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A review by therapybard2021
Daughters of the Nile by Stephanie Dray
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Note: I read this book a while ago and did not have proper access to a computer until now, so I can't be as detailed in this review as I would like to be. If any of the details seem off, that is why. I still remember my feelings very well and my review will accurately reflex them.
I really don't know what to say besides I wish more people would read this series. Selene is one of my favorite protagonists as she is the perfect mix of power and vulnerability. Her relationship with Juba should be incredibly toxic. Everyone rational part of my brain, fueled by modern sensibilities, wants to scream at Selene to get out. But she's also had such a terrible life and it's so nice to see her actually be happy. Despite everything, they love each other and I can't help but root for them. It helps a lot that Selene never backs down and forgets what Juba did to her in the past. She just loves him anyway and I am so relieved to see her happy with him.
I cannot under sell how beautiful of a writer Dray is. She's one of my favorites for a reason. She knows when to be flowery and well to hold back, let the emotions of the scene speak for themselves. It's a balance I rarely see an author reach. She manages to take me to this distant time period so completely that I can fall into it's foreign beliefs and morality easily. Dray is to historical fiction as N.K. Jemisin is to fantasy. I highly recommend both of their work despite their very different genres and writing styles.
I really don't know what to say besides I wish more people would read this series. Selene is one of my favorite protagonists as she is the perfect mix of power and vulnerability. Her relationship with Juba should be incredibly toxic. Everyone rational part of my brain, fueled by modern sensibilities, wants to scream at Selene to get out. But she's also had such a terrible life and it's so nice to see her actually be happy. Despite everything, they love each other and I can't help but root for them. It helps a lot that Selene never backs down and forgets what Juba did to her in the past. She just loves him anyway and I am so relieved to see her happy with him.
I cannot under sell how beautiful of a writer Dray is. She's one of my favorites for a reason. She knows when to be flowery and well to hold back, let the emotions of the scene speak for themselves. It's a balance I rarely see an author reach. She manages to take me to this distant time period so completely that I can fall into it's foreign beliefs and morality easily. Dray is to historical fiction as N.K. Jemisin is to fantasy. I highly recommend both of their work despite their very different genres and writing styles.