Title- Children of Virtue and Vengeance
(this is a sequel)
Rating– 4/5
Genre- YA Fantasy
POV- Keep in mind there are three POVs and the chapters are short so they switch quickly
Similar Books/Comps– Daughters of Nri, The Ancient Orishas, The Gilded Ones
My emotions- I thoroughly enjoyed this YA fantasy book but finished feeling a little disappointed. I think it was mainly because I liked the first one SO much that maybe this one didn’t live up to my expectations.
Characters–
The main character seemed to be Amari not Zelie, which felt like a big switch. The relationships are gut wrenching in a good way & the magical world is breathtaking.
Plot/Blurb-
After battling the impossible, Zélie and Amari have finally succeeded in bringing magic back to the land of Orïsha. But the ritual was more powerful than they could’ve imagined, reigniting the powers of not only the maji, but of nobles with magic ancestry, too.
Now, Zélie struggles to unite the maji in an Orïsha where the enemy is just as powerful as they are. But when the monarchy and military unite to keep control of Orïsha, Zélie must fight to secure Amari’s right to the throne and protect the new maji from the monarchy’s wrath.
With civil war looming on the horizon, Zélie finds herself at a breaking point: she must discover a way to bring the kingdom together or watch as Orïsha tears itself apart.
Best part-
Probably when they went to get the scrolls.
What I’d change-
There were waaaay too many “all is lost moments” where I was feeling exhausted that they weren’t ever given a break and nothing good happened. I also didn’t feel resolved at all and the cliffhanger was poorly placed in the middle of a climax instead of the book being completed it just stopped mid action.
Quote-
“’You are not your mistakes.’ Mama Agba holds both of her shoulders, making Amari cry harder. ‘Do not let one moment define or destroy you.”
“Our shadows bleed together like mixing paints, deep purples turning black with raw power. Our voices rise as the shadows take shape, condensing until they funnel into one giant arrowhead.”
“You have to look beyond the surface if you truly want to achieve the peace you seek.”
Cassie Swindon 