This was an incredibly difficult read for me. I had to keep putting it down and come back to it. It deals with some really heavy topics, and is unapologetic and graphic in the depictions of rape and slavery.

The world is a fractured United States where one area has renewed slavery, and our main character starts in this area. Ji-Ji is a strong protagonist who wants to fight back against the horrific system that she and everyone she loves live under. I would have liked more time exploring the characters, as it seemed like there was always so much plot going on. So many things all happening at once, that I ended up having to go back and reread a couple times when a new plot hook was dropped in. It's a powerful story, but one that I was tempted to bail on multiple times. I'm glad I stuck through to see the resolution of the race, but I don't think I'm going to pick up the sequel.

The world building was deep and thorough and made my skin crawl. It did feel like a lot of the story is set up, as the race doesn't actually happen until the last 20% of the book and is over fairly quickly. I would have appreciated more time on the race itself, especially as it's the place where Ji-Ji really starts to come into her own as a leader, which I'm sure is going to be the subject of the sequel.

Content warnings throughout for racism, slavery, rape, assault, and child death.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan-Tor for this story.

The first third of this book had me clutching my stomach and reading through my fingers. The dystopia Roy creates is gut-wrenching and one of the most horrifying pieces of speculative fiction I have ever encountered. Imagining a separated United States where racism and nationalism have taken root to a institutional degree was a stroke of genius that I pray is in no way prescient.

Jiji is such a strong character, her family and found family such a force, you will root for them at every turn. I wasn’t completely sold on the magical elements and felt the story’s raw beauty was undermined a bit by the fantastical possibilities, but I’m still excited to see where it goes from here.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my free copy. These opinions are my own.

I was sent this book and the sequel, which comes out tomorrow! (July 5, 2022) When I read the synopsis, this one felt like so many fantasy / speculative fiction works out there. I've read quite a few of them. But, I've requested oh so many books from Tor just for my hopes to be dashed. So, I'm doing this!!!

But, no, this wasn't at all like those other post apocalyptic or speculative fiction works, though I can definitely see nods and influence. This one blew that out of the water. Also, with the current situation in the US, it felt so very possible and near. It took many more spoons than I expected and more than speculative fiction normally requires.

This is the way the Hunger Games would actually happen in the US. In the wake of climate catastrophe, the people on the east and west coasts get way over dealing with the conservatives in the red states. So, America splits in three. Business and trade continue as usual, so why not benefit from the horrid policies that the former red states immediately enact to fulfill their religious and social agendas.

There is, of course, an immediate flood of refugees. The formerly "liberal" spaces embrace conservative foreign policies that happen in the face of such a flood of humanity. As someone fighting bigotry as I can in Missouri, and who teaches US history I recognize the overt lack of freedom in one space and the covert lack of freedom in the other. Yet, I can't dream of a scenario of being financially able to live in a blue state, so would have few options in this new land. There are parts of the Freedom Race that literally gave me panic attacks and others that come with such a weight of sadness. Because you know the reality of the things that Ji Ji must put blind hope in.

The payoff is very worth it. It tied up a little neatly at the end, but I'm hopeful the next installment will complicate the semblance of simplicity.

This review is somewhat rougher than my average. This is because I want to jump into the next book to see where this ride is going! Dare I hope for this world??

Roy's work of speculative fiction is a long and brutal one that deals with complex and extremely difficult concepts. where the United States are no longer united after a civil war, The sequel, and a whole section of the states have been turned into a place where slavery, and the abject horror that comes along with it, are common place. The language and names used in the book gets a bit confusing, and the freedom race seems a little like other stories, but the main character's, Ji-Ji, life is full of hardship and determination and is a story not to be missed. I can not wait to get into the second book.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the eGalley of this work in exchange for my honest review.

This book was a wonderful surprise to me. I’m glad that I have been given a chance by Tor Books to read it.

I’m going to have a hard time describing this book. When I started it, I thought it would feel more antebellum South, and instead, it reminded me more of dystopian sci-fi with hints of actual magic.

A second civil war has torn the United States into three different territories. One brings back slavery using African immigrants while the other two look the way. In Ji-ji’s part, black women are used as breeding stock for children. Religion is used as a justification for colorism and slavery.

Ji-ji’s only hope she has for freedom is winning the Freedom Race. She deals with a lot of pain before the event even happens. There are a lot of twists of who is truly an ally and an enemy. Everyone has their motivations but what drives people is not what Ji-ji thinks.

I got my hands on the audio, and Adjoa Andoh’s narration is perfect. If you are able, find the audiobook.

My complaint is that Ji-ji can be immature at times. Hopefully, there will be character development in the rest of the series.

This review is based on an advanced reader copy provided by Tor Books for an honest review.

3.5 rounded up
This is an involved story, one you need to really think about as you're reading it. It hit all my emotions and left me wiped out at times. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

In the aftermath of a cataclysmic civil war known as the Sequel, ideological divisions among the states have hardened.
Sorry, I was not able to finish this book

I always enjoy a book that gives me a unique but hard-hitting experience. The Freedom Race by Lucinda Roy was a read that I decided to take my time with, and I was glad I did. It is dark, heartbreaking, but hopeful. It will break you, make your blood boil, but it's worth it. The Freedom Race is a speculative fiction that pulls you into a world where the slave trade is very much alive, and second civil war has resulted in a United States that split into territories. Main character, Ji ji enters a race for Freedom because she doesn't want to be stuck into the life she was born into.

While the characters are young, and while it feels like a Hunger Games it differs in many ways of course. This dystopian world is riddled with bounty hunters, a world that is surrounded by radiation and a waring US. I'm a sucker for great world-building and this world building is horrifying. The main character is brilliant and likeable with her love of reading and wanting to learn more, and be more will make you cheer for her. However, she has to do it in this horrific world. Nevertheless, Freedom Race is a book has everything for me. A book that gives a hard hitting experience, a likeable character, and horrifying world that was well built. I can't wait for the next book. Tor keeps getting me with these books!

This one was a bit too violent and gory for my tastes. Also didn’t keep my interest for a long while.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'll admit that after I got The Freedom Race I was pretty excited to dive into. Heck, I was even more excited when I got a buddy to read along with. Even though I'm a smidge late to the buddy read, I honestly wasn't expecting what all went down.. to actually go down.

Now I might sound like a broken record with that statement but some of what happened just left me in shock. Not awe - shock. It hurt that children in this world would first be thankful for not being raped and then immediately jump to being lucky.

Unraped.
Lucky.

On top of all that, we have the lovely racism, slavery, and cruelty to deal with. It shouldn't be a surprise that this book is set in the south. What did surprise me was a couple of other things. For example, women can only be impregnated by their owners - no one else. Babies, of all skin types, are measured and then given a job. Measured how? Oh by the color of the skin.

Guess who gets the better jobs?

There was also this moment where our main character, Ji-Ji, was called a mule by a man and I just wanted to throat punch him. If I was in her position I probably would have committed the deed and stated that I was an actual person and not a mule. That's mostly because I'm a very stubborn and hot-headed person to begin with. I would also probably not survive in this world either.

I guess, in the end, I just have one question for you guys. How far would you run? Me? I hate running but I would knees to chest in this book and be the Forest Gump of the Freedom Race. Even if shit hit the fan and nothing made sense anymore.. I would just run. Far away from this horrible place.

The Freedom Race is the first novel in Lucinda Roy's The Dreambird Chronicles series, and it is a series like no other. It blends science fiction fantasy with dystopian elements, and it does so flawlessly. Better yet, it has a poignant message written into the narrative, which makes it all the more powerful in my book.

The country has been torn apart by another civil war. Following the aftermath, it split into two factions. On one side, there's the Homestead Territories. This is the side that believes in the right to slavery and is the side nobody would want to see win the war.

Ji-ji was born on this side, and all she has ever wanted was a way to escape the only world she's ever known. The only way to do that is to enter – and win – the annual Freedom Race.

Wow. If you're looking for a book that hits hard and doesn't pull punches, look no further. The Freedom Race is unafraid of who and what it is – and it shows. This is a novel that merges dystopia with slavery, showcasing the brutal world that would stem from it.

To say that it was a horrifying read would be an understatement. Yet, I found myself loving Ji-ji's character. It's impossible not to root for her. She's a light that shines so bright amidst all of the horrible actions around her.

I should mention that if ever there was a book that needed trigger warnings, it would be this one. When I say that there are brutal examples of slavery – I mean it. There are also scenes depicting rape, lots of violence, and so much more. This is not a light read by any means, but as long as you know that going into it I can see readers appreciating the message.

Oof. I knew this was going to be a tough read going in, but I didn't realize just how tough. This book touches on a lot of triggering material: r*pe, lynching, slavery, murder, etc. It's a dark story and a difficult one to get through. But it's worth the read if you can get through it. The worldbuilding is solid and engaging, with fully developed characters. I cared about the people in this book (and joyfully hated some of them). Ultimately, this is worth the read, but I will strongly caution readers on the content.

Firstly, this book is probably one of the very few that took me the longest time to finish because of its intricate details and world-building. The author creates the world and the characters in such detailed information that you take a step back to absorb it all. She gives creative names for the characters, builds unforgettable territories, and wrote a heart-wrenching yet hopeful story. Set in a dystopian world, the author takes us on a fascinating journey as a girl sets her heart on freedom.

Moreover, Jiji is fantastic, and I rooted for her in every step of her journey. She is one of those characters who I will never forget as one of my fictional favorites because of the hardships she suffers. There are so many memorable characters like Silapu, Afarra, and Tiro who compliment Jiji’s story. However, I have two favorite moments in the report. The first being her adventure and friendship with Lucky. Lucky is a beautiful character, and I loved their scenes together as they talk about their lives and deal with Chet and Zinc. My second favorite moments were when Jiji meets Man Cryday, who saves her from the mutants.

However, this book is not a short or easy book to read. There are moments of rape, murder, slavery that will hit you hard. Probably my only minor criticism of the story is that it is very long at times. The author adds many details to how Jiji thinks and reacts to various situations, which the author could have trimmed. Nevertheless, I admire the author for taking writing this novel and am curious to see if there will be a sequel.

Overall, “The Freedom Race” is a book I would recommend if you are in the mood for gripping dystopian adventure fantasy.

Jellybean (Ji-Ji) Lottermule lives in Planting 437, one of the plantations in the Homestead (American South). After the second civil war, known as the Sequel, Black people were imported, bred, and enslaved in the Homestead Territories. Ji-Ji doesn’t want to accept her fate, but if she runs away, a bounty hunter might find her or worse. So she decides to join the freedom race as a runner. Winning won’t just grant her freedom, but also the ability to advocate for the freedom of the other enslaved.

The Freedom Race starts with Ji-Ji’s uncle telling her and her brother Tiro the story about their people’s (the Toteppi, from this world’s Africa) origins. Tribes of the sea, earth, and sky populated the world. But the sea and earth tribes resent the bird tribe because of how their creator (the One who became Two) has treated the latter better. The conflict eventually leads to a war that slaughtered and imprisoned the folk of the bird tribe. The survivors retreat into the mountains, their past days of flight and freedom dwindling down into myths about rebellious angels and flying too close to the sun. The Toteppi’s history seamlessly braids Ji-Ji’s story into the novel’s structure. Lucinda Roy effortlessly interweaves magical realism into Ji-Ji’s narrative and world.

This novel isn’t a “feel good” or an inspirational read. Roy doesn’t hold back on the reality of slavery, eugenics, genocide, and the intentions behind the freedom race. As with works like Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler and Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon, The Freedom Race is a familiar vision of a plausible future.

2.5 stars

The premise for this book is very interesting, and given the continuing disparities and strife between races in US the idea of a second Civil War is not that far-fetched. I thought going in that this would read as present day or future, but it doesn’t. It reads entirely like 1800s Southern plantation slavery (every once in a while there’s a reference to a plane or a TV or a wristwatch). The masters of the Plantings are referred to as Father-Man, and these men take Seeds (slaves) as their mates to breed with them. So you need to be prepared for government sanctioned rape, lynchings, beatings, degradation, and murder. This makes for a quite depressing read. It’s also a confusing read. The author has practically invented her own language—changing existing words to mean something else, and there is little explanation given. Either you figure it out from the context of the sentence or you don’t. I still haven’t figured out the meaning of some of the terms, so I was a bit lost reading this book. There is very little world building or background given, so that adds to the confusion of all of these terms. In addition I think the pacing is off; it’s a bit too slow paced.
If the wording had been simplified then I think this definitely could have been a better story. But as it is it’s just so difficult to follow.

Thank you to NetGalley & Macmillan-Tor/Forge for this advanced reader copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

**TW: I wish there was an official CW/TW because I know I am not going to cover it all, but this is a book dealing with slavery, and it's brutal, as slavery is. Rape, violence, murder, it runs the gamut.

Whew, so, with that said, this one is not an easy read, as you can imagine. But I also left the book feeling a level of hope I hadn't expected, so if you can handle the subject matter, I highly recommend. The story follows Ji-ji, a young woman who is living in slavery with her mother, and trying to prevent yet another sibling from being taken from them. Her story to this point is beyond devastating, and I had a really hard time, especially with the deaths (and assumed deaths) of young children. And it isn't only Ji-ji who's lost people, of course. Every last person at her "Planting" has lost, has suffered, continues to lose and suffer. Especially in the first part of the book, you will see some of the darkest behavior of mankind. My heart broke for Ji-ji and the others over, and over, and over.

But Ji-ji is a powerhouse. She possesses a strength that, frankly, she should not have to possess, but the world she lives in insisted on it. She wants her freedom, but she also wants freedom for as many loved ones as she can possibly free. She knows her best way to do this is the titular Freedom Race, so she pretty much garners strength from this hope, this one chance.

I won't spoil anything (because I really think you should read this book, have I mentioned that? Just kidding I know I have), but obviously there are hurdles to overcome. Many, frankly. And I enjoyed so many of the characters that Ji-ji meets as we journey with her. That even in the darkest, bleakest hours, there are still glimpses of the beauty of humanity.

I also really found the world building to be spectacular- mostly in its realism. I mean, we all can certainly see the south and midwest thinking this is a fabulous idea, that isn't much of a stretch. But what struck me is how realistic the "free" places are too- sure, Ji-ji might be able to live in the North, maybe even live free... but they're sure not going to go out of their way to help. The whole aspect of this being a second civil war is, frankly, all to plausible. The evilness, hate, hypocrisy, and selfishness of the wealthy white man is on full display here, and again, it isn't exactly a stretch. And isn't that the most appalling part? That this could, terrifyingly easily, become reality? That there are those who would make this a reality instead of being as horrified as we, the reader are? This is to say, there is a certain thought provoking quality to this book that haunted me throughout.

And I think it's important to keep those feelings in your mind as you read this story, read Ji-ji's story. As you fall in love with her, her friends (both old and new), and cheer for them to find their way to freedom. The story also incorporates some incredible magical realism (and I say this as someone who can be quite picky about that) that works so well with the story.

I'll end with this: I have seen some reviews that find the idea of the Freedom Race itself to be unbelievable, in a whole "but why would these terrible slave owners let anyone attempt to leave?", which is a valid question. But, the truth is, dangled miniscule hope is probably one of the best, if not the best motivator for them. Sure, maybe you lose someone every once in awhile, but to have an added power to dangle over everyone's heads? Probably worth it to these monsters, the whole "hope is the only thing stronger than fear" adage. (Thanks for the quote, President Snow, speaking of atrocious old white guys who were fine with killing kids.)

Bottom Line: Is The Freedom Race going to make your heart ache? It certainly is. But is it also going to make you feel hopeful and uplifted? You bet it will.

Thank you to Tor for sending me this arc of The Freedom Race. This book will be published July 13!

It’s been called a blend between The Underground Railroad and The Handmaid’s Tale and I can’t agree more. Every trigger warning should be included here so keep that in mind. It starts a little confusing and slow, there are a lot of characters and there are a lot of different names for things in this future world but the story is very interesting. In this future world there are mostly all the bad parts of the old one we know now mixed with the incredible horrifying mistakes featured in our history. Ji-ji has to run this race through the slavery parts of old America and pass through the bounty hunters, the hybrid people who have suffered mutations from radiation, and such horrific things just to be free in the Dream City. Once Ji-ji starts the actual race the story really picks up but this is not an easy read. It’s really heavy and it sticks with you. This is not a beach read, this is more like a book to be analyzed and dissected as a wake up call.

This book anticipates the frightening direction our nation could be heading toward as it succumbs to its recurring ways of racial prejudice and unrest. Regressing into a segregation-reminiscent caste system, The Freedom Race exhumes and projects past survival stories into the future where cries of resistance harp on our silent calls for hope. Written by one of today’s most committed activists, Lucinda Roy has created a terrifying glimpse of what might be and tempered it with strength and courage. It is a call to justice in the face of an unsettling future. This adult fantasy novel packs a punch, it should be read with care as it contains intense scenes that feature slavery, lynching, and etc.

The Freedom Race
by Lucinda Roy
Macmillan-Tor/Forge

I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this cautionary tale. It may not be too far fetched as it seems! First, a warning about this book. It includes suggestions of mass rape, attempted rape, lynching, violence, slavery, and murder, even of babies. I didn't know this going in.

This book is when the US has had another Civil War and now it is the divided into three parts. One section is called the Territories and that's where they have slavery. Guess where that's located? South? Bingo! Only the owner of the slaves can impregnate the women. No other men can. The young are called seeds, or seedlings. When young, the color of the babies skin is measured on a chart. The darker the color, the worse the job.

Around the Territories there are bounty hunters that kill or capture any runaway. The bounty hunters have the mental attitude that the Proud Boys do now. Not good for anyone even if they are free and black. Or white with a black person. Cruelty seems to be their forte.

There are also hybrid people from the radiation fallout. The mutations that manage to live hide in the forests but bounty hunters look for them.

The story is based around one girl, a teen, that wants to win the race and be free. She has a boyfriend too. They both want to run the Freedom Race to become free but things don't go exactly as planned.

It's extremely suspenseful, depressing, odd at times, and ends strange. Maybe getting ready for book two? I did enjoy it regardless of the horror. I think the author may be looking at a future if our government doesn't save our democracy from the far right. Isn't this what they have been trying to do? It's certainly a wake up call!

Novelist, poet, and memoirist Roy ventures into speculative fiction with The Freedom Race, the first book in the Dreambird Chronicles. The United States was divided into three self-governing regions after the Civil War Sequel. Jellybean “Ji-ji” Lottermule lives on Planting 437, a deeply segregated compound within the Homestead Territories. By classifying laborers from Africa--and anyone else they want to strip individual rights from--as botanical and propagating with their “seeds,” the father-men of the Territories have created a color-based slave system. Ji-ji’s siblings are dead, disappeared, and sold; her mother is the prized possession of one of the planting’s patriarchs; it’s only a matter of time before Father-Man Lotter marries her off to one of the other powerful men in the compound. The only way to escape is to enter the Freedom Race, and Ji-ji is the best runner around. Between Planting 437 and the end of the race in Dream City are mutant animals and gangs of men looking to pick up unprotected runners, but also the Friends of Freedom, a network working to emancipate people in the Territories. The steaders also have a prophecy that someone of Ji-ji’s tribe, Toteppi, will be the one to bring down their government, putting her at even greater risk. Roy’s comprehensive worldbuilding and immersive language creates a tapestry that blends realistic fantasy with the Black experience in the United States. The deliberate pacing and visceral descriptions of planting life will not suit all readers, but the investment is worthwhile. Ji-ji’s journey is a story of resilience and hope rooted in a place where Octavia Butler and Rivers Solomon intersect with The Handmaid’s Tale.

(to appear in Booklist)

The Freedom Race by Lucinda Roy. It's coming out in July and I finished it in May. And this I started off reading really slowly because it is pretty dark and discouraging. There's just so much
pain and darkness and it feels overwhelming and like the characters are powerless against it and therefore it makes the reader feel powerless. Because this is set in a dystopian future after a second civil war in America and basically a big section of the country everywhere that isn't a big city and isn't on either coast I think has gone back to a plantation style way of living along with slavery. But now they have some futuristic technology and they have gotten a new religion that is slightly inspired by certain interpretations of Christianity but they added a new book in addition to the Bible and don't really read the Bible anymore, they read his new book. It's super patriarchal, very sexist, and also very racist. And they actually use a color wheel to like standardize colorism. Super dark but it's been very accepted by the people who live in it sort of a way, like they don't feel like they can change anything, and it's old, it's been at least a couple of generations since the civil war happened and all this got instituted, so people were very used to it and very worn down. And our main character Jiji was raised in it and she's 16 years old. And the book starts out a lot with how she lives in it and with the execution of one of her mentors from when she was growing up, and there are a lot of flashbacks in the first
third I would say about her childhood and growing up and how horrible it's been. Although her life has been a little bit less horrible than a lot of people's because she - her mother is
favored a lot by the white man who "owns" her and so yeah, and so she's a favorite daughter, one of his daughters, because there's a huge,
bit huger maybe than the old plantation style, rape system which is a breeding system where they are actually trying to get
whiter and whiter Black people by having most of the women be paired with a "father man" who is a white man who is like a sectional, who owns like a section of a plantation. And those always hit me really hard. I really - anything involving rape,
especially on such a massive scale and a repeating scale, really messes with me, so it took me a long time to read this. I think I started it in April. But eventually we got into the Freedom Race, which is something kind of odd. I don't know why it was instituted into the plantations. It's like a system where if you race and perform really well, for the women it's just racing for men it's also an acrobatic show, if you do really well you can win your freedom in DC. It's a very small number and apparently it's like a big money maker because there's a performance aspect and like people want to watch and see. I don't know, it feels too good to be true in this super dystopian world. Once we got to that portion where there was a lot more hope and that was a lot more pleasant to read, so I got through that a bit faster. And I really liked it. I thought the world building was super in depth. Except for you know a couple, like the too good to be true thing, it seemed really good. There are also like mutants who are experimented on and genetically modified creatures, like there are these massive hyena things and some snarlcats which are super big tiger lion things. I really liked all of that and I also liked the main character's
immediate family, mother, grandfather, cousins, were more recently brought over from Africa than a lot of people, and so they actually have links and can remember the people that they came from and their traditions, and so I really liked that spiritual traditional aspect that kept coming in, and like origin stories that had a lot to do with the somewhat sci-fi magical aspects of it. And I found our main character very likable and understandable. Overall once I reached that less hopeless point it was a really enjoyable book. Could be quite disheartening and even triggering for a lot of people, so I've talked about most of the trigger warnings but there are a few more so look into those.