“To learn is to live.” – Akata Warrior by Nnedi Okorafor
You know a book is amazing when days later, you’re still living in it. I love it when the book I’m reading becomes a part of my life, when the world is so immersive and the characters are so incredible and the story refuses to let you go. I truly feel like I’m living another life and for that space of time that book becomes my other reality. And now I am lost, having finished Akata Witch and Akata Warrior by Nnedi Okorafor.
I’m so thankful to be working with Penguin Teen, who sent me these books in exchange for an honest review, on the book tour for Akata Warrior (Release 10.03.17) because they have introduced me to my new love!
Akata Warrior (synopsis below) picks up about year and a half after Akata Witch and it includes an introduction. I am notorious for forgetting everything I read right after I finish reading it so I loved how Nnedi includes a short chapter reintroducing us to the Leopard world, the character’s, and the story. So if you decide to skip Akata Witch, although you totally should read it because it’s amazing, you’ll probably be able to jump straight into book two without too much confusion. If you’ve read Akata Witch, I can say that Akata Warrior just takes everything to the next level x 10. The world get’s bigger, the stakes are upped, the character’s all grow so much, and it was all such a rewarding read.
Can I just say how much I love the Leopard World? I mean, it’s rather strict, and punishments for breaking the rules suck, and there are some terrifying creatures . . . like a giant spider the size of a house . . . but it’s also this immensely rich society of people based around knowledge and the gaining of knowledge. The more knowledgeable you are the more wealth you have, the more powerful you are, although the society is not centered around wealth or power, just knowledge, which is the coolest thing ever, next to being a fantasy book set in Nigeria!
I love how this book is set in Nigeria and it is also based in Nigerian and West African culture, folklore, and mythology. I can’t speak much on the authenticity since that isn’t my background, but I believe it’s done in respectful way. And I love how it makes the world that much more vivid and wondrous, the setting, the clothing, the food, the many languages, and many cultures represented. I absolutely loved it! Nnedi Okorafor also doesn’t shy away from the not so beautiful aspects, like the classism, sexism, and influences of western culture, present there. It’s probably why I would say even though the characters are on the young side in this book, the content definitely is YA.
Speaking of the characters, I absolutely adore Sunny. She is such a lovable heroine, a girl who loves her family and friends more than anything, a girl who wants to do right, who wants to learn more, a girl who has gone through many struggles trying to figure out who she is. I found her incredibly relatable and admirable. She’s grown so much throughout these two books, and I loved seeing her find her voice and her strength.
Not only is Sunny an interesting character, but so are all her friends and mentors and pretty much everyone in this book. Even if we don’t see them for very long, it is evident that they are also very complex and distinct characters. Those that we do get to see, Sunny’s best friends, Chichi, Orlu, and Sasha, also grow a lot throughout these two books.
As for the pacing and story, it is a little of a slow start, but I actually really liked that. I feel like a lot of books, especially fantasy books, can be a little action and plot-heavy. What I love about Akata Warrior was that we get time to see what life is like for Sunny, we get to see her go to school, interact with her uncle, develop more of a relationship and understanding with her brother, hang out with friends, and somehow all these mundane things still work to further the plot and cumulation of it is so rewarding. I could not predict any of what was to happen next. I was suspicious of everything and every person in Akata Witch, but this series just surprised me again and again, and again I loved it!
If you haven’t read Akata Witch or Akata Warrior, I highly recommend them and I’m desperately waiting for the day I get to return to this incredible world and these amazing characters.
Love, Belinda ❤
BOOK DESCRIPTION
A year ago, Sunny Nwazue, an American-born girl Nigerian girl, was inducted into the secret Leopard Society. As she began to develop her magical powers, Sunny learned that she had been chosen to lead a dangerous mission to avert an apocalypse, brought about by the terrifying masquerade, Ekwensu. Now, stronger, feistier, and a bit older, Sunny is studying with her mentor Sugar Cream and struggling to unlock the secrets in her strange Nsibidi book.
Eventually, Sunny knows she must confront her destiny. With the support of her Leopard Society friends, Orlu, Chichi, and Sasha, and of her spirit face, Anyanwu, she will travel through worlds both visible and invisible to the mysteries town of Osisi, where she will fight a climactic battle to save humanity.
Much-honored Nnedi Okorafor, winner of the Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy awards, merges today’s Nigeria with a unique world she creates. Akata Warrior blends mythology, fantasy, history and magic into a compelling tale that will keep readers spellbound.
AUTHOR BIO
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