Review by Booklist Review
Scholar Danso stumbles on a mysterious codex that holds the secret of ibor, a mineral that allows some users to wield powerful magic of possession, elemental control, and more. But despite his attempts to copy and study the codex, he is swiftly silenced by the leadership of the great city of Bassa. He finds that he can't let his questions go, even as the harsh social and familial norms of his world weigh him down. So when Lilong, a skin-changing warrior from the Nameless Islands, appears injured and hiding in his barn, Danso begins to wonder just how much Bassa's elite are hiding. The pacing of Okungbowa's novel can be shaky, the narrative slowing much more than it has to. But Son of the Storm has a strong core in its vivid world building of ibor, magic, and folkloric creatures. Most of all, the story is powered forward through Esheme, Danso's intended, a calculating, cold woman with a fierce thirst for power, and her meteoric rise that begins when she discovers the secrets of ibor.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Okungbowa (David Mogo Godhunter) launches the Nameless Republic trilogy with this gripping epic fantasy about a deeply divided, West Africa--esque nation on the brink of disaster. Naive, idealistic Danso is intended to be married to headstrong, ruthless Esheme. It's a match that would secure the political standing of both their households, which are set at the margins of the privileged Idu caste--if only Danso, who's discriminated against for being Shashi, the mixed-race offspring of a mainlander and an outlander, would keep his nose down and focus on his duties as a jali novitiate instead of searching for the truth about his mother beyond the borders of his homeland. But when Danso crosses paths with Lilong, a skin-changing invader from the Nameless Islands who wields a mystical power that Danso believed to be mere folklore, the encounter challenges everything he thought he knew about his homeland. This polyphonic fantasy unravels at a deliberately measured pace, and while the myriad perspectives contribute to the story's tension and urgency, readers may initially feel frustrated trying to orient themselves in such a complex society. Once the story coalesces, however, the hook will be set. This series starter promises more good things to come. Agent: Eddie Schneider, JABberwocky Literary. (May)
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Review by Library Journal Review
The Bassani Empire is dying, but its citizens have been brainwashed for centuries to believe that their empire is so mighty that it could never fall. A threat to their power arises, in the form of a young scholar who cannot restrain his curiosity about a woman with magical power whose existence flies in the face of all his teachings. He is exiled and pursued to corners of the known world, only to learn that nothing he believed he knew bears much resemblance to any truth. The collision course of the characters, on their separate paths, sets them on roads that lead to power and destruction. This story has its roots in West African history and mythology, to which Okungbowa adds a coming-of-age odyssey. VERDICT Highly recommended for fans of epic fantasy based on non-European mythologies, like The Black Sun, by Rebecca Roanhorse; readers who enjoy protagonists on troubled journeys, like in Jenn Lyons's The House of Always; or anyone who likes to chew on stories with complex shenanigans.--Marlene Harris, Reading Reality, LLC, Duluth, GA
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