisty. However, when I finished the first book, I wasn’t sure I cared to continue. I thought it was possible that the first book would be as far as I’d go because the second book wouldn’t be “fresh” in the same way.
This book completely shifts focus and looks at a different cast of characters. Some of them were interesting, but ultimately I found myself far less compelled to read on than I was in the first book. If the story had picked up where it left off in the first one with Shvate and the state of the Burnt Empire, I think I’d have kept reading.
No regrets about reading the first book of this trilogy. I had a really fun time with that.
This book completely shifts focus and looks at a different cast of characters. Some of them were interesting, but ultimately I found myself far less compelled to read on than I was in the first book. If the story had picked up where it left off in the first one with Shvate and the state of the Burnt Empire, I think I’d have kept reading.
No regrets about reading the first book of this trilogy. I had a really fun time with that.
December 15, 2023
Too much time spent with that stupid Tyrak.
March 7, 2022
3.5
I needed less Tyrak and more Krushita.
I needed less Tyrak and more Krushita.
July 20, 2021
⭐️⭐️⭐️🌗
CW: domestic abuse, child murder, mentions of rape/sexual assault, war/violence, body horror
Note: please forgive me if my spellings are off, I listened to the audiobook and couldn’t find all the names to double check.
I was unsure about continuing on with this series intially after mixed feelings on the Upon a Burning Throne, however I overall enjoyed this book better than the first. While I think this book isn’t necessarily perfect for me, it is very well executed. The narrative is a lot tighter than the first book, which helped a lot considering the vast world, magic, and cast of politically manoeuvering and conniving characters is hard to keep track of, especially in audiobook form where it’s harder to flip back and reread or check if you correctly understood something.
I really enjoyed most of the characters in A Dark Queen Rises, particularly Krushita and Vasutava. Krushita is a fascinating character to watch progress over the timeline of the story (which runs somewhat parallel to the timeline of the first book, just in different locations). Aqreen is also really interesting and she and Krushita together, just working to survive and escape creates a compelling thread that keeps the story moving and its heart beating. Vasutava is one of my favorites because he is a rare pacifistic character who is not just nonviolent, but even when attacked, will only deflect out of his faith in Om. I’ve rarely seen a character like his executed so well and it was a refreshing addition to what is often a very violent story.
As with the first book, this world is expansive and very well developed. Banker’s writing is detailed and his plot work is phenomenal. Reading this book is like watching a chess tournament unfold, if chess tournaments involved more swords and elephants and gods.
Now, for the aspects of the story that didn’t work as well for me. The ending of the story felt rushed in comparison to how long the build up took. The book unfolds at a relatively slow pace, but then is suddenly over with what had been built up the entire time.
The timeline was also somewhat confusing on occasion. Because the book spans years, the pacing and keeping careful track of the time jumps between POVs is really important. Unfortunately because elf the way the POVs progressed it didn’t always seem to line up, or I wouldn’t realize right away that we had jumped months or years. It was less of a problem when contained within one POV as the jump would be explicitly stated, but it made keeping track of the entire storyline difficult. It also took me quite a while to realize that the book ran parallel to the first and so is almost more of a companion than a sequel. The occasional hints that would align the events of the first book though were very helpful.
Lastly (and this is pure personal preference), I think Banker’s work would work best for readers who also like horror. His gore descriptions, particularly when it comes to body horror, are visceral and uncomfortable. Unfortunately, I am really /really/ not a person who handles horror well. Because these sections are decently spaced out, it wasn’t bad enough to make me dnf, but definitely took away from my personal ability to enjoy the story. Fair warning, if you, like me, can’t handle zombie movies /at all/… consider this your friendly heads up that you may also have trouble with certain aspects of this story.
Overall, this was a good story, and I think I am going to continue reading the series at this point, but for me it’s not a perfect story fit even though I can greatly appreciate the story that Banker is weaving. If you aren’t sure after the first book, but the elements of the story still sound intriguing to you, I would go ahead and give it a try. And although I do really enjoy the audiobook narrator, this may be a story better suited to physical reading and annotating if you sometimes have trouble following along with extremely complex plots and timelines.
CW: domestic abuse, child murder, mentions of rape/sexual assault, war/violence, body horror
Note: please forgive me if my spellings are off, I listened to the audiobook and couldn’t find all the names to double check.
I was unsure about continuing on with this series intially after mixed feelings on the Upon a Burning Throne, however I overall enjoyed this book better than the first. While I think this book isn’t necessarily perfect for me, it is very well executed. The narrative is a lot tighter than the first book, which helped a lot considering the vast world, magic, and cast of politically manoeuvering and conniving characters is hard to keep track of, especially in audiobook form where it’s harder to flip back and reread or check if you correctly understood something.
I really enjoyed most of the characters in A Dark Queen Rises, particularly Krushita and Vasutava. Krushita is a fascinating character to watch progress over the timeline of the story (which runs somewhat parallel to the timeline of the first book, just in different locations). Aqreen is also really interesting and she and Krushita together, just working to survive and escape creates a compelling thread that keeps the story moving and its heart beating. Vasutava is one of my favorites because he is a rare pacifistic character who is not just nonviolent, but even when attacked, will only deflect out of his faith in Om. I’ve rarely seen a character like his executed so well and it was a refreshing addition to what is often a very violent story.
As with the first book, this world is expansive and very well developed. Banker’s writing is detailed and his plot work is phenomenal. Reading this book is like watching a chess tournament unfold, if chess tournaments involved more swords and elephants and gods.
Now, for the aspects of the story that didn’t work as well for me. The ending of the story felt rushed in comparison to how long the build up took. The book unfolds at a relatively slow pace, but then is suddenly over with what had been built up the entire time.
The timeline was also somewhat confusing on occasion. Because the book spans years, the pacing and keeping careful track of the time jumps between POVs is really important. Unfortunately because elf the way the POVs progressed it didn’t always seem to line up, or I wouldn’t realize right away that we had jumped months or years. It was less of a problem when contained within one POV as the jump would be explicitly stated, but it made keeping track of the entire storyline difficult. It also took me quite a while to realize that the book ran parallel to the first and so is almost more of a companion than a sequel. The occasional hints that would align the events of the first book though were very helpful.
Lastly (and this is pure personal preference), I think Banker’s work would work best for readers who also like horror. His gore descriptions, particularly when it comes to body horror, are visceral and uncomfortable. Unfortunately, I am really /really/ not a person who handles horror well. Because these sections are decently spaced out, it wasn’t bad enough to make me dnf, but definitely took away from my personal ability to enjoy the story. Fair warning, if you, like me, can’t handle zombie movies /at all/… consider this your friendly heads up that you may also have trouble with certain aspects of this story.
Overall, this was a good story, and I think I am going to continue reading the series at this point, but for me it’s not a perfect story fit even though I can greatly appreciate the story that Banker is weaving. If you aren’t sure after the first book, but the elements of the story still sound intriguing to you, I would go ahead and give it a try. And although I do really enjoy the audiobook narrator, this may be a story better suited to physical reading and annotating if you sometimes have trouble following along with extremely complex plots and timelines.
September 25, 2022
Picking up after the events of Upon A Burning Throne, this book focuses on Aqreen and Krushita as they journey to Reygar, and how Jarsun consolidates his power through various alliances. With the plot moving in multiple places, the storyline focuses on Krushita’s journey from a toddler to her awakening of the power within. The storytelling is engaging and while the parallels with the mythological tales are there, the book does stand on its own in terms of the imagery and the complexity of the plot. I liked how Ashok uses various elements to highlight the hero’s journey for Krushita, and her powers have been explored in detail, however I felt that the book had a lopsided focus on Tyrak, and Drishya’s story lost focus in the way. While Tyrak’s story was important to show Jarsun’s story, the buildup did not do justice to the climax, and a bit more of flesh to it could have been better. The overall closure to the story felt rushed, and the story that developed over the pages does not satisfy a reader’s need for a better ending, atleast till the next book.
Coming to the characters, this book is a wonderful example of how meticulously characters can be developed in a book, and they effort it requires to set up a story to back the characters’ actions. The journey across the desert was a wonderful way to set up Aqreen and Krushita’s story, with nothing else apart from them, the desert and their companions, the focus was squarely on them. I loved Bulan’s character and the way their character’s feelings change was quite wonderful. Tyrak’s story and transition is nicely told and the build up towards the end has been planned to the last detail. I would have loved to see more detailing of Drishya’s character however, especially because he was touted as the demon slayer, and running his story in tandem with that of Tyrak would have made for a better climax, in my opinion.
Overall, a wonderful addition to the series, the book moves the story ahead, and keeps the reader wanting for the next book in the series.
Coming to the characters, this book is a wonderful example of how meticulously characters can be developed in a book, and they effort it requires to set up a story to back the characters’ actions. The journey across the desert was a wonderful way to set up Aqreen and Krushita’s story, with nothing else apart from them, the desert and their companions, the focus was squarely on them. I loved Bulan’s character and the way their character’s feelings change was quite wonderful. Tyrak’s story and transition is nicely told and the build up towards the end has been planned to the last detail. I would have loved to see more detailing of Drishya’s character however, especially because he was touted as the demon slayer, and running his story in tandem with that of Tyrak would have made for a better climax, in my opinion.
Overall, a wonderful addition to the series, the book moves the story ahead, and keeps the reader wanting for the next book in the series.
June 1, 2023
This book almost ended up being a DNF for me, but I managed to pull through. Like the first book, the writing had parts that were really nice to read, while other parts were either boring, overdrawn, or had glaring grammatical errors or plot holes.
Unless I completely misunderstood something, I found a pretty big and confusing plot hole that I discovered at the butt-end of this book. In the first book, Krushita was said to be the rightful heir of the Burning Throne because she was the elder of the three heirs. So…she should be older than the other two. However, she is said to be fifteen by the end of the second book, even though it is also mentioned that, at the same time, the Princes of Hastinaga are having the dispute with their child heirs (100 children of Adri and 5 children of Shvate). If I’m remembering the first book correctly, Adri and Shvate would’ve been much older than fifteen by the time they had their children.
Either this is a huge plot hole, or I missed something here…or the author actually wrote erotic scenes involving boys under fifteen years, which I am going to assume for my own mental sanity is not the case (though I am pretty sure the first book gave details hinting they were full-grown adults by the time they had children - not completely sure).
Even with the potential plot hole aside, the inconsistency of the writing has been the biggest downfall of this series so far. I guess I’ll see if I can make it through the third book…
Unless I completely misunderstood something, I found a pretty big and confusing plot hole that I discovered at the butt-end of this book. In the first book, Krushita was said to be the rightful heir of the Burning Throne because she was the elder of the three heirs. So…she should be older than the other two. However, she is said to be fifteen by the end of the second book, even though it is also mentioned that, at the same time, the Princes of Hastinaga are having the dispute with their child heirs (100 children of Adri and 5 children of Shvate). If I’m remembering the first book correctly, Adri and Shvate would’ve been much older than fifteen by the time they had their children.
Either this is a huge plot hole, or I missed something here…or the author actually wrote erotic scenes involving boys under fifteen years, which I am going to assume for my own mental sanity is not the case (though I am pretty sure the first book gave details hinting they were full-grown adults by the time they had children - not completely sure).
Even with the potential plot hole aside, the inconsistency of the writing has been the biggest downfall of this series so far. I guess I’ll see if I can make it through the third book…
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 6, 2023
Similar to book 1, this felt like a lot of setup. At first I was annoyed to switch away from Shvate's children, but it was worth it to spend time with Krushita and Bulan. The years-long caravan is a cool idea, and I wish there had been more to its culture, Snowpiercer-style. But Banker clearly cut anything unnecessary out to keep this moving quickly. This series reminds me of Star Wars: A New Hope, in that it's so clear how this story is just one in a vast world of other stories, many of which would be just as interesting.
And I don't know if this is an Indian cultural thing, or just something I notice more in this series and Indian movies, but Banker doesn't leave any gesture or facial expression unexplained. Maybe he just doesn't trust us to understand those things, but he should. Otherwise it feels like a lot of words wasted that could have been used fleshing out this amazing and fascinating world.
And I don't know if this is an Indian cultural thing, or just something I notice more in this series and Indian movies, but Banker doesn't leave any gesture or facial expression unexplained. Maybe he just doesn't trust us to understand those things, but he should. Otherwise it feels like a lot of words wasted that could have been used fleshing out this amazing and fascinating world.
August 24, 2021
3.5
A Dark Queen Rises book two of The Burnt Empire. Interesting, chaotic, bloody tale.
The tale takes place in Reygistan Empire, about Krushita the daughter of Jarsun, the evil lord who wants to rule all of the Burnt Empire. All Krushita wants is to end her father’s wrath.
Book two was an improvement from the first book. More action, that’s it!
I had so many “wtf” moments. I have no knowledge about The Mahabharata mythology. But this series is confusing as hell. And maybe this confusion makes it enjoyable. I don’t know. I thought my questions would be answered from the first book but more questions had been added. Too many time-lapses. Repetitive lines.
Overall, It’s a great epic tale and more is to come. The third book is already titled and it’s interesting.
A Dark Queen Rises book two of The Burnt Empire. Interesting, chaotic, bloody tale.
The tale takes place in Reygistan Empire, about Krushita the daughter of Jarsun, the evil lord who wants to rule all of the Burnt Empire. All Krushita wants is to end her father’s wrath.
Book two was an improvement from the first book. More action, that’s it!
I had so many “wtf” moments. I have no knowledge about The Mahabharata mythology. But this series is confusing as hell. And maybe this confusion makes it enjoyable. I don’t know. I thought my questions would be answered from the first book but more questions had been added. Too many time-lapses. Repetitive lines.
Overall, It’s a great epic tale and more is to come. The third book is already titled and it’s interesting.
Read
December 26, 2022I think I enjoyed book 1 more, but this was still a good time. My main issue was that I spent most of book 1 waiting to find out about Krushita and was excited to finally get a book dedicated to her. But even though we get her in this book, I still wanted more. I would have been completely content to just watch her train and learn with the caravan the entire time instead of flipping between her and the Tyrak plot.
Because we dont follow her in book 1, I felt like I was playing catch-up. I spent a lot of my time trying to remember where we were in the overall story, how old is she compared to Shvate and Adri and what the sequence of events would look like if we were just folling a dingle timline. I really wish we had gotten Krush in the first book and been able to follow her story as we followed Shvate and Adri.
Because we dont follow her in book 1, I felt like I was playing catch-up. I spent a lot of my time trying to remember where we were in the overall story, how old is she compared to Shvate and Adri and what the sequence of events would look like if we were just folling a dingle timline. I really wish we had gotten Krush in the first book and been able to follow her story as we followed Shvate and Adri.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 10, 2022
This was a really fascinating and epic sequel to Upon a Burning Throne and once I got used to the new characters and setting, I loved it! The idea of a wagon trail caravan that takes seven years to reach its destination is so unique and the found family attached to that caravan is wonderful. I also enjoyed the interaction between Jarsun and Tyrak and found all of the political machinations were deeply satisfying. I am so intrigued to see how the two sides of the world will come together in the conclusion and cannot wait to see how everything turns out. Overall, a fabulous installment in a truly epic series.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
April 19, 2022
So much atmosphere and world building!! Yay! One could feel the sand in the desert and even the otherworldly surroundings between the portals.
I have to admit that at first I was a bit lost in the plot and characters, mostly because I didn't remember all the details from "upon a burning throne" but eventually things came back to me and I was able to make the connections. I enjoyed the character work and mythological elements in "A dark Queen rises" a lot.
Well crafted, love, loss, family and myth. Strong female characters, amazing side characters and all plots are woven together to one bigger plot.
Both thumbs up!
I have to admit that at first I was a bit lost in the plot and characters, mostly because I didn't remember all the details from "upon a burning throne" but eventually things came back to me and I was able to make the connections. I enjoyed the character work and mythological elements in "A dark Queen rises" a lot.
Well crafted, love, loss, family and myth. Strong female characters, amazing side characters and all plots are woven together to one bigger plot.
Both thumbs up!
May 12, 2021
4.5/5
EDIT: After finishing this book I and taking a few days to think about my ratings I decided to bump it up from 4 to 4.5 stars. I still stand by my opinion that I enjoyed the first book more (mostly because I enjoyed the characters more). But I still think this story is amazing.
So far I like book one better than this book. Not to say that this book was bad, I just wish we got more chapters the focused on Krushita and Aqreen instead of the many chapters that focused on Tyrak. But that's just how I feel. I cannot wait for the next book, and can't wait to see where this series goes.
EDIT: After finishing this book I and taking a few days to think about my ratings I decided to bump it up from 4 to 4.5 stars. I still stand by my opinion that I enjoyed the first book more (mostly because I enjoyed the characters more). But I still think this story is amazing.
So far I like book one better than this book. Not to say that this book was bad, I just wish we got more chapters the focused on Krushita and Aqreen instead of the many chapters that focused on Tyrak. But that's just how I feel. I cannot wait for the next book, and can't wait to see where this series goes.
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