Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc.

This book started out very slow. It was probably about halfway through before I really started to enjoy it. Soon after, it was hard to put down. I loved the characters and magic. Esheme is definitely a love/hate relationship for me. I’m excited to see what’ll happen next, and I cannot wait to get my copy.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an arc in exchange for an honest review!

Dnf 24%
I tried. I really did. But I just couldn’t force myself to continue. The premise is amazing and I wanted to love it but the writing just dragged on and I don’t have that much patience. Maybe this is because I’m used to ya and not adult but I really just couldn’t get immersed in it.

I still recommend it. While it wasn’t for me I can easily see how most people can love it. Please give this a shot, you most likely won’t regret it and if you do feel free to tell me otherwise.

4.5 stars.

Wow, this is one of the strongest debuts I've read recently. The worldbuilding is fabulous. Everything feels so vivid and distinct. I understand the class distinctions, the political conflicts, and the internal strife between groups. It's all so marvelous and intricately done. This fantasy is based off of pre-colonial West Africa so there are many things in here that are new and may be difficult to absorb all at once but I loved it!

The characters are all distinct with their own motivations and personalities. You have the distrustful warrior, the naive and overly trusting scholar, the disillusioned and stoic bodyguard, the vengeful and powerful adversary, plus a lot of other characters. Even though this was multi-pov I never had a hard time keeping their stories separate.

If you like books with a lot of brewing political conflict, along with a fresh magic system then this is definitely the story for you. Also, there is no romance but the development of character relationships with each (grudging respect, deference, friendship, etc). The writing is swift and to the point and doesn't waste time waxing on overly poetic language. Also, the chapters are pretty short and the pacing moves at a good tempo so there isn't much downtime.

The prologue was probably the weakest of the book, in that it is very confusing, and I had no idea what was being set up. But the rest of the chapters were fantastic.

I need the sequel now! Highly recommended.

Son of the Storm is the start of a new epic fantasy trilogy by Nigerian author Suyi Davies Okungbowa, who previously debuted with 2019's "David Mogo, Godhunter." That book featured a post-apoc Nigerian story of a demigod dealing with the interference of actual African gods on what's left of life in the country, and had a really strong lead character....and pretty much nothing else. The result was interesting, but not really something I loved due to the lack of character depth. But that book was stand alone (and a debut) and so I was curious how the first book in an epic fantasy trilogy - a genre that more specifically relies upon a breadth of interesting characters - would work out in his hands.

Son of the Storm very much justifies my decision, with the novel featuring really strong lead characters, and a fascinating dark epic fantasy plot with some really interesting themes. The story takes a classic fantasy protagonist trope - the hero with a thirst for knowledge in a land that has clearly suppressed it - and subverts it in interesting ways, while centering particularly two characters who don't fit in a society with a strict caste system and who react to it in different ways. Add in themes of race and being mixed-race (built into said class system), immigration, and the costs of defiance and you have some really strong themes that this story takes in some surprising directions....and the novel ends off in a place that makes me really curious what's coming next. A really really strong start to a new series.


-------------------------------------------------Plot Summary------------------------------------------------------
The city-state of Bassa, known for its greatness on the mainland, maintains strict adherence to the Bassai ideal - the greatest people in the world are Bassai, and the greatest of the Bassai are the Idu caste, usually identifiable by their dark humus-colored skin, with the lesser castes being less worthy of rights and life. And that's to say nothing of outsiders - such as the Desertlanders who don't try to indenture themselves to immigrate to Bassa....or the long-dismissed as myth people of the lost Nameless islands, the "Yellowskins."

Danso should be treated as Idu thanks to his father, but his mixed-race blood and skin color inherited from his unknown mother marks him as "Shashi Caste," a disgrace to Bassa. He has made it to the position of a Jali Novitiate, a scholar, despite it all, thanks to his intelligence and memory retention, which cannot be fully denied even by his racist superiors. But Danso doesn't care about any of that - he thirsts instead for knowledge, of the stories that Bassa refuses to tell, of magical artifacts and yellowskinned people who might've existed and changed the world, only to be written out of Bassai history - even if the thirst for such knowledge keeps getting him into trouble.

Esheme, Danso's intended, is similarly looked upon at times as an outcast for her mother Nem's belonging to a lesser caste and Nem's role as Bassa's foremost fixer, looked upon as important but distasteful. Esheme doesn't want to find a way to fit in to Bassa's caste system...she wants the power to rise above it, to go where she pleases. And so while she admires Danso's insistence upon doing what he wants despite his skin, she wishes not to act in spite of the system, but to obtain the power to spite it.

Danso and Esheme's desires, and their worlds, will soon be overturned when a foreigner - a legendary Yellowskin - appears in the city, searching for artifacts stolen by Esheme's mother. And the two of them will react in very different ways, which will reshape not just their own identities, but the identity of the Bassai Empire itself.
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Son of the Storm's plot description on websites and its cover features basically only Danso, whose journey does take up somewhere around 60% of the plot of this book. But this is not, unlike Okungbowa's prior novel, a single character-focused novel, with the story jumping point of view perspectives numerous times ala other epic fantasy novels (although unlike many of those other fantasy novels the book has no issue giving us multiple chapters in a row from the perspective of the same character). As such, this is not just Danso's story, with the story of Esheme - usually taking place at a completely different place than Danso's - being just as prominent as a contrast. And both Danso and Esheme's stories are often seen through other perspectives as well, which really hits home how everything they do impacts the others around them as well.

The plot as described above takes place in a strictly xenophobic, class and race centric (with an explicit caste system) society, in which both of our main characters are outsiders and react to that status in different ways and struggle as a result. For Danso, his skin marks him as the lowest caste - mixed race - despite his blood heritage and clear intelligence saying otherwise - but he doesn't care about that at all. What Danso cares about is learning more, whether that be from a seemingly made former emperor's musings or from glimpses of legends long forgotten. And so when Danso is confronted with a Yellowskin, a woman whose existence shouldn't be and should require him to report her to the authority, his reaction is to try to hide her and learn from her, especially when she showcases the magical artifacts he has read about but which Bassa has tried to forget.

Yet, unlike many other stories with such a character, Son of the Storm is not kind to Danso for his curiosity, with him facing tragedy after tragedy as a result. Danso is repeatedly told by others - like his second Zaq, an indentured desertlander immigrant trying to fit into Bassa's lies - that the search for truth isn't worth it, as the reckless pursuit of it causes only pain and destruction. And Danso finds this out time and time again, to his horror, as his recklessness first gets himself and then soon others into trouble and destruction more than he could have imagined. Danso's idealism never fully wanes....but it definitely diminishes a bit as the world isn't kind enough to allow for it even as he discovers things and powers long untold.

By contrast Esheme isn't nearly as bad off as Danso in status - her mother is a lower caste but she's not mixed race and its as much her mother's profession as anything that makes others with status look down upon her. But whereas Danso would prefer to do what he wants in pursuit of truth, Esheme believes the only way forward is to accumulate power - power so that no one would dare say anything as she walks among them, regardless of whether they're higher or lower caste. Danso is a person with morals at heart, who reacts to killing with distaste....but Esheme is essentially a sociopath, showing no regard for anyone who gets in her way, no matter how little the slight, and has little ability to shed tears for anyone she might be supposed to care about. And whereas Danso's lack of hesitation and recklessness is due to just a pursuit for knowledge above all, Esheme's lack of considering consequences is due to her desire to accumulate power above practically anything else. And between her mother's connections and actions, her own intelligence and charisma, and more, Esheme can do an awful lot of damage in that quest for power.

Esheme and Danso make up the contrasting reactions to being outsiders in a strict caste system and form the basis of this winding and fascinating plot, filled with a whole bunch of other interesting characters I'm not going to have time to go into here. And with them both confronting the society in their own ways - deliberately in Esheme's case and inadvertently in Danso's - you wind up with a plot that deals with interesting themes such as: "How does a racist, xenophobic, class driven society deal with the idea that a mixed-race outsider people might have powers and magic they do not?" Or "Is it any better for a weaker people to conceal their own truths than it is a giant Empire when it's for their own safety?" Or "what is home when everywhere you go seemingly rejects you?" There's a lot going on here (I haven't even mentioned that the magic system here is fascinating, revolving around possessing things and manipulating them, such as a Yellowskin woman being able to possess her own skin and change its color to pass in), as characters balance their own desires, the problems of power, and more, and it all winds around and around until it hits an ending that puts both our main characters through the ringer and leaves things open for things to come next.

Son of the Storm isn't perfect, or even the hardest hitting or most enthralling of epic fantasy starters I've read, with occasional moments with lesser characters that don't quite work as hard or come off a bit abruptly. But it's still really good and really fascinating, and I can't wait to see what happens next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I want to start by saying that my reviews are merely my personal preference and thoughts about a book. I’m not trying to dissuade you from looking into this book or saying that it is in any way a “bad” book. 3 stars simply mean that I personally did not vibe with a book, but I believe that it has redeeming qualities and someone with a different taste than me might love it. My reason for going down a star might be the exact reason you go up a star.

Son of the Storm is the first book in the new fantasy trilogy The Nameless Republic, written by Nigerian author Suyi Davies Okungbowa. It takes place on the world's (allegedly) solitary continent, a landmass known as Oon. Son of the Storm follows multiple characters as they get swept up in the sudden appearance of fabled powers from lands they thought lost, the unraveling of the carefully constructed (and deeply oppressive) social order in Oon’s greatest city, Bassa, and the mysteries of Oon that have been hidden for generations.

Son of the Storm alternates between multiple points of view, but the primary 3 are Esheme, Danso, and Lilong. Esheme is the daughter of a powerful fixer in Bassa and strives to attain power by any means necessary. Esheme’s intended, Danso, is a curious scholar with a penchant for trouble and a desire to explore the world. And according to them, and anybody else in Bassa, Lilong does not exist.

I want to start off with what I really liked about the book.

I was a big fan of the setting, mechanics of the magical Ibor stones, the worldbuilding and history of Oon, and the detailed politics of the continent that contributed to the story and worldbuilding. The setting is inspired by pre-colonial West Africa, specifically influenced by Nigeria. To me, Okungbowa’s worldbuilding was the shining star of Son of the Storm. Bassa and the surrounding areas on Oon all had compelling histories that I hope to explore in future installments of the series. I’m especially looking forward to learning more about the secrets of Ibor and how it’s used, as it remains largely unknown to both characters and readers.
Son of the Storm discusses topics like class, privilege, colorism, nationalism, gender, and sexuality. It does so in a way that is thought-provoking and intersectional, with perspectives from characters of many different levels of privilege all contributing to the conversations. I think that hearing from all these different characters about how the politics in Oon have affected them in different ways contributed greatly to creating a compelling world while provoking discussions about important and relevant topics.

THAT BEING SAID

Son of the Storm is branded as an epic fantasy novel, but I found that both the “epic” and “fantasy” parts of the book took a backseat to things like discussions of the aforementioned topics and forced character growth as a result of them. It isn’t that I think any of these discussions should have been left out of the book, I just wish there was more going on around and between them. By my count, in the first 50% of the book we saw Ibor being used about 3 times, 2 of those being Lilong using Ibor to cut branches off trees. Lilong, Danso, and Danso’s Second Zaq spend days in a literal breathing forest that is said to be filled with beasts of legend, and almost all the time they’re in the forest is spent resolving interpersonal conflicts. We see only one beast, which dies immediately for plot reasons. I really wish that there were more fantastical beasts, more time questing through the forest, evading death at the hands (or teeth) of the giant snakes, ghost apes, even normal lions, that were mentioned but never showed up. Even an Ibor focused training montage would have been nice!

I have to admit, I kind of struggled through the first 60% of Son of the Storm. The writing style just really didn’t work for me, largely because it focused more on “telling” instead of “showing”. To me, the chapters in the first 60% of the book alternated between reading like a screenplay and reading like an old legend that is being told telling around a campfire. I quite liked the chapters that fell into the latter category, but they were few and far between. In addition, the pacing of the story confused me. Moments that seemed like they should have been incredibly impactful were rushed through, and the story lingered in places that didn’t do much in the way of advancing the plot, or even character growth.

The book did pick up for me a little over halfway through (around 65% of the way through, according to my Kindle), starting with the beginning of the 3rd of 4 sections of the book. I enjoyed the rest of the book, as we got a new POV that I loved, a new setting for the trio, and new goals for everyone. The pacing was slightly different from the first half, and I found it more enjoyable to read. Did I personally find it worth reading if I didn’t really enjoy over half of it? I don’t know, maybe. There were elements I liked throughout the book, and the second half was compelling and fast-paced. I’ll probably give the sequel a shot when it comes out, out of curiosity for the story and to see if the book itself is on par with the second half of its predecessor.

Again, this isn’t me saying that the book or author’s writing is bad. I just personally found it difficult to get into the story and was left wanting more. If you’re looking for a very magical, fantasy-heavy book, Son of the Storm may not fit the bill. If you want a more realistic book that focuses on worldbuilding and politics that happens to have some magic, this might be more up your alley.

This book was stunning on the cover alone. I have a soft spot for magic worlds set outside a traditional Western/White viewpoint. I enjoyed this new type of magic system that I've never read before and the characters all had a very distinctive voice. It took me a bit to comprehend all of this, but overall a pretty solid read.

'Son of the Storm' is an interesting African-inspired fantasy, set in a world with its own magics and racial prejudices; I liked it but didn't quite love it, in part because the story is so very much the 'feckless boy discovers unknown magical talent, gets into trouble, and turns to embrace his destiny to save the world' plot. There was a bit at the beginning, where I was really intrigued to see how his relationship with his calculating fiancee was going to turn out - his naive enthusiasm backed by her ruthlessness seemed like it'd be fun to see them navigate politics and their mixed identities - but then it turned out that no, she was going to turn into the big villain and he was going to fall in with the outsider girl with forgotten magics (whom he is inexplicably better than, in an annoying way). It's not a bad plot, but it's one I've read a lot before and I was just hoping for something a little different or a little deeper; I think it's going to do well with older teens who identify with unrealized and unnoticed potential, or with people looking for a new coat of paint on their favorite fantasy.

One thing I do wonder is, I don't know if the book intended to draw a parallel between both Danso and Esheme turning to impose their wills on the world. But they both have don't quite fit into anywhere society wants to put them, they both have gained control of this lost magic, and both of them by the end want to create their own visions - and while Esheme is more traditionally villainous, Danso's casual carelessness has created its own string of victims throughout and I don't know that I trust him to end up doing good in the end either.

When I first saw the cover launch, my immediate impression was yes, this is the exact breath of fresh air SFF needs. Fantasy books have had us visiting many fictional worlds for decades now, but Son of the Storm takes a refreshing and more detailed approach. This is an absolutely massive story and it’s hard to speak concisely on it but I’m going to try my best to give you the gist of the book and what I think its accomplished. First thing: I liked it. I don’t want to be all cliché and corney and be like orbit has done it again but uhh yeah they published a good book yet again.

The book reads as a collection of interlocked stories set in a civilization in crisis and what I mean by that is it’s following 6 perspectives at one point or another and It integrates all these characters experiences neatly into a greater framework, ultimately grounding itself in the age-old storyline clash between earnest goodness and utter evil combined with ancient forbidden magic. You just don’t know who the heck to trust. The story begins with an ominous prologue as it sets the stakes very high very quickly as you learn that the character Oke is in the dealing with the continents biggest secret and if it got out, everyone is doomed. It’s too grave to consider the alternative.

There are many elusive layers of detail to sift through, you’re told the political situation of the world and its inner workings for a sizable chunk but once you get past its dense first few chapters, the story proceeds in a frantic rush of action that mostly engages the senses.

Overwhelmingly ambitious. If you’re looking for a new world to scour every inch of, to read about some of the most detailed history I’ve ever read in a novel, this is the world to spend time in. It strives for realism, defying the Western belief as one definitive version of a story, this is pure African goodness. I really hope this book inspires people to read more pre-colonial African history. The author manages to create a vibrant world especially with how different each region is. The continent the book Is set in is divided not only by a border between mainland and desertland but also by a caste system depending on how dark your skin color is such as low brown and high brown. The farther away from the mainland you are, the less pigmented your skin is and you are judged unfairly. In fact for a lighter skin to cross the border, they are put through a rigorous induction program. That speaks volumes of our society today which is anger inducing.

Well suddenly this border closes, no one can get in or out, and rumors spread that a yellowskin has infiltrated the mainland and they should not exist. A yellowskin hasn’t been seen in over 100 years and they are deemed absolutely barbaric. Believing in or not believing in what you are taught about history is really important to this story as scriptures are very much manipulated and one of the main characters struggles with that as he’s a scholar with low brown skin so he’s heavily misrepresented.

The author does not mind taking his time to slowly flush out everything. So you really need to take a step back after every chapter to soak it all in. It is dense, it’s weighty. it is meticulously constructed and features endless detail but please don’t take that negatively. there’s a whole world of wonder here and It is beautiful.

Now I did find myself itching for more in some chapters and found my attention drifting away in others, some days I could pound out 100 pages and other days I could only read 20-30 so I think I had some small pacing issues and it does help the book is sectioned out in parts so you get the idea when the story is about to morph so keep that in mind. Second is for some characters, putting aside character growth, I felt like there were some discrepancies in their personalities. I went from really liking one to not enjoying their perspective as much later on because of some dialogue choices.

Overall, I had a great time with this book. Even when it was at its most challenging, I was intrigued, interested, and hesitant to put it down. If you’re tired of reading recycled fantasy, Son of the Storm is something different and worth checking it. Reading the book is a transporting experience and with a good deal of shocks and jolts that bring the narrative to fulfillment.

The Bassani Empire is dying, rotting from within, but its citizens have been brainwashed for centuries to believe that their empire is so mighty that it could never possibly fall. When a threat to their power and might arises, in the form of a young scholar who cannot restrain his curiosity about a woman, and her magical power, that all his teachings say cannot possibly exist, he is exiled and pursued to corners of the known world, only to learn that nothing of what he believes he knows bears much of any resemblance to any truth.

VERDICT: Son of the Storm, while it has roots in West African history and mythology, takes its familiar and fascinating story of the fall of empire and the machinations that prevent anyone from recognize it and humanizes that story with the coming-of-age odyssey of its protagonists, the scholar who yearns for the wider world but is not prepared for the hardness of the lessons it has to teach, the outsider forced to break and remake her own oaths, and the criminal’s daughter determined to ascend to a pinnacle that the closed nature of Bassa society would bar her from. The collision course of their separate paths sets them on roads that lead to power and destruction. Highly recommended for lovers of epic fantasy based on less familiar mythologies (e.g. The Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse), those who like their protagonists on troubled and twisted journeys (e.g.The House of Always by Jenn Lyons) and anyone who likes to chew on stories with complex shenanigans of all types.

4.5
Thank you Netgalley and Publisher.

Although it started out slow, this book ended up being SO good! I could not put it down after about half way through. I really liked Lilongs character and Esheme's character development was good. I didn't know how she was going to be after being introduced to her at the beginning. Danso was alright. He wasn't my favorite. He seems pretty naive and charges into things without thinking of the consequences. I'm hoping to see more character development with him in the sequel.

The magical system was interesting and I'd be interested in seeing more of Lilong's culture and how the stones and ibor magic work.

Overall, this book was action packed and BLOODY toward the end. My kind of book. Can't wait for the sequel.

At 61%, it is time for me to unfortunately part ways with this book that I tried SO HARD to like. I usually give DNF a one star but I'm gonna give this one a two star because I don't think it's a bad book or a poorly written book, but damn, did I not care for it.

At 60% in, I do not care about anything happening. The main characters, barring one, are all uninteresting. The story is light- in a desperate attempt to continue reading, I did the ultimate book sinner move and skipped four chapters and tried to get to more "interesting" stuff. I didn't feel like I missed anything from those chapters! The magic system was very boring and confusing to me too. I'm unsure if I was skimming at the wrong time and just missed some information about the magic, but every single time magic was used, my eyes starting glazing over because it was described in a way that just didn't seem fascinating. I just had absolutely no desire to continue onto another page, and there are other things to read.

What I did like:
- The worldbuilding is good. I feel like the most amount of time was spent here. Maybe now that the first book has done the leg work, book two will be better. If this series starts getting rave reviews, perhaps I'll return to it.
-the exposure to African culture was interesting. Even some of the language for stuff made it very immersive.
-it was very well written. It wasn't overwritten, and there were almost no clunky phrasings that I saw. Okungbowa is definitely a good writer and I will be interested in other things from him.
-That cover! Daaaaamn

Things I was neutral on, but was strange?
-Halfway through the book, the MC says he's never seen someone with short hair before. Do bald people not exist in this world? Or is no hair not considered "short hair", and thus, everyone who DOES have hair has long hair?
-Four times in this book someone is described as young and they are middle age. This is just super strange to me. A woman is described as "a young woman" at 37, and a man is described "still quite young, only 40 or so summers," Unless people live a drastically longer life in this world, 37-40 is a nearly middle age person and it paints a different image entirely as to what a "young person" is. I don't think any 20-30 year olds even appear in this book? It's hard to know, because of things like this.

Maybe in a few weeks I'll power myself through the last 39% and be amazed but for now, I'm sorry we had to part like this, Son of the Storm.

Thanks to NerGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

DNF. I really liked the premise but the writing did not work for me at all. It wouldn't be fair to the book if I finished reading and gave it a low rating.

A west African-inspired fantasy novel with a cover like that is bound to excite any reader, especially one with mysterious islands and lightning bats! The amount of detail Suyi Davies Okungbowa and Orbit put into the promotion made it a fast sell for me. I wanted to know what his world would be and look like. Son of the Storm holds on to fun fantasy tropes that readers love, all while bringing in a breath of fresh air. A magical book, a scholar, a hero’s journey, a travel fantasy. All those well-known, fantastical elements wrap up into a Fantasy, but it is Okungbowa’s narrative that shifts our perceptions and understanding of the Fantasy novel.

Picture an epic fantasy world inspired by the realities of Nigerian politics and culture but placed in a world of epic proportions, of lore and imagination. In Bassa, society and each person’s place within it are determined much like a caste system. Those that society deems lower are marginalized and looked upon with disdain and suspicion. As much as immigrants and those within the margins of society try to climb, their position is isolated, even when told otherwise.

Each of the perspectives in Son of the Storm is struggling in their society and all of its rules, but each different from the other. Those in power and those in the margins are weighted under a system. Their identities and how they navigate Bassa and its politics are different, one person having more privileges than the other.

Danso, a student at the university, is engaged to a woman with ambitions and secrets, Esheme. Danso and Esheme arranged to be married and treat their relationship like a business transaction. Esheme, assertive and power-hungry, is the opposite of humble and academic Danso. Danso is seen as lower-class for being Bassai and other.

When a sacred book full of lore and mysteries disappears, fingers pointed to Danso. But then a mysterious woman is found in the city. Lilong, from mysterious islands only supposed to be in lore, is a Yellowskin. The author uses Yellowskin, typically a slur used in the author’s own country, to examine Bassai’s prejudices. She comes to retrieve a magical object that is sacred to her and her people. When Danso is enveloped in her plot, he and Zaq, a Yellekute immigrant, have no choice but to escape with her.

If you’re a fan of the magical mineral plot in Black Panther, this will be a book for you to read. Ibor, a magical mineral that has the power to change the world and those within it. There are magical objects and creatures within this world that change the scope of what fantasy can be. As they travel to The Breathing Forest (which, yes, is a literal breathing forest), they encounter wild things like a lightning bat. This place has green moss dwarves, dragon-pythons, ghost apes, and carnivorous trees in the lore. It is dangerous and beautiful.

What I love about this book is the politics and that characters don’t fit into our idea of a villain or a hero. The hero is clumsy and an academic book nerd. Villains go up against gender stereotypes and societal expectations. Characters you expect to sacrifice their lives don’t. Sometimes they’re selfish and have their own lives to deal with. The lore and the human interactions are what I love most about this book.

As far as problems with Son of Storm, a lot of my interest waned the farther I got into the novel. There are many places that I felt bored and disinterested. I waited many times to feel relationships develop and looked for more chemistry between them, whether in words or glances.

Many of my issues with this book come down to the pacing and developmental issues. A great deal of this book relies on the politics and plot, so much so that I felt that I could not latch onto the characters and their relationships. Instead of allowing some more intimate moments, everything feels more like a jump, which prevents me from knowing and feeling their vulnerabilities and intricacies, even with Zaq, who, when all his hopes feel lost to him, expresses his feelings to Danso. It fell flat because I could not latch on to who they were from person to person. I want to read a novel where my attention to the emotional details is equal to that of politics. I want to get inside that developing relationship between Lilong and Danso, between Danso and Zaq. I’m especially interested in the relationship between Danso and Esheme. I needed more of that.

The result is sometimes I felt that I was reading in a very technical way, from point A to point B, rather than being pulled by the characters.

I love the world that I’ve been brought into, its politics and magic. Even so, there are aspects that are not without its problems.

Epic fantasy at its finest! It's been quite a while since I read something that good and that immersive. While the setting is a breath of fresh air, the story delves deeper into several themes and tackles them in ways that are quite new to the reader. Things like power, societal pressure, colorism, family dynamics...etc. Whether you're looking for a book to challenge your mind a bit, or simply picking up a promising new adventure, I think this one will appeal to quite the number of readers.

Rating: 8.5/10

Son of the Storm is the first installment in Suyi Davies Okunbowa’s The Nameless Republic series, and if it is any indication of how the rest of this series is going to go I have a feeling it is going to be quite a hit. In my opinion, this book has many elements that make it a really good read.

For starters, to me, this book is very narrative-driven. There are two main storylines the reader follows: those of Danso and Esheme. What makes this story so intriguing is that, while each has their own issues they are going through, the two are also betrothed – so their storylines intersect at times. I love that this story was written that way, because it feels almost like a suspense multiplier: they live dramatic lives separate from each other, but when they are together it just compounds. Truthfully, they are not on the page together all that much in the book, but even the chance of their storylines entangling at any point creates a lot of suspense. We also get chapters from Lilong’s point of view, but not nearly as many.

The way the characters connect with the narrative itself is what really drove the story for me. Danso’s constant curiosity. Esheme’s forcefulness and ambition. Lilong’s untrusting and secretive nature. These aspects of their personalities intertwine with the plot is one of the biggest tension-building aspects of the book. Danso’s continuous questioning of everything around him culminates in an unexpected journey. Esheme’s eagerness to succeed leads her down a dark path. Lilong’s guarded temperament sows distrust and animosity. Every one of them is forced to make difficult decisions and accept the consequences. This leads to constant suspense and tension, and I honestly could not get enough of it.

The magic was interesting, also, with a substance called ibor as the main actor. While it was not explained in granular detail, the best aspect of the magic system is that it is so secretive no one knows exactly how it works – not even the magic users (though, admittedly, they know more than the people who thought it did not exist). The reader learns how the magic works right along with the characters, and that is such a cool concept. This was a very unique situation that gave the book another level of intrigue.

The setting was really interesting, as well, with three very distinct areas. The two mainland areas, separated by an nearly impassable forest full of monsters (more on that later), and a secret island that no one is sure still exists. I think the way the boundaries are very clear-cut and created by geographical features fits in well with the themes of the book. There was a lot of “otherness” in the story, and it all comes down to different territories and locations. Almost everyone feels as though they are the other, which heavily influences their actions and feelings. It was really nice world building, and I enjoyed that aspect very much.

There are a couple of things I want to mention that I found to be drawbacks of this book. Too many chapters ended with one of the characters passing out, only to wake up and have to figure out the context of what happened to them. I do not normally mind this as a way of creating suspense in a story, but if it is done too often it loses its panache. I felt that way reading this story. Also, there was a time or two that I was not buying certain circumstances. One example is that there is supposedly a forest that is nearly impassable (one of those “of all who have come here, none have returned” situations), yet somehow an inexperienced group of people can stumble through. These are not huge shortcomings, and they definitely do not overshadow the good.

Son of the Storm is a book built on tension, with the characters, setting, narrative, and themes all contributing their part. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it for fans of fantasy. Definitely looking forward to book 2 in the series.

Overall, not a bad debut for a series. I honestly don’t think this one was for me personally. But, I can totally see a ton of people living the characters. Rich backgrounds, and pacing.

Because of its multiple POV narration, Son of the Storm maintains this almost expansive level of character detail and development. Sure we all have our favorite characters, but Okungbowa presents characters in all these social strata which gives readers a better handle on the world. You can tell from the beginning that there's going to be so much growth and development in store. Okungbowa details a world of social classes and ethnicities which leave those in indentured servitude chasing unattainable dreams, others on the Outliers destined to never measure up.

At the same time, Son of the Storm explores a theme that will always get me - the censorship and subjectivity of truth. The ways we create the ideas of superior and inferior. All the ways the nature of history, of stories and legends, of possibilities are created. There will always be people who only believes what they are told, who never ask why or seek answers. But power informs truth. And we live in a world full of a myriad of truths. How excuses are created out of conflict. However, what will we sacrifice to cover up the lies, to uncover the truth?

I thought this was a great take on the high fantasy genre, mostly because it didn’t involve any Western elements like in so many other high fantasies. I like those, but many of them involve elements that almost feel like rules: travel is done by horseback, travelers only eat hard cheese, and society dynamics are often very predictable. This book has none of that and is way more complex.

So let’s talk about world building first. The setting of this book was amazing. It’s a West-African inspired, so imagine dense tropical forests and sweeping savannas. The first part of the book takes place in the great city of Bassa, where people are divided into castes based on how dark their skin is. Darker skin is more valued than lighter skin, and thus for mixed Danso, life isn’t always easy. There are lots of elements to this world that you need to remember, so pay attention.

The magic system is simple enough, though. I liked that it deviated from standard practices of magic in high fantasy. It’s very original, and even believable. It was well thought out, meaning that the author thought of what rules apply to its use, and what using the magic does to one’s body.

Time to talk about the characters! I mentioned Danso before, who is our main character. However, this book involves multiple POV chapters. Danso is a scholar, but because of his lighter skin he is not quite as respected as he should be. He is also cursed with insatiable curiosity which in Bassa isn’t a good thing. So obviously he gets in trouble a lot. I really enjoyed his character. He tends to rush into things without thinking through it, but he is also a rational human being that is able to contextualize his feelings.

Another such rational human being is Lilong, the catalyst that accidentally starts off all the trouble in Bassa. She is a yellowskin belonging to a people that uses magic; something that Bassa heavily fears. She starts off very single-minded: she’s on a mission, and the only thing that matters is completing the mission and returning home. However, throughout the book her world becomes a lot more complicated. She is also able to logically think through her feelings, especially toward Danso who she in the beginning saw as a typical Bassai oppressor.

Lastly, let’s talk about Esheme. Like Danso, she does not entirely fit in with the highest caste, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t try. She and Danso are supposed to get married. I loved her chapters because she is insanely ruthless; a “the means justify the ends” kind of person. She’s the type of character that is always three step ahead of her enemies. I can’t wait to read more about her.

Then finally, let’s talk a little bit about the plot. In my opinion, it takes a little while for the plot to really settle. Like I said, it took me a while to get into the story, and I think that can be partially attributed to the pacing. It starts off relatively slow, and on top of that you have no clue what is going on. I wouldn’t necessarily say there is a lot of info-dumping, but this book is very heavy on the world building. I love the world, but you have to remember a lot very quickly. There are many different terms and names, and Bassa has a whole history with the other inhabitants of the continent that are all relevant to what happens in the story. Learning about the world was fun, but in my opinion it took a little too long. However, now that the world is truly settled, I think the second book will have a much better pace.

Thank you Netgalley for this early review copy.

I really enjoyed this book! I honestly wasn't sure at first, but it hooked me after a few chapters for sure!

The characters are great and I loved the magic system. Honestly, I am a sucker for cost of magic. If the magic takes a toll on you or costs something then I am all for it, and this gave me that!

I thought our villain was very interesting as well, though not really a villain at first, more of an anti-hero in a way and I thought that was really well done.

There isn't really any romance in here so THANK YOU. I can see it potentially happening at one point but if so, it is VERY slow burn and well done.

I will be getting book 2 as soon as it comes out for sure.

I usually like to read late at night, but this story was too intense and it kept me up at night. I'm not complaining at all because Son of the Storm was intense and creative and FRESH. While it evoked comfortable and familiar themes from epic fantasy - outcasts trying to find their way home while pursued by a dark and power-hungry villain -- it still gave me the excitement of a whole new literary experience, of being initiated into a new fantasy world full of adventure of magic, and I am totally here for it. Highly recommended for fantasy nerds and for the fantasy-nerd-curious.