The Feast of Roses by Indu Sundaresan: Book Review

My Synopsis:

Picking up almost exactly where The Twentieth Wife left off, The Feast of Roses continues the story of Mehrunnisa and Emperor Jahangir.

My Review:

I slightly preferred the first book to this one, only because this one dwelled so much on politics. I’m not a strategist so reading the machinations of the Mughal court was a bit less interesting to me than the events of Mehrunnisa’s earlier life. I also have very little patience for characters who make repetitive mistakes in books, even when those books are based as far as possible on facts. In this one, someone would do something to betray Jahangir. Jahangir would tell them not to do that anymore and threaten them. The person would agree to stop. The person would turn right around and betray Jahangir again. Jahangir would tell the person not to do that anymore…. At what point are there actual consequences? I still don’t know.

That aside, it was nice to follow characters I like as they grew older. So often, books stop at the moment when everyone is young and everything looks like it’s going to be okay. I like seeing the afterward. And there was a lot going on in India at this time. Rebellions, the first English ambassadors, the Portuguese and English fighting over trading rights, family betrayal, and intrigue among the women of the zenana.

Sneha Mathan beautifully narrated the audiobook. I could listen to her read all day.

I recommend reading these books in order, but if you want to submerse yourself in the lush beauty and history of Mughal India, give this series a try. I’ll definitely be reading the last book in this trilogy.

Similar Books:

If you liked The Feast of Roses, you might also like my reviews of

• The Twentieth Wife (Taj Mahal Trilogy #1) by Indu Sundaresan, read by Sneha Mathan
• The Ramayana by R. K. Narayan
• Rebel Queen by Michelle Moran

Purchase:

Buy The Feast of Roses from Malaprop’s Bookstore in beautiful Asheville, NC or