Winds of the Forest

Forestborn #1

by Dele Daniel

In the only surviving part of the earth sits the post-apocalyptic West-African Kingdom of Nayja. In the only place where humans still exist lives four tribes, the Kingfishers, the Ammirians, the Rowans and the Arnazuris but one tribe is dominant and must remain so.

Seventeen-year-old Genesis Romunda is one of the elite hunters of Black Forest, the Arnazuri community where there is no electricity except for solar-powered lamps sent from the capital, King's Forest.

Genesis, the only hunter not joining the rebellion that is stirring thanks to the rebel Hawks, is distraught that her father believes in the rebellion. Why join a stupid rebellion when you know you have no chance? Why believe in prophetic songs of Griots when you know they are merely fairy tales?

When she is chosen by the Central Royal Council as one of the first females to ever attend Promenade, the elite university at the capital, everything changes as her world is turned upside down.

337 pages, Paperback

Published December 26, 2017

About the author

After studying and working in different cities in England and the United States, Dele has finally adopted the city of Toronto as home. Dele is the Author of Winds of the Forest, the first book in the planned Forestborn young-adult series.

Reviews

[TEMI · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.2 STARS.

characters: 4/5
pacing: 4/4
actual substance of the story: 5/5
romance and/or significant friendships: 3/5
the writing: 4/4
creativity: 2/2

- 1 point for insufficient world-building

21/25

In this book, we are welcomed to the Kingdom of Nayja (likely a future Nigeria since it could be interpreted as "Naija") that has inhabitants of the Kingfisher, Rowan, Ammirian, and Arnazuri tribes. Genesis Romunda, a 17-year-old girl, is the only elite hunter of the Arnazuri tribe. She lives in the Black Forest with her parents, little brother, and no electricity.

After being invited to be one of the first females to attend Promenade, she believes it's a good opportunity to change the system that's constantly working against her tribe. She doesn't believe that the Hawks, a rebel group stemmed from the Arnazuris, are fighting back effectively.

At her new school, she's referred to as furniture, along with the other two girls in her class, by her teacher. They're to be seen but not to be heard. But the most unexpected person comes to her rescue to save her life and the two become a team that fights against the throne.

Y ' A L L. This book is really good. I may just be saying that because I appreciate everything Nigerian, but I hope not. The writing is good and clearly shows what's going on in the book. It's really immersing and this is the first time in a while I read half of a book in a day. (Leave me alone, I'm a slow reader.)

I was much more interested in the story rather than Genesis. I don't feel like she was very strongly written. She's kind of boring, but still somewhat relatable. And this is actually irrelevant, but I didn't enjoy how her 11-year-old brother was written like a five-year-old. I'm pretty sure he was described as being almost her height, but every time he was in view I imagined him running to Genesis and grabbing onto her leg, and that's just not something 11-year-old brothers do. I have one.

I changed my mind about 40 times, but the world-building is very confusing. It seemed a bit rushed, 98% was explained in the beginning and none of it made too much sense.

I didn't appreciate the romance at all. They would've been a way stronger duo as friends. IT'S OKAY FOR THE MAIN MALE AND FEMALE CHARACTERS TO BECOME BEST FRIENDS. You can find your friends attractive. And every time they were about to kiss it was so stupid agfdshghf. I feel like it was just for the readers to have a okay...almost there.......,..,.you got —aw! better luck next time moment. This is them about to kiss:



But yeah. Genesis and her little romantic interest could've cared about each other as friends. Whatever. I only really complain in my reviews, but this was great and I liked the message. A little irrelevant tangent here, but I got into some "college" for next year, and I'm going to be a computer science major, but I've been doubting my programming abilities. It's typically a male-dominated field, and I've had this mentality that everyone's gonna have a LOT more prior knowledge than me; but this book helped me realize that with the right grind (ew, I know) and proper motivation, I could be even better than them. My favorite quote from the book is, fortune favors those who don't take their position for granted. And I'm definitely not taking my benefits for granted and I plan to put as much work as possible into becoming a better programmer. End of tangent. Sorry about that.

Once again, this book is good. It's being aggressively slept upon. Please read it.

Also, it involves sexual assault.

Buddy-read with faith. And special thanks to Dele Daniel for sending me a free copy of this book!

[Shikha · Rating 5 out of 5]

The mind is a powerful weapon but a heart is far too easy to break.’

One of my favourite lines from this witty, intelligently written book.

A young adult series dotted with adventure, betrayal, love and friendship, this first book in Forestborn series takes you for a ride. What I loved about this book was it’s easy language, yet it had the power to hold you captive.

The story was detailed and well explained from the angle of all the characters. That’s another plus point of this book and the flow in between all story parts was as smooth as butter.

I loved how the author depicted the humane emotions and how he sharp-wittedly touched the argument of injustice towards women. The protagonist seventeen-year-old Genesis Romunda can be very well related to any young adult of same generation. It’s a bit surprising considering that the author Dele is himself a member of opposite sex. I would love the answer to this question if I ever stumble upon him.

Though more than 300 pages, I couldn’t believe the book ended so soon. I am much excited for the next book in this series.

'Wind beneath your wings!’ (as people of Nayja wish well)

[Veronica F · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this as part of my Popsugar 2021 challenge books. It looked interesting and sounded like a fun read...
Omg! It took no time to pull me. I was happy, sad, confused, angry, thrilled, scared. There was enough description to help me picture this post apoplectic Africa while allowing me to imagine it in my mind's eye.
I loved the twists and turns throughout the story and was thrown off a couple times as I didn't always see the twist until we hit it!

Highly recommended!!

[Grace Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

Winds of the Forest is an excellent book. I loved how detailed the world was and I especially liked how Genesis wasn't your typical rebel leader protagonist. In fact, she is against the rebellion for much of the book.

The characters were very real and vivid. Genesis is our down-to-earth, responsible main character. I did have a couple problems with her however. For example, every other page she is either breaking down sobbing or fainting. Which is very annoying by itself, but it was shown at the beginning that she is supposed to be a strong hunter/Arnazuri warrior. She also complains about the other girls admiring Jason Fisher's looks, but as soon as she falls in love with him, which only takes about two pages, she can't stop talking about his perfect hair and smirky smile. But that's not to say I didn't enjoy their romance to some extant. The theater scene was very cute and fluffy.

Jason Fisher I didn't like or dislike entirely. He was a good character, even if his motives were a bit unclear. I enjoyed his budding relationship with Genesis and how he didn't force her to do anything she didn't want to.

Alyssa and Mads were just "meh." We don't get to know anything about them so I can't really form an opinion.

Sentana and Zudera were okay characters. Again, we don't get to know anything about them. I did, however, predict Sentana's true loyalty to the Hawks and Zudera's eventual betrayal.

My favorite character has to be Prince. I enjoyed every scene he was in and I loved his development.

I loved that the author did not skip over the trauma that Genesis when through in the prison and did not forget about it as soon as that plot point was over. It was refreshing to read about a character actually dealing with the fallout of going through something traumatic. I will admit I was shocked by Jason's death and it tore me up a bit. I was honestly expecting a drawn-out, convoluted love triangle with him, Remington, and Genesis. I was even preparing myself for that inevitability. And when Jason died, I was equal parts upset and glad that a love triangle was not going to happen. However, I hope Remington and Genesis do not eventually get together. I would love to see them rebuild their platonic relationship and become best friends again.

I have no complaints with the pacing or flow. I enjoyed the author's writing style.

There are a few typos, but they aren't major. Except for one thing. The author calls reins, that you use to ride a horse with, both reigns and reins. Reign, used as a verb, is the rule of a king or a queen. Used as a noun, it's the period a sovereign rules. Rein, used as a noun, is a long, narrow strap attached at one end to a horse's bit, typically used in pairs to guide or check a horse while riding or driving. As a verb, it means check or guide (a horse) by pulling on its reins. I've ridden horses all my life and maybe this is just me, but seeing reins spelled reigns really, really bugged me. I might have let it slip if he consistently called them reigns- maybe that's what they're called in Nayja, I don't know- but he didn't.

I was undecided whether I wanted to give this book a four star or five star review as I was reading it. I immediately fell in love with Naja in the first few pages. But a couple things in the middle made me hesitate. However, the ending solidified its five star status. I can't wait to read the sequel when it comes out.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dystopian is at its best when it seems plausible. When it hovers just close enough to reality to shoot your heart into your throat and leave it there, beating madly for the story’s entire duration. Winds of the Forest did just that and more.

The story is told through the eyes of a teenage girl named Genesis. Unlike many heroines in this genre, she’s got a good head on her shoulders. Her thought process is rational, her common sense firmly intact, and her feelings justified. I couldn’t help but like her. In addition to her intelligent crafting, her narrative voice is strong.. Through her eyes, I experienced a wide range of emotion: the weight of responsibility, the pride of accomplishment, worry, fear for one's life, oppression, and love in many incarnations.

There’s a perfect balance between peace and peril. The narrative held my attention the entire way through, without leaning on jam-packed action scenes that can make the story feel frantic. Never did the plot feel stale. Instead, it unfolded in layers. Each time a twist or a piece of history was revealed, the story grew in depth. I turned pages quickly, hungry to discover what lay ahead. But like any good mystery, any answer I gained lead to more questions.

Because I was so invested in the characters, the ending gutted me. The author took a risk, but the move seemed necessary and enhanced the story. The last pages held a glimmer of promise. There’s an intriguing prophecy to be sorted out, a missing loved one to be found, and a potential war to be waged. Thank goodness that the author appears to have a sequel planned; there’s still a great deal of story left to be told.

The only fault I found with the book was in the writing itself. It was clunky in spots, repeating ideas that had been previously discussed or explicitly telling what had already been well alluded to. I’d still consider the book to be well written. The author possess a simple, clear style that I’m fond of. The refinements I mentioned will no doubt come naturally with time and practice.

This is a solid 4.5.

[Chris Keaton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unique because of the African local and that’s where I thought the originality ended, but it steps into some hints of mysticism, but never enough to make you think these prophecies were anything more than superstition, but I wonder.

This book hits all the dystopian young adult checks.
- A dystopian future where the world was destroyed as we know it.
- A teen girl skilled with a weapon hunts for her family.
- Her tribe is poor, but they are the makers and hunters of food.
- An oppressive tribe runs everything from the lap of luxury.
- The teen girl falls in love someone she can’t be with while having another paramour from her tribe.

If you are fan of dystopian YA than you’ll love this story. Being set in Africa I was hoping for more of a glimpse into that culture, but this happens hundreds of years after the cataclysm that left the surviving humans stranded in Africa. A well written and plotted story, but a slow start, a smattering of typos, and some logical issues most can easily ignore kept me from giving a higher review. But if you like ‘Hunger Games’ you’ll like this.

[Cath · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book one of the Forestborn series and follows the main character Genesis Romunda, a member of the Arnazuris tribe, known as hunters. There are only four tribes left in existence, in the only part of the world to survive after an apocalyptic event, the West-African kingdom=m of Nayja. The four tribes are the Kingfishers, the Ammirians, the Rowans and the Arnazuris. One tribe is dominant, using an ancient scroll with the laws written on it, which show the Kingfishers can rule the kingdom for sixty years at a time, another two ten years and lower, and then the Arnazuris tribe cannot ever rule and have never had a king or queen, according to the history of the kingdom, as everyone alive now has been taught. Genesis is an elite hunter and soon finds herself the only hunter, as all the others join a rebellion group against the royalty, calling themselves Hawks.

Their tribe has a huge quota of animals still to be hunted down, at least twenty antelope and only a day to do so, all for the folks in the capital King’s Forest, with the tribe themselves only getting the scraps of all they hunt. After finding out the quota still to be hunted, when dropping off her first antelope, she runs home for more supplies, but gets stopped by her father. He tells her that the community leaders have placed a strike order stopping anymore hunting. Her father agrees with the Hawks and wants to join them as well. Genesis lives with her parents and her eleven year old brother Prince and is only seventeen, so normally would not go against her father’s orders. But she thinks that the Hawks are placing people in danger and that the King will punish them for rebelling. If the capital don’t get their supply quota, then the whole tribe will suffer. She rushes out to continue hunting, but after killing a few animals, feels like someone is watching or following her.

It turns out to be Remington, a good friend and former elite hunter, until he joined the Hawks and refused to hunt anymore. She gets in a fist fight with him when she refuses to listen to him or stop hunting and his superior strength allows him to get her tied up and knocked out. When she wakes up, she finds herself surrounded by Royal Guards and about to be attacked, until one of the officers tells them to stop. Since she is tied up, it is obvious she is not one of the rebellion! They take her back to her home, but she gets to see the horrific sight of dead bodies, innocent villagers and members of the Hawk rebellion, all laid out around the village. She can’t see the body of her best friend Remington, but believes he is dead since he was with her, and his sister has been killed for being disrespectful. She recognizes quite a few of the dead and is completely shocked. She gets a visitor with a message the next day, stating she has been chosen as one of the first females to be allowed to attend Promenade, a special training programme and university normally for the elite. At first she is thrilled and overwhelmed, but soon finds her and the two other girls on the programme are ignored in the male oriented Kingfisher capital.

A simple time keeping error, leads to her breaking what seems like a simple rule of the capital, but leads to her being taken prisoner and being sentenced to death! All according to the ancient scroll and the king’s rule. The present king Henry has recently taken over from his father, with rumours of him having poisoned his father to be able to take over before the last of their tribes sixty year reign, so he can change the laws and ensure their tribe is the only one that can rule in the future. Only a message from the king’s younger brother Jason Fisher, saying he will help her, is of any hope for her future. The prison guards want favours for food or water and she has only a week until her execution will take place. The life pf extreme privileges being enjoyed by those in the capital and the male only orientated hierarchy ruling the kingdom, is a complete change to the basics she is used to in her community, where they don’t even have electricity.

Genesis will soon find herself an ally in her wish to get out of jail, but this will lead to lots of secret meetings where she will be shown the reality of her Arnazuris ancestry and the truths that the current ruling tribe have tried to keep hidden for centuries. She will find herself back on the run and this time realising that the stories the elders of the tribe would tell are true and that the prophecy of a future king from their tribe is coming soon, which could be a threat to the royal family. Lots of action and shocking discoveries of the differences between her tribe and the others, especially those living and working in the capital and the King himself. The messages the Hawks were telling people had more truth in them than Genesis ever realised and the treatment of their tribe by all the ruling tribes has been shocking. The king will do everything he can to continue to be the ruler of the whole kingdom. Killing innocent children because of a fear of an ancient prophecy, is just one of the steps he is willing to take for ultimate power! Genesis will have a key role to play in passing on the knowledge she was shown by Jason. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book Storms of the Forest, whether her tribe and the rebels will survive and if lost ones will be reunited with or not. War could be coming if they can’t a peaceful resolution or the prophecy is coming true. I received an ARC copy of the book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.

[Rachel Barnard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Genesis Romunda is from the Arnazuri tribe in the post-apocalyptic West-African kingdom of Navia. She is an elite hunter like others in her community, but her tribe is considered the lowest of the four tribes in Navia. Historically, Arnazuri have always been subservient to the other tribes, providing meat for the others and only getting scraps in return. Some in Genesis's tribe believe that this is an inequality that should not exist and start a rebellion. Genesis believes that a rebellion will only lead to trouble and death. To Genesis, young at 17, if the Arnazuri have always been a lower caste of society, then that is the way of things. But the rebellion brings about many changes, not just a negative response from the tribes in power but also a progressive response. Genesis is chosen as one of the first females and the only Arnazuri in history to go to an elite school for gifted children. Genesis has mixed feelings about being chosen to go to this elite school and leave her tribe in turmoil behind, but in her new home and new school she will discover that not everything she believed is true.

Like many post-apocalyptic novels, the remaining humanity is forced to live in a small portion of what's habitable of earth. One of the first reasons I took to this novel was due to its setting. It's not North America, nor is it a common setting for most books I read. This book was set in a modern day West Africa. Already off to a good start, the book showed me a more diverse post-apocalyptic culture than most dystopian fiction.

I was conflicted about Genesis. At times I liked her, and at other times I didn't. In the beginning of the novel she is very attached to her sense of the world, her opinions, and her beliefs which I absolutely love. She is a protagonist who can influence her immediate environment, even in a tribe that is considered less valuable and less smart than the other tribes. There doesn't seem to be any gender inequality in her tribe. She can hunt like her male friend Remington and she can fight him on equal footing. When Genesis's world is put into chaos and she is told that she is going to Promenade, the elite school outside of her own community, I was elated. Now we get to see her among the peers even she considers better than herself. Perhaps we will be shown that her beliefs are wrong, that the world's beliefs are wrong, and everything will change. But this is not so. Genesis, as an Arnazuri, lives in a third world setting compared to the other tribes and has no realistic hope of being their equals in knowledge and experience. She also doesn't show a great capacity to learn (is never shown excelling in classes) and is even duped by those around her. She is like a passenger in her own story. Not only that, but there is also an element of gender inequality and discrimination outside of Arnazuri that I didn't think was necessary and made me frustrated.

This book's plot was inconsistent and some of the plot points felt incongruous with the rest of the writing. For example, Genesis gets caught out after curfew and this creates a conflict that pulls the plot along. This part never felt genuine and also showed Genesis to be air headed and sloppy. Because the book felt like it lacked an outline and the writing style itself was a bit clunky, it took me weeks to finish. I did want to finish and find out what happened as the author had created enough intrigue with his clever use of Jason's inner knowledge (I won't say of what because it would be a spoiler).

[Rachel Horon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am in awe of this well-written story. It takes place in West Africa after catastrophe has destroyed the rest of the world. What saves this area is not know. What is known is that the four tribes have a purpose for the greater good of all. However Genesis is a devote hunter for her tribe that is fighting against the royal Kingfisher group. They feel mistreated and confined because of who they are. What they don't know if that there is more to their group. Genesis is against the revolution, even if it means disagreeing with her father. Ancient stories tell that the next king should come from their tribe, but the ruling King Henry is trying to make his reign last longer and keep the royals in power. Genesis has been ordered to participate in a school, something that has not been offered to anyone else. While she is skeptical, she goes off, leaving her family and her people behind. She faces gender bias, racial discrimination, tribal discrimination, and so much more. She does not know who she can rely on and who will support her when she is faced with unjust crimes against her. This story tugs every emotional heart string, but it is so well written for young adults. There is violence and strong instances of abuse, but they are important to understand in her road to maturity and survival. I truly look forward to the next story in the series.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading this book with an open mind and no real idea what the book was about. I was drawn into the story immediately. I couldn't put the book down. I wanted to know more about this world and the different tribes. I thought the people were interesting and the school was downright odd. I loved that the girls Madison, Alyssa and Genesis got along so well. I kinda wish Madison and Alyssa were a bit more involved in the story. I was very disappointed in Zudera. I thought she was a better friend than she was. Sentana surprised me in a good way but she also didn't play as much of a part as I would have liked. I would have loved to get to know those characters a bit more. I liked Jason a lot and was really rooting for him. When the book ended, I really wasn't ready for it to end. I want to know more. I will definitely be looking for the next book.

[Rhonda Howell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting dystopian book set in Africa. Ot follows the usual have vs have not as well as the the fact that due to your sex you aee relegated to certain roles. Of you are a fan of Hunger Games and the Divergent series you will enjoy this series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Louise · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

I got close to the end, (90%) but I was just losing the will to live. The "heroine" is such a whiner, it's painful. And o.m.g Sooooo many tropes! The only thing that was remotely interesting was that people live in West Africa (at least, I think that's what it was hinting at) but it wasn't expanded enough to make it a plot point. Sorry. Not for me.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book in a Goodreads giveaway.

Although the start was a bit slow, I enjoyed the last half of the book. The story really picked up and you could see the character growth and thought process evolve a great deal.

[Hope Grant · Rating 1 out of 5]

A bit dull

This felt more like a modern day race story and a history story. It was a little too much history for my taste.

[Phillip Murrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wind of the Forest is a well executed book in a post-apocalyptic world. Most of the Earth is now toxic to humans. The exception is Nayja, which is in modern day West Africa. The book is the first in a series and easily grabs your attention through amazing world building and genuine characters. Genesis, the main protagonist, is perfectly written. I mean that literally. She is one of the best written characters I’ve come along in many years and many books. Everything else about the book could have been bad (it’s not) and I still would liked it based on the strength of this seventeen-year-old girl. If you’re looking for a strong female and/or black character. Genesis is that character. The rest of my review will contain spoilers.

The Good.
Many authors set up great worlds, but then ignore the rules of that world as they see fit. For example, you travel in time to an era when women/minorities/poor are treated less than animals, but said time traveler is well respected as a doctor/sheriff/warrior/etc. I’d love to ignore the prejudices of the past/present, but that would break the rules. Genesis is not a superhero. She has no ability that sets her apart from humans. She is a determined woman who is good with a bow and arrow. So, when she wrestles her friend Remington, she loses because he’s stronger. When she is threatened with rape, she fights back believably, but also sobs after the fact. When her village and people are threatened she chooses to appease the privileged Kingfishers instead of fighting a war that her side will likely lose. She behaves like a seventeen-year-old girl, an amazing one, but one that you could meet in the real world.

Because of racism, Genesis is not allowed to be in the capital after 5PM. She races to try and beat the closing gates. It is suspenseful. A great scene.

Genesis develops feelings for a royal classmate named Jason. Often YA has instant love with the female leads. Her love may be quick, but again, it’s realistic. She would have died without him, he shows her truths about her culture, he treats her like an equal, and he’s attractive. She should care deeply for this boy.

One of Genesis’ roommates seems to want to help, then it looks like she betrays, then she looks clean again, only to find out that she was a traitor. It was a cliché to have her be the traitor, but the fake out was nice. It made me second guess what looked apparent.
Two of Genesis’ classmates feel terrible that she was almost executed for talking too long with them. The scene is great because it shows them more upset about how bad they felt than what almost happened to Genesis. She thinks exactly as I did. It’s a stab at the way some privileged rich people behave around poor people.

The second half of the book slowed down to establish a love triangle. I groaned as Remington and Jason figuratively faced off for Genesis’ affection. An event at the end of the book shocked me. At this point I thought the originality of the first half was being overpowered by common tropes and clichés. The shock toward the end changed the dynamics of the love triangle.

The Bad.
Most of the second half of the book slows down considerably to establish a love triangle. Thankfully it doesn’t look like it will take up too much for future installments, but I was thinking about a five-star rating in the beginning. Toward the end, I had accepted it was probably a three-star rating. This was mainly because I hate the fact that female protagonists can’t seem to just be awesome. They always have to have a love or two (or three) to apparently make them “well rounded.”

Remington is only 17 or 18 himself. I don’t get why he’s in charge of the Hawks. He is likely a strong warrior. I’ll give that a lot of seniority was killed early in the book, but I just don’t believe so many people would look to a teenager to lead their rebellion.

The action I thought I was in for never materialized. There’s a little fighting and death, but nothing that even comes close to a full battle. I suspect more of this will take place in future installments, but I wanted some now. I envisioned Genesis having to defend her mother and brother. She takes up her bow and kills her first human. Then a second. This would set her up for more reality in future books about how easy it is to take a life in the moment, but how difficult it is to live with yourself in the days after.

The Technical.
This book shows racial and gender discrimination.

Sexual assault takes places.