book_vorfreude's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 ⭐️
Disclaimer: I received an early copy of this book from NetGalley, thank you to Ana Lal Din and White Tigress Press, all thoughts and opinions here are my own.
Author does include triggers at the beginning of the book which is always important but especially in regards to the heavy realities addressed in this book and story, please be aware of them before choosing to read it.
TW/CW: rape, self-harm, death, violence, suicide, murder, castration, drug addiction, human trafficking, transphobia, guns, sexual assault, prostitution, physical and emotional abuse
This is author Ana Lal Din's debut novel and what a way to kick off a series. This is not an easy book to read, it deals with all the content mentioned above and brings awareness to several issues, if you read the acknowledgments you'll understand this is not just a fantasy story, these are the very real issues that people deal with in regards to prostitution and the caste system, the ethnic cleansing and war crimes as well as the human trafficking in South Asia and the Middle East. Please be aware of that when reviewing the book.
The author says this book is "far from perfect", and while I will say it definitely felt like a debut novel, I think a lot of it was really well done and I am curious to what book 2 will bring us. The author even includes a glossary so that readers can learn and better understand the words and expressions used throughout the book, which I found extremely helpful especially in regards to linguistic expressions.
Now onto the actual review of the story itself. The first 75% of this story was great, yes we are introduced to a lot of characters, and names and places but it's actually not that hard to keep track of and you quickly get the hang of it after the first couple of chapters. You follow both Roma and Levi in their journey to survival, to grasping at staying human, feeling anything but pain and overwhelmed. This story is full of raw human emotions and I saved several quotes from the book that I felt had amazing impact, I'll leave them at the end.
The dual POV and two story lines that keep coming together and back apart again and again made this story that much more interesting. The parts of the story involving younger children were hard to get past but unfortunately sometimes we have to face the harsh realities of this world because:
I didn't mind the slower pace of the first half of the book because we get to know Roma and Levi in depth, truly understand how deep their fears go, and what they are capable of in order to survive. But that's where the last 25% of this story comes into play - the magic system is something that I felt like was never truly explained and therefore left me wanting, and didn't really impact the story at all for me, even now I only truly recall the snakes, nothing besides that stands out. And I felt like this last part of the book was slightly rushed and ended abruptly with the Epilogue. It did leave me wanting book 2 though because I feel like we spend the whole book wanting Roma to just explode instead of implode that when we finally get some anger out of her it just ends and leaves us hanging. But because I think the potential is there and that book two might turn out even better I definitely rounded up the rating because I think it's worth the read!
Now some quotes to pull you into trying out the book:
Disclaimer: I received an early copy of this book from NetGalley, thank you to Ana Lal Din and White Tigress Press, all thoughts and opinions here are my own.
Author does include triggers at the beginning of the book which is always important but especially in regards to the heavy realities addressed in this book and story, please be aware of them before choosing to read it.
TW/CW: rape, self-harm, death, violence, suicide, murder, castration, drug addiction, human trafficking, transphobia, guns, sexual assault, prostitution, physical and emotional abuse
This is author Ana Lal Din's debut novel and what a way to kick off a series. This is not an easy book to read, it deals with all the content mentioned above and brings awareness to several issues, if you read the acknowledgments you'll understand this is not just a fantasy story, these are the very real issues that people deal with in regards to prostitution and the caste system, the ethnic cleansing and war crimes as well as the human trafficking in South Asia and the Middle East. Please be aware of that when reviewing the book.
The author says this book is "far from perfect", and while I will say it definitely felt like a debut novel, I think a lot of it was really well done and I am curious to what book 2 will bring us. The author even includes a glossary so that readers can learn and better understand the words and expressions used throughout the book, which I found extremely helpful especially in regards to linguistic expressions.
Now onto the actual review of the story itself. The first 75% of this story was great, yes we are introduced to a lot of characters, and names and places but it's actually not that hard to keep track of and you quickly get the hang of it after the first couple of chapters. You follow both Roma and Levi in their journey to survival, to grasping at staying human, feeling anything but pain and overwhelmed. This story is full of raw human emotions and I saved several quotes from the book that I felt had amazing impact, I'll leave them at the end.
The dual POV and two story lines that keep coming together and back apart again and again made this story that much more interesting. The parts of the story involving younger children were hard to get past but unfortunately sometimes we have to face the harsh realities of this world because:
"Maybe being human makes us all responsible,"
I didn't mind the slower pace of the first half of the book because we get to know Roma and Levi in depth, truly understand how deep their fears go, and what they are capable of in order to survive. But that's where the last 25% of this story comes into play - the magic system is something that I felt like was never truly explained and therefore left me wanting, and didn't really impact the story at all for me, even now I only truly recall the snakes, nothing besides that stands out. And I felt like this last part of the book was slightly rushed and ended abruptly with the Epilogue. It did leave me wanting book 2 though because I feel like we spend the whole book wanting Roma to just explode instead of implode that when we finally get some anger out of her it just ends and leaves us hanging. But because I think the potential is there and that book two might turn out even better I definitely rounded up the rating because I think it's worth the read!
Now some quotes to pull you into trying out the book:
The privileged slept like kings and queens on the ashes of the slaves.
"You're eyes could ruin a man"has to be the most swoonworthy quote in the whole book (I want more of them interacting badly in book two....)
There was no peace in understanding certain incidents in her life hadn't been within her power to change, but within the power of others, because she was still the one to bear the consequences.
olawunmi's review
3.0
To be honest, I wasn’t that invested in the first half and I think if this hadn’t been a bookclub read, I would have DNF-ed it at some point. But I am glad I stuck with it because the last third is the strongest section of the book and played a big part in swaying my rating and determining whether or not I would be reading the rest of the series.
While it definitely reads like a debut and there are many issues I had with it (which I will be discussing in extensive detail at the bookclub discussion), this was a solid read and I will be continuing on with the series.
While it definitely reads like a debut and there are many issues I had with it (which I will be discussing in extensive detail at the bookclub discussion), this was a solid read and I will be continuing on with the series.
regitzexenia's review against another edition
4.0
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC. My opinions are my own. This review is also posted to my NetGalley profile.
First up, I have to mention how unique this book is. I’ve never come across another book that takes its inspiration from pre-Islamic mythology and Indo-Persian culture. It was one of the things that drew me to the book in the first place and the author really delivers. However, it is very important for me to note that I am not familiar with either mythology and I am not an own voices reviewer. I cannot speak to the accuracy of the mythology portrayed.
I can say that I enjoyed it. It engulfed me and I wanted more. I had a bit of a hard time with all of the unfamiliar names and words, but there is a really great glossary in the back of the book that I wish I had discovered earlier. From what I have read in other reviews, the author also does a really good job with the Arabic words, and they’re using them in a way that I wasn’t too confused.
I’m quite impressed that this is a debut novel. True, it has some pacing issues and takes a little too long getting into the plot, but in my opinion the author uses that time well to establish the world and the views of the many different groups and characters.
I will include a trigger warning for this book, it is not a light read. TW includes but not limited to rape (off-page), forced drug use, suicide (off-page), self-harm (before the book starts), human trafficking, prostitution, and more. What I will say about these heavy topics is that the author writes about them because it is important. These horrific events are also a part of the history the writer is inspired by.
I only just found out now that there is going to be a sequel next year and I am excited to read it. This author has a lot of potential and I am excited to see where she goes next. And this books ends on such a note that I am very curious to know what happens.
First up, I have to mention how unique this book is. I’ve never come across another book that takes its inspiration from pre-Islamic mythology and Indo-Persian culture. It was one of the things that drew me to the book in the first place and the author really delivers. However, it is very important for me to note that I am not familiar with either mythology and I am not an own voices reviewer. I cannot speak to the accuracy of the mythology portrayed.
I can say that I enjoyed it. It engulfed me and I wanted more. I had a bit of a hard time with all of the unfamiliar names and words, but there is a really great glossary in the back of the book that I wish I had discovered earlier. From what I have read in other reviews, the author also does a really good job with the Arabic words, and they’re using them in a way that I wasn’t too confused.
I’m quite impressed that this is a debut novel. True, it has some pacing issues and takes a little too long getting into the plot, but in my opinion the author uses that time well to establish the world and the views of the many different groups and characters.
I will include a trigger warning for this book, it is not a light read. TW includes but not limited to rape (off-page), forced drug use, suicide (off-page), self-harm (before the book starts), human trafficking, prostitution, and more. What I will say about these heavy topics is that the author writes about them because it is important. These horrific events are also a part of the history the writer is inspired by.
I only just found out now that there is going to be a sequel next year and I am excited to read it. This author has a lot of potential and I am excited to see where she goes next. And this books ends on such a note that I am very curious to know what happens.
asofie's review
5.0
I have never really written reviews before and this was written at 4-5am, and I'm still going through it after that ending, so if this sucks, I'm sorry.
The Descent of the Drowned is one of my most anticipated books of 2021. I was lucky enough to get an ARC from NetGalley, and this book did not disappoint! I absolutely loved it.
First of all, this book deals with a lot of heavy topics, and there is a trigger warning at the beginning of the book. (a thing every book should have) The trigger warning is for physical and emotional abuse, mention of rape and sodomization, sexual assault, suicide, bigotry, drug abuse, and human trafficking. None of it is really graphic, and, in my opinion, these topics are dealt with very well, but it can still be triggering and hard to read.
The Descent of the Drowned is set in a colonized Indo-Persian world, and it is inspired by Pre-Islamic Arabian mythology. It follows the two main characters, Roma and Leviathan. Roma and Leviathan are very different people, but both of their stories are about power, self-discovery, freedom, and redemption.
Roma – Roma… Roma is everything to me. She is so strong, and she has been through so much throughout her whole life. Her relationship with Chirag is probably my favorite relationship in this book. He is Roma’s brother, but she raised him as her own son, and their relationship is such a big part of her character. She has been taught to be silent and to serve men, and I just loved seeing her find her voice. Roma also broke me. Like, she absolutely broke me. Her story is so heart wrenching and she made me cry multiple times. She just has my heart, and she’s definitely one of my new favorite characters of all time.
Leviathan – Normally when I read about anti-heroes it’s a good person with a bad side, but Leviathan is kind of the opposite. I don't know if I would really call him a bad person, but right now, there definitely seems to be more bad than good, and that's something he's really struggling with. He has done a lot of bad things, and his morals are pretty messed up after all of the things he has been through and all of the things people have made him do. He still does a lot of terrible things, but I love him. He’s so well written, and his story breaks my heart. In this book, he struggles a lot with redemption because he doesn’t understand how he could deserve redemption after everything he has done.
Also – the side characters. The side characters are amazing. I loved so many of them. I love Chirag, Junho, Kanoni, Malev… There were so many good characters.
The story is kind of slow-paced, which I’m usually not the biggest fan of in fantasy books, but I really loved it in this book. In my opinion, the slow pacing makes this book better. It really gives you time to get to know the characters. For me, it was a page-turner from the beginning, but it wasn’t because a lot was happening with the plot, it was just because I was so invested in the characters already that I needed to know what was going to happen to them. The second half of the book really picked up on the plot, though, but I can't really say anything without spoiling.
My favorite part about the book is the way it deals with a lot of different topics like assault, shame, doubt, and guilt. Seeing Roma and Leviathan dealing with the things they have done and the things that has happened to them is painful, but it's something that makes them seem real, and that's something Ana Lal Din has done so well in this book – making the characters seem real. Both the main characters and the side characters.
I feel like it took a little too long for the magic system to really be explained and explored, and I’m still not sure if I actually understand it, but it’s definitely interesting and really intriguing. I would also have loved to see a bit more backstory from side characters like Yoshi and Malev. There were hints to their stories, but I would love to see more of them.
This book really put me through it. I got so invested in the characters so fast, and the more I learned about them, the more I loved them. They also made me cry. Multiple times. And the ending?? The ending!! It destroyed me. I need more.
In conclusion, this book is both heartbreaking and beautiful, and I am in love with it. If it sounds interesting to you, I will definitely recommend it, but remember to check the trigger warnings first! There are a lot, and even though it’s not graphic or in deep detail, it’s still present throughout most of the book because some of the topics are a big part of the main characters’ stories.
The Descent of the Drowned is one of my most anticipated books of 2021. I was lucky enough to get an ARC from NetGalley, and this book did not disappoint! I absolutely loved it.
First of all, this book deals with a lot of heavy topics, and there is a trigger warning at the beginning of the book. (a thing every book should have) The trigger warning is for physical and emotional abuse, mention of rape and sodomization, sexual assault, suicide, bigotry, drug abuse, and human trafficking. None of it is really graphic, and, in my opinion, these topics are dealt with very well, but it can still be triggering and hard to read.
The Descent of the Drowned is set in a colonized Indo-Persian world, and it is inspired by Pre-Islamic Arabian mythology. It follows the two main characters, Roma and Leviathan. Roma and Leviathan are very different people, but both of their stories are about power, self-discovery, freedom, and redemption.
They were both survivors. They never quit. No matter how badly they were beaten, or how much they bled.
Roma – Roma… Roma is everything to me. She is so strong, and she has been through so much throughout her whole life. Her relationship with Chirag is probably my favorite relationship in this book. He is Roma’s brother, but she raised him as her own son, and their relationship is such a big part of her character. She has been taught to be silent and to serve men, and I just loved seeing her find her voice. Roma also broke me. Like, she absolutely broke me. Her story is so heart wrenching and she made me cry multiple times. She just has my heart, and she’s definitely one of my new favorite characters of all time.
She wouldn’t sob. She wouldn’t shatter. Never again.
Leviathan – Normally when I read about anti-heroes it’s a good person with a bad side, but Leviathan is kind of the opposite. I don't know if I would really call him a bad person, but right now, there definitely seems to be more bad than good, and that's something he's really struggling with. He has done a lot of bad things, and his morals are pretty messed up after all of the things he has been through and all of the things people have made him do. He still does a lot of terrible things, but I love him. He’s so well written, and his story breaks my heart. In this book, he struggles a lot with redemption because he doesn’t understand how he could deserve redemption after everything he has done.
He felt it now. The self-disgust. Things were easier for him when he didn’t have to control his demons, so he let them run savage, and as a consequence people around him got hurt.
Also – the side characters. The side characters are amazing. I loved so many of them. I love Chirag, Junho, Kanoni, Malev… There were so many good characters.
The story is kind of slow-paced, which I’m usually not the biggest fan of in fantasy books, but I really loved it in this book. In my opinion, the slow pacing makes this book better. It really gives you time to get to know the characters. For me, it was a page-turner from the beginning, but it wasn’t because a lot was happening with the plot, it was just because I was so invested in the characters already that I needed to know what was going to happen to them. The second half of the book really picked up on the plot, though, but I can't really say anything without spoiling.
My favorite part about the book is the way it deals with a lot of different topics like assault, shame, doubt, and guilt. Seeing Roma and Leviathan dealing with the things they have done and the things that has happened to them is painful, but it's something that makes them seem real, and that's something Ana Lal Din has done so well in this book – making the characters seem real. Both the main characters and the side characters.
I feel like it took a little too long for the magic system to really be explained and explored, and I’m still not sure if I actually understand it, but it’s definitely interesting and really intriguing. I would also have loved to see a bit more backstory from side characters like Yoshi and Malev. There were hints to their stories, but I would love to see more of them.
This book really put me through it. I got so invested in the characters so fast, and the more I learned about them, the more I loved them. They also made me cry. Multiple times. And the ending?? The ending!! It destroyed me. I need more.
In conclusion, this book is both heartbreaking and beautiful, and I am in love with it. If it sounds interesting to you, I will definitely recommend it, but remember to check the trigger warnings first! There are a lot, and even though it’s not graphic or in deep detail, it’s still present throughout most of the book because some of the topics are a big part of the main characters’ stories.
andromeda's review against another edition
5.0
The digital arc of this book provided by Netgalley in exchange of honest review.
The Descent of The Drowned is the first book I finished in 2021 and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Everything about this book is phenomenal.
Ana Lal Din captivated me with her writing of richly reimagined of pre-Islamic Indo-Persian era. It's almost like she told me a tale that happened one time in Jahiliyyah era. Some entities name mentioned were familiar to me like Hubal, Manat, etc (my teachers taught them in Islamic History classes in school). But nothing will prepared me of the lore of Mother Lamia, and how powerful she is. You really don't want to provoke the wrath of a goddess.
Roma and Levi characterizations also very special to me. Especially Roma, the pain she had endured, how she survived, and all painful journey of her. She was the best story teller of I could ask for. Her pain was so raw and real.
Ana Lal Din also touched so many important topics. Deep-rooted misogyny, abuse, and manipulation to a lot of women by men, even by their closest family members. The broken, tyrannical system that failed poor people the most. People lied behind God's name to enrich themselves. Human trafficking, especially of kids and women. Transphobia. Ethnic cleansing. And so many more.
The end of this book is hit-and-miss for me, because if I interpreted this as open ending, the epilogue is a perfect conclusion. But I cannot ignore the build up about the resistance and the rebel—the Wolves, and I am dying to know about what happened to them.
Lastly. Albeit this book is marketed as young adult fantasy (maybe because the main characters, Roma is around 18 and Levi is around 20), this book is not by all means an easy read. At all. I had to stop mid paragraph (some) and I have to pause for a minute for them to pass. So be mindful and check the trigger warning before you read this book, always take care of yourself.
Here is also the list of triggers I collected:
- death of loved one's
- slavery
- self-harm
- rape
- sexual violence
- gun violence
- femicide
- emotional abuse
- manipulation
- intrusive thoughts
- transphobia
- suicide
- human trafficking
- genocide
- child abuse
- physical torture
- gore
- drug abuse & addiction
They made the stars weep. We were all burning. We were all burning—except you.
The Descent of The Drowned is the first book I finished in 2021 and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Everything about this book is phenomenal.
Ana Lal Din captivated me with her writing of richly reimagined of pre-Islamic Indo-Persian era. It's almost like she told me a tale that happened one time in Jahiliyyah era. Some entities name mentioned were familiar to me like Hubal, Manat, etc (my teachers taught them in Islamic History classes in school). But nothing will prepared me of the lore of Mother Lamia, and how powerful she is. You really don't want to provoke the wrath of a goddess.
Roma and Levi characterizations also very special to me. Especially Roma, the pain she had endured, how she survived, and all painful journey of her. She was the best story teller of I could ask for. Her pain was so raw and real.
Ana Lal Din also touched so many important topics. Deep-rooted misogyny, abuse, and manipulation to a lot of women by men, even by their closest family members. The broken, tyrannical system that failed poor people the most. People lied behind God's name to enrich themselves. Human trafficking, especially of kids and women. Transphobia. Ethnic cleansing. And so many more.
The end of this book is hit-and-miss for me, because if I interpreted this as open ending, the epilogue is a perfect conclusion. But I cannot ignore the build up about the resistance and the rebel—the Wolves, and I am dying to know about what happened to them.
Lastly. Albeit this book is marketed as young adult fantasy (maybe because the main characters, Roma is around 18 and Levi is around 20), this book is not by all means an easy read. At all. I had to stop mid paragraph (some) and I have to pause for a minute for them to pass. So be mindful and check the trigger warning before you read this book, always take care of yourself.
Here is also the list of triggers I collected:
- death of loved one's
- slavery
- self-harm
- rape
- sexual violence
- gun violence
- femicide
- emotional abuse
- manipulation
- intrusive thoughts
- transphobia
- suicide
- human trafficking
- genocide
- child abuse
- physical torture
- gore
- drug abuse & addiction
stormlyte's review against another edition
5.0
Amazing! Ana Lal Din's debut is very ambitious, very promising and it delivers!
First, I can promise you that this book will definitely immerse you in a deeply South Asian inspired world that is so very dark and so very luring. The worldbuilding in this book is top notch!
Second, the characters are super complex and they are in a super complex world, thus they do terrible things but you still want them to be better (sometimes you want them to do terrible things)
And third, this book is original. It is such a new take on magic, on life and on truths told as stories in general, that as a South Asian person it warms my heart!
Fourth, the book deals with several difficult themes adeptly. Rape, prostitution, castism, slavery, and wars. Ana Lal Din doesn't sugarcoat things but she delivers her message clearly.
Fans of Sabaa Tahir's relentless pace and compelling, morally grey characters, Brandon Sanderson"s worldbuilding and G.R.R Martin's plottting will devour this book!
I believe Ana Lal Din is just setting the stage for the next book, but what a magnificent stage it is with cobras, magic, plots and a dark, dark world!
First, I can promise you that this book will definitely immerse you in a deeply South Asian inspired world that is so very dark and so very luring. The worldbuilding in this book is top notch!
Second, the characters are super complex and they are in a super complex world, thus they do terrible things but you still want them to be better (sometimes you want them to do terrible things)
And third, this book is original. It is such a new take on magic, on life and on truths told as stories in general, that as a South Asian person it warms my heart!
Fourth, the book deals with several difficult themes adeptly. Rape, prostitution, castism, slavery, and wars. Ana Lal Din doesn't sugarcoat things but she delivers her message clearly.
Fans of Sabaa Tahir's relentless pace and compelling, morally grey characters, Brandon Sanderson"s worldbuilding and G.R.R Martin's plottting will devour this book!
I believe Ana Lal Din is just setting the stage for the next book, but what a magnificent stage it is with cobras, magic, plots and a dark, dark world!
literarydelirium's review
5.0
“The worst kind of monsters, Saheb—” Roma said through gritted teeth, “—are those who pretend they’re human.”
— this review is also on my blog
If the cover wasn’t your first hint that this book is dark, brutal, unrelenting yet somehow so fascinating, take it from someone was extremely captivated by how raw it was - you definitely should check the trigger warnings before reading. I want the sequel ASAP.
Where do I even start? This book was definitely a surprising favourite for me. I did not think I would love it as much as I did. My original rating for this was 4 stars. But, in the weeks after I read it, I kept coming back and looking through my highlights and notes and I thought, there is absolutely no way I cannot give it a five star rating. That’s just criminal. So here we are, talking about it in hopes that someone else picks it up and loves it as much as I do.
This is not a standalone novel. Let me make that perfectly clear. I’m not entirely sure whether it is a duology or trilogy though. This book is a dark fantasy, inspired by Indo - Persian culture. I’ve never read anything quite like this. *whispers* it also has the reincarnation trope - just saying. I love reading books that portray desi culture (I’m Desi so are we really surprised?) and that incorporate mythology in general. This book did a fantastic job in terms of that.
It was so eloquently written, and also gave me literal chills. I’m sorry, but the plot twists in this book? So well done. I can say this without a doubt - one of the best debuts I’ve ever read.
Dark fantasy is one of my absolute favourite genres and I love way the author tackled some of those dark themes in a way that was both brutal but also added to the intensity of the book. they didn’t take away from the plot in any way. I’m literally dying to read the sequel both because of the way this book ended and also because of the title. here’s to hoping for another banger ✨
» thank you to netgalley and the white tigress press for the arc
blog | instagram | twitter | pinterest
— this review is also on my blog
If the cover wasn’t your first hint that this book is dark, brutal, unrelenting yet somehow so fascinating, take it from someone was extremely captivated by how raw it was - you definitely should check the trigger warnings before reading. I want the sequel ASAP.
Where do I even start? This book was definitely a surprising favourite for me. I did not think I would love it as much as I did. My original rating for this was 4 stars. But, in the weeks after I read it, I kept coming back and looking through my highlights and notes and I thought, there is absolutely no way I cannot give it a five star rating. That’s just criminal. So here we are, talking about it in hopes that someone else picks it up and loves it as much as I do.
This is not a standalone novel. Let me make that perfectly clear. I’m not entirely sure whether it is a duology or trilogy though. This book is a dark fantasy, inspired by Indo - Persian culture. I’ve never read anything quite like this. *whispers* it also has the reincarnation trope - just saying. I love reading books that portray desi culture (I’m Desi so are we really surprised?) and that incorporate mythology in general. This book did a fantastic job in terms of that.
It was so eloquently written, and also gave me literal chills. I’m sorry, but the plot twists in this book? So well done. I can say this without a doubt - one of the best debuts I’ve ever read.
Dark fantasy is one of my absolute favourite genres and I love way the author tackled some of those dark themes in a way that was both brutal but also added to the intensity of the book. they didn’t take away from the plot in any way. I’m literally dying to read the sequel both because of the way this book ended and also because of the title. here’s to hoping for another banger ✨
» thank you to netgalley and the white tigress press for the arc
blog | instagram | twitter | pinterest
geena_'s review
3.0
tw sexual assault and also possible spoilers?
.
.
.
I want to preface this with saying Ana Lal Din is an amazing writer, honestly what had me hooked with this book from the start was the atmosphere she sets and the scene she paints of the town and it's people. Genuinely, she is an amazing writer, and I will be reading the second book and any hopefully any other book she puts out.
What I found disappointing thought, was Roma's perspective... She starts off as a fierce girl who, despite her past, has sharp edges and is willing to do whatever to defend her loved ones. She constantly questions her community's objective, criticizing their traditions which cause women harm. But for some reason when another character looks to break free of that same tradition Roma seems furious? I don't know if it was her jealousy of not being able to run away, but I thought she would've been more supporting.
Furthermore, I personally found it uncomfortable how Roma was always close to being re-traumatized every other chapter... as a survivor of sexual assault she underwent so many situations that reopened her wounds... ESPECIALLY near the end... I felt as though... there was a better way to go about that... I hope the second book does Roma better because... her chapters compared to Leviathan's were so jarring....
On one hand we have Levi, broody grey eyed brown man who is skilled soldier... going around trying to repent for his sins against his mother's people.... and his chapters are literally just him solving mysteries and killing child traffickers... compared to Roma where she just continues to relive her trauma...
So that's what made me drop 2 stars... There's a lot of potential in this story and I do hope Book 2 handles Roma better and actually gives her a chance to heal. I know Ana Lal Din was trying to show the realities of caste and gender based violence, it was interesting criticism of upper caste brahminical society but REALLY wish that Roma's chapters had been more than her lamenting the devdasi's position and being traumatized at every corner.
.
.
.
I want to preface this with saying Ana Lal Din is an amazing writer, honestly what had me hooked with this book from the start was the atmosphere she sets and the scene she paints of the town and it's people. Genuinely, she is an amazing writer, and I will be reading the second book and any hopefully any other book she puts out.
What I found disappointing thought, was Roma's perspective... She starts off as a fierce girl who, despite her past, has sharp edges and is willing to do whatever to defend her loved ones. She constantly questions her community's objective, criticizing their traditions which cause women harm. But for some reason when another character looks to break free of that same tradition Roma seems furious? I don't know if it was her jealousy of not being able to run away, but I thought she would've been more supporting.
Furthermore, I personally found it uncomfortable how Roma was always close to being re-traumatized every other chapter... as a survivor of sexual assault she underwent so many situations that reopened her wounds... ESPECIALLY near the end... I felt as though... there was a better way to go about that... I hope the second book does Roma better because... her chapters compared to Leviathan's were so jarring....
On one hand we have Levi, broody grey eyed brown man who is skilled soldier... going around trying to repent for his sins against his mother's people.... and his chapters are literally just him solving mysteries and killing child traffickers... compared to Roma where she just continues to relive her trauma...
So that's what made me drop 2 stars... There's a lot of potential in this story and I do hope Book 2 handles Roma better and actually gives her a chance to heal. I know Ana Lal Din was trying to show the realities of caste and gender based violence, it was interesting criticism of upper caste brahminical society but REALLY wish that Roma's chapters had been more than her lamenting the devdasi's position and being traumatized at every corner.
coffeecatreads's review against another edition
4.0
Ana Lal Din writes about a culture that has it's people labeled by caste. They are poor, struggling to survive and face at a young age to serve those that are higher than them and to be auctioned off to a man. They believe in a goddess that leads them to their purpose in life to live the kind of existence they are born into. The main character Roma strives to escape out of that state of being and many wish they can but know they cannot.
Within this storyline Ana Lal Din portrays the real life awful occurrences and atrocities that takes place around the world from the past to the present, e.g. sex trafficking, prostitution, violence, not accepting people that are different, drugs.
This book is well written and has good world building. It is a slow start but is intriguing nonetheless as the story evolves and progresses.
Thank you BooksForwardPR for this ARC.
Within this storyline Ana Lal Din portrays the real life awful occurrences and atrocities that takes place around the world from the past to the present, e.g. sex trafficking, prostitution, violence, not accepting people that are different, drugs.
This book is well written and has good world building. It is a slow start but is intriguing nonetheless as the story evolves and progresses.
Thank you BooksForwardPR for this ARC.