I used this review copy to inform my interview with Suyi Davies Okungbowa on the Fantasy Inn podcast: https://thefantasyinn.com/2021/05/11/e82-suyi-davies-okungbowa-interview/

This book was one wild friggin ride! I am not certain I can give a coherent review. The character work in this story is absolutely wonderful. Everyone has depth and nuance. Everybody is flawed as hell and their motivations made clear while also retaining complexity. The plot is meandering but moves at a good pace as each character makes decisions about the revelations they face and deals with the fallout from those decisions. Both Danso and Esheme got on my nerves in equal measure and for completely different reasons. But I also fully understood both of them and the reasons why they were the way they were. There were also some beautifully written passages throughout this novel that made me pause and simply appreciate the writing for its own merit. Overall an absolute delight to read! Already excited to read the next one!

Son of the Storm is a fierce read unlike any other Science Fiction Fantasy book. The world in which this author creates is brilliant, well thought out and just over all magnificent. The characters and perspectives are unique and all wrap up quite well through the book.

This story is politic heavy and just … well heavy. But don’t let that discourage you, it’s well worth it in the end.

First, thank you to Orbit for the electronic review copy! Epic fantasy and a cover like that — how could Son of the Storm not catch my eye? I enjoyed it and will definitely be reading book two in the Nameless Republic trilogy when it comes out later this year.

Son of the Storm jumps around in terms of point of view, but the main character is a young man named Danso. He’s from a caste that normally wouldn’t be allowed to become scholars, but in a society that claims to prize knowledge above all else, his photographic memory earns him a place at the university. Until he gets too curious. And meets a person who isn’t supposed to exist from a place that isn’t supposed to exist with a magic that isn’t supposed to exist.

I liked this book, although I think the trilogy is truly going to take off in book two. This one’s pacing wasn’t the fastest and felt a bit like a long exposition. Still, it has a ton of promising elements — a good central mystery, great magic system, and plenty of questions left to answer — that feel like they’re about to combine into epicness. It’s also got a GREAT villain who has only truly become the villain by the end of book one. In fact, all the characters are a bit unlikeable (immature, stubborn, making selfish choices) for most of this book, which can feel a little frustrating but also feels REAL and I think will set up some great character arcs by the end of the trilogy.

I also really appreciated the imaginative worldbuilding here and the way it examines things like colorism, classism, xenophobia, and diaspora. I’m excited to see those themes develop even more in book two.

Tried multiple times but could not get engaged in this, not sure why. Felt vague and confusing, maybe? I know lots of folks who loved this but I just was not able to finish.

I gave this book a try and decided to DNF at 14%. I may come back to it at some point as the writing was good and the works building was extremely thorough.

The reason I DNFed was the pacing. 14% into the book I still felt like there wasn’t much of a plot. With multiple POVs I didn’t feel like I knew enough about any of the characters to be invested in them. With little plot and a lack of connection to the characters, there just wasn’t enough to hold my attention.

I do think the premise is extremely interesting and I can see why many readers would love this book, it just wasn’t right for me. If you love intricate works-building, multiple POVs, and political intrigue, this book is most certainly for you!

Wow, this book was EPIC. (Both in length and in storyline.) Son of the Storm by Suyi Davies Okungbowa follows Danso, a mixed heritage Bassai welcomed into the elite Bassai school due only to his extraordinary ability to remember anything he's read. He is intended to marry Esheme, a shrewd, determined woman striving to improve the standing of her household. Danso, though wanting to help improve the standing his and Esheme's families in Bassa - something their marriage would accomplish - is also eager to learn more about his outlander mother and escape the persistent racism he faces in Bassa for being lighter-skinned and not full Bassai. This background introduction is perhaps the first fourth of the novel, but it provides such detail that it makes it easy to visualize the world Okungbowa has created and to understand the motives of Danso, Esheme, and a cast of supporting characters (who also get their own interesting backstories). It also allows readers to follow along when you see the characters change as the novel goes on because though the setting changes and some actions become more severe, their motives remain the same.

Danso’s journey really begins when he meets Lilong, an intruder to the mainland searching to recover dangerous magical items that were removed from her home. Saving Lilong starts Danso on a journey off of the mainland to learn about himself and the world. But the repercussions of his actions are not simply forgotten. His lower caste Bassai-appointed companion, his family, and, even more dangerously for Danso, Bassa itself are all affected by his actions (and also by their own decisions), meaning Danso and Lilong’s escape will not be an easy one. And not everyone will make it through the journey alive.

Throughout all of this, not only are we following Danso’s path and frame of mind, but we are also learning more about Lilong, and Esheme, and the Danso’s mother's people from their own points of view. Esheme in particular is an extremely interesting character to me. Her metamorphosis is some peak storytelling! And even if Danso’s journey wasn’t enough to keep me wanting the second book, hers certainly would be. I also love books that give me a world that I can be fully drawn into, and this book definitely does that. I received this first book of the series for free in exchange for my honest review, but when the second one comes out, I’ll be pushing purchase immediately!

Son of the Storm by Suyi Davies Okungbowa failed to capture my attention beyond the beautiful, out-of-this-world cover. As an avid reader of fantasy, I had really hoped that the worldbuilding and the characters would be enough for me to overcome the writing style; however, this simply was not the case. The characters were largely unlikable and it was sometimes hard for me to understand their motivations. The worldbuilding did not captivate me, either. Son of the Storm was just not the right book for me, at this moment in time. To be completely honest though, it might be the right book for you, which would make me happy. After you are done appreciating the cover, please take some time to consider if Son of the Storm is the next book you should peruse. I remain hopeful that the sequel will improve upon the characters, plot, writing style, and worldbuilding, as the series becomes more developed. For some reason, I was also reminded a bit of Jade City by Fonda Lee…

3.0

A multi-POV West African inspired Epic fantasy.

Where to start ... The world building is complex. I would recommend Son of Storm to avid adult fantasy readers. It is a multi- POV fantasy with a heavy world building and politics. The magic system in itself is intriguing and I enjoyed getting to learn how it works.

What I enjoyed the most about Son of the Storm, is the focus on themes. Okuongbowa tackles cultural identity and heritage, oppression and privilege through a variety of voice and lenses.

Where this book failed for me is that it didn't have a strong beginning. It took me a very long time to get into. The first 150 pages or so feel dense and there is a lot of info dumping. If you can get past that, this is a solid start to a series. I'm looking forward to continuing on whenever more books come out.

TW: Violence

I really enjoyed the world building and multiple perspectives within this novel. So many of the contemporary issues in the African diaspora play out in very interesting ways, including classism and colorism. I am interested for what my students will find in this book and how it represents their lives.

The world-building in this book was amazing. I was beyond blown away by the images by imagination created as a result. I am looking forward to stretching the confounds of my imagination to being this to life.

This was such a cool fantasy book! I loved the three POVs, especially Esheme's. She is a very well written character. The world building was fantastic, and the writing was great. I am looking forward to reading more from this author!

Wow, thanks for granting my wish, Orbit! As an African American with family from Nigeria who grew up loving fantasy, but never saw myself in it, so this was a very magical and affirming read. I purchased the audiobook before Orbit granted my wish and it was fun to switch back and forth. It can move a little slowly at times but I found that relaxing here where it can sometimes be frustrating in other series. I can’t wait for the next one!

I absolutely loved this book. There’s so much nuance especially when it comes to colorism and colonialism that I love seeing portrayed in fantasies. Can’t wait for book two!

I loved everything about this book: the characters, the setting, the grappling with timely themes of discrimination and finding your own place in the world. Absolutely breathtaking!

Unfortunately, this book ended up a DNF for me after reading the first 100 pages. This was due to me not liking the writing style of the book. This is NOT a poorly written book, it's just more of a personal preference on my end. I thought the concept and the world were really fascinating and I'm really bummed that I couldn't connect with the writing. I do think this book will work well for most fantasy readers and would still recommend it.

Excellent debut! Great characters, interesting magic, complexly politics and in depth world building. Such a pleasure to read.

I'm really disappointed I didn't love this because on paper it had a lot going for it. Besides the obviously stunning cover it's West African inspired fantasy with strong female characters, politics and magic. All of which sounds right up my alley.

Unfortunately I found this to be quite dry with a LOT of info-dumpy exposition and characters who seemed interesting in theory, but always felt at arms length. I also have some feelings about our main female perspective character. I'm pretty sure she's intended to be sort of the villain of the story and while I'm all for a good female villain, the specifics of her characterization feel kind of rooted in misogyny. I'm still processing this and maybe I'm wrong about how we're supposed to read her but one of the first things we see her do is have a no-strings-attached sexual encounter with her hairdresser when she's betrothed to someone else. This leads to (spoilers ahead)....

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a pregnancy where she basically uses her unborn, biracial child as a source of magic that drains the life from that child. Which is pretty horrific, and could be read as an extreme vilification of women who end unplanned pregnancies. I'm not certain that's the intention here, but it's kind of how it comes across. So that plus the fact that this clearly villainous woman pointedly has sex with more than one person in semi-graphic scenes while our hero does not....reads as sexist. And honestly, that kind of sucks because initially I was really loving that we were getting this complex, strong female character who goes after what she wants. Except that it then seems she's intended to be the villain of the story. *sigh*

So yeah, I sadly didn't have a great time with this one, but I think your mileage may vary.

Son of the Storm by Suyi Davies Okungbowa is one that caught my eye because of its elements of fantasy and that cover. Plus, I am making a concerted effort to read more by authors of color and from other cultures, so this ticked off a lot of boxes in books I like to read.

It's not that Son of the Storm is a bad story. On the whole, I did enjoy a lot of it. In particular, the caste system that exists in Bassa, with its focus on darker skin tones being better, is fascinating because it is such an opposite thought process to the caste system that exists in the United States. Another part I enjoyed was the idea that the general populace of Bassa wanted an emperor as their leader versus the committee rule that exists at the opening of the novel. Again, this is a shocking idea to Americans, as we learn from an early age that democracy or a democratic republic is the only method of government worth having (right or wrong).

Unfortunately, the characters are not quite as compelling, and the story has a tendency to drag on and on. There is so much exposition, which is understandable. After all, Mr. Okungbowa is creating an unfamiliar world for an audience who most likely is not familiar with African cultures. There is a lot to explain. Yet, I've read much more complex and foreign stories with little to no exposition where the author essentially throws readers into the deep end and lets them figure out things like setting and culture as the story progresses. As frustrating as that can be, I much prefer to sink or swim than to have an author hold my hand the entire time.

While I enjoyed Son of the Storm, I don't think I enjoyed it enough to want to continue the series. I loved the cultural aspect of the story. Unfortunately, I didn't care for any of the characters in a way that makes me want to learn their fate.

Epic fantasy with brilliant characters and strong world building. Evenly paced story with themes of betrayal, colonialism, and forbidden magic. Overall a solid read for lovers of high fantasy