Tension and Danger on Every Page!

I actually bought this book because I wanted to read it. I thought the kingdom in Africa was well developed with believable evil characters and competition for power. The enslavement of those who could not pay taxes and debts was very believable; there often was no way out. Those in power simple change what they will accept as payment - it might have been fish at one point but it changes to precious metals. Zelie's anger and fierce determination are understandable, and readers can't help but cheer for her bravery as she travels to Lagos. The plot also includes very realistic competitions for power among the characters, starting early in the book with Yemi wanting to be selected for a top position over the protagonist Zelie. I like the fact that there are strong female characters in this novel, which I think was a debut novel for this author.