relovesbooks 's review for:

Son of the Storm by Suyi Davies Okungbowa

4.25

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

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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!