#reni k. amayo

[bloodmaarked]

daughters of nri // reni k. amayo

first published: 2019 read: 16 april 2024 – 27 april 2024 [DNF] pages: 442 format: paperback

genres: fiction; young adult; fantasy; african mythology favourite character(s): all unmemorable least favourite character(s): ^^

rating: none thoughts: DNF at 39%/p. 171. i gave it all i had but in the end i found myself desperate to return it to the library for something else and that's when i knew i had lost. i wanted to like this and it had been on my reading list since august 2020 (so, one of my earliest additions), but it just wasn't working for me. i was just thoroughly bored, the writing felt juvenile, and i found the two main characters very dull and indistinguishable. perhaps something interesting might have started to happen if they'd actually gotten to meet - i don't know how far in we actually get to see them together. but i wasn't willing to wait it out.

oh, and if i had to read the word 'disfigure' one more time, i was going to pull my hair out.

[thottyoptimusprime]

Most books would start off with detailing in the world and having a character witnessing the war against Earth mother. But this doesn't and it works for it! You feel the after-effects of the war and understand the characters in the world they're in despite being thrust into it. I love world building, but hate world building where I have too many questions or understand nothing. You understand the world as the characters do which is amazing work by the author. The twins have different lives, different skills but the same destiny and I can't wait for the next book.

A gruesome war results in the old gods' departure from earth. The only remnants of their existence lie in two girls. Twins, separated at birth. Goddesses who grow up believing that they are human. Daughters Of Nri explores their epic journey of self-discovery as they embark on a path back to one another.

Strong-willed Naala grows up seeking adventure in her quiet and small village. While the more reserved Sinai resides in the cold and political palace of Nri. Though miles apart, both girls share an indestructible bond: they share the same blood, the same face, and possess the same unspoken magic, thought to have vanished with the lost gods.

The twin girls were separated at birth, a price paid to ensure their survival from Eze Ochichiri, the man who rules the Kingdom of Nri. Both girls are tested in ways that awaken a mystical, formidable power deep within themselves. Eventually, their paths both lead back to the mighty Eze.

But can they defeat the man who brought the gods themselves to their knees?

[lokoja]

They started off as us but over time their bodies transformed from flesh and bone to light and fire.

Descendants of the First by Reni K Amayo

[bookishfeylin]

Black Fantasy TBR Part 2

Part 1 is here.

Since the last segment of my tbr was more focused on standalone novels and duologies, this list will be more focused on trilogies and longer series. Aside from the first 8 series mentioned here being a mix of adult fantasy and epic fantasy (I know the Acacia trilogy, especially, is an epic fantasy that's been frequently compared to Game of Thrones in reviews), there's no real order to these books either. And ofc, please look up age ratings and trigger warnings :) For simplicities sake I only put the first book of each series on this list.

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin

Acacia: The War with the Mein by David Anthony Durham

Scarlet Odyssey by C.T. Rwizi

Half a Lion by Palle E.K. Oswald

Unleashed: The Saga of Ruination by Ramon Terrell

Song of Blood and Stone by L. Penelope

Stars and Garters by Thursday Owusu

The Battle for the Sky by Dalila Caryn

Daughters of Nri by Reni K. Amayo

Before She Ignites by Jodi Meadows

A Blade So Black by L.L. McKinney

The Bones of Ruin by Sarah Raughley

The Chameleon with a Sword by B.L. Logan

Sing Me to Sleep by Gabi Burton

Chaos & Flame by Tessa Gratton and Justina Ireland

We Are the Origin by C.M. Lockhart

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow**

The Royal Heretic by Sarah Macklin

Dragon Connection: The Stone Crown Book 1 by Ava Richardson*

The Soul Cages by Nicole Givens Kurtz

Truth Seer by Kay L. Moody

Dragon Link: Ragond's Portal War Book 1 by Ava Richardson*

The Conductors by Nicole Glover

The Raven and the Dove by Kaitlyn Davis

Dragon's Mage: Ragond's Witch Hunter Book 1 by Ava Richardson*

Beasts of Prey by Ayana Gray

Nobody's Goddess by Amy McNulty

The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

*Dragon Connection, Dragon Link, and Dragon's Mage are the first books of three separate trilogies by Ava Richardson. To avoid confusion I spelled out the whole name of each trilogy.

**In The Ten Thousand Doors of January, January is technically mixed, and I believe she identifies as such.

[zalrb]

Do u have any books shows or movies based on African mythology that u enjoyed?

Who Fears Death and The Akata Witch series - Nnedi Okorafor

Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James but people either love this book or absolutely hate it because of the prose.

I have these books but haven't finished them yet - Daughters of Nri by Reni K Amayo and Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen

People also really like Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter

I haven't read Children of Blood and Bone but I know it's popular and initium likes it.

Beasts Made of Night by Tochi Onyebuchi

One of my books is Jamaican spirituality/folklore and you can PM me for the title if you want :)

For movies, there's one on prime called Nanny by Nikyatu Jusu

Daughters of the Dust in a sense

[skatesfullofsunshine]

4 Before 2024

I saw the idea of this originally posted on TikTok by @satrayreads, and it seems more achievable for me personally than "10 Before The End", so here goes my list, plus alternatives that I might try to do if I finish these, or if I'm not able to finish them yet.

Amari and the Night Brothers by BB Alston (This is technically a re-read, but that's neither here nor there.)

To Shape A Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose

The Hundred Years' War on Palestine: A History of Settler-Colonial Conquest and Resistance, 1917-2017 by Rashid Khalidi

The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin

Possible alternatives, or additions:

all about love by bell hooks

Babel by R.F. Kuang

The Name Bearer by Natalia Hernandez

Sophie Go's Lonely Hearts Club by Roselle Lim

Dial A For Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Lake Lore by Anna-Marie McClemore

Daughters of Nri by Reni K. Amayo

House of Marionne by J. Elle

What are some books you're trying to finish by the end of the year?

[curlyhairedbibliophile]

Cover Art | Descendants of the First by Reni K. Amayo

The king is dead - and with him, the last thread holding the kingdom together.

Deep cracks are forming throughout the kingdom of Nri with whispers of deadly successors lurking beneath the shadows. Despite having the same face, it seems the deepest crack is forming between Naala and Sinai, the reunited twin goddesses, who must put their differences aside as they travel through a broken Nri.

Unbeknownst to the girls, their use of the mystical Ṇdu crystal has awakened mythical beasts and the lost gods, each returning to Nri one by one. One thing is clear, the twins will have to face enemies at every corner of the kingdom... one of whom lies hidden amongst those they hold dearest.

As ongoing turmoil spreads throughout the kingdom, the daughters of Nri must unmask the true face of their enemy, as they discover that their unique blood has marked them with magic strong enough to restore true peace to the world - a task only they can complete.

But with beasts lurking far and wide, will they be able to do so before the kingdom succumbs to its looming curse?

Artwork by Godwin Akpan

Release date | Mar 30, 2021 Goodreads

[bookcoversonly]

Title: Daughters of Nri | Author: Reni K. Amayo | Publisher: Onwe Press (2019)

[black-is-beautiful18]

Here are some Black authors I think you guys will enjoy.

1. L.L McKinney - The Nightmare Verse Series

2. Tomi Adeyemi - Children of Blood and Bone series

3. Kwame Mbalia - Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky & Tristan Strong Destroys the World

4. Bethany C. Morrow - A Song Below Water, A Chorus Rises, and Little Women remix (The last two come out in 2021)

Reni K Amayo - Daughters of Nri & Descendants Of The First (2021)

Nicole Glover - The Conductors (2021)

I'll add more but if you know any others feel free to add them.

[2021ya]

DESCENDANTS OF THE FIRST

The Return of the Earth Mother #2

by Reni K. Amayo

(Onwe Press, 10/5/21)

9781916042964

.

Add to Goodreads

Purchase from Bookshop

.

Series

1. Daughters of Nri

The king is dead - and with him, the last thread holding the kingdom together. Deep cracks are forming throughout the kingdom of Nri with whispers of deadly successors lurking beneath the shadows. Despite having the same face, it seems the deepest crack is forming between Naala and Sinai, the reunited twin goddesses, who must put their differences aside as they travel through a broken Nri. Unbeknownst to the girls, their use of the mystical Ṇdu crystal has awakened mythical beasts and the lost gods, each returning to Nri one by one. One thing is clear, the twins will have to face enemies at every corner of the kingdom... one of whom lies hidden amongst those they hold dearest. As ongoing turmoil spreads throughout the kingdom, the daughters of Nri must unmask the true face of their enemy, as they discover that their unique blood has marked them with magic strong enough to restore true peace to the world - a task only they can complete. But with beasts lurking far and wide, will they be able to do so before the kingdom succumbs to its looming curse? Descendants of the First is the thundering sequel to Reni K Amayo’s epic feminist young adult fantasy, Daughters of Nri, lauded as “literary magic” by Buzzfeed and a piece of “Excellent writing, brilliant book.” by best-selling author, Dorothy Koomson.

[godlyheathens]

(2020) favorite books: daughters of nri by reni k amayo

“we live because we die.”

[bloodmaarked]

➫ monthly book round-up: april 2024

books read: 6 [1 DNF] [=] average rating: 3.8 [+23%] average speed: 6.6 days [-37%] total pages: 2,215 [=] yearly goal progress: 22/50 best of the month: the girl with the louding voice, abi daré worst of the month: daughters of nri, reni k. amayo

5* reads:

the girl with the louding voice, abi daré

4.5* reads:

the gifts, liz hyder

4* reads:

the meaning of mariah carey, mariah carey

3* reads:

four eids and a funeral, faridah àbíké-íyímídé + adiba jaigirdar

2.5* reads:

shanghailanders, juli min

DNFs:

daughters of nri, reni k. amayo

currently reading:

black girls must die exhausted, jayne allen

[rainbowroweller]

The cover is not the only beautiful thing about this book.

The debut novel of Reni K Amayo is set in Nigeria, filled to the brim with culture, magic and adventure.

The story follows twin sisters Naala and Sinai who don't know about each other, as they navigate love, friendship, magic, and loss. One living in the royal Palace, one in a quiet village, both girls' lives are rocked forcing them to create their own path.

For me, this book is important because I relate to Amayo as a British-Nigerian and its incredible to see my culture reimagined, and black girls as protagonists in fantasy books!

Furthermore, it was a good read, and where I suspected it to be like Children of Blood and Bone, it was distinctive and stood on its own two feet.

[lokoja]

They say she wanted a home close to the sun...

Descendants of the First by Reni K Amayo

[phoenixfg]

This just arrived in the mail. I had to grab it. Especially after going to the author's Twitter and seeing how they wanted her to "tone down" the original cover. 😫 Some of the blurb:

A gruesome war results in the old gods' departure from earth. The only remnants of their existence lie in two girls. Twins, separated at birth. Goddesses who grow up believing that they are human. Daughters Of Nri explores their epic journey of self-discovery as they embark on a path back to one another.

This is book one.

[softlifesofttech]

001 Excerpt

'Aren't you afraid? 'I am-that's why I don't want to climb it.' 'Not of the tree ... of being stuck and restricted, not being able to breathe under the never-ending heap of duties.' ‘Duties are good.’ 'So is freedom. The problem is there is no balance. Let's create some balance. ‘By climbing a tree? Naala, listen to yourself.' 'I know you think I'm crazy,' Naala said quietly. 'And maybe I am ... but try and understand ... this is our time, our moment, and it just feels as though ... we're missing it. We're just standing here, trapped by ... customs, watching life go by. I think that, sometimes, we should indulge ourselves in a little silliness.'

Daughters of Nri, Reni K Amayo