daisyvb 's review for:

Empire of Ivory by Naomi Novik

3.75

adventurous tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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I was genuinely terrified reading the blurb of this book and seeing that it would take place somewhere in Africa given the era it is set in and the attitudes some characters have expressed regarding foreign places, people, cultures etc... Thankfully it all sort of went well. In that they did achieve a mission, some death was avoided, and in other cases, revenge was gained and I was glad for it (though people within the book, showcasing not surprisingly but no less gross displays of hypocrisy and intolerance) It's hard to say more without giving everything away, but it was certainly an interesting read. Many choices were made, many thoughts were thought (or perhaps not). I missed several characters, loathed others, and overall just got really stressed and annoyed at many points in this book. Still a worthy entry into the series and I'm beyond desperate to get a hold of the next ones and find out what an earth can come next. These books do know how to do a decent cliffhanger I will say.