Enjoyed the political themes underlying this novel

"Book review: 3. 5/5 ⭐️ Genre: YA fantasy Themes: colonialism, self-hartred, bias, erasure 📖 Read if you like: Babel, Fallen City, The Gilded Ones The political undercurrent and dissection of colonialism was poignant, relevant and thoughtful. It explored prejudice and the evils of colonialism in wiping out a culture and using religion to bias the populace and create self-hatred. It comes with a very clear message on classism, race, genocide, poverty and colonisation that is raw and truthful. The moral conviction in the subtext is mature, but the MC and her path felt very YA. With gangs, gods blessed powers, and a controlling ruling society, this story is ripe for a revolution. It may mirror historical events and very real societal discord, but this tale is infused with the fantastical. The world building was excellent. From language to lore, it was well designed and easy to follow. A remarkable feat for a debut. I found the story addicting, and I liked that there were no real heroes, just people fighting for their own survival. Hasan may have been oddly idealistic for a hardened gang leader, but he was complex. With a band of very different brothers his warring loyalty made for a compelling family, even if his blind belief and allegiance to Poppy seemed unfounded. In fact, many of the gang members seemed to have grit and intense stories that were equally interesting. They actually appealed me a lot more than Poppy, despite having relatively limited roles and attention. Poppy was the link between worlds. A Virian living amongst the Welkish nobility, adopted daughter of the Viceroy. I started off really liking her fire and sense of injustice even if she was powerless to change circumstances. As time passes her brainwashing by the colonizers turns her into an arrogant and pompous princess who sees only her own struggles to fit in, but largely ignores how these pale in comparison to other Virians. I had trouble liking her and her persistent need to view herself as a victim, despite being surrounded by suffering on a completely different scale. She was ignorant, impulsive, and driven by selfish reasons, which didn’t make her a leader to root for. In terms of plot, I didn’t understand the logic behind the prisoner to ally transition. This intersection of ideals and needs lacked the bite needed to be believable. It read like a convenience of circumstance, rather than true to the narrative. And in true YA fashion this must also be accompanied by a budding romance. My issue is primarily that the Welkish nobility still refuse to acknowledge her with a title or see her as anything other than a pet. Meanwhile, her life of privilege has led her to be fully dissociated from the common folk and what they experience. She doesn’t come across as endearing to either party, so she doesn’t come across as a valid solution. Moreover, her proposal to save Hasan’s brother lacks any viability given the timeframe and circumstances. Poppy was a problem for me and her expectations were naive and childish at best. A girl demanding what she thought she was owed against a suffering populace. The conclusion felt unrealistic given the created conflict and imbalance of power. It was shocking to think that Poppy was able to sway the masses after a single interaction given her years of absence and knowing very little about the place she calls home. It was all too easy and I kept waiting for something more exciting to happen. One the whole, I appreciated the wider issues reflected in this book and the underlying themes with a south asian type culture. I struggled with the validity of the characters and their personal journeys, though this may be improved upon during the series. I also struggled with understanding the strength of magical powers given how some situations were easy to evade and others were not. While I wanted to love this book, the main characters fell flat for me. I do have high hopes it will turn into something special when complete and am looking forward to seeing the story through to the end. Thank you to Netgalley and Bindery Books for an ebook for review."

— Karisbookclub (4/5)