This is definitely more MG than YA, but despite that, I still really liked this!

While the main plotline is pretty simple (girl who's the Chosen One goes on a quest to save a kidnapped person she sees in her visions), I loved how the author infused her Urhobo culture and beliefs into the story!

This is a feminist story that's appropriate for the MG demographic. I would've loved reading this as a young girl.

Usually I find Chosen One stories to be pretty meh these days (MC is too overpowered, there aren't actual stakes because of the MC being overpowered, etc.), the author had a good grasp on it in this novel without making Naborhi the typical strong female character.

I was a huge fan of how Naborhi stays true to herself and forges her own path, despite society telling her that her lot in life as a woman is to agree to an arranged marriage and be a good wife and mother. Even with an abusive childhood, Naborhi and her sister, Tega, manage to stay close and have a healthy relationship.

I loved the found family and lite romance. Especially for MG readers, the story heavily implies that it's definitely okay if your immediate family isn't your nuclear family. This point is really driven home since the society that Naborhi lives in really emphasizes the nuclear family as the prevailing option.

I wish there was more physical worldbuilding in the beginning. When Naborhi starts on her quest, the physical worldbuilding got better. But when Naborhi was in her hometown, there weren't really any good descriptions for me to latch onto.

I'm excited to read more from this author! If this has a sequel or becomes a series, count me in!

Thank you to Norton Young Readers and NetGalley for this arc.

A beautiful YA fantasy novel that ties in Urhobo and West African Folklore. It reminded me of reading a fairy tale except the girl has a strong feminist voice in this one

*Thank you Netgalley and Norton Young*

TW: mention of domestic violence, mention of death of parents, some violence throughout

The story opens with Naborhi struggling with the life she has and dreams of something greater outside of her home village. After finding a mysterious animal, and strange dreams, she leaves her home with a couple companion's for this journey.

I really enjoyed following Naborhi and her companion's on their journey, but mostly hers. Also, I'm not well versed in West African mythology/folklore. There is also some Urhobo folklore in there as well. But again, I'm not well versed in it. I really enjoyed reading about those elements anyway. Especially with it being put into a story like this one.

This is a YA story, but as an adult I feel anyone can read it.

The Smoke That Thunders hooks you right from the beginning and drops you into the plot which I love! It's such an adventure filled ride, with a loving take on the Urhobo people highlighting girl power, that I wish I could read a million more stories like this! In particular, the first few chapters hone in on a claustrophobic, smothered feeling of wanting to branch out and live your dreams and all I wanted was for Naborhi to leave her village! The first half of the book had me itching to know how Naborhi was going to get out from under her family and go on the mythical adventure she deserved. However, I liked the intricacies of the rights and rituals described throughout the book, particularly in Naborhi's village. During the adventure scenes, every mishap was quickly resolved, a bit too quick for my liking, as the group was always in and out of danger without a true feeling of high stakes, but that was fine because it was understood that every little adventure was taking place on top of their big mission. I loved that Naborhi got to be a leader and show everyone how capable and cunning she was, and I liked that the book acknowledged that both with her family and the kingdom honoring and respecting her in the end. I thought the happy ending was well deserved and I enjoyed learning each of Naborhi's family members' reasonings for their paths and perspectives. Overall, this is a great YA book and exploration into a Urhobo tale that had a little bit of everything for everyone including family (both found and born into), love (romantic, platonic, and familial), adventure, and a happy ending. I look forward to reading more from Erhu Kome and I can't wait to introduce her books to everyone I know!

So excited to have read an ARC for The Smoke that Thunders. This was a fantasy interwoven with West African mythology and it was done beautifully. The world was clear and easy to follow. Narborhi is a strong main character and it is powerful to witness her desire and determination to make her own path. The plot was not as nuanced as I would have liked for fantasy, however I still immensely enjoyed the story. This is a book that readers of all ages can enjoy and I am delighted to have experienced it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

A story of Naborhi, who wants for a different life then the traditional life of a women in the Kingdom of Kokori- marriage and making a family. It is her time to go through her rites of passage and become betrothed but she wants freedom. She dreams of a different life but could not imagine the twist her life takes when she encounters a spirit fox only she can see.

This starts as a slow pace story, a story of a regular life that turns in to an extraordinary one touched by spirits. The plot gets much more rushed at for the last third of the book as it moves fast through the quest Naborh must complete. Naborh is endearing and the world is very interesting.

It reads like a young YA book although the protagonist is 16 and being prepared to be married the writing reads on the younger end of YAFantasy.

This is for the publisher but the book description is like a spoiler. The main character who’s point-of-view we are following doesn’t know that the prince mentioned in the description is a prince until over 75% through the book. Maybe that’s why it felt slow, as I was waiting for the political intrigue and war to start.

In The Smoke That Thunders, we follow Naborhi, 16 year old seeking to break the mold. Wanting to break out from the ‘norms’ and expectations of a female in this society. After wandering to the forbidden forest a mysterious creature appears to her and has her curious for answers. We follow Naborhi as she seeks to embark on her journey of saving this boy who appears in her dreams. Meeting Atai along the way and finds herself in the middle of a war.

I was so excited for this story both being Urhobo and West African folklore, mythology, and YA Fantasy. I found the plot to be lacking with quick resolution to high stakes and unnecessary scene placement. Not much drive in the plot and went awry in the middle of this story. This story was largely character driven and I was pleased to see such a strong FMC eager to follow her own truth. The inner battles that were shown and not told made me eager to see Naborhi’s story to an end. I liked the relationship with Atai and Tamunor. Naborhi often struggles about the family she left behind but quick found families among other parties told in the story.

The world building was a bit front loaded for me. I liked learning more about the history of the world and the why but would have preferred more of the ‘folklore and mythology’ embedded in this story over some of the atmospheric scenes. This story felt a bit too long overall.

Thank you to Netgalley and W. W. Norton & Company, Norton Young Readers for this digital arc copy.

I enjoyed this story! The setting is intriguing and I liked visiting the kingdoms of Oron and Ewuare and exploring the differences in culture, gods, and daily life. The entire story is narrated by Naborhi, and she is an easy character to relate to. Her journey (both physical and spiritual) is a satisfying one, as she learns how to balance her family's expectations of her with her own needs for fulfillment.

Although the storyline is tight and concludes nicely, I wish that there had been more complexity to some parts of the plot. It sometimes seemed that things just conveniently happened or were handed to the main characters without any additional context or effort being needed on their part. Similarly, I think more could have been done with some characters' backstories by taking advantage of the already strong worldbuilding foundation and fleshing out more parts of certain character's stories.

Overall, this book has a great message, a fun plot, and a strong main character. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a fast, easy read with plenty of adventure and Urhobo representation.

"The Smoke That Thunders" by debut author Erhu Kome takes readers on a captivating journey into a world steeped in West African mythology and rich with adventure. Through the eyes of sixteen-year-old Naborhi, suffocating under the weight of societal expectations, we are drawn into a tale of destiny, dreams, and divine intervention. As Naborhi discovers her connection to the gods and embarks on a quest with the enigmatic Atai, the novel unfolds with a sense of urgency and wonder, weaving together themes of freedom, duty, and the power of myth.

Rooted in Urhobo and West African folklore, Kome's storytelling shines with authenticity and depth, offering readers a fresh perspective on familiar legends. With its gripping narrative and vibrant world-building, "The Smoke That Thunders" announces the arrival of a talented new voice in young adult fantasy. Erhu Kome's debut novel is sure to captivate readers of all ages, leaving them eagerly anticipating her next literary journey.

All sixteen-year-old Naborhi dreams of is sailing the seas. Instead, she feels suffocated, her life already laid out: she’ll have her rite of passage and spend her life bound to her house, husband, and children.

Beautifully written with great characters and wonderful world-building! An exciting debut!

I loved this book and the adventure it took me on. I connected with Naborhi and her desire to forge her own path.

The ending felt like it wrapped up a little too nicely, but it wasn't an unbelievable end, just unlikely. If it had been left open, I would have been curious to see and learn more about the mostly mysterious antagonist in another book.

It was the cover that caught my attention and then I read the synopsis and I just had to read this book! A young girl Naborhi has dreams to travel and live a full life of adventure even though her family has a different future for her revolving around their traditions. Her role is to marry, and be a good wife; that is what is expected of her. Erhu Kome does a wonderful job world building, and creating a variety of mysterious creatures and characters that enhance the plot paired with West African mythology and folklore. I was on the edge of my seat through out the entire book wondering what obstacles Naborhi and her travel companions would face next! This was a beautiful and wonderful young adult fantasy and coming of age story. The Smoke That Thunders was hard to put down; I absolutely loved this book, and look forward to reading more from Erhu Kome in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance read of this title. All opinions contained in this review are my own.

This is a wonderful coming-of-age novel perfect for the younger side of YA audiences. I loved the epic quest and the fact that romance was not emphasized. This is a lovely story about choosing your own path.

The world that Kome built is intriguing and deep. I’m very interested in reading more books that take place here. For a debut, I found the prose flowed smoothly, and the pacing was consistent. The nods to west African mythology and folklore add to the depth and interest for me.

This is for those looking for stories of a gods-touched adventure. A definitely lighter touch than many of my more recent reads. It just felt good overall. Still twisty enough to be interesting but more of a happy sigh at the ending book. I will be adding this to my physical shelf once it is released.

Naborhi has big dreams, but those dreams struggle to have potential because of her feeling suffocated by her family and their expectations for her. Once she starts having dreams, she starts going after them. After finding a lost prince, she finds herself stuck in the middle of a war that she must stop.
You don’t see very many stand-alone young adult novels. Even further in that minority are stand alone young adult novels that are actually good. That was this book. I walked into this with no expectations and no clue on what sort of adventure I was about to embark on, and boy did I have a great time. I’m almost certain that this book is going to be a big hit, between the adventure aspect, the mythology aspect and so much more.
Thank you to NetGalley and Norton Young Readers for an eARC of this book.

Naborhi dreams of a life away from a home that wants to suffocate her with a marriage not of her choosing. Then one day after her rite of passage she begins having dreams of a boy who needs rescuing. Naborhi has been chosen by the Gods to save not only her home but the other kingdoms as well.

The Smoke That Thunders is a debut novel that uses West African folklore to tell an engaging young adult fantasy. I was excited to read this novel that uses African folklore. The author was able to paint a picture of a world full of life that draws the reader in. The characters are believable and I felt for Naborhi as she made choices to leave the family that she loves. My only complaint is that the ending of the novel was too quick. Everything just got wrapped up too neatly for me.

This is a good debut novel and I look forward to more works by the author. Thanks to Net Galley for an ARC.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

This was such a surprising read for me. I LOVE reading these BIPOC novels, they are always so beautifully written and they deserve all of the attention they can get! I knew I would like this novel, but I ended up loving it and I can't say a single bad thing about it. The journey this young woman goes through to begin her own life and find her own experiences despite family pressures is amazing and emotional. This is a great YA novel and I'm so glad I got the chance to be an ARC reader for it!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Norton Young Readers for a copy of this eARC in exchange for my review*

Let me dive into one of January’s best reads, "The Smoke That Thunders.” This carefully crafted narrative skillfully weaves a tale that resonated with my inner teen reader, making me feel a wave of all the nostalgic emotions.

Naborhi, the central character, stands out as a wonderfully portrayed female lead, challenging the conventional norms of storytelling. What struck a chord with me was her resolute decision to defy societal expectations, particularly the concepts of an arranged marriage and the conventional roles expected of her. Naborhi's journey was a breath of fresh air as she remained committed to pursuing her own ambitions. Beyond the incredible character dynamics, the plot and storyline held my attention effortlessly. The narrative was both engaging and cohesive, showcasing a seamless blend of adventure and character development. My only minor critique would be that the resolution felt a bit hurried. However, it's worth noting that this pace is not uncommon among some of my favorite YA authors.

Kome deserves so much praise for creating such vivid depictions, expert world building, and lovable characters. The beauty of this book lies not only in its fantasy elements but also in its ability to balance action and adventure without delving into excessively dark or graphic territory. This nuance made the reading experience thoroughly enjoyable and very appropriate for YA or younger readers.

This book promises a delightful experience for readers of all ages. Make sure to include it in your TBR list—missing out on it would be a literary loss.

I picked this up as a Read Now offer and I wasn't disappointed. Naborhi's drive and certainty while respecting tradition was stunning. Naborhi is reminiscent of Woman Kings Warriors with her prowess and need to take action for not just herself but everyone around her. But she isn't alone in that Atai and Tamunor are ride or dies. I hope that Naborhi and Atai are endgame because they are way too perfect for each other. I will admit they style was a little weird. I was waiting for an audience to be revealed. I did call the big reveals before they happened but the predictability was made up in later events. For anyone looking for an adventure with minimal to no blood or gore.

More than anything, I enjoyed the addition of Urhobo/West African folklore and seeing a young girl want to break the mold and make decisions for herself. Naborhi’s desire to experience and be more than her kingdom allows girls and women to be is what kept me reading. I wanted to see her achieve her dream.

I think early teen readers who enjoy a more simple story with low level action and adventure will like this. I’m an adult who frequently reads YA fantasy, so my issue isn’t that it’s YA. I found the conflicts to just be too easily overcome. The lack of tension and a prolonged sense of high stakes made the journey less exciting. Things were just too nice and neatly wrapped up. I’ve read middle grade plots that were more exciting.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced eARC.

The cover of this book is what drew me in, and then I read what the book was about and was thoroughly intrigued.

This story follows Naborhi who is a 16 year old girl that wants to follow her dreams and not be tied down by marrying a man that she does not care for.

This story is a perfect book for people who are looking for action, adventure and a coming of age story. Who wants to learn a little bit more of African culture. It was beautifully written and inspiring.

I received this book from NetGalley as an ARC (Advanced Readers Copy) and this is my honest review.