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zadsavage's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Moderate: Death of parent, Blood, and Grief
theaceofpages's review against another edition
- 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
I was, however, a little disappointed by all the new characters. There are A LOT of them and I feel like less care is given to them than those in the first book. And yet a good portion of the pages is dedicated to this. It means that other important plot points probably aren't given as much space and time as they should have. I really think this book could have benefitted from more pages to accomplish all the many things it as trying to do. Maybe even a whole other book, but I suspect that that would have just resulted in the story dragging so just expanding this (although already not short) would have been a noticeable improvement. Like I would have loved to have seen more of the Underworld as the author clearly put so much effort into making it. (And of course it's also what the duology has been building up to for hundreds of pages) as well as the resolution.
While this book might not quite have lived up to Raybearer for me, I did still enjoy it and would still recommend it. It provides a good conclusion to all the conflict and the story that were started in the previous book. And of course it is always nice to read about a unique fantasy world that is so unlike the more typical western-centric ones that one comes across so often. I hope that the author writes more about the world in the future. It is definitely one I would love to spend more time exploring.
Graphic: Violence, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Misogyny, and Grief
Moderate: Mental illness, Child death, Drug use, and Classism
Minor: Suicide, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Blood, Genocide, and Murder
There are also some mentions of the events of the previous bookericadawson's review against another edition
- 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
I'd worried at one point that a certain romantic subplot would kill my love for the book, but even that took a a turn that I didn't expect, serving to enhance the overall story of Tarisai Kunleo.
The prose is as lush as the previous installment. I had petty gripes here and there, but overall I loved every word. The story is complex without being convoluted, and rich without being overseasoned. Although I was less invested in the relational and plot conflicts in this one (nothing will ever beat the stakes of the first), I was still glad to see all the twists and turns it took for Tarisai to be the woman she was meant to be. No relationship felt forgotten or underbaked. The pacing was strong and steady 99% of the time. The worldbuilding is at a level that I can only aspire to reach. I love this book. Highly recommend.
Graphic: Child abuse and Child death
Moderate: Blood, Violence, and Toxic relationship
readandfindout's review against another edition
4.25
Themes: 4 stars
Characters: 4.5 stars
Plot: 4 stars
Worldbuilding: 4 stars
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, and Murder
Moderate: Grief, War, Child death, Child abuse, and Death of parent
eni_iilorak's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Child death, War, Classism, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Death, Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, and Medical content
Moderate: Ableism, Death of parent, Grief, Classism, Blood, Sexism, Slavery, Bullying, and Child abuse
Minor: Abandonment, Confinement, Drug use, and Sexual content
angietheace's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, and Death
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Misogyny, Death of parent, and Sexual content
akvolcano's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Blood and Death
Moderate: Grief, Murder, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, Child death, Classism, and Death
serpina's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I was a bit skeptical when I realized that the big showdown only happened in the last ~50 pages because it felt like not enough time, but it was. No big rush, no cut corners.
At the end of book one, Tarisai was recognized as raybearer and empress. She made a deal with the abiku (kinda the demons of the underworld) that she has to anoint all 12 rulers of the different kingdoms and then go to the underworld as the final redemptor, to save all future redemptor children from being sacrificed.
And that is, what she does. Working as an empress, trying to anoint the kings, and changing the world to be better for everyone. And all the time, she slowly turns mad, because the abiku use the souls of the previously sacrificed redemptor children (ojiji) to not only protect her against assassins but also to isolate her and guilt her.
Me, as a German, who has pretty much no contact with African culture and who just started to read diversely, I admit, that I frequently had problems with names and remembering, what or who they referred to since they were very unfamiliar to me. I probably should have made a list of people, places, spirits, and events, so that I could properly identify them throughout the story.
Moderate: Blood, War, and Death
Minor: Child death
emily_mh's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Classism, Child death, and Death
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Violence, Death of parent, Child abuse, Grief, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Murder, and Blood
Minor: Body shaming, Suicide, Vomit, Ableism, Sexual content, Alcohol, Misogyny, Sexism, War, Adult/minor relationship, Fire/Fire injury, and Animal death
Moderate: capital punishment, loss of a loved one, neglect, volcano, Minor: flood, earthquake, mass deathashlikes's review against another edition
- 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
2.0
Graphic: Blood, Death, Drug use, Classism, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and War
Moderate: Alcohol, Child death, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Death of parent
Minor: Trafficking, Vomit, Abandonment, Misogyny, Rape, Slavery, Torture, and Sexual content