The Fury of the Gods by John Gwynne

Review by Samantha M. Siciliano

THIS IS THE THIRD INSTALLMENT IN THE BLOODSWORN SERIES! If you haven’t read my review for the first or second book, they were posted on June 1, 2025 and June 12, 2025 (the post before this one). 

Hey friends! First, before you read this fun review, I would love it if you could push the blue follow button to the right of this review, maybe even add your email address to get updates, and share with a friend you think may enjoy this (or on your social media of choice)! I would greatly appreciate it!

Also, below at the end of the article is a comment box! Feel free to leave comments, let me know what you loved about the book or the review, any questions you might have, or if you have something to add! I love learning and discussing books! Please be positive and friendly to our writers! I try my best to post on the first of the month! Enjoy!

Thank you for reading, sharing, and becoming a part of this reading community!

Quick Summary:

The Fury of the Gods is a POV Norse fantasy that follows the journeys of five main characters: Varg, Orka, Elvar, Biorr, and Gudvarr. Four gods are now alive and free, trying to find their places in the world 300 years after Gudfalla. There are epic battles, characters, and spectacular world building. If you love reading about intense battles, this is the book for you! Welcome, to the Fury of the Gods.

The Review:

I finished this book hours ago and I am still sitting here, trying to figure out how to write a review, without spoiling the ending of the book. John Gwynne did a fantastic job of utilizing his characters to tell the story of what was happening throughout the major battle for Vigrid. It was awesome to read from the perspectives of each warring side to understand the motivations of the POV character as well as what the gods were thinking, the battle plans, and to just hear from some of the secondary characters that we have grown to love. I think Gwynne was really able to weave the characters together in a way that not only enhanced the story, but allowed the reader to feel like they were right there in the moment. 

The battles and the war for Vigrid where beyond impressive. I was grimacing when weapons struck hard against bodies, I felt my stomach lurch when weapons or shields were pulled away, I was tense when the gods were throwing each other around. And at the end, I felt like a warrior rising from behind my book. I read about all the destruction and dead that were surrounding the characters and thanked my lucky stars that I survived, as well as some of the characters I cared most about. Unfortunately, we lost some to the soul road. That made me want to savor what the future would now hold for the survivors. Also, two characters that I wanted to become a couple did and that made me absolutely so happy! If you are not a fan of battles or reading about them, you may find this book a bit boring. But I really enjoyed the fast, heated pace of the battles. 

The best part of the book was that it wrapped up so nicely. The characters were able to avenge family and friends, communities were able to start rebuilding in the new world, and oaths that were made were kept. 

I know this review is short and really doesn’t go into details of the book, I just don’t want to spoil the ending because it really is so satisfying. This book receives the whopping 4.5/5 stars. The only reason for the lower star is because I would have liked more with individual character development. This book was more about actions and planning and being the most cunning which was great. However, I just love little quests and excursions that help characters develop more. Overall, I am so glad that I have read this series. I will have these books in my thought cage for a very long time.

IN CONCLUSION, READ THE FRACKING BOOK!

Up Next: The Egyptian by Mika Waltari

The Hunger of the Gods by John Gwynne

Review by: Samantha M. Siciliano

THIS IS THE SECOND BOOK IN THE BLOODSWORN SERIES! If you haven’t read my review for the first book, it was posted on June 1, 2025 (the post before this one). 

Hey friends! First of all, before you read this fun review, I would love it if you could push the blue follow button to the right of this review, maybe even add your email address to get updates, and share with a friend you think may enjoy this (or on your social media of choice)! I would greatly appreciate it!

Also, below at the end of the article is a comment box! Feel free to leave comments, let me know what you loved about the book or the review, any questions you might have, or if you have something to add! I love learning and discussing books! Please be positive and friendly to our writers! I try my best to post on the first of the month! Enjoy!

Thank you for reading, sharing, and becoming a part of this reading community!

Quick Summary:

The Hunger of the Gods is a POV Norse fantasy that follows the journeys of five main characters: Varg, Orka, Elvar, Biorr, and Gudvarr. Some of the gods are back from the dead, or, released from their prison. There are epic sagas, character developments, and spectacular world building. The one thing I loved about this fantasy was that there were no flashbacks. You were finding out the past of the three main characters when they talked about it with others.

The Review:

I think John Gwynne did an even better job of pulling me into the second book, and I have no idea how that is even possible. I was super hesitant at first when he added two new POVs, but about 100 pages in I loved it. I was getting fresh insight into what was happening all over Varid and Iskidan by first-hand accounts. At the end of every chapter, I was wanting more from that character. At the beginning of every new chapter, I was reminded why I didn’t want that characters last POV to end and reading as fast as I could to find out what was next. Hell, I was even cheering for the anti-hero at some points because I wanted the far more assholish character to pay for what they had done!

Time to discuss characters, and if you don’t want spoilers… well I would stop here! 

Let’s start with Varg. Watching Varg No-Sense grow has been awesome! He is becoming such a skilled team member that really cares about his Bloodsworn brothers and sisters. He has become proficient in controlling the wolf within his blood. Hell, even Svik and Rokia are shocked at how much he has grown throughout the book! I think my favorite chapters included him on the Sea Wolf puking his guts out. I’m just kidding! But seriously, my favorite battle for Varg was between the Bloodsworn and the Tongue Eaters. I was not expecting them! I thought for sure they are going to get into a battle on the sea, but I thought it was going to be with typical humans, not tongue eaters! Varg’s disgust towards them is exactly how I felt when Glornir pulled a tongue eater out of the mouth of one Jaromir’s men. Shock and disgust. I felt that in my soul, ha! Varg and the Bloodsworn spent most of the book chasing after Vol, Glornir’s partner and the seidr witch of the group. They were really going to the ends of the Earth to locate her and save her from her captors throughout the book. Also, my favorite secondary character is in Varg’s POV, Svik. He is just so damn funny and wise. I enjoy reading the love he has for Rokia and Varg. It’s very cute and fun. Also, Svik and his cheese, am I right?

Orka. Man, this woman pulls at my heartstrings. I feel my inner wolf wanting to rise and attack when I am reading from her POV. She has Lif with her and he has grown a lot and has become more confident in himself! Orka also takes on 3 Bloodsworn who want to follow her and help her on her quest to find Breca, her son. I really enjoy how she doesn’t want to be chief, but she does take on the responsibility of a chief and try to protect everyone in her group. Her ability to play mind chess with her opponents is just so damn impressive. There were a few times I went “Oh shit, this is going to go south quickly” to “Holey moley, how in the world did they pull that off?” My favorite battle for them was when Orka and her team took out the Skraeling at the farm in the north. I loved the strategy, the excitement, and the comradery when they meet others on the farm. I hope they show up again in the third book!

Elvar was a freaking star this book! I loved her! I wanted more every chapter. I was impressed by Elvar’s deep cunning and how she had been thinking ahead of me by tenfold. I couldn’t keep up with my predictions! I enjoyed two epic scenes with her that I just cannot stop thinking about. The holmganga between her and Huld to decide who was going to become chief of the Battle-Grim and the encounter with Elvar and her father, Jarl Storr. When Elvar and Huld were battling, I really didn’t want it to happen. In my mind, I thought Elvar was going to die because of her weak shoulder. But she ended up winning and becoming chief because of her deep cunning ability. I was amazed and I am pretty sure I held my breath reading through most of that part. However, this was absolutely NOTHING compared to her encounter with her father! I mean, WOW. I literally read that chapter twice because it was so absolutely good! I knew shit was going to go down, but SHIT WENT DOWN! Also, I did get my wish from my first review, we do learn more about Elvar’s mother.

Like I said, I wasn’t a huge fan of the two added characters at first, but after about 100 pages, I was all in. I knew what the motivations for the characters were and I became less mad at them, and then I hated them both at the end of the book again. Reflecting on this book, these two characters were essential in gaining knowledge of what was happening to Lik Rifa’s, Queen Helka’s, and Skald’s movements. I think it only brought more information, pizzaz, and insights into the book.  

I’m going to start with Biorr. Biorr is a very complicated character. I loathed him entirely at the end of the first book. However, he started to grow on me again in his new role with his community. However, I didn’t like that he was working for Lik Rifa, but I did enjoy seeing how much he was struggling with his earlier decisions and how that impacted him. It really made him seem like a guy who was just caught in a hard place. And then he has to become a real asshole again near the end of the book. I can’t tell if it’s out of fear that he makes his decisions or if it is because he is a sincere asshole. Either way, I’m angry at him… but also let’s be honest, if I was working with a dragon god and a rat god that could read my thoughts, I’d probably be scared shitless and do what they told me and be miserable in my thought cage. 

Gudvarr was an asshole at the beginning. Then turned into my anti-hero. And then he turned into a fucking villain again. I was on such a roller coaster with him. I honestly am sitting here and wondering how the hell I talk about this sleazy asshole without giving his whole story away. The whole book he is just thinking about what is good for himself, not anyone else. He thinks he is almighty and powerful and just deserves the best for himself in life without working for it. He rides on the coattails of others. He starts out by following his jarl of an aunt. Then he thinks he will get more power and fame if he aligns himself with Queen Helka and Skald. Then he is a supreme asshole again (but also called it because he is a dick). I swear he is just the worst! His nose dripping all the time is disgusting, too. But he is so well written and crafted by John Gwynne. 

Seriously, all these characters are so well written and will somehow make you cheer them on at one point. They will make you grab your hair as you read and go OMG, WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED, and HOW did that work!? John Gwynne is a very talented author that just amazes me as I sit back and reflect on what I have just finished. It was amazing!

Prediction for book three: the gods somehow become free and Snaka comes to life…

IN CONCLUSION, READ THE FRACKING BOOK!

Up Next: The Fury of the Gods by John Gwynne

The Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne

Review by: Samantha M. Siciliano

Hey friends! First of all, before you read this fun review that I have worked on, I would love it if you could push the blue follow button to the right of this review, maybe even add your email address to get updates, and share with a friend you think may enjoy this (or on your social media of choice)! I would greatly appreciate it!

Also, below at the end of the article is a comment box! Feel free to leave comments, let me know what you loved about the book or the review, any questions you might have or if you would like more clarity, or if you have something to add! I love learning and discussing books! Please be positive and friendly to our writers! I try my best to post on the first of the month! Enjoy!

Thank you for reading, sharing, and becoming a part of this reading community!

Quick Summary:

The Shadow of the Gods is a POV Norse fantasy that follows the journeys of three main characters: Varg, Orka, and Elvar. It’s kind of an apocalyptic read in the sense that the gods had fought an insane battle and ended up destroying themselves, so those left behind are finding new ways of life (about 300 years later). There are epic sagas, character developments, and world building. The one thing I loved about this fantasy was that there were no flashbacks. You were finding out the past of the three main characters when they talked about it with others.

The Review:

Boy oh boy, where in the hell do I start?! This book was fantastic. I should preface this with the fact that this book was picked out by my wonderful husband as he knows I love Vikings, mythology, and character development. This book had it all! This was my first experience reading John Gwynne and he freaking knocked it out of the park! When I first started reading the book, I kept on forgetting that this was fantasy and there was magic (that wasn’t overpowering in the sense that they could knock out whole armies) both natural born and learned and mythology. 

The first thing that I loved was that he placed me right in the thought- cages of the characters. I was learning about their lives, their motivations, and their pasts as I was reading. At the end of almost every chapter (which were mostly short and great for an ADHD mind), I was wanting more from that character and was upset that I had to read a new character! I loved that I was able to predict quite a few things, but there were some twists that I did not see coming in which my jaw dropped! There were several times I told my husband that I was loving this book and wanted to read more but couldn’t because I was tired and afraid I would miss some important detail. 

The world building was so much fun! I was taken into mead halls and taverns where I could smell the smells and almost taste the foods. Then there are places like Snakavik which is a ginormous head of a skeleton in which a large community lives in! There is an actual city, in the head of a former god. HOW FANTASTIC IS THAT?! Or the Boneback Mountains which is the spine of a former god! I was onboard amazing ships with large crews. I travelled through acres of woods. And there was a map to help me understand where I was relative to each of the characters I was reading about. 

Okay here’s where I talk about the characters, and if you don’t want spoilers… well I would stop here! I really just need to write about them and I want to talk about them to anyone who will listen! I liked how these tropes were not new, but fresh. They weren’t the exact stereotypical tropes you read about in every fantasy book! I have heard that Gwynne likes to pull the rug from underneath you when you least expect it, so I will keep looking to see if one of these characters (please don’t be Orka or Varg) will die. I don’t think my heart will be able to handle it!

We will start with Varg first! Varg is a thrall (slave) that escapes his enslavers and enters into a life of being a Bloodsworn member. First, of all, I had absolutely no idea that the whole time I was reading, the name Varg means wolf. To find out he was part of the Tainted (part human and part descendent of a god). He belongs to clan Ulfrir, which is the wolf god. IT WAS LITERALLY IN FRONT OF MY FACE THE WHOLE TIME!!! But I had figured out he was Tainted before too long when he would talk about his life as a thrall. The thing I loved about Varg is he didn’t know much about being a Viking and life in the Bloodsworn, which was really nice because I was able to learn about Viking customs and traditions as well as the brotherhood/sisterhood of the group. They are fiercely loyal to each other and want to protect each other. Also, I really enjoyed watching Varg go from only having a great relationship with his sister and not trusting others, to learning to embrace others and care about them as they did him. He definitely had the most character growth in my opinion. His motivation to find out what happened to his sister was what drove him into this new life and it was great to see him find a new home.

Then there is Orka. Orka had to be my favorite character, just because I am hot headed and understand a need of protecting those closest to me. Orka is married to Thorkel and they have a son named Breca. They live on a farm, have a few animals, and 2 vaesen. Their names are Spert and Vesli and they help protect the farm. Unfortunately, Orka’s farm is attacked by outsiders, killing Thorkel and kidnapping Breca. Orka’s motivation is to find her son and demolish anybody who stands in her way. But before she parts to find her son, she ends up going into the town nearest to her house and seeing two acquaintances of hers, Mord and Lif, beaten and tied up for trying to kill a person in the Jarl’s guard. She releases them and they join her on her mission even though she really doesn’t want them too. I think the main reason is that she doesn’t want to be responsible for any more people and their fates as she knows how dangerous the mission she is on will be. Orka’s actions are very much guided by her morals and how her son views the world, and I thought that was really cute as it showed her softer side, which wasn’t easy to always see with her aggressive behavior. She is a badass warrior that I just want to keep talking about but won’t as I’m not going to completely spoil the book for the readers!

Then there is Elvar. I would say she was the least interesting out of the three characters to me, but that doesn’t mean that I didn’t like reading about her! Her character motivation wasn’t something I expected. She is a member of the Battle Grim, but she has a royal bloodline. I really appreciate that she wanted to make her own name for herself, not just stay royalty and live a life she wouldn’t have enjoyed. She has a chosen family of Grend and the Battle Grim. Grend is always there protecting her and keeping an eye on her as he had made an oath to Elvar’s mother… I need to know more about Elvar’s mother. She has a close connection to the group’s leader, Agnor who is a very strong, smart, and strategic warrior. Elvar is not a weakling. She fights with her heart and spirit and truly wants to earn her own battle fame. She must make two very difficult decisions in the book and I did appreciate those mental battles and unclear maneuvers. 

I would rate this book a 5/5! I was wanting to read all day and night, urging myself to read just one more chapter! I loved the beautiful character developments of not only the main characters, but the secondary characters as well. The world building was not overwhelming and there weren’t flashbacks that lasted 30 or more pages! None at all. I’m on my next adventure to figure out what the hell happens to all of the characters in book 2! Thanks John Gwynne!

IN CONCLUSION, READ THE FRACKING BOOK!

Up Next: The Hunger of the Gods by John Gwynne

Crossfire by Malorie Blackman

 Review by: Samantha M. Siciliano

 

Hey friends! First of all, before you read this awesome review that I have worked on, I would love it if you could push the blue follow button to the right of this review, maybe even add your email address to get updates, and share with a friend you think may enjoy this (or your social media of choice). I would greatly appreciate it. 

 

Also, below at the end of the article is a comment box. Feel free to leave comments. Let me know what you loved, any questions you might have or if you would like more clarity, or if you have something to add! I love learning. Please be positive and friendly to our writers. I try my best to post on the first of the month! Enjoy!

 

Thanks for reading, sharing, and becoming a part of this reading community!

 

QUICK SUMMARY:

 

Crossfire is the fifth book of a series called Noughts and Crosses. In this series Blacks (Crosses) have privilege and higher status than Noughts (Whites). This book demonstrates what is still wrong after having freedom from slavery for about 70 years from the Crosses that held the noughts as slaves. However, this book shows the changes that are gradually being made in this fictional society. The book spends time following Troy (Callie Rose’s half brother), Liberty (Misty’s daughter), Callie Rose, and Toby Durbridge. 

 

THE REVIEW

 

Alrighty let’s dive right in. Troy is Callie’s younger half brother and goes to school at Heathcroft just like Callie did. He has a group of friends and that used to include Libby (Liberty). Troy and Libby are talking outside of school during the day and end up becoming kidnapped. Both believe it is their fault. Troy because his sister just took on a high profile case (or because he knows someone who may have killed his dad) and Libby because of who her dad is. These used to be friends now have to work together to try and survive.

 

Tobey has become the first Nought Prime Minister and has some big changes in mind. However, he is about to be framed for the death of his old drug dealing friend in the last book- Dan. Tobey asks Callie to be his attorney as she is one of the best and is an old friend. This puts her firm in a precarious situation which we will definitely be seen in the next book, Endgame.

 

Personal relationships, race, and plenty of questions of what is going to happen next is the name of the game. Tobey was once mayor of Meadowview and because of people trying to sabotage his career has an impact on his election. He, however, has smooth sailing ships in order because of his old pal Dan who has taught him everything he needs to know about being a politician. Callie Rose is a top-notch defender for a really good law firm and is constantly taking on cases that are dangerous, but the people she protects from the courts and law have a great representation in court. There is soooooo much more that I want to say, but better not as it will ruin your reading experience! The jest of it is that personal relationships are put to the test. 

 

I would rate this book a 5/5. I was absolutely glued to this book. I could not put it down and I kept telling myself “Just one more chapter” after so many chapters. Every chapter had an ending where I just wanted more information. I needed to know what was going to happen next! And the worst part was that it didn’t all wrap up nicely in a bow in just one book! I have to read the next one to know what in the world is going to happen! I absolutely cannot wait to get my hands on the FINAL book to start reading.  

 

IN CONCLUSION, READ THE FRACKING BOOK!

 

Up Next: The Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne

Double Cross by Malorie Blackman

 Review by: Samantha M. Siciliano

 

Hey friends! First of all, before you read this awesome review that I have worked on, I would love it if you could push the blue follow button to the right of this review, maybe even add your email address to get updates, and share with a friend you think may enjoy this (or your social media of choice). I would greatly appreciate it. 

 

Also, below at the end of the article is a comment box. Feel free to leave comments. Let me know what you loved, any questions you might have or if you would like more clarity, or if you have something to add! I love learning. Please be positive and friendly to our writers. I try my best to post on the first of the month! Enjoy!

 

Thanks for reading, sharing, and becoming a part of this reading community!

 

QUICK SUMMARY:

 

This book is the fourth installment of a series called Noughts and Crosses. In this series Blacks (Crosses) have privilege and higher status than Noughts (Whites). This book demonstrates what is still wrong after having freedom from slavery for about 70 years from the Crosses that held the noughts as slaves. This book spends time following Toby Durbridge, the neighbor boy close to Callie Rose’s age, and Callie Rose herself. 

 

THE REVIEW

 

Writing a review for a series is probably one of the more difficult things that I have done in my lifetime. I want to just let all the information just spill from my mind onto the computer, but I can’t because then I will basically just rewrite the damn book! 

 

Okay, so the focus characters that are in this book are Toby Durbridge and Callie Rose. Toby wants to have more money and a better lifestyle. Not just for him, but his family and girlfriend Callie Rose. In Meadowview, there are two gangs that run Toby and Callie’s neighborhoods and they are constantly in each other’s business trying to break the other. Toby is offered a gig delivering questionable packages for his friend Dan to make some massive amounts of cash. This is the gateway to a wild ride of double crossing and trying to survive. As for Callie, when she is hurt and in the hospital for some time, Toby struggles with who is and who he wants to be. The ending took me completely by surprise because of something mentioned in the very beginning and not being brought back up until the very end. I can say that this book was a quick read and for all the right reasons. I wanted more. I need more and I am so glad that there is a 5^th book in the series!

 

Gang relations, personal relationships, race, and drugs. Families in the community stuck with gangsters because of the power and threats they hold over the community. Personal relationships are put to the test (especially trust). Race relations are still prevalent throughout the whole book. Drugs. Ruin communities, ruin families, ruin relationships. And drugs ran their nasty roots throughout the majority of the book. 

 

I would rate this book a 5/5. I was absolutely glued to this book. I could not put it down and I kept telling myself “just one more chapter” after so many chapters. I absolutely cannot wait to get my hands on the 5^th book to start reading.  

 

IN CONCLUSION, READ THE FRACKING BOOK!

 

Up Next: Crossfire by Malorie Blackman

Check Mate by Malorie Blackman

 Review by: Samantha M. Siciliano

 

Hey friends! First of all, before you read this awesome review that I have worked on, I would love it if you could push the blue follow button to the right of this review, maybe even add your email address to get updates, and share with a friend you think may enjoy this (or your social media of choice). I would greatly appreciate it. 

 

Also, below at the end of the article is a comment box. Feel free to leave comments. Let me know what you loved, any questions you might have or if you would like more clarity, or if you have something to add! I love learning. Please be positive and friendly to our writers. I try my best to post on the first of the month! Enjoy!

 

Thanks for reading, sharing, and becoming a part of this reading community!

 

QUICK SUMMARY:

 

This book is the third in a series of a world where Blacks (Crosses) have privilege and higher status than noughts (Whites). This book demonstrates what is still wrong after having freedom from slavery for about 50 years from the Crosses that held the noughts as slaves. This book is the third in a series called Noughts and Crosses. Instead of focusing on Callum’s brother, Jude, and Sephy, Malorie Blackman focuses on multiple characters at different stages of their life. 

 

THE REVIEW

 

Writing a review for a series is probably one of the more difficult things that I have done in my lifetime. I want to just let all the information just spill from my mind onto the computer, but I can’t because then I will basically just rewrite the damn book! 

 

Okay, so the focus characters that are in this book are Jude, Callie Rose, Sephy, Meggie, and Jasmine. This book is structured around the life of Callie Rose growing up and what is happening to each character during that time period. Sometimes we were in the past and sometimes we were in the present, but man was it a thrill ride. This book made me feel so many emotions from each character. I know what a torn family feels like, I know what it’s like to search for acceptance and love in the wrong places, I know what it’s like to not know that you love someone and want to be with them in a romantic way. I know what it is like to struggle with alcoholism. I know what it is like to have a family member slam a door in your face and treat you like garbage. I related to a lot of the heavy topics in this book. I understand that in the United States (and many other countries) there is white privilege. So I relate to the Cross class more than that of the Noughts. But the great thing about this book, is it really helps you see the pain that others in society also struggle through.

 

I related a lot to the trauma of this book, but I also related to the healing that took place. Healing between daughters/ in law daughters and their mothers/ in law mothers. Friendships that should never be taken for granted, yet sometimes we do. Forgiveness not only with others, but within yourself. This book has it all. The timeline tripped me up a little bit once in a while, but once I slowed back down to read it, there was major healing for Sephy and Callie Rose. Thank goodness for a good familial support system. Race was still a theme in the book, but it was not the huge in your face theme like the last two books. I would say that the major theme in this book was complicated relationships. I am a person that wants to resolve a problem when I see one and so I struggled reading this book a little bit because I just wanted to force all the characters to sit down, hold the feelings stick, and just talk it out.

 

A little about the book, now. Callie Rose meets her Uncle Jude (who is still trying to destroy Sephy and the Hadley’s lives). Sephy continues to live with Meggie and her daughter Callie Rose. Jasmine struggles in this book, but is also so damn strong that you just can’t help but be amazed at her conniving and scheming ways. Meggie finally finds the truth out about Jude and Jude is the leader (or General) of the Liberation Militia. The book leaves you on a fabulous cliff hanger which makes me need to read the next book starting tomorrow, because as you can tell… it’s very late at night (BUT I JUST HAD TO KEEP SAYING JUST ONE MORE CHAPTER)! 

 

I would rate this book a solid 4/5. A little bit of a lower score due to the jumping around of ages and readjusting of ages and time frames. I did like how the author showcased her strength of tying both the first and second books together very well with the third book. 

 

IN CONCLUSION, READ THE FRACKING BOOK!

 

Up Next: Double Cross by Malorie Blackman

Knife Edge by Malorie Blackman

 Review by: Samantha M. Siciliano

 

Hey friends! First of all, before you read this awesome review that I have worked on, I would love it if you could push the blue follow button to the right of this review, maybe even add your email address to get updates, and share with a friend you think may enjoy this (or your social media of choice). I would greatly appreciate it. 

 

Also, below at the end of the article is a comment box. Feel free to leave comments. Let me know what you loved, any questions you might have or if you would like more clarity, or if you have something to add! I love learning. Please be positive and friendly to our writers. I try my best to post on the first of the month! Enjoy!

 

Thanks for reading, sharing, and becoming a part of this reading community!

 

QUICK SUMMARY:

 

In a world where Blacks (Crosses) have privilege and higher status than noughts (Whites) This book demonstrates what is still wrong after having freedom from slavery for about 50 years from the Crosses that held the noughts as slaves. This book is the second in a series called Noughts and Crosses. Instead of focusing on Callum and Sephy like in the first novel, this one focuses on Callum’s brother, Jude, and Sephy. There are some moments where both Jasmine and Meggie appear and we read through their eyes, but that is near the end of the book.

 

THE REVIEW

 

So there is still the racial tension between Noughts and Crosses. In this book, I noticed that Noughts was capitalized. I can’t tell if the author meant to do this or not. This review isn’t going to be the best because I cannot talk about much without giving too much away from the first book (if someone hasn’t read it yet) and I don’t want to give too much away from the new one that will deter people from wanting to read the second one. 

 

I love that this book didn’t focus completely on Jude and the Liberation Militia. It focused a lot on his basic human needs. I mean there is obviously some connection between Jude and the LM, but there is also a bit of a twist that I didn’t see coming and I think readers will enjoy. And then there is Sephy and the little Rainbow Child. Watching Sephy struggle and grow in this book is amazing. And it’s not just Sephy who is growing and changing. She still doesn’t take shit from anyone and there are a few instances in the book that just make you proud of her. She has flaws, but who doesn’t? However, it’s not just Sephy who is growing, so are other characters in the book like Meggie, Minerva, and Jasmine. Meggie has to adjust to a life without some of her family members, Minerva takes on a job as a junior writer for a newspaper and is learning how to communicate better, Jasmine wants to embrace the changes of her life where she is no longer under the thumb of all the watching eyes. Even Jude struggles with his choices that he is making and you kind of want him to be successful even though he has a high probability of falling short. 

Because I can’t go into much detail about the second book for fear of ruining the first or second book, if you want to know something more, just ask!

 

I would rate this book a solid 4/5. A little bit of a lower score as my interest wasn’t as deep into the read as was the first one. I did like how the author played with my mind and had outcomes occur that I did not see coming! Overall, the writing style had less grammatical errors as well. 

 

IN CONCLUSION, READ THE FRACKING BOOK!

 

Up Next: Checkmate by Malorie Blackman