The Wind on Her Tongue

Daughter of Three Waters #2

by Anita Kopacz

In this lyrical and stirring companion to the “spellbinding” (Harper’s Bazaar) Shallow Waters, Oya—the Yoruban deity of the weather—is brought to life during 1870s America. Perfect for fans of Children of Blood and Bone and Black Sun.

Born in Cuba after her mother Yemaya’s adventures in the New World, Oya has inherited otherworldly powers from her Yoruba Orisha lineage. While Yemaya is known for her healing abilities, Oya’s influence over the storm proves to be destructive, posing a threat to her mother and the island’s safety.

Sent to New Orleans to study under Marie Laveau, the Queen of Voodoo, Oya begins a journey across the still young America, encountering a myriad of historical figures, including Mary Ellen Pleasant, Jesse James, Lew Hing, and more.

As Oya navigates the landscapes of racism, colorism, and classism, she grapples with her own identity and powers, striving to find her place in a fraught and complex society. A moving, vivid exploration of resilience, heritage, and the enduring spirit of a young woman coming into her own, The Wind on Her Tongue transports you to a world where magic and reality intertwine.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy

224 pages, Hardcover

Published January 21, 2025

Reviews

[Mai H. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Black History Month 2025 #7

I truly thought I was going to love this one. It started off with promise. I'm always interested in African lore, and while they mention Marie Laveau in the blurb, she is nowhere to be seen. This wasn't fun and witchy. It was boring and full of unnecessary drama. The plotline veers often.

📖 Thank you to Goodreads and Atria/Black Privilege Publishing

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Atria/Black Privilege Publishing

[Dona's Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finished Reading

Pre-Read notes

I've read quite a bit about this author and I'm excited to be introduced to her work. The writing is lovely, sensory. I haven't read her prior, related book, called Shallow Water, but I'm not having any trouble with that so far.

Final Review

Collette tosses the rattle to another handmaiden and grabs my waist with one arm and my hand in the other. She leads me in a dance the way a gentleman might. I have never danced that way. p46

Review summary and recommendations

This book left very little impression on me. I even thought about reading it again, but I did not like it enough to do that. I took very few notes, so my review will be patchy.

Honestly, things are kind of difficult for me right now, so it may be that I simply didn't concentrate well when I read this. I wouldn't hang my hat on any of these three stars, seriously.

Reading Notes

Three (or more) things I loved:

1. The writing is pleasing enough. Nice pace and rhythm to the prose. It's a bit simplistic and feels like YA to me, which then clashes with some of the more serious content.

2. Experimental timeline makes things interesting.

3. Wonderful character description, like the taxi driver smoking a pipe. He comes to life in only a few sentences!

Three (or less) things I didn't love:

This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.

1. The plot gets convoluted a third of the way through.

Rating: 🌬🌬🌬 /5 Winds on her tongue
Recommend? maybe
Finished: Jan 11 '25
Format: digital, NetGalley
Read this book if you like:
🪄 fantasy
🧜‍♂️ mythology
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 family stories
📚 in-series stand-alones
🟰 social justice stories

Thank you to the author Anita Kopacz, publishers Atria, and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of THE WIND ON HER TONGUE. All views are mine.
---------------

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc. I enjoyed this, but not as much as the first one. The pacing was all over the place, it was very slow in the beginning and once they left New Orleans it was so fast. I've realized Anita Kopacz loves her abrupt and dramatic endings. I liked a lot of the aspects of this, but it would have been a better read if it were more evenly paced and if we had done without the random Jesse James kidnapping and cameo. In the second half there were just too many things happening. Also would have liked to have her husband explained better, I still don't know if he's dead or just away at war. I will read the next one, it was an interesting tale and I am interested to see what comes next.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm, sadly not as good as the first book. Review to come! ⛈️

(FINAL REVIEW:)

This is the upcoming sequel to Shallow Waters, but instead focuses on Yemaya’s eldest daughter, Oya. While there were elements that I liked, there others that either didn’t work for me or just felt rushed in their description and depiction. 😕

Oya is a young woman in grief. Her lover has gone off to war (and for some reason isn’t mentioned for the rest of the book except in the past tense and flashbacks) and her daughter was stillborn. She’s then sent off by her mother to the voodoo queen of New Orleans, Marie, to heal and learn to control her powers. While she’s mature for her age, she makes rash decisions and is quick to judge. Compared to her mother, I just wasn’t wowed by her like I wanted to be and almost bored with her. 😬

I did like the explanation of what her, her siblings, and mother were in this book, but I feel like it would’ve made a bit more sense in the first book where I was more confused by it there than here. I also thought the events of the first half of the book were drawn out compared to the speeding train that was the last half. My honest reaction when I finished the last page was muttering “what the hell?” under my breath for a good minute because I couldn’t believe it just ended like that. 🤨

The last thing that felt really out of place to me was that of the inclusion of Jesse James to the plot. Why use him for the story and then just suddenly stop? What was the whole point of using him as if he was a big key figure when he literally disappears from the plot within 30-something pages of the story after he was first introduced? ☹️

I’m just a bit confused with this plot and can’t really understand why it felt both incredibly slow and far at the same time. I have a feeling I know who the following book will be about, so here’s to hoping my prediction is right! A big thank you goes to Atria Books for reaching out with this chance to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. I really wanted to like this second installment of Orishas in the US, but hope it picks back up again for the next book! ❤️

Publication date: January 21!

Overall: 3/5 ⭐️

[Kathy Kennerley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it! Oya's beautiful story begins at her most grim moment but then she slowly flourishes among the helpful acquaintances she meets on her journeys. Her experiences are sometimes heartbreaking and sometimes exhilarating but always uplifting. The wise words spoken by her guides were very thought provoking and the author's storytelling flows so smoothly that the pages flew by. I very much enjoyed this mystical yet historically accurate novel. ARC edelweiss.com

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to the author for a free *signed* ARC (Advanced Reader's Copy)!!!

This is the sequel to "Shallow Waters". It is about Oya, the daughter of Yemaya. Oya is sent away from Cuba to live with a voodoo woman, Marie, in New Orleans to learn how to control her powers and overcome the loss she faced (a miscarriage/stillbirth). Oya eventually heads for San Francisco and on the way encounters American outlaw Jesse James and makes a connection with a native tribe.

This is a coming of age story that is a combination of genres (historical fiction, mythology, and magical realism). Oya does a lot of growing over the course of the novel and there is a lot of action, as well as some romance, and racial tension in the book (against Black, Native American, and Chinese people). *Trigger warning for some of the slurs/language used*. The story is fast paced and an easy read. The only thing I felt was that the ending was very abrupt, a lot happened quickly and then seemed to halt. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this story and am excited to re-read it again by listening to it on audiobook once it is available! If you liked Shallow Waters, you must read this!!

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This second book in The daughter of three waters trilogy sees Yemaya's daughter, Oya, a Cuban born woman travelling to late 19th century New Orleans where she goes to learn how to control her powers from a famous Voodoo Queen. Having being born with the ability to influence the weather, Oya poses a threat to both her mother and home island but life in the New World proves to be just as dangerous.

Filled with a cast of famous historical figures, fascinating African mythology and magic, Black resistance and feminine power, plus moving mother-daughter relationships, this was a solid continuation of the series that was also really well done on audio narrated by the author's daughter.

Recommended for fans of books like River Mumma by Zalika Reid-Benta and the Children of blood and bones series. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review and @simon.audio for a complimentary ALC. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens in the third and final book!

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dreamy, descriptive tale of a young woman with magical powers. This is the 2nd in a series and although other readers suggest this can be a standalone, I felt I missed part of the overarching tale. I would suggest reading the first book before this one. There is a captivating quality to the writing and plot that draws readers in and keeps them engaged. I received my copy from the publisher through edelweiss.

[Greyson · Rating 4 out of 5]

100% A REREAD REREAD REREAD!!

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The Wind on Her Tongue by Anita Kopacz is a first person-POV historical fantasy imagining the Yoruban weather deity, Oya, in America in the 1870s. When Oya miscarries her first child, she is sent from Cuba to New Orleans to study under Marie, a Queen of Voodoo, to learn more about her power over storms. Oya will be confronted with a world of racism, colonization, and classism on a whole new scale.

One of the things I really appreciated was the focus on Black and Indigenous beauty. Oya has her hair styled by two different women and admires their skills and she notices the way Ozata, an Indigenous woman, does her own hair. Attention is drawn to rich, deep skin tones, full lips, and celebrating the physical diversity of the cast. There is such a strong love for Black and brown bodies in Oya’s POV and that love is present from page one all the way to the end.

Being set in the 1870s, the story is around the time the Civil War has ended, slavery has been deemed illegal (though anti-Black racism is far from over), the Chinese Exclusion Act is just around the corner, and Indigenous people are still fighting for their rights. Through Oya’s eyes, we see a snapshot of a time when America was being built off the backs of people of color and yet they were dehumanized at every turn. There are multiple uses of racial slurs and the racism feels fairly period accurate, including Oya being forced to the back of the train because she’s a Black woman. While some things have changed for the better, in the year 2025, we can still see some of these attitudes today, but it’s important to see where we were so we can try to do better in the future.

Content warning for depictions of miscarriage, giving birth, pregnancy, and period accurate racism

I would recommend this to readers looking for a historical fantasy with rich prose and fans of historical fantasy that don’t shy away from the reality of the time period

[Chira · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this, but ultimately wanted to like it more. It's surprisingly short for how much is packed into it, which I think does a disservice to Oya's story and what Kopacz brings to it - there's enough that happens and enough that Oya has to work through that it could easily be almost three books, one for each part. As it is, the changes between each and from situation to situation often feel choppy, almost as if picked up and put down by Oya's storms, especially comparing the healing slower start in New Orleans to the fast-paced end in San Francisco.

The inclusion of so many historical figures as characters is interesting, especially against the magical realism of the setting and the almost immediacy with which so many people recognize Oya for who she is. I love the sense of reincarnation and souls belonging to the land and each other.

Aside from the choppiness, a lot of where it faltered for me is when the story left new Orleans - it was so well-rooted there in community and in the city itself that you could smell the gumbo and hear the city around you as you read. Moving west, it starts to lose that, but especially in San Francisco, where I kept getting thrown out by details instead of drawn in by them (eucalyptus didn't make it out of Australia until the 1850s, and the big colonial push for it in CA to replace native trees was in the 1880s, so Oya knowing how to use it for healing and it being everywhere felt really jarring, especially compared to how much the spirit of the land is valued everywhere else in the book; the Chinese population would have been speaking Cantonese, not Mandarin; some of the geography felt really off, etc). The ending was also so abrupt that the last chapter I was almost entirely just shaking my head going "wait what's going on". I think a lot would have been helped if there had been more books or more time to explore all the topics Kopacz has Oya encounter.

[Atlas · Rating 3 out of 5]

🌬 🌬 🌬 /5 Winds on Her Tongue

Thank you to Atria Books for the ARC!

This book left very little impression on me. I even considered rereading it, but I honestly didn’t enjoy it enough to do that. I took very few notes while reading, so my review will be somewhat patchy.

To be fair, things are a bit difficult for me right now, so it’s possible that I simply didn’t concentrate well. I wouldn’t hang my hat on these three stars too firmly.

Three Things I Loved:

✔️ The writing has a nice rhythm and pacing. The prose is simple, almost YA-like, which contrasts with some of the more serious themes.
✔️ The experimental timeline adds intrigue.
✔️ The character descriptions are vivid and effective—like the taxi driver smoking a pipe, who comes to life in just a few sentences!

Three Things That Didn’t Work for Me:

❌ The plot becomes convoluted about a third of the way through.
❌ Oya, the protagonist, didn’t engage me as much as I hoped. While mature for her age, she makes rash decisions and is quick to judge. Compared to her mother, I wasn’t wowed by her and sometimes felt bored. 😬
❌ The pacing felt uneven—the first half dragged, while the second half rushed to the finish. The abrupt ending left me muttering, “What the hell?” 🤨

A particular oddity was the inclusion of Jesse James. He seemed poised to play a significant role, only to disappear within 30 pages of being introduced. What was the point? ☹️

I did appreciate the deeper explanations of the characters’ origins in this book, though I wish they had been clearer in the first installment when I was more confused. Overall, while I loved Shallow Waters, this sequel didn’t grip me the same way. I’ll still keep an eye out for the next book, hoping for a stronger narrative! ❤️

Read this book if you like:

🪄 Fantasy
🧜‍♂️ Mythology
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family stories
📚 In-series stand-alones
🟰 Social justice themes

[Haerlee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I extend my gratitude to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. I did not read the first book, so I was not familiar with the story of Yemaya from Kopacz's mythology. Nonetheless, this story of Yemaya's daughter, Oya, provides sufficient detail that I did not feel as though I missed too much. The narrative introduces us to Oya in a strange land under precarious circumstances. We encounter Marie and other vividly described characters, but I felt we left New Orleans before I fully understood whether Oya—and consequently, the reader—achieved our objectives. Later, Oya travels westward by train, encountering historical figures and people of various races, genders, and identities. These journeys include historical references that intrigued me, and I felt a stronger connection during these travels than I did in New Orleans. Overall, I liked this book, but I really wanted to love it. It hinted at magical realism, which I adore, and offered a new mythological perspective on beloved African deities that I wish I understood better, but it was more suggestive than substantive. As it is a companion book, I am uncertain whether I would recommend it for book clubs. Moreover, it does not firmly establish itself in the canon of literature exploring spiritual heritage in a way that I would include it in a syllabus, but it serves as an enjoyable escape. And I believe we could all use a bit of that right now.

[Jasminegalsreadinglog · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Wind on Her Tongue by Anita Kopacz is actually a sequel, which I didn’t realize when I picked it up. That definitely made it harder to follow at first, but I got into the rhythm of the story and figured things out as I went.

The book follows Oya, who’s sent from Cuba to New Orleans for her safety. She has powerful magical abilities and must navigate her destiny while dealing with deep loss and grief. It’s set in the 1800s, so there are heavy themes of racism, segregation, and white supremacy woven into the story. The writing is lyrical and beautifully suits the characters and the tone of the book.

While this is described as magical realism, I’m not sure that term fits perfectly here. A lot of the rituals and spiritual practices feel more like cultural traditions than fantasy, which adds a layer of authenticity that I really appreciate.

What stood out to me most was the resilience of the people in this story. Despite everything they faced, they didn’t give up. Their strength, hope, and determination to stay true to their roots left a powerful impression. That said, I do wish Oya’s journey had been fleshed out more. The ending felt a bit rushed, and I didn’t fully connect with her arc by the conclusion.

Overall, this was a beautifully written story with important themes. Thank you to Atria Books and Atria Black Privilege Publishing for the chance to read it.

CW: Slurs, child loss, racism, and gun violence

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oya is a young woman who was born in Cuba. Oya has inherited otherworldly powers from her mother, Yemaya. While Yemaya had powers of healing, Oya's powers are creating and influencing storms, which make her a threat to the people around her and the island.

The story is set in the 1870s. Yemaya sends her daughter to New Orleans to study under Marie Laveau, who is the Queen of Voodoo. Laveau works with Oya to learn how to control her powers.

The book follows Oya's adventures after she arrives in New Orleans. Her life ultimately takes her on travels through the west, and ultimately ending up in San Francisco. Along the way, she encounters numerous historical figures including Jesse James, Native Americans trying to save their land, and other memorable characters that impact her life.

While this is a story of Oya and her powers, it's also a story of racism in early America and how Oya learns to find her way in a place where people fear her for more than one reason.

I really enjoyed the overall story and loved Oya's character. I did feel that some of the pieces were a bit out of place, including the appearance of Jesse James and his obsession with Oya, which then just as suddenly disappeared. I also felt like the ending was a bit rushed. But overall, a short and entertaining read.

I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's an interesting story. Oya needs to learn how to control her great gift. Marie Laveau guides her with help from a set of twins. And then she is drawn to make a cross country journey.

I liked the book, but I liked the first part where Oya was in New Orleans better than the latter part of the book. It seemed richer in description. Later on, it felt more superficial to me. The story in San Francisco didn't seem as well described as the part in New Orleans until close to the end.

Otherwise, it was interesting to see how Oya learned to control her gift and what she could do with it once it was under control. Told from Oya's point of view, the voice was like a whisper in your ear for much of the book. It was as if she was telling you the story over a cup of tea. And it was interesting to get some of the bits about her mother. I didn't read the first book, but this seems to work as a standalone and also as a continuation. And, I felt the ending was a little abrupt. It came at a logical point in the story, but just seemed to come quickly. I suppose it paves the way for either more about her in another book or sets up the next book to be about the next generation.

I gave this book 4 stars. I would definitely recommend it to people who enjoy magical realism stories. And I would also recommend it to people who like their magic to occur in historical settings.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher through NetGalley. This did not influence my review. All opinions within are my own.

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this fascinating and magical new novel, readers follow Oya, who inherited otherworldly powers from her mother Yemaya and her Yoruba Orisha ancestors. Oya’s powers influence storms, which makes life in Cuba dangerous, so she leaves her mother and her home for New Orleans to study under Marie Laveau. As she studies to control her power, Oya must navigate the complex racial and class tensions of the United States, and her time as Marie Laveau’s student brings her in contact with Mary Ellen Pleasant, Jesse James, Lew Hing, and many other figures from early United States history. Dealing with power, identity, heritage, and social navigation, readers will love the messages and incredible world building in this unique magical realist novel. Perfect for fans of Jesmyn Ward, the beautiful magical system and the intriguing web of historical figures and events really pull readers into the story and do an excellent job bringing the story to life. Oya is a fascinatingly complex character whose personal internal struggles really pull readers into the story and make her an excellent protagonist. The story is well-written, immersive, and exciting, and readers will love this blend of historical fiction and fantasy in Oya’s remarkable and compelling story.

Thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Atria/Black Privilege Publishing for the advance copy.

[Barbara Schultz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Title: The Wind on Her Tongue
Series: Daughter of Three Waters Trilogy Book #2
Author: Anita Kopacz
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Atria Books/Atria Books Black Privilege Publishing
Pub Date: January 21, 2025
My Rating: 3.4 Stars
Pages: 224

Genre is listed as Historical Fiction however it also includes mythology, and magical realism.

Yemaya is a mermaid and lived in the shallow waters off the coast of West Africa, she married Obatala a fisherman and they have a daughter Oya.
Oya was born in Cuba and has inherited powers from her Yoruba Orisha heritage. She is the Orisha of the storm, wind and weather.
She is sent to New Orleans to study and live with Marie Laveau a voodoo woman, who will teach Oya how to control her powers and overcome the loss of the stillbirths and the miscarriages.
Although there are many variations about Oya – you will be pleased to read on!

Story was certainly different from my normal psychological thrillers. Sometimes I like to change it up a bit-it did have me curious

Want to thank NetGalley and Atria Books/Atria Books Black Privilege Publishing – for this uncorrected text copy.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for January 21, 2025.

[Sydney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Atria/Black Privilege Publishing for the ARC.

Oya has experienced a devastating travesty, one that she couldn’t deal with in her home in Cuba. So her mother sends her to New Orleans to a Voodoo Queen. Oya is thrust into a place where she doesn’t know the rules and her powers are out of her control.

I really think the characters in this book really shined. They were all very well written and I loved their personalities. I did think that some of them got over some trauma or difficulties extremely quickly but I didn’t think that it detracted from the characters. I really fell in love with them and I wanted to know so much more about them all.

I do think that this book actually suffered a little by being so short. There were parts of the story that seemed to just be told to the reader in order to get to the next point, including travel sequences or time between important events. It made the passage of time extremely difficult to follow. Additionally, the reader didn’t get to see all of the character development of characters. This made some of the character's development hard to follow and hard to believe.

Overall, I think that the characters and the talk of religion was extremely interesting but I think that some important development is missed.

[Patrice · Rating 3 out of 5]

In The Wind on Her Tongue, we meet Oya, the Yoruba deity (Orisha) of the weather. Oya is sent to New Orleans to heal after a miscarriage. Oya navigates the landscapes of racism, colorism, and classism; grappling with her own identity & power, striving to find her place in a fraught & complex society.

Likes:
-Based on African mythology/folklore
-Includes some characters from the 1st book
-Deals with themes on how we deal with grief & heal from it

Dislikes:
-Wish this story focused more on the relationship between Oya & her mother, Yemaya
-The secondary side stories added nothing to the story & came out of the blue

I enjoyed this 2nd installment in The Daughters of Three Waters Trilogy more than the 1st book. I wished the story would have stayed in Oya's homeland or New Orleans to chart her healing journey. When the story moved to California it started going off track, even though some favorite characters appeared again. To me this is still skewed to young adult readers. Overall, I gave this a 3.5 rating & I will read the last book in the series.

Thanks for reading this review. Check out my YouTube channel www.youtube.com/@TriceyReads for more book reviews & recommendations.

[Moth · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Wind on Her Tongue is historical fiction about Oya, a Yoruban deity, who ventures to New Orleans to recover from a traumatic miscarriage.
I wasn’t a huge fan of this, honestly. I should’ve DNFed it, but it was an ARC and I didn’t want to DNF. Even still, it took me almost three weeks to get through this because I couldn’t focus.
It’s fairly obvious, but know that this story does deal very heavily with childbirth and miscarriage (and includes a scene detailing the traumatic event). Even still, I felt like the emotional impact wasn’t as strong as it should’ve been.
Also, the pace was glacial. The synopsis mentions a cross-country journey that involves meeting tons of historical figures, but she doesn’t leave New Orleans until halfway through the book. Also, there are only a handful of historical figures in this story, and they’re not well-known (to me, at least) so there wasn’t much of an impact to their presence. I found that the historical figures had a super minor role that could’ve been interchanged with any fictional character.

CW: miscarriage; childbirth; child death; racism; gun violence; vomit; sexual content (brief)

[Savvy Library · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Arc provided for my honest review*

I was very excited to read this, I love stories that incorporate mythologies into daily lives, unfortunately this did not scratch that itch.

We follow a young adult 18-21/ish y.o. as she works to control her storm power and deal with the loss of her child, and navigate colorism in post slavery Louisiana. I loved the history of the book and there were some interesting pieces about voodoo and what the world was like then. For me I struggled with the characters complexity, and the tone. This book felt very YA even though she was pregnant before the start of the book. Also many things that could be some internal conflict or just have more thought behind them would just be resolved with a that's the way it is or she supposed it made sense.

I'm giving this a 3 stars because I did really like the history and some of the side characters, and I would pick up the first book in the series about the FMC's mother, but ultimately the younger way this was written and the flatness of the characters make it a lower rating.

[Karen Parisot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oya has power over storms. She can make the wind blow and the rain pour. Her power can be deadly and devastating too. Because she’s a danger to herself and others her mother has sent Oya to New Orleans to work with Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau to learn how to control her supernatural abilities. She eventually makes her way to San Francisco and along the way has a number of adventures and meets some famous people.
Fascinating story derived from the West African religion of Yoruba Orisha about a young woman’s journey of self-discovery. Amazing characters are what make this story so good. I especially loved the twins Cosette and Collette and Chantilly the Chinese chanteuse. It’s an entertaining read with some historical figures I’d never known about like Mary Ellen Pleasant, Thomas Bell and Lew Hing. My only disappointment was when I got to the last page and wanted more. Luckily I’ve discovered that there is more to come as this is the middle volume of a trilogy. Themes of racism, colorism and classism throughout. 4.5 stars

[Raelee · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I had first read this book when I was younger, I think I would probably have reread it dozens of times. This (and Shallow Waters) is the kind of book I LOVED when I was growing up: strong, kind, smart young lady has adventures while also teaching the reader about historic/mythic events and different cultures. There is just enough romance for sweetness, but not enough to be vulgar or cheesy (maybe a little cheesy, nicely cheesy). The female friendships are excellent, and there are so many great examples of chosen family. Also, I know others see this as a flaw, but I really enjoy books where most characters are good hearted. I like when things coincidentally keep working out for the main character, like when there’s a natural disaster but they somehow find the one person they’ve been looking for. Sometimes it’s just nice. This book is nice, and I really liked it. I hope a third book is coming in this series.

[Sarah-Hope · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I requested this title, I was hoping it might be something like Allende's The Island Beneath the Sea. Not that I wanted it to *be* The Island Beneath the Sea, but I wanted that sense of magic and female power. My experience with The Wind on Her Tongue was that it moved slowly and had the feel of a YA novel about it. It may be that the problem stems in part from the fact that it's a sequel to a book I haven't read, so I didn't come into it with a narrative line in my head that I wanted to pick up on.

If you like YA novels, if you like young, coming-into-their-own novels focusing on young women, if you're patient with reading between the lines for things unsaid, you may truly enjoy this novel. I just didn't.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.

[AJ ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was an interesting read! I will preface by saying I have not read the first one yet and plan to read it next.
This story left me wanting so much more context. I constantly felt like I was having just a taste. This did lead me to finishing the book quickly because I was constantly wanting more! Having prior knowledge of Orishas and Marie Laveau certainly helps otherwise some parts may not connect as deeply and details will be missed and not appreciated. The pace felt fast. I would’ve preferred a longer read with more details, I wanted more time with certain characters. Overall had my attention!! And I don’t typically read fiction. Quick and pleasant read I would recommend to anyone interested in novels depicting Orishas.

Trigger Warnings // Spoilers:

stillbirth, grief, violence, murder, racism, slurs

[Crystal Castillo · Rating 2 out of 5]

The novel attempts an ambitious scope, weaving together a wide range of themes, timelines, and figures. While this ambition is admirable, it ultimately leads to a somewhat inconsistent plot. The inclusion of well-known historical figures is an intriguing choice; however, their presence often feels contrived, as though the narrative were deliberately shaped to accommodate them rather than allowing their integration to occur organically.

The character development is layered, but not always cohesive, and at times the emotional depth of the protagonists is sacrificed in favor of moving the plot forward. The result is a novel that feels overextended—rich in ideas but occasionally lacking in narrative clarity.

[Whitney Weinberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a great smash up of different genres!
Mythology, magical realism and Historical Fiction.

I am a huge mythology fan and one of my top favorites is the Orisha. This is book 2 to Shallow Waters following the daughter of Yemaya; Oya, which Oya had powers almost opposite of her mother’s healing powers-powers of destruction. Oya leaves Cuba for New Orleans because she fears she is a danger to the island and wants to learn how to manage her powers under the tutelage of Marie Laveau, The Queen of Voodoo.

This series is super powerful and wonderful. Huge fan of the writing and the subject.

Thanks to netgalley and atria for an eARC

[Mia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oya is a young woman who has just lost a baby and has been sent to New Orleans to live with Marie Laveau, the famed voodoo queen.

This was an interesting premise for a story, with a lot of the historical magical realism that normally draws me in. Oya's character felt very juvenile, with her merely accepting things happening around her. The other characters felt very one-dimensional, as though they didn't exist outside of Oya's observations of them.

I enjoyed the mythology interspersed within the story and the vivid descriptions that the author gave. The story felt very magical.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy to review.

[Mary Ellen Anaka · Rating 2 out of 5]

Member Review



The Wind on Her Tongue

by Anita Kopacz

Pub Date: Jan 21 2025

Review by

Mary Ellen A, Reviewer

Last updated on Apr 27 2025

I wish I had read the first book of the series. I didn't realize that it was part of a series until after it was sent to me, and I accepted it. It was an interesting storyline, but I found it confusing at times. It jumped all over the place, especially in the second half of the book. I like folklore and historical fiction but I'm sorry, this book just didn't do it for me. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this story. I just wish I had enjoyed it more than I did.. I give it 2 out 5.