raeonthefly's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
poetskings's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Iraya and Jazmyne, having overthrown the Doyenne, once again find themselves on opposing sides of a power struggle for Aiyca. But a new enemy emerges, once again forcing these two would-be enemies to be reluctant allies.
I wish I could say I wanted to like this book. I went into it feeling absolutely nothing having not enjoyed book 1 in the series, and still found myself underwhelmed. The antagonist is ambiguous at best with no real motive and are never really set up as a threat of any serious measure, the two protagonists are insufferable, the world is underdeveloped and under explained, and the ending was rushed and far too convenient.
There were directions this book could have gone in that would have made it interesting, but Smart took none of those directions, and instead has a 700+ page book that drags the reader between utterly irrelevant events that take place in the span of a few pages and have no emotional impact at all.
I went into the first book with high hopes for an interesting story about two rivals forced to work together in a rich and interesting world, and came out of this book bored and disappointed.
the_wistful_word_witch's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It took me a little bit longer to delve back into Jazmyne and Iraya's story, but it was one worth finishing.
The back and forth between perspectives was a bit dizzying this time, as was the war in which the characters are embroiled. Just like with the first book, there are plenty of twists and turns, lots of intrigue, and a smattering of spiciness.
Poor Jaz got shafted throughout most of the book, considering how much more everyone else had to work with. But ultimately, it made her into a better version of herself.
I really liked the way that Ms Smart ended the duology on a hopeful note, letting us readers imagine how life continues for the enemies turned unlikely allies, united by the one thing they love most: Aiyca.
The back and forth between perspectives was a bit dizzying this time, as was the war in which the characters are embroiled. Just like with the first book, there are plenty of twists and turns, lots of intrigue, and a smattering of spiciness.
Poor Jaz got shafted throughout most of the book, considering how much more everyone else had to work with. But ultimately, it made her into a better version of herself.
I really liked the way that Ms Smart ended the duology on a hopeful note, letting us readers imagine how life continues for the enemies turned unlikely allies, united by the one thing they love most: Aiyca.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, War, Violence, Murder, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Grief
mollyadaza's review against another edition
5.0
I would reread this book in a heartbeat if it wasn't 750 pages
4.5 rounded up to 5. Yes I recommend (but recommend reading book 2 right after book 1 or you'll spend the first 100 pages confused)
Summary: Smart's mastery of imagery and world building kept me going through the slow burn (both romance AND plot). Iraya is the smart a$$ protagonist, brave to the point of reckless, we love to cheer for, while Jazmyne fights the internal struggles many relate to. I loved their character arcs, the self realization of both, and the connections they form with secondary characters. At times I was very confused (especially in the beginning, I really should've read the two books closer together) both due to the long prose (that were beautiful) and the complex world building. There were a few too many important secondary characters. I really wish this would've been a trilogy instead of a 750 page book.
Characters:
Iraya - Too perfect sometimes, hilarious others, always my favorite. She was witty, cunning, and an overall bad a$$ that kept me so invested in the story.
Jazmyne - At times she was whiny and annoying. I wanted to skip through her chapters to get back to Iraya in the first half of hte book, but Jazymne truly had the best character arc (in my opinion) so by the end, I wanted more of her.
Kirdan - I loved the conflict between Iraya and Kirdan. It gave their relationship more depth than "I think you're hot" because he truly had his own motivations and was so much more than many love interests in fantasy romance are (not that this is truly fantasy romance but has similar tropes/feels).
Other secondary characters - the deaths hit HARD, the betrayals harder. They were main characters in their own lives, each with selfish motivations and realistic reactions to the horrors of what their leaders must do to win the war. I could've done with a few less of them, however.
Plot
Here's where I took off the half star, it does drag at points. It's 750 pages, of course it's going to drag when you have chapter after chapter of political intrigue because they have to amass the armies and make alliances and develop as characters, however, I think a good 200 pages could've been cut without damaging the plot or character development. During the slow parts, I really just had to focus on the beauty of Smart's prose and the one liners that HIT.
The ending did feel a bit rushed, especially since the rest of the book was so long, and definitely had a "power of friendship" vibe that I knew was coming but kind of hoped wasn't.
World building
The world was both immersive and too much. I felt lost through many parts and had to scour back through the book to find small points that made things fit together. Part of this is a me-problem, as it's Jamaican-based fantasy so many words and titles were unfamiliar (that is not a critique of the book at all, but of my ability to adjust from primarily medieval based fantasy). I was a bit confused on distances between locations, and time skips between the dual POVs did not help as we'd jump back and forth.
4.5 rounded up to 5. Yes I recommend (but recommend reading book 2 right after book 1 or you'll spend the first 100 pages confused)
Summary: Smart's mastery of imagery and world building kept me going through the slow burn (both romance AND plot). Iraya is the smart a$$ protagonist, brave to the point of reckless, we love to cheer for, while Jazmyne fights the internal struggles many relate to. I loved their character arcs, the self realization of both, and the connections they form with secondary characters. At times I was very confused (especially in the beginning, I really should've read the two books closer together) both due to the long prose (that were beautiful) and the complex world building. There were a few too many important secondary characters. I really wish this would've been a trilogy instead of a 750 page book.
Characters:
Iraya - Too perfect sometimes, hilarious others, always my favorite. She was witty, cunning, and an overall bad a$$ that kept me so invested in the story.
Jazmyne - At times she was whiny and annoying. I wanted to skip through her chapters to get back to Iraya in the first half of hte book, but Jazymne truly had the best character arc (in my opinion) so by the end, I wanted more of her.
Kirdan - I loved the conflict between Iraya and Kirdan. It gave their relationship more depth than "I think you're hot" because he truly had his own motivations and was so much more than many love interests in fantasy romance are (not that this is truly fantasy romance but has similar tropes/feels).
Other secondary characters - the deaths hit HARD, the betrayals harder. They were main characters in their own lives, each with selfish motivations and realistic reactions to the horrors of what their leaders must do to win the war. I could've done with a few less of them, however.
Plot
Here's where I took off the half star, it does drag at points. It's 750 pages, of course it's going to drag when you have chapter after chapter of political intrigue because they have to amass the armies and make alliances and develop as characters, however, I think a good 200 pages could've been cut without damaging the plot or character development. During the slow parts, I really just had to focus on the beauty of Smart's prose and the one liners that HIT.
The ending did feel a bit rushed, especially since the rest of the book was so long, and definitely had a "power of friendship" vibe that I knew was coming but kind of hoped wasn't.
World building
The world was both immersive and too much. I felt lost through many parts and had to scour back through the book to find small points that made things fit together. Part of this is a me-problem, as it's Jamaican-based fantasy so many words and titles were unfamiliar (that is not a critique of the book at all, but of my ability to adjust from primarily medieval based fantasy). I was a bit confused on distances between locations, and time skips between the dual POVs did not help as we'd jump back and forth.
elizajaquays's review
I didn’t love the first book as much as I’d hoped I would and this one wasn’t gripping me enough to stick around for 750 pages
readingcaffeinated's review against another edition
4.0
I thoroughly enjoyed Witches Steeped in Gold and was ready to jump straight back into the story world for Empress Crowned in Red. And that is exactly what happened. This book literally picks up where the previous one stopped making one of the best possible binge series I have encountered. Navigating the political intrigue and character relationships, this novel is perfectly written to compliment the West African influences and representation. With beautiful language use, the author manages to paint a vibrant landscape rife with intrigue, action and personal growth. I absolutely loved both Iraya and Jazmyne. They are so absolutely fierce.
The audiobook narration was so spot on I nearly restarted the book just so I can stay in the story world.
The audiobook narration was so spot on I nearly restarted the book just so I can stay in the story world.
justgeekingby's review against another edition
4.0
Originally posted on Just Geeking by.
Content warnings:
Empress Crowned in Red starts off from where the first book left off – I think. It felt very abrupt and there was hardly any padding to ease the reader back into the flow of things. I’m not a fan of authors rehashing the entire story of the last book just to resettle readers, however, if you’re going to string the story along so closely a little reminder of the immediate events that happened in a book I read a year ago would be much appreciated. I will say that it definitely made me feel as unsettled as Iraya did, so if that was the intent then it worked perfectly.
It took me a while to get settled into Empress Crowed in Red; about fifty percent of the book to be exact. This book is a huge tome, and normally I’m all for massive books. That’s just more story and that’s usually not a bad thing. Usually. The first half of this book felt like it dragged on, and while I won’t say it was unnecessary, it just personally didn’t work for me. Then after that halfway mark everything started to piece together as if Smart had just been playing with us, setting the stage for the finale of her duology. The first half of Empress Crowned in Red is basically one big tease and then Smart drops the curtain.
Smart introduces a lot of new elements in this book, and it mixes things up nicely. I expected book two to be still be Iraya vs. Jazmyne and while that rivalry is still present, there is more happening. It was a relief, actually, to see that Smart has grown her world even more. While Iraya and Jazmyne’s rivalry is interesting, I felt like book one covered that, and I wasn’t sure how another book of them duking it out was going to work. Adding a mystery assailant and monsters provided Smart with the chance to delve deeper into so many parts of her already fantastic world-building, and let me tell you, it only gets better in Empress Crowned in Red.
As expected this sequel is the battle for Aiyca and the throne, and some things happened as I expected and were perhaps a little predictable. This book is all about the journey though and how all the characters get where they do. It’s their journeys and their developments over the course of the book that I never expected, and that’s one of the brilliant parts about Smart’s writing. She keeps you on your toes throughout the book. You know that X is going to happen, but how it happens? Guess again.
The physical battle for Aiyca is very well paced. Unlike battles in other books where they end abruptly in one or two chapters, Smart takes her time. As a result it actually feels like a battle with stages. At one point at the start of the battle, Iraya’s narration changes slightly to echo tradition oral storytelling. She talks about how the residents of the Island saw what was happening, how they told the story of it happening later on. It’s a nice change of pace and has the effect of highlighting the enormity of the moment. Whatever happens, what they’re doing is still so momentous that stories are told about it.
Characters and relationships develop much more in Empress Crowned in Red. In the previous book there were a lot of new relationships being forged, and this time around those relationships are beginning to solidify and grow. Trust is built even if it takes time in some cases. The way characters and relationships developed was fabulous and realistic, and I loved the way Smart writes dialogue between her characters. Whether they’re friends, enemies or lovers, the way she has with words is just perfection. Iraya is the queen of banter and sass and some of her lines are amazing.
There was one character that developed in a way that personally I did not find believable at all. I kept waiting for there to be an additional explanation for what happens because the change in them felt very sudden and quite false. Other characters seem to develop very naturally, and this one just felt out of place which is odd for Smart’s writing as all the other character’s journeys were very smooth, believable. There were some signs for what happened, it just didn’t seem like a natural progression to me.
This was a book that I was immensely looking forward to, and while it was a fantastic conclusion to the duology, Empress Crowned in Red just didn’t reach the same levels as its predecessor for me. That has nothing to do with how the book ended, I’d like to emphasise. I’m happy with the conclusion and I enjoyed the book a lot, I just felt that there were a few parts that just weren’t quite as good as Witches Steeped in Gold. As mentioned, the first half of the book didn’t quite catch my attention, and then there’s the out of character development of that character. Additionally, there was something related to a sub-plot that felt unfinished to me.
Empress Crowned in Red is a wonderful book, and it made me laugh and cry. It also has one of the best battle scenes I have seen in a fantasy series. It just wasn’t quite a five-star read for me.
For more of my reviews please visit my blog!
Content warnings:
Spoiler
This book contains ongoing themes of oppression, racism, and betrayal. There are multiple scenes of death and violence, as well as references to off page deaths including deaths of parents. Grief is expressed and discussed at various points. There are several unhealthy relationships with family members in this book, including with parental figures and siblings. These include manipulation and emotional abuse. There are scenes of intoxication and drugs.Empress Crowned in Red starts off from where the first book left off – I think. It felt very abrupt and there was hardly any padding to ease the reader back into the flow of things. I’m not a fan of authors rehashing the entire story of the last book just to resettle readers, however, if you’re going to string the story along so closely a little reminder of the immediate events that happened in a book I read a year ago would be much appreciated. I will say that it definitely made me feel as unsettled as Iraya did, so if that was the intent then it worked perfectly.
It took me a while to get settled into Empress Crowed in Red; about fifty percent of the book to be exact. This book is a huge tome, and normally I’m all for massive books. That’s just more story and that’s usually not a bad thing. Usually. The first half of this book felt like it dragged on, and while I won’t say it was unnecessary, it just personally didn’t work for me. Then after that halfway mark everything started to piece together as if Smart had just been playing with us, setting the stage for the finale of her duology. The first half of Empress Crowned in Red is basically one big tease and then Smart drops the curtain.
Smart introduces a lot of new elements in this book, and it mixes things up nicely. I expected book two to be still be Iraya vs. Jazmyne and while that rivalry is still present, there is more happening. It was a relief, actually, to see that Smart has grown her world even more. While Iraya and Jazmyne’s rivalry is interesting, I felt like book one covered that, and I wasn’t sure how another book of them duking it out was going to work. Adding a mystery assailant and monsters provided Smart with the chance to delve deeper into so many parts of her already fantastic world-building, and let me tell you, it only gets better in Empress Crowned in Red.
As expected this sequel is the battle for Aiyca and the throne, and some things happened as I expected and were perhaps a little predictable. This book is all about the journey though and how all the characters get where they do. It’s their journeys and their developments over the course of the book that I never expected, and that’s one of the brilliant parts about Smart’s writing. She keeps you on your toes throughout the book. You know that X is going to happen, but how it happens? Guess again.
The physical battle for Aiyca is very well paced. Unlike battles in other books where they end abruptly in one or two chapters, Smart takes her time. As a result it actually feels like a battle with stages. At one point at the start of the battle, Iraya’s narration changes slightly to echo tradition oral storytelling. She talks about how the residents of the Island saw what was happening, how they told the story of it happening later on. It’s a nice change of pace and has the effect of highlighting the enormity of the moment. Whatever happens, what they’re doing is still so momentous that stories are told about it.
Characters and relationships develop much more in Empress Crowned in Red. In the previous book there were a lot of new relationships being forged, and this time around those relationships are beginning to solidify and grow. Trust is built even if it takes time in some cases. The way characters and relationships developed was fabulous and realistic, and I loved the way Smart writes dialogue between her characters. Whether they’re friends, enemies or lovers, the way she has with words is just perfection. Iraya is the queen of banter and sass and some of her lines are amazing.
There was one character that developed in a way that personally I did not find believable at all. I kept waiting for there to be an additional explanation for what happens because the change in them felt very sudden and quite false. Other characters seem to develop very naturally, and this one just felt out of place which is odd for Smart’s writing as all the other character’s journeys were very smooth, believable. There were some signs for what happened, it just didn’t seem like a natural progression to me.
This was a book that I was immensely looking forward to, and while it was a fantastic conclusion to the duology, Empress Crowned in Red just didn’t reach the same levels as its predecessor for me. That has nothing to do with how the book ended, I’d like to emphasise. I’m happy with the conclusion and I enjoyed the book a lot, I just felt that there were a few parts that just weren’t quite as good as Witches Steeped in Gold. As mentioned, the first half of the book didn’t quite catch my attention, and then there’s the out of character development of that character. Additionally, there was something related to a sub-plot that felt unfinished to me.
Empress Crowned in Red is a wonderful book, and it made me laugh and cry. It also has one of the best battle scenes I have seen in a fantasy series. It just wasn’t quite a five-star read for me.
For more of my reviews please visit my blog!
the_bitchy_booker's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
eepemma's review against another edition
Left it too long between reading the first book and this sequel. Have lost interest in the story
maireador20's review
I found the pace super slow and it just wasn't holding my attention, maybe it just doesn't work well as an audio book?