Rating: 4.5/5
Spoiler Alert! This review will contain spoilers, you have been warned.
Where to start with Daughters of Nri?
This has instantly become one of my favourite fantasy books - if not all times favourites! It's just so refreshing.
At first, I wondered if this was because I haven't read African mythology before. I thought, maybe it's just because, for once, this isn't a book about Greek or Roman gods. But it goes beyond that, it's not the deities that are making the difference. It's the fact that this book was so clearly written for a black female audience.
It's so exciting to see the increase in books written for young black girls. As an English Caucasian I can't comment on the authenticity of the African elements in Daughters of Nri, but I can attest to the fact that it knows who it is written for. At its core are two black women who aren't sure of their place in the world, but are willing to fight for it nonetheless.
I loved Sinai in particular. I thought for a long time that Naala would be my favourite, but after Sinai takes revenge on behalf of Ina, destroying a brutal and abusive man because of what he did to someone who wasn't even her friend at the time. Yeah, that's badass and I love her for it.
Both characters were brilliant though. And I'm so grateful that Amayo didn't fall into the trap of making them exactly alike, just because they're twins. They were both powerful, and the stubbornness they shared was an endearing quality, but the influence of their worlds and those around them was clear in their personalities. Esinaala is fun-loving and energetic, an act first, think later girl who would go to the ends of the Earth for those she loved. Sinai, on the other hand, is an inquisitive girl who prefers the shadows. She's quiet, loving deeply even as she keeps her thoughts to herself.
I loved both girls, as well as a lot of the secondary characters. Ina's journey in particular interested me and I was really intrigued by the dark inner workings of palace life. World-building was done really well, but I would love more insight into the palace, the Obis, and the hierarchy Sinai rarely touched on.
The two stories worked really well alongside each other, and I was constantly at odds with myself, not knowing whose story I wanted to follow more. The structure of one chapter each kept me hooked, with a cliff-hanger every couple of pages you can't help but read on!
The pacing is a little...hmm, not difficult as such, but unexpected at times. It could be difficult to be sure how much time had passed between events, especially with both stories occurring simultaneously. This being said, the two halves of the book did well to develop on each other, providing the reader with more knowledge than either girl had by themselves.
I do have a slight problem with the story though. It's so small, barely a problem, but it is the reason that I'm not awarding Daughters of Nri that final half a star.
Where's the final showdown?
Seriously. So much (high quality) build up to this final battle scene, when the sisters would reunite and overcome the Eze, understanding their heritage and coming to terms with their power at long last.
But the entire thing lasted a couple of pages and was pretty much just the crystal doing what it wanted.
There wasn't even much explanation. The Eze kind of explained to Sinai what he was thinking, but by this point he just sounded a bit crazed, and with Sinai not really knowing where she comes from or what he role is, it didn't make much sense. To the reader it was that final bit of explanation we needed, but we had so much more information than either Sinai or Naala that I'm not quite sure where they stand now.
The crystal overtook them and destroyed the Eze but that doesn't leave them closer to understanding their powers, or even the fact that they are twin daughters of the Gods to be honest. I really, really liked the very end; those final few paragraphs where they recognised that they knew each other. But it's a shame that the passage before that felt so rushed. It all felt a little to easy after everything that had happened up to that point.
However, I cannot wait for more. Amayo has set up a beautiful world and I, for one, am so excited to keep exploring it!