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A review by utopiastateofmind
The Battle Drum by Saara El-Arifi
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
The Battle Drum is a sequel that never lets up. Not only does El-Arifi separate our faves Anoor and Sylah, but they really go through the wringer here. Beginning with an amazing book one recap - please do this more in book series - The Battle Drum picks up the steam from The Final Strife and keeps running. Anoor is faced with politics and diplomacy, but also not knowing who she can trust. Betrayal, retribution, and secrets plague Anoor. It forces her to figure out who she really can trust, but also what kind of person, and friend, she is.
For Sylah, The Battle Drum begins with her haunted by Jond's betrayal and she has to discover what that means for who she is. We never want to assume we have been lied to, that we would fall for manipulation, but when we find out sometimes it can destabilize us entirely. But in The Battle Drum all of our characters, including one of my favorite Hassa, will be tested in ways they might not survive.
The Battle Drum is a sequel that never lets up. Not only does El-Arifi separate our faves Anoor and Sylah, but they really go through the wringer here. Beginning with an amazing book one recap - please do this more in book series - The Battle Drum picks up the steam from The Final Strife and keeps running. Anoor is faced with politics and diplomacy, but also not knowing who she can trust. Betrayal, retribution, and secrets plague Anoor. It forces her to figure out who she really can trust, but also what kind of person, and friend, she is.
For Sylah, The Battle Drum begins with her haunted by Jond's betrayal and she has to discover what that means for who she is. We never want to assume we have been lied to, that we would fall for manipulation, but when we find out sometimes it can destabilize us entirely. But in The Battle Drum all of our characters, including one of my favorite Hassa, will be tested in ways they might not survive.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Miscarriage, Self harm, Addiction, and Domestic abuse