3 Stars

I literally just finished this book and... that ending? Tomi Adeyemi really hates her readers, huh?

Children of Virtue and Vengeance starts where Children of Blood and Bone left off. We're thrown back into the world of Orïsha, a world of war and injustice. Throughout the book we see new relationships form, and old ones end (thank god for that). And the stakes are higher than ever as the Maji continue their battle with the monarchy for their basic rights and their freedom.

From the beginning, this book was gripping and interesting. Although the pacing was quite slow at certain times in the book, it never got boring. This book very much serves as the "rising action" of the series. The tension is building, plans are forming, heart are breaking, arms are being lost... (Roen, I love you). We meet new characters and it's just so fun.

Roen is most definitely my favourite character in this series. He's mischievous, morally challenged, a mercenary... but there's something about him that I just love and couldn't get enough of. Every scene that he was in burned ten times brighter (idk if that makes sense). He definitely raised this book to higher levels for me. If you want one reason to continue with this series and pick up the second book, or to even start the series, that is your reason. Roen. Read the series for him, he's well worth it.