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boba_n_books's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This was a fantasy like no other I’ve ever read. I had a hard time getting into it since you’re thrown into the world without much explanation. But, when I got to the end, I was so invested in Awa and Djola’s stories! Their sacrifices and willingness to do anything for their world was beautiful.
The writing was so unique, too. Some chapters were even written from the POV of animals and trees! It wasn’t my favorite book ever, but it certainly was fascinating.
The writing was so unique, too. Some chapters were even written from the POV of animals and trees! It wasn’t my favorite book ever, but it certainly was fascinating.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Torture, Body horror, Violence, and Abandonment
Minor: Sexual content
boglord's review
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexism, Torture, Blood, Xenophobia, Violence, Trafficking, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Child abuse, and Death
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Grief, Child death, and Transphobia
Minor: Rape, Pedophilia, Cannibalism, and Vomit
laurareads87's review
adventurous
dark
hopeful
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
Master of Poisons is epic fantasy on a grand scale -- many locations, many years passing, multiple dimensions even -- inspired by African Traditional Religions + folklore and following Djola, the title Master Of Poisons, as he attempts to save his homeland from dangers that are simultaneously environmental, political, and magical. I appreciate a lot about this book. The characters are diverse (lots of LGBTQ+ representation here), and even many of the secondary characters are well developed as complex + nuanced. The worldbuilding is fantastic -- Hairston's rich descriptions are vibrant and the setting feels entirely real -- and the writing beautiful. I did struggle with the pace at times: I actually really enjoyed the elements of the story that some other reviewers have described as 'slow burn' as strong character development really held my attention, but some of the more 'fast action' parts almost felt so abrupt that I had to backtrack and re-read to find my footing and fully know what was going on. All in all, a highly original fantasy with excellent characters and world-building; I'll be happy to read more of Hairston's work in the future.
Content warnings: violence, blood, slavery, kidnapping, torture, transphobic violence, mention of sexual violence
Content warnings: violence, blood, slavery, kidnapping, torture, transphobic violence, mention of sexual violence
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, and Slavery
Moderate: Transphobia, Kidnapping, and Torture
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Rape
multiplyoctopi's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Torture, Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, Grief, Drug abuse, Death, Body horror, Blood, and Slavery
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