Review by sustainably_lucia - Children of Anguish and Anarchy

sustainably_lucia 's review for:

Children of Anguish and Anarchy by Tomi Adeyemi

4.0

adventurous challenging medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

I have mixed feelings about this book. I went in knowing we would be leaving Orisha and I enjoyed the expanded world-building. On the flip side, I missed Orisha and wished we had more time there. I loved that we got Tzain’s POV! But I missed Roen. He was such a pivotal part of the last book it was weird for him to barely get mentioned in this one.

I did appreciate the characters acknowledging their mistakes and learning from them. The character growth was excellent.

Except, I was frustrated that Zelie kept putting herself in danger by going back to Baldyr multiple times. She was giving him exactly what he wanted! I know she was the chosen one, by why was it always up to her?! I wanted her to connect with the gods more.

I liked learning about their history in the first book and would have liked more of that. They felt absent in the second and third books.

I was sad that Inan sacrificed himself in the end. I wanted them to rule together and create the new Orisha they dreamed about in the first book. I’m glad the Maji and the Titans finally came together and ended their petty war to fight a new enemy. The enemy of your enemy is your friend as the saying goes.

The final battle felt rushed and goes right up to the end. I wanted more afterward. I still have unanswered questions. I wanted more mythology and less fighting. I wanted the answer to be something other than annihilating the enemy.

I love Adeyemi’s descriptive writing and it was easy to become immersed in her world.

Content Warnings