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A review by itadakinasu
The Kishi by Antoine Bandele
4.0
Although the fantasy genre has many beloved titles like The Wheel of Time, The Dragonlance Chronicles, Lord of the Rings, and A Game of Thrones, these fantasy worlds often share very similar influences, world-building, and mythologies. In recent years, fantasy is becoming more diverse as emerging authors breathe new life into the genre. One such contribution is Bandele's book, The Kishi.
Undoubtedly, the world-building of The Kishi is unique. Drawn from African culture and mythology, it's a fresh take on shape-shifting, although the core elements follow familiar, already-established themes. World building is littered throughout the book, not all at once, making it easy for readers to absorb.
The characters were likable but not without their weaknesses, especially Nya, although at some points her hotheadedness got to be borderline ridiculous. Amana isn't without his weaknesses, either: always doubting himself and his abilities, and generally putting himself down. This wasn't consistent enough to bother me, but it sometimes toed the line. Minor characters like Kojo, Ikenna, Baako, and Shanaki weren't introduced deeply enough to make me connect with them, but they seemed believable enough and added some depth to the story.
All in all, I found The Kishi to be a fun ride in a new world. It needs more editing to filter out some typos and awkward phrasing, especially the use of idioms and slang that aren't consistent enough to be realistically part of the established world and are modern enough to be distracting. However, the plot was entertaining and fast-paced and characters likable but fallible. I'll most likely be reading future installments in the series.
Undoubtedly, the world-building of The Kishi is unique. Drawn from African culture and mythology, it's a fresh take on shape-shifting, although the core elements follow familiar, already-established themes.
Spoiler
(For instance: the emphasis on balance reads a lot like a Chinese martial arts movie, while the "power of community" part reads like a Japanese RPG's final boss fight.)The characters were likable but not without their weaknesses, especially Nya, although at some points her hotheadedness got to be borderline ridiculous
Spoiler
such as almost getting herself and Amana killed while hiding by trying to be snarky and slapping his hand away when he shushed herAll in all, I found The Kishi to be a fun ride in a new world. It needs more editing to filter out some typos and awkward phrasing, especially the use of idioms and slang that aren't consistent enough to be realistically part of the established world and are modern enough to be distracting. However, the plot was entertaining and fast-paced and characters likable but fallible. I'll most likely be reading future installments in the series.