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The Rosewater Insurrection

(The Wormwood Trilogy #2)

Tade Thompson (Goodreads Author)

4.06 · Rating details · 1,017 ratings · 142 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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Oct 08, 2019 Anthony rated it really liked it

Shelves: series, sf

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 ...more

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

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

"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, ...more

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

Shelves: 2019, sf-f, favorites

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 26, 2019 Nick T. 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 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: fantasy, 2019-shelf, biopunk, sci-fi, worldbuilding-sf

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

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 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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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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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.

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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 ...more

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

Shelves: 2019-read, scifi-fantasy, poc-actor, poc-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.

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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

Shelves: series-to-follow

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 ...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.

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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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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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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 ...more

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Feb 22, 2019 FanFiAddict rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Rating:+

Starting this review off with thanks to Orbit and the author for an advanced reading copy of The Rosewater Insurrection (The Wormwood Trilogy #2) in exchange for an open and honest review. Receiving this ARC did not influence my thoughts or opinions on the novel.

So, unfortunately, I did not get around to reviewing Book 1 of this trilogy as I read it during the holidays where life seemed to always get in the way of being in front of a computer. Nothing wrong with that, but I did not get Rating:★★★★+

Starting this review off with thanks to Orbit and the author for an advanced reading copy of The Rosewater Insurrection (The Wormwood Trilogy #2) in exchange for an open and honest review. Receiving this ARC did not influence my thoughts or opinions on the novel.

So, unfortunately, I did not get around to reviewing Book 1 of this trilogy as I read it during the holidays where life seemed to always get in the way of being in front of a computer. Nothing wrong with that, but I did not get to share my praise for Thompson’s SF debut. Rosewater was such an astounding and visceral read, and absolutely unlike anything I have ever read.

Book 2 takes it to another level.

With Kaaro taking a backseat this time around, we get to follow along in the boots of his lover, Aminat. She is tasked with finding and apprehending a woman who may be the key to the survival of not only the people of Rosewater, but the human race as a whole. The woman she is in charge of finding is Alyssa Sutcliffe, who has just woken up with .50 cal sized gaps in her memory, even doubting who she really is.

Meanwhile, Rosewater is in complete turmoil as its mayor, Jack Jacques, has decided to piss of the Nigerian President by declaring independence, culminating in a massive amount of external resistance. Then, of course, you have the hidden conflict between the entity known as Wormwood and an evil that has stopped it dead in its tracks.

While Thompson’s narrative style stays the same, non-linear with multiple POVs, the story is a little easier to follow this time around as there aren’t as many jumps back or forward in time. I know that was a small issue for me in Book 1, which lead to some rewinds and mental preparedness whenever I sat down to read.

Much like in Book 1, the author has a knack for creating characters (whether or not you want to, or are supposed to, root for them is up for debate), but he really shines in his world-building. While The Wormwood Trilogy is built on the somewhat “small-scale”, this book feels epic in its execution. The addition of the xenosphere just adds an extra layer of originality and broadens the sandbox Thompson has to play in.

The writing is exquisite; the prose tantalizing. You’ll be hooked from page one and by the time you are finished, you’ll be foaming at the mouth for Book 3. This is the future. It is what science fiction needs to be. ...more

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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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Mar 31, 2019 Anna rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, scifi

Pleasingly, the sequel to Rosewater shifts focus from Kaaro to Aminat, his girlfriend. Although I found Kaaro an excellent protagonist, so is Aminat and it’s always nice when female characters get to be centre stage. The plot is perhaps slightly looser than in the prequel, revolving around the mayor of Rosewater declaring independence and the aliens being threatened by a plant-like entity. The world-building is once again excellent, vivid, and distinctive. Making the mayor a point of view Pleasingly, the sequel to Rosewater shifts focus from Kaaro to Aminat, his girlfriend. Although I found Kaaro an excellent protagonist, so is Aminat and it’s always nice when female characters get to be centre stage. The plot is perhaps slightly looser than in the prequel, revolving around the mayor of Rosewater declaring independence and the aliens being threatened by a plant-like entity. The world-building is once again excellent, vivid, and distinctive. Making the mayor a point of view character allows the the politics of an alien-centric Nigerian city to play out in a very interesting fashion. Human conflicts run parallel to alien conflicts, while the human-alien conflict remains implicit in the background. Thompson juggles narrators very deftly to give a wide view of events. Various plot developments also defy expectations in amusing and powerful ways. (view spoiler) Aminat and Alyssa’s adventures are really exciting, with some spectacular action sequences. There are also some excellent incidences of body horror or just bodily weirdness, providing literal manifestations of how alien exposure is changing humanity. Even a few moments of hilarity. Walter is another great narrator, strategically deployed, while Femi remains a frustrating enigma to all around her. Not making her a narrator was likewise a sensible choice.

I’m really enjoying this series so far. I have a particular fondness for fiction in which a city has sufficient presence to be the main character, which is definitely the case here. The human and alien characters are involving and varied (view spoiler). The cultural and social world-building weaves history, technology, and alien influence together beautifully. The plot is complex and thoughtful, while periodically making space for dramatic and exciting violence. In the Rosewater novels, Thompson explores questions of how how humans can co-exist with one another, let alone with aliens. They feature strange mindscapes, alien pests, new religions, dangerous weapons, and a range of well-developed interpersonal relationships. Both the details and the broad themes are equally effective. The ensemble casts are balanced so well that the city itself has a clear and fascinating identity. When reading about Rosewater, you start to understand why residents would fight for its independence. ...more

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Jun 03, 2019 Shaun Hutchinson added it · review of another edition

I thoroughly enjoyed this.

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Apr 01, 2019 Chris Brown rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Excellent sequel to Rosewater! Looking forward to the rest of Rosewater Trilogy.

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Aug 02, 2019 Runalong rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I thought the sequel was even better than the first which is a high bar to pass!! Goes for an epic scale and huge cast to create a memorable tale

Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...

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Feb 03, 2019 Sarah (CoolCurryBooks) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019-release

TW: sexual assault (in a flashback)

How do I even describe this book? Let’s start with the basics. The Rosewater Insurrection is the sequel to Tade Thompson’s astounding “aliens invade Nigeria” novel, Rosewater. If you haven’t read Rosewater, you need to get on that ASAP! And I would highly recommend reading Rosewater before you read The Rosewater Insurrection. No guarantees that this review won’t contain spoilers for the first book.

The Rosewater Insurrection shifts the narrative away from Kaaro TW: sexual assault (in a flashback)

How do I even describe this book? Let’s start with the basics. The Rosewater Insurrection is the sequel to Tade Thompson’s astounding “aliens invade Nigeria” novel, Rosewater. If you haven’t read Rosewater, you need to get on that ASAP! And I would highly recommend reading Rosewater before you read The Rosewater Insurrection. No guarantees that this review won’t contain spoilers for the first book.

The Rosewater Insurrection shifts the narrative away from Kaaro and to other characters, including Aminat, Kaaro’s lover and a government agent working to stem the tide of the alien invasion. In a wealthy suburb of Rosewater, a white woman named Alyssa Sutcliffe wakes up with no memory of who she is and a determined belief that Alyssa Sutcliffe’s life is not her life. Aminat is given a task: apprehend Alyssa, for Alyssa is the first human to have become majority alien (as a reminder, the alien invasion of Rosewater consists of slowly replacing our cells with alien biology). But difficulties arise as Aminat gets caught in the conflict between the mayor of Rosewater, Jack Jacques, and the president of Nigeria.

Out of all the new protagonists, Aminat was my favorite. This series has some great female characters, which is something I always look for. Aminat is capable and dedicated to her job, but she’s not quite as heartless as her superiors. Meanwhile, Alyssa presents an intriguing situation on which I don’t want to say too much… Jack Jacques is another central character, and it becomes easy to wonder whether he’s acting out of self-interest or truly for the benefit of Rosewater. Then again, a lot of the time he doesn’t seem to have much choice. A fourth character is an author who has excerpts of his books appear before he begins chronicling the events of The Rosewater Insurrection as they occur. I’d wondered why his books were being excerpted, so my curiosity was eventually satisfied!

The world building of this series is just so amazing. It doesn’t act like the future is a thinly veiled version of today. Instead, it has all sorts of marvelous complexity. There’s a sentient robot, a barter and IOU economic system in Rosewater, weird alien biology, and a secret society of African politicians. And they all mesh together beautifully.

I don’t know how to review The Rosewater Insurrection. It’s a wonderfully inventive novel that brings disparate plot threads together in a stunning conclusion that still leaves room for the third and final book of the trilogy.

I received an ARC with the expectation of a free and honest review.

Review from The Illustrated Page. ...more

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Mar 04, 2019 Jordan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019

Find this review at Forever Lost in Literature!

I read and reviewed Rosewater back in November and absolutely loved it for its inventiveness and fresh take on the sci-fi genre. I was excited to read this sequel because I knew it would follow more of Aminat's character, and on that count this book absolutely delivered. The Rosewater Insurrection picks up pretty quickly after the events of the first book, which made it easy to jump right back into it.

I can't go into any specifics in this review Find this review at Forever Lost in Literature!

I read and reviewed Rosewater back in November and absolutely loved it for its inventiveness and fresh take on the sci-fi genre. I was excited to read this sequel because I knew it would follow more of Aminat's character, and on that count this book absolutely delivered. The Rosewater Insurrection picks up pretty quickly after the events of the first book, which made it easy to jump right back into it.

I can't go into any specifics in this review because I don't want to give anything away, but the premise mainly focuses on Aminat as she is set to track down a woman who has proven to be vitally important to the survival of the human race itself. In addition to Aminat's storyline, we also largely follow Jack Jacques (a tongue-twister of a name for me), mayor of Rosewater, who is fighting to make Rosewater independent from Nigeria and thus angering the Nigerian president in the process.

The simple, matter-of-fact writing style that was present in Rosewater was just as strong here in the sequel and it also continued to keep be a style that kept me engaged. There's something about the clear cut style that helps me follow along an otherwise potentially complex plotline with many components to explore. Thompson does a wonderful job of examining the human vs. alien dynamic and how this sort of 'invasion' onto Earth could occur and what the ramifications of that could be. There are a lot of thoughtful themes to explore on this matter and that is also what makes these books so incredible. I also think the way that Thompson created his alien species was really inventive and had so many possibilities attached to it that kept me wanting to know more about them.

As mentioned, The Rosewater Insurrection follows both Aminat and Jack as its main protagonists, but it also occasionally jumps to a man named Eric's POV. Eric is the only POV that jumps between various time periods, so if the back and forth POVs of the first book were frustrating for you then you'll appreciate this book's much more linear storytelling. There are one or two other characters that pop up throughout the book, but these are also minimal and add some interesting extra elements. Aminat continues to be an awesome character who I really enjoy following. She's tough and not someone I'd want to mess with, but she's certainly not heartless or without care for others, both of which are traits that make her a well-rounded and engaging character.

The only less than positive thing I have to say about this book is that I felt slightly disassociated with the actions of the story at times. I've been trying to determine whether this was a personal issue since I read this during a couple of anxiety/stress-heavy days or whether there was something about the narrative that held me at a bit of an arm's length. There was just something about this book that didn't pull me in or make me feel quite as invested as I was with the first book. Things seemed to happen too quickly and I think part of it might simply be that I never had a chance to really ingratiate myself into the world since everyone was constantly on the move. A slight slowing of the pacing might have benefited this book.

Overall, I've given The Rosewater Insurrection four stars! If you enjoyed Rosewater, then I highly recommend you pick up the sequel if you weren't already planning to do so. If you didn't like Rosewater due to the POV and time shifts, then I still recommend you pick this one up and give it another chance! The alien/human aspect of this book is fascinating and totally worth the read. ...more

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Jul 16, 2019 Villain E rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: scifi, more-like-this-please

I have a new pet peeve: when a writer tells a story from multiple character perspectives and they all sound the same. The point of different perspectives is different voices and ideas. In this book there are some first-person chapters, some third-person chapters, even excerpts from a novel, and they all sound exactly the same. If this were all first-person from one character, like the first book, it wouldn't bother me. If this were third-person-omniscient, it wouldn't bother me. For that matter, ...more

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Jul 06, 2019 Tricia rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Every bit as good, if not better, than it's predecessor in the Rosewater Trilogy. A much more complex story told from many different points of view - including some quite surprising ones. There are many different strands to the story but all leading to one central point, they intertwine but never tangle which is no small feat.
I am in awe of Tade Thompson's imagination and the skill with which he shares it. The writing is assured, elegant and gripping. The story many layered, rich and complex. It ...more

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