Enock I. Simbaya has returned with his second novel, Nasomi’s Quest after his debut Mable was released in 2017. With Nasomi’s Quest, Enock has taken an entirely different route from Mable. Mable is a mystery book, while Nasomi’s Quest is a young adult fantasy novel.
Nasomi’s Quest is a story about a prince called Tambo who
falls in love with a peasant girl, Nasomi even though he is engaged to someone else. Tambo’s love for Nasomi is insurmountable that he gives up his title as next in
line to the throne for the
love of his life. This is where they should have gone on to live happily ever after, however, the jilted lover had other plans. Reema who has amassed magical powers kidnaps Tambo, which sets Nasomi on an adventure to rescue her husband. Enock takes the reader into the realm of magic, drama and adventure as the protagonist faces many challenges along the way. Nasomi also possesses a special ability of telling
dreams, which makes her able to foretell the future.
Enock has flipped the script with Nasomi’s Quest from the clichéd prince rescuing the damsel in distress. This time around it is the brave heroine who goes on this journey to save her husband from the witch who has him under her spell. Enock’s world building is a treat to read, and it is easy to get lost in this world that he has created. He also created a
language, which is peppered throughout the text and this elevates the
narrative.
Nasomi’s determination oozes through the pages as her mission is to be reunited with Tambo but there are obstacles that threatened to hinder her. There is a lot of action that happens throughout the novel and there is a wealth of characters and creatures that Enock introduces at various stages of the quest. One memorable creature is the kowasa that had a
blue light flow through their veins. The numerous subplots of revenge, betrayal, acceptance, hope,
forgiveness and tragedy intertwine their way into the story.
The main characters of Nasomi, Reema and Tambo could have been well fleshed out and given more dimension besides their motivation for revenge or finding a captured love. There is a period in the book where chronology of time is unclear, there is a two-year period in the journey that is unexplained. We know that
Nasomi was locked up but we do not know what Reema was up to and how it took
just a few days for Nasomi to catch up to get to her. There are also unresolved issues of certain characters like
Tambo’s parents. They are king and queen but they did not seem to make any effort to find their son.
If you are looking for an adventurous read that is mixed with magic and long sequence fights, Nasomi’s Quest is the book to read. Even though this was a quest for Nasomi to rescue her man, it was also much about her discovering who she was and what she possessed. It was a satisfying read and one that would make fantasy enthusiasts look forward to more from Enock.
Nasomi’s Quest by Enock I. Simbaya
262 pages
Publisher: MV Media
Note: You can read the first three chapters here – https://www.mvmediaatl.com/post/nasomi-s-quest-chapters-1-3?fbclid=IwAR3oDSbA7cfsfbHzOaLDMjEy_jAiZK6yr3-ktqaJK69MWU1SDvFxxpQalb8
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