Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
Really info dumpy in the beginning. Felt like I couldn't catch my breath with how much info was up front. I was having to memorize the world, society, characters(and their povs), character motivations, who is engaged to who, whose having an affair, what's the caste system, whose the enemy, who has political power, who wants political power, what's everyone's backstories...all in 80 pages.
Normally I don't mind an info dump but this was too much. I also noticed each chapter seemingly had the character whose pov we were in sitting in a room while whatever info was being explained to us. Then they would leave said room and we would change povs to the next character sitting and the world being explained.
I think this authors writing style is just not for me unfortunately.
Normally I don't mind an info dump but this was too much. I also noticed each chapter seemingly had the character whose pov we were in sitting in a room while whatever info was being explained to us. Then they would leave said room and we would change povs to the next character sitting and the world being explained.
I think this authors writing style is just not for me unfortunately.
This is a bit of a hard one to review.
I did love the world and the setting, and the different tone and voice it used.
It took me quite a bit to care about any of the characters though. Not because they aren't good characters, but there was more focus on setting the world up in the beginning, which left the characters quite a bit blank emotion wise for me at first.
I saw that quite some people found it info dumpy, I can't say I did - in fact as I said I really enjoyed all the the depth in this book, and to me it felt well crafted and smooth, and not dry. Everything was three dimensional and no matter where I put my attention, it never felt like a prop in a movie scene, but instead a layered and complete world.
For my personal taste I would have just wanted to see the character development earlier in the book. So it not so much matter of what was written, more about the order and pacing.
After about 1/3 of the book (and it's a big one!) I finally started to get a good feel for the characters, and from there on it was much easier for me to follow the story. Simply because I was fully attached, when before I noticed myself drifting off every so often, as I just wasn't fully hooked yet.
From there on I really enjoyed the characters and plot as well as the setting, which had me intrigued right from the start!
This is a multiple POV epic fantasy, that is heavily inspired by Africa, and has a lot of political nuances and developments going on. So it's a bit of a slow burn, especially before the different strings start to add up and show a bigger picture. There is quite some action, magic and fighting too, it's just mixed well with a lot of intrigue.
So if you're looking for something quick and mostly full of action, this might not be the right choice.
However if you are happy with a a slowly expanding world, and like keeping track of different factions and goals, it is a full on recommendation from me!
Despite the rocky start I was hooked well and good after the first third, and will definitely be waiting for the sequel!
I did love the world and the setting, and the different tone and voice it used.
It took me quite a bit to care about any of the characters though. Not because they aren't good characters, but there was more focus on setting the world up in the beginning, which left the characters quite a bit blank emotion wise for me at first.
I saw that quite some people found it info dumpy, I can't say I did - in fact as I said I really enjoyed all the the depth in this book, and to me it felt well crafted and smooth, and not dry. Everything was three dimensional and no matter where I put my attention, it never felt like a prop in a movie scene, but instead a layered and complete world.
For my personal taste I would have just wanted to see the character development earlier in the book. So it not so much matter of what was written, more about the order and pacing.
After about 1/3 of the book (and it's a big one!) I finally started to get a good feel for the characters, and from there on it was much easier for me to follow the story. Simply because I was fully attached, when before I noticed myself drifting off every so often, as I just wasn't fully hooked yet.
From there on I really enjoyed the characters and plot as well as the setting, which had me intrigued right from the start!
This is a multiple POV epic fantasy, that is heavily inspired by Africa, and has a lot of political nuances and developments going on. So it's a bit of a slow burn, especially before the different strings start to add up and show a bigger picture. There is quite some action, magic and fighting too, it's just mixed well with a lot of intrigue.
So if you're looking for something quick and mostly full of action, this might not be the right choice.
However if you are happy with a a slowly expanding world, and like keeping track of different factions and goals, it is a full on recommendation from me!
Despite the rocky start I was hooked well and good after the first third, and will definitely be waiting for the sequel!
5.0/5.0
Definitely in my top 5 books this year. I love the world Suyi has crafted, and while familiar in presentation it just feels so different from others I have read it really stands out. The magic gives me Stormlight vibes, but there was some real disturbing violence that felt appropriately used and really made an impact on the scenes it was in. Will no doubt be picking up the next one. Danso is easy to root for even though he has suicidal tendencies and Lilong was so dope. Highly recommend this.
Definitely in my top 5 books this year. I love the world Suyi has crafted, and while familiar in presentation it just feels so different from others I have read it really stands out. The magic gives me Stormlight vibes, but there was some real disturbing violence that felt appropriately used and really made an impact on the scenes it was in. Will no doubt be picking up the next one. Danso is easy to root for even though he has suicidal tendencies and Lilong was so dope. Highly recommend this.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia
Moderate: Gore, Violence, War
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
❤️❤️❤️❤️ amazing world building!!!!
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Better read than audiobook.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wow! The book is as stunning as its cover. Son of the Storm is a beautifully imaginative and well written epic fantasy set in and inspired by pre-colonial Africa. This story explores identity, history, colonialism, power, resilience, and community. There is rich and immersive world-building, political intrigue, some action, and multi-layered characters. The magic is unique and rooted in control of a mysterious mineral substance. In my opinion, this book will stand out and is written for those who love a character-driven story (think The Bloodsworn Trilogy and The Burning Series). This story is written from three main POVs, along with chapters from other minor POVs that are still important to the storyline and moving the plot forward. In true epic fantasy tradition, the pacing is slower at the beginning as you get to know the three main characters. The story pacing picks up around the 33% point. By the end of book 1, everything comes together nicely, revealing the plot and its twists to the reader. I am excited to dive into book 2, which I have no doubt will be even better than book 1. Read it!
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5 stars
Thanks to Jonathan Ball Publishers for gifting me a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Son of the Storm is a fantasy following Danso, who lives in a world divided into different castes. He does not feel like he fits in anywhere. One day, he makes a decision that will forever change his life, and this leads to a dangerous adventure. On this adventure, he learns a lot of secrets about the world he lives in.
The first third of this book is incredibly slow. Once the “journey” part of the book starts, the pace picks up a bit. It was hard to know where the story was headed, since there are so many different points of view being told, and you do not necessarily realize how they all fit together until a bit later on.
I enjoyed seeing a fantasy that centered on non-white characters. There was also some LGBTQ+ representation. I did not necessarily like any of the characters, but I did enjoy reading about them, as I feel that they were well fleshed out.
Seeing the characters’ relationships with each other was also interesting, and I liked how the characters developed through these relationships.
The book is incredibly well-written, although hard to read at times, because it is very dense. The writing felt a bit impersonal to me, which made me feel disconnected from the story and the characters.
I would say that the world-building in this book is its strongest point. The world is rich in terms of culture, politics, and history. I feel that there is a lot that can be explored. The magic system was also unlike any other, and I would love to dive a bit deeper into that.
I very much enjoyed reading an African fantasy as opposed to the normal fantasies that I read, as they can get a bit repetitive, and this was a breath of fresh air.
While this was a very good book, I did not enjoy it all the time. The ending also felt a bit too rushed for me in comparison to the rest of the book.
Overall, I do think that this is an important book, as it tackles many serious topics. Even though it was hard for me to read, the author is clearly talented, and I would be eager to read more of their work.
Thanks to Jonathan Ball Publishers for gifting me a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Son of the Storm is a fantasy following Danso, who lives in a world divided into different castes. He does not feel like he fits in anywhere. One day, he makes a decision that will forever change his life, and this leads to a dangerous adventure. On this adventure, he learns a lot of secrets about the world he lives in.
The first third of this book is incredibly slow. Once the “journey” part of the book starts, the pace picks up a bit. It was hard to know where the story was headed, since there are so many different points of view being told, and you do not necessarily realize how they all fit together until a bit later on.
I enjoyed seeing a fantasy that centered on non-white characters. There was also some LGBTQ+ representation. I did not necessarily like any of the characters, but I did enjoy reading about them, as I feel that they were well fleshed out.
Seeing the characters’ relationships with each other was also interesting, and I liked how the characters developed through these relationships.
The book is incredibly well-written, although hard to read at times, because it is very dense. The writing felt a bit impersonal to me, which made me feel disconnected from the story and the characters.
I would say that the world-building in this book is its strongest point. The world is rich in terms of culture, politics, and history. I feel that there is a lot that can be explored. The magic system was also unlike any other, and I would love to dive a bit deeper into that.
I very much enjoyed reading an African fantasy as opposed to the normal fantasies that I read, as they can get a bit repetitive, and this was a breath of fresh air.
While this was a very good book, I did not enjoy it all the time. The ending also felt a bit too rushed for me in comparison to the rest of the book.
Overall, I do think that this is an important book, as it tackles many serious topics. Even though it was hard for me to read, the author is clearly talented, and I would be eager to read more of their work.