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rikuson1's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
It Was Okay 🥴
-★★âœâ˜†â˜†- (2.75/5.00)
My Grading Score = 55% (C-)
Children of Virtue and Vengeance had good moments, but I do feel the overall pacing for this book dragged a specific plot that probably didn't need as much time as it was given. Some of the characters as well did start to make decisions that felt a bit out of character for them. Or they were so dramatic that it did not come off as organic as it probably should for me with the lead-up to them making those decisions. Especially with what they decided to stand for by the end of the previous book versus what they do now. Additionally, a new antagonist is introduced in this book that was not hinted at in any way in the prior book, which made their introduction and placement in the story feel contrived. I'm not fully on board with the direction it took and is now going, but it wasn't a terrible read. One of the three main characters did make a drastic shift in character in this book by the end and people seem to not like where they are headed, but in hindsight, it does not bother me with the path that character is going down by the execution to it could have been better than what we got.
Verdict
I'll see if the third book is going to play out well with what this book apparently was trying to set up. Overall,
It Was Okay
-★★âœâ˜†â˜†- (2.75/5.00)
My Grading Score = 55% (C-)
Children of Virtue and Vengeance had good moments, but I do feel the overall pacing for this book dragged a specific plot that probably didn't need as much time as it was given. Some of the characters as well did start to make decisions that felt a bit out of character for them. Or they were so dramatic that it did not come off as organic as it probably should for me with the lead-up to them making those decisions. Especially with what they decided to stand for by the end of the previous book versus what they do now. Additionally, a new antagonist is introduced in this book that was not hinted at in any way in the prior book, which made their introduction and placement in the story feel contrived. I'm not fully on board with the direction it took and is now going, but it wasn't a terrible read. One of the three main characters did make a drastic shift in character in this book by the end and people seem to not like where they are headed, but in hindsight, it does not bother me with the path that character is going down by the execution to it could have been better than what we got.
Verdict
I'll see if the third book is going to play out well with what this book apparently was trying to set up. Overall,
It Was Okay
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, War, Xenophobia, Trafficking, and Torture
someryarns's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Murder, War, Xenophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Genocide, Violence, Grief, and Racism
Moderate: Death of parent and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Kidnapping
kyrstin_p1989's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is an intense, fast-paced read. The battle scenes are brutal, the love stories are laced with complications, and the young people who are at odds with each other are naive yet steadfast toward their beliefs. The ending was such a cliffhanger that I didn’t expect.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cultural appropriation, Murder, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, War, Gore, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Bullying, Cancer, Classism, Colonisation, Confinement, Death of parent, Genocide, Police brutality, Toxic friendship, Xenophobia, Child death, Racism, Slavery, and Torture
kys831's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Murder, War, and Xenophobia
chlo_po's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
These characters are experiencing so much trauma goodness gracious. Excited to see how the third installment brings it all together based on this second book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, War, Xenophobia, and Violence
abby_can_read's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
📱
After finishing the first book, I had high exceptions and I don't think this book lived up to them. This was a decent book and there were parts that I enjoyed reading.
After finishing the first book, I had high exceptions and I don't think this book lived up to them. This was a decent book and there were parts that I enjoyed reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death of parent, Genocide, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Murder, War, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Gore, Racial slurs, Racism, Blood, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Colonisation and Gaslighting
grets_reads's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Xenophobia, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Death, Genocide, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Death of parent, and Confinement
Minor: Torture and Fire/Fire injury
ci_eden's review
adventurous
dark
hopeful
inspiring
sad
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? It's complicated
4.0
This took me a year to read due to my ADHD but definitely a great sequel! I could definitely feel how the characters matured throughout the book. The smaller chapters spur me on and I feel like the POV is evenly spread between each character. I honestly can't wait for this to get picked up for a TV show, it'll be absolutely stunning. The way Adeyemi described things, I can truly visualise it in my head.
The fact that the war technically hasn't ended and that they're on a boat in the sea?! Who is this new player Tomi, I need to read the next one right now!!
Also I love how flawed Zelie is. I love a strong woman going through shit, and she doesn't want to run away anymore, she found her purpose, fuck yeah! Although she has horrible taste in men. Also did NOT expect Amari to kill innocent people. Trauma and abuse really twists you.
These are tortured characters that just keep getting battered and abused. Children fighting wars, as the title says. I feel for them, I really do. I feel like their deaths are inevitable but I can't look away...
Also I love how flawed Zelie is. I love a strong woman going through shit, and she doesn't want to run away anymore, she found her purpose, fuck yeah! Although she has horrible taste in men. Also did NOT expect Amari to kill innocent people. Trauma and abuse really twists you.
These are tortured characters that just keep getting battered and abused. Children fighting wars, as the title says. I feel for them, I really do. I feel like their deaths are inevitable but I can't look away...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Blood, Colonisation, Violence, War, Racism, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Hate crime, and Murder
Moderate: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Classism, Religious bigotry, and Hate crime
Minor: Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Medical content, Misogyny, Fire/Fire injury, Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, and Torture
devourfiction's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
i love the development of the magic system and the world building, as well as some of the descriptive writing. i just wish i could connect to the characters living in that world and not constantly get hung up on some plot holes and motivations. overall, a mixed bag. it's sad that these characters prevented me from staying very interested because the world WAS vibrant (shoutout to the ocean excursion scene!)
as much as the characters underwhelmed me, im still gonna try the third book with hopes that they reach their emotional conclusions there.
I was often taken out of the story by stuff that didn't fully follow or super make sense. Here are some of my plot hole/contrivance questions that are currently coming to mind.
- mama agba said the duel finishes at concession or death. neither of those things happened but amari still won, but whatever. But after ramaya is shuffled off to the infirmary she is not heard from again or mentioned once. did they heal her? did she die later? did she stay in the infirmary in a coma the whole time, in which case did they just ditch her when they left the sanctuary?
- if everyone hated amari so much, why wasn't she challenged immediately again, by someone who wouldn't play games? you could say people might have been scared once they found out she was a center, but there was a chunk of time in which this wasn't revealed.
- if amari became an elder, why didn't she get a vision?
- becoming an elder, amari seems to devote no time to think about the connectors under her. Initially I thought this was a great setup for her character as a lousy maji ally because zelie told her an elder has a communal and leadership role, and amari was going into this cultural role without desire or ability to fulfill it, simply for recognition and power, but then this particular concern was dropped and never heard of again.
- tsain mostly existed as far as his romantic relationship with amari aaaand that's it. :( I get that there was a larger cast of characters now but it felt bad to see a main character have no arc of his own outside of his reactions to amari.
- Nailah also disappeared halfway into the book never to be seen again
- ig this could be chalked up to stupidity but WHY did amari and inan meet right by the sanctuary and not at a neutral location
- mama agba went from being against blood sacrifice and warning away from it to volunteering for it. it's possible but it needed SOME setup i think, felt like whiplash.
- why was amari the only one blamed for the village war crime when she did it with the burner and cancer elders - were they also shackled or in cells, or..?
as much as the characters underwhelmed me, im still gonna try the third book with hopes that they reach their emotional conclusions there.
I was often taken out of the story by stuff that didn't fully follow or super make sense. Here are some of my plot hole/contrivance questions that are currently coming to mind.
- mama agba said the duel finishes at concession or death. neither of those things happened but amari still won, but whatever. But after ramaya is shuffled off to the infirmary she is not heard from again or mentioned once. did they heal her? did she die later? did she stay in the infirmary in a coma the whole time, in which case did they just ditch her when they left the sanctuary?
- if everyone hated amari so much, why wasn't she challenged immediately again, by someone who wouldn't play games? you could say people might have been scared once they found out she was a center, but there was a chunk of time in which this wasn't revealed.
- if amari became an elder, why didn't she get a vision?
- becoming an elder, amari seems to devote no time to think about the connectors under her. Initially I thought this was a great setup for her character as a lousy maji ally because zelie told her an elder has a communal and leadership role, and amari was going into this cultural role without desire or ability to fulfill it, simply for recognition and power, but then this particular concern was dropped and never heard of again.
- tsain mostly existed as far as his romantic relationship with amari aaaand that's it. :( I get that there was a larger cast of characters now but it felt bad to see a main character have no arc of his own outside of his reactions to amari.
- Nailah also disappeared halfway into the book never to be seen again
- ig this could be chalked up to stupidity but WHY did amari and inan meet right by the sanctuary and not at a neutral location
- mama agba went from being against blood sacrifice and warning away from it to volunteering for it. it's possible but it needed SOME setup i think, felt like whiplash.
- why was amari the only one blamed for the village war crime when she did it with the burner and cancer elders - were they also shackled or in cells, or..?
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore, Suicidal thoughts, War, and Xenophobia
pyromastyx's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture and Xenophobia