Rating: 
Summary: Utterly breathtaking and a history lover's delight!
Review: "The Feast of Roses" was a truly captivating novel filled with royal intrigue, love, passion and the mysterious world of seventeenth century India. It is definately a book for those who love history, romance and literature. Ms. Sundaresan's description of the love story between Emperor Jahangir and Mehrunissa, (known in history as Nur Jahan) keeps the reader wanting to know more and more as the book goes on. The novel is filled with colorful descriptions of the palaces, people and the time they lived in as well as capturing the human nature of each character. A great book to read no matter what kind of day!!! Two thumbs up!!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: an excellent epic tale of love and history
Review: a great closing to the 20th wife. it was a page turner and still full of the texures and smells and feelings from the first book. i enjoyed it mensly and learned so much about he Indian empire.
Rating:
Summary: A must read
Review: And make sure you send everyone away on a weekend trip before you start reading this book so you don't have to be distracted by cooking, cleaning, entertaining and all that stuff.
Rating: 
Summary: Good reading
Review: Feast of Roses is a good sequal to Sunderasan's first book The 20th Wife. While I did not think much of the former, in this second book Sundarasan writing displays maturity and meticulous historical research. She weaves the intricate historical events with harem intrigue in a very able manner and manages to portray the granduer of the Mughal court. One gets a feel for the characters especially Nur Jahan who was both admired and despised..
Except for some parts that read too much like a history lesson, this is an interesing read.
Rating: 
Summary: Uncompelling writing that lacks insight
Review: I found the Feast of Roses very disappointing. I never got into any of the characters, and the writing was very stilted. Also, lavish descriptions of the palace etc, but one never really gets a full sense of the machinations of the court. I also never fully understood why Jahaniger and Mehrusinna loved each other so. It was just stated as a given. Overall, I learned a little bit more about India at that time, but that is about it.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: I really enjoyed this book as I did with "The Twentieth Wife". They were both page turners for me that words could never describe - I so wished there was more!
Rating:
Summary: The final chapters of an extraordinary life
Review: In the second of two novels, The Feast of Roses relates the married life of Mehrunnisa, the twentieth wife of Emperor Jahangir of India in the 17th Century. Best known as Empress Nur Jahan, "The Light of the World", the beautiful Mehrunnisa comes from humble beginnings, but captures the Emperor's attention as a young girl, years before he is able to claim her as his wife.Brought up near the women of the zenana (harem), with a powerful patron who senses her potential, Mehrunnisa is trained in the ways of court life. But she is abruptly married, with the emperor's consent, and sent to a distant post with her husband, who is in disfavor with the imperial court. Then Merhrunnisa is widowed and Emperor Jahangir returns her to his court and marries her (hence the title of Sunduresan's first novel The Twentieth Wife). The first novel covers the young Mehrunnisa's early attraction to the emperor, but ends with their marriage. Although sequels are frequently disappointing, A Feast of Roses never loses its historical perspective. The research is meticulous; in addition, the author humanizes her characters, bringing them vividly to life against the turmoil of this divided court. Mehrunnisa is an extraordinary character, her bravery, loyalty and independence, virtually unheard of in Seventeenth century court life. A woman who refuses to be remembered as a footnote of history, she is an early role model, a shining example of women leaders who rise above time and place.
The historical and romantic union addressed in The Feast of Roses portrays Mehrunnisa's sojourn as the most influential wife and trusted empress of Jahangir's reign. The emperor is content with his new wife, his beloved companion and lover, eschewing the other wives for the last one. Certainly there are ill feelings toward the powerful Empress Nur Jahan, insinuating herself into court life, usurping the place of favored consultants, including the emperor's boyhood friends and the forgotten wives, all who find themselves outside the charmed circle of power. This is the love story of a common woman and an emperor who selects her as his most beloved and favored wife. Mehrunnisa serves as an advisor the emperor in matters of state, particularly when his health begins to fail. That a woman of ignoble birth can achieve a position of power is a testament to Mehrunnisa's intellect and courage and the author has given her protagonist a real presence, even though Mehrunnisa suffers banishment after the emperor's death. How ironic that the Taj Mahal, built by Emperor Jahangir's son Khurram in memory his deceased wife, has become the symbol of this period, surpassing the memory of the Empress Nur Jahan. Truly a "Light of the World", Mehrunnia is an extraordinary role model, a woman of great achievement, centuries before her time. Luan Gaines/ 2003.
Rating:
Summary: insightful look at the royal court of 17th century India
Review: In the seventeenth century, most of India, that is those who would care about the emperor's harem, would expect that Jahangir's twentieth wife of twenty wives would be lower than an Untouchable. However, the Empress Nur Jahan, previously called Mehrunnisa, does not settle in her role as she breaks the tradition of royal life and the accepted behavior of females in the country. Mehrunnisa can get away with a lot more than say Jahangir's nineteen previous spouses, as she is the first woman he actually loves. The Emperor actually cedes her much power to run the country though her harem rivals led by scheming Empress Jagat plan to run her off and the court ministers refuse to have some upstart female steal any of their power. Showing inner strength Mehrunnisa refuses to allow either of these two influential groups to stop her rise. She turns to her father, her brother, and the son of her husband for support. Though the fight is difficult and she and her daughter becomes estranged, through the love of Jahangir she never gives up. The sequel to the delightful THE TWENTIETH WIFE, THE FEAST OF ROSES is an insightful look at the royal court of seventeenth century India. Though at times a bit slow, the story line is loaded with historical tidbits leading readers to conclude that Indu Sundaresan magically sent her audience back in time. Mehrunnisa is a strong lead protagonist, who quickly understands the balance of power and how to manipulate in a Machiavellian manner. The support cast provides insight into this protagonist. Ms. Sundaresan provides another Taj Mahal historical fiction. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: a rich read
Review: Sundaresan certainly has brought a interesting period of history back to life. As someone who has read The Twentieth Wife and The Feast of Roses, I'm obviously a fan of hers. Sometimes her writing can be a bit stiff, and her dialogue awkward, but I'm happy that she has introduced me to a new world. Readers who like Sundaresan, and the era she's writing about, should look into Beneath a Marble Sky. I just finished this novel (which tells the story behind the Taj Mahal's creation), and couldn't have loved it any more. I'm happy to be reading novels set in this period, as it's a fascinating era, and one that most people in the West know little about.
Rating:
Summary: Enchanting and Well-Written
Review: Sundaresan's first book, The Twentieth Wife, showed her to be a writer capable of carrying a reader to another time. Her new book, The Feast of Roses, not only takes me again to that time, but reveals Sundaresan's writing skills to be even stronger. The prose is even more lyrical, the characters well developed, the plot suspenseful. A great read.
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