I have to advocate real quick: as a (queer) Black man and author, it is really important for me to highlight a bias of this thesis because overall I do feel the topic in question is a bit of the issue men having read and reviewed this have had themselves: the role of Black women as fodder to Black boys learning. It is all well and good for Black boys to have the opportunity to grow and learn. However, as illustrated in this story, this typically takes the form of the ways Black girls are invalidated, compartmentalized, diminishes, ignored, trivialized, sexualized, adultified and used for their labour. They are then ignored when it comes time to have sympathy for their pain, their flaws, their mistakes as seen in this narrative. And not to make a point but to make a plot. I am usually in agreement on takes that discuss how and what ways Publishing doesnt allow Black men to exist in fiction or fantasy with our flaws, but i also negotiate that with what would the most marginalized of my already marginalized group feel about things or what is being said about them. Inclusion of Black men should not be a case for why it is cool to grow and learn off the suffering of another. This is also an issue in how this book discusses not Black Queer sexuality, but Black Queer relationships -- a domestic violence situation is side shrugged as just something going on. They treat it as an ornament for how flippant a bisexual man is about sexuality. This is not a thing to feel is light with how rampant that is or how this sort of frame a character whose role in the book is essential just representation. And sadly a very...iffy depiction of the iwa Baron Samedi and ADRs (African Descended Religion) arguing this is acceptable is a part of the problem people who engage Black boyhood to distance from misogyny and non-male aggression would have. The excuse of boys can be boys.

THE INTRO THOOOOO LETS GO

MUSIC INTROOOOOOO

Personally was pretty disappointed with this book. I'm a constant reader of fantasy but burned out on ya a long while back. But magical HBCU?! But the aave was... too put on? Like the author doubted we'd get it unless it was especially layed on thick. I'm black and felt pandered to. And a lot of it felt.... Like a gen x black guy trying real hard lol World building was thin, the college was not believable (seriously hbcu's in my experience are simultaneously bougie and grindstone so the classes being kinda basic was weird. Especially a Black World History course? Those are multidisciplinary and hard as hell where's the essay stress and the crunch readings). Magic was.... extremely hand waving with constant "cuz reasons" as a explaination. Not a ton of actual demonstrated practices of Root or Hoodoo or Voodun in there which was mind boggling since they were cited so much. While i prefer more detailed magic i at least want it grounded in cultural practices that crop up in the book. And yeah the main character was generic and boring. Believable though, true to a jaded black child with a trunk of trauma. Just not exactly compelling as a personality. In fact all the characters were flat, with women/femmes having little to add outside of being cutouts for the plot. The queer characters were a little embrassing (maybe biased as a queer trans reader in a straight protags pov) but naming the bi black guy DL? Come on now. And the politics/ related plot were milquetoast and stale. But can't say more without spoilers but i got the impression the author hasn't spoken to a young black activist, especially one in a leadership role. That was embarrassing. Invented a whole word with magical negroes but **spoiler in paragraph** but not doing anything against systemic racism or writing in nuanced history of how conflict effected history is just kinda lazy or at least a missed opportunity. Glad it exists though and want it's success. Honestly black mediocrity is still a win in the genre cuz the YA genre is still lacking in diverse authors, in spite of what publishers say in their marketing (seriously the numbers are sad). Get authors in the door. Keeping it to a few breakouts who struggle uphil isn't going to change anything. if this was published in the 00s/90s with say high schoolers it would have worked better for what it is.

Glad to hear your review, I'm not a romantasy fan in the least bit and try to avoid toxic relationships that are portrayed as romantic, it sounds like this book understands toxic relationships aren't healthy and isn't trying to gaslight the reader, which is refreshing. Still I haven't been hearing the best reviews for this book (even after ignoring the Beckys), so I'mma keep it on my TBR but it's less of a priority.

I love the music at the start of your videos now ❤ Im so glad youre able to incorporate it even so casually sometimes

Said it in the discord and I'll say it again: the book community is cool w/ morally grey characters when they're murderers or assassins but the second a 17 year old boy in a contemporary book shows biases it's the end of the world for some reason. Even though the point of books is character arcs and growth.

Although this book advertised itself as very progressive (and missed the mark), ACOTAR is written like it's about feminism too and majorly misses the mark. I think since most readers are women, they are more eager to jump on a book written from a male perspective (particularly a black man) while problems from a female perspective like in FW get overlooked. I think it's also a little silly how deeply people are analyzing a basic ass YA book from a political just because the protag is black. How often do other YA books get this treatment? I just hope this doesn't discourage the industry from putting out stuff for young men to encourage them to read more

This is the first I’m hearing you sing, my god you have the voice of an angel 🥹🤩😍

In response to 11:30, I think those qualities are appreciated from a women’s perspective cause then it becomes a women’s (or feminine, some feminine boys like this power fantasy too) power fantasy of taking a wild, horrible man (some of these romantic interests are straight up monsters) and bending him to your will emotionally. He can physically hurt you but you can emotionally hurt him is what I see in it. The reason it doesn’t work here is it’s not a female power fantasy, it’s just the toxic traits with out the payoff of a women absorbing that power as her own by making him fall in love with her. So to try and simplify, toxic masculine traits are appreciated by women only when the female blank slate character (think Bella swan, no personality sole purpose is for the reader to pretend to be her) tames him. It’s not healthy or good and I don’t personally like it but I hope that makes sense. Loved the video can’t wait to watch more.

The music intro AND outro??? Truly spoiling us!

I was excited for this. So excited. I haven’t been so disappointed since Black Bull. I saw three negative reviews on goodreads and they were all black people, one of them a Black man. I would deeply agree with the assessments in those reviews. Part of the reason I disliked this book is because I grew up in the Bronx in the 90s. I was fostered and adopted by black people. It very much felt like an outsider looking in because of how vehemently the stereotypes are flung at you. Even in the prologue, with listing quintessential Black nicknames for neighbors and family. It just felt like something a suburban kid would imagine.

Another peak intro my man! I should have time stamped that part but when you started talking about Malik not knowing much about queer people, it made me remember when my Aunt got a rude awakening that a lot of her friends at Church are in fact gay; meanwhile I knew for YEARS. But then one of her old ex friends (lol) made a comment that made me realize why people like this exist; They aren't trusted so no one tells them so they live in this make believe bubble where all their friends and loved ones are totally straight and nothing is out of the ordinary in their lives. My Aunt is close to 60 btw so when I heard you talk about Malik; I was like "Yeah he just wasn't trusted by the people around him for that info lol"

I enjoyed the book in part because the author is playing with some magical school tropes and I thought it was interesting. If a person hasn’t read magical school books, I can see that they would enjoy it less. Also I was encouraged to see Malik have flaws because that makes me want to read the next books and see how he develops. I can see how some people were disappointed because their hopes were so high for a black boy magical school book.

Intros just keep getting better

The intro in this video 👏🏾👏🏾 thank you for addressing the things a lot of people are talking about. This book isn’t perfect but I agree with everything you said. There’s nuance that’s missing in a lot of these conversations.

I think i can still read this book in the future. I feel like it'd be a "your mileage may vary" situation. These reviews at least prepare me for ehat to expect.

Tae isn't cured from diabetes. I thought the book was gonna go there but it actually didn't. He's given bone broth which is said to increase the effects of insulin but there's some mixed convo about if it's helpful or hurtful to diabetics.

Hi there! I’m glad I gave you the opportunity to explain your stance of this book. I have some similar thoughts and am interested in the 2nd book. The language, even though I speak like him when talking to friends, it was a challenge to see certain words spelled out, but Act III helped me enjoy. Still got smoke for Alexis but very interested in what’s next with these characters 😊

the song… you’re kinda my king

I think when you have a character be kinda shit, but it's the first book in a series, it's a little premature to make definitive claims about bias cuz you only have one piece of the puzzle. But when the whole series is done? That's fair game imo. I've only seen Listen2Kristen's review of this book (i think) so my opinions on it are kinda just "hmm... dunno how to feel about that."

I think more people of colour should review this but the first voices you see are white woman, which skews a book that's possibly good the wrong side of the review section....

20:56 was a read on the Empyrium series. Specifically with the main character and her love interest 😂

This music intros have been awesome!!! Nice job

Hmm to me it seems like the author was not intentionally making malik “morally grey” so will he grow in that regard? not if the author never found the homophobia snd sexism to be something to challenge in the story lol. this is just what ive gathered from listening to the author and others who have read the book tho

Internalized homophobia exists tho!!! It’s good for kids to read it and realize they have it and then learn they can work on it the way Malik hopefully will

Yoo your singing in the outro and into is fire

I love school and do well at it but I don't want to read about in a book. Singing about boots seems a great way to mesh those hobbies. Do more. (But we still wanna read your stories...)

Thanks for your hard work- i think im gonna add this to my to read list after your review!

MUSIC INTRO LETS GOOOO

😂 i stan for black mediocrity. Seriously if drivel is allowed in the best sellers list then non white (in this case black) authors deserve the same consideration. A lot of the critiques aren't exactly wrong but compared to other popular books yeah no nowhere near the gross troupes of the genre. Bout the homophobia/misogynoir yeah it's there at "socially status quo" level but it's more other characters don't comment on it since it's in his head (barring some dialogue). A lot of insecure young man thoughts in there but there's no commentary or development on it. Yeah the romance being codependent and fast as all hell but didn't feel inauthentic. These kids likely didn't get sex ed, let alone consent ed... In the South public ed? In this day of book bans? The books flaw is there's little character development with those character flaws or even real commentary. Yeah the pacing is waaay too fast in general. Still would have liked stumbling across it when i was a teen, would have criticized it all hell but liked that I found it on the shelves.

"I like this book but I wanted to love it" --yup, that sums my feelings up exactly

What you said about this book making you want to write something. That's the same feeling I had.

If you're still reading Black man fantasies I would love to hear your thoughts on Neverwraith by Shakir Rashaan it hasn't been getting much love.

34:54 i think so?? The only superhero movies i like are the spiderverse movies. Im so tired of marvel and superheros lol.

Dresden has one of the most misoginist protags but ppl love that book. Malik could easily grow over the other books so why isn’t he allowed to have flaws?? Cuz he’s black?! Sounds like he comes from the kinda trauma bg that warrants bad behavior Yarros is way worse on so many levels