Reviews with content warning for War - Rosalera

Reviews tagging 'War'

Rosalera by Tade Thompson

7 reviews

zosiablue's review against another edition

adventurous funny mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

Ah man the story is so cool and inventive - aliens invade via some mycological ideaspace & there's now a secret police force full of psychics who use the ideaspace to read minds & kick ass, in Nigeria. The US hasn't been heard from in 45 years! But the main character is so sexist and obnoxious and uncharming that it's almost unbearable to read. The author is clear that the MC isn't necessarily likable and is way flawed, but it just didn't land and ruined the story for me. I won't keep reading the trilogy.

Content Warnings

shostakofish's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.75

Rosewater by Tade Thompson is the new rec for anyone looking for cyberpunk/alien contemplative scifi but in a new way. The author is British born Nigerian and so it has a really refreshing and new spin on what is usually a super cookie-cutter genre!

tbh i woulndt recommend it for completely new to the genre people because it specifically plays with tropes and is nonchronological narrative so it's not an easy starting point

also the audiobook has some beautiful voice work but the aforementioned nonchronological narrative format can make it difficult to follow, I had to rewind a lot

also it says 'fuck trump' explicitly at one point

I'd say a TW peruse could be a good thing if you (or anyone you recommend it to) are sensitive to book triggers. But the author is pretty clearly very left/accepting. The characters/plot are just not nice.

Content Warnings

maricasement's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious tense 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? Yes

3.75

I have conflicted feelings about this book. I went into it knowing only what was written on the blurb and was really excited for the story. The story is told in first person and as the main character (Kaaro) was introduced I got even more excited because I thought they were an interesting, if a bit misogynistic, female character. Alas, Kaaro turned out to be an arrogant and irritating misogynistic male character. My dislike for him was increased by being immersed in his inner thoughts and his obliviousness to his faults. However, I do understand why the author made the choice to use the first person perspective as it becomes more relevant and important in setting the scene as the book progresses.
Because of my dislike for Kaaro, the first half of the book dragged. There was a lot being set up at the start as well, and this meant that the book took a while to grip me. Once the book revealed an awareness of Kaaro's faults and the mystery started to take shape, I started enjoying the book a bit more. Don't get me wrong, Kaaro is still a character I dislike, but the other (female) characters, the plot and the world building now have me hooked.
I will probably read the next in the series, as it seems to be told from a different character's perspective and I would love to learn more about the world Tade Thompson has crafted.

Content Warnings

albernikolauras's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

Rosewater is a book following a town centered around an alien presence and the main character Kaaro as he looks into the reason people with powers like him are dying. It's a fast-paced sci fi that throws you into the action and jumps around in the timeline to help you figure out the history of Rosewater.

This book is not for everyone. Kaaro is a misogynistic coward and an opportunistic criminal, and you are stuck with him for the majority of the book. I ended up having a near affection for him despite this - he's probably the most likable unlikeable character. But his issues are never left unconfronted, Aminat is amazing, and the plot kept me interested the entire time. It's jam packed with government conflicts, underhanded trickery, an oddly cute romance, and some squishy alien science.

This was a re-read to prep me for reading the rest of the books.

Content Warnings

gattolinos_nerdy_nook's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
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

4.0

This book has me puzzled in a way that I don't know how to describe it. Even after finishing it can't tell you what the plot is about, but I can say that is had me hooked and left me still thinking about it.

The characters and the plot worked so well together that it felt like you were observing someone's life. There were moments of lull and intensity but it all felt realistic. It felt like someone was telling me their life story and not reading a book for entertainment.

With this being the first book in the trilogy I'm curious to see what the other two books will be about.

Content Warnings

internationalreads's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
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

3.0

Content Warnings

skudiklier's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-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

3.5

This book was super interesting! I had a weird experience reading it because I did so very slowly and deliberately, which is unusual for me. It was somewhat dark and not entirely what I expected. But I hope to read the rest of the trilogy eventually!

Content Warnings

More...