Warrior of the Wind

The Nameless Republic #2

by Suyi Davies Okungbowa

From city streets where secrets are bartered for gold to forests teeming with fabled beasts, Suyi Davies Okungbowa's sweeping epic of forgotten magic and violent conquests continues in this richly drawn fantasy inspired by the pre-colonial empires of West Africa. 

The empire has been reshaped. There is no peace in the season of the Red Emperor.

Traumatized by their escape from Bassa, Lilong and Danso have found safety in a vagabond colony on the edge of the emperor’s control. But time is running out on their refuge. A new bounty makes every person a threat, and whispers of magic have roused those eager for their own power.

Lilong is determined to return the Diwi—the ibor heirloom—to her people. It’s the only way to keep it safe from Esheme’s insatiable desire. The journey home will be long, filled with twists and treachery, unexpected allies and fabled enemies.

But surviving the journey is the least of their problems.

Something ancient and uncontrollable awakens. Trouble heads for Bassa, and the continent of Oon will need more than ibor to fix what's coming.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Adult, Queer, High Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, LGBT

497 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 21, 2023

About the author

Also known as Suyi Davies

Suyi Davies Okungbowa is an award-winning author of fantasy, science fiction and general speculative work. His latest books include Lost Ark Dreaming and The Nameless Republic epic fantasy trilogy ( Son of the Storm and Warrior of the Wind ). His debut godpunk novel David Mogo, Godhunter won the 2020 Nommo Award for Best Novel. His shorter works have appeared in various periodicals and anthologies and have been nominated for various awards. He also writes for younger audiences as Suyi Davies. He earned his MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Arizona, and is an Assistant Professor at the University of Ottawa.

Reviews

[Suyi Davies Okungbowa]

UPDATE: 20 SEPTEMBER, 2023 - Preorder campaign has begun! Open to everyone internationally, with a few partner bookstores for additional prizes, and a grand prize draw for two original cover art posters! Click here to see full details and ENTER.



UPDATE: 1 JUNE, 2023 - WE HAVE A COVER!!!

If you were blown away by the Son of the Storm cover, feast your eyes upon this beauty's cover! Dan dos Santos brings the magic of Oon to life again, and this time we get Lilong on the cover. If this doesn't get you pumped and excited to Add to your To-Read Shelf, I can't say what else will!

UPDATE: 18 MAY, 2023 - WHAT'S THIS BOOK ABOUT?

WOTW is in the final stage of edits, which means you'll be hearing about a cover reveal any day now. (I've seen the cover, and when I say: you are not ready!) But before then, here are a few of your questions answered, and some notes on what to expect from this book.

What is it about?

At its core, WOTW is a book that unpacks how freedom, truth and power all come at a price. Danso & Lilong, now escaped from Bassa and living in exile, make new allies so they can journey east to Lilong's home in the seven islands. But after some complications (featuring a prison heist during a desert festival), they learn new truths about the seven islands that turn their lives upside-down. This, of course, is complicated by emperor Esheme being in hot pursuit—and she has new powers on her side too! But there are even bigger forces at play in Oon, and in the end, the existence of everything on the continent is threatened.

This sounds so good! Can I read it without having read Son of the Storm?

Absolutely you can! Sure, it'll be easier for those who've read SOTS to read this book (as there are references made to events from that book). But I've done something to make it even easier for you: I've added a series recap for those who prefer to read just this book. No need to read SOTS--just dive straight in!

More questions to be answered soon. Watch this space!

--

UPDATE: 18 JAN 2023 - DEAR READER

Dear Reader,

If you’re the kind of person who has “keep fighting” and “never give up” tattooed on their arm, this is the book for you. If you love heists, harsh deserts, or fashion week—and a heist in the desert during a fashion pageant—this is the book for you. Maybe you were recently blown away by Andor as I was, or enamored by the Agojie warriors in The Woman King, because the thrill of rebellion and empire-wide trouble excites you—this book is for you.


Lilong. Art by Diana Dworak.

Perhaps you love dragons, and perhaps you’ve read a ton of fantasy novels with dragons, and now you yearn to see some fearsome beasts of other lore. Or maybe you love quests, a mismatched gang traveling and surviving through the toughest odds. Perhaps you love yourself some Indiana-Jones-esque mythical buried city with the promise of jewels and power. Or maybe you enjoy found families, or long-lost loves reunited, or throuples, or throuples with a baby.

Welcome. This book is for you.


Esheme. Art by Diana Dworak.

I am excited to announce that Warrior of the Wind, Book #2 of The Nameless Republic trilogy, finally has a RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 21, 2023.

If you are an established reader of this series, I can quickly tell you this: it is everything you loved about Son of the Storm, and then so much more. If you’re a reader new to this series, I say: welcome to epic fantasy steeped in West African lore and precepts, in its diversity and queerness. This is epic fantasy that wears its heart on its sleeve, bubbling with all the elements you love about this subgenre: heroes, sacrifices, revolutions, and magic that will delight and surprise you.

And yet, this is a book that takes everything you know about epic fantasy and rips it apart, turns it on its head. Here, heroes come from all corners, wield swords and styluses and tongues and magic in equal measure. Here, heroes are as ruthless as they are nurturing, as slippery and sly as they are thoughtful and honest. Scholar, warrior, emperor, consul, chief, bandit, vigilante, all ready to break what they need to in order to get what they desire. This is a tale with tributaries, taking you on multiple journeys at once, cutting you in ways that leave you unsure if to cry or bleed. This is a tale told the way this genre deserves: all of the old, all of the new, all in the way only this author can tell. It is an open embrace to epic fantasy, and an open embrace to the African storytelling aesthetic, voice, fashion, swagger. This is not your dad’s average doorstopper tome. This is a rallying cry in 400-some pages.


Danso. Art by Diana Dworak.

I am also proud to announce that all the wonderful CHARACTER ART you see above and below (brought to life by the excellent Diana Dworak) will be available IN PRINT as a PREORDER REWARD, and IN SELECT BOOKSTORES after release. Preorder dates and chosen bookstores will be announced via my social media, blog and newsletter. Stay tuned!

I am immensely proud of Warrior of the Wind. As an author, you sometimes get to tell a specific story that manages to answer the little questions you’ve always wondered about in private. What if Burning Man or Coachella met Leverage, and both smashed into Paris Fashion Week? What if the world became irreparably changed each time Lara Croft raided a tomb? What if humans made bad choices for the world, and the land, the seas and the winds responded? I hope that my sometimes hopeful, sometimes brutal yet truthful answers to these questions may strike and excite you, as well as lead you to introspection.


Characters from The Nameless Republic. Art by Diana Dworak.

Lastly, I am proud to announce that you can get access to A SECRET, EXCLUSIVE ONE-CHAPTER EXCERPT right now! This is only available to subscribers to my author newsletter. SIGN UP NOW to receive exclusive access to this one-chapter excerpt (it’s free).

SIGN UP FOR YOUR FREE SECRET SAMPLE!

I wish I could experience this book for the first time again. But now, that opportunity belongs only to you, dear reader. I enjoin you not to pass it up, to not be repelled by this book’s size. Rather, I dare you to read and enjoy this book, and then, like every good jali, take these stories to the world. Tell it to a stranger at the bar. Tell it to a coworker. Tell it at school, at worship, at the gym, at the play date. Pass on the story of unlikely heroes fighting against forces too big to conquer, and against themselves at the same time, yet hoping to conquer anyway. Pass on their courage, their fortitude, their strength. Keep reading. Keep fighting. Never give up.

Your Friendly Neighbourhood Author,

Suyi.

[K.J. Charles]

Second in this terrifically imagined alt-African set fantasy series. And may I say how much I appreciated the detailed multi-page synopsis of book 1 at the start. Jeez, SFF authors, I'm old, just give me a The Story So Far instead of making me spend the first 15% of the book playing catch up!

It was especially needed because this series is complex. Lots of characters, lots of motivations and factions and history and politics, tons of worldbuilding. The atmosphere is fabulous, the descriptions vivid to the point of tangible without being overdone.

It's quite a dark world. Everyone is flawed in the extreme, motives shift. I did feel as with book 1 that I'd have liked someone to root for in a more unequivocal way, but it's literally the point of the series that we don't get that. Complex, intelligent, absorbing, and once again, the cover slaps.

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars
Storm of the Son was one of my favourite books from the year it was published so I have been highly anticipating this sequel.

I really enjoyed being back in this world. I love this African inspired setting which feels rich with culture and lore.

Compared to the first book, this one has a lot less action. While I enjoyed spending time with the characters, I did find myself less hooked into the plot. Regardless, I enjoyed this series enough to be interested to continue on.

If you are interested in reading this epic fantasy, I would recommend starting back at the beginning.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

[Ms. Woc Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to come

[Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have confidence.

[Siona Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great sequel to the first book. Loved every second of this. The magic system is super interesting and I can’t wait for the last book to come out.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic. Having previously really enjoyed Son of the Storm, I was very happy to get a copy of Warrior of the Wind; I think I may like this sequel even more than the first book!

Warrior of the Wind offers everything I loved about its predecessor – more incredible immersive world-building and effective use of multiple POVs – and what felt like more political maneuvering and intrigue. Some may find this one less action packed – there is a lot of travelling from place to place – but I really enjoyed the pace of this installment; while it sets up book three nicely, it doesn’t feel like ‘middle book filler’ at all. I really love this series!

I appreciate the inclusion of a recap of the first book, a list of characters, a map, and a glossary – I finished the first book a year and a half before starting this one, and these were excellent for refamiliarizing myself with the series; that said, I wouldn’t suggest reading this book without having read the first book in the series.

Content warnings provided by the author at the beginning of the text (list copied verbatim): “albinism, animal death, artificial insemination, blood/gore, caste and class segregation, colourism and discrimination, death, pregnancy loss and miscarriages, murder, PTSD and anxiety, violence, and xenophobia”

Thank you to Orbit Books, NetGalley, & the author for providing an e-copy of this book to me for review.

[Ariana Weldon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been so excited for this sequel since I finished the first one and even more so when the cover was revealed.

We have a lot more POVs happening here and this one really sees us all over Oon. Esheme is still out for blood, which suits her moniker as the Red Emperor, Danso and Lilong are still on the run, Nem is doing Nem stuff and we still get a bit of Biemwense, who I love and want to be my grandma.

All that said, I had a little bit of a hill to climb while reading this. It's not necessarily that there's less action than Son of the Storm, but there is so much of it that we got glimpses then POV changes then back to the glimpses. I almost felt like I needed a giant map with pictures and push pins and strings connecting them like a conspiracy theorist board. A packed book isn't a bad thing but in this case it made it a little difficult to stay emmeshed in the story.

I loved that we saw more sides to Lilong, more about her family, relationships, the islands she came from. Loved that. It really added some complexity and depth to her character. And her conflict of being a warrior, helping those who need it while pushing herself to get home, I thought that was well done.

Danso became a lot more unlikeable in this and a lot more unhinged. I was totally in his corner in SotS but when they were in the cave and he just goes rogue, I definitely had a 'FFS, Danso' moment. Esheme was never particularly pleasant and she keeps that up. Her whole story and arc track for her. I'm looking forward to whatever happens next with her with all that has happened.

The prison break was a little....surprising. If you'd asked me what I thought would happen in this book, I would not have guessed that.

I'm looking forward to the next book. I want to know what's happening next, the world is ending (or is it?), everything kicking off in Bassa, just all of it. I definitely still recommend the series, it's beautifully written and full of magic (ibor and more).

[Zana]

This isn't really for me, but I'd recommend this for fans of Wesley Chu's The War Arts saga or Cassandra Clare's Sword Catcher.

Like those two series, The Nameless Republic isn't really geared towards fantasy fans looking for a hero's journey or three act structure type of story. The writing style reads more like a series of events happening to different POV characters and their in-groups, so it's very hard for a reader like me to really feel connected to the characters.

Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for this arc.

[Melanie Schneider · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hm, muss drüber nachdenken.

"Warrior of the Wind" is somehow and awesome and disappointing continuation of "Son of the Storm" by Suyi Davies Okungbowa.

I looked forward to reading the second installment in the Namesless republic. The first book had such an intriguing world building that challenged the real world concepts of colonialisation and discimination against marginalized people. And on a wider scope that continues in "Warrior of the Wind" but I somehow lost the connection to the characters.

But why is that? On the one hand we had Lilong and her character development is really confusing. There is still the urge to go back, there is still the urge to get her family treasure back to her father. But there is so much "I give you my stone, I won't give you my stone, I don't trust anyone" and she is like a candle in the wind as long as the plot needs her this or that way. I hadn't had the feeling that much consideration went into her motivation and that made me really sad.

On the other hand we have an even more problematic trope with Esheme. I already had a bad feeling at the end of book one when she got pregnant and had through her baby power of the red ibor stone. But in book 2 she got pregnant again and again to stay able to wield that power. As getting autonomy over your own body can be a strong motivation and feministic move I had one problem: again the story reinforces the point of "man gets power thrown at him, women has to "work" or to be in a specific state that she can get power" - and that is something I really dislike.
And in the end Esheme suddenly gets all "emotional" and thinks about keeping the possible last child? I was frustrated at the end of the book and that felt not great.

Danso is another point altogether. In the first book he was consequently selfish - and that is okay because even with a marginalization he has privileges he never reflected, but in the end he had a lot of stuff to think about. But in the second one he continued to be selfish even if he told himself and us as readers that he doesn't want to be selfish anymore. I was really happy that there were more perspectives in this installment.

I really wanted to love this book. But I realize again that I am more of a character driven reader than a plot driven reader. I think I will read the last book in the trilogy because I really want to know what Suyi Davies Okungbowa makes out of this great concepts. And so I hope that the second book simply has a second book syndrom for myself and I will love the third book again.

Thank you so much for the chance to read this book via Netgalley - even if I had to sit on my thought for a little while.

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly I think this is a 3.5 but I didn't enjoy it as much as a first. This series is still incredible in my opinion, it's massive and intricate and has lots of moving parts and I like the characters.

This is still a plot driven book and less of a character driven so unfortunately there are times where the emotional beats of the story don't really hit as hard as they should. Which is really sad because I like these characters and I want to get closer to them but the realizations or growth or failures they have tend to happen top quickly and they move on very quickly.

Warrior of the Wind finally gives us more Lilong which I was eager for. Her character, the power, her culture and people I really wanted to learn more of. We also get another power player with the Man Beyond the Lake and I really enjoyed him. Even seeing the unrest of Bassa was good.

Danso felt pushed to the side here, which was really sad because I loved his character in the first book. He had these sudden shifts in character that we unfortunately are just really told happen and the things he does aren't particular good nor do I completely understand exactly how he got to that point other than the narrative telling me. His actions at times seem to work against what he seems to want and definitely doesn't fit in with book one Danso which again understandable since he went through a LOT.

This book had WAY too much traveling. We're traveling in the first book and still traveling to the same destination through all of book two. I wasn't expecting a prison heist which was alright but after we they're like: we will all travel together on this dangerous route as we are literally being hunted with minimal supplies and a baby. It's so dumb. There was no reason this baby has to be there. It's got grandparents to look after it. It's got two out of three parents to stay back and look after it.

Esheme is another chars I enjoy and while I enjoy her cunning and ruthlessness, and her power-hungryness, I am not surprised to see her fall. It still made me sad to see her not be as smart as she was although she was absolutely outplayed which was fun. And she was reckless. I'm very interested to see what happens to her next because I'm sure she'll survive.

Overall, a decent second book that expands upon its world. The epilogue alone had me going "Ooooooh!!!" I definitely want to read the next.

[Sahana Ramnath · Rating 5 out of 5]

The prose and narration style in this book is one of the most detailed ones I've read (similar to The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri, which is also under this publisher I think!), and I am so awed by the author's patience and diligence in writing like this!

The book had very patient and careful character and plot developments, and I loved read them! Can't wait for book 3!

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

[Zoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Warrior of the Wind by Suyi Davies Okungbowa 4/5 stars

Let me start this review by telling everyone to pick up Son of the Storm NOW because it is one of my all time favorites and very underrated fantasy books!!
You know I am all about the vibes and the best way to describe book one is Strange the Dreamer meets Black Panter aka our main character Danso is Laszlo meets T'Challa.🙌

Warrior of the Wind is the sequal to Son of the Storm and I highly enjoyed being back in the West African inspired world full of culture and lore. We follow Danso and Lilong where they left off after book one and during their travels in this book we explore more of the world, magic system and characters.
The reason this book is not a 5 star for me is because we have less of Danso and Esheme's POV compared to the first book as the author is expanding into even more perspectives. It definitly broadens the story but I missed being in the heads of my favorite characters: my sweet baby, and my evil she-devil. The character development in this book is really good where we see Danso opening up to his travel family and Esheme going further of the rails for power.
Plot-wise there is less action in this book as it is more of a heist story where our main characters are trying to break their ally ouy of prison. However, Suyi really blows everything up at the ending that AGAIN leaves me wanting for more!

This book has it all: found family, oppression, heist, and the obsession with power.

I am so grateful for this e-ARC and really hope more booklovers will pick up this series! If you need any more convincing look up the character art on the authors IG page designed by Diana Dworak it is EPIC!!

[Donnakay'sBookWorld · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Suyi Davies Okungbowa and Orbit Books for gifting me this e-arc! As usual, the cover for the series is beautiful and captivating. I must say that I finished this book much faster than book 1, and I think that is due in part to the seamless world building present in this book. There were more povs in this book, and I think that really helped to better understand all the moving pieces and see how their actions unknowingly affected each other.

That being said, all of the characters, except Kangala, got on my nerves. He was the only one who acted sensibly and logically as far as I'm concerned. Esheme lost all her sensibilities and cunning that we observed in book 1. I really expected differently from her character, especially with the amount of power that she possessed. Also, her representation in the end did not match her personality throughout the entire book. A woman who intentionally sacrifices her offspring to attain personal power at their detriment would not now miraculously move to care about that child's wellbeing.

Danso and Lilong both aggravated me with their unnecessarily strained relationship. I still don't get why they are the way they are to each other. Danso slides through a daily scale of selfishness, always thinking of himself and never of the consequences that his actions will have on others. The secrets that they all choose to keep from each other on this life-threatening journey were truly mind-blowing.

My biggest issue is that there were too many blatant plot conveniences for the sake of moving the story along. Characters' actions and outcomes were shifted randomly in ways that did not make sense compared to information previously given, all for the sake of reaching plot goals.

Overall, I had a decent experience and would continue the series.

[Paperwitches ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

First off, I received an ARC of this from @/orbitbooks_us. #ad #pr

I cannot deny that this book cover is BEAUTIFUL and that character art alone was a good enough reason to check out the book. A special edition of this baby with end pages and character cards and I’d buy it 1000 times over.

This series is one of my favorite underrated fantasies, a great choice if you want to diversify your tbr. This review took me longer than usual, because I had to catch up with the first book through audible - but I appreciated the series recap and character index that the author provided. This book is so rich with African culture and deep character relationships, that I felt like I had been dropped very suddenly into a world that had existed for hundreds of years before I had been allowed in their world. The series itself delves deeply into its characters, unfurling them slowly over the course of the story. It’s writing style is uniquely terse and just descriptive enough to set the ambiance. It’s magic system is brutal and interesting, driven forward by the MC Danso, a storyteller with enough relentless tenacity to pull me into the story and both infuriate and intrigue me.

Esheme was so badass in book one, I loved her ruthlessness. I support women's rights but most importantly I support women's wrongs. But all of a sudden in book 2 girlypop switched teams? Trying to be non-spoiler, but a very important example of her ruthlessness is suddenly invalidated - and I was not a fan of that. Not to mention, Danso also infuriated me in this book. He mutates into an extremely selfish character, which may make sense due to the pressure he is under, but nevertheless it was hard to read.

This book has a whole lot going on, and that makes it harder for me as a reviewer to completely unpack. I enjoyed this book, but it was simply an ‘okay’ read for me. I think others may enjoy it more if they prefer multi-MC stories with political drama more than action scenes. I still look forward to the next installment in this series because it’s still amazing.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's not as much action in Warrior of the Wind as in Son of the Storm, but that's no bad thing. We're given eight (!) points-of-view to digest, along with more of the excellent worldbuilding found in the first book.

Our characters are in the process of finding various things: allies, artifacts, knowledge, and power, and, while there's a lot of traveling and a few fights, this is somewhat of a bridge book between SotS and (presumably) the showdown in the next one. Our main heroes, Danso, and Lilong, are allied for now, but they are not necessarily aligned.

I truly appreciated the series recap and the "persons of interest" guide the author provided.

Why you should read this: intriguing characters, interesting magic system, complex world

Why you might not want to read this: If you haven't read the first one, the recap and character index might be enough to keep you from getting lost, but having that backstory will help you appreciate this book even more.

4 out of 5 stars. Recommended.

I received an advance copy from Orbit Books via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

[Kirstie Ellen]

DNF at 50%

Okay I'm admitting defeat. Very sadly.

I wanted to love this so badly, and my excitement for this book was unreal, having waited so long since book one.

But good god, did this get bogged down in the details or what.

The world that the author has created is truly astonishing and I love it. But the lore, politics and other complex elements (not to mention long-winded and flowery language) absolutely killed the pace and my interest.

It really, really slows things down. While book 1 is similarly detailed, this felt next level and by halfway there wasn't much I could say that had happened. There is one heist in the first half and even that felt anticlimactic compared to the time spent describing what was about to happen.

So I'm very sorry that this didn't work out for me, but I've decided to part ways and move on.

[Annarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't a fan of the first book in this series but this one is well done, epic and exciting.
A vivid and intriguing world building, a fast paced and action packed plot featuring well developed characters
it kept me hooked and turning pages
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[Joeri Vrouwenvelder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written, the plot was a nice winding kind of plot that turns on its head at the end. Not entirely surprising but well done nonetheless. The world is original and recognizable at the same time. Some things are under explained, some are a bit too blunt like some of the characters motivations but other than that a good read :)

[Geoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great start to my 2024 in fantasy reading. This is a great sequel. It does a great job of expanding the world and I can't wait to read book 3.

[Mikou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, Suyi Davies Okungbowa and Orbit Books for making this free e-ARC available via NetGalley. I signed up to read this because I loved the previous book in the series. It took me 6 days to finish it and more than half of that I read within 24 hours! It had the same attention to world building and character as the first book and the pace was lively. While I have missed seeing more from Danso (I have a soft spot for him), I liked how the character continues to change. In fact, I enjoyed all the various POVs and the smooth transitions between various plot threads.

There were 2 or 3 where expressions were used that felt more like they belong in our modern, current world, but other than those rare moments, I was well-immersed in the world of Oon, both in the politics and the interpersonal drama. I especially liked the expansion of the fauna and flora of Oon (magical and mundane) that added to the otherworldly atmosphere.

Overall, I had a great time reading this and am eager to read the next (last?) one. I do recommend it to other readers, but I think it deserves even more attention.

[Birte · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the middle of reading this I switched to the ebook from the audio and that helped my enjoyment a lot. I have some issues with the characters but I generally liked this and I am quite interested in how the final(?) book will continue with this ending.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Brief
The second in the Nameless Republic trilogy, Warrior of the Wind takes its characters on a journey across a West African-inspired world, offering danger, powerful magic, and rebellion on the horizon as well as secrets that have the power to wreck havoc on the world. After the events of the first book, scholar Danso and warrior Lilong are in hiding from the Red Emperor, Danso’s former intended Esheme. But Lilong has a mission she needs to complete and must set out across the Savannah Belt towards her home on the highly secretive and secluded Nameless Islands as soon as possible. With Danso and other companions in tow, she sets off, and Esheme is not far behind, chasing them for the magic they hold and the secrets they are headed towards. Back in Bassa, though, all is not well as Esheme is frequently away and the changes she has forced have given rise to a more aggressive rebellion. Despite the three parts this book is separated into making the story feel a little episodic and the journey that takes center stage, Warrior of the Wind still manages to be action packed, and focused on forward motion and character development that enables the reader to really come to understand Danso, Lilong, and Esheme. This is an easy story to sink into, offering a world full of dangers and incredible magic as well as secrets that cannot remain secret for long.

Extended Thoughts
Warrior of the Wind is the second in the Nameless Republic trilogy and follows some time after the events of the first book, Son of the Storm. Though I did find it a little hard, at times, to follow what was going on in the first book, I loved how it made me feel transported to a fantastical world inspired by West Africa, and I loved the fascinating partnership between Shashi scholar Danso and yellowskin warrior Lilong. Rounding out the main characters is Danso’s former intended, Esheme, who is now the Red Emperor of Bassa. These three were fascinating to follow as they all had their own journeys and motivations, so I’ve found myself waiting, sometimes impatiently, to get to this second book to find out what happens to them.

Warrior of the Wind opens some time after Danso and Lilong have made their way through the Soke Pass and into the Savannah Belt, where they have been hiding out. But Lilong needs to return home to the Nameless Islands now that she has retrieved the heirloom she left home without permission to get. Back in Bassa, Esheme is now in her second season as the Red Emperor and has people out looking for Danso and Lilong, all while trying to bring all of Bassa under her control, using a piece of ibor to intimidate the people as it allows her to reanimate the dead. All is not well, though, especially when Esheme decides to leave Bassa and chase after Danso and Lilong all the way to the Nameless Islands. Though the Coalition for New Bassa was, essentially, destroyed in the first book, members are stirring, bringing in the Whudasha who had been forced to the outskirts of Bassa, and their actions are more explosive.

There is so much that occurs in this book. It’s action packed despite having several moments where no one seems to be doing much. The forward action is almost non-stop, even the quieter moments filled with important information and character development. I wasn’t exactly a fan of how this was split into three parts as it gave it a bit of an episodic feel. The first part was mostly set up, getting the characters going and on the road to the Nameless Islands. The second part takes the reader back to Bassa where unrest is stirring and rebellion won’t simmer quietly. The third part was probably my favorite as this is where everything happens, with pieces falling into place and secrets being revealed. It all certainly sets up for an equally action packed and likely even more explosive final book.

While I’m not as much a fan of books that send the characters on far ranging journeys anymore, I really enjoyed this one. There’s a firm purpose with which all of the characters travel, and I actually kind of liked that it turned from Danso’s story in the first book to Lilong’s in this one. I loved Lilong in the first book, so loved getting to know her better in this one. It was fantastic to see her adapt to the Savannah Belt, and then to get to see her in a place that’s much more familiar to her. Esheme’s journey, too, across Bassa to unite all of the people she now rules over was, despite feeling a little pointless to the reader but so full of meaning to Esheme, quite fascinating. I loved how this world just opened up, showing so many different sides and peoples who all reside on this single, massive continent. It just boggles my mind how one person actually rules over all of it, and I really liked how it showcased how difficult that actually is.

But, as much as I loved getting to know the world better and seeing more of it, the characters were really the stars. I loved getting into Lilong’s head more as so many of the chapters were told from her perspective. She’s done this journey before, in reverse, but things have changed, and now she has companions. All of them brought something different, from skills to magic, and watching her interact with them was quite a lot of fun. She really gives off the loner warrior feel, so seeing her with her companions, learning about them and learning to trust them, was a lot of fun and I really liked how it slowly evolved her character. She was easily my favorite here. Danso was kind of disappointing. After getting to know him so well in the first book, he seemed little more than obsessed with this and then that throughout the entire book. At times he seemed a little crazed and unstable, but it was oddly fascinating, like getting to know a completely unmoored character who has lost everything, but has gained an adventure he didn’t know he needed. He felt very different in this book from the first, so I’m curious to see what he’ll be like in the third book. Esheme was an interesting one to follow. She’s ruthless and manipulative and sometimes a bit childish with stubbornly going after what she wants even if she and everyone around her knows it’s a bad idea. And yet she comes out feeling poised and in control even when she’s not. I thought she was fascinating, and I can’t wait to see what happens to her in the third book.

I think, as much as I would rather not read about long journeys, I actually loved that part of the story more than the brewing rebellion, and I do enjoy a good rebellion. That isn’t to say this one isn’t good, but it just felt a little too much like an extended aside as it focused more on a couple of more minor characters and took away from Danso, Lilong, and Esheme. While I loved Kakutan and Biemwense, who were both Whudasha leaders, I thought the rebellion moved a little fast and now I feel like I’m stuck wondering what happened with them during the entire third part of Warrior of the Wind. I can see how they can complicate things in the third book, but I didn’t feel it was neatly woven into the main story of this book. I adored the journey the three main characters were on. It was kind of a fun chase as Esheme worked tirelessly to catch up to Danso and Lilong.

Warrior of the Wind is packed with world building, character development, and a forward moving plot. There’s a lot that happened, and I really liked how all of it followed so well from the first book despite the bit of a time jump. But I think one of the things I loved most was how smoothly I slid back into this world despite the first book having been published a couple of years ago. The recap at the beginning didn’t hurt, but the characters and story were written in such a way that I felt like I had no problems sinking back into the lives of these characters. I found this book a lot easier to follow. Despite the long journey making it feel like a middle book, I can certainly see how everything that happened here will propel the characters into what will hopefully be an amazing conclusion. It’s a very neatly and well done building block that offered plenty of surprises and revealed secrets.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

[TJ West · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember being blown away by Suyi Davies Okungbowa novel Son of the Storm, one of a spate of African-inspired fantasy series that have taken the publishing world by storm over the past several years. It was gritty and powerful and compelling, grabbing hold of me from the very first page until the end, leaving me wanting more. Now, Okungbowa has at last returned us to this world, with Warrior of the Wind, wherein a variety of characters, some villainous and some heroic and all complicated and fully-realized individuals, all try to gain more knowledge, artifacts, and power, as the very world in which they live seems poised on the brink of catastrophe and cataclysm.

At the heart of the story are Lilong and Danso, the warrior woman and the scholar-turned rebel, who increasingly find their existing bond strained by distrust and conflicting goals. As he did in the first volume, Okungbowa spends a lot of time in these characters’ heads, allowing us as readers to understand both their past and the way their experiences impinge on and shape their present actions. Neither of them are perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but they do grow and change and develop, and they both experience their fair share of heartache and resentment.

As compelling as our heroes are, they are joined by some equally fascinating villains. Esheme continues to be one of the best villains in fantasy, someone who is willing to sacrifice everything–including her own health and well-being–in order to ensure that she gets the power that she believes is her due. Like Danso and Lilong, she has to suffer a great deal and, like them, she learns that power carries its own consequences. She might have become the Red Emperor, but ruling a domain is a far different proposition than conquering it.

One of the most compelling characters has to be Kangala who, like many of the other characters, is something of a self-starter, someone who has had to scratch and claw his way to the top, building both power and a family with equal deftness. As the novel progresses, his appetite for power grows apace, he continues to become ever more brazen in the pursuit of it, even going so far as to challenge the Red Empress herself. Kangala is a bit of a wild card in the story’s greater contours, and Okungbowa gives us just enough detail about him to make us interested, without giving away too much of his endgame. Who could ask more of a villain than that?

Warrior of the Wind excels at keeping character development and plot development in finely-tuned balance. We get to spend a great deal of time with these characters, getting to know them inside and out, to discover in more detail how they think about the world and their place in it. Unlike many other middle volumes in a series, this one never lets up on the action. There are revelations, to be sure, and moments when the plot makes great leaps forward–there’s even a prison break and a revolution in the making–but there are also slower moments in which both the characters and the reader can catch their breath. It keeps you on the edge of your seat, wanting to read just another chapter to see what happens and, to my mind, that is the mark of a truly great work of fantasy.

Also like the best fantasy, Warrior of the Wind uses its story to ask some probing and important questions. Even as these characters struggle and interact with one another, there’s a cataclysm looming on the horizon, one that is unlikely to care about the different political factions that are taking shape. Mysterious creatures are now coming out of the woodwork, and Okungbowa sketches them in remarkably chilling detail, giving us creatures that do seem to have come straight out of a nightmare. All of this brewing chaos affects the characters in different ways, though it has the most immediate effect on Nem, Esheme’s mother and the one person who seems to actually know how to run an empire. As she finds, however, there is still only much that she can do, even when the power is placed in her hands.

Moreover, the novel is also very much about the nature of power: who wields it and why, and what the ethics involved should be. In that sense, Danso and Esheme are mirror images of one another. While Danso increasingly comes to believe that power is the only thing that can change the world for the better–abandoning his earlier sense of morality in the process–Esheme gradually loses hers, until she is reduced to little more than a prisoner. For a woman who has already shown a willingness to reanimate the bodies of dead men to serve her (to say nothing of a giant serpent which she also manages to enslave) this is a particularly galling fall from grace. As she learns, the higher you rise when it comes to political and magical power, the farther you have to fall.

Danso, on the other hand, has quickly become someone who turns to darkness. Like so many other people who have spent much of their lives being abused, he comes to believe power is the only way to ensure goodness manages to emerge on top. This is quite an interesting turn for him to make, and I can’t wait to see how things continue to develop in the next novel.

Overall, I thought that Warrior of the Wind was a superb follow-up to Son of the Storm. The magic system is a compelling one, but Okungbowa fortunately doesn’t beat us over the head with complexity. It’s enough for me that it has a set of rules that it has to follow and that, like all magic, it takes a toll on the user. The world of this novel is one that feels lived-in and perilous, with violence lurking around every corner.

I know one thing for sure. I’ll be eagerly awaiting the next volume!

[Marge Farney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really love this series! This book continues directly from the first, picking up with Danso, Lilong, Kakutan and Biemwensé traveling to the city of Chabo. Lilong joins a mercenary band to pay off her debt for their crossing safely, Danso retreats into a depression after the death of Zaq and his daa and frenetically focuses on writing his codex and circulating ideas in pamphlets. They know they need to continue east to get to the islands and they strike up a deal with the heads of the Gaddo company to provide the resources for their trip. The deal for those resources includes a detour to Chugoko to meet up with their son and to help break their son’s lover (who turns out to be the daughter of Speaker Abuso - Oke) out of prison. The prison break is successful in breaking Oke out but draws intense scrutiny to them and the city and they are forced to run and to absorb Oke, her baby Thema, Alaba and Ugo into their party, continuing as fugitives from the throne.

Esheme goes on a tour to bring all cities and all peoples under the power of the Great Dome and wants to rule the entire continent. She strains her powers to raise a mall contingent of dead - the Soliders of Red - to employ as her personal guard and to strike fear into others. She also sends peace keepers, their speakers and civil guards across the empire. And when she travels she brings a giant beast under her ibor control- but it takes a terrible toll. Her body is breaking down under the strain of multiple pregnancies, the strain of travel and ruling, and the continued expenditure of ibor. But Esheme pursues Danso and Lilong with dogged determination, and makes questionable alliances with an opportunistic man Kangala.

Meanwhile, Nem is left at the Great Dome largely being forced to rule as second in command while Esheme traverses the empire and things are not all well in Bassa. The Whudans and other immigrants, hinterlanders, swamplanders and desertlanders stream into Bassa and there’s unrest brewing - another resistance faction is rising to challenge the emperor and her rule. They call for the destruction of the whole system, and to replace it with a republic of the people, calling their group The Nameless. They set off an explosion and create a blockade, dividing the inner wards of Bassa and the Great Dome from the resources and trade of the outwards, demanding to speak to the Emperor only.

As if that wasn’t enough to deal with, the very land seems to be… awakening. Beasts that have never been seen are appearing at the borders and in the forests. Weather events are happening, and it’s clear to everyone that something very large is shifting, perhaps irrevocably, for all of Oon.

Pursued by the emperor and her contingent, Oke, Thema, Danso, and Lilong are forced to split from Alaba and Ugo after Alaba is injured and they continue on through the forest of mist and eventually back to Lilong’s home on Namge where they are held captive initially. Touray, Lilong’s lover is leading what’s left of the sentry force and reunites Lilong with her family but also informs her that her daa and oldest brother are gone - off to Ofen island and also, that a storm, the likes of which they had never seen, is brewing. Almost everyone has evacuated the island to the safety of another island in the archipelago, Hoor. Lilong returns home to mixed reception, but she wants to go after her daa and brother.

Esheme is betrayed, but even stripped of all her power she makes it to the island, is captured and is left alone to rot in a dungeon of sorts but her fate at the end of the book isn’t clear. Meanwhile Danso, Esheme, Oke and Touray all go to Ofen to try and rescue Lilong’s family members but are too late to save her daa. Danso goes rogue and seeks the lost city and its riches of ibor leaving the party behind and running into the cavern alone. Lilong and the rest chase after him, but he takes the red ibor and the entire cavern, which is also full of beasts awakens, and crumbles down on them. Danso disappears into a whirlpond with a beast and while the others survive the cave in, they are immediately swept away in a tsunami wave, their fate also uncertain.

Back in Bassa, the Man Beyond the Lake marches on Bassa, assaulting the Great Dome and Nem is forced to flee with everyone else in Bassa, becoming a refuge and heading to Whudasha.

Overall, I really have enjoyed this series so far. It’s got a lot of politics, a unique magic system, power struggles, violence, betrayal, characters that I really like, and it’s fast paced with the enemy shifting regularly. Anxiously awaiting the release of book 3!

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading the second book in The Nameless Republic series, I cannot fathom how there are not more people reading and enjoying this series! And also, I want every series novelist to give me a Story So Far from now on, especially when there's a year or more between book releases. That was such a helpful start to this book.

As with most second books of a series, this book is clearly meant to bridge the gap and build up to events happening in future books. There's a lot of movement and action but most of the plot is actually in the political machinations happening all around. For me, as a person who loves that kind of thing, I really enjoyed this book, but it will possibly be a slow read for many. What I loved about this book was the level of transformation happening for each character and for the entire continent of Oon. When we start, Danso is very against practicing with the red ibor and is in deep depression due to the events of the first book, but by the end, he is on a completely different path that makes me wonder what kind of person will return to us in the next installment. Is he developing into a hero or into another villain? Esheme, too faces some extremes this book, though not to the extent of her story in Son of the Storm. But the lengths she will go to gain power are really put on display in this book, as is her inexperience at keeping it. Lilong, who we've known as driven to protect her family and her people, is faced with many truths that cause her to question if she knows the right way to do so, and her decisions on that front shift fully in many ways by the end.

We also meet some new characters that really push continental transformation by the end of the novel and perhaps might change the nature of Bassa forever. The Nameless faction and the Man Beyond the Lake may not be working together but together they spell deep trouble for the Red Emperor and the elite of Bassai. The Nameless faction in particular interests me because of how they grew out of the original revolution that set Esheme on the throne into what they are now, and their ease with putting ruthlessness on display. (There are also many other characters that we meet in the last third of the book that I'm so invested in learning more about, but I won't discuss them here because of spoilers. But I reeeally hope we get more of their story later, especially Turay.)

All of these characters come together to create some great political intrigue! We also learn more about the world of Ooon and see new parts of it, including some that have been teased since book one. Okungbowa also continues to make diversity a clear part of this series with amazing characters like Igan and Ifiot, and relationships like Oke, Ugo, and Alaba's. It's a masterwork in how to include people of all types and lifestyles without making any character seem odd or different. Given how this book ends, I wonder if The Nameless Republic will be a trilogy or a series and hope deeply for the latter. These first two books have been a treat to read, not to mention they have some of the most beautiful cover artwork around. Getting to read more than three of them would be a joy.

I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway and am giving my honest review.

[Kelv Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spoiler Free Review

This was another immense book. I didn't spend more than two days reading this, and that's a huge accomplishment 😅 right now for me. Yeah, I have been suffering from a terrible case of reading slump 🤒 since July, but to my review, I didn't feel any overwhelming 😢 desire to drop the book and run around my room screaming, sorry back to the review.

So for those who don't know this, "Warrior of the Wind" is the second book in the Nameless Republic trilogy, and while it's set in a world inspired by various African cultures and traditions, it still identifies as its own thing, while insignificant ethnocentrisms and color prejudices still is a major tension in the two books. It doesn't overpower the narrative and plot and allows readers to actually be invested in the events taken.

In this world of The Nameless Republic, the source of the supernatural power is Ibor, a powerful mineral that contains power that can be drawn upon by only a few users, called Iborworkers, to perform supernatural feats. One of these feats is spoiler (or not) control of the dead🧟‍♂️💀

So, book two introduces new characters like Kangala and Ifiot. Without any spoilers, Kangala is a kingpin character with a deep desire to be on top without caring who he mows down to get there, Ifiot is the new leader of the resistance, whose shyness, cunning and calculating stance that helps score this book more points with me.

While the main characters journey to the Nameless islands, it's a mixed bag of good and bad as the characters suffer (Danso) from the aftermath of the happenings of the first book.

Book two is heavy on depression (Danso), expressiveness (Lilong) and the insecurities that lead to making bad decisions(Esheme)

While I do have my critiques, they are filled with spoilers, and I will be saving them for later, fill free to check that out after reading the book.

Yeah, if you are new to the series, check out book one's


Spoilers


Nem's chapters remain one of the best in this book, I didn't know if its me just loving the way an intuitive mind creates plans upon plans. This character is delightful to read 👏

One thing that also impressed me was the relationship she has with her daughter, if I were reading from another's character perspective, Nem would appear cold and calculating whose dabble in wickedness and ruthless acts got her daughter the seat of powe, indirectly grooming her daughter for the positionof red emperor, but reading through Nem's eyes reveals otherwise not that she isn't cold in her demeanour but why, simply because she has to protect that which is her's (her daughter) no matter how unkind she must appear to the world or the one person she loves the most which contrary to what other readers might think isn't her own self but her daughter.

The heist
Sincerely I think Danso's part to play in that plot is unnecessary, surely they could have looked for a better distraction, maybe something like creating a boom in the towns square, loud enough to draw the security away 🤔 or something else that felt less distant from the plot at the moment, just my opinion.

The ending was great, I hope there isn't a time jump. I would like to continue from when book 2 left of, cause ding ding there is supposed to be an apocalyptic event coming and the impact need to be felt by all sides of this world ❤️

[Brittney Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Star Rating: 4 stars
Date: 11/17/23 – 11/23/23

Note: This is the 2nd book in the Nameless Republic series so this will not be an in-depth review.

After finding out that the 2nd book in the Nameless Republic, Warrior of the Wind, was coming out, I added it to my most anticipated releases list, especially since I really enjoyed the 1st book when it came out. This novel continues the story of Danso, a young jail or storyteller who due to a series of circumstances, ends up going on an adventure outside of his xenophobic country and discovers that not only is the world a lot bigger than he ever imagined, but that his country has potentially been doctoring the history and actively lying to their own people. This deeply upsets him and he makes a promise to use his storyteller skills to bring the truth to his people.

My favorite thing about this story was the themes/troupes, which if you have been following my reviews for any length of time, you shouldn’t be surprised. In this book, we have the theme/troupe of history being hidden and having to be rediscovered, which again, if you’ve been paying attention, you know this is my all-time favorite theme/troupe and one that I actively seek out. However, we also have the theme of power and its responsibility/potential to corrupt, and this is the main theme of the book and we explore it through many different lenses- through the lens of government, the lens of magic, and the lens of the individual and their motivations. Each of our main characters and a lot of our side characters go on personal journeys where they learn the pitfalls of power and reading about their individual journeys was one of my favorite things about this book.

However, this book was not perfect as it seemed to me that although Okungbowa is headed in the right direction with his writing and shows true and major promise, he isn’t quite there yet. The world-building in this book is very interesting as it pulls a lot from pre-colonial West African folklore and culture (Okungbowa’s own culture), which is great for this kind of story as that culture has a strong storytelling component which meshes well with the hidden/rediscovering history theme. Making the main character a jail or storyteller was also a masterstroke as he would be the one most likely to rediscover hidden history in a culture like this. However, I wish we got more of the stories that he was learning and that the ones we did get were placed better in the narrative. It was almost as if Okungbowa had the world-building, he just wasn’t entirely sure where and when to incorporate into the novel, which since this is only his third ever book is understandable as those skills come with experience in most cases. I think that as he continues to write more novels, he will develop those skills because it does seem like he has them, he just lacks the confidence to employ them to the best of his ability.

All in all, I am really enjoying this series because as I said Okungbowa shows great potential. I will continue to read his work whenever it comes out, and I also feel that it is a good place to enter the genre if you’re new to it. 4 stars!!!!!!!!

[Dima · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story starts immediately after the previous instalment ends. Esheme continues to struggle to assert her rule with Nem trying to actually manage the day-to-day running of the empire, while Danso and Lilong are in hiding but planning to back to the latter's home and begin addressing the issue that gave rise to the whole story in the first instance. We also encounter some old characters (mainly Oke), as well as new ones (mainly Kangala, the warlord/businessman), and learn more about the desertlands and the islands. We also see a bit more of the swamplands and understand some of their lives and frustrations. The story, though, is essentially that of emerging political discrod and the fraying of the empire that Esheme built up, caused, in many ways, by Esheme's immaturity and lack of governance skills.

The book follows the previous one's style closely, and is well paced and dynamic in its writing. The characters are again vivid and energetic, with a healthy balance of emotional angst sprinkled with altruism enveloped by self-preservation. The dialogues are punchy and credible.

I particularly liked some of the new characters that emerged, with Kangala and his children being the main novelty. They came across as excptionally colourful, supplementing the previous set of protagonists with a shrewd and ruthless dominant figure.

The main thing I disliked was the immense difficulty in linking this book to the previous one. The synopsis of the previous book presented at the beginning of this one was either badly written or insufficient. I felt like the author left me alone in the middle of the desert, asking me to remember the way back home after being shown it only once. It took me a long time to get into the rhythm again, and the first 20-30% of the book were unnecessarily painful as a result.

I also liked the story itself less. While naturally there is less newness here vs the previous book, this book deals a lot more with political stability and power struggles. While this, in itself, is ok, it's not really new or interesting, and I can't say it was super well executed. I struggled also with the rather simple motivations of our main characters, and I felt they lacked the depth that some of the decisions they make requires (especially in the last scene of the book).

Overall, I highly recommend it to anyone interested in fantasy with a strong African theme. It's a well written book that reads well, and, while it won't necessarily be memorable, the little that remains are pleasant echoes of an overall enjoyable experience.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of the book in return for an honest review.

[Leah M]

Thank you to Orbit and Angela Man for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

DNF @ page 102/480 (~21%)

CONTENT WARNING (as provided by author): albinism, animal death, artificial insemination, blood/gore, caste and class segregation, colorism and discrimination, death, pregnancy loss and miscarriages, murder, PTSD and anxiety, violence, and xenophobia.

Let me start this review out by saying that I genuinely try as hard as possible to read and review every book that a publisher is kind enough to send me a copy of. With that being said, I’m sure that everyone understands that not every book is for every reader.

There’s an eye-catching and stunning cover, and while I was lukewarm on the first book, I received this book in the mail and decided to give it a try anyway. The author begins the book with a recap of significant events in the story thus far, which is always appreciated on my end. It’s not easy to remember everything between books when I don’t binge read them, and I don’t always have time to reread, so an author-provided recap is ideal—they remind us of the important things before we jump into the continuation of the story.

The world-building is what really blew me away in the last book, but the characters kind of left me a little cold. I found it really hard to connect with them, and that was a concern for me in this book. As it turns out, I was right to be worried. In this book, the stage was already set and the story followed the characters on their various paths. But for me, I never really connected with any of the characters because I found each of them to be relatively distasteful. They’re all flawed, which I expect to see in characters, but not a single one was likable at any point in the first book.

I struggled with this book early on, but found myself putting it down and having a hard time wanting to pick it up again. I didn’t find the characters to be any more likable in this book, and up until where I stopped reading, it simply followed the characters around. This character went here and did this, that character stayed here and did this, these characters were doing this, and I just couldn’t get invested in the story or the characters. Rather than push myself through the entire book only to rate it poorly, I’d rather just admit that it isn’t the right book for me and move on to another book. And since I didn’t read enough of the story for much of the plot to make an appearance, I didn’t feel like it would be right for me to rate it. This would be a good fit if you like characters who are morally gray and can handle unlikable characters, stories based on precolonial Western Africa, and complex political fantasies.