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brynalexa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Classism, Death of parent, Child death, Death, Deportation, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Kidnapping, Violence, War, Misogyny, Racism, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Medical content
Minor: Alcohol and Animal death
bookishperseus's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Racism, Emotional abuse, Gore, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Death, Blood, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Genocide, Grief, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Racial slurs, Violence, War, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Torture and Fire/Fire injury
good_names_dont_exist's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Violence, Blood, and War
Moderate: Child death, Genocide, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual content
eusteph's review against another edition
- 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
I'm so glad I followed my instincts and waited to read this right before the third book came out even though I've owned this book for at least two years now.
This series is the one that got me back into YA fantasy after a long long reading slump, and, as expected, this book did not disappoint.
In the past, I felt guilty about disliking protagonists, but nowadays I'm not even ashamed to say that Zélie is probably my least favorite character in this series. However, the other characters more than make up for it.
This book packed a punch in only four hundred pages. The plot developed so much I actually did a double take when I realized how short the book is. I think this goes to show that Tomi Adeyemi is brilliant.
I can't wait to see what will happen in the next installment.
Graphic: Genocide
ethuiliel's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: War, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Blood, Death of parent, Deportation, Grief, Physical abuse, and Torture
Minor: Sexual content
paintedpolarbear's review against another edition
3.0
To start with, the introduction of Titans was, at the beginning, a logical progression from the ending of the previous book. "The Gods work in mysterious ways" indeed, and it appeared to be a natural consequence of magic returning to the world. How would maji, with their closed cultural practices revolving around magic, adapt to the sudden influx of non-religious magic users? How would the new Titans adapt to their unprecedented powers? The answer was badly, on both counts, with the arrival of Titans sowing immediate chaos and disunity among the nation. Nobody handled this well. My major gripe was how quickly the argument among the maji devolved from actual cultural concerns to "well we just have to account for them when drawing up plans on how to kill as many people as possible." The idea that this was the gods' plan all along just never came up, which is insane considering how many other discussions revolved around trying to puzzle out the gods' will. What should have been a metaphor for socio-religious conflict became "my enemy leveled up, so now I have to level up as well," ad infinitum. Nobody wins in an arms race, btw.
One constant bugbear throughout the entire book was Amari's choices and actions. She quickly went from a character I was rooting for to a character I was hoping would die in a rockslide or something. Like, I get it, what are you supposed to do when the person whose approval you need says to your face that the best thing you can do for your country is die, but...I think the right answer is NOT to turn around and immediately magically lobotomize that person, take up the role of tribal elder (it's giving settler colonialism 🥴), and proceed to develop your own special and unique take on magic that completely disregards the cultural history that you have only just now become even slightly curious about. I'm also side-eyeing Mama Agba for condoning and encouraging literally everything about this.
Not to mention the LITERAL ACTUAL WAR CRIME of TARGETING CIVILIANS. Over which she has the AUDACITY to be shocked and dismayed that people are upset that she committed. Of which SHE is upset ONLY BECAUSE IT DIDN'T WORK. And expected everyone (including her boyfriend) to forgive her when OTHER PEOPLE have to resort to BLOOD SACRIFICE to invent NEW MAGIC just to UNDO WHAT SHE DID.
(This is not to say I am not side-eying Zelie/the Iyika literally using the exact same superweapon in their attack against the monarchy in the next scene, but it's fine because they're targeting soldiers? Can we be serious.)
Oh and the epilogue. Why was the trans-Atlantic slave trade overture necessary at all?
Graphic: War, Child death, Torture, Colonisation, Religious bigotry, Violence, Trafficking, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Death, and Genocide
sweetchocolatez's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Violence, Murder, War, and Death
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Slavery, Torture, Genocide, Blood, Body horror, and Child death
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Alcohol
lady_valhella's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Abandonment, Death, Classism, Cancer, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, and Toxic relationship
jlemms87's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
5.0
SO well done. I had to pace myself because the darkness and hate were so well written that I needed breaks. My heart is still aching for each of the characters, and for how desperately I just wanted them to listen to one another.
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Hate crime, Colonisation, Panic attacks/disorders, Child abuse, Child death, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Murder, Toxic relationship, Blood, Toxic friendship, Cancer, Racial slurs, Death, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
someryarns's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Racial slurs, Murder, War, Xenophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Genocide, Violence, Grief, and Racism
Moderate: Death of parent and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Kidnapping