Beasts Made of Night and Crown of Thunder by Tochi Onyebuchi written by the Hobbit on 1/162022. This post contains affiliate links, you can find out more on our policies page or in the disclaimer at the bottom of the blog.
Know Before You Read
Books: Beasts Made of Night and Crown of Thunder
Author: Tochi Onyebuchi
Genre: Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Young Adult
Length: Beasts Made of Night 304 and Crown of Thunder 320
Age suggested:12+
Release Date: Beasts Made of Night 2017 and Crown of Thunder 2018
Quick Summary of Beasts Made of Night and Crown of Thunder by Tochi Onyebuchi
Beasts Made of Night and Crown of Thunder are a fantasy duology set in a magical world inspired by Nigeria. It follows Taj, a boy who is paid by the royal family to eat their sins (of which he bears the signs in the form of animal tattoos) as he gets involved in court intrigue. He escapes from this, but is hunted and must eventually make decisions that will affect not only his future but that of his homeland.
Beasts Made of Night and Crown of Thunder Review: (Some Spoilers)
Kos is a large walled city with diverse neighborhoods, most of them poor. Corrupt mages can, for the wealthy and powerful, magically call forth sin from a sinner in the form of sin-beasts. But these are lethal and must be slain and then eaten, usually by poor and young aki. However, when they eat a sin beast, a tattoo of the beasts appears on their skin, and the guilt of the sin is now borne in their mind. Most aki eventually go mad.
Taj is a talented aki who is drawn into various court intrigues. When these finally explode, resulting in devastation to parts of Kos, Taj flees with toe of his friends. They encounter fleeing civilians, but finally find the village of Arzu, one of his friends. There both Taj and Aliya, a mage he fled with, must find the extent of their magical powers or be destroyed by the dark magic that the princess of Kos sends after them.
–Why Read Beasts Made of Night and Crown of Thunder –
The worldbuilding has a different flavor to it and evokes the flavors and smells of the author’s Nigeria. The three central characters are well drawn. Beasts Made of Night in particular explores class and privilege. Aki are different, they are discriminated against but are also necessary. Crown of Thunder explores using power for peace or using it in anger for division. All of these are incredibly important topics and these two books will give you a better grasp of these issues.
The books have several intriguing aspects. The technology is, at times, almost steampunk. There are vivid descriptions of food, sound, and smell. The magic is related to math. There is good romance (in Crown of Thunder) and bad obsessive, controlling romance (In Beasts Made of Night). While the world-building is beautiful, the pace can drag at times, and the number of minor characters can be confusing. Stick with it becasue the result is worth the effort.
Beasts Made of Night and Crown of Thunder by Tochi Onyebuchi Quotes:
“I want to feel as though I’m running toward something instead of running away.”
“There is the family you are born into and the family that you make.”
“There’s a part of Aliya now—I can see it in her eyes—that wants Miri to join her, not just to confirm that she has the right idea but because it will mean approval from her mentor. Sometimes, that is more important than anything else.”
“I let myself imagine a city that isn’t trying to keep people and things out. A city that lets them move freely.”
“…there’s that anger again. It looks so familiar. People you care about, people you love, have been hurt. And here is the person who did it, or at least someone involved. And here is the chance to hurt them back. Deeply. Dearly. But that’s not Balance—not the right kind of Balance.”
~Beasts Made of Night and Crown of Thunder by Tochi Onyebuchi
Beasts Made of Night and Crown of Thunder by Tochi Onyebuchi Discussion Questions
Themes to Discuss: Family, friendship, sacrifice, the relationship of actions to consequences, class
- What is the relationship between sin and guilt?
- What do you think about magic and math being tied to each other?
- What did you learn about Nigerian culture from reading these books?
Thanks for reading our Beasts Made of Night and Crown of Thunder by Tochi Onyebuchi review. Before you go, check out these other posts
–Amari and the Night Brothers Review and Discussion Questions
–Ikenga Review and Discussion Questions
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