I tried to read this several times and ultimately couldn’t get through it. I found it really hard to engage with this book. It reminds me of texts I read for school, and while I can enjoy literary fiction that doesn’t follow Western conventions, I struggled to glean meaning from this one. The prose is so sparse in places that it reads almost like stage directions. We’re told what people are doing, but not necessarily what things mean in a larger context. Based on other books I’ve read in the genre, I think this may be an issue of stylistic conventions more than a direct critique of this particular book.

Because of how I felt about the book, and because it was clearly so far outside the writing style I would usually read, I won’t be cross-posting this review. This book was not a good fit for me but I am very much not the target audience, and if I’d seen this book in a bookstore, skimming through the first few pages would have been enough for me to realize that. I don’t want to leave a negative review for a book I couldn’t get through for these reasons, so I’m leaving a neutral rating here and moving on. My apologies to the publisher.

Historical fiction set in Africa, written by an African author? Sign me up...I love Marlon James's and Kai Ashante Wilson's African-set and -themed fantasy novels, Tade Thompson's Rosewater SF series, and on and on...the genres I read are populated with African writers, and I seek them out.

Until now, historical fiction has not been populated. I have hopes that this will change because this story is awesome. I won't go through a book report because I hate that in a review, but I will say that "the Black Napoleon" as Samori Touré, a Mandinka Muslim cleric, military strategist, and founder of the Wassoulou Empire, is called in this book, was a fascinating character indeed. Start with the Wikipedia article linked and keep going...look up the events in the book...don't stint on the research!

Or do none, that won't harm your pleasure in the story of a young man caught up in the heady slipsteam of a leader who wants, plans for, and wages an effective war to gain independence and self-determination. The people of Western Africa then incorporated into France's colonial empire were working with him, and that kind of personality is fascinating to read about.

The story is deeply immersive, impressively involving, and a delight to read. Any younger reader, say from sixteen up, will not find anything in the story that hasn't passed before their eyes many times before. The violence is not overplayed, or lingered on in a prurient way. It is a fact of war. The balancing factors are the immense amount of cultural knowledge that Author Sherif puts in logical and necessary places. I felt the way he placed them, the level of detail he provided, gave me a deeper picture of the world I was reading about.

At over 500 pages, this is the best kind of immersive, dense, textured read for an adolescent or older person to get as a #Booksgiving gift. What better way to escape the family closeness so many readers dread, in such a pleasant and acceptable way?

Strongly recommended.

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced reader copy.

By the first few pages, I was hooked...

This book is simply a must-read. I cannot speak highly enough about Vamba Sherif's The Emperor's Son. From page one, I felt transported. I felt like I was right alongside our main character Zaiwulo. This is such a beautiful book.

Set in Africa

This story is set in Africa with a vividly described setting. There is a certain magic to Africa. The continent abounds with beauty. I am always happy to read books exploring her rich history. Africa is perhaps the perfect place to tell a compelling story. I personally love Africa and seek out media set in Africa. However, this is among one of the first fictional book about Africa I ever read, because for many years I consumed mostly nonfiction. My previous reading being from the likes of Beverly Joubert and Peter Allison, this provides a glimpse into Northern Africa. I have also written extensively about Africa in my unpublished travel memoir.

Africa has rocked me, deep down into my soul, so I jumped at the chance to review this ARC.

Horses

I am biased to love any book with horses, but this book is simply amazing. The reader truly felt the deep connection between a man and his horse, especially the trust necessary to head out into war in a cavalry.

A Must-Read

This book has everything. It is an in-depth look into the Sufi culture, colonialism, and even references African herbalism. I truly appreciate everything this book has to offer, and I hope you do too. There are sweet intimate scenes, and bloody massacres. Tension is built through secrets, betrayal, and war. You will see reflections between characters that have stood the test of time and been etched into history. I was particularly engaged with a secret document, one that is passed down among royalty. It is called the Haidairah Manuscript, and by the end of the book, you will be inspired by the very idea of it too. It is hard not to appreciate everything that went into writing and preserving this ancient manuscript. I never even knew it existed before reading The Emperor's Son.

Although this is a long book, over 500 pages, you will be interested and engaged the entire time. Best of all, I suspect that everybody who reads this will come away with deeper knowledge about the history of Africa. It is interesting to read this book and look into the future, wondering what will happen to the most beautiful continent on earth considering its bloody past. It is also poignant for its criticisms of war, as by the end of the book, you will see how jaded the warriors become. You will feel their deep want for peace. You will clutch the pages begging for tides to turn in our young warrior's favor.

Yes, I do suggest you judge this book by its cover. It lives up to the beautiful artwork.

Cinematic Potential

I need to see this book on a screen. I need to see it as a movie with its full bravado. Please, filmmakers, take a chance on this book. It is so good.

Vamba Sherif

Please stay tuned, as I have arranged an interview with this incredible author in December. I hope he will shed light on this incredible story (and I have many questions for him about the Haidarah Manuscript).




Wishing you magic-filled days ahead!

Alice Abyss

Author

Aslcepius.Press 

info@asclepius.press