Scan barcode
A review by suzemo
The Rosewater Insurrection by Tade Thompson
3.0
I'm never quite sure if I should call this post apocalyptic or dystopian, but here we are.
Second book in the Rosewater trilogy, one definitely needs to read Rosewater before moving onto Insurrection. The first novel's main character, Kaaro, largely takes a back seat in this novel. The storyline is more linear, more traditional, and more action-sci/fi (I think).
It's told through a few third person viewpoints - Aminat (Kaaro's live in girlfriend and best character in the series, I think) takes up most of it. There's Jack, who is the "mayor" of Rosewater, before declaring it a city-state and going to war with Nigeria. There's Alyssa, who is a resident of Rosewater who gets subsumed by the alien... mind? consciousness? form? and there's a writer, who seems to exist for info-dumps in the latter part of the book.
Honestly? I did not like this one as much as Rosewater. It does continue the story of both the city and the alien life force/form and continues to tell the story. I would throw in a content warning, because Thompson's writing is just as gritty and rough here as anywhere else I've read it - and there are descriptions of rape, violence (necklacing, in particular) that someone more sensitive might want to stay away from, but over all, it was a solid book.
I'll definitely see where the story ends with the last in the trilogy, but this just dragged a little long for me, and I will not be jumping straight to Redemption until I've had a little... palate cleansing.
Second book in the Rosewater trilogy, one definitely needs to read Rosewater before moving onto Insurrection. The first novel's main character, Kaaro, largely takes a back seat in this novel. The storyline is more linear, more traditional, and more action-sci/fi (I think).
It's told through a few third person viewpoints - Aminat (Kaaro's live in girlfriend and best character in the series, I think) takes up most of it. There's Jack, who is the "mayor" of Rosewater, before declaring it a city-state and going to war with Nigeria. There's Alyssa, who is a resident of Rosewater who gets subsumed by the alien... mind? consciousness? form? and there's a writer, who seems to exist for info-dumps in the latter part of the book.
Honestly? I did not like this one as much as Rosewater. It does continue the story of both the city and the alien life force/form and continues to tell the story. I would throw in a content warning, because Thompson's writing is just as gritty and rough here as anywhere else I've read it - and there are descriptions of rape, violence (necklacing, in particular) that someone more sensitive might want to stay away from, but over all, it was a solid book.
I'll definitely see where the story ends with the last in the trilogy, but this just dragged a little long for me, and I will not be jumping straight to Redemption until I've had a little... palate cleansing.