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3.39 AVERAGE
3.39 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
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
I read some other reviews of this book before writing this, and the take I've seen the most, which I agree with, is that this book can get kinda convoluted. The timeline is hard to parse, since the story doesn't take place at a constant pace and there isn't much of an indication when there are time jumps. There also wasn't a clear indication of which of the two POVs was being used in any particular chapter, you'd just have to figure it out through context clues, which is definitely a pet peeve of mine.
Beyond that, I did really like the less-commonly seen mythology, and a fantasy that wasn't based in a eurocentric society. The magic system was cool, if confusing, and I enjoyed seeing the different aspects of it through our two protagonists.
Beyond that, I did really like the less-commonly seen mythology, and a fantasy that wasn't based in a eurocentric society. The magic system was cool, if confusing, and I enjoyed seeing the different aspects of it through our two protagonists.
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
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:
No
Master of Poisons is a tough book to read. The writing style is dreamlike - sometimes vague, often lacking in much context, moving forward mostly slowly but occasionally zooming months or years months in a couple of paragraphs. I think it's intended to evoke oral traditions like myth or poetry - stories you can't interrupt for little things like clarifications. The overall theme is making one's own future in the face of near-certain societal collapse (okay, it's climate change), and our two protagonists, Djola and Awa, slowly grow into people who can do so. The world is creative, and although (as with most dreams) I will forget most of the details of the world by next week, I enjoyed the glimpse the author gave me.
This was an interesting change of pace, especially in writing style. I don't think I could read more than one or two books like this a year, but I did enjoy this one.
This was an interesting change of pace, especially in writing style. I don't think I could read more than one or two books like this a year, but I did enjoy this one.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
There were a lot of things I loved about this book, but the pacing was plodding and the prose was too dense for me to really feel any draw to continue reading it. After a while it just started to feel like it was holding up other books I was more interested in reading.
I gave this a three because I truly think I just didn't understand the style. It has a very purposeful, almost traditional oral story feel to it, and I couldn't get into it. I can 100% see the draw, but it's just not for me.
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The folklore that inspired the story was very rich, but the writing was very dense and the book was slow, so it was hard to be invested in the story and characters
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a fantasy like no other I’ve ever read. I had a hard time getting into it since you’re thrown into the world without much explanation. But, when I got to the end, I was so invested in Awa and Djola’s stories! Their sacrifices and willingness to do anything for their world was beautiful.
The writing was so unique, too. Some chapters were even written from the POV of animals and trees! It wasn’t my favorite book ever, but it certainly was fascinating.
The writing was so unique, too. Some chapters were even written from the POV of animals and trees! It wasn’t my favorite book ever, but it certainly was fascinating.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Torture, Violence, Blood, Abandonment
Minor: Sexual content