My review of Son of the Morning, by Akwaeke Emezi. 3 out of 5 stars:
I received a copy of this book directly from Avon, an imprint of Harper Collins.
I've never read this author before, but I've certainly heard of them, and was thrilled at the chance to read their newest novel.
My assessment, having now finished the book, is that it's a mixed bag.
Early on, the descriptive passages eluded me a bit. Certainly, anything supernatural will be esoteric by nature, but I found it hard to discern what it was that the main character was feeling. Also, the constant switching from third to first person and back again was a bit jarring as well.
The character names were way too on the nose: Galilee, full of too much light and living in the town of Salvation, versus Lucifer, full of too much darkness and even going by the pseudonym Helel.
Just as the presentation of the themes were not subtle, the steamy action was not shy at all, either. Those brazen and explicit sex scenes were well-written and should be commended. Not all authors are good at writing them. It is what elevated my rating from 2 to 3 stars.
This genre is not entirely outside my wheelhouse. One of my favorite books has a romance that develops slowly over time, as the protagonists tangle with a paranormal mystery. So, I like the general idea. This, however is different, where the romance itself is paranormal, and does not develop over time, but rather jumps into instantaneous intensity. If you are a reader who wants the lovers to skip the "will they/won't they" part, this will delight you.
I think I might have enjoyed the story more, if it had been more nuanced and more layered, especially if the backstory of the main character had been more developed.
If paranormal romance is your favorite genre, you might really enjoy this.
