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A review by whatsheread
Exiled by Iron by Ehigbor Okosun
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
EXILED BY IRON by Ehigbor Okosun is a great example of a series, in this case, The Tainted Blood Duology, that starts strong and ends with a whimper. I adored the first book. Everything about it kept me on the edge of my seat, from the new-to-me mythology to the setting to the characters. I thought the world-building was solid, and the characters grew into the roles as they discovered more about their world.
EXILED BY IRON did not have that. For one thing, there is way too much happening for a satisfactory conclusion. At one point in time, Dèmi laments how many issues she has to deal with, and I feel the same way. For a series ender, there were too many new problems introduced for any of them to obtain a satisfactory ending. Not only did these new problems crowd an already complex story, but this meant that the action was nonstop. Seriously, no one can jump from fire to frying pan to open flame grill to pizza oven and back to the fire again without a break, but that is exactly what Ms. Okosun forces the reader to experience. It is overwhelming.
To make matters worse, in EXILED BY IRON, Dèmi never learns. She repeats her mistakes over and over and over again. Everyone who loves her tells her the same damn thing, and she ignores every single person. In one scene, a goddess tells her to stop rushing into situations, to which she agrees. Not one page later, she rushes into a situation without stopping to think through the consequences or formulate a plan. All this rushing only compounds her issues. It is frustrating, and it makes you question a) her intelligence and b) why so many people are willing to sacrifice their lives for her. In my opinion, based solely on her behavior and actions in this book, she isn't worth it.
EXILED BY IRON is a bloated, slow-moving conclusion to what was an exciting story. Dèmi is so aggravating that I spent a large amount of time controlling my temper and trying not to throw my Kindle across the room. It is way too long with all the additional problems she faces. In the end, the conclusion is not satisfying enough to be a reward for the slog through the story. Because the series started so well, I know that Ms. Okosun can write well and produce epic stories. Unfortunately, EXILED BY IRON is not an example of that writing skill.
EXILED BY IRON did not have that. For one thing, there is way too much happening for a satisfactory conclusion. At one point in time, Dèmi laments how many issues she has to deal with, and I feel the same way. For a series ender, there were too many new problems introduced for any of them to obtain a satisfactory ending. Not only did these new problems crowd an already complex story, but this meant that the action was nonstop. Seriously, no one can jump from fire to frying pan to open flame grill to pizza oven and back to the fire again without a break, but that is exactly what Ms. Okosun forces the reader to experience. It is overwhelming.
To make matters worse, in EXILED BY IRON, Dèmi never learns. She repeats her mistakes over and over and over again. Everyone who loves her tells her the same damn thing, and she ignores every single person. In one scene, a goddess tells her to stop rushing into situations, to which she agrees. Not one page later, she rushes into a situation without stopping to think through the consequences or formulate a plan. All this rushing only compounds her issues. It is frustrating, and it makes you question a) her intelligence and b) why so many people are willing to sacrifice their lives for her. In my opinion, based solely on her behavior and actions in this book, she isn't worth it.
EXILED BY IRON is a bloated, slow-moving conclusion to what was an exciting story. Dèmi is so aggravating that I spent a large amount of time controlling my temper and trying not to throw my Kindle across the room. It is way too long with all the additional problems she faces. In the end, the conclusion is not satisfying enough to be a reward for the slog through the story. Because the series started so well, I know that Ms. Okosun can write well and produce epic stories. Unfortunately, EXILED BY IRON is not an example of that writing skill.