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lucidfish's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-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? No
5.0
caoilo's review against another edition
2.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ), Bloomsbury Children's Books for an e-ARC for review.
Cameron and his friends have only been home in the US about two months but Cameron already knows that they need to return to Chidani soon. But a lot of things stand in Cameron's way least of all his grandmother. Destiny has other plans and Cameron is out of time and choices. He, Zion and Aliyah are transported to Chidani without warning.
They come up against new foes and old. The team soon find out that all Gods are the same. While the trio find them selves in new places the situation is usually the same, win or someone dies.
There were the usual themes present, love, family, connection, right and wrong, good and evil. Though at least in this book we may have seen some gray areas when it came to good and evil.
Unfortunately this book did not hit the same way the first one did. Expressions were over used, there were some parts that were predictable and situations seemed to be repeated. Part of the story also feel contradictory. And while the book is named Cameron Battle and the Escape Trials, the trials themselves only last a few short chapters. There was so much in this book, there could have been a third installment. Though over all I'm glad there wasn't.
Aliyah was all but a third wheel and all the main action seemed surround the two boys. Again she felt like the token girl.
I hate to say it but I did notice an undercurrent of sexism. There were a few things that annoyed me. The most noticeable is when Cameron is thinking about his time with his father. He remembers how his dad would make him breakfast on a Saturday if his mother wanted a lay in. as if it were her job.
Though the book was supposed to cause Cameron pain as some sort of spider-sense, warning Cameron of danger ect, as a disabled person who suffers with chronic pain I found this an ableist trope. Not to mention there was a magic potion that could heal everything.
While in the book Cameron and Zion's relationship is not frowned upon by those in Chidani it certainly would be in real life Nigeria. Which as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, just like the writer, I find this conflicting . Would it be great if the community was excepted, yes. But it isn't, so there is no way Cam and Zion would be aloud to share a bed. Horrific things have been done to gay people in Nigeria.
I think the book could have focused on the slavery suffered by the Igbo people but I feel the whole thing just got lost. There seemed too much to be going on in the book at once. Can Cam save Vince, can Cam save Zion, can Cam save Chidani, can he find the ring, save his parents, and Earth, can he kill the baddies.
To be honest by the end I didn't really care about the story. Part of that was due to the falseness of the characters. They were always on the brink of an argument and quickly became friends again, but then do the exact same thing that started the argument in the first place. It annoyed me no end that the characters repeated information over and over. They seemed to have the same conversation repeatedly, with nothing new to add or gain. Almost like Perry had forgotten that a character already said it. Again it didn't help that Cam, Zion and A did not speak like American teenagers, more like English professors. If they did sound more authentic then the Gods would have sounded different from them but all the characters had the same speech pattern.
While the last few chapters were emotion I definitely understand why it is for a much younger audience than me. I have so much more to say but I will leave it with this.
As I said about the last one:
If you are looking for book with a friendship like Harry Potter, baddies reminiscent of Lord of the Rings, a quest like both, POC characters and set in a hidden place like Wakanda this is for you 100%.
Do expect tears at the end.
Cameron and his friends have only been home in the US about two months but Cameron already knows that they need to return to Chidani soon. But a lot of things stand in Cameron's way least of all his grandmother. Destiny has other plans and Cameron is out of time and choices. He, Zion and Aliyah are transported to Chidani without warning.
They come up against new foes and old. The team soon find out that all Gods are the same. While the trio find them selves in new places the situation is usually the same, win or someone dies.
There were the usual themes present, love, family, connection, right and wrong, good and evil. Though at least in this book we may have seen some gray areas when it came to good and evil.
Unfortunately this book did not hit the same way the first one did. Expressions were over used, there were some parts that were predictable and situations seemed to be repeated. Part of the story also feel contradictory. And while the book is named Cameron Battle and the Escape Trials, the trials themselves only last a few short chapters. There was so much in this book, there could have been a third installment. Though over all I'm glad there wasn't.
Aliyah was all but a third wheel and all the main action seemed surround the two boys. Again she felt like the token girl.
I hate to say it but I did notice an undercurrent of sexism. There were a few things that annoyed me. The most noticeable is when Cameron is thinking about his time with his father. He remembers how his dad would make him breakfast on a Saturday if his mother wanted a lay in. as if it were her job.
Though the book was supposed to cause Cameron pain as some sort of spider-sense, warning Cameron of danger ect, as a disabled person who suffers with chronic pain I found this an ableist trope. Not to mention there was a magic potion that could heal everything.
While in the book Cameron and Zion's relationship is not frowned upon by those in Chidani it certainly would be in real life Nigeria. Which as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, just like the writer, I find this conflicting . Would it be great if the community was excepted, yes. But it isn't, so there is no way Cam and Zion would be aloud to share a bed. Horrific things have been done to gay people in Nigeria.
I think the book could have focused on the slavery suffered by the Igbo people but I feel the whole thing just got lost. There seemed too much to be going on in the book at once. Can Cam save Vince, can Cam save Zion, can Cam save Chidani, can he find the ring, save his parents, and Earth, can he kill the baddies.
To be honest by the end I didn't really care about the story. Part of that was due to the falseness of the characters. They were always on the brink of an argument and quickly became friends again, but then do the exact same thing that started the argument in the first place. It annoyed me no end that the characters repeated information over and over. They seemed to have the same conversation repeatedly, with nothing new to add or gain. Almost like Perry had forgotten that a character already said it. Again it didn't help that Cam, Zion and A did not speak like American teenagers, more like English professors. If they did sound more authentic then the Gods would have sounded different from them but all the characters had the same speech pattern.
While the last few chapters were emotion I definitely understand why it is for a much younger audience than me. I have so much more to say but I will leave it with this.
As I said about the last one:
If you are looking for book with a friendship like Harry Potter, baddies reminiscent of Lord of the Rings, a quest like both, POC characters and set in a hidden place like Wakanda this is for you 100%.
Do expect tears at the end.
queer_bookwyrm's review
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
3.5 ⭐ CW: bullying, fantasy violence, slavery mention
Cameron Battle and the Escape Trials by Jamar J. Perry is book two in the Cameron Battle duology. This was an okay middle grade series. I've definitely read better, but I did really appreciate reading about a little gay, black boy with magic, and Igbo mythology.
We pick up with Cameron, Aliyah, and Zion after the events of book one, while they are at school. All Cameron can think about is getting back to Chidani to save his mom and dad. When Cameron starts getting bullied by his classmate Vince, he realizes that the classmate has been possessed by mmo, and he and his friends get pulled into a portal and thrust back in Chidani.
When Vince fell into Chidani, he was taken by the goddess Ala, and Cameron ends up having to let her take Zion too. The only way to save both Vince and Zion is to complete the Escape Trials: one a game of wit, and one a game of love. Cameron has to face some hard truths about the fate of his mother and face his feelings for Zion.
I did enjoy this one more than book one, but I felt that the escape trials were a pretty small part, which felt weird since that's the name of the book. Most of the book was Cameron trying to figure out his summoning magic with the Book, and trying to figure out how to get his mom's soul back from Amina. I felt like Cameron didn't have enough growth throughout the book, and I didn't love that he was bent on killing Amina. Some of the other elements just felt a bit rushed since it was a short book, and I felt the world-building would have been better served if it were a trilogy instead.
This was still a fun story with great representation. I love seeing Black Boy Magic and that Cameron and Zion got to have a happy ending.
Cameron Battle and the Escape Trials by Jamar J. Perry is book two in the Cameron Battle duology. This was an okay middle grade series. I've definitely read better, but I did really appreciate reading about a little gay, black boy with magic, and Igbo mythology.
We pick up with Cameron, Aliyah, and Zion after the events of book one, while they are at school. All Cameron can think about is getting back to Chidani to save his mom and dad. When Cameron starts getting bullied by his classmate Vince, he realizes that the classmate has been possessed by mmo, and he and his friends get pulled into a portal and thrust back in Chidani.
When Vince fell into Chidani, he was taken by the goddess Ala, and Cameron ends up having to let her take Zion too. The only way to save both Vince and Zion is to complete the Escape Trials: one a game of wit, and one a game of love. Cameron has to face some hard truths about the fate of his mother and face his feelings for Zion.
I did enjoy this one more than book one, but I felt that the escape trials were a pretty small part, which felt weird since that's the name of the book. Most of the book was Cameron trying to figure out his summoning magic with the Book, and trying to figure out how to get his mom's soul back from Amina. I felt like Cameron didn't have enough growth throughout the book, and I didn't love that he was bent on killing Amina. Some of the other elements just felt a bit rushed since it was a short book, and I felt the world-building would have been better served if it were a trilogy instead.
This was still a fun story with great representation. I love seeing Black Boy Magic and that Cameron and Zion got to have a happy ending.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying and Violence
Minor: Slavery
lovelylloyd's review
adventurous
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
5.0
Thank you NetGalley, Bloomsbury Publishing and Jamar for providing me with a copy of Cameron Battle and the Escape Trials for review.
This is an amazing book. It is a Middle Grade book with a queer black MC and amazing West African mythology. LOVE. This book is a great MG book, it has everything that I am looking for in a fast paced fantasy. What is not fast paced is the love story, which is inline with basically every MG series ever so hopefully there is more to come.
I really really enjoyed the first book in this series, my review of that was:
"Tweenie Queer book! I love what this book brings to the table and what future books in the series can offer. Cameron Battle and the Hidden Kingdoms by @jamarjperry
I was very excited by this book being compared to the Percy Jackson books with a queer black boy as the MC. It is not immediately obvious from this book that the MC is queer but there are the foundations of a queer romance. I enjoyed the world creation and look forward to exploring the world of Chidani and the queer romance in future books."
My thoughts remain the same, there is a future for these books to depict queer black teens in such a meaningful way. I love Cameron and Zion. I need to see this romance blossom. There is also so much more room to explore the Mythology and the world of Chidani which educates and informs children as well as entertains.
Having read the first book almost a year ago I really needed a recap on what was what and who was who before diving into this.
TL;DR If you like the Percy Jackson universe but want some black queer rep then this will be right up your alley.
This is an amazing book. It is a Middle Grade book with a queer black MC and amazing West African mythology. LOVE. This book is a great MG book, it has everything that I am looking for in a fast paced fantasy. What is not fast paced is the love story, which is inline with basically every MG series ever so hopefully there is more to come.
I really really enjoyed the first book in this series, my review of that was:
"Tweenie Queer book! I love what this book brings to the table and what future books in the series can offer. Cameron Battle and the Hidden Kingdoms by @jamarjperry
I was very excited by this book being compared to the Percy Jackson books with a queer black boy as the MC. It is not immediately obvious from this book that the MC is queer but there are the foundations of a queer romance. I enjoyed the world creation and look forward to exploring the world of Chidani and the queer romance in future books."
My thoughts remain the same, there is a future for these books to depict queer black teens in such a meaningful way. I love Cameron and Zion. I need to see this romance blossom. There is also so much more room to explore the Mythology and the world of Chidani which educates and informs children as well as entertains.
Having read the first book almost a year ago I really needed a recap on what was what and who was who before diving into this.
TL;DR If you like the Percy Jackson universe but want some black queer rep then this will be right up your alley.
wylovat's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? No
4.5
dragontomes2000's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Cameron Battle and the Escape Trials wraps up what was started in book one. This concluding novel picks up about a few months after the events of book one.
Now, I did not enjoy this book as much as book one, but it had a satisfying ending. I think what was missed in this book was a lot of the heart that book one had. I do enjoy that the relationship between Cameron and Zion was fleshed out a little more, but the story kind of forced it. Now that is not me saying it is a bad thing, I just wished it felt more fluid. I love seeing LGBTQ+ representation in middle grade though. I know this book is titled "Escape Trials," but that part of the book was a meager 10 pages or so. Seemed like a missed opportunity. I know what your thinking, "It's just a title," but it really felt like an after thought, the Escape Trials.
Jamar J. Perry is just starting out as an author, and I think the Cameron Battle series shows a lot of promise. I am really looking forward to seeing Jamar J. Perry continue his journey as a published author.
Now, I did not enjoy this book as much as book one, but it had a satisfying ending. I think what was missed in this book was a lot of the heart that book one had. I do enjoy that the relationship between Cameron and Zion was fleshed out a little more, but the story kind of forced it. Now that is not me saying it is a bad thing, I just wished it felt more fluid. I love seeing LGBTQ+ representation in middle grade though. I know this book is titled "Escape Trials," but that part of the book was a meager 10 pages or so. Seemed like a missed opportunity. I know what your thinking, "It's just a title," but it really felt like an after thought, the Escape Trials.
Jamar J. Perry is just starting out as an author, and I think the Cameron Battle series shows a lot of promise. I am really looking forward to seeing Jamar J. Perry continue his journey as a published author.
caitief's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
fast-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? No
5.0
bostonbooks's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
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? Yes
3.5
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