Reviews

Bride of the River God by Sarah A. Macklin

auntieyorgareads's review

adventurous inspiring reflective fast-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

4.75

tuma's review

adventurous inspiring tense fast-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? Yes

3.75

This was a fun read! Started off a bit dry/slow. But I think it's because I came in expecting a fantasy but this is more of a myth! It's an origin story. Once I realized that, the simplicity and sparseness of the writing worked really well. I enjoyed following Anene on her arduous journey and rooting her bad-ass self on loudly as she kicked ass and took names. I'm a little embarrassed to meet, but I need Machlin to write a fanfic of her own work 😅. I feel like Anene and Nniro would set the underwater sheets on 🔥🔥🔥🔥. Lmaoo

seeceeread's review

adventurous inspiring lighthearted 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? It's complicated

💭 "All of her life she'd been taught that the gods were looking on the world with care. Now, to see them, they were cold-hearted."

A new classic. A coming-of-age folktale. A short story separated into just over a dozen parts. I am eager to treat this as a bedtime series for my Black girl, who deserves narratives where a protagonist ... 
🐚 Experiences a wide range of emotion
🐚 Must learn from mistakes
🐚 Completes a complex task for herself and her community
🐚 Negotiates with more powerful stakeholders while holding true to her principles
🐚 Ultimately carves a heretofore unseen role that serves others without sacrificing her own wellness

Macklin is spare, focusing on plot. Yet she offers enough details and inventive imagery for coherence in a unique setting. Now I'm interested in the author's other work, including short stories and a debut novel, 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝘆𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗰. 

greeniezona's review

adventurous hopeful medium-paced

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

5.0

I published this so I am not exactly an unbiased source, but I have loved this story from the first time I read it in manuscript, through the many, many times I reread it in editing and typesetting. It is a lovely little tale of a young woman learning to fight for what she wants while on a fantastical journey in a richly imagined world. Come for the young woman standing up to gods on her own, stay for the talking toads, transforming landscapes, and rain-soaked battles.