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. 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. 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. 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. 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. There is also a daughter, whom Alyssa does not recognize at all, and she can’t even remember ever giving birth. 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.

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 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. This sequel brings us back to Rosewater, the Nigerian city which has sprung up around the dome-like alien lifeform known as Wormwood. 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. 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. I was happy to find that The Rosewater Insurrection was as weird and wonderful as its predecessor. The Rosewater Insurrection by Tade Thompson This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own. I received a review copy from the publisher. Book Review: The Rosewater Insurrection by Tade Thompson

The rosewater insurrection