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helenamt's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
jull1980's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
trapwomanistcyborgwitch's review against another edition
4.0
This book was a delightful African royalty story. There are two main things that I will attempt to analyze from my perspective. I just wanted to reiterate this is from my perspective. The first theme is the theme of the divine black feminine. In this story, there is a mythological, religious system by a divine black woman. This Goddess is prayed to; she has parishioners, and she has temples. She has a religious system dedicated to her, which I like to see emphasized in literature. I think that this is a positive attribute to have in the story because it shows that black women can be divine. They have power; they can facilitate change, not only in the secular world but in the spiritual world, and they can lead people to make the right decisions.
The second attribute that I recognized was the theme of family. It was sad that her parents, unfortunately, had to leave the kingdom that they were part of because they were targets. She had a family with her aunt and teacher that was rarely important for her foundation and her upbringing in regards to being a warrior princess and also about staying connected with the Goddess; it does play out differently in the story, which I won’t view what happens to her parents really, but I like the emphasis of really having a tight family network to, take growth and prosperity in life.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. I enjoyed Kalothia’s character. The book was action-packed from the beginning, with her being trained literally as a warrior. She asserted herself from the start, fighting for herself, her family, and her kingdom. I am excited to see the next steps of her development in this series. Thank you, @hearourvoicestours and Shade Lapite, for letting me participate in this tour.
The second attribute that I recognized was the theme of family. It was sad that her parents, unfortunately, had to leave the kingdom that they were part of because they were targets. She had a family with her aunt and teacher that was rarely important for her foundation and her upbringing in regards to being a warrior princess and also about staying connected with the Goddess; it does play out differently in the story, which I won’t view what happens to her parents really, but I like the emphasis of really having a tight family network to, take growth and prosperity in life.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. I enjoyed Kalothia’s character. The book was action-packed from the beginning, with her being trained literally as a warrior. She asserted herself from the start, fighting for herself, her family, and her kingdom. I am excited to see the next steps of her development in this series. Thank you, @hearourvoicestours and Shade Lapite, for letting me participate in this tour.
sade_s's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
snowwhitehatesapples's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Also on Snow White Hates Apples.
Filled with lush imagery and gorgeous prose, Goddess Crown is a fast-paced Afro-fantasy that follows Kalothia who grew up believing that her parents were on the run from the King which meant that she had to be hidden in the forest with caretakers all her life. It’s not until her 16th birthday that she finds herself having to flee her home and ends up at the royal court where she learns that contrary to her beliefs, she is actually the King’s daughter and now that he’s dead, she must ascend the throne. But, of course, this is not an easy task because this strictly patriarchal society is against women leading, plus there are snakes abound in the court. So, what can Kalothia do in this situation?
Why, she goes with the flow! She goes with the flow despite her many reservations and feelings of indignation. She goes with the flow even when she can take matters into her own hands and stop things because why put her smarts and training into more practice when she can have others solving things for her? Why be the main, active protagonist of her life when so many others are willing to guide her, placing her here and there so it suits them and sometimes, indirectly suits her as well?
As you can probably tell by now, Kalothia has lesser spine than desired. She’s not the charismatic rebel I’d imagined her to be, which is really disappointing because she has so much potential. Although naive and sheltered, she’s educated, can fight and has a lot of room for growth. Moreover, she’s chosen by the Goddess herself to challenge and change the system! So, why is she in the backseat for most of the story? Why isn’t she the driver, the leader — the one who makes her own choices and tries hard to fight against the flow??
This inaction of hers takes away the tension and excitement of the story, making the action-packed moments forgettable. Everything is conveniently solved and more often than not, what should be life-or-death trials feel no more grave than a little stumble on flat ground. Also, what happened to the court politics and intrigue? I had expected something more complicated and with more gravity than everything that was presented here. Instead, it was all child’s play.
Furthermore, there’s no character growth and though I enjoyed the characters, they’re all archetypal. Other aspects that are also lacking are the worldbuilding which contrasts poorly with the lush imagery, and the romance which feels too rushed by the final quarter of the book.
Overall, Goddess Crown has so much promise but ultimately, it didn’t deliver. Many aspects lack depth and layers, leaving us with this surface-level story when it could’ve been a wholly gorgeous and complex tale.
Filled with lush imagery and gorgeous prose, Goddess Crown is a fast-paced Afro-fantasy that follows Kalothia who grew up believing that her parents were on the run from the King which meant that she had to be hidden in the forest with caretakers all her life. It’s not until her 16th birthday that she finds herself having to flee her home and ends up at the royal court where she learns that contrary to her beliefs, she is actually the King’s daughter and now that he’s dead, she must ascend the throne. But, of course, this is not an easy task because this strictly patriarchal society is against women leading, plus there are snakes abound in the court. So, what can Kalothia do in this situation?
Why, she goes with the flow! She goes with the flow despite her many reservations and feelings of indignation. She goes with the flow even when she can take matters into her own hands and stop things because why put her smarts and training into more practice when she can have others solving things for her? Why be the main, active protagonist of her life when so many others are willing to guide her, placing her here and there so it suits them and sometimes, indirectly suits her as well?
As you can probably tell by now, Kalothia has lesser spine than desired. She’s not the charismatic rebel I’d imagined her to be, which is really disappointing because she has so much potential. Although naive and sheltered, she’s educated, can fight and has a lot of room for growth. Moreover, she’s chosen by the Goddess herself to challenge and change the system! So, why is she in the backseat for most of the story? Why isn’t she the driver, the leader — the one who makes her own choices and tries hard to fight against the flow??
This inaction of hers takes away the tension and excitement of the story, making the action-packed moments forgettable. Everything is conveniently solved and more often than not, what should be life-or-death trials feel no more grave than a little stumble on flat ground. Also, what happened to the court politics and intrigue? I had expected something more complicated and with more gravity than everything that was presented here. Instead, it was all child’s play.
Furthermore, there’s no character growth and though I enjoyed the characters, they’re all archetypal. Other aspects that are also lacking are the worldbuilding which contrasts poorly with the lush imagery, and the romance which feels too rushed by the final quarter of the book.
Overall, Goddess Crown has so much promise but ultimately, it didn’t deliver. Many aspects lack depth and layers, leaving us with this surface-level story when it could’ve been a wholly gorgeous and complex tale.
Thank you so much Pansing for sending me a copy of this in exchange for an honest review! Goddess Crown by Shade Lapite is available at all good bookstores.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism and Misogyny
Moderate: Death
Minor: Classism, Child death, Confinement, Drug use, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Death of parent
stefypb's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Thank you to Jackie from Walker Books for giving me the opportunity to review Goddess Crown by Shade Lapite.
I’m a little late to the party but I’m here nonetheless.
Goddess Crown was a fast paced action packed read. We follow Kalothia who has just found out she is the lost heir to the crown of Galla. On top of dealing with the shock she is to be queen, Kalothia also has to deal with assassination attempts, court politics and her growing feelings for a certain bodyguard.
This book has short chapters and the pacing does crack on but a lot happens, so you’re never left feeling bored.
That being said, some might say the fast pace is a bit too much. Such as certain plot points being dealt with too quickly. Which may leave you with a few questions that were left unanswered.
I did try to look up and see if this was a standalone as the ending felt like it was, but then it also felt like it has been left open for more. So…I guess watch this space.
Overall an enjoyable book. If you like court intrigue, action adventure with a bit of romance then I definitely recommend this book.
melarie's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.5
I thought the first couple of chapters were a really interesting set up for a more fantastical story. But I was ultimately disappointed, and unfortunately found the writing fairly juvenile and stilted. This may have been more noticeable because I listened to the audiobook and the narrator’s speaking cadence didn’t appeal to me.
itsnotalakeitsanocean's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Disclaimer that I was on the tail end of being ill when I started reading this book, so my opinions and thoughts are influenced by this.
Once again I picked up a book that is decent enough but I'm definitely above the target age range for this. Would definitely recommend it to readers that are fairly new to YA and/or looking to diversify their reading selection with Black authors.
What I liked
Once again I picked up a book that is decent enough but I'm definitely above the target age range for this. Would definitely recommend it to readers that are fairly new to YA and/or looking to diversify their reading selection with Black authors.
What I liked
- I liked Kalothia enough as a protagonist. She might come across as kind of whiny at times, but I think it's realistic for someone in her situation considering she was lied to about her status throughout her life, and was the target of some really nasty assassination attempts. She would make a good role model for younger readers who are looking for a protagonist who is determined yet suffers realistic setbacks.
Some people may be put off by her being chosen by The Goddess, but - as said by the former herself - Kalothia has enough free will that things are not made easy for her. - As a vervet monkey, Ye-ye was a very interesting choice of companion. He did feel a bit underutilised but he was endearing enough that he was a positive.
- If you're looking for a romance without any smut/spice and enjoy bodyguard/royal romances, this is a decent pick. This romance isn't groundbreaking by any means but again, endearing enough to be a net positive.
What I didn't like
- I feel like Kalothia was going through the motions with her trauma over her guardians dying at the beginning, instead of the trauma being something more constant as it would realistically be.
- The plot feels like a bit of a mish-mash of different things that aren't entirely cohesive when put together. I think the underlying reason why this is is because everything was a bit too fast paced and could have benefitted from slowing down to reflect on things at times (namely once Kalothia reached the palace and during her quest for the egg).
- I would have liked to have seen more Nigerian influences in the plot. I understand a lot of Black authors are probably asked to tone this down out of fear of alienating their audiences from a lack of understanding or not being able to relate to their characters/setting (skill issue; do better girlies), but nothing really made this court of intrigue plot stand out from other similar settings and plots.
- The big twist
that Hadley was the one behind Kalothia's parents and guardians' murders and was inciting conflict between the two nations was pretty obvious in hindsight. Especially considering the main theme is about men trying to gain power by being misogynistic to women and Hadley had a lot to gain from being nice to Kalothia. . I'm not too miffed about this plot point because, again, I think this book is aimed at audiences younger and less experienced in such mysteries than me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, and Death
Moderate: Violence, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Sexual harassment
fictionalmusings's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
lisashelves's review against another edition
Found myself unable to dive into the story and a bit annoyed at the main character.