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greeeer_e_rutt's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Racism, Xenophobia, Colonisation, and War
Minor: Body horror, Suicidal thoughts, Excrement, and Deportation
paintedpolarbear's review against another edition
3.0
To start with, the introduction of Titans was, at the beginning, a logical progression from the ending of the previous book. "The Gods work in mysterious ways" indeed, and it appeared to be a natural consequence of magic returning to the world. How would maji, with their closed cultural practices revolving around magic, adapt to the sudden influx of non-religious magic users? How would the new Titans adapt to their unprecedented powers? The answer was badly, on both counts, with the arrival of Titans sowing immediate chaos and disunity among the nation. Nobody handled this well. My major gripe was how quickly the argument among the maji devolved from actual cultural concerns to "well we just have to account for them when drawing up plans on how to kill as many people as possible." The idea that this was the gods' plan all along just never came up, which is insane considering how many other discussions revolved around trying to puzzle out the gods' will. What should have been a metaphor for socio-religious conflict became "my enemy leveled up, so now I have to level up as well," ad infinitum. Nobody wins in an arms race, btw.
One constant bugbear throughout the entire book was Amari's choices and actions. She quickly went from a character I was rooting for to a character I was hoping would die in a rockslide or something. Like, I get it, what are you supposed to do when the person whose approval you need says to your face that the best thing you can do for your country is die, but...I think the right answer is NOT to turn around and immediately magically lobotomize that person, take up the role of tribal elder (it's giving settler colonialism 🥴), and proceed to develop your own special and unique take on magic that completely disregards the cultural history that you have only just now become even slightly curious about. I'm also side-eyeing Mama Agba for condoning and encouraging literally everything about this.
Not to mention the LITERAL ACTUAL WAR CRIME of TARGETING CIVILIANS. Over which she has the AUDACITY to be shocked and dismayed that people are upset that she committed. Of which SHE is upset ONLY BECAUSE IT DIDN'T WORK. And expected everyone (including her boyfriend) to forgive her when OTHER PEOPLE have to resort to BLOOD SACRIFICE to invent NEW MAGIC just to UNDO WHAT SHE DID.
(This is not to say I am not side-eying Zelie/the Iyika literally using the exact same superweapon in their attack against the monarchy in the next scene, but it's fine because they're targeting soldiers? Can we be serious.)
Oh and the epilogue. Why was the trans-Atlantic slave trade overture necessary at all?
Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Torture, Violence, Trafficking, Religious bigotry, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
jlemms87's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
SO well done. I had to pace myself because the darkness and hate were so well written that I needed breaks. My heart is still aching for each of the characters, and for how desperately I just wanted them to listen to one another.
Graphic: Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Racism, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
sea_sea's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
There is also a lesbian background couple <3 I am definitely looking forward to the third book. Hopefully their story ends well! >~<
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
angievansprang's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Colonisation, War, and Classism
Moderate: Gore and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Grief
abby_can_read's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
After finishing the first book, I had high exceptions and I don't think this book lived up to them. This was a decent book and there were parts that I enjoyed reading.
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gore, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, and Blood
Minor: Gaslighting and Colonisation
ci_eden's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.0
Also I love how flawed Zelie is. I love a strong woman going through shit, and she doesn't want to run away anymore, she found her purpose, fuck yeah! Although she has horrible taste in men. Also did NOT expect Amari to kill innocent people. Trauma and abuse really twists you.
These are tortured characters that just keep getting battered and abused. Children fighting wars, as the title says. I feel for them, I really do. I feel like their deaths are inevitable but I can't look away...
Graphic: Death, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, and Classism
Minor: Confinement, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting
andromeda_1998's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Racism, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Colonisation, and War
lois_aguda's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Gore, Blood, Murder, and War
Moderate: Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail