Honestly I'm not sure what can I say about this book if I am trying to be critical. I absolutely love it. I love the plot, the characters everything about it. It's one of the best books about kids in school that I have read recently and it makes me a bit sad that it isn't getting all the attention it deserves.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher/author for providing me with an ALC in exchange for my honest review.

OMG!!! This book was exactly what I wanted it to be! I loved it. I will make sure to check out other books by this author. When I requested this I was just intrigued by the concept of it and I loved how it turned out. This story had a great plot and if you have read this and enjoyed it, This was so much. It was such a great story. I would say give this one a try. I will continue to follow this author. Way to go to this author for not letting me down.

I highly enjoyed the narrator of the audiobook. Kept me listening.

Did not have all of the background but the adventures that TJ, Manny and Ayo had while at school were interesting. Hopefully, Ayo comes back to himself in the next book while TJ and Manny continue to grow... orishas and gods are kind of interesting.

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

In this particular book, I found myself underwhelmed by the overall reading experience. While it had the potential to captivate readers with its premise, it ultimately fell short in several key areas, resulting in a lackluster journey through its pages.

One of the main drawbacks of this book lies in its character development. The characters felt flat and lacked depth, making it difficult to form any meaningful connection with them. Their actions and motivations often seemed forced or implausible, leaving me feeling disconnected from their struggles and unable to invest in their journey. Additionally, the supporting cast remained underdeveloped, serving as mere placeholders rather than fully realized individuals.

Another issue that hindered my enjoyment was the narrative structure. The pacing felt uneven, with moments of stagnation followed by sudden and jarring plot twists. This disrupted the overall flow and made it challenging to stay engaged with the story. Furthermore, the plot itself lacked cohesion, with unresolved subplots and loose ends that left me feeling unsatisfied and wanting more closure.

The writing style employed in this book also contributed to its lackluster nature. The prose often felt heavy and overly descriptive, bogging down the narrative and impeding its progress. This verbosity hindered the story's momentum, making it a laborious read rather than an immersive experience. The dialogue, too, felt unnatural and contrived, failing to capture the authenticity of genuine human interaction.

While this book showed initial promise, it ultimately failed to deliver on its potential. The weak character development, disjointed narrative, and cumbersome writing style all contributed to a less than satisfying reading experience. While it may find some niche appeal or resonate with readers seeking a particular style, I find it difficult to recommend this book wholeheartedly.

In conclusion, this book fell short of expectations, offering a lackluster journey that failed to engage and satisfy. Its shortcomings in character development, narrative structure, and writing style prevented it from reaching its full potential. While it may still have some redeeming qualities, I believe there are other books out there that can offer a more rewarding and captivating reading experience.

I've been looking forward to this book since I finished the first and it did not disappoint. I loved being back in this world and with these characters.

I loved that we saw the characters a little bit more mature with different problems to face. The danger was definitely bigger and had me on the edge of my seat.

I'm looking forward to the next one.

It didn’t take me long to realise that this was the second in the series – but at that stage, I wasn’t sure I would like this one enough to spend one of my precious book credits on listening to the first book. While T.J. seemed an engaging and sympathetic protagonist, initially the leisurely pace took some getting used to.

That said, the production values on this audiobook are very high – I enjoyed the sound effects at the start of each chapter, as the birdsong, in particular, served as a handy reminder that we’re in Nigeria. And Nekia Renee Martin does a wonderful job narrating this tale. Once I got used to the depth of description, I was able to relax into the story as T.J. struggles to settle into this prestigious magical school. I liked the fact that he battled in most of the lessons and didn’t find much of the magic easy to control, given his evident talent in quirky yet powerful ways. It would have been all too easy to turn him into a Gary Stu and I’m very glad that Bandele didn’t.

The tension continues to crank up throughout the story – the ongoing reminders on T.J.’s phone worked nicely to highlight the countdown to the cataclysmic event. Of course, if you build up such a catastrophe, when the hammer falls it needs to be spectacular. And Bandele’s writing didn’t disappoint. Indeed, I was shaken by the sheer extent of the devastation and some of the deaths – Bandele isn’t afraid to off some of his cast of characters that have played a significant role in the story. In fact, I stayed up later than I should to hear what happened next.

Any niggles? Well, I could have done without the love triangle. I understand that teenage romances are often messy due to the strong emotions and inexperience of those caught up in such feelings – but frankly, I wanted to shake T.J. until his teeth rattled at the upset and hurt he was causing. And he got off far too lightly, in my opinion. So I have taken off a point for that. But otherwise, it’s a cracking YA adventure with a lushly portrayed setting that is both unusual and effective. So, yes – I shall be spending one of my precious credits to read the first book in this engaging fantasy, The Gatekeeper’s Staff, as I want to spend more time with T.J. and those Orishas. While I obtained an audiobook arc of The Windweaver’s Storm from the publisher via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
8/10

4.5 stars. A very good YA book the lags just a bit in the middle. The story has a solid ending but sets up book 3 perfectly. Antoine Bandele is a master of his craft.

Thanks to Net Galley and the Publisber for letting me read this for an honest review. But if I'm being honest I was going to read it anyway.

TJ Young makes me say Potter who?

I loved the first audiobook so I was eager to check this book out. It felt slower and was harder to get into compared to the first book. It seems like other people liked it so maybe it was just me. I would still suggest others check it out but it wasn’t my favorite. Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC.

I can't get over the absolute QUALITY of this narration. This story (which is excellent on it own) is made INFINITELY BETTER by the narrator and the sound effects. Nekia Renee Martin, you have my heart.

Onto the story: the first book was a great introduction to the world and its affairs, but this second one delves way deeply into all the nooks and crannies of this universe, bringing much depth and even a bit of darkness to the story. I feel so sorry for all that TJ has gone through, he has such a big heart and has experienced so much turmoil in such a little time. In this book TJ is forced to become an adult.

Meanwhile, there's a much needed levity in the form of Teenage Romance and Teenage Drama. It's heartwarming seeing our dear protagonist, who had to grow up really fast, being able to enjoy all that the teenage years have to offer: crushes, miscommunication, romances, jealousy - the whole package.

Overall, the book was really good - altough it's a long story, the pacing is befitting to the story and it never gets boring or filled with useless information. I can't wait to read book 3.

I was able to preview this audio book via NetGalley. I really enjoyed this audio book. It was nice to listen to a different setting for this quest type book. The story was engrossing and kept my attention. The narrator had a pleasant voice and she did a great job of differentiating the various characters.I will have to go back and find Book one and three to learn how the story started and what happens to TJ, Mannie, and IO. This is a good coming of age and growing into your powers book. I would recommend this people looking for a good read.

I enjoyed this one so much, it was what I expected and more.

We continue the journey of this group of friends into the academy and all the drama that entails since they do have different classes and activities.

Then we do have the mystical part with them having to help the orishas and having to stop some other plots in the meantime and there's so much fun in the middle of all, lot of distress too but I'm awaiting next one anxiously.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the electronic review audiobook copy. I enjoyed the story, only later realizing that it’s book 2 in the series. I liked the plot, the action, and the pace with which the story moved along. Great series for middle grade audience that I would be sharing with my students and checking out book 1 for myself.

The Windweaver's Storm picks up with TJ preparing to attend Ifa Academy for young dividers after a life changing summer and making an impossible promise that he's not sure he'll be able to fulfill.

I'm really glad I was able to get the audio for this book because it's a thick one but it's a great read. TJs adventures in this book are just as interesting as the first. I loved watching him navigate being in a new country along with all the awkwardness that comes with being a teenager. I really enjoyed detaching his friendship with Ayo grow more throughout this story. I was unsure how I'd feel about the love triangle situation but I ended up not minding it and I appreciated how it was able to add to the story. There's a great mix of adventure, friendships, and magic and the ending was not what I was expecting in the least. Definitely can't wait to see how TJ's story play out in the next book.

Bandele has once again written an engaging and immersive instalment of his Orisha series. TJ and his friends are once again called upon to aid humanity against a powerful and somewhat vengeful orisha who wants to wreak devastation in the name of restoring balance. However, not in a way that signifies the awareness of the damage and loss of life that would occur.

Bandele is building up TJ and company, by allowing them to see their faults and acknowledge their shortcomings and working through them. I love the way he uses TJ's inner monologue to show us that he really is just a kid facing regular insecurities and nerves when it comes to certain aspects of his life. Throw in him facing actual gods and we get an absolute treat. I cannot wait to see where this series takes us next and I am looking forward to see just how much TJ, Manny, and Ayo can grow.

The Windweaver’s Storm: An Old Gods Story by Antoine Bandele is the second book in this series. I did not realize that when I first got approved so I went and read book 1 first. After finishing that I was more then eager to dive into book 2. Ty and his companions must battle the mystical foes while trying to be students. I love the relationship dynamics of the characters and that this book incorporates West African mythology. This book is fun and adventurous!
I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. I am the sole author of all of the opinions expressed in this review.

Just as good as the first one.

Loved going on another adventure with TJ and his crew. Just as action packed as the first and kept you hooked right from the start

The Windreaver's Storm was a great read, solid 4 star story. I enjoyed most of the characters and their progress through the whole narrative. I thought that the narration was beautiful, with natural transitions between characters, dialects, accents, and especially genders. This may be TJ's story, but Nekia Renee Martin, made it each unique voice special and brought you more into the story, word by word. I also greatly appreciated some of the additional sound bytes, with chapter transition music, footfalls on stairs, different voices as if spoken behind a mask, or from another room, or the television, even the telepathic voices had a different ring to them to help the reader/listener really imagine everything as it's playing out.

Confession: I have not read the first book in this series, but honestly, once I made it past the first couple of chapters, I didn't really miss it that terribly much. There are a couple of characters that I'm sure would have been better if I'd had the background information, but throughout the book, you get the gist of everything that is going on, why it's happening, and enough previous plot exposition that you can fill in most of the gaps.

This was a much longer read than I had anticipated when I saw that it was meant for YA readers, though I'm never one to turn down a long read, I feel this is a good read for strong, voracious readers who like the challenge of pages to read, and hold the completion of a giant tome as an accomplishment. I'm actually intrigued to see what comes next in this exploration of western African mythology.

Thank you to Bandele Books for the ARC audio version via #NetGalley.
#TheWindweaversStorm

I was excited to have the opportunity to return to the world of TJ young and I simply love that this book connects to book 1 but gives readers who may not have had the chance to join the adventure in the last book the ability to understand what is happening. One thing that makes this book so amazing is the relatability of the characters and their responses to the experiences they engage in. It often felt as though I was listening to a friend or narrating a situation myself.

Another thing that makes me excited about the series is the connection to Yoruba West African mythology. I have to admit as I read these books my world of knowledge is expanding with it.
----


Never make a deal with a deity.
Promises with one are impossible to keep.

TJ Young spent last summer fighting to unlock the secrets behind his sister's mysterious death but found himself battling the magic of the ancient Orishas instead. And some of the answers he sought came with a promise he may not be able to keep: to dismantle new human construction on the coastline of Lagos, Nigeria by the start of spring.

But how does a teenager do away with decades of infrastructure in only half a year?

He’ll need to enlist the help of new allies, mortal and immortal alike. And thankfully, after surviving the grueling magical curriculum of Camp Olosa, he’s now headed to the most prestigious magic school in West Africa: Ifa Academy for Tomorrow’s Diviners.

But will that be enough as he prepares for what can only end in an all-out war between mortals and gods?

Really Enjoyed it, 4 stars

I really loved the first installment in this series. I did not enjoy this installment as much. I think that the main plot, the themes and the characters were all excellent still, and feel like it has a very similar tone/vibe as the first book. Where this one fell short for me was in it's use of the YA tropes/storylines that I don't particularly enjoy, the chief one being a very big emphasis on romance. The first book read more like a middle grade novel in that the focus was on friendship over relationships. However, that felt like it switched in this novel, and I just grew frustrated with that. I d still feel that this is an excellent series, and definitely has major Percy Jackson vibes, so I think that there are a lot of readers who will ultimately really enjoy and relate to this series, but I don't think that I am one of them anymore.

Thank you to NetGalley and Antoine Bandele for an eARC of the audio in exchange for an honest review.

I was given an audio version of this book on Netgalley in return for a honest review.

Wow! What an adventure! I loved the frist book. Just as in the frist book I have been introduced to yet more Yurba folklore and learned more about the Orishas.

I have loved every single moment of this read. Watching TJ and his friends grow and learn has been a fantastic experience. I can't wait for the next one. That's for sure!