Reviews

It took me a while to get going in this one, probably partially because it'd been so long since I read the first book (almost a year ago) and I had to remember where things left off. I like the slow growth of Koffi and Ekon throughout the book, you never forget that they're teenagers and they react to things the way teenagers do, but they're also learning and growing as people, too. The expansion of the universe, including learning more about daraja magic, was neat, and the backstory chapters with Binti really helped to flesh out some backstory here, too. As usual, things end on a cliffhanger and with a big info reveal that makes me ready to pick up the next book in the series.

essierose95's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

court_bee's review against another edition

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adventurous fast-paced

3.75

"Pretentious old men with white in their beards will asseverate that the notions of good and evil are simple,” he murmured. "You should know that those old men are nothing but fools and cowards. Good and evil are never simple. They are capricious beasts, ever shifting in their shape, and rarely beautiful." He stared off into the distance then, so long that Koffi wondered if he'd forgotten she was there. He didn't look at her when he spoke again. "You may not agree with my method of choice right now," he said, "but someday, my dearest hope is that you will come to understand it. - 38%

Usually books with multiple POVs can struggle to keep the reader interested in both storylines; with one feeling like filler while you wait for your favourite. However, I think this was really well balanced and the extra POV from Binti, which also follows a different timeline, was really well placed around the current timeline. I'm glad the author chose to continue adding chapters from older charcters who can provide us with some history. It makes the world building easy to consume and is woven well into the story so it doesn't feel dumped on us.
Binti's story was slower and more emotional which nicely balanced the plot and action heavy chapters from Ekon and Koffi.

The subplot romance is the books weakness and was still pretty heavy handed with common tropes, including a love triangle or two. With the MCs apart in a Romantasy book it was bound to happen but it's likely being used to prove they won't just be choosing each other by the end only because there were no other options.