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ashurah's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
The book's main strength (and my favorite part of it) was the worldbuilding. It is BEAUTIFUL and very layered; I could definitely tell that the author put a lot of time into researching aspects of West African cultures and developing it in a way that it fits this fantasy world. Even though the magic system wasn't as well-developed as I would have liked, the incorporation of African mythology and the explanations of the different social classes in Orishan society were two aspects of the novel that I really appreciated.
However, I just couldn't enjoy the novel as much as I could have due to a combination of two factors. The novel is VERY fast-paced. This worked in some cases: the fight scenes, in particular, were beautifully written. I really couldn't put the book down! All of those scenes were intense and exciting - even though they were all pretty similar, I never felt like I wanted to skip over those scenes.
But Adeyemi's focus on the tight plot meant that the relationships and characterization weren't as fleshed out. In particular, I felt that the romantic relationships
I also felt that the mood of the novel switched very quickly and it made it difficult to suspend my belief on some occasions. Like a previous reviewer said, it seemed like all the characters were very intensely angry for a couple of pages only for them to suddenly feel better. It didn't feel realistic at all, and that was a major part of why I couldn't connect to characters as well. The only character I liked was Amari - her development was by far the strongest throughout the book.
This was a really fun read. I enjoyed the action and worldbuilding, but unfortunately the relationships and characterization made it miss the mark for me.
Graphic: Genocide, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
emilyheb10'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: Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Blood, and Classism
sophiamoonlight's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Blood
treereadingabook'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
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Torture, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, War, and Classism
Moderate: Violence
tinnuben'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
Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
martereadsbooks'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
4.5
Graphic: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Death of parent and War
spacecadelliot'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
4.0
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
ktdakotareads'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
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
idogrocker's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Racial slurs, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and War
frankietheavidreader's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Death, Torture, Violence, Death of parent, and War
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, and Murder
Minor: Blood, Police brutality, and Murder