I finally read the second book in the Legend of Orisha series and this is me sharing my two cents on it. I’m really going to try my best reviewing this without spoilers for anyone who hasn’t read the first part of the series just in case you’re worried about that.
So, in this book, the maji (those that wield magic), and the kosidan (those that have no magic), are now at war with each other. The maji having been at the mercy of the kosidan, ever since they lost their power now have the chance to fight back since Zelie brought back magic. However, magic didn’t only come back to the maji. Rather, it also found its way to some kosidan who have maji blood running through their veins. This new turn of events infuriates the maji, causing them to risk their lives fighting against their enemies who now wield magic.
While the town is at war, Zelie plans to kill Inan, Amari wants to talk to her brother so they plan to stop the war. Tzain is torn between his sister Zelie’s safety, and his lover Amari’s choices. These four protagonists are so preoccupied with their personal vendetta against each other, that they fail to see their town become infested not until it’s too late.
This particular series had me feeling so giddy, that I began writing bits and pieces of this review while I read. The Nigerian fantasy series, brought back memories of the popular fantasy series - Fourth Wing. Although the characters in both books, don’t share similarities, the themes were too similar to not be classified in the same genre. Enemies to lovers, strongest protagonists, and much more. I couldn’t help the memories that flooded me while I read this second book.
I lost sleep two nights in a row, all because I was reading this book. From its fast-paced action, to the characters making decisions that took us back to square one, it felt like I punished myself anytime I stayed away from the book because thoughts of it would haunt me for the entirety of my time away.
Here, I liked the relationship between the characters better. We delved deeper into who they were, and got to know them for who they were. Those who we assumed were stupid in the beginning, turns out they weren’t. They were only victims of their environment. I really loved the storyline of this second book, how swiftly dynamics changed, how it revolved round the love the four siblings had for each other, and how those whose siblings were their priorities initially, began fending for their lovers. It was painful reading from each siblings points of view how much the other’s absence hurt them. I loved it.
The characters in this book were amazing. Even if the whole plot of this book was based on their distraction, they still made silly mistakes amidst it. But I loved how they always acknowledged their mistakes. We had our villain, who was actually the least person you’d expect in book 1 but for the sake of spoilers, I’ll avoid going into details. The characters here are worth it. They were the right bit of everything. They weren’t pathetically weak characters, nor were they this perfect characters. They were, to be put simply, realistic.
If you’ve read the first book, and you’re skeptical about venturing into the second book, thinking it wouldn’t be up to standard, worry no more. This is a thrill ride, I assure you. For my rating, I’d give this a solid Five stars. It is worth every hype. If you haven’t started the series, and you’re a lover of romantasy as a genre, check this one out. You definitely won’t regret it.
Thanks for reading.