Ahoy there me mateys! I wanted to read this book as soon as I saw it because it was marketed as African-based fantasy with dragons! Cool right? Well I have to admit that I struggled with this book for many reasons:
The dragons – I adored dragons and there just weren’t enough of them in this book. The dragons are important to the culture but most of the page time of this book was war training and demon fighting. I have no problem with either usually but with dragon in the title I expected way more dragons! And how the dragons are used is a bit lame and was a disappointment.
The culture – I liked the African influences that I did see like names and descriptions of landscapes but have to admit that it felt very surface level. I think this was because of the focus on the military stuff and not on other areas of the culture. I believe this could have been remedied by other pov characters – like a female perspective.
The women – The women are said to be important to the culture but I didn’t really see concrete evidence of it in the book. With the focus on the male military training, the women did not really get much page time. The Queen and the female sorcerers all seemed to have no real power and be dominated by the whims and rules of the men. And outside of Zuri (the love interest) many times the powerful female sorcerers had their magic fail because they couldn’t handle it. Also if I remember correctly, most of the women’s magic only works on men to support them in battle. As for the common people, one of the main non-sorcerer women was a rape victim who died. Where are the strong females? Really Zuri (who was me favourite character) was the only fleshed out female character who also showed real girl power. The exception to the rule it seems.
The Colonization – I understand why the Omehi people have fled and are looking for a new home. I sympathized with their wishes for survival. But it did seem rather sad that the goal of the Omehi is to kill off the native people and steal their land. That makes me feel squidgy. And because the Omehi people’s culture itself has problems with caste and politics, I kinda didn’t like them and did sometimes root for the “savages.” I am not sure if this will be addressed in later books but it’s hard to read a book when ye aren’t really cheering on either side.
The military training – I did actually like the combat training between the castes and a lot of Tau’s training. I like the combat style he ends up with. I just felt that there be too much emphasis on the details of day to day training and not enough on the characterization. With the exceptions of Tau and Zuri, everyone else felt rather flat.
The plot – I really loved the set-up and introduction of the book. It was much stronger than the rest of the novel. Once the main character, Tau, begins to work towards revenge the book became less original and less compelling. And I really wasn’t a fan of the climax or ending.
So this book ended up being a disappointment. I think it be because the bones of the story seemed strong and it did not meet its potential. And just enough time has passed that I know I have no urge to read any of the other books in the series. This may just be the case of the wrong book for this reader cause many of the crew are giving it lovely reviews. I would be interested in giving the author’s work another chance but this debut series doesn’t work for me so it must walk the plank!
Goodreads has this to say about the novel:
The Omehi people have been fighting an unwinnable fight for almost two hundred years. Their society has been built around war and only war. The lucky ones are born gifted. One in every two thousand women has the power to call down dragons. One in every hundred men is able to magically transform himself into a bigger, stronger, faster killing machine.
Everyone else is fodder, destined to fight and die in the endless war. Young, gift-less Tau knows all this, but he has a plan of escape. He’s going to get himself injured, get out early, and settle down to marriage, children, and land. Only, he doesn’t get the chance. Those closest to him are brutally murdered, and his grief swiftly turns to anger. Fixated on revenge, Tau dedicates himself to an unthinkable path. He’ll become the greatest swordsman to ever live, a man willing to die a hundred thousand times for the chance to kill the three who betrayed him.
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As you know I dnf’ed this and what you write about the females in the book is what I was worried about for the rest of the book too. I’m sorry the ending still didn’t make it any better.
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I can see its appeal and there is decent writing in the mix but not for me. Thanks for reading me review!
x The Captain
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Oooooh poop. This is one of the new books I was most interested in, but your reasons for being disappointed in it would bother me too (not enough dragons and surface-level cultural immersion are the two biggest ones). Thanks for taking one for the team haha. 💕
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I can’t really recommend it but do know that lots of crew loved it. I would hate to be the reason for ye to miss a book that ye might love. Though maybe I saved ye time? Yer welcome.
x The Captain
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I think you definitely saved me time. I’ve been reading your reviews for so long that you have my trust, cap’in. 😉 Also, it’s very difficult to deny the thoroughness of your arguments with this one!
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Well ain’t that a nice compliment! Thank ye kindly for making me smile. Glad I definitely saved ye time. Hope yer next read be perfect. I will certainly be spying on yer blog.
x The Captain
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Sorry this one didn’t work out. It’s one I’d like to read though, but I appreciate your review. I’m temper my expectations because I too thought there would be a lot of dragons.
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Lots of crew liked this one so by all means check it out and see if it works for ye. I have been enjoying the reviews that disagree with me. Hope ye be one of them.
x The Captain
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Sorry this one was a disappointment for you. I’ve heard pretty good things about this one oeverall, but still think I’m gonna skip it anyway as it’s probably not my thing.
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Lots of people like it. So take me thoughts on it with a grain of sea salt.
x The Captain
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As I read your review I found myself constantly nodding in agreement, because your problems with this book were similar to mine: the premise and promise were good, the execution… not so much.
Pity, because it could have turned out into a very compelling story.
Thanks for sharing!!
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Welcome matey. Sorry to hear that yer thoughts aligned with mine. It had such promise.
x The Captain
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Ack! I just picked this up recently. 😂 Here hoping I still like it! Great points! At least now I won’t go in with my expectations too high? Hahaha
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Eek! Well I certainly hope ye fall on the side where the book completely floats yer boat and me complaints are tiny little nothings while ye read it. I do hope ye share yer thoughts on it when ye be done though.
x The Captain
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Oh what a shame that this one was a disappointment, Cap:(. Like you, I’m a sucker for dragons and also like you, I do get a tad fed up if I’m promised serious dragon time and it doesn’t work out that way…
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I don’t mind if there is not a ton of dragon time in book one if the set-up is good enough. But these dragons did let me down.
x The Captain
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Dragons that let you down? Unforgivable!!!
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Inconceivable!!!!
x The Captain
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Clearly saw Black Panther and thought, yeah I’ll put dragons in Africa… good ideas, bad execution… Sorry
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I did very much enjoy the Black Panther movie that’s for sure!
x The Captain
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See, this is why I don’t always pick up dragon books. I love dragons, but they too often don’t live up to my expectations. (Or the dragons do but the rest of the book doesn’t. Same end result.)
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I can’t help but pick up all the dragon books because maybe it will have the next great Smaug or transformation like Eustace in Naria. I even occassionally pick up the dragon in urban fantasy books despite me general dislike of urban fantasy. I have to admit that unlike all the other books, I cannot be too mad if the dragons in urban fantasy don’t work out. The dragons tend not to be the problems. I should know better.
x The Captain
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That’s true, usually (though not always) the problem is the rest of the book and the dragons are just fine. I should give more of them a try, just in case.
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True it be hard to mess up dragons but easy to mess up the rest of the book. I hadn’t thought about it in those terms but it makes sense!
x The Captain
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I’ve seen reviews all over the map on this one… Seems like it had a chance to be really good, but…
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Those that love it seem to give it five stars so for some folks it happens to float the boat.
x The Captain
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Too bad for the disappointment! Sounds like they pulled a bait and switch on you, what with the title and a lot of lip-service.
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Aye, I really did expect dragons to be a major plot point and not an afterthought. Sad but the writer is allowed to do as he likes with his own book. I am allowed to stop reading the series. Arrr!
x The Captain
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The only other review I have seen for this was a glowing review, but that reviewer and I rarely see eye to eye on books. I think I will pass on this one.
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I can’t say that I can encourage ye to read this but aye lots of crew loved this one.
x The Captain
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Oh rats! Sorry this didn’t work for you. I was curious but with everything else I have to read, I’ll have to skip it. Thanks for a thoughtful review!
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I don’t personally think ye would be missing much. Thanks for reading!
x The Captain
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Good morning. You’re up early. Sorry this one was what you expected. I’m not too fond of that feeling when it happens to me. I think you have to be a book lover to get it.
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It always saddens me when the book doesn’t meet up with the expectations based on the blurb, marketing, and other reviews I have read. I tend to feel like somehow I got a copy of the wrong book!
x The Captain
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I know that feeling.
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