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zombiezami's review against another edition
Loved the premise, but the execution didn't hold my attention
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Death of parent, Child death, Confinement, Slavery, Alcohol, and Animal death
Minor: Colonisation
a_random_fangirl's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Blood, Colonisation, Murder, Slavery, Death, and Gore
mj_86's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Kidnapping
photogenicegg's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I don't know how to explain it but I wish there was more. More explanation of things, more things happening, a little more high stakes situations. It got very repetitive having Kola being the one in danger or getting injured all the time. I have several questions about things that happened toward the end specifically Yinka's and Bem's fates . The cliffhanger was not my favorite as it didn't really leave me needing to figure out what happens next. It just kinda...ends.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore, Blood, and Death
Minor: Slavery
bbygirl21's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
This is a good book. It just wasn't my favorite. I'm mostly a romance reader, so even in a mythology packed fantasy book, I need at least some romance in it, and they're just wasn't in this book. The main character and the boy she saved are supposed to like each other, but I just didn't feel any romantic chemistry between them. Maybe that develops more in the second book, but I don't plan on reading that yet.
I did get quite emotional at some parts. Especially when it came to a particular death scene. I thought the writing was great, even if it wasn't for me. The ending was really good as well.
The ending is done well enough that you wouldn't necessarily need to read the second book. Yes it ends kind of open ended, with some questions left unanswered. But I don't necessarily consider it a cliffhanger. You could stop with this book and be fine in my opinion.
Overall this is a good book. I loved the mythology and the plotline. I wanted more romance, but if that's not your thing this is definitely for you. I'd probably still recommend this even if it wasn't entirely for me.
I did get quite emotional at some parts. Especially when it came to a particular death scene. I thought the writing was great, even if it wasn't for me. The ending was really good as well.
The ending is done well enough that you wouldn't necessarily need to read the second book. Yes it ends kind of open ended, with some questions left unanswered. But I don't necessarily consider it a cliffhanger. You could stop with this book and be fine in my opinion.
Overall this is a good book. I loved the mythology and the plotline. I wanted more romance, but if that's not your thing this is definitely for you. I'd probably still recommend this even if it wasn't entirely for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Body horror, Grief, Blood, Death, Genocide, Confinement, Murder, Colonisation, Child death, Racism, Slavery, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Physical abuse, Violence, and Trafficking
Minor: Pregnancy
ziraphen's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Death
Moderate: Colonisation
Minor: Suicide attempt
saliwali's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Moderate: Grief, Slavery, and Suicide
idanolberger's review
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.0
I'm sorry, this book was such a disappointment to me. I thought the prose of this book sounded so good, but the execution was just terrible.
First of all, the relationship dynamics between the characters were just strange from the start. Characters that had just met acted like they'd known each other for ages. The pacing was really bad, to the point where each time they mentioned the passing of time I had to pause and flip through the last few pages I'd read because I didn't think it made sense.
Then we have the problem of not describing things, it was only tell and not show in this book. And sometimes even the telling wasn't enough. Because instead of showing through actions and body language what the characters were feeling, it would just be a statement. And I remember one passage vividly, because I got so pissed of, where she wrote something along the lines of "thinking of when the storms at sea form, the feeling I get, the scent in the air." but she doesn't go on to actually describe the feeling or the scent. I feel there were multiple time things like this happened.
I also think that the characters would react and behave a bit strange in some parts. Like when they are with the yumbos and all of them start moaning in pain and fall to the ground. I would think that if something like that happened anyone who witnessed it would be freaked out immediately but Simidele acted so calm it was almost creepy.
Another thing I didn't like was how completely focused Simidele was on Kola (and him on her but not as bad) to the point where it felt like she didn't give two fucks about anyone else. When at the end of the book Esu is trying to trick her by telling her she could be human again to be with Kola and she actually seems to consider it? Because that would have been so incredibly selfish. I also think she was low-key kind of stupid at several points in the book.
I feel like this book would have been better as a movie for kids (if you made it less bloody i guess). But I don't think it was good in book format. The flashbacks added nothing to story for me, I could have been without 99% of them. I guess the only flashback I consider maybe worthwhile was the one where her mother recounts her birth. But all the others were just an interruption to the story. They would have been better if it were a movie, but as a book it should have been left out.
And don't get me started on Issas death. Because that was so unnecessary, and I'm not even angry because I was saddened by it. I didn't really care about any of the characters, but it was unnecessary plot-wise. It served no purpose. He should've gone back home (like he'd promised) and they never addressed the fact that he stayed. They just brushed past it. And I don't even get why he stayed except for having this moment on deck where they don't know what is in the sack?? But other than that he added nothing. And then they killed him to again just make the other characters sad? But it didn't actually add anything or drive the plot forward.
I could honestly go on forever with more things, but I will leave it here. These were my main issues. I would have given it 1 or 1.5 stars if it weren't for some plot twists toward the end that made it a little bit more enjoyable.
First of all, the relationship dynamics between the characters were just strange from the start. Characters that had just met acted like they'd known each other for ages. The pacing was really bad, to the point where each time they mentioned the passing of time I had to pause and flip through the last few pages I'd read because I didn't think it made sense.
Then we have the problem of not describing things, it was only tell and not show in this book. And sometimes even the telling wasn't enough. Because instead of showing through actions and body language what the characters were feeling, it would just be a statement. And I remember one passage vividly, because I got so pissed of, where she wrote something along the lines of "thinking of when the storms at sea form, the feeling I get, the scent in the air." but she doesn't go on to actually describe the feeling or the scent. I feel there were multiple time things like this happened.
I also think that the characters would react and behave a bit strange in some parts.
Another thing I didn't like was how completely focused Simidele was on Kola (and him on her but not as bad) to the point where it felt like she didn't give two fucks about anyone else.
I feel like this book would have been better as a movie for kids (if you made it less bloody i guess). But I don't think it was good in book format. The flashbacks added nothing to story for me, I could have been without 99% of them. I guess the only flashback I consider maybe worthwhile was the one where her mother recounts her birth. But all the others were just an interruption to the story. They would have been better if it were a movie, but as a book it should have been left out.
I could honestly go on forever with more things, but I will leave it here. These were my main issues. I would have given it 1 or 1.5 stars if it weren't for some plot twists toward the end that made it a little bit more enjoyable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Blood, Gore, Violence, and Slavery
squinnittowinit's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-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? It's complicated
3.75
Personally I would have enjoyed it more without the romance. I didn't really feel like there was much of a reason for it to be there outside of the little mermaid parallel. I also didn't love any of the characters. I thought they were fine, but I didn't feel like I knew them very well or that they had much depth overall. An okay book that's rather forgettable for me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Slavery, and Violence
Minor: Child death, Kidnapping, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Death, and Blood
bookhoarderbea's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Trafficking, Blood, Slavery, and Violence