3.5 stars rounded up

Abeni is back with a new adventure! I LOVED the first book in this series and went into book 2 with pretty high expectations. While I think Abeni and the Kingdom of Gold is a good book, it wasn't quite what I was expecting.

Book 1 brilliantly crafts a narrative that uses a fantasy world as a jumping off point for discussions of topics such as environmental degradation, blood diamonds, the history of enslavement, and the use of child soldiers in a way that is age appropriate for a young audience. Book 2 touches on themes of oppression, systemic injustice, and the insidious nature of fascist governance, though it is perhaps less obvious. This is a fast-paced, action-packed adventure that does get quite violent at times. I would recommend it for the older half of the middle grade audience and even lower YA - 10+ feels right.

Abeni is courageous and resilient in the face of whatever is thrown at her. In this case, being trapped by members of the titular Kingdom of Gold and sparring once again with the villainous Witch Priest. I wanted more emotional depth from this novel than we got. It's so plot and action-driven, I felt like some of the quieter moments of relationships and emotion were missing. It's good, but I didn't love it quite the way I did the first installment of the series. That said, I will definitely keep reading with the next in the series and do recommend it!

The audio narration is great for an African-inspired fantasy series! I received an audio review copy via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

I love the Abeni series! I also love the narrator in this audiobook for she helped make the book come alive! The narrator portrayed all the characters wonderfully and made them feel real! Therefore, I love the book even more! More to come!