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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
It was a hard read and a very stressful read but quite impactful... I still have a lot of thoughts to sort through but I think 4 stars is just about right for how I feel about it
RTC
RTC
3.5 Stars
This book is dark. Within the first chapter there are some really violent things that happen to our main character. I love that this book isn't scared to talk about the darkness of the issues it strives to shine light on. This YA book is holding space for important conversations about about gender, race, sexual assault and other issues, however I found there was something missing in the pacing for me not to have it as high as others do.
I felt like there were times, despite the dark subject matter, when I was bored. I also felt like our main character read very young. I know she was supposed to be 15 but she often seemed younger despite having experienced a lot of trauma and a lot of the pacing would just take me completely out of the story.
I know a lot of people rave about this book but there was something missing in the execution to me. However, I love the issues that the author brought to light through this work. I'm so glad it's getting the recognition it deserves despite my own plot/pacing preferences.
Content warnings: sexual abuse, mentions of rape, torture, racism, violence, genocide, colonization, blood, child soldiers, war
This book is dark. Within the first chapter there are some really violent things that happen to our main character. I love that this book isn't scared to talk about the darkness of the issues it strives to shine light on. This YA book is holding space for important conversations about about gender, race, sexual assault and other issues, however I found there was something missing in the pacing for me not to have it as high as others do.
I felt like there were times, despite the dark subject matter, when I was bored. I also felt like our main character read very young. I know she was supposed to be 15 but she often seemed younger despite having experienced a lot of trauma and a lot of the pacing would just take me completely out of the story.
I know a lot of people rave about this book but there was something missing in the execution to me. However, I love the issues that the author brought to light through this work. I'm so glad it's getting the recognition it deserves despite my own plot/pacing preferences.
Content warnings: sexual abuse, mentions of rape, torture, racism, violence, genocide, colonization, blood, child soldiers, war
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
3.5 stelle!
Non sono sicura dei miei sentimenti su questo libro.
La prima parte è magnifica, la scrittrice è davvero brava a scrivere e riesce in poche pagine a catturarti e a farti interessare ai personaggi. Ero sicura che il libro, se avesse continuato così, sarebbe diventato un nuovo preferito. Ma non è continuato così.
La seconda parte attinge alla radice degli ya e in questo caso credo che non abbia fatto bene alla storia. Ormai ci sono i libri che stanno sul filo tra YA e NA, per intensità e argomenti trattati e questo poteva benissimo starci in questa linea sottile, ma non so perché sembra che la scrittrice abbia voluto rimanere indietro e inserire saldamente questo romanzo nei titoli YA, cosa che secondo me è uno spreco. Le uniche motivazioni che mi vengono in mente per questo sono l’età della protagonista, 15 anni, e il voler far leggere questa storia anche alle persone più giovani. Ma non sono grandi motivazioni perché tutti gli argomenti tosti sono nel libro, vengono solo intervallati da scelte più YA che non riescono a far brillare la storia.
Più volte in questa seconda parte mi sono ritrovata a chiedermi “perché?” “Ma…”. Mancavano spiegazioni su determinati eventi o scelte del world-building.
La protagonista è un’altra di quelle cose che mi è piaciuta, ma non mi ha fatto impazzire. Da un lato mi è piaciuto che sia veramente un personaggio moralmente grigio, che mette la sua sopravvivenza al primo posto. Tante volte incontriamo protagoniste che lo dicono, ma poi decidono di sacrificarsi sempre per salvare qualcuno. Qui non succede, Sloane fa di tutto per sopravvivere, anche lasciare indietro persone che sono in pericolo per colpa sua. Ovviamente questo può portare ad una antipatia nei suoi confronti da parte di chi legge, ma io ho veramente apprezzato il fatto che finalmente c’è una protagonista che mette se stessa davanti a tutto. L’altro lato della medaglia è che Sloane si fida veramente presto delle persone, ho trovato questa sua ingenuità in totale contrasto con il suo forte istinto di sopravvivenza. All’inizio potevo scusarla ricordandomi che ha solo 15 anni, ma tutti i rapporti che crea si basano solo su una fiducia innata che è estremamente strana. Sei in un luogo pericoloso, sai che potrebbero ucciderti per qualsiasi cosa, che continuano a metterti alla prova per scovare dei traditori e appena senti due persone parlare di tradimento ti unisci a loro rivelandoti. Mi dispiace, ma non ha senso. Avrei capito un suo sfruttare le persone per poi creare veramente dei legami, ma invece c’è questa quasi fiducia innata che va contro la storia stessa.
E da questo punto deriva il grande problema, secondo me, del romanzo: i rapporti tra i personaggi. Che si tratti di amicizia o della storia d’amore ho trovato il tutto molto inconsistente. Non c’è una crescita di questi sentimenti, anche perché non c’è tempo nella storia e quindi un momento si guardano con sospetto e quello dopo migliori amici o sono innamorati. Non ho sentito nessun legame tra questi personaggi e sinceramente la storia d’amore poteva benissimo non esserci. O essere solo accennata, iniziare qui uno slow burn che poi sarebbe continuato lentamente nel prossimo romanzo. Tutti questi elementi mi sembrano inseriti solo per mettere il libro nel target YA, ma la storia non ne aveva assolutamente bisogno.
Alla fine succedendo due grandi plot twist, però il primo viene praticamente spoilerato della scrittrice con il titolo della terza parte. Era davvero facile da capire. Il secondo mi ha sorpreso, ma non mi ha così interessato da rendermi certa di continuare a leggere la serie.
I riferimenti alla mitologia Yoruba-Nigeriana mi hanno molto interessato e con la prima parte del romanzo sono sicuramente la mia parte preferita della storia. Che però sfortunatamente ho trovato non abbia raggiunto il suo massimo potenziale, peccato.
Non sono sicura dei miei sentimenti su questo libro.
La prima parte è magnifica, la scrittrice è davvero brava a scrivere e riesce in poche pagine a catturarti e a farti interessare ai personaggi. Ero sicura che il libro, se avesse continuato così, sarebbe diventato un nuovo preferito. Ma non è continuato così.
La seconda parte attinge alla radice degli ya e in questo caso credo che non abbia fatto bene alla storia. Ormai ci sono i libri che stanno sul filo tra YA e NA, per intensità e argomenti trattati e questo poteva benissimo starci in questa linea sottile, ma non so perché sembra che la scrittrice abbia voluto rimanere indietro e inserire saldamente questo romanzo nei titoli YA, cosa che secondo me è uno spreco. Le uniche motivazioni che mi vengono in mente per questo sono l’età della protagonista, 15 anni, e il voler far leggere questa storia anche alle persone più giovani. Ma non sono grandi motivazioni perché tutti gli argomenti tosti sono nel libro, vengono solo intervallati da scelte più YA che non riescono a far brillare la storia.
Più volte in questa seconda parte mi sono ritrovata a chiedermi “perché?” “Ma…”. Mancavano spiegazioni su determinati eventi o scelte del world-building.
La protagonista è un’altra di quelle cose che mi è piaciuta, ma non mi ha fatto impazzire. Da un lato mi è piaciuto che sia veramente un personaggio moralmente grigio, che mette la sua sopravvivenza al primo posto. Tante volte incontriamo protagoniste che lo dicono, ma poi decidono di sacrificarsi sempre per salvare qualcuno. Qui non succede, Sloane fa di tutto per sopravvivere, anche lasciare indietro persone che sono in pericolo per colpa sua. Ovviamente questo può portare ad una antipatia nei suoi confronti da parte di chi legge, ma io ho veramente apprezzato il fatto che finalmente c’è una protagonista che mette se stessa davanti a tutto. L’altro lato della medaglia è che Sloane si fida veramente presto delle persone, ho trovato questa sua ingenuità in totale contrasto con il suo forte istinto di sopravvivenza. All’inizio potevo scusarla ricordandomi che ha solo 15 anni, ma tutti i rapporti che crea si basano solo su una fiducia innata che è estremamente strana. Sei in un luogo pericoloso, sai che potrebbero ucciderti per qualsiasi cosa, che continuano a metterti alla prova per scovare dei traditori e appena senti due persone parlare di tradimento ti unisci a loro rivelandoti. Mi dispiace, ma non ha senso. Avrei capito un suo sfruttare le persone per poi creare veramente dei legami, ma invece c’è questa quasi fiducia innata che va contro la storia stessa.
E da questo punto deriva il grande problema, secondo me, del romanzo: i rapporti tra i personaggi. Che si tratti di amicizia o della storia d’amore ho trovato il tutto molto inconsistente. Non c’è una crescita di questi sentimenti, anche perché non c’è tempo nella storia e quindi un momento si guardano con sospetto e quello dopo migliori amici o sono innamorati. Non ho sentito nessun legame tra questi personaggi e sinceramente la storia d’amore poteva benissimo non esserci. O essere solo accennata, iniziare qui uno slow burn che poi sarebbe continuato lentamente nel prossimo romanzo. Tutti questi elementi mi sembrano inseriti solo per mettere il libro nel target YA, ma la storia non ne aveva assolutamente bisogno.
Alla fine succedendo due grandi plot twist, però il primo viene praticamente spoilerato della scrittrice con il titolo della terza parte. Era davvero facile da capire. Il secondo mi ha sorpreso, ma non mi ha così interessato da rendermi certa di continuare a leggere la serie.
I riferimenti alla mitologia Yoruba-Nigeriana mi hanno molto interessato e con la prima parte del romanzo sono sicuramente la mia parte preferita della storia. Che però sfortunatamente ho trovato non abbia raggiunto il suo massimo potenziale, peccato.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The pacing was really slow and I had to force myself through the 50/60% of the book to get into the story.
The significant amount of Sloane's inner monologue and the lack of dialogues did not help.
The romances were genuinely not necessary in my opinion. Especially the one with Omari, it serves not purpose, it was just another treason and at this point of the story, once again in my opinion, Sloane had enough fire within her to burn this place down.
I'm still curious of the world, I genuinely enjoyed the las 50/40% of the book.
However, I am not sure if I will read the sequel at the moment.
The significant amount of Sloane's inner monologue and the lack of dialogues did not help.
The romances were genuinely not necessary in my opinion. Especially the one with Omari, it serves not purpose, it was just another treason and at this point of the story, once again in my opinion, Sloane had enough fire within her to burn this place down.
I'm still curious of the world, I genuinely enjoyed the las 50/40% of the book.
However, I am not sure if I will read the sequel at the moment.
Find this review and more on my blog at Worlds Unlike Our Own.
In a society ruled by the cruel Lucis, anyone found to be a Scion, a descendant of the Orisha, is immediately put to death. Sloane has spent her whole life concealing her abilities, which allow her to summon fire, but when at fifteen, she is drafted into the Lucis army, she has no choice but to train alongside the very people who would kill her in a moment if they knew who she was.However, she sees it as an opportunity to gain some valuable information about her mother who disappeared years ago and possibly bring down the Lucis from within. The training is brutal, yet Sloane persists, rising through the ranks, but can she overcome the challenges placed in her path without becoming one of the monsters she has always despised?
“You have to decide what matters most: your humanity or your survival.”
Given how much hype there was around this book earlier in the year, I was a little nervous to pick it up despite the intriguing synopsis, but luckily, this turned out to be one of those situations where the hype is definitely warranted! I really enjoyed the author’s narrative style which was truly immersive and made the world come alive. The world, based on Yoruba mythology and folklore, made for a rich and intriguing setting and the vivid descriptions and the riveting plot made this an unputdownable read. The magic system too, was really interesting and I’m hoping to see a little more information in this area in the sequel. This story did not lack for unexpected twists, though some were more predictable than others. With the main character in such a precarious position however, it was hard to figure out as a reader which of the other characters we met were trustworthy, and it made the book all that much more fun to read.
Sloane was a good protagonist, easy to root for, and it was great to discover this world through her eyes. Undoubtedly a survivor, Sloane perseveres through some horrific experiences as a child soldier and never stops fighting even as she uncovers secrets which lead back directly to her past and who she is. I did however find her to be kind of gullible at times, and given how she has had to hide her identity and abilities all her life, she should not have been nearly so trusting of others merely because they claimed to be on the same side as her. Nonetheless, she was a complex and layered character, and her arc was well written. It will be interesting to see how her character evolves going forward, especially given the events at the end of this book.
I didn’t really come across anything I didn’t like in this book, but I want to mention that it does get rather violent at times, more so than I’ve come to expect for a novel in the YA spectrum. The characters are supposed to be fifteen, child soldiers, but they read as much older than that, so there were times I felt like YA might not be the best classification for this. Then again, The Hunger Games are still considered YA, and this was on a comparable scale with a similar vibe.
I was definitely expecting a twist in the final chapters, especially as things had been going just a little too well and according to the plan for a while, but I certainly didn’t predict those shocking reveals! The ending left me with many unanswered questions and just the right amount of suspense and cliffhanger that the next book will be among my most anticipated titles for next year (at least I hope it’s next year). With how sophisticated the narrative felt and how smoothly the story flowed, it’s hard to believe that this is a debut novel. Perfectly paced and action-packed, this book was a thoroughly enjoyable read and I’m very much looking forward to the sequel. Highly recommended for fantasy fans!
In a society ruled by the cruel Lucis, anyone found to be a Scion, a descendant of the Orisha, is immediately put to death. Sloane has spent her whole life concealing her abilities, which allow her to summon fire, but when at fifteen, she is drafted into the Lucis army, she has no choice but to train alongside the very people who would kill her in a moment if they knew who she was.However, she sees it as an opportunity to gain some valuable information about her mother who disappeared years ago and possibly bring down the Lucis from within. The training is brutal, yet Sloane persists, rising through the ranks, but can she overcome the challenges placed in her path without becoming one of the monsters she has always despised?
“You have to decide what matters most: your humanity or your survival.”
Given how much hype there was around this book earlier in the year, I was a little nervous to pick it up despite the intriguing synopsis, but luckily, this turned out to be one of those situations where the hype is definitely warranted! I really enjoyed the author’s narrative style which was truly immersive and made the world come alive. The world, based on Yoruba mythology and folklore, made for a rich and intriguing setting and the vivid descriptions and the riveting plot made this an unputdownable read. The magic system too, was really interesting and I’m hoping to see a little more information in this area in the sequel. This story did not lack for unexpected twists, though some were more predictable than others. With the main character in such a precarious position however, it was hard to figure out as a reader which of the other characters we met were trustworthy, and it made the book all that much more fun to read.
Sloane was a good protagonist, easy to root for, and it was great to discover this world through her eyes. Undoubtedly a survivor, Sloane perseveres through some horrific experiences as a child soldier and never stops fighting even as she uncovers secrets which lead back directly to her past and who she is. I did however find her to be kind of gullible at times, and given how she has had to hide her identity and abilities all her life, she should not have been nearly so trusting of others merely because they claimed to be on the same side as her. Nonetheless, she was a complex and layered character, and her arc was well written. It will be interesting to see how her character evolves going forward, especially given the events at the end of this book.
I didn’t really come across anything I didn’t like in this book, but I want to mention that it does get rather violent at times, more so than I’ve come to expect for a novel in the YA spectrum. The characters are supposed to be fifteen, child soldiers, but they read as much older than that, so there were times I felt like YA might not be the best classification for this. Then again, The Hunger Games are still considered YA, and this was on a comparable scale with a similar vibe.
I was definitely expecting a twist in the final chapters, especially as things had been going just a little too well and according to the plan for a while, but I certainly didn’t predict those shocking reveals! The ending left me with many unanswered questions and just the right amount of suspense and cliffhanger that the next book will be among my most anticipated titles for next year (at least I hope it’s next year). With how sophisticated the narrative felt and how smoothly the story flowed, it’s hard to believe that this is a debut novel. Perfectly paced and action-packed, this book was a thoroughly enjoyable read and I’m very much looking forward to the sequel. Highly recommended for fantasy fans!
adventurous
dark
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:
Yes
Blood Scion was not an easy book to get through. It was dark and gritty and violent. The writing was really accessible and easy to follow. I thought Sloane was such a great character and the side characters also had a lot of depth. The world building and magic system were really interesting. I thought the plot dragged a little bit in the middle, but overall it was very fast paced. Also, I love a revenge plot and this one was so well done.
Boring.
Sorry!
But 30% in, and I'm bored out of my mind. Maybe it's because I'm in a bit of a reading slump, but probably it's just the book being sloooow.
Also the main character needs to be more careful. Even she knows she's the sheep in the lion's den, but she keeps sounding extremely sus, like, ALL THE TIME.
Exhibit case A: She almost admits that she was a Scion to the guards to save her friend, who was convicted. Bro. What would that even get you? Both peas in a pod, ready to be slaughtered.
You see?
Oh, I'm so sad. This is the second highly-anticipated book/series that I've decided wasn't worth my time.
Sorry!
But 30% in, and I'm bored out of my mind. Maybe it's because I'm in a bit of a reading slump, but probably it's just the book being sloooow.
Also the main character needs to be more careful. Even she knows she's the sheep in the lion's den, but she keeps sounding extremely sus, like, ALL THE TIME.
Exhibit case A: She almost admits that she was a Scion to the guards to save her friend, who was convicted. Bro. What would that even get you? Both peas in a pod, ready to be slaughtered.
You see?
Oh, I'm so sad. This is the second highly-anticipated book/series that I've decided wasn't worth my time.
This was my 1st fantasy book, I loved the concept, and Slonae was a badass. The last 2 chapters had me in awe!! I can't wait to read the next one. I hope Sloane is thriving and healing.