Reviews tagging 'Slavery'

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

99 reviews

clarabooksit's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Xenophobia, Grief, Racism, Child death, Genocide, Toxic relationship, Death, War, Murder, Violence, Police brutality, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Torture, and Death of parent

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Slavery

carpechristi's review

As a Black woman, I wanted to read only Black authors during Black History Month. While this book is incredibly well written, and the world already seems so lush and beautiful, I was not ready for the slavery, colorism, racism, child abuse and sexual assault. I read enough of these kinds of stories growing up and thought this was going to be a little bit more joyful. I understand that setting the tone is probably important for showing off just how victorious the characters are going to be in the end, but I just wasn’t ready to encounter all of those triggers within the first two chapters. I own a physical copy and will revisit it again someday. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Slavery, Child abuse, Genocide, Police brutality, Racism, Trafficking, War, Xenophobia, and Murder

Moderate: Sexual violence

celestial_bookdragon's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Death, Murder, Torture, Blood, and Violence

Moderate: Genocide, Confinement, and Slavery

geckoedit's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.75

This book is fantastic and I can't wait to read the next one. The worldbuilding is exquisite, the magic is tangible, and the heartache is doused in centuries of real-world blood and oppression, and it makes this, a work of fantasy, undeniably real.

The only thing that held me back from a full five stars was some (minimal) clichés like letting out a breath one doesn't know one is holding.

Really, I struggled more with the changeability of one character's motivations, and some lucky solutions that could have been foreshadowed a little better to show they were part of the master plan all along. But really, I'm just nitpicking here. I loved this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Blood, Gore, Slavery, War, Violence, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse

rafacolog's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Torture, Slavery, and Genocide

ymile_mahllew's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional medium-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? Yes

4.0

Despite it sometimes being trope-y and predictable and having a romance that felt forced/unnecessary, I really enjoyed the heart of this book and the worldbuilding.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Genocide, Racism, Slavery, Death of parent, Child death, and Torture

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, and Police brutality

Minor: Sexual content

lermaline's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

J'avais hâte de me plonger dans De sang et de rage dont j'avais beaucoup entendu parler sous son titre en anglais, Children of Blood and Bone de Tomi Adeyemi. J'avoue avoir toujours été impressionnée par la couverture qu'une fois (digitalement) tournée je n'ai presque pas refermée, captivée par les aventures de Zélie. Lu en français, je savais que le public cible du livre se situait dans une tranche d'âge inférieure à la mienne, particulièrement pour les enfants à partir de 14 ans. J'ai donc adapté mes attentes avant de me lancer (relation amoureuse entre ados non-explicite, recherche d'identité, affirmation de soi, indépendance face à ses parents et d'autres formes d'autorité et/ou de pouvoir, rébellion contre l'injustice). Cet ouvrage se lit très rapidement grâce à des chapitres courts alternant les points de vue de presque tous les personnages principaux, Zélie, Amari et Inan dans un pays et une culture inspirés du Nigéria. Les thèmes abordés sont lourds et actuels : le roi régnant qui dirige sans pitié Orïsha a commis un génocide envers les membres magiques de son peuple et a éteint à sa source la magie elle-même, a asservi, exploité et terrorise encore les familles endeuillées à jamais amputées de leurs proches, forcés à revivre encore et encore les souvenirs de ces assassinats par les forces armées royales. Vivre dans Orïsha est dangereux, il faut savoir s'y défendre si l'on ne veut pas être anéanti, et parfois ce n'est pas suffisant. J'ai particulièrement apprécié les descriptions du système de déités et des pouvoirs magiques, des villes et paysages ainsi que les animaux compagnons géants. J'ai peut-être remarqué un peu tard les parallèles évidents avec Avatar (Derniers Maîtres de l'Air) sans en être dérangée puisque j'aime énormément cette série. 

J'aurais aimé passer plus de temps avec certains personnages (dans le village des maji), avoir le point de vue de Tzain, approfondir la relation avec la mère de Zélie et Tzain, voir un rapprochement avec Amari et lui, voire même Amari et Zélie, approfondir les conflits sociaux et politiques dans Orïsha. 
Evidemment la fin ne dupe pas le vieux loup de mer de fantasy que je suis, et tant que l'on a pas vu et confirmé en détail la mort d'Inan, je reste persuadée de le retrouver dans le prochain livre.

 

Dans l'ensemble, je suis heureuse d'avoir lu cet ouvrage et le recommande autour de moi. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, War, Violence, Child death, Colonisation, Death of parent, Genocide, Murder, Racism, Slavery, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Trafficking

_p0ssum_'s review

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery and Genocide

amyhasel's review

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful sad tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

A fantasy take on colonialism and racism against Black people in America. I could not be more impressed by the world-building, including a culturally informed magic system, and cast of characters. Absolutely a must-read for all fantasy-lovers. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Racism, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Colonisation, Classism, and Death of parent

intoxicatedflower's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Police brutality, Racism, Torture, Death, Death of parent, Blood, Hate crime, Sexual harassment, Slavery, and Violence