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A review by ayvie
Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi
Did not finish book. Stopped at 41%.
Honestly, I'm exhausted by the rehashing of the same issues and fights that we faced in book 1. There is, understandably, a lot of trauma and mistrust from the main characters. And I don't discount or dismiss that. But I also want *more* and better. It's just too much pain being flung at everyone.
This is somewhat spoilery, but not with a lot of specifics.
I *hated* Inan's choices in book 1. To the point where I thought the romance between he and Zélie was a horrible add-on. I did not and do not forgive him. And I understand - wholly - why Zélie doesn't. So when he makes a point to try to end the war and be better here, I really hoped that he could. But he has no conviction. So when his offer is rebuffed (understandably), he just continues along with the status quo and hurting those with magic. Instead of standing strong against the atrocities, like he said he would, he just goes right back to eliminating magic and those that use it. Which apparently includes torture.
Zélie and Amari (whom I still love) are having the same fight they have been having since the beginning. I just desperately want them to band together to make things better. But the constant fighting against each other is helping no one. Least of all them.
Zélie wants to be done with the war and everything, believing that it was all for nothing. And there's no point in anyone else dying - they should just leave. I totally get her feelings on this. What frustrates me is that instead of doing that, she goes the revenge route and instead of seeing what's good for her people, she is singleminded in being *against* Inan. Which is going to place her people in more danger.
Amari continues to beat her head against the wall of being accepted by the magi. They do not accept her (since she is a royal that now has magic), and despite her trying to help them, and all of Orisha, be safe and healthy and happy, she's mistrusted and abused.
Since this seems to be rehashing all the issues from book 1, I think I can probably come back in book 3 to see how it ties up without even really reading the last half of book 2.
This is somewhat spoilery, but not with a lot of specifics.
Zélie and Amari (whom I still love) are having the same fight they have been having since the beginning. I just desperately want them to band together to make things better. But the constant fighting against each other is helping no one. Least of all them.
Zélie wants to be done with the war and everything, believing that it was all for nothing. And there's no point in anyone else dying - they should just leave. I totally get her feelings on this. What frustrates me is that instead of doing that, she goes the revenge route and instead of seeing what's good for her people, she is singleminded in being *against* Inan. Which is going to place her people in more danger.
Amari continues to beat her head against the wall of being accepted by the magi. They do not accept her (since she is a royal that now has magic), and despite her trying to help them, and all of Orisha, be safe and healthy and happy, she's mistrusted and abused.
Since this seems to be rehashing all the issues from book 1, I think I can probably come back in book 3 to see how it ties up without even really reading the last half of book 2.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture and Violence