When We Ruled: The Rise and Fall of Twelve African Queens and Warriors

by Paula Akpan

Njinga Mbande
Nana Yaa Asantewaa
Makobo Modjadji VI
Ranavalona the First

These queens and warriors ruled vast swathes of the African continent, where they led, loved and fought for their kingdoms and people. Their impact can still be felt today, and yet, beyond the lands they called home, so few of us have ever heard their names.

In When We Ruled, historian Paula Akpan takes us into the worlds of these powerful figures, following their stories and how they came to rule and influence the futures of their people. Through deep research and discovery, Akpan will uncover new truths and grapple with uncomfortable realities, allowing us to be immersed in countless moments of bravery, intrigue and, for some, the unravelling of their rule.

With reigns spanning from pre-colonial Nigeria to the rich lands of Rwanda, and from Ancient Egypt to apartheid South Africa, these rulers shed a new light on gender politics in these regions, showing how women were celebrated and revered before colonising powers took hold, and continue to be long after.

In this game-changing narrative of twelve lives, Akpan takes us on a spellbinding, enrapturing and immersive history that is nothing short of revelatory.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Africa, Feminism

416 pages, Hardcover

Published June 3, 2025

Reviews

[Brendan (History Nerds United) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paula Akpan totally called me out in the conclusion of her excellent When We Ruled. Okay, not me specifically, but people like me. She says that she hopes those who were looking for a "straight-forward" history (me! That's me!) realized that such a thing for the characters her book was impossible. I agree with her, and even better, it did not diminish my enjoyment.

Akpan looks at various queens and warriors from across the continent of Africa. I have never been so helpless trying to pronounce names in my life but luckily I will not be asked to say them out loud. Akpan does her best to fill in the historical record, but as she says in the conclusion, there is only so much that can be done on that front.

Akpan instead fills in what we do know while also filling out some of the narrative with personal interviews she did with various experts. Normally, I am not a fan of the author inserting themselves. It often feels like they are trying to be the story. Akpan makes herself another set of eyes for the reader, however. I also found these diversions as a great way to recenter the reader. So much of the history she presents is foreign to someone like me who is steeped in American/European tradition that it felt like a quick chance to reset your brain while still learning something.

Another superlative part of the book was Akpan's willingness to engage with questions I would have if I chatted with her. Specifically, she discusses the good and bad of the recent movie The Woman King. It was another chance to help even a novice on African history (me, I mean me again) to connect even more strongly with the material.

My singular nitpick is unfortunately out of Akpan's hands. The chapters can be hit or miss on truly connecting with the main subject. Akpan can't make up history, but it did feel like there is so much missing from the historical record for some rulers that I was left wanting more. As I said, a minor nitpick and not a reason for anyone to shy away from this book. It's a heck of a read.

Just please don't ever ask me to tell you how to pronounce anything.

(This book was provided as an advance copy by the publisher.)

[Balthazarinblue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here you will find warrior queens, dynastic queens, martyr queens. Queens who live in seclusion, and queens who were sought out, far and wide, for their wise counsel. Queens who fought for their sons to rule. Queens who consolidated power in their own names. Here are queens whose lands were eaten away by colonial incursion and queens who played competing colonial powers against each other to ensure their own survival. A Queen who threw missionaries off a tower when they refused to leave her island.

What links all these queens is how Akpan has had to tease their stories from the margins of traditional, Western history. As she explains in her concluding notes, WHEN WE RULED is not a straightforward biography of twelve African queens because such a book cannot be written. Some of these women exist only in the folktales they have left behind, nation founding traditions that elide the Western lines between history and legend. Some of them can only be seen in the stories of their sons and husbands, or reflected back in colonial letters that refer to them as stubborn and troublesome. For some their story is well known but filtered through the biases and assumptions of those who ruled after. Akpan is honest that her interpretation of these women may not be anymore accurate in its assumptions. She encourages readers to think critically and deconstruct WHEN WE RULED as we would any other academic source.

Akpan traveled to the modern day African countries where these queens had their seats of power, examining not just the physical artifacts dating to their reigns but also speaking firsthand to indigenous scholars, collecting common knowledge from the everyday people she runs into, and in some cases, tracking down descendants of the monarchs! The travelogue elements of WHEN WE RULED interested me the most. Akpan does an admirable job sketching the architecture, historic and modern, of the places she visits, and recording her feelings as she is confronted with the good and bad she uncovers. She's a great interviewer. She draws people out, giving them space to share. Some of the most interesting information is found in the discussions she had with others.

All in all, I highly recommend this for anyone interested in African history. I believe it is an accessible read even for complete beginners to to the topic, but it doesn't hold your hand. WHEN WE RULED expects you to pay attention to what is being said.

[lucy is reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the kind of history I love learning, and reading about. Beautifully researched, it takes the stories of 12 queens and placing them in their context to give larger insights into womanhood, sexuality and colonialism. I was in awe of the depth and detail this book holds, and the way that Paula seamlessly writes.

Charting the lives of 12 powerful rules across Africa, this pioneering work shows how multifaceted their lives were. It highlights both the good and bad, and how complex hierarchical structures are.

This isn’t a standard biography of 12 people; it’s an investigation into the complex narratives around imperialism, and its lasting impact. It’s about the lack of notice women have received in history, and the way there’s still obscured now. It challenges how we write and read histories by showing the inherent bias we hold as scholars.

Thank you to the publisher for my copy. All thoughts are my own.

[Ajay · Rating 1 out of 5]

When We Ruled: The Rise and Fall of Twelve African Queens and Warriors by Paula Akpan arrives with an exciting and vital premise: to tell the stories of twelve powerful African queens and warriors. Through deep research, Akpan sheds light on the lives of figures spanning Nigeria, Rwanda, Egypt, and South Africa, exploring their political influence, military prowess, and the gender dynamics of their time.

The book excels in its commitment to nuance. These aren't simply puff pieces; the author grapples with uncomfortable realities, balancing the subjects' bravery and intrigue with their brutality. Many of these characters are not heroes. The stories provide a fascinating glimpse into the power and influence of women in Africa before colonization, a perspective often missing from mainstream historical narratives.

Despite the fascinating subject matter, I struggled to stay fully engaged throughout the book. While there is a wealth of new and valuable information, the chapters can be hit-or-miss and I struggled to see overarching themes.

[Angelina Titeryakova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I loved it and would recommend.
I love the perspective, the style, and the whole process that Akpan went through to collect data, both historical and modern-day. I really didn't expect to have the modern-day affiliations as part of the historical journey of these African women, which really enriched the narrative for me. I will say that ( I do not know why, honestly) I was expecting most, if not all of the women to be from ancient times, but although they were from 'newer' times, I still enjoyed it (although I didn't think I would). The only thing that kind of bothers me is that I felt that the historical data was quite limited, but AKpan still managed to tell their stories. Another thing I loved is that it is not just dry facts, but a point of view and a soft commentary.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC copy

[l bagnall · Rating 2 out of 5]

Personally, I found it a bit more academic and historical than I usually enjoy, and I struggled to stay fully engaged. However, I appreciated the effort Akpan puts into making these histories accessible, especially with modern reflections woven in. The book does a great job of highlighting African leaders, cultures, and achievements that often get overlooked.

If you’re someone who enjoys non-fiction about history, culture, and identity, I think this book could be a very rewarding read. It’s well-researched and thoughtfully written, just not quite my usual style. I’d recommend it to anyone interested in broadening their knowledge of African history or looking for a fresh, decolonised perspective on the past.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

“I would like to thank the publishers for the advance copies of this book sent to our book club to read and review.”
When We Ruled brings important, overlooked histories to light, focusing on Black women and gender-expansive people across the globe. I really respect what Paula Akpan set out to do here. That said, the book reads more like a textbook than a flowing narrative. It’s dense, a bit disjointed, and definitely more academic in tone. Great for readers deeply into decolonial or feminist history, but not the most accessible if you’re looking for something more engaging or story-driven. Valuable content, but a tough read.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twelve African Women from across the continent - rulers, leaders, warriors and more. Some of these women I had already come across in the history books, and some were new to me. Paula Akpan does an excellent job of telling their stories.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went to see Akpan speak on her book tour and was really captivated by her insights and the discussion about the book. Reading the book was not as engaging (obviously) and some of the chapters lost me. But it is clearly well-researched and I learned a lot.

[Saralyn]

I particularly liked her conversations with taxi drivers and such.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An epic attempt to uplift and centre and understand the leading women and genderqueer rulers and warriors in African history.

The text is well-researched, either with sources or interviews, most of which required the author to travel to the places where these vibrant and often overlooked historical figures lived, ruled, and made history, no matter how marginalized.

Each chapter introduces necessary contextual details for the average reader. This makes the text feel decentred from the historical figures at its core. Yet, many of these histories are likely to be unknown to most, as they are not required reading or even well represented in English materials, so it was truly useful to have access to these columns.

Some figures we know little about. Some we have to rely on guesswork to understand. Some were pivotal even if not in leading positions. All are intriguing and complicated figures with legacies of which most of us are completely unaware.

I also appreciated the careful inclusion of likely genderqueer figures and the discussion about why and what we know and don't know.

Thank you to Edelweiss+ and Pegasus Books | Simon & Schuster for the advance copy.

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fascinating group of stories of strong female leaders in Africa.

Focused on family, tribe and community, the way Paula Akpan had written the book, it felt like you got to know these individuals, their fears and hopes, really well. I didn't know much about African history (apart from the stories of colonisation that I was taught at school), so I was really interested to learn more. I have a personal family history in Zimbabwe and South Africa so I always enjoy reading about those countries.

It was a fascinating book, and I'd recommend it for anyone who loves history, and female history in particular. The only thing that would have been useful for me was knowing more about where these territories fit into our current understanding of African geography. The ARC didn't include the maps that would have been included in the final edition, so I would have found these extremely helpful for context.

Thanks to Paula Akpan, NetGalley and publishers Trapeze for this ARC, in response for an honest review.