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gwennanwrites's review against another edition
I loved the first two books, they were super engaging and fun to read. This one was kinda boring and I never had one of those moments where you forget your reading. I am going to try listening to it as an audiobook because thats how read the first two. I also read the first two a few years ago so maybe I am remembering them as better than they actually are. ( some o the contentwarnings I added where referenced from the first two books)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Genocide, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Gore, Blood, Child death, Murder, Sexism, War, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Mental illness, Child abuse, Death, Slavery, Sexual harassment, Medical trauma, and Torture
amypt46's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Violence, Sexism, Misogyny, and Injury/Injury detail
lpdx's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Violence, Animal cruelty, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Sexism, War, Blood, Child death, Confinement, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, and Gore
Minor: Alcohol
beckyyreadss's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
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
4.0
I wanted to read this book because I absolutely adored the first book in the series, the second one was just as good, and I was waiting patiently for this book, and I think I got my hopes a little too high for this book because I was expecting more.
This book is still based on Deka who we’ve been following throughout the whole trilogy. She is a goddess-in-waiting with the potential to save her people from the brutal ancient goddesses who terrorize her kingdom of Otera. But first she must find the source of her divine power and if the Gilded ones find it before she does, they will drain her power and tear Otera apart. Alongside her friends, Deka faces the hardest battle of her life, not just with the goddess but with her own doubts. What if becoming a goddess makes her as evil as the Gilded Ones? And is she ready to leave her earthly life and loves behind?
I will forever love how Namina Forna does the found family in this book and how she manages difficult subject as well as being diverse with the LGBT rep and the POC rep. I loved the relationship between Deka and Keita and how Namina didn’t rush the romance. In most romantasy when the world is ending, they are married by the first book (From Blood and Ash, I'm looking at you). I will forever love the found family aspect and how kick ass these women are and how they choose the men they want to be around and aren’t forced anywhere. Britta saved this book from being three stars, she is the only one with some sense in her brain and I loved how her journey ended.
However, compared to the last two books, Deka’s character journey just didn’t do it for me this time around. She started off so angry and hurt and worried about dying to just giving up and letting everyone go and not being angry and that happened in a space of a chapter like what? Another thing i struggle with is book where there is a big war, and the world is ending and then it all gets resolved in one chapter. This book was mainly information overload, internal debates and travelling and then it was like okay, wars over, we are becoming Gods, the end. I was just expecting more.
I really enjoyed the first book, and the second one was just as good, but I feel like i was drastically let down with this last book. However, I will always read Namina’s work and cannot wait to see more of her work in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexism, and Violence
bookishmillennial's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-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
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial
"But it is always my cost...Always, always. It's always me making sacrifices. Even now."
Is this where I got it from, this habit of blaming myself for anything and everything?
But no, Otera is the reason, the culprit. Its culture is. The Infinite Wisdoms - the false holy books on which I was raised-conditions women to take on the sins of everyone else. No matter the situation, no matter the person, if something happens, it's always the woman's fault. And barring that, it is the fault of the men who love other men, or the yandau, or the maimed and injured, the infirm-anyone who isn't a typical Oteran man.
It is always the fault of those on the periphery.
We are the ones Otera sees as inherently weak, shameful. We are the ones who must always shoulder the blame.
"No more prescribed roles. No false holy books. No more following arcane rules, simply because you appear a certain way. Now everyone in Otera can be who they wish. Who they are inside. And that's all I've ever asked for."
To give you a very quick recap of Deka's current situation at the beginning of this book, let me help you out real quick. Deka has discovered more and more of her goddess powers and each time she uses one of her abilities, gold sores take over her body, reminding her that her time as a human is limited. Each moment that she doesn't reconnect with her kelai (celestial essence), she is closer to scattering into a million pieces. If this happens, no one will be able to stop the Gilded Ones or the Idugu will bleed her kingdom of Otera dry. Deka searches for her Mother, visits the gods, and dodges danger at every turn with the help of her friends and her mentor White Hands. Deka is the Angoro, the slayer of the gods, and she must live up to this namesake for peace.
Overall, I thought this was an inspiring and bittersweet end to this series, and while it took a bit to get there (there was absolutely some seemingly aimless filler in between these pages!), I certainly appreciated the quieter moments between the characters as they mentally and emotionally prepared to confront the inevitable (is it?! that's what I was wondering up until the very end, which I think Forna did an excellent job of - making readers guess what Deka's fate would be) choice of sacrificing herself to save her friends and the world.
Ixa gets an honorable mention because I love him; he is goofy, loyal and fiesty. I just adore this shape-shifting companion!!! Also, I absolutely adored the hot springs scene with Deka and all of her found family, Britta, Li & Keita. *tears up*
I will miss this series and I think it would be really cool to see optioned and adapted on screen!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Sexism, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Abandonment
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