Marshmallow reviews Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun by Tọlá Okogwu

The book bunnies are back from their winter break and it is time for Marshmallow’s first review for 2024! For this review she chose to write about Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun by Tọlá Okogwu, the first in Okogwu’s Onyeka series, first published in 2022.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you like books about Nigerian culture and mythology, embracing yourself, exploring your abilities, friends, and family, then this might be the book for you. 

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): Onyeka’s most striking feature is her hair, of which she has a lot. Her hair is not very agreeable and is extremely hard to maintain and style, frustrating Onyeka and her overprotective mother to no end. While her best friend (Cheyenne) couldn’t care less about what people think, Onyeka would be perfectly happy to be more normal, more like everyone else. It doesn’t help that Onyeka’s mother is always reminding her that she has to be extra careful because she’s not like everyone else.

Onyeka’s mother has her wear a swimming cap to Cheyenne’s birthday pool party, which makes her feel even more different. But at the party, Cheyenne almost drowns until Onyeka’s hair becomes somehow animated and saves the two girls. Soon, the meaning of her mother’s warnings become clear to her: Onyeka really isn’t like other people because she is a Solari. The Solari are people who each have a superhuman or supernatural power (called an Ike) and who originate from Nigeria. (There are exceptions; some Solari have two powers.) These powers, Onyeka is told, come from an accident, from exposure to a leaked material.

There is a school named the Academy of the Sun, for Solari children so they can learn to control their powers. Onyeka and her mother travel to Nigeria so she can attend this school. They used to live there originally but left after Onyeka’s father disappeared when she was small. She and her mother fled after receiving a letter telling them to.

Now upon their return, Onyeka’s mother plans on finding answers. Meanwhile, Onyeka starts to attend the Academy. She receives instruction from teachers and pupils, making new friends and enemies. Unfortunately, every time she uses her Ike, she feels extremely unwell. Join Onyeka as she discovers the magic and danger of the new world of the Solari. 

Marshmallow’s Review: I really liked reading Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun. Onyeka is a very relatable character. She is not as rash as Harry Potter or as carefree as Percy Jackson, and she is definitely not perfect. Even though she is emotional, she is just as brave as those other famous heroes, and in the end, she manages to use her emotions in productive ways.

The magical world the author builds is fascinating in itself. Even though a lot of the story happens in Nigeria, just like in Ikenga by Nnedi Okorafor that I reviewed earlier, this world was quite unique. The trope of a young person finding out they have superpowers is also well developed in a whole lot of books, but somehow the Solari add a totally new flavor to the genre.

There is a neat plot twist at the end of the book, which caught me by surprise. I enjoyed Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun very much and I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Marshmallow’s Rating: 100%.