The long awaited third book of Tomi Adeyemi's Legacy of Orїsha series is finally here. Children of Anguish and Anarchy catches up to Zélie and the events that followed the second book, including what has happened to Orїsha now that the monarchy has fallen.
The Situation: The war has ended. The fighting is supposed to be over. What should now be a celebration for the maji is anything but, as Zélie finds herself captive in an enemy ship. With a majacite crown secured to her head, she is unable to summon the magic that has aided her so many times before. With no idea what is to come, Zélie is eventually brought fact to face with a new enemy that is determined to harness her magic for himself, and eventually take over all of Orїsha. King Baldry wants to become a god, and it becomes clear that he and his people are a force to be reckoned with, and carry their own incredible abilities that will be difficult to overpower.
The Problem: Far away from home, Zélie must work fast to thwart King Baldyr's plans, while also finding a way to protect Orїsha, a land that is still hurting from everything that has happened. But in the process, she has to decide if she can trust Inan, the boy that is supposed to be king of Orїsha, and her previous enemy. Her brother Tzain must decide if he can trust Inan's sister Amari, who is determined to redeem herself from her own acts of betrayal, and is willing to fight using her newly discovered strength and abilities. While the fight against King Bladyr and the Skulls will not be an easy one, it is clear that the people of Orїsha will need to be united if they stand a chance of surviving as a nation.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a young adult fiction novel, the events of which immediately follow the ending of the second book in the series, Children of Virtue and Vengeance. The readers encounter Zélie, Tzain, Amari, and Inan as they are held captive aboard the ship of a new enemy, the Skulls. Their king, Baldyr, has grand plans for the magic Zélie holds, and indeed for all of Orїsha. Much like in the first two books, magic plays a big role in everything. Readers are also introduced to two new nations of Orїsha: the Skulls, and the people of New Gaīa. All three nations will enter into a battle where everything is at stake, and sacrifices will be made.
My Verdict: It has been five years since Children of Virtue and Vengeance was published, and the level of anticipation
and excitement for this third book was certainly high, especially given the
ending of its predecessor. This book certainly delivers on the action and
adventure, but other aspects of the story feel rushed and a little hollow. It
is interesting because the settings are well-described, and the characters are
the same ones we have gotten to know over the past two books, but the new
characters do not seem as developed, and their appearance is sudden and
jarring. Also, I had a hard time believing the chemistry, or animosity, between
any of them. When I turned the final page, I was happy to have joined Zélie on
this adventure, but feel she deserved a better ending.
Favorite Moment: I enjoyed the first
introduction to New Gaīa and its lush green landscape.
Favorite Character: Tzain has one main goal,
and that is to keep Zélie safe. He has his own struggles to overcome, and has
to figure out what kind of warrior he wishes to be, but he is determined to do
what he has to do and is willing to meet every challenge.
Recommended Reading: I recommend Traci Chee's The
Reader series, another young adult fantasy trilogy.
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