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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
This took me so long to finish because I was so upset and disappointed by so much that I just stopped reading it for months lol.
Coming off the first book I was really excited to get to the sequel because I actually really enjoyed Blood & Bone. My book club absolutely tore it to shreds which altered my perception of it a little, but not much, I think I’d still hold that book in good regards because I had fun enough to immediately get the sequel. However I think it did give me a more critical lens going into this one, but I think even without that critical eye there were some GLARING flaws in this than can’t and shouldn’t be ignored.
First of all, plot wise this is the same book done over again. Tomi Adeyemi somehow progressed the story of B&B and then redid the story again lol. Same Maji fighting the royals plot, same fighting with a handicap plot, same, same, same. Queen Nehanda is literally just King Saran 2.0 but with less clear character motivation, which is absolutely strange because this wasnt something that was even hinted at in the first book from the stories of Inan & Amari. Saran was always the villain in their stories and their mother was not a crucial figure at all, rather a complacent one, and now somehow she’s like the biggest bad who is responsible even for the motivations of Saran’s villainy, though we don’t know her motivations at all? I think Adeyemi really didn’t want to have to find different conflict points so she just did the same thing over, but didn’t care to make it make sense because how are you telling me the entire royal fleet who was against Magic and Maji all suddenly get OP magical powers and remain against magic and Maji?? Like not ONE royal person has any change of heart or sense of unity? And what would be the point of erasing maji if you are one, like why not just rule the maji with your now relatable pov?
But that’s not even my biggest gripe with this book, that spot is held by the brutal lack of intentional characterization and the MASSACRE of sensible character motivations and personal story arc. These characters went through everything they went through in the first book and STILL; Tzain is 2D useless fodder plot dressing with now pov; Inan is failing at being a conflicted character and is rather neurotic and bipolar in the way he complete 180’s his intentions and actions every few chapters; Amari in fact makes backward character progression with everything that we learn of her and see her overcome in the first book being completely thrown away so that she can be a merciless savage throne hungry aspiring Queen willing to commit mass murder to justify her means, even though that’s against EVERYTHING we just learned about her; and Zelie doesn’t progress at all even a little bit, same old Zelie through and through, and somehow even in that she ends up being the most consistent character in development (mind you I absolutely hate her).
And that’s not even touching on these random and poor attempts at romances that are happening, but I really just don’t want to get into that. The only thing that keeps this from being one star, is that there was a clear attempt to build this world better and to establish more of the magic system, and parts of that I did enjoy. However, overall r his series just feels like it’s going nowhere, and the ending of this book is absolutely abysmal. A SLAVE SHIP, ADEYEMI!? SLAVES!?!? Part of me wants to read the 3rd one just to see if Adeyemi even tries to wrap everything up in a non-cringe manor, and because it’s the shortest of the three so I wanna know how that would even make sense to do in a shorter story than these were; and the other part of me just wants to save myself from the hours lost reading it when I have such a strong suspicion it’s terrible. I do own a physical copy of Anguish & Anarchy, plus I heard Cynthia Erivo does the audio which is a big incentive so maybe I will tune in, but I’ll be doing so without expecting it to actually be good unfortunately.
Coming off the first book I was really excited to get to the sequel because I actually really enjoyed Blood & Bone. My book club absolutely tore it to shreds which altered my perception of it a little, but not much, I think I’d still hold that book in good regards because I had fun enough to immediately get the sequel. However I think it did give me a more critical lens going into this one, but I think even without that critical eye there were some GLARING flaws in this than can’t and shouldn’t be ignored.
First of all, plot wise this is the same book done over again. Tomi Adeyemi somehow progressed the story of B&B and then redid the story again lol. Same Maji fighting the royals plot, same fighting with a handicap plot, same, same, same. Queen Nehanda is literally just King Saran 2.0 but with less clear character motivation, which is absolutely strange because this wasnt something that was even hinted at in the first book from the stories of Inan & Amari. Saran was always the villain in their stories and their mother was not a crucial figure at all, rather a complacent one, and now somehow she’s like the biggest bad who is responsible even for the motivations of Saran’s villainy, though we don’t know her motivations at all? I think Adeyemi really didn’t want to have to find different conflict points so she just did the same thing over, but didn’t care to make it make sense because how are you telling me the entire royal fleet who was against Magic and Maji all suddenly get OP magical powers and remain against magic and Maji?? Like not ONE royal person has any change of heart or sense of unity? And what would be the point of erasing maji if you are one, like why not just rule the maji with your now relatable pov?
But that’s not even my biggest gripe with this book, that spot is held by the brutal lack of intentional characterization and the MASSACRE of sensible character motivations and personal story arc. These characters went through everything they went through in the first book and STILL; Tzain is 2D useless fodder plot dressing with now pov; Inan is failing at being a conflicted character and is rather neurotic and bipolar in the way he complete 180’s his intentions and actions every few chapters; Amari in fact makes backward character progression with everything that we learn of her and see her overcome in the first book being completely thrown away so that she can be a merciless savage throne hungry aspiring Queen willing to commit mass murder to justify her means, even though that’s against EVERYTHING we just learned about her; and Zelie doesn’t progress at all even a little bit, same old Zelie through and through, and somehow even in that she ends up being the most consistent character in development (mind you I absolutely hate her).
And that’s not even touching on these random and poor attempts at romances that are happening, but I really just don’t want to get into that. The only thing that keeps this from being one star, is that there was a clear attempt to build this world better and to establish more of the magic system, and parts of that I did enjoy. However, overall r his series just feels like it’s going nowhere, and the ending of this book is absolutely abysmal. A SLAVE SHIP, ADEYEMI!? SLAVES!?!? Part of me wants to read the 3rd one just to see if Adeyemi even tries to wrap everything up in a non-cringe manor, and because it’s the shortest of the three so I wanna know how that would even make sense to do in a shorter story than these were; and the other part of me just wants to save myself from the hours lost reading it when I have such a strong suspicion it’s terrible. I do own a physical copy of Anguish & Anarchy, plus I heard Cynthia Erivo does the audio which is a big incentive so maybe I will tune in, but I’ll be doing so without expecting it to actually be good unfortunately.
challenging
dark
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 definitely had points parts in the book that I was both frustrated and bored. Very predictable at parts and I was unhappy that we went through the whole book just for that ending. I feel like a lot could’ve been scrapped in this book and made into a duology without the third book, but we will see as I’m starting that one now.
Still good overall just a much slower read since you’ll just kinda want to set it down at times.
Still good overall just a much slower read since you’ll just kinda want to set it down at times.
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-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 is a lot darker than the first one, and a lot more suffocating as we nearly drown alongside Zélie in her grief and suicidal ideation. Definitely not a bad thing—I love dark tragic fiction. And it’s like the first gulp of fresh air as she regains her will to live and her conviction to fight for her people.
Amari’s arc—descent into a ruthless imitation of her father—was interesting. I was missing the sisterly relationship she and Zélie had by the end of the first book, but if I know anything about YA, somehow they’ll find a way to reconcile even after all that.
I also missed seeing Zélie and Tzain interact. I know she had a ton of new characters to juggle, but we didn’t have even a little time for a siblings heart-to-heart?
Inan’s chapters were definitely my least favorite. He’s just my least favorite character overall. He was just kind of dumb in this book. I know his and Zélie’s relationship had to happen how it did for the plot or whatever, but I’ll just never find it particularly compelling. When they inevitably end up together, because again I know how YA and love triangles work (justice for Roën), I’ll be imagining Zélie shooting him out a cannon instead. Or humanely banishing him from the land to forever wander with the guilt of his actions on his shoulders. Or whatever.
One thing this book doesn’t miss on its politics though. DOWN WITH THE MONARCHY FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!
Amari’s arc—descent into a ruthless imitation of her father—was interesting. I was missing the sisterly relationship she and Zélie had by the end of the first book, but if I know anything about YA, somehow they’ll find a way to reconcile even after all that.
I also missed seeing Zélie and Tzain interact. I know she had a ton of new characters to juggle, but we didn’t have even a little time for a siblings heart-to-heart?
Inan’s chapters were definitely my least favorite. He’s just my least favorite character overall. He was just kind of dumb in this book. I know his and Zélie’s relationship had to happen how it did for the plot or whatever, but I’ll just never find it particularly compelling. When they inevitably end up together, because again I know how YA and love triangles work (justice for Roën), I’ll be imagining Zélie shooting him out a cannon instead. Or humanely banishing him from the land to forever wander with the guilt of his actions on his shoulders. Or whatever.
One thing this book doesn’t miss on its politics though. DOWN WITH THE MONARCHY FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes