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readingwithkaitlyn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Misogyny, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Bullying, Physical abuse, Self harm, Slavery, Torture, Excrement, Vomit, and Alcohol
Minor: Ableism, Child death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Stalking, Pregnancy, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic
poorunfortunatereader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The whole time I was reading, I kept getting Black Panther vibes in the best way possible.
This features a lot of tropes I enjoy: magical trials, political intrigue, unique magic systems, and found family.
The author does a good job of immediately pulling you into this world and this story and I found the story as a whole to be really fun and entertaining.
Compared to other similar books that are inspired by African mythology, something this did different was incorporate multiple African cultures into the story and it completely enriches the setting of this novel.
The writing itself did feel a bit juvenile at times, but I didn’t particularly mind that because when we first meet our main character she’s 11 years old, so it made sense to the novel. Also I don’t think there’s anything wrong with this being geared more towards a younger YA audience
One minor criticism I have is that I wish the trials described in the synopsis were developed more. We only really get to experience these trials and competition within the first third of the novel, and I just wanted more of the trials.
There are also some moments in the middle of the book that describe the mundane details of palace life in this world and I didn’t find those scenes entirely interesting.
Overall though, I think this is a highly imaginative young adult fantasy novel full of great characters, magic and a sprinkling of political intrigue that would recommend to fantasy readers.
Graphic: Child abuse and Death of parent
Moderate: Genocide
Minor: Rape
readandfindout's review against another edition
5.0
Themes: 5 stars
Characters: 5 stars
Plot: 5 stars
Worldbuilding: 4.5 stars
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Colonisation
Moderate: Child death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Rape, Suicide, and Vomit
akvolcano's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Slavery, Police brutality, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Classism
thatenbyisisreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Rape and Sexual content
Minor: Suicide
briely's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Minor: Child death, Genocide, and Murder
hiddeninfantasy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
jupiterlee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Slavery, Violence, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and War
rhm04's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
Moderate: Rape, Sexual content, Vomit, and Medical content
Minor: Kidnapping
traeumenvonbuechern's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Death, Genocide, and Gore