40 fantasy and science fiction books you should read in 2022
By Daniel Roman
The Oleander Sword by Tasha Suri (The Burning Kingdoms #2) — August 16
Tasha Suri began a new epic fantasy trilogy last year with The Jasmine Throne, which was inspired by Indian mythology and culture. I had the pleasure of reading it and it was magnificent. The Jasmine Throne was one part fantasy epic with a very cool nature-based magic system, one part slow burn sapphic romance, and one part morally grey lesbians burning down a pretty awful patriarchal system.
The first book ended with some pretty huge shifts for our main characters, exiled imperial princess Malini and priestess Priya. From what I’ve gleaned of The Oleander Sword, it’ll pick up right where The Jasmine Throne left off, with new factions vying for control of an empire crumbling beneath the weight of its own hubris.
Suri’s deeply developed world is easy to get lost in, the magic system is as good as anything else out there (better, if you like a solid dose of body horror), and the themes of the story have thus far been both subtle and powerful. There’s a very good chance this will be one of the best epic fantasy releases of 2022, and if you haven’t checked out the first book yet it’s very much worth the time.
Pre-order it: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Books-A-Million
