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Against all odds, Zelie has succeeded in bringing magic back to Orisha, but the ritual did not go as expected, and in bringing back magic, she’s reignited the powers of not only the magi but countless others (including nobles) with magic ancestry. Was magic worth the cost of so many lives lost? Zelie isn’t sure anymore.
Meanwhile, facing her own strange new powers, Amari finds herself fighting on the side of the magi. She’s determined to rise and become queen — to become a better ruler than her father — but how far is she willing to go to reach the throne when her unexplained powers put her at odds with the people she’s come to love and alienates her from the very magi she is trying to save?
Civil war is coming. Now, instead of persecution, the magi face annihilation, and if Zelie and Amari cannot unite the foundering magi rebels, an enemy who is now just as powerful as they are will destroy them.
With so much already stolen from them, how much longer can they persevere? How many more lives will be sacrificed before they finally break? And how far are they really willing to go for peace?
Children of Virtue and Vengeance dives deeper into a world of complex magic, persecution, and betrayal. As in Children of Blood and Bone, the story is painted with dark examples of prejudice, which isolates and causes division even among friends; blind vengeance that refuses to see beyond the past; and a repetition of betrayal, hurt, anger, and hate that persist throughout the story.
Children of Virtue and Vengeance also puts a new, gritty twist on the age-old story of good versus evil about an unwaveringly determined people who refuse to run from evil. But in the end, it brings up the question: Where is the line between heroes and tyrants?
To me, the book felt overly dark with a strong focus on hate that was not confronted or dealt with, and I did not enjoy seeing the characters self-destruct because of this. It is my hope that the next book in the Legacy of Orisha series will address more of these negative traits.
Rated: Moderate (though it could border on high), for violence, countless deaths, and strong themes of prejudice and hate. There are at least 6 instances of mild and moderate language. Sexual content includes an insinuation of someone sneaking out to “get laid,” as well as a fade-to-black sex scene. Several characters, including two girls, kiss.
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