The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! š
joygarcialim's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.25
None of the characters were likeable, Iām going so far as to say most of the characters are unlikeable. Even if they were on the side of the morally ambitious, they didnāt have many dimensions or layers, and were mostly just annoying. The only character which had any enticement to them was Qayn.
Examples of bad writing from the book:
Graphic: Colonisation, Death, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Violence, Emotional abuse, Blood, Child abuse, Classism, Hate crime, Medical content, Police brutality, Child death, Sexual harassment, Addiction, Murder, Racism, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, War, Alcohol, Animal death, Physical abuse, Rape, and Slavery
alyssasaurus's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The world is fascinating and dark, and the mysteries around how it became what it is kept me guessing throughout. The magic system is unusual. I love the method of attaining magic through tea!
Ibrahim clearly is a talented writer. When she is on point, her prose is lovely and poignant. She doesnāt overdo the language, steering clear of the flowery descriptors often present in epic fantasy stories. The result for me was an easy-to-read book with lots of passages highlighted.Ā
Where this book excelled was in depicting the horrors of oppression and colonization. Itās clear from the beginning Imani is going to need to go through a paradigm shift to succeed on her journey. She has such deep-seeded trust in the messages she has been told her whole life, that she has no idea how others could have a different perspective. Her starting point in the novel promises huge opportunity for her to grapple with privilege and lack, and what happens when the powerful abuse their position. This is the most realistic and insightful conflict in the book. Iād love for people to read it if only to get a compelling perspective of a character interrogating her own beliefs she once thought irrefutable facts.Ā
Where this book faltered for me was in the character development. The characters are oddly changeableā¦they seem to have a basic defined identity, but the book rushes them through conflict and all the ensuing emotions at an unnatural pace. The result was characters I liked most of the time behaving in completely confusing and nonsensical ways for their circumstances and who they seemed to be. And once you step away from the main cast of travelers, the supporting characters start to feel somewhat thin and left me wantingā¦Farida in particular felt like a thin copy of an archetype Iāve seen time and again in stories.Ā
I think I will likely read the next one. I hope that the character development and behavior improves as Ibrahim continues to write, because she really has created a vibrant cast of characters. I would like to see them grow and continue on their adventures.
Graphic: Confinement, Animal death, Excrement, Torture, Hate crime, Classism, Death, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Grief, Gaslighting, Islamophobia, Medical content, Colonisation, Violence, Cancer, Genocide, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Vomit, Child death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Child abuse, Police brutality, and Slavery