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A review by debthebookworm
Children of Anguish and Anarchy by Tomi Adeyemi
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
I've never been more disappointed in a sequel/conclusion before. I had worried about what the beginning of this book would entail with the ending of Virtue and Vengeance, and because I was right, Anguish and Anarchy opened with pages upon pages of Black trauma inflicted by white men. Blood and Bone was a beautiful story filled with Nigerian-borne fantasy, rich with Black characters living in conflicts of their own making. To turn around and bring our real-life history into this series ruins the fantasy. Even with the differences, the motivation was still the death and destruction of Black people for the sake of white people to gain power. The fantasy was gone.
Putting that aside, the book just felt like a means to an end and not a solid conclusion. Everything was rushed to the point that when all of these climactic moments happened, I felt absolutely nothing.And I blinked and suddenly Amari was in love with Mae'e. It made no sense. The final battle couldn't have been more anti-climactic. Even structurally, the sentences, paragraphs, and chapters were all short. What was the rush?
More technical issues:we're introduced to what felt like-based on their description-an indigenous South American people, and though Tomi Adeyemi studied in Brazil, she didn't take the time to consult with an indigenous South American on languages? When the Gaians start speaking Portuguese, I felt cheated. You would think these people whose first defense is offense against foreigners would hold onto their language, no?
Many descriptions felt implausible based on the first-person narrative being written. In one instance, the main characters are supposedly far enough away from the Skulls' shores that they can't be seen, but we're given every detail of what the Skulls are doing on the shore. In a similar instance, when the Skulls are on the horizon at night, their ships are described as silhouettes, but then the lines of Skulls, what weapons they're holding, and what the ships are made out of are described. Both things can't be true. It's like she couldn't decide between giving us first or third person or was going for a 360, cinematic visual that doesn't work in first person.There was also a point where Zelie was able to hide a bone blade in her hair, pull it out while tied to a stake, and stab herself with it? How would no one have noticed her doing any of this in the middle of her being sacrificed? It was too easy and a cop out way to inevitably kill of Inan, which was very disappointing after all they had been through. Maybe if the story weren't so rushed and time was put into understanding all these visions and prophecies that were happening, it would have meant more.
Also, I understand we're dealing with magic users here, but the amount of magic used in such short periods of time (because of the writing) was overwhelming. It was hard to focus on exactly what was happening, but by the time I could visualize it, the chapter would be over anyway.
AND, the amount of times the words "hierophant," "diamond gaze," and onomatopoeia instead of taking time to add more description (like "Boom" and "Ha") were used constantly pulled me out of a story I was already disengaged from. And, because hierophant is such a distinct word with a specifically Greek origin, it felt weird every time it came up.
I forgot to mention, Zelie is stripped of her necromancy and given lightning powers!? WHY? How does it even make sense? With the discourse about the Black characters being given lightning powers, you would think Tomi might've steered away from this cliche. Why wouldn’t she use Zelie's power over death and Mae'e's power of life (the vines the Gaians use)?
Overall, this did not feel like the same series. From the writing to the plot itself, I'm in shock at how underwhelming it was.
Putting that aside, the book just felt like a means to an end and not a solid conclusion. Everything was rushed to the point that when all of these climactic moments happened, I felt absolutely nothing.
More technical issues:
Many descriptions felt implausible based on the first-person narrative being written. In one instance, the main characters are supposedly far enough away from the Skulls' shores that they can't be seen, but we're given every detail of what the Skulls are doing on the shore. In a similar instance, when the Skulls are on the horizon at night, their ships are described as silhouettes, but then the lines of Skulls, what weapons they're holding, and what the ships are made out of are described. Both things can't be true. It's like she couldn't decide between giving us first or third person or was going for a 360, cinematic visual that doesn't work in first person.
Also, I understand we're dealing with magic users here, but the amount of magic used in such short periods of time (because of the writing) was overwhelming. It was hard to focus on exactly what was happening, but by the time I could visualize it, the chapter would be over anyway.
AND, the amount of times the words "hierophant," "diamond gaze," and onomatopoeia instead of taking time to add more description (like "Boom" and "Ha") were used constantly pulled me out of a story I was already disengaged from. And, because hierophant is such a distinct word with a specifically Greek origin, it felt weird every time it came up.
Overall, this did not feel like the same series. From the writing to the plot itself, I'm in shock at how underwhelming it was.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Blood, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Colonisation
We never learn what happened to Roën. He's a footnote, and then nothing else.