Adenrele Ojo does a fantastic job in her oration of this book. From the first sentence, her voice hypnotized me. She immersed my soul in this story and anchored everything I was reading in a way I could never forget. Her accents along with the tone and emotions she delivered, hit my brain and helped me to disappear fully into this story. And what a story it was!

I am torn.

On one hand, I am thrilled by this book. All my neurons were firing, adrenaline rushed through me as I read. This book had me mesmerized. On the other hand, I am finished with this book, and I do not know when I will read what happens next. And I NEED TO KNOW!

The dilemma of a reader. Specifically, one who read a 5-star story that is book one of a series.

Birth of a Dynasty is a fast-paced, political sci-fi fantasy novel that starts the action on page one, chapter one. The book opens with a heartbreaking scene between a mother and her children as they are under attack. By the end of the chapter, I understood why this book is being marketed as all about seeking righteous vengeance, and I was on board to seek it with the main character. That, friends, was just the beginning. There was so much more to come!

The full story involves multiple kingdoms that once were self-ruled, but they are all now ruled by one king. Things seemed okay enough until an unexpected attack by the King’s family. Tensions rule the day after that, and all because of a mysterious secret. (No spoilers going to leave it vague!)

This book switches between a few POVs as well, and one of them is our main FMC. She is feisty! Loves her own way, and is the baby and only girl in her family, so a little spoiled as well. She and her family get caught up in these tensions, and her father’s hand is forced, and he has to make a terrible decision. My eyes were bugging out as I read and listened to all of this going down. (I did an immersive read with this book, and it made my heart gallop even faster than normal, especially at this part.)

Have you ever been happy for slower parts of a book? I was in this book. I needed those few spare moments to catch my breath and stabilize in my mind what was unfolding in the lore (there is still magic, though forbidden, shhhh!) of these lands and among the characters. Those moments did not last long at all, making this book exhilarating and exhausting. I was having a good time, but I had to stop every now and again to catch my breath. The drama and political twists were intricate and hefty.

I loved it. This was a pick it up and could not put it down until it was over book. You will fall for characters who do not live long, and you will miss everyone when the book is over, even as you sit and try to imagine just how this series will unfold.

My heart is filled with gratitude. I’m elated to exist in a time when books like this one exist and I get the honor of reading them.
In case you cannot tell, I am already yearning for book two.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7747080002
https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/c86a3354-130f-42be-a0dd-04151f6a528b?redirect=true
https://www.instagram.com/p/DMah9f8sfXn/?igsh=MWh0bnFkYnBqZjc0dw==

Now THIS is epic fantasy. I am really surprised by the reviews this has been getting because I am blown away.

The characters were all well written and I found all of them to be incredibly intriguing for their own individual reasons. It kind of reminds me of Game of Thrones where you're sat there juggling everyone's different motivations and factions. There are definitely a few characters that fit in the box of ... oh I hate you, I hate your motivations, you suck, I want more POV chapters of you expeditiously because you're so interesting. M'Kuru/Khalil and Zikora serve as our main characters amongst the POV characters and I love both of them so much! I particularly love M'Kuru and how multifaceted he is as a character. I exploring morality and having more grey characters always works very well in epic fantasy and M'Kuru is already doing great in that regard for me and by the end of the novel he's only like twelve, so my hopes are high!

The pacing is. very slow, but that's kind of working for me. Again, I feel like in epic fantasy you kind of WANT slow pacing because having complex characters is one of the places the genre really shines. While I am so excited for future books and to see where this story leads, I really appreciate having the time to dig deep into the minds of these characters and watch their motivations unfold.

I realize the book isn't even released at the time of writing the review, but I need the second book in my hands RIGHT NOW. I feel crazy.

Birth of a Dynasty
Rating: 4.25 Stars
Production – the Sound quality of the story was excellent. There are two major families and one opposing army – with so many characters, the narrator, Adenrele Ojo, did an fantastic job isolating each voice whereby it was easy to follow the story.
Story – I will say that the rating took a hit with the way the story flowed. Still over 4 stars – the description made one think that the two main characters would overlap or interact throughout the story. I found myself going back chapters to ensure I didn’t miss anything which detracted from the overall experience. The book wasn’t listed as part of a series – just checked amazon – so my miss – so I was often distracted by the separation of the two paths. LOVED the ending, loved the world building, etc just didn’t expect the way the story unfolded. I hope there are more books to follow. I am very interested to see where this goes.

Thank you NetGalley, HarperAudio, Chinaza Bado, & Adenrele Ojo for this audiobook.

Birth of a Dynasty is the first novel in an African-inspired EPIC fantasy series that follows the rise &fall of political powers, rebellion, and the fight for power amongst all else. We follow two primary characters who are pretty young for the majority of the book. (I think I would have enjoyed this more if they were already older, but I understand the need to set the scenery.) M'Kuru is a young boy in hiding after his entire family is assassinated. He has to take on another identity to simply survive. Zikora is the young daughter of a lord. She is basically taken hostage. Both MCs are ferocious and tenacious, despite all odds against them. Switching between the two POVs was done effortlessly by the narrator, including the “side” characters. I love a good narrator, their voices really do help to get the scenes aka “movie” in your mind.

I can confidently say that I’ve never read anything like this, and I’m obsessed! This was the start to a powerful and inspiring story about a people fighting for freedom from an oppressive dynasty, and it all started with two children which is wild to think about. The multiple pov enriched the story giving the reader insight to the things going on behind the scenes of all sides of the war. I thoroughly enjoyed these characters, especially Zikora, and I’ve become completely invested in how Zikora and M’kuru’s stories will change the world as they know it. Chinaza is a masterful writer and I just know this trilogy will be one of my favorite epic fantasies.

I highly recommend the audiobook! I don’t normally do audiobooks but I have this one a chance and had the best experience.

A big thanks to Harper Collins and The Nerd Fam for giving me an eARC and Audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Boy do I love a book with a great revenge arc and this one had an amazing one! We follow Khalil and Zikora, children who are at the center of a prophecy that has put all they love in danger. Khalil who has to hide who he truly is to avenge his family and Zikora who must navigate a dangerous court where betrayal & schemes lie around every corner.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and did not want to put it down!

The narrator did a great job and made the listening so enjoyable. The emotions they put into it made me feel them alongside the characters.

I highly recommend this book!

I read this one as both an ALC and eARC from HarperCollins via netgalley and I enjoyed it overall! In my opinion, there is a lack of diversity in the epic fantasy genre for both authors and characters/worlds so l really appreciated that this book had all the elements of a "classic" epic fantasy while maintaining diversity and representation in characters. It is going to be a trilogy and I feel that this book had a LOT of world building to set up for book two and three. Please be mindful of trigger warnings going into this book, there are heavy topics discussed including SA (off page), torture, and overall violence.
I was pleasantly surprised at how captivating the young main characters were, I do think it can be quite difficult to write a story from a child's perspective while world building and creating the tension and political intrigue we have here. The multiple POVs likely helped with this and I found all of them entertaining in their own way.
Most of the POVs were Khalil (M'Kuru) and Zikora and it was so interesting to see their perception versus reality.
In terms of the audio, I LOVED the narrator, she was so engaging and all of the voice switches were excellent. I didn't find myself zoning out like I have with some audiobooks in the past.
I am looking forward to book two and three, I feel very attached to Zikora and can't wait to see her grow more as the story continues!

Prepare to be blown away! Blood of the Reign is a sweeping, high-stakes fantasy rooted in rich African inspired worldbuilding, sharp political intrigue, and raw emotional power.

Right from the first page, I was hooked. This isn’t just another fantasy, it’s a layered, unflinching exploration of legacy, survival, and what it truly means to reclaim your name in a world built to erase it.

The story follows two unforgettable protagonists: M’Kuru, the last living heir of the Mukundi bloodline, hiding in plain sight under the stolen identity of Khalil, and Zikora, a noble daughter turned palace courtier who refuses to be ornamental. While M’Kuru learns to navigate life under the thumb of the regime that destroyed his family, Zikora steps into a magical tradition that could either shield her or shatter her completely.

As rebellions rise and ancient powers stir, both are forced to reckon with betrayals, brutal truths, and the cost of vengeance. And with a prophecy looming over everything, trust becomes a dangerous game.

This debut doesn’t shy away from the horrors of empire or the complexity of resistance. The world is lush, the politics are cutthroat, and the emotional stakes? Devastatingly good.

If you're a fan of morally grey characters, ruthless empires, and stories that blend magic with meaning, this belongs on your shelf. Perfect for readers of The Poppy War, An Ember in the Ashes, or Beasts of Prey.

Thank you to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the ARC!

𝙰𝚞𝚍𝚒𝚘𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 & 𝙴𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠
🌟🌟🌟🌟.5
Birth of a Dynasty is a great title for this amazing book. It was giving me Wakanda vibes! "WAKANDA FOREVER," and I am here for it! I enjoyed this amazing world-building, the immersion of the storyline and all the characters, and the different POVs we received throughout the book. Now, in the beginning, I was a little confused because there were too many characters and too many POVs, but once the storytelling and the storyline started to add up, the characters and their POVs started to make sense and build the world. I cannot wait for book two!

The audiobook is narrated by Adenrele Ojo. She is a favorite of mine, and she does a great job telling this story and giving each character their own voice. Her male voice is amazing! She is simply amazing. She did a good job telling the story. Easy to listen to and also understand. I listened at 2x speed.

Thank you NetGalley, Harper Audio for the audiobook, and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ebook in exchange for my honest review.

First and foremost I received an eARC from the Nerd Fam and the publisher via NetGalley.

Birth of a Dynasty is a fantastic start to a new action packed and emotional series. I couldn’t stop reading and listening to the audio book. The book is written in multiple point of views and is very engaging.

The narrator for the audio book is excellent. I listened at multiple speeds to see if it affected the performance and it did not. I think that she did great.

First off, let’s talk about the subtitle. “And above all, choose vengeance.” You want to entice someone to pick up a book, that is the way you do it! Yes please, vengeance for one. Let’s get into it.

I was able to listen to the audiobook and read the digital book. The start is bloody and brutal with nothing but carnage for the first few pages. We immediately see the start of the vengeance that’s written on the cover. Then it slows down. Like a lot. This is where the audiobook came in perfectly with bringing out the story with all the character voices and pronunciations of the names. There’s an energy there that’s helping carry the story. It’s odd, this is reading closer to YA rather than adult level fantasy. (Which is unusual as it’s the other way around more often for me.) We see all but one family member be killed in a fit of violence. And then we pivot to Zikora, who is very young, and stay with her perspective for a significant part of the early story.

Kahlil’s sections drag in the first half but seem to pick up as he ages up. The Prince sucks. I didn’t enjoy his chapters at all. And yes, I know he’s the villain, but ugh. He’s not intriguing as a bad guy, I need more to dive into. I’m struggling a bit at the halfway point. I see where it’s going but it’s clear this book is the set up for the rest of the trilogy, which is a pet peeve for me as a reader. I want to poke at it and demand it do something.

The action picks up in the last quarter of the book. I’m on the fence if it’s enough to redeem the slog from the start of the book. We get a cliffhanger ending and I’m not sure I’m bought in enough to want more. The last pages of book finally see everyone put together in the same place but then… nothing much. A secret message and then it’s over. I’m still not entirely convinced this isn’t better suited for YA, even with some of the triggering actions within the book. This just didn’t rise enough to the level of a full adult fantasy novel for me.

As an aside, let me say, the audiobook narrator is phenomenal. The voices she does for each one of the characters is unique and distinct. I think I would have struggled with the similar spelled names but her narration made it easy to distinguish between them. She truly brought this book to life.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager | Harper Voyager and Harper Audio for providing this ARC and ALC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Although this story felt a bit too YA for my personal taste, I really enjoyed the world building and characters. The audiobook was fantastic. Would recommend!

4.5 stars

If I ever wanted to write a book, I would hope my debut was as good as this one.

This epic fantasy novel follows a boy who becomes the sole survivor of a high noble house after the massacre of his family. Alone, he must navigate this new world and is not allowed to claim his identity, all while planning his revenge on the people who took away everything he held dear.

This is one of those stories that found me at the right time. It had all the elements I expected in an epic fantasy: a vast, lush world to explore, an intriguing cast of characters, and a ton of political intrigue. Every single time I picked this book up, I didn’t want to put it down.

The world was well-developed and easy for me, as the reader, to navigate alongside the characters. Since this book is the first in a trilogy, there are still so many more places to see and explore.

The cast of characters was a satisfying size. Not so small that the story feels too simple, and not so large that the narrative gets lost among all the switching POVs and subplots. This is one of the hardest aspects to juggle, and Bado nailed it. While we get a lot of POVs in this story, most of it is told through M’Kuru and Zikora. Both characters were nuanced and brought a lot of complexity to the plot as players and storytellers. I’m very interested to see where their arcs go from here.

We were thrown into the plot immediately, and while I don’t mind a fast-paced opener, I think it needed a bit more time to breathe, especially considering how intense the overall narrative was.

My favorite part of this book was the political intrigue. One theme emphasized throughout the story was patience and waiting for the right time to strike. It might be more satisfying to act immediately and get instant gratification, but how will that impact your end goal? It was fascinating watching all of these characters scheme, plot, and make calculated moves that would ultimately lead to something more significant.

Thank you so much to Harper Voyager and Harper Audio for gifting me an early copy of this book ahead of its official release!

Birth of a Dynasty was an interesting fantasy novel. The audiobook narrator, Adenrele Ojo, did a fantastic job. They have a very pleasant voice that was easy to listen to for many hours. I enjoyed the premise and overall plot of the book, but it seems to me that this book was providing a lot of backstory and set up for the rest of the series. For a novel categorized as adult, this felt much more like YA and I didn't expect the main characters to be so young. I'd have preferred less of the backstory and set up so the story moved faster and gave more from where the story will go in the next book. I am unsure if I will continue the series. I will check out the synopsis of the next book when it's available and decide then, but I wasn't really pulled into this story until the last 20%. The premise and world are great; the rest did not meet its potential for me.
Thank you to Netgalley and HarperAudio for the opportunity to receive and review an advanced copy of Birth of a Dynasty by Chinaza Bado.

Many thanks to Harper Collins and Libro.fm for the preview. All opinions are my own.

This feels So epic! It's like if Game of Thrones was set in an African-inspired fantasy world. There's politics, bloody war and conquest, prophecies, hidden identities, revenge plots, and more. It would make the most amazing long-form TV show. This is definitely the beginning of an epic story, so don't expect things to be anywhere near wrapped up in this book. This is truly setting the stage for so much more, and the key players are still barely teenagers at the end.

Major shoutout to the narrator for the audiobook too--Adenrele Ojo. They do such a fantastic job with this huge cast of characters, and there are some super emotional moments where the narration just gives you chills.

I'm so excited to see where this goes. Highly recommended, especially if you can be patient for what promises to be a huge payoff.

3-3.5 ⭐️
Solid 3 to 3 1/2 stars for me. I thoroughly enjoyed parts of the story, especially at the beginning where you get thrown right in in the action and drama.

Definitely a lot of world building and set up for the trilogy in this book. Once it got going there was one POV I just wasn’t clicking with but overall solid story and world build. I’ll definitely check out the second book once it’s out and I feel like it’ll come together a lot more there. For me.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ALC in exchange for an honest review!

I got exactly what I wanted from this book; a fantasy world filled with political intrigue, dark, and a quick read. I had a great time with this one. It was filled with tragedy and betrayal, all from the start.

If you are looking for a new fantasy debut with strong character arcs, amazing worldbuilding, culturally rich, and heavy on political intrigue, then check out Birth of a Dynasty.

Birth of a Dynasty, by Chinaza Bado, is a thrilling introduction to an epic fantasy series that pulls you in from the very first chapter. Brimming with African-inspired lore, it’s a world of danger, ambition, and power, filled with action and political intrigue.

We follow two compelling protagonists: M’Kuru Mukundi, the last surviving member of a once-powerful noble house, and Zikora Nnamani, the determined daughter of a lord who dreams of becoming a She Llinga warrior. Both characters are driven by loss, purpose, and the desire to change the fate of their people. Their paths unfold in a richly imagined world full of danger and power struggles.

The pacing is relentless, there are no slow moments. Every chapter is packed with tension, character development, and plot twists that keep you hooked. I listened to the audiobook and found it incredibly immersive and well-performed. The narration brought an extra layer of emotional depth and urgency that made it even harder to stop listening.

Birth of a Dynasty is a fast-paced, captivating debut perfect for fans of epic fantasy with strong character arcs, intricate world-building, and culturally rich storytelling. I’m excited to see where this series goes next.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperAudio for the opportunity to receive an early copy.

4 1/2 Stars!

What a tangled web.... Lies on top of lies on top of deceit. What a fantastic world Chinaza Bado has build. There is political intrigue, cunning bids for power, revenge plots and prophesy. The plot is cleaver. The characters are complex. The environment is rich. This is a really good first attempt at fantasy for this author. I can't wait for more. Happy reading!

PS. The audiobook was great!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free audio ARC. I really enjoyed this book and I’m excited to continue in the series. The world building and political intrigue are amazing and while you don’t see all of the magic system so far, I’m definitely excited and ready to find out more. The only thing that kept this from being a 5 star read was there was a feeling of constant high stakes so when getting to the part that should have felt climactic, it didn’t stand out to me as much as it could have. I am in love with the characters of Zikora and M’kuru and am excited to see them grow up and get their revenge.