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kevinmccarrick's review
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
taylorkinsey's review
4.0
A true adventure, thoughtful and compelling from beginning to end. No detail spared, I grudgingly set the book down every night way past bedtime. A fantastic read!
allisoncc's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
marybo01's review against another edition
4.5
This story about Spanish colonisers in the Americas was surprisingly complex and layered about the types of hardships they both caused and endured. Told from the perspective of a slave, Mustafa’s detailed and honest account of the horrors that took place were hard to read yet I could not put the book down. I did feel the pacing fell in a few places in the book and I lost momentum reading. But other than that I really enjoyed it.
buzzybuzzybeefudge's review
adventurous
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Colonisation, Racism, Violence, Animal death, Islamophobia, and Death
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Cannibalism
rageofachilles's review
4.0
Premise: Cabasa de Vaca mentions a Moor survivor of the Navarez campaign in La Florida. Here, Lalami offers his versions of events to counter the account given by Vaca.
The result is an intriguing tale of oppression, power, stupidity, and love. What really makes this novel works is the author’s insistence that Mustafa’s origins are as important the story of the campaign. The events of the campaign would not make sense with Mistafa’s backstory—as we see the events through his eyes.
The result is an intriguing tale of oppression, power, stupidity, and love. What really makes this novel works is the author’s insistence that Mustafa’s origins are as important the story of the campaign. The events of the campaign would not make sense with Mistafa’s backstory—as we see the events through his eyes.