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3.39 AVERAGE
3.39 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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:
Complicated
One star because I liked the first book and one because I liked the second. The third is because I really think that if she’d snuck one more book between this and the one before, it could have worked.
****Spoiler, maybe?****
Where the hell is Roën??
****Spoiler, maybe?****
Where the hell is Roën??
So, being the third book, and since i liked the ones before, why such a lower rating?! Well, the plot of the finale came from such left field. It wasn't built at all in the books before.
SPOILERS
So the second book in the end the maji are fighting the crown, big battle. Zelie has the life of the prince Inan in her hands, Amari did unforgivable things but is still trying to fight for the opressed class, this is all ok, and then all of them are kidnapped by a third party who randomly appears, decides to make them all slaves and this is how the second book ends and the third one beggins.
In the begning i thought that the Queen had a crazy trumph up her sleeve and made it as the maji be sold as slaves. Bold, but made sense.
Nah it was really a third party that was already kidnapping people from Orisha (this is sprinkled in the second book, but not enough for the readers make a great connection and actually care) because of a prophecy to make their king a god.
Then we stay all the book away from Orisha. New Gaia was pretty and the power ideias of the people from there were cool but once again, totally from left field.
Because of a bigger badder guy, the people of Orisha unite to fight, but we don't actually see perceptions change between maji and titans and kosidan. They only appear briefly in the big fight fighting all together. I thought the point of the third book, was trying the rebuild the country after all it went through and the challenges of prejudice, propaganda and so on but we don't get that. I don't know if the author thought it was to difficult to write about that, or something but it was a complete check out.
The two romances were also dissolved. Amari fell out of love for Tzain and went for Mae'e. Ay i'm all up for queer love, but it also felt quick and lacking. There was no dept, and Amari and Tzain never really talked about. And Inan and Zelie...well it was bold of the author to kill Inan. Nowadays is not seen much of that i feel like. But once again i don't feel it was well built. They hardly had interactions in the book, so when he exchanges his life for her, is a bit meh. And he is always worried about the skulls and Orisha (which makes total sense) but never thinks of using his powers on them. He has powers over dreams...you can do plenty of stuff with that. Try to get information, so spying, feeding ideias to the enemies through dreams, nightmares, people plague with nightmares get tired and don't think straight....none was used.
Oh and the big battle is only with the new gaians so why use maji like tiders or burners that could influence a lot the course of the battle. The battle going south, and Zelie thinks that is a good ideia "oh we are losing, me and Mae'e that are needed for a prophecy for this day should still get to the shore and try to fight". Of course they would get caught, what the hell?! Why did the author made them so stupid!? Just to have Baldyr became partial god and for Zelie to try killing herself to stop it?! I feel like the author wanted to have that scenes or that route, but should have thought of better ways to get to that, without me thinking the main character is stupid.
Anyway has you can see, i had plenty to say and wasn't satisfied with the book. I still read it all, and was intertaining, but i was expecting way better conclusion.
SPOILERS
So the second book in the end the maji are fighting the crown, big battle. Zelie has the life of the prince Inan in her hands, Amari did unforgivable things but is still trying to fight for the opressed class, this is all ok, and then all of them are kidnapped by a third party who randomly appears, decides to make them all slaves and this is how the second book ends and the third one beggins.
In the begning i thought that the Queen had a crazy trumph up her sleeve and made it as the maji be sold as slaves. Bold, but made sense.
Nah it was really a third party that was already kidnapping people from Orisha (this is sprinkled in the second book, but not enough for the readers make a great connection and actually care) because of a prophecy to make their king a god.
Then we stay all the book away from Orisha. New Gaia was pretty and the power ideias of the people from there were cool but once again, totally from left field.
Because of a bigger badder guy, the people of Orisha unite to fight, but we don't actually see perceptions change between maji and titans and kosidan. They only appear briefly in the big fight fighting all together. I thought the point of the third book, was trying the rebuild the country after all it went through and the challenges of prejudice, propaganda and so on but we don't get that. I don't know if the author thought it was to difficult to write about that, or something but it was a complete check out.
The two romances were also dissolved. Amari fell out of love for Tzain and went for Mae'e. Ay i'm all up for queer love, but it also felt quick and lacking. There was no dept, and Amari and Tzain never really talked about. And Inan and Zelie...well it was bold of the author to kill Inan. Nowadays is not seen much of that i feel like. But once again i don't feel it was well built. They hardly had interactions in the book, so when he exchanges his life for her, is a bit meh. And he is always worried about the skulls and Orisha (which makes total sense) but never thinks of using his powers on them. He has powers over dreams...you can do plenty of stuff with that. Try to get information, so spying, feeding ideias to the enemies through dreams, nightmares, people plague with nightmares get tired and don't think straight....none was used.
Oh and the big battle is only with the new gaians so why use maji like tiders or burners that could influence a lot the course of the battle. The battle going south, and Zelie thinks that is a good ideia "oh we are losing, me and Mae'e that are needed for a prophecy for this day should still get to the shore and try to fight". Of course they would get caught, what the hell?! Why did the author made them so stupid!? Just to have Baldyr became partial god and for Zelie to try killing herself to stop it?! I feel like the author wanted to have that scenes or that route, but should have thought of better ways to get to that, without me thinking the main character is stupid.
Anyway has you can see, i had plenty to say and wasn't satisfied with the book. I still read it all, and was intertaining, but i was expecting way better conclusion.
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-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
The first two books were very strong. This one felt rushed.
The book read like an outline not a fully developed story. It seemed to break with all the poor development of the previous 2 books in the series to introduce new lands and characters that didn't connect well. It was a disappointing end to a series that had so much promise.
2.5 ⭐️
I’m so sad. I so badly wanted to love this book after adoring the others. But it just fell short for me. It felt as those this book was completely different from the series. The conflicts that arose in the first two books were set aside for a completely new enemy that was never mentioned in the first of the series. I think this book would have been absolutely incredible as an additional book but it missed the mark as the final book in the trilogy.
Zelie
I think she had absolutely spectacular character growth in this book. She fought with the might of the gods to defeat all that came for her and those she loved. Her renewed powers as well as her new powers brought her the strength she’d always dreamed of wielding. And yet she still fought with her soul and her love before she fought with the magic swirling in her veins. Her willingness to forgive those her hurt her in the face of war was admirable.
Inan & Amari
The siblings also had such wonderful growth in this final book. They fought with the force of every cruel monarch that came before them but with the heart of the maji. They realized where they went wrong and even knowing they couldn’t fix it, fought alongside the maji. They both faced incredible hardships in this book as well. But Amari found the warmth of a new love and Inan met the cool brush of death.
The characters single handedly kept me fighting through this book. The heart break and agony to the laughter and hugs. It was so warming to see all the relationships from the previous books come together. Now, while I absolutely adore Amari & Mae’e I so wish that Roen hadn’t been completely written out of this book. We ended Children of Virtue & Vengeance with a blossoming relationship between Zelie and Roen but in this book Roen is barely mentioned.
While the character growth was a welcome read, this book was too much information packed into a very small finale. A new enemy, new war, new power, an entirely new land and people, and so much more was introduced into this book and while it was all written beautifully it was too much to contain the final book in a series. I would have loved to see this book get the justice it deserves but it truly was too many new things in one jam packed finale.
I’m so sad. I so badly wanted to love this book after adoring the others. But it just fell short for me. It felt as those this book was completely different from the series. The conflicts that arose in the first two books were set aside for a completely new enemy that was never mentioned in the first of the series. I think this book would have been absolutely incredible as an additional book but it missed the mark as the final book in the trilogy.
Zelie
I think she had absolutely spectacular character growth in this book. She fought with the might of the gods to defeat all that came for her and those she loved. Her renewed powers as well as her new powers brought her the strength she’d always dreamed of wielding. And yet she still fought with her soul and her love before she fought with the magic swirling in her veins. Her willingness to forgive those her hurt her in the face of war was admirable.
Inan & Amari
The siblings also had such wonderful growth in this final book. They fought with the force of every cruel monarch that came before them but with the heart of the maji. They realized where they went wrong and even knowing they couldn’t fix it, fought alongside the maji. They both faced incredible hardships in this book as well. But Amari found the warmth of a new love and Inan met the cool brush of death.
The characters single handedly kept me fighting through this book. The heart break and agony to the laughter and hugs. It was so warming to see all the relationships from the previous books come together. Now, while I absolutely adore Amari & Mae’e I so wish that Roen hadn’t been completely written out of this book. We ended Children of Virtue & Vengeance with a blossoming relationship between Zelie and Roen but in this book Roen is barely mentioned.
While the character growth was a welcome read, this book was too much information packed into a very small finale. A new enemy, new war, new power, an entirely new land and people, and so much more was introduced into this book and while it was all written beautifully it was too much to contain the final book in a series. I would have loved to see this book get the justice it deserves but it truly was too many new things in one jam packed finale.
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Oh boy, here we go... spoilers ahead.
When I got notified that this book had shipped, I was THRILLED! I remember how much I loved the first book, and the second book left me a little confused and hoped for an amazing closer to the trilogy-- but friends, this wasn't it.
SpoilerThis book picks up about a month after the second book ended, but five years between books is a long time. I fear that it was so long that Tomi had forgotten what the hell she was writing and who the characters were, what the plot was, and honestly, it felt like she was bored of the main character and gave her new powers.
It started by taking twenty fucking chapters to get off the damn ship. It was a long, drawn-out process that just had me wanting it to be over already, and move the story along. The book is not that thick, and the audiobook was not long enough to have so much information about getting off the boat. Then Tomi introduces new characters and new lands, and honestly, it felt like a standalone novel with its own plot with the entirety of the original plot thrown out the window.
Orisha maji and titans and everyone fighting? Nah, forget about it.
But this weird new guy who came from nowhere to find Zelie? Sureeee.
I really cannot understand what the author was thinking when she published this. How many times did Zelie need to die? You keep bringing back characters from the dead like that and it loses any real value. Besides-- Zelie, our OG MC, didn't actually do anything to be so revered? Her whole identity in this book was kind of just background noise, overshadowed by so many others POV.
The relationship between Amari and Tzain was weird, staying strong through two books and had a little crack between them after what Amari did to Tzain's hometown. But then it was like POOF Amari suddenly is in love with this new chick and Tzain is perfectly fine with it. That felt like it was done specifically so that Tomi could say she wrote something LGBTQ+ relevant.
And by the way-- where the fuck is Roen??? I kept waiting for them to be like "Oh the mercenaries worked for this guy and Roen sold them out" or SOMETHING, but no. That would have been a much more shocking, realistic plot for the book, but Roen doesn't get even that. He is mentioned just ONCE and never seen again. Zelie was falling for him, brought him back from the dead, tied her life to his and dragged his body all over the place to keep him alive and he's just... no longer in the story? And now we are supposed to have feelings about her and Inan again? What a whiplash.
Inan's death was stupid, and I hated it. It felt pointless and I didn't fully understand what their bodies were doing, or how that happened. It was just: a dreamscape, goodbye, done.
THEN THE ENDING!!!
"He's dead. The end." Are you messing with me??? Are you being serious? That is how you decided to end the series after fans waited five years? Oh wait, I'm sorry, there was a brief epilogue where everything was glitter and rainbows and everyone held hands and sang kumbaya-- even Amari's mother, Nehander. After all her hatred towards maji, we just... accept this? What happened to the years of fighting? The bloodlust so strong in Nehander that she was ready to kill her own children? We are just supposed to accept that after decades of war, it's resolved in less than five pages? Unbelievable.
I didn't enjoy it. It was lazy, it was messy, it didn't make any sense, and four POV's made it worse. She teaches creative writing, and this was what she published? The first book opened the door for so much potential, it was such a beautiful, much needed black-driven fantasy inspired by African culture but it fell flat, shriveled up, and blew away in the wind.
The only reason I gave this two stars instead of one is for the concept and the way she writes isn't bad, it's just the story and the characters were not great.
When I got notified that this book had shipped, I was THRILLED! I remember how much I loved the first book, and the second book left me a little confused and hoped for an amazing closer to the trilogy-- but friends, this wasn't it.
SpoilerThis book picks up about a month after the second book ended, but five years between books is a long time. I fear that it was so long that Tomi had forgotten what the hell she was writing and who the characters were, what the plot was, and honestly, it felt like she was bored of the main character and gave her new powers.
It started by taking twenty fucking chapters to get off the damn ship. It was a long, drawn-out process that just had me wanting it to be over already, and move the story along. The book is not that thick, and the audiobook was not long enough to have so much information about getting off the boat. Then Tomi introduces new characters and new lands, and honestly, it felt like a standalone novel with its own plot with the entirety of the original plot thrown out the window.
Orisha maji and titans and everyone fighting? Nah, forget about it.
But this weird new guy who came from nowhere to find Zelie? Sureeee.
I really cannot understand what the author was thinking when she published this. How many times did Zelie need to die? You keep bringing back characters from the dead like that and it loses any real value. Besides-- Zelie, our OG MC, didn't actually do anything to be so revered? Her whole identity in this book was kind of just background noise, overshadowed by so many others POV.
The relationship between Amari and Tzain was weird, staying strong through two books and had a little crack between them after what Amari did to Tzain's hometown. But then it was like POOF Amari suddenly is in love with this new chick and Tzain is perfectly fine with it. That felt like it was done specifically so that Tomi could say she wrote something LGBTQ+ relevant.
And by the way-- where the fuck is Roen??? I kept waiting for them to be like "Oh the mercenaries worked for this guy and Roen sold them out" or SOMETHING, but no. That would have been a much more shocking, realistic plot for the book, but Roen doesn't get even that. He is mentioned just ONCE and never seen again. Zelie was falling for him, brought him back from the dead, tied her life to his and dragged his body all over the place to keep him alive and he's just... no longer in the story? And now we are supposed to have feelings about her and Inan again? What a whiplash.
Inan's death was stupid, and I hated it. It felt pointless and I didn't fully understand what their bodies were doing, or how that happened. It was just: a dreamscape, goodbye, done.
THEN THE ENDING!!!
"He's dead. The end." Are you messing with me??? Are you being serious? That is how you decided to end the series after fans waited five years? Oh wait, I'm sorry, there was a brief epilogue where everything was glitter and rainbows and everyone held hands and sang kumbaya-- even Amari's mother, Nehander. After all her hatred towards maji, we just... accept this? What happened to the years of fighting? The bloodlust so strong in Nehander that she was ready to kill her own children? We are just supposed to accept that after decades of war, it's resolved in less than five pages? Unbelievable.
I didn't enjoy it. It was lazy, it was messy, it didn't make any sense, and four POV's made it worse. She teaches creative writing, and this was what she published? The first book opened the door for so much potential, it was such a beautiful, much needed black-driven fantasy inspired by African culture but it fell flat, shriveled up, and blew away in the wind.
The only reason I gave this two stars instead of one is for the concept and the way she writes isn't bad, it's just the story and the characters were not great.