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abey's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- 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
reginaaapaul's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
unfiltered_fiction's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
janbabs's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.0
smilesgiggle's review against another edition
5.0
I could not read this book fast enough.
Sylah, Noor, Jood, Hassa, the Elders - their adventures, strained relationships. And of course The Wife.
El-Arifi casts a spell and holds me in their grasp.
So many great themes - race, gender is just a thing as is sexuality, complexity of family/found family, the parting of Sylah and Noor continues to break my heart as they continue their path.
Sylah, Noor, Jood, Hassa, the Elders - their adventures, strained relationships. And of course The Wife.
El-Arifi casts a spell and holds me in their grasp.
So many great themes - race, gender is just a thing as is sexuality, complexity of family/found family, the parting of Sylah and Noor continues to break my heart as they continue their path.
idoreadalittle's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
eisenarm's review against another edition
3.75
It just didnt hit its stride like the first one did. Still has one of the best world buildings ive ever read.
Some of the narrative choices that were made here did not work for me sadly.
Some of the narrative choices that were made here did not work for me sadly.
jenpaul13's review against another edition
4.0
The truth behind the long-kept secrets and sacrifices that have upheld an Empire surface as three women and their network of allies strategize how to overcome them when a surprising new battle begins to make itself known in The Battle Drum by Saara El-Arifi.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
Traveling on the mission given to her by Anoor to find a solution for the increasingly deadly tidewinds the Empire is facing, Sylah makes her way to the Ghosting territory to seek their knowledge and aid with her former friend turned prisoner Jond in tow; as they make their way toward support and answers they face dangers in acid rain that incapacitates Sylah and they’re captured by those who would sell them, forcing Jond to devise an escape plan so they can fulfill their mission. Back in the Empire, Anoor has taken up her duties as a disciple and building her Shadow Court in preparation for when she’ll take over as Warden; however, when Uka, her mother and current Warden, is found killed and the clues point toward Anoor she’s accused of the murder, which she didn’t commit, so she tries to solve the mystery to clear her name before it’s too late thanks to the grace afforded to her by her powerful grandmother Yona. While teaching the Shadow Court the Ghosting signing language and helping Anoor clear her name, Hassa finds herself investigating a string of bodies ravaged by the tidewinds that have strange markings in the bones that point toward crime-related murder, but with Loot gone a question arises of who’s ordering the murders. While the three women seek out answers to the questions on their minds while they pursue a solution to save their lives, and their Empire, what they learn unseats everything they thought they knew and will set them on a path forward filled with sacrifices they must decide if they’re willing to make now that the Child of Fire has been found and battle is imminent.
Beginning with a clever method of providing a recap of what previously occurred in The Final Strife, a griot’s story eases readers back into the world for the tale yet to come. Though slowly paced with multiple perspectives to balance and flesh out the situations faced, this second ambitious novel in the trilogy addresses many of the questions raised and left open toward the end of The Final Strife while also depicting a much broader world beyond the Empire, presenting a new, yet related, set of questions to address; the storyline of Nayeli is fascinating and provides greater context and depth around the world’s history, particularly that of colonization and God worship, easily demonstrating that the sliver readers have been offered thus far, and therefore what Sylah, Anoor, and Hassa know, is but a small part of a grander whole. While there are some major revelations within this novel, which were set up and hinted at well, they serve primarily as a way of setting the stage for the battle that will unfold in the next installment of the series, piquing interest to learn what might happen and how things will resolve as a result of what was revealed. Moments of stark realization about the lies they’ve been fed their entire lives are interspersed throughout a variety of hardships, be it dangerous travel in deadly weather elements or attempting to evade capture or striving to clear your name from murder charges, all of which provide opportunities for the characters to demonstrate how they’ve grown in how they react to these trying situations.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
Traveling on the mission given to her by Anoor to find a solution for the increasingly deadly tidewinds the Empire is facing, Sylah makes her way to the Ghosting territory to seek their knowledge and aid with her former friend turned prisoner Jond in tow; as they make their way toward support and answers they face dangers in acid rain that incapacitates Sylah and they’re captured by those who would sell them, forcing Jond to devise an escape plan so they can fulfill their mission. Back in the Empire, Anoor has taken up her duties as a disciple and building her Shadow Court in preparation for when she’ll take over as Warden; however, when Uka, her mother and current Warden, is found killed and the clues point toward Anoor she’s accused of the murder, which she didn’t commit, so she tries to solve the mystery to clear her name before it’s too late thanks to the grace afforded to her by her powerful grandmother Yona. While teaching the Shadow Court the Ghosting signing language and helping Anoor clear her name, Hassa finds herself investigating a string of bodies ravaged by the tidewinds that have strange markings in the bones that point toward crime-related murder, but with Loot gone a question arises of who’s ordering the murders. While the three women seek out answers to the questions on their minds while they pursue a solution to save their lives, and their Empire, what they learn unseats everything they thought they knew and will set them on a path forward filled with sacrifices they must decide if they’re willing to make now that the Child of Fire has been found and battle is imminent.
Beginning with a clever method of providing a recap of what previously occurred in The Final Strife, a griot’s story eases readers back into the world for the tale yet to come. Though slowly paced with multiple perspectives to balance and flesh out the situations faced, this second ambitious novel in the trilogy addresses many of the questions raised and left open toward the end of The Final Strife while also depicting a much broader world beyond the Empire, presenting a new, yet related, set of questions to address; the storyline of Nayeli is fascinating and provides greater context and depth around the world’s history, particularly that of colonization and God worship, easily demonstrating that the sliver readers have been offered thus far, and therefore what Sylah, Anoor, and Hassa know, is but a small part of a grander whole. While there are some major revelations within this novel, which were set up and hinted at well, they serve primarily as a way of setting the stage for the battle that will unfold in the next installment of the series, piquing interest to learn what might happen and how things will resolve as a result of what was revealed. Moments of stark realization about the lies they’ve been fed their entire lives are interspersed throughout a variety of hardships, be it dangerous travel in deadly weather elements or attempting to evade capture or striving to clear your name from murder charges, all of which provide opportunities for the characters to demonstrate how they’ve grown in how they react to these trying situations.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
the_kat_next_door's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75