Descendants of the First

The Return of the Earth Mother #2

by Reni K. Amayo

The king is dead - and with him, the last thread holding the kingdom together.

Deep cracks are forming throughout the kingdom of Nri with whispers of deadly successors lurking beneath the shadows. Despite having the same face, it seems the deepest crack is forming between Naala and Sinai, the reunited twin goddesses, who must put their differences aside as they travel through a broken Nri.

Unbeknownst to the girls, their use of the mystical Ṇdu crystal has awakened mythical beasts and the lost gods, each returning to Nri one by one. One thing is clear, the twins will have to face enemies at every corner of the kingdom... one of whom lies hidden amongst those they hold dearest.

As ongoing turmoil spreads throughout the kingdom, the daughters of Nri must unmask the true face of their enemy, as they discover that their unique blood has marked them with magic strong enough to restore true peace to the world - a task only they can complete.

But with beasts lurking far and wide, will they be able to do so before the kingdom succumbs to its looming curse?

Descendants of the First is the thundering sequel to Reni K Amayo’s epic feminist young adult fantasy, Daughters of Nri, lauded as “literary magic” by Buzzfeed and a piece of “Excellent writing, brilliant book.” by best-selling author, Dorothy Koomson.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Audiobook, Science Fiction Fantasy, Young Adult Fantasy, Ebooks, High Fantasy

411 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 5, 2021

Reviews

[Sîvan Sardar · Rating 5 out of 5]

THROWING UP SHAKING SLIDING DOWN THE WALL FROTHING AT THE MOUTH, SHE DOES IT AGAIN

i will forever be in awe of the way this author captures character development whilst still creating such an intricate world

i can’t begin to explain to you all how deeply i love authors who create women in their books who are so strong, and NOT just in the physical sense. mental, emotional and just the way they carry themselves is everything to me and sinai & naala are EVERYTHING to me

I need the next BOOK DESPERATELY PLS PLS PLS

[BookishByTammi · Rating 4 out of 5]

As if I couldn’t love these characters any more! Naala & Sinai have my heart as MCs but their friend group are also amazing stand-alone characters! The story is so fast paced and engaging, I cant wait for the 3rd book in the series, the characters are getting stronger and more confident in each book.
I am however accompanying the book with the audiobook because the inclusion of the Igbo language can be a bit confusing but its definitely not overkill and theres a dictionary at the back of the book to help.
Overall I cant recommend this series enough, its really made me fall in love with fantasy!

[Kristin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really sad that I had to abandon this, after loving the first book SO incredibly much. First of all, the text of the entire book is perhaps literally in size 6 font. It is tinier than any font you have ever read any book in, guaranteed, and will harm your eyesight. Next, I found that it suffered from a genuinely excessive overload of character names and fantasy terms, leaving hardly any room in any given sentence to convey what's happening. Because of this, it was very sloggy and slow. Lastly, the whole thing seemed drawn from super bizarre dreams, but without enjoying illustrative description to bring it to life. Descriptions are hardly a stone's throw away from how you would describe a weird dream to a friend over breakfast, and similarly resulting in the other person not really being able to "see" it. Grammatical editing was improved from the first book, but the issue did still manage to strike again here and there. All that said, I still enjoyed from what little I was able to access before falling asleep each time I chipped away, that the built world remained cozy as in the first book. And, I was still annoyed at how very hard it was to get hands on the book. If any more come out by the author, I will certainly still be making attempts to read all by her just based on how much I liked the first book.

[akacya ❦ · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is the sequel to daughters of nri.

the king is dead, and soon, so will be the kingdom. naala and sinai must put aside their differences as they travel through nri and encounter mythical beasts.

this book was so full of action while still giving the characters a lot of development. there were loads of plot twists which made it so exciting!

this world is so cool and i’m really excited to get back into it when the sequel releases.

also, the audiobook narration was amazing!

[Antonella · Rating 4 out of 5]

even though I loved these two books I kind of hoped we would get a duology but this is not a final book there is an HFN ending...

[Hazel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spoiler-free review:

I LOVED every second of this thrilling sequel to Daughters of Nri! It's full of twists and turns and I had trouble putting down the book because every chapter left me wanting more.
I highly recommend this book and this series; it's full of fantasy, strong female characters, and suspence!

Solid 5/5 stars!

[Andrew · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy working my way through this book and found the story difficult to follow.

[OnceUponAStorybook · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really great follow up to book one. But I’m not going to lie, it lost my interest a couple of times while reading this.

I love Sinai and Naala and how strong they are and their character development was amazing. I just hated how Naala treated Sinai in the beginning, like she’s just as confused as you. I was glad Naala finally came to her senses.

I love their friend group, they were amazing and all had great chemistry with each other. I love Eni and Naala relationship, they were adorable.

I really enjoyed the plot as well and the way the book ended, it was a great way to end the series.

[Donttouchmypoodle✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was excited to read the second book in this series, but overall I thought it was just ok.

First off, I loved the returning characters and appreciated the callbacks to the first book.

As with the first book, the action starts off quickly, but I had a hard time following the plot this time around. There was so much going on that it was distracting.

There were a few parts that were predictable.

Also, the grammatical errors. Yikeesss

[Ashleigh Nichole · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was better than the first one for sure. i am glad the twins are less angry and pained. they're building bonds in a healthier manner while learning and understanding themselves and each other, so that's nice. i'm still interested in seeing where the story goes.

[Frida · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Lindsey Robbin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the book that I took like three years to read.

Outlasting the lifespan of my old job I was so adamant that I was going to like it that I realised that I was really forcing myself to finish a book I didn't really care about. I think it suffers from being a sequel cause I remember the first book being really really good. However, this one failed to grip me, I deeply wanted to be gripped by it cause I want to support black authors always. That being said, being black doesn't automatically mean you'll write a book I'll enjoy, that's just life init. After I finished this book I felt a weight lift off my shoulders, a freedom to explore new things and hopefully never put myself in this situation again. I finished this, but I should have released it and released myself years ago. Hopefully the third book is better when it comes out, I will not be reading it though.

[maritareads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It has elements I liked from the first one, with richly described characters and colorful worldbuilding. I liked the pace as well, the tension is kept throughout and I think this is largely attributed to the short chapter style which makes it fly by fast. More books should do that.

However there is still a villain problem in this book. The author seems clear on where they are taking the girls but the villains thrown in their path feel very random and irrelevant to the arc of the trilogy. There was not enough room for some new characters to exist since they weren't given that space from the first book iirc. I also think the third act could have taken place in the same place as the second.

Another reason I loved the first book was that the supporting characters strengthened the plot. In this one their development seemed to be sacrificed for the plot or entry of new villains. I wish I could have seen more of their backstories shown another way instead of having them reveal it in a monologue last minute or have another character do it for them. Men continue to be disappointing in this one, even the good ones. Sorry but Eni and Olu are not giving. Good to know Obi Ife is still a dickhead lol.

I'll be here for the next book though. Amayo is still one of my favourite writers and one thing she's not, is boring.

[Elizabeth Swing · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chaotic

I found the story very hard to follow. The story skipped around, names became confusing on top of how long its been since I read the first book. Normally, I don't appreciate a recap of the prior story but with so many foreign words and names , I really found it a difficult read.

[Trinesha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is much different from the first one. I felt a bit confused and there was an introduction of a lot more characters. I wasn’t always able to keep up.

[sherbereads ✧.* ᰔᩚ🍉 · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The truth is we have no control ,everything we gain every morsel we grasp onto can be taken away from us in a snap second, that’s the illusion right that we’re safe because we have control, but there is no promise there is no guarantee, all we have are these moments”

Only took me 3 days to get through truly because the story was so captivating! I enjoy loving all the characters in a story but this also gave me a range of emotions for all characters involved. I’d say that’s good writing cause I felt the stakes were high and would go from loving to being annoyed to people being redeemed etc but there were a lot of POVs to keep track of but to me it was pretty streamlined. As an AA with no ties to any other language some terms went a little over my head but at the same time it never took away from the story for me and was explained well enough. Some say the plot felt disjointed but it wasn’t that hard to keep track for me. It really sets itself up for another book so I hope that comes in the future. Read this series, it’s great and if you liked Kingdom of Souls or A Song of Wraiths & Ruin series you’ll enjoy this. Reni Amayo you’re doing great things 🤩

[Nicki White · Rating 4 out of 5]

If your ever doing a book challenge that calls for you to read a book about sister, strong women figure, a setting you wish to visit, or found family. Then let me introduce to that book.

I can not get over the character development, it was remarkable to see our main heroines become these amazing goddesses who are set out to change the world. The journey that they have taken to find in each other what was missing in their lives is remarkably told in such a poetic free flowing story line.

There are so many good points for this novel which I’ve learned after reading has more to come. I’m on the fence on that, I was hoping for an ending and while we receive a happy for now ending I’m eager to see what awaits. Amayo could easily stop the books here an it would feel complete.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Book 4 of 2022

[Stacey Labissiere · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I love the most about this series is how beautifully Reni K. Amayo writes. She has a way with imagery that transports you right into the center of things.

While I thought this would be a duology series, I was proven wrong with this ending, as there may be a third book, which I am looking forward to.

African mythos is an excellent concept to write about because there are so many stories or "magic" to use. This very action-packed story differed from the first book, but that is because of the need for world-building.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Icl 3 stars isn’t enough for how good it actually was - just for the time it took me to read it bc there were times where I got bored. Realised I’m not really a fan of fantasy but the END??? now I have to read the third book lmao. I did get annoyed by the fact the characters kept on getting defeated but this is the second book lol. But, I understand that the descendants aren’t supposed to be perfect and they’re going to improve their powers.

[Judy Ohhh · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was good…. along the same level of "goodness" As the 1st book.. But I was ready for a conclusion lol. Kind of upset that I'm getting a 3rd one because I feel like if the author had not not stuffed us with so much filler content it could have ended with this book. But what do I know! Lol I'm no author. . Yet lol.

All in all, good book... I guess I'll be along for the 3rd one!

[Mahathi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite as good as the first one IMO. Too many characters weaved together, and towards the end a lot of it didn't make sense.
The story progression was quite uneven, even after reading 60% I was wondering where the hell this was going. Not quite enough of a thrill reading either with its predictable plot.
But ill definitely see it through the series as I'm invested already.

[Tumelo Moleleki · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were editorial issues that caused hiccups in the flow, especially as the first book was almost devoid of any errors I could pick up. A lot of things that were still a mystery in book 1 were explored and exposed. I liked the character of Nwamara and the changes or twists surrounding Eni and Ina. Interested in learning how the writer will weave out of this one but I don't know that I won't lose interest due to the waiting.

[Lorrany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Desde que a capa desse livro foi revelada, eu estava muito ansiosa para finalmente lê-lo, pois eu adorei o primeiro. Felizmente, Descendants of the First não cai na maldição da sequência ruim, pelo contrário: o segundo volume de The Return of the Earth Mother é melhor que o primeiro. Nessa sequência, a autora expande ainda mais o universo, que já foi muito bem desenvolvido no livro anterior, e aprofunda-se nos personagens, fazendo com que eu me apegasse ainda mais a eles, principalmente às protagonistas. Eu estava esperando que essa série fosse uma duologia, mas, pelo final, parece que teremos pelo menos mais um volume. Estou ansiosa pelo próximo livro, espero que essa história continue com o excelente desenvolvimento e que fique cada vez mais popular.

[Alacyia · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5
I'm not gonna lie, it took me a minute to finish this book. It is true to typical second books of trilogies and giving tons of back information with not too much action but the back information was all over the place. There were so many different branches to try to keep up with. I just hope I'll remember what I need to to read the third book.

[Mo Mosebjadi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got so lost so many times and feel the plot also got lost too. There were so many introductions of new magic that I also got lost tracking the story we started with. I ended up reading just to see where it goes. If a third book comes I will read only with the hope that this series is redeemed. The first book was so amazing.

[Lulu Dumitru · Rating 2 out of 5]

I started this one not realising it’s the second in a series, read about a quarter, was very confused because there was not enough context, paused it and finished the first before resuming this one.

This being said, having the context did not rescue this story. It dragged on and on and none of the action hooked me. I didn’t feel like rooting for any of the characters and lost track of many of them about halfway through.

There is quite a little bit more character development, but it’s more centered around supporting characters and villains. That or it just wasn’t remarkable enough to be memorable when it came to the twins. Slap in a rushed conclusion at the end and you’ve got yourself a series that could’ve stopped at the perfectly acceptable book 1.

[Jy · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this book was so much better than the previous. However there were several chapters where the author would just skip over events and leave missing puzzle pieces of the story where I felt there should've been more explanations.

Also not enough character development. Like the author kept shifting narratives between characters and it was annoying to me because there were developments between characters I would've liked to see established. Relationships for example. Like Kora and Madi. Madi and Ina (couldn't stand her character btw). Madi and Naala (she irritated me too at times, but not as much as Ina) and Eni. Sinai and Olu. And what exactly happened to him anyway? The author never elaborated, especially since it was insinuated that he was also a descendant. But they just glossed over that part and didn't bother to come back to it.

The ending didn't come as a complete shock to me. There's always a Judas in the group and in this book it's Eni, unbeknownst to him.

Hopefully in the next book the author sheds light on my many unanswered questions, and does a better job of elaborating on key aspects of the plot without skipping over events.

[Calla Reviews (كالا) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Is it worth i?

I liked the first in this series very much. That made this book all the more disappointing. This book reads like a run on sentence, disjointed. The scenes switch often,and the narrators switch often. Almost all the characters have something going on, in the background and that would be okay if it were needed. I never thought I would read a book and think that there is way too much going on. I had to read certain passages over to get an understanding of its place in the book.
There was a ton of moving pieces too many moving pieces, and the book was action-drama filled too much so. It was hard to build excitement for the building climax when every other scenario is dramatic. Indeed when the climax came it was lackluster and of course the book ends with a cliffhanger.
I can see the characters having their own books as this book is set-up to continue down that path but I hope careful revision is given to the upcoming books for nuance and clarity to what the author is trying to convey.

[Shanice · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a slow and reluctant read.

The writing was an improvement on the first book and thankfully this book was only available in hardback not paperback as the first book was poorly made and the covers peeled and fell apart easily.

I struggled with the beginning and end, but the middle was an easier read. Every time I put this book down it was difficult to come back to. The story and the characters just didn't really grab me, though I really wanted to like the story. The story was incredibly slow in places with great focus on these parts, and incredibly quick where all of the action was and it was these points I wanted more detail. The details and descriptions provided by the author were lacklustre in my opinion and I found a lot of aspects of both books difficult to visualise.

I was frustrated due to these points and not heavily invested, so flipping back to the dictionary and picking up where I left off was just annoying to be honest.

If the third book is the final one, I will probably read it but if there are more in the series I can't put myself through that.

[bella rhys (semi-hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whilst I did enjoy it overall, I’m not the biggest fantasy girl, so I was kind of bored in some parts.

Although I was interested in finding out more about the how the overall story arch and characters would turn out after the first book, and it did deliver somewhat. The characters and story just did not captivate me as much as I would have liked; I just got to a point where I kind off didn’t care anymore.

This was by no means a bad book, I’m just not the right audience for it.