A review by minayana
Her Name Is Knight by Yasmin Angoe
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was a decent read with a good premise, a great narrator (read at 2x speed) and a refreshing storytelling format. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy it as much as I expected. While reading Her Name is Knight I was also reading Who Fears Death (which was very slow and I didn’t like much) which features the same heavy topics and themes, so unfortunately I feel like I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I would have otherwise.
The Pros
The characters:
I really liked the cast of characters (minus the villains obviously). I loved reading about Nena being accepted into her new family during the “before” chapters, and then Nina taking Georgia under her wing during the “after” chapters.
The storytelling format:
I really enjoyed how the book consistently went back and forth between her backstory and present time, and it created a stark contrast between her life “before” and “after”. Although I love a good backstory reveal, sometimes it’s nice to know from the beginning. This was also a downfall for the book as well. The “before” chapters are brutal and very descriptive, and after all the emotions and despair of those chapters, sometimes the “after” chapters feel boring and don’t bring any emotional impact.
The narrator!
She did a wonderful job, and I especially enjoyed the subtle distinction between when she is voicing a male or female character. Sometimes narrators tend to do too much when voicing the opposite sex, but I thought she did great.
The Cons
Overdramatic writing:
It felt like there was some type of analogy or simile every sentence. Obviously that is a major part of writing as a whole, but for some reason they stood out every time and took me out of the story quite a lot.
Insta-love:
I am usually 50/50 on insta-love, it really depends on how it’s done. Nena deciding she felt an ease with the MMC (can’t remember his name) that she’d never felt before with a man was VERY sudden. I don’t think she even had a full conversation with him before she felt comfortable with him, and for her backstory and her own thoughts stating she’s never felt this way with a man before, it was extremely abrupt.
Overall, if you are considering reading this book I would say give it a shot if you can stomach the contents. It has really heartbreaking themes, which at some points go into pretty graphic detail.
The Pros
The characters:
I really liked the cast of characters (minus the villains obviously). I loved reading about Nena being accepted into her new family during the “before” chapters, and then Nina taking Georgia under her wing during the “after” chapters.
The storytelling format:
I really enjoyed how the book consistently went back and forth between her backstory and present time, and it created a stark contrast between her life “before” and “after”. Although I love a good backstory reveal, sometimes it’s nice to know from the beginning. This was also a downfall for the book as well. The “before” chapters are brutal and very descriptive, and after all the emotions and despair of those chapters, sometimes the “after” chapters feel boring and don’t bring any emotional impact.
The narrator!
She did a wonderful job, and I especially enjoyed the subtle distinction between when she is voicing a male or female character. Sometimes narrators tend to do too much when voicing the opposite sex, but I thought she did great.
The Cons
Overdramatic writing:
It felt like there was some type of analogy or simile every sentence. Obviously that is a major part of writing as a whole, but for some reason they stood out every time and took me out of the story quite a lot.
Insta-love:
I am usually 50/50 on insta-love, it really depends on how it’s done. Nena deciding she felt an ease with the MMC (can’t remember his name) that she’d never felt before with a man was VERY sudden. I don’t think she even had a full conversation with him before she felt comfortable with him, and for her backstory and her own thoughts stating she’s never felt this way with a man before, it was extremely abrupt.
Overall, if you are considering reading this book I would say give it a shot if you can stomach the contents. It has really heartbreaking themes, which at some points go into pretty graphic detail.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Racism, Slavery, Trafficking, Sexual assault, Rape, and Violence