Her Name is Knight is as emotionally devastating as it is violent and action filled. While traditional thrillers tend to use emotional scenes to supplement or as filler between the physical action in a book, Yasmin Angoe decided to flip it. The mental anguish and anxiety on the pages propelled me through the story as much as, if not more than, the intense combat sequences.
Following Nena Knight; codename Echo, we see her as she fulfills her assassination duties for The Tribe, a secretive organization focused on the betterment and unification of African countries and the global diaspora. When the crosshairs of her sniper rifle fall on someone from her past, everything begins to unravel. A single decision brings a series of grave consequences, putting those most dear to her in imminent danger.
With a dual storyline (Before/After), readers are able to gain a better understanding of the horrors of Nena’s past and their direct influences on the woman she has become. The current version of Nena is a consummate professional and an opponent not to be underestimated. Just as we begin to appreciate her skills and demeanor, we are taken back to the Ghanaian village of her childhood and the brutality inflicted upon her there. With each trip between the past and present, another layer is revealed and the tension is heightened.
The importance and use of POV cannot be overstated in this novel. Yasmin’s use of both first and third person perspective is nothing short of brilliant. Using the third person Yasmin crafts fight scenes to rival the biggest names in the genre, while swapping over to first person in the retelling of Nena’s past, the direct connection to readers is cemented. The description and level of the brutal sexual assault and abuse she suffers was so intense I found myself having to pause and process the emotional bomb that had just gone off. These are some of the hardest hitting chapters I’ve ever read. The fantastic writing and importance of the topic will keep you flipping page after page.
In a pretty stacked field of debut novels in 2021, Her Name is Knight will be vying for top honors. With the structure in place for a variety of future stories featuring Nena, let us hope that there are many more books to come.
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