It took me a little bit to get into this one, but I got more invested as it went on.

The plot is a bit odd structurally since it’s really this extended power struggle between Doro and Anyanwu. It’s episodic though there is the overarching trajectory of their relationship changing. I wasn’t totally sold on Anyanwu’s love for Doro, but I could understand it especially toward the end. The pain she feels as people she loves keep dying. Doro is the only companion she has that stays through the years. I appreciate that in some ways Anyanwu has gained power over Doro, but I don’t like that she feels this responsibility to change him or keep him from being as awful as he could be. Kind of gross, but I’m not sure how Octavia wants me to feel about it.

I highlighted mostly different points of dialogue between Doro and Anyanwu. The power dynamics between them in this story, and the way Doro completely missed the strength in Anyanwu and failed to understand her choices made for some fascinating reading.

Being a book by Octavia, race, gender, and sexuality are also explored. But I wouldn’t say she takes a deep dive in those topics like she does with Anyanwu’s struggles with Doro, how to live and protect herself and others and enjoy life with so little freedom, etc.