thistle_and_verse's Reviews (299)

Part historical fantasy and part political drama, Malika the Warrior Queen asks classic questions about what it means to be a good ruler and what price it comes at. Malika is being pulled in a lot of different directions, and I feel for her. It doesn't look like there will be an easy answer to her dilemma. I'm enjoying the setting and the maps. It looks like the story will get more focused on strategy and tactics as it progresses, so I'm sure I'll be referring to them. I felt a bit distant from Malika and overwhelmed in general. While the backstory for the political conflicts is relatively straightforward, there was a lot of lore that had to be introduced this issue.

I enjoyed this book more than the 1st, although I've been saying that a lot about YA fantasy series, so maybe it's just me. The plot is a bit typical (I predicted a character twist), but I really enjoyed how the tsatahlik and algebraists expanded upon the mechanics of magic established in Beasts Made of Night. I particularly liked the algebraists, just because I like the idea of naming and math as magic. It was nice seeing Aliya get a role that was as powerful and important as Taj's. I don't know how I felt about the ending and Karima's story arc. The sadness of the decision that had to be made felt a bit forced. All in all, a quick fun read.

The alien plot line is cool and my favorite part of the book. It's part of a series, but this novel feels like it could stand alone.

More in-depth review here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uxhwy5jOEoc

Drayden has a good sense of humor. There are some very cool ideas in here. I love the mix of ancient lore and futuristic tech, and the big fight with Sydney at the end was great. There were some parts of the story that just felt odd. Like humans behaving in ways that humans don't really. Certain reactions seemed cartoon-y/ overdone for plot purposes. I didn't know how I felt about the handling of Mr. Tau's character. He does some questionable things, and it was odd to me seeing some of the characters who are close to him and know these things not grapple with that.

It was great seeing the interactions between the Oomza Uni world and Binti's hometown of Osemba. I appreciated getting to see more of Osemba and the power dynamics between the different people there. I appreciated Binti having to rethink home and her place in it.

I really liked Ayodele and thought the metal ball atoms/ cells thing was cool. There was a lot of great imagery after Lagos started to be affected by the changes from the arrival. The bay of mutated sea creatures and the road that eats people stick out in particular. I got through it pretty quickly and would recommend.

The fantasy imagery was great (especially the dreams), and the ending had an interesting/ fulfilling twist. The book dragged in some places, mostly around the midway point or last third of the book when Onyesonwu is travelling to her father, but the book also gave me many reasons to keep reading. The world of a futuristic Sudan was full and well thought out and gave me a lot of new things to explore. The magic systems in this world were refreshingly different from ones I've read about before. Okorafor brought up issues of sexism and the violence countries or groups can use to dominate others . Sexual violence and rape are discussed a lot. I think Okorafor handles such a serious and emotionally charged topic respectfully. I really enjoyed the protagonist's determination and her friendships and was invested when things got difficult for her. Overall, would recommend.

I thought it was an OK book. I appreciated the inclusion of LGBTQ+ side characters and the lore about the bloodkin and the Patch, but other than that, little else from this story stood out for me. I knew it would be an uphill battle for me to get into this book, but the synopsis mentioned North African influences, and I thought that maybe the newness of the world/ lore would draw me in, but I didn't really see it.

I loved the alternate history and hope that Clark writes more in this universe. It's a novella so a quick read. I thought Creeper and Ann-Marie were complex and compelling characters.

I have a full length review of my general impressions of this anthology, personal highlights, and stories that were honorable mentions on my YouTube channel here: https://studio.youtube.com/video/CW-lslIKMxQ/edit/basic