Birth of a Dynasty by Chinaza Bado

TL;DR: A coming of age story for two very different characters.
Source: Netgalley, thank you to the publisher!

Plot: One part revenge, one part political
Characters: A bit on the standard side for me, but not bad.
Setting: A lovely setting, but I don’t know if I could clearly visualize a lot of it.
Fantasy: I generally enjoy a lot of African fantasy, and this was no exception on that front.

Summary:

We shall not forgive. We shall not forget. We will have our vengeance.

After witnessing the massacre of everyone he’s ever known and loved, M’Kuru Mukundi, the sole surviving member of the High Noble House Mukundi of Madada, vows revenge. M’kuru flees to a small village where he hides under the guise of farm boy Khalil Rausi… unaware that the real Khalil’s father is the bloodthirsty General of Zenzele army, and under the direction of the King’s scheming son, Prince Effiom, was responsible for the murder of M’kuru’s people. When an imposter claiming to be M’kuru shows up in the village, the real M’kuru—now Khalil—must bide his time amongst his enemies, pretending to be everything that he hates in order to get vengeance.

In another part of the country where giants roam free, young Zikora Nnamani, the only daughter of Lord Nnamani, knows nothing of political intrigue—she wants little more than to be a fierce Seh Llinga warrior. But a well-known prophecy places too much potential power on her small shoulders, and—as far as Prince Effiom and the King know—she is the only living threat to their dynasty ruling forever. However, when a messenger arrives to “invite” Zikora to stay at the palace, her family is not in a position to refuse. Before she is taken away, she begins The Rite of Blessing, a magical inheritance that she will need to learn how to use, but that may also bring the world one step closer to the completion of the prophecy that Prince Effiom so fears.

Between scheming ladies at court, backstabbing princes on the prowl, and paranoid kings, M’kuru and Zikora must do what they can, no matter how terrible, to save their people and claim vengeance for their families. But they are just two young people against an entire kingdom—and a prophecy destined to thwart their dreams—and the last thing they can do is trust anyone…even each other.

Thoughts:

This is a setup book, there is really no two ways around that. This book felt a lot like things happening to setup what might be an epic fantasy story in the future but for now feels a little bit clumsy.

This one follows two characters, one a boy bent on revenge after his family is murdered. Another a girl who doesn’t want to be the pretty soft thing her powerful family wants her to be. Honestly while I didn’t hate them, I didn’t find them incredibly compelling. They felt very familiar for what they were and with the book feeling so inconsistent in pacing, it was hard to fully sink into them.

I really do chalk that up to the fact that this is a setup book as I mentioned. We have the bones of a story laid out here, but without the meat we need. In the opposite of what I normally say, if this had been longer it probably would have had a much bigger bang.

So I’m on the fence with this one. I may continue, I may not, I’m not sure. But it’s definitely one I would say you should try if you’re interested or you love those classic tropes.