This is a book that's definitely not for everyone. The pacing is a bit slow, and it's a large ensemble cast, so the plot can feel disconnected and meandering at times. Many of the characters are some flavor of bigoted or stressful, and some grow and some don't. Daisy and Lisette's story seemed to get the most time, which I wasn't fond of. I thought there were more interesting characters in the book. In general, I wanted to hear more from the indigenous inhabitants of the Congo. I specifically thought Rima, Thomas the pastor, Mwenda, and Josina had really interesting storylines that I wanted to hear more of. There's a supernatural element to the story that was really cool but felt like it was introduced kind of late. I was most immersed in the story when Shawl included the supernatural or details of life in this alternate Congo. I really enjoyed how the new religions affected what they called their technologies and how they made decisions. I thought Shawl did a good job of showing coalition building and attempts at solidarity and the common pitfalls.