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The Rosewater Insurrection

(The Wormwood Trilogy #2)

Tade Thompson

4.02 · Rating details · 2,200 ratings · 264 reviews

All is quiet in the city of Rosewater as it expands on the back of the gargantuan alien Wormwood. Those who know the truth of the invasion keep the secret.

The government agent Aminat, the lover of the retired sensitive Kaaro, is at the forefront of the cold, silent conflict. She must capture a woman who is the key to the survival of the human race. But Aminat is stymied by ...more

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Kindle Edition, 400 pages

Published March 12th 2019 by Orbit

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Nov 20, 2020 carol. rated it really liked it · review of another edition

The second book in the Rosewater series, and really, you can’t read and understand this without reading the first, so I really wouldn’t try. That said, should you happen upon this review in the far future, you could allow for a time gap between the books because you just need a general framework of the world. On the other side, that means if you read Rosewater and jumped right into this, the way Nataliya and I did, you will appreciate the lack of explanobabble that some series fall prey to. Thom The second book in the Rosewater series, and really, you can’t read and understand this without reading the first, so I really wouldn’t try. That said, should you happen upon this review in the far future, you could allow for a time gap between the books because you just need a general framework of the world. On the other side, that means if you read Rosewater and jumped right into this, the way Nataliya and I did, you will appreciate the lack of explanobabble that some series fall prey to. Thompson has a lot going on and needs to get to business. While Rosewater is mostly about the sensitive Kaaro, Insurrection is about… subsequent events surrounding the reveal, so everything that follows will have indirect spoilers for the first book. Yes, I get that you may not want to keep reading. (Remember: I can only remember complicated chemo regimens because I’ve worked with them for almost two decades. You think I can remember a story about aliens in Nigeria? Actually, to be honest, there’s a possibility I will; it's that unique).

Narrative is centered around a group of four… people, with varying degrees of each viewpoint, so it can be a bit of a challenge figuring out as a reader who is central. Aminat begins the tale, followed by Jack Jacques, the ethically complicated mayor of Rosewater; Alyssa, white Rosewater woman who has lost her memory; and Anthony, the avatar/amalgam of Wormwood and humanity. Kaaro plays a more insignificant role, so if you are hoping for more of his specific character arc, prepare to let go of expectations, although I did appreciate the appearance of Yaro, his dog. An early sensitive who was brought into S45 gets a turn. Will is the last viewpoint, an author brought in to be a chronicler, but there will also be pieces of his novel scattered through the book. It’s a bit confusing, but I think Thompson is hoping to convey the chaos of both environmental and political change causing further upheaval (METAPHORALERT). In this, it is very much a book of our times.

I feel like the characters were as well-rounded as possible, given the constraints of time and narrative, and Jack will be the anti-hero you come to understand, if not appreciate. While it originally seems like Amarit will be playing an active role, she ends up being more of a tool in a political game, still deferential to S45 and the brother crutch. Unfortunately for me, I think the variety of viewpoints leads to overmuch detail in the wrong places. The early S45 character could have been left out, and Alyssa’s midstory-viewpoint minimalized. Word count could have been given instead to Anthony, for clarifying the alien world-finding philosophy, or to Amarit surviving in Rosewater, giving insight into life for the ordinary person. I tend to feel like more threads ends up in a more chaotic color weave, not necessarily a more complex one–at least here. Some people can achieve that riotous complexity. Your mileage may vary with how much you feel Thompson does.

World-building remains complicated, and in this installment, both the Nigerian-Rosewater relations and the alien complications are fleshed out, so to speak (groan). We get more insight into the local history of Rosewater, and the chaos of everyday life there. Although I’m no expert on western Africa, I can’t help feeling like Thompson is drawing more on current politics than future. It makes for a curious blend of contemporary and futuristic feel.

The plot is fast paced with a lot of action, as you might expect with such a title. There are likely some trigger-warnings here, and again this is where it feels contemporary. There is a brief mention made of a rape-camp and frequent mention of ‘necklacing’ as a punishment. Although it becomes more disturbing when you realize, hopefully, that necklacing has been a rare occurrence in any part of Africa and tends to horrify people when it occurs. So I’m not sure what Thompson is implying by bringing it back as an apparent social control.

Overall, I found it a fascinating read that provided a lot of fodder for thought and discussion. It feels a little like one of those nicely done big-budget sci-fi films that maybe lacks detail and finesse on scrutiny, but holds up fine on first go-through, and absolutely works as great after-movie conversation.

Many, many thanks to Nataliya for waiting for me and participating in a buddy read. I sincerely enjoyed our conversations about this book! ...more

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Nov 16, 2020 Nataliya rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2020-reads

“You look at that dome and you see an animal, gigantic, useful to your society, benign, but an animal all the same. What I see is a machine. This is what we came up with after terraforming engines disappointed us. Instead of changing the environment, we change the organisms and live in them. In you.”

I still can’t believe that Rosewater books have not even received nominations for most major SF awards (except for Arthur C. Clarke Award, of course). I don’t get it. I’m done with book 2, and ag ...more

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Oct 08, 2019 Anthony rated it really liked it

Shelves: sf, series, poc-authors

Compulsively readable, endlessly inventive, and altogether compelling, I very much enjoyed this sequel to the also-excellent Rosewater. In both novels, Thompson has concocted a propulsively-plotted tale set in a near-future Nigeria that mashes up horror elements, alien invasion, down and dirty politics, dark humor, ecologically fantastical creations, and a lot of skillfully-drawn action set pieces. I have great admiration for his nimble juggling of multiple POVs and narrative voices as he follow ...more

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Jul 31, 2019 Gerhard rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, sf-fantasy, africa, 2019

When I learnt that not only did Rosewater win the 2019 Arthur C. Clarke Award for Best Novel, but was the first in a trilogy, my curiosity was piqued enough to want to read the second straightaway. I remember being frustrated by Rosewater when I read it initially, a genre hybrid that tried to splice together too many disparate elements to make for a cohesive whole: Apocalyptic SF, alien invasion, zombie horror, spy thriller, noir, Afrofuturism.

The latter trend was probably sparked originally by When I learnt that not only did Rosewater win the 2019 Arthur C. Clarke Award for Best Novel, but was the first in a trilogy, my curiosity was piqued enough to want to read the second straightaway. I remember being frustrated by Rosewater when I read it initially, a genre hybrid that tried to splice together too many disparate elements to make for a cohesive whole: Apocalyptic SF, alien invasion, zombie horror, spy thriller, noir, Afrofuturism.

The latter trend was probably sparked originally by Zoo City by Lauren Beukes, which won the same award in 2011. Thereafter the spate of Nigerian-themed SF continued with, wait for it, Nigerians in Space by Deji Bryce Olukotun and Lagoon by Nnedi Okorafor, both published in 2014.

Well, my experience with this trilogy thus far mirrors my experience with another trilogy, the Area X novels by Jeff VanderMeer. And it kind of informs me I need to change my approach to trilogies. I didn’t much care for Annihilation, but was blown away by the next two, and especially how they refracted upon and expanded the original instalment.

The exact same thing with Rosewater Insurrection. The narrative is still fractured and told from the viewpoints of multiple characters, but Tade Thompson’s writing is so confident and assured here that, paradoxically, it comes across as far more cohesive.

Thinking about Jeff VanderMeer, these books also remind me of the Chaga series by Ian McDonald. But Thompson’s voice is unique: He also offers quite an interesting take on First Contact, a genre staple that one would have thought has been done to death by now. But the rise of right-wing extremism globally reveals that any debate about colonisation and colonialism is still painfully relevant, especially in Africa.

Rosewater Insurrection is a very smart, savvy and nuanced continuation of the story thus far. I loved the way it teems with the minutiae of daily life in Nigeria, such as an almost throwaway mention that homosexuality is (still) banned. Then there is the inevitable Under the Dome quip, which points to another feature of the book: It is very, very funny. And I felt that the characters are definitely more rounded, while several new characters are added into the fray. (Making the political shitheel Jack Jacques come across as a sympathetic character in the end is quite a feat).

Liz Bourke’s review of Rosewater Insurrection at tor.com really hits the nail on the head:

When it comes to big ideas, weird science, futurism and the vastness and multitude of the alien stuff crammed into Rosewater—the city and the books—Thompson excels: he builds a world full of dizzying, terrifying marvels and the compelling necessities of the quotidian. Rosewater is a fantastically interesting city, and Wormwood, a fascinating device with which to interrogate humanity and human nature: this is a novel engaged in conversation with the classic science fiction topoi both of alien contact and of the colonisation of worlds by technologically superior visitors. But these technologically superior visitors may be irrevocably changed by what they find. With setting, with politics, with the grand scale and its interaction with smaller individuals—there, Thompson’s at his best. ...more

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Mar 09, 2019 Holly (The Grimdragon) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: the-infinite-library, fantasy-sci-fi

"In the darkened room with him there are sixteen reanimates, whom he brought along to be shields, to protect his body when he goes into the xenosphere. The room smells of desperate, unwashed humanity, and it is at times difficult to breathe, but there is a price to pay for everything."

Rosewater, the first book in the Wormwood trilogy, was a top favorite for me last year. I loved it so fucking much! This delicious blend of aliens, science fiction, cyberpunk, Afropunk, aliens, future noir, diversi ...more

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Feb 01, 2020 Allison Hurd rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: authors-of-color, scifi, man-author

I loved Rosewater. Loved it. I thought Thompson was bold to use an unconventional hero and use seamlessly woven tropes from all sorts of different scifi, fantasy, and horror to discuss current day events in new and interesting ways.

This however was more or less unnecessary. There is one part of the story that comprised maybe an hour of reading for me that was what we needed to know for the story. I wish it had been rolled into a duology instead, it would have been much less frustrating.

CONTENT W ...more

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Mar 26, 2019 Nick Borrelli rated it really liked it · review of another edition

The story picks up not too long after the events of the first book. This time however, instead of Kaaro being the main POV character, it is his girlfriend and government agent Aminat. The makeshift town of Rosewater continues to grow in population as pilgrims from every corner of the world come to be healed of their ailments. The problem is the biodome at Rosewater's center seems to be dying ever so slowly, leaving their hopes of a reversal of their maladies very much in doubt. Added to the diso The story picks up not too long after the events of the first book. This time however, instead of Kaaro being the main POV character, it is his girlfriend and government agent Aminat. The makeshift town of Rosewater continues to grow in population as pilgrims from every corner of the world come to be healed of their ailments. The problem is the biodome at Rosewater's center seems to be dying ever so slowly, leaving their hopes of a reversal of their maladies very much in doubt. Added to the disorder of the growing masses and the decaying biodome is the specter of Rosewater's charismatic mayor Jack Jacques and his movement to declare independence for Rosewater. This understandably doesn't sit very well with the President of Nigeria, and a violent conflict is almost certain to arise between the two political forces. Meanwhile, a local woman named Alyssa awakens to find that she has no recollection of her husband and daughter. As a matter of fact she can't really remember much of anything at all. Why she can't remember her past is a mystery that she spends the majority of the story attempting to discover, eventually finding herself on the radar of the government's secret agency S45 and Aminat in particular. Could she somehow be connected with the strange alien Wormwood and the extra-terrestrial forces that reside within Rosewater's biodome? As that scenario plays out we are introduced to Eric, an unwilling minor employee of S45 who is basically ordered to assassinate the mayor of Rosewater Jack Jacques to put an end to his ambitious plans to break free from Nigerian government control. Eric really has no choice as his only other option is death at the hands of his employers. All of these various storylines alternate between chapters. Unlike Rosewater where the story was told almost exclusively through the eyes of Kaaro, THE ROSEWATER INSURRECTION tells the tale through numerous POV switching. As the story progresses, we definitely get a bigger background behind the alien entity at the heart of Rosewater and Wormwood has more of a center-stage role than in the previous book. The mystery of Wormwood's origin is hinted at, definitely tantalizing us for a potential huge reveal in the final book. As for Aminat and Kaaro, they are still very much in love, very much a powerful couple, and very much determined to get answers to what the aliens' plans are for Nigeria and the entirety of Earth.

I've been living in Tade Thompson's Rosewater for the better part of a month and I have to say that I'm a little depressed that I don't have book three to pick up immediately. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to wait for that one a little while longer, but meanwhile, let me opine on the many virtues of THE ROSEWATER INSURRECTION. This book was almost night and day in style compared to the first one. I think I was a bit thrown off at first by the multiple POVs just because I was so used to Kaaro being the main character. After I became acclimated with it though, I just settled in and let the story take hold of me. There was so much going on in this story and it really served to clear up some nagging questions from the first book that were lingering in my mind. Jack Jacques and his independence movement is much more of a player in this one, as intimated by the INSURRECTION part of the title. I enjoyed reading the flashbacks in the story that showed how he essentially charmed his way from a small-time figure to a major political leader by connecting with the people of Rosewater on a very personal level. With regard to the characters, Aminat is one of the strongest female characters in any SF story that I have read. I was happy to see her get the majority of the spotlight in THE ROSEWATER INSURRECTION because I think that she is a very compelling and interesting character. It was gratifying to get to see some more of what she is all about. My only minor beef with this book was that the switching of POVs was a little distracting in the beginning and it took me a while to adjust from the first book. I think part of that had to do with the fact that I began this book the day after I finished the first one and I was used to that story structure. But other than that I believe that this was more than a solid follow up to Rosewater and it set up the last book in the series quite nicely. I really recommend this series to anyone who is looking for a unique, thought-provoking SF read that has deep, complex characters and an alien mystery that makes you keep turning the pages feverishly. A great second installment in the Wormwood Trilogy that makes me eager to get my hands on the final book. Read it now, you won't regret it. ...more

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Sep 01, 2019 Bradley rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: biopunk, worldbuilding-sf, 2019-shelf, fantasy, sci-fi

While the wonderful first book in the Wormwood Trilogy had a slightly more interesting and convoluted storytelling structure befitting a mystery novel with explosively weird fantasy and SF elements, the second book tones that down and gives a much more straightforward tale.

This isn't a bad thing, considering what is being accomplished. Some mystery is here, of course, and the worldbuilding is phenomenal. This little Nigerian town was turned into a hub of spore aliens slowing taking over not just ...more

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Mar 04, 2019 Mogsy (MMOGC) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: review-copy, science-fiction, arcs-and-galleys, aliens

4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2019/03/12/...

I was happy to find that The Rosewater Insurrection was as weird and wonderful as its predecessor. In many ways, I even got along better with it because the story was slightly simpler and easier to follow, and it also features one of my favorite characters from the first book as the protagonist.

This time, we get to ride along with Aminat while her lover Kaaro, the main character from the first book, takes on a more support 4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2019/03/12/...

I was happy to find that The Rosewater Insurrection was as weird and wonderful as its predecessor. In many ways, I even got along better with it because the story was slightly simpler and easier to follow, and it also features one of my favorite characters from the first book as the protagonist.

This time, we get to ride along with Aminat while her lover Kaaro, the main character from the first book, takes on a more supporting role. This sequel brings us back to Rosewater, the Nigerian city which has sprung up around the dome-like alien lifeform known as Wormwood. The country’s political climate is thrown into chaos as Jack Jacques, Rosewater’s mayor, makes a brash attempt at declaring independence, antagonizing the president of Nigeria who is not about to stand for such noncompliance.

Meanwhile, in a quiet neighborhood one morning, a woman named Alyssa Sutcliffe wakes up in her home with no memory of who or where she is. The man sleeping beside her, presumably her husband if the photos around the house are any indication, is a stranger and she has no recollection of them ever getting married. There is also a daughter, whom Alyssa does not recognize at all, and she can’t even remember ever giving birth. A trip to the doctor finds nothing wrong with her physically, but alerts others who might have an idea of why she is experiencing such strange memory loss. Working as a government agent, Aminat is charged with finding Alyssa for her possible part in a greater fight to save the human race even as shadowy factions conspire to keep a rising alien threat secret.

In The Rosewater Insurrection, Tade Thompson continues to expand the world of his series, peeling back even more layers to explore the inner workings of this strange and fascinating setting. Even after two books, the novelty has not faded for me; I still feel as amazed as ever by the incredible world-building as well as the author’s unique take on the concept of alien first contact and invasion. As you’d recall, it’s a particularly insidious kind of takeover, involving the slow and gradual replacement of human cells with xenoform biology, which infuses this series with a subtle eeriness that is very effective. Due to some of the events in this book, the sense of danger feels much less abstract this time around, becoming more imminent—and more personal, in a way—ramping up the intensity of the suspense and action.

Following in the tradition of Rosewater, this sequel is also told via multiple POVs with a narrative that jumps around in time. While I’m still not the biggest fan of the non-linear storytelling, my experience with the first book had primed me for what to expect in this follow-up, and admittedly, the plot is intriguing enough that I would be willing to give these novels a pass on anything. Plus, I loved our new characters. As much as I enjoyed following Kaaro’s point-of-view in the previous installment, I was excited when I discovered that Aminat was going to be the protagonist in this one. We got to see a deeper side of her here, and together with Alyssa the two of them made an efficient team even when their interests didn’t always align. The mercurial Jack Jacques was also a perspective character, his inconstant motivations presenting yet another puzzle piece in this ever-widening mosaic of events.

It’s difficult to say much more about this book, not only because of obvious reasons involving spoilers but because there’s also the complexity of the plot to consider. There’s a strange kind of beauty about these novels that’s hard to put into words, an uncanny perfection in how all these different parts come together. Needless to say, Tade Thompson somehow connects all these various elements and and makes them work in balance and synergy. All in all, The Rosewater Insurrection is a masterfully well-crafted sequel that ties together plot threads while further expanding the world to prepare for even greater revelations in the coming finale. ...more

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Mar 31, 2020 Nick Imrie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, sf-biopunk, fiction, sf-dystopia, sf-first-contact, adventure-fiction, ch-0-challenge, ch-sf-f-award-wormwood

Rosewater Insurrection has all the virtues of the first book and is more confident in its execution. It's fast, frenetic and fun: a spy-adventure-thriller-action story with a kaleidoscope of dazzling SF ideas spinning around in the background. Every character in this book is a badass! that thrills the hearts of teenagers everywhere: the sort of person that throws their boss to the ground and kicks them in the ribs for justice or something, and spends the entire book outrunning explosions and ...more

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Apr 01, 2019 K.J. Charles added it · review of another edition

Shelves: african, sci-fi

This was absolutely terrific. Better than the first book: the writing is more assured and the plotting clearer. Thompson handles a large cast with aplomb, the imagination is glorious and vivid and there's a lot of wry humour. Great ideas, haunting imagery, neither of them swamping the exciting progress of a well worked out plot.

A really fantastic SF, exactly what I read the genre for. (And confirms the theory I read recently and can't forget, that all SF is now about climate change.) Thompson is ...more

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Aug 19, 2020 Tori (InToriLex) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi, favorite, african

A wonderful continuation of the series. If you enjoy adult sci-fi, then this series is for you. In this second book the stakes are higher, the weapons are more extreme and the humor makes all the action that much more fun.

Rosewater's is being attacked from every which way imaginable, while more progress is being made towards Wormwood's ultimate goal. In this book, you learn a lot about the Mayor of Rosewater Jack Jacques who is the most calculated, morally ambiguous politician I have ever encou ...more

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Aug 10, 2020 Silvana rated it really liked it

Shelves: poc-diaspora-authors, sci-fi, sff-2020-reading-challenge, african-sff, z-2020-sf-novel-novella, hugo-nominees-2020

Still a very fascinating, hard-boiled SF with a great setting and cast of characters. Yet I feel I enjoyed the first book slightly better since it has fewer POVs. I miss being in Kaaro's head. The book however does not suffer from the sequel syndrome. It kept me engaged and sometimes I had to try hard to keep up with so many crazy stuff flying, floating, and burrowing around this wacky city of Rosewater. I can't wait to read the final book. ...more

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Feb 07, 2019 James Tivendale marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi

Thank you to Orbit for sending me a review copy of The Rosewater Insurrection. It cheered me up on what has been an otherwise awful day and I'll probably read it next. ...more

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Oct 23, 2019 Alex Bright rated it really liked it · review of another edition

4.5 Stars

I switched the first book to 4 stars, and am giving this one half a star more, since it’s narrative is so much tighter. I may end up rounding to 5 in the future. Can’t wait for the third book!

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Oct 11, 2019 Lesley rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Brilliant imagination coupled with crisp writing and flawed characters made this one wild and exhilarating ride. I enjoyed being back in the trippy world of Rosewater, following some familiar characters and meeting some intriguing new ones, through a story that smashes together political corruption/scandal and alien invasion. The political storyline got a little drawn out for me in the middle of the book, but it was wholly redeemed by Thompson’s remarkable creativity and ability to weave in fant ...more

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May 17, 2019 Lata rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: bipoc-actor, scifi-fantasy, x2019-read, bipoc-author

I had a hard time reorienting myself in this story initially. There are multiple PoVs, and I could not remember who a few of them were. I did, however, feel very happy that Aminat from book one had a much more prominent role in this story.
The story: In which the alien invasion kicks up several notches, S45/Femi is up to her elbows in managing the situation and Rosewater Mayor Jack Jacques, who wants to make Rosewater independent from the rest of Nigeria, while Kaaro's holed up at home, enjoying ...more

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Oct 01, 2019 Jemppu rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This felt quite a lot more focused and sure of itself without the tough guy act of the first book seeing/stirring chaos everywhere. The more organized plot gave room for the suspense of the various individual 'invasion' experiences and political machinations to grow to vivid and gripping levels, and made the characters much better accessible.

Where the first book left me somewhat cold, this - with it's beautifully portrayed, almost chillingly calm and casual body invasion scenarios - inspired. ...more

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Apr 21, 2019 Hank rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Wonderfully weird with a ton of ideas packed into the book. 4.5 stars rounded up, Tade is stuffing so many pieces into the story it can be hard to keep up sometimes. Girl power! Aminat, Femi, Lora all rock! Femi's character arc is fascinating to me, I find myself alternately cheering for her and loathing her and am completely uncertain where my final emotion will land at the end of the trilogy. Very unusual, I tend to make quick judgments and stick to them. I will definitely read the third book ...more

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Mar 30, 2019 Gabi rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Yeah! I loved it! It's 4.5 stars in comparison with the first novel, cause I was missing the complicated structure I appreciated in the first book, but that made this sequel at least easier to follow.

What a wonderful mix of truly alien aliens, coldblooded and uncaring politicians and secret organisations in a state of everybody against everybody.

Thompson's prose is blunt, his characters are absolutely real and not bloodless larger-than-life heroes. His concept of the aliens is weird and mind-bog ...more

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Mar 28, 2019 Dawn C rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: media-audible

I was extremely fond of the first Rosewater book, and the sequel didn’t disappoint. Again we follow a few different characters, some familiar faces from the first book and some new people. Kaaro makes appearances but not as the main character and this suits the story very well.

The thing I fell for in the first book is how truly alien the aliens of Rosewater is. Instead of any clear communication with them, they exist through the influence they have on their surroundings, the flora and fauna and ...more

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Oct 11, 2019 Sarah rated it really liked it

A very compelling and exciting sequel to the brilliant Rosewater. I found it to be a little bit better than the first book. It flows better and the plot is a lot clearer. It's wonderfully imaginitive and the multiple viewpoints work very well.

I'm very much looking forward to the third book. ...more

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Jan 16, 2019 Kayla marked it as pile-of-shame · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019-releases, arc

Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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Apr 10, 2019 Oleksandr Zholud rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: hn-2020-longlist

This is the second volume of Rosewater trilogy. The review contains spoilers of the first book.

The slow invasion continues. We start with the action sequence, some new guy, Eric (S45 Agent) tries to kill an agitator in Rosewater. It gives us, readers, a pace for the book and continues not so much jumping in time, as the narrative of the first volume, but among multiple characters. Kaaro, the protagonist of the first book is more a background (albeit important) presence, while major protagonists ...more

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Oct 22, 2019 Soo rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, reviewed

Mini-Review:

3.5 Stars for Narration by Bayo Gbadamosi (I like his voice but he is not necessarily a good choice for a story with multiple POVs & there were mistakes left on the final recording.)
4 Stars for Solid Character Shorts
2.5 Stars for Main Characters

This was an easy book to read. While the story was easy to process & understand, I felt the story was not as intimate as the the first book. It was cool to have female characters lead in the current plot arc but I felt like a removed observer. ...more

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Mar 29, 2019 Lee Gingras rated it it was ok · review of another edition

I feel bad giving this only two stars. I LOVED the first book, which was one of the best books I read in 2019, but unfortunately, it feels like this sequel drags under its own weight. The first book set forward all the pieces, which delivered feat after feat of imagination. This book focuses more on putting the pieces into battle, which I just can’t find as compelling. The plotting seems sloppier too; the parallel storylines just barely held together in the first one, and in the second they just ...more

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Dec 27, 2019 Luke Burrage rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed-on-the-sfbrp, audio-book

A really great set of novels! I very much enjoyed them all. It's a good trilogy that doesn't try to continue the protagonist's story past the first novel, and instead finds new people and stories to follow in the next two instalments.

Full review on my podcast, SFBRP episode #415:

http://www.sfbrp.com/archives/1639 ...more

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Feb 26, 2020 Starlah rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020, sci-fi

oh man ... quickly becoming one of my favorite scifi series!

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Jun 05, 2019 Tomislav rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, fantasy

Tade Thompson is a British-born and raised writer of Nigerian descent. I read his first novel of the Wormwood Trilogy, Rosewater, last year and liked it quite a bit. That was nominated for several awards last year, but did not win. This second novel was recently released and I read it in trade paperback right away. The conclusion to the trilogy, The Rosewater Redemption, is scheduled for publication in October of this year.

This novel continues the story of Wormwood, a living alien artifact that ...more

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May 08, 2020 Lex Poot rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, african-literature

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About Tade Thompson

Tade Thompson

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Tade Thompson is a British born Yoruba psychiatrist who is best known for his science fiction novels.

Other books in the series

The Wormwood Trilogy (3 books)

Books by Tade Thompson

The Murders of Molly Southbourne (Molly Southbourne, #1)

The Rosewater Redemption (The Wormwood Trilogy, #3)

The Survival of Molly Southbourne (Molly Southbourne, #2)

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Quotes from The Rosewater Ins...

“The mind is an illusion, a hologram generated by the body. What you’ve encoded is memory, and personhood is not just memories. Personhood is embodied.” — 0 likes

“Hmm. Aromatic vodka. How are the girls?” “They live long; they prosper. Enough about them. How’re you?” — 0 likes

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Preview — The Rosewater Insurrection by Tade Thompson

The Rosewater Insurrection

(The Wormwood Trilogy #2)

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