Official Review: Queen of Zazzau by JS Emuakpor

Supergirl1 · Post by **Supergirl1** » 05 Mar 2019, 05:59

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Queen of Zazzau" by JS Emuakpor.]

3 out of 4 stars

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A thriving village is brought to ruins by an invincible army. Their next destination? Zazzau! This story is set in the 1500s, a time when warriors do not fear death and the females have hearts of steel. The pages of their history hold a long record of wars fought between lands with strong military forces. Queen of Zazzau shares engaging tales of ancient African tribes.

The protagonist, Amina, stands out as a woman of great strength. The narrative is full of suspense and events turn in unpredictable ways. There is much to learn from her. She faces both internal and external wars and yet remains unbroken. The setting of this book piqued my interest. The author did a good job of portraying eminent African royal characters. However, I feel that the book would have appealed to a much larger audience if it had more humor. The editing of this book appears to be professionally done. I found very few errors.

During a respite from war, Amina finally gets a chance to live. She falls in love and agrees to a marriage proposal. But misfortune comes knocking when her betrothed, the Kaura, is sent to Nupe where an arrow claims his life. This sets off a chain of events which brings Zazzau into one conflict after another. The sudden death of her mother, the Bakwa Turunku, and the subsequent usurping of her throne by her uncle also added to the strains on Amina.

It takes a colorful imagination and much research to bring people and events of the past alive. The author, J.S. Emuakpor, tells war stories without gore and graphic violence. This novel opens one’s eyes to the struggles of the throne. However, I struggled with this book because of the low morals displayed by the protagonist and her personal guard, Jaruma. I had to double check if the book was a romance novel because the romantic scenes were numerous and steamier than I expected in a book about history.

The author’s interest in superstitions and spiritual beliefs must have fueled the book’s strong emphasis on magic (as seen in the scenes concerning the war god), but it dampened my interest in the story and made it a lot less realistic. But what do I know, perhaps the ancient people of Zazzau were steeped in magic!

I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. Although the plot development was interesting, I think it lacked diversity. The whole book seemed to focus on just war and romance. I had nothing much to learn morally. This book would appeal to fans of steamy romance. However, If you are looking for ‘pure’ history, I don’t think this book is it.

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Queen of Zazzau
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Post by **kandscreeley** » 11 Mar 2019, 10:54

African royal characters? That's definitely a bit unique. It does sound quite interesting as it was a different time to be sure. Still, I'm not sure I would be immensely interested in it. Thanks, though.

Kristin Ransome · Post by **Kristin Ransome** » 11 Mar 2019, 20:19

I tend to enjoy books that have unique takes on history, but this one seems to be too caught up in violence and romance for me to fully enjoy! However, the plot and strong female characters might convince me to pick it up in the future. Thanks for your review!

Supergirl1 · Post by **Supergirl1** » 12 Mar 2019, 11:38

kandscreeley wrote: ↑11 Mar 2019, 10:54 African royal characters? That's definitely a bit unique. It does sound quite interesting as it was a different time to be sure. Still, I'm not sure I would be immensely interested in it. Thanks, though.

It’s not very often one gets to read of ancient African heroines. I strongly agree with you on the unique part.

Thanks!

Supergirl1 · Post by **Supergirl1** » 12 Mar 2019, 11:40

Firefawkes wrote: ↑11 Mar 2019, 20:19 I tend to enjoy books that have unique takes on history, but this one seems to be too caught up in violence and romance for me to fully enjoy! However, the plot and strong female characters might convince me to pick it up in the future. Thanks for your review!

I appreciate your comment, and yes, this book was great and disappointing at the same time. But hey, you might have a stronger stomach! It’s a very interesting story otherwise.

Muhammad Ibn Isah · Post by **Muhammad Ibn Isah** » 18 Mar 2019, 09:28

This book reflects the life of a typical lady in a royal house hold from sub saharan Africa, featuring an ancient historic city and empire. It also reflects the situation of women in the region. "what a man can do a woman can do perhaps even better", your review is well coined.

ayomie · Post by **ayomie** » 21 Mar 2019, 10:10

Great analysis! I love history books, especially ones with epic characters like these. The honesty of your review is a great help. Thanks.

Juliana_Isabella · Post by **Juliana_Isabella** » 28 Mar 2019, 15:18

This does sound more like historical romance than the summary would suggest, so I'm not sure I'll be reading it.

8amaseter · Post by **8amaseter** » 12 Apr 2019, 09:20

Any mention of Queen Amina brings to heart the image of a warlord only. The author has revealed other aspects of her life like romance, making his copy different from others. Its a good review.

Rmcgee · Post by **Rmcgee** » 13 Apr 2019, 12:28

I’m always excited to read anything that features characters of color. I personally find stories about strong female leads very interesting. I’m disappointed to find that this novel features a lot of sex scenes, however. Black women are too often used as objects of sex and not taken seriously because of it. Despite this I’m excited to read this book!