Scan barcode
A review by aishaadventures
The Waning by Wunmi Aramiji
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
First of all, read this book for the story. I recommend the Waning and look forward to future installments.
The world Aramiji built pulled me in and I understood the caste system in place and know what the characters are working towards. I was rooting for them as they worked through their external and internal conflicts, and as their weaknesses led them down winding and uncertain paths.
The story started strong and fast and hit me with mystery and questions quickly. But it didn't take long for things to start unraveling, not because the story/plot wasn't there, but because this book is self-published. If it was edited, it was done so haphazardly or by someone with little experience.
There were moments when grammar mistakes and continuity errors pulled me out of the world of Ile-Oja and into reality. It was like walking along smoothly, then suddenly finding myself looking up from the floor and wondering how I tripped and got there.
There were moments when I re-read a passage more than once to fully grasp Aramiji's intentions. Usually, I (think) I figured out her intentions, but being knocked out of the flow made it difficult to pick up again and move on. The pacing wasn't consistent, but again, that's due to the lack of editing. It's fixable once a publishing house picks her up. And I believe this work should be picked up.
That said, she's created diverse characters and a world I am invested in. The lore, the rituals, the factions, and the relationships are well established. And the different levels of intimacy between characters are at times revealed beautifully.
There are well-placed breadcrumbs along the way. Certain scenes could use massaging, but the plot is enjoyable and it's incredibly nice to see African stories and fantasy world-building with gods, heroes, villains, and savior characters who are representatives of Global South populations.
As I said in the beginning, I recommend The Waning and I hope Wunmi Aramiji gets the opportunity to continue this story with a publisher who will take care of her. For a self-published first outing, I am impressed.
The world Aramiji built pulled me in and I understood the caste system in place and know what the characters are working towards. I was rooting for them as they worked through their external and internal conflicts, and as their weaknesses led them down winding and uncertain paths.
The story started strong and fast and hit me with mystery and questions quickly. But it didn't take long for things to start unraveling, not because the story/plot wasn't there, but because this book is self-published. If it was edited, it was done so haphazardly or by someone with little experience.
There were moments when grammar mistakes and continuity errors pulled me out of the world of Ile-Oja and into reality. It was like walking along smoothly, then suddenly finding myself looking up from the floor and wondering how I tripped and got there.
There were moments when I re-read a passage more than once to fully grasp Aramiji's intentions. Usually, I (think) I figured out her intentions, but being knocked out of the flow made it difficult to pick up again and move on. The pacing wasn't consistent, but again, that's due to the lack of editing. It's fixable once a publishing house picks her up. And I believe this work should be picked up.
That said, she's created diverse characters and a world I am invested in. The lore, the rituals, the factions, and the relationships are well established. And the different levels of intimacy between characters are at times revealed beautifully.
There are well-placed breadcrumbs along the way. Certain scenes could use massaging, but the plot is enjoyable and it's incredibly nice to see African stories and fantasy world-building with gods, heroes, villains, and savior characters who are representatives of Global South populations.
As I said in the beginning, I recommend The Waning and I hope Wunmi Aramiji gets the opportunity to continue this story with a publisher who will take care of her. For a self-published first outing, I am impressed.