Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Son of the Storm by Suyi Davies Okungbowa

11 reviews

bookishkellyn's review against another edition

adventurous tense

• 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? Yes

4.0

In Bassa, a reverse caste system–where lighter skin is looked down upon to the point of segregation–is upheld. Dansko is ‘mixed’ and therefore basically shunned, despite his academic excellence as a university scholar. After the appearance of a fabled “Yellowskin” (Lilong), his curiosity sets him and his betrothed (Esheme) on different life-changing paths, and Dansko discovers that his otherness may be a gift. The story sucked me in immediately, lulled in the middle, and then somewhat dragged at the end due to Esheme’s role as a one-dimensional villain.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, Violence, and Blood

Moderate: Racism, Xenophobia, and Classism

Minor: Pregnancy, Death of parent, War, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, and Genocide

lcgordon's review

adventurous challenging dark slow-paced

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

4.0

The worldbuilding is incredible....which means the first third of the book is an absolute slog. It really picks up in interesting ways if you can make it through that. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Blood, Death, War, Violence, Racism, Pregnancy, Xenophobia, Torture, and Gore

Moderate: Animal death, Genocide, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Child abuse, and Death of parent

zombiezami's review against another edition

A third of the way in, and it still just wasn't grabbing me. The plot feels very uninspired. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Blood, Violence, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Death, Torture, Police brutality, Classism, Xenophobia, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Vomit, Infidelity, and Death of parent

Minor: Rape

Colorism

tahsintries's review

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Genocide

seanml's review

adventurous challenging dark mysterious slow-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

3.5

Son of the Storm is a good start to a fantasy series, with tons of potential. The pace of the book I found to be somewhat slow for a while, and a lack of drive in the voice made it so that I had a hard time getting through initially. There is also a large roster of characters to keep track of and racial castes, which were probably the hardest to remember. Despite that, Son of the Storm has a great deal of worldbuilding put into it. It also has a fun magic system that can allow for deus ex machina moments without feeling that they come out of nowhere. The last 100 pages pick up in speed, and that’s mostly thanks to Esheme, who is a wonderfully entertaining antagonist to follow. Looking forward to the second installment! 7/10.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Violence, Classism, Xenophobia, Death, and Murder

Moderate: Racial slurs, Child death, Genocide, Abortion, Animal death, Gore, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief

Minor: Medical content, Miscarriage, Cursing, and Bullying

daniellestarredpages's review

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pregnancy, Death, Death of parent, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Gore, Violence, Vomit, and War

Moderate: Grief, Slavery, and Cursing

thoughtsontomes's review

informative reflective slow-paced

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

3.5

I struggled with whether I wanted to DNF this or not based on it not really gripping me but held on because there was a lot of promise. I did like what it set up enough to continue with the series. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Racism, Racial slurs, Death of parent, and Genocide

Minor: Miscarriage

ok7a's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Xenophobia, and Racism

Moderate: Hate crime

Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, and Pregnancy

thecatreads's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Death of parent, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Murder

Minor: Miscarriage, Abortion, and Death

2treads's review

tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Son Of The Storm is heady with political and tribal nuance, inflected with the richness of place and cultural practices and a hierarchy based on complexion with deep, lavishly pigmented melanin at the top; a caste system indicated by hair and clothing style and colour used to indicate guild and social standing. 

Davies has also depicted the troublesome perceptions of albinism as it exists even to this day on the continent and within the diaspora and is also weaving in the complexities of existing within a society that demands excellence through mastery of a craft and elevation of the family name at the expense of self-expression and freedom.

He also explores the complexities of immigration, forced or chosen and how the treatment and relationships forged between immigrant and country can have less than humanitarian purposes; serving to demonize a people while indenturing another.

Davies is also committed to giving us rich characters with personalities that leap off the page: ruthlessness, strength, cunning, and drive. Building the foundation of his story amidst power plays, resistance, and a nation's crumbling influence and reach.

He uses this fantastical setting as a medium to examine how societies can establish standards and borders to elevate a people above all others, engendering systems of oppression and exclusion; where collaboration is sneered upon and differences in culture, speech, and ways of being are stamped out of any who come within its walls.

This is a complex, layered and nuanced telling and reflects the many ways in which peoples are being failed by their leaders.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death and Xenophobia

Minor: Death of parent, Murder, and Violence