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slow_reader's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
destdest's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Unfortunately, this wasn’t a good read for me. I wanted to like this much more than I did. The cover, West African setting, and the title really drew me to this.
The pacing wasn’t slow, but I didn’t mesh well with the writing style. So much of it felt like unnecessary details or sterile. We have a fox spirit, kidnapping, and trying to unite two kingdoms! Narborhi is educated and can fight hand-to-hand combat. Nothing about that sounds boring but the execution was.
One of the main conflicts/themes is that Narborhi has seen the horrors of marriage going wrong and leaving women destitute or shells of themselves. Her mother's experience really shaped her worldview.
I like that the book acknowledges that marriage (at least certainly at her age - 16 years old) isn't for everyone. Despite that, many of the characters (one of the male leads even) desired marriage but didn't gaslight or belittle Narborhi's feelings. There's a balance of good and terrible marriage(s) here, but the power imbalances with the majority of the young brides are made very clear.
I liked the Red Tapestry once it was introduced, a haven for women to showcase their skills and talents.
The pacing wasn’t slow, but I didn’t mesh well with the writing style. So much of it felt like unnecessary details or sterile. We have a fox spirit, kidnapping, and trying to unite two kingdoms! Narborhi is educated and can fight hand-to-hand combat. Nothing about that sounds boring but the execution was.
One of the main conflicts/themes is that Narborhi has seen the horrors of marriage going wrong and leaving women destitute or shells of themselves. Her mother's experience really shaped her worldview.
I like that the book acknowledges that marriage (at least certainly at her age - 16 years old) isn't for everyone. Despite that, many of the characters (one of the male leads even) desired marriage but didn't gaslight or belittle Narborhi's feelings. There's a balance of good and terrible marriage(s) here, but the power imbalances with the majority of the young brides are made very clear.
I liked the Red Tapestry once it was introduced, a haven for women to showcase their skills and talents.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism
Moderate: Domestic abuse
donnakay's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This book is a story about a teenage girl named Naborhi who has just come into womanhood in her community and is struggling to live the life she wants. Her village, has a very very strong patriarchal structure, and for a young woman, that means preparing for marriage, succeeding at her rights of passage by proving her usefulness in hunting, cooking good meals for her husband, and birthing sons. But none of these things excite Naborhi. In fact, she dreads the idea of being lorded over by a man, especially one she does not like or care for. Unfortunately for her, her family has already accepted a marriage offer, and the time is drawing near.
This is where Naborhi struggles, as she is caught between wanting more for herself and navigating the joy she knows her family will gain from her making a good marriage. She must choose between her own dreams and freedom or staying close to the only sister she has and doing what her family expects. The choices Naborhi makes for her life lead her on an unexpected adventure, where she then meets people and creatures only taught about in folklore.
I really enjoyed this character and the journey she went on, as well as her internal dialog to arrive at her choices. Her battle for independence was nuanced, and the reader was able to fully grasp the feelings the character experienced. The patriarchy was a little heavy-handed, but I think it served to really set the scene for the scope of the journey this young girl was on and really emphiazed her bravery. If you like books based on West African mythology, chosen one adventure quests, and girls who are not afraid to fully be themselves, then I suggest giving this one a try.
Thank you to @netgalley and @w.w.norton for gifting an eARC of this wonderful story.
This is where Naborhi struggles, as she is caught between wanting more for herself and navigating the joy she knows her family will gain from her making a good marriage. She must choose between her own dreams and freedom or staying close to the only sister she has and doing what her family expects. The choices Naborhi makes for her life lead her on an unexpected adventure, where she then meets people and creatures only taught about in folklore.
I really enjoyed this character and the journey she went on, as well as her internal dialog to arrive at her choices. Her battle for independence was nuanced, and the reader was able to fully grasp the feelings the character experienced. The patriarchy was a little heavy-handed, but I think it served to really set the scene for the scope of the journey this young girl was on and really emphiazed her bravery. If you like books based on West African mythology, chosen one adventure quests, and girls who are not afraid to fully be themselves, then I suggest giving this one a try.
Thank you to @netgalley and @w.w.norton for gifting an eARC of this wonderful story.
alenezela99's review against another edition
adventurous
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
kaitlynsitz's review
4.0
Thank you NetGalley and Norton Young Readers for this digital advanced reader copy!
The Smoke That Thunders is a YA fantasy novel about a young girl who dreams of a life bigger than the life she's been dealt. Naborhi wants to see the world and go on adventures, not to be constricted by the social structures in which she must marry and dedicate her life to being a wife, and who can blame her? Naborhi gets her wish, but her adventure turns treacherous as she and her friends encounter many hidden dangers along their quest.
I loved the use of West African mythology and folklore in this book, and the story made me want to learn so much more. While this is marketed as YA, I'd say it probably reads more like a middle grade book - but rest assured, all ages can enjoy this story. There were so many times my heart swelled and broke for Naborhi, and she is a character I was rooting for the whole time.
Here are some of my favorite quotes:
"You seek happiness in the world, in yourself, and this is admirable. Though many know what their own happiness is, few have the courage to actually seek it"
"I only want the freedom to live my life how I choose, and to honor this family with my actions, not my marriage."
"Together. We'd lived this strange, beautiful life together for so long, and now we'd take on the world together."
"I was unstoppable as the mightiest river, but my friends, my family, were what fed my strength."
The Smoke That Thunders is a YA fantasy novel about a young girl who dreams of a life bigger than the life she's been dealt. Naborhi wants to see the world and go on adventures, not to be constricted by the social structures in which she must marry and dedicate her life to being a wife, and who can blame her? Naborhi gets her wish, but her adventure turns treacherous as she and her friends encounter many hidden dangers along their quest.
I loved the use of West African mythology and folklore in this book, and the story made me want to learn so much more. While this is marketed as YA, I'd say it probably reads more like a middle grade book - but rest assured, all ages can enjoy this story. There were so many times my heart swelled and broke for Naborhi, and she is a character I was rooting for the whole time.
Here are some of my favorite quotes:
"You seek happiness in the world, in yourself, and this is admirable. Though many know what their own happiness is, few have the courage to actually seek it"
"I only want the freedom to live my life how I choose, and to honor this family with my actions, not my marriage."
"Together. We'd lived this strange, beautiful life together for so long, and now we'd take on the world together."
"I was unstoppable as the mightiest river, but my friends, my family, were what fed my strength."