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Nena Knight #1
Her Name Is Knight
A smash debut novel from rising star Yasmin Angoe, Her Name Is Knight features an elite assassin heroine on a mission to topple a human trafficking ring and avenge her family.
Stolen from her Ghanaian village as a child, Nena Knight has plenty of motives to kill. Now an elite assassin for a powerful business syndicate called the Tribe, she gets plenty of chances.
But while on assignment in Miami, Nena ends up saving a life, not taking one. She emerges from the experience a changed woman, finally hopeful for a life beyond rage and revenge. Tasked with killing a man she’s come to respect, Nena struggles to reconcile her loyalty to the Tribe with her new purpose.
Meanwhile, she learns a new Tribe council member is the same man who razed her village, murdered her family, and sold her into captivity. Nena can’t resist the temptation of vengeance—and she doesn’t want to. Before she can reclaim her life, she must leverage everything she was and everything she is to take him down and end the cycle of bloodshed for good.
Stolen from her Ghanaian village as a child, Nena Knight has plenty of motives to kill. Now an elite assassin for a powerful business syndicate called the Tribe, she gets plenty of chances.
But while on assignment in Miami, Nena ends up saving a life, not taking one. She emerges from the experience a changed woman, finally hopeful for a life beyond rage and revenge. Tasked with killing a man she’s come to respect, Nena struggles to reconcile her loyalty to the Tribe with her new purpose.
Meanwhile, she learns a new Tribe council member is the same man who razed her village, murdered her family, and sold her into captivity. Nena can’t resist the temptation of vengeance—and she doesn’t want to. Before she can reclaim her life, she must leverage everything she was and everything she is to take him down and end the cycle of bloodshed for good.
389 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2021
5,177 people are currently reading
12.7k people want to read
About the author
Yasmin Angoe
6books554followersYasmin Angoe is the author of the critically acclaimed Her Name Is Knight, first book in the Nena Knight trilogy. She is a first-generation Ghanaian American and the recipient of the 2020 Eleanor Taylor Bland Award for Emerging Writers of Color. Her Name Is Knight came in #1 on multiple Amazon Bestseller charts and is an Editor’s Pick for Best Mystery, Thriller, & Suspense.
Yasmin is a nominee for the Anthony Awards and the AAMBC nominee for "Best First Book" and "Debut Author of the Year". Yasmin’s work has received numerous recognitions, Best Of lists, and a Library Journal Starred Review. Her book has appeared in Woman’s World Book Club, POPSUGAR, Nerd Daily, the Washington Independent Review of Books, and other platforms. Yasmin is a former educator and received a Kirkus Review calling Her Name Is Knight, “A parable of reclaiming personal and tribal identity by seizing power at all costs".
Yasmin is a nominee for the Anthony Awards and the AAMBC nominee for "Best First Book" and "Debut Author of the Year". Yasmin’s work has received numerous recognitions, Best Of lists, and a Library Journal Starred Review. Her book has appeared in Woman’s World Book Club, POPSUGAR, Nerd Daily, the Washington Independent Review of Books, and other platforms. Yasmin is a former educator and received a Kirkus Review calling Her Name Is Knight, “A parable of reclaiming personal and tribal identity by seizing power at all costs".
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,196 reviews
March 23, 2021
It's hard to believe that Her Name is Knight is Yasmin Angoe's debut novel. This dual timeline story about an highly trained Miami-based assassin who learns to reclaim her power after having her entire life ripped from her as a teenager in Ghana is equal parts love story, social commentary and action thriller. Nena Knight will stay with you long after you've read the last word and is a must read for fans of Lee Child and S.A. Cosby. I found myself crying one chapter and cheering in the next. I couldn't put it down!"
November 4, 2021
Love this gorgeous cover for fall! Her Name is Knight is part of a shiny new series by Yasmin Angoe, involving Nina Knight, an assassin working for an organization that protects the people of Africa.
It’s a richly developed character study on a backdrop of thrills and action. I’m looking forward to what’s next in this series and really loved the premise of this book and how it’s executed. I loved the infusion of Ghanaian culture also.
Her Name is Knight addresses dark topics. Human trafficking is next to impossible to talk about without “going there� I think. Nena is a formidable character I will long remember.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: and instagram:
It’s a richly developed character study on a backdrop of thrills and action. I’m looking forward to what’s next in this series and really loved the premise of this book and how it’s executed. I loved the infusion of Ghanaian culture also.
Her Name is Knight addresses dark topics. Human trafficking is next to impossible to talk about without “going there� I think. Nena is a formidable character I will long remember.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: and instagram:
October 2, 2024
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Rating: 4 stars
'Her Name Is Knight' is an intense thriller that was both heartbreaking and heartwarming, although some aspects fell flat.
Similar read:Blood Scion by Deborah Falaye
Cover:🌟🌟🌟🌟
This stunning cover art and vibrant orange colour scheme are really eye-catching and fitting for the contemporary story. I only wish there had been some hints about the serious themes within the story.
Writing:🌟🌟🌟🌟
The story is brought to life through a simple, descriptivewriting style that is made even more engaging by seamless transitions between timelines and some cliffhanger chapter endings. However, the cultural references and slang sometimes made me cringe, and the various settings (Miami, Ghana and France) seemed a bit generic.
"Imagine Africa as the sole benefactor of all our unmined resources and minerals."
Storyline:🌟🌟🌟🌟
The story switches between Nena's brutal childhood and her current struggles. Her childhood was intense and compelling, boldly tackling serious issues like human trafficking, rape, and domestic violence, which added depth to the story. On the other hand, her current life felt rushed and underdeveloped, but it was a nice balance to her childhood and led to an impressive climax.
Main character(s):🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Not only did Nena make a great first impression as a skilled assassin with a soft spot for the vulnerable, but her incredible strength, resilience, and growth made me deeply invested in her character. Her intense backstory also added depth to her character and shed light on her current actions and motives.
Secondary characters:🌟🌟🌟🌟
A good range of secondary characters with distinct roles and personalities support the storyline. I especially loved Nina's relationships with Irene and Georgia, as these added some much-needed warmth to the narrative.
"There is only your before and your after."
Romance:🌟🌟
Despite being told about the instant, unexplainable, andspecialconnection between the characters, this was not well shown or developed. The only cute moments between them were when Georgia was involved, making their connection feel painfully forced.
Narration & Audio:🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Tamika Katon-Donegal did a great job narrating this audiobook, as she used accents and character voices to enhance the listening experience.My only nitpick is that her emotional range seemedfairlylimited.
Rating: 4 stars
'Her Name Is Knight' is an intense thriller that was both heartbreaking and heartwarming, although some aspects fell flat.
Similar read:Blood Scion by Deborah Falaye
Cover:🌟🌟🌟🌟
This stunning cover art and vibrant orange colour scheme are really eye-catching and fitting for the contemporary story. I only wish there had been some hints about the serious themes within the story.
Writing:🌟🌟🌟🌟
The story is brought to life through a simple, descriptivewriting style that is made even more engaging by seamless transitions between timelines and some cliffhanger chapter endings. However, the cultural references and slang sometimes made me cringe, and the various settings (Miami, Ghana and France) seemed a bit generic.
"Imagine Africa as the sole benefactor of all our unmined resources and minerals."
Storyline:🌟🌟🌟🌟
The story switches between Nena's brutal childhood and her current struggles. Her childhood was intense and compelling, boldly tackling serious issues like human trafficking, rape, and domestic violence, which added depth to the story. On the other hand, her current life felt rushed and underdeveloped, but it was a nice balance to her childhood and led to an impressive climax.
Main character(s):🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Not only did Nena make a great first impression as a skilled assassin with a soft spot for the vulnerable, but her incredible strength, resilience, and growth made me deeply invested in her character. Her intense backstory also added depth to her character and shed light on her current actions and motives.
Secondary characters:🌟🌟🌟🌟
A good range of secondary characters with distinct roles and personalities support the storyline. I especially loved Nina's relationships with Irene and Georgia, as these added some much-needed warmth to the narrative.
"There is only your before and your after."
Romance:🌟🌟
Despite being told about the instant, unexplainable, andspecialconnection between the characters, this was not well shown or developed. The only cute moments between them were when Georgia was involved, making their connection feel painfully forced.
Narration & Audio:🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Tamika Katon-Donegal did a great job narrating this audiobook, as she used accents and character voices to enhance the listening experience.My only nitpick is that her emotional range seemedfairlylimited.
February 5, 2022
This is such a violent thriller, but so gripping you cant resist reading it in one sitting. So many tough subjects in this (many trigger warnings) but if you can emotionally handle those points, the book is quite extraordinary. Such an interesting plot with an amazing main character!
June 1, 2024
Two lives
A great book. There is a lot of darkness in this book as the disclaimer says. There are a lot of triggers in this book. Best read the disclaimer before reading this book.
Nena has experienced the worst inhumanity possible. Her whole life, her family, and her people all destroyed. Yet she survived, and now she will make sure this will never happen again. Now, she dispatches the threats.
A book is written in both the past and present. The past is written in the first person to send you present in the third person. For all the brutality, it is a story of survival and rebuilding that makes this story great for me. I have heard the next book has some good things in store for Nena. I am looking forward to it. As well as her taking out more bad guys as well.
A great book. There is a lot of darkness in this book as the disclaimer says. There are a lot of triggers in this book. Best read the disclaimer before reading this book.
Nena has experienced the worst inhumanity possible. Her whole life, her family, and her people all destroyed. Yet she survived, and now she will make sure this will never happen again. Now, she dispatches the threats.
A book is written in both the past and present. The past is written in the first person to send you present in the third person. For all the brutality, it is a story of survival and rebuilding that makes this story great for me. I have heard the next book has some good things in store for Nena. I am looking forward to it. As well as her taking out more bad guys as well.
October 1, 2021
Intense, Violent Thriller, But Mind the Triggers
This is a very violent thriller featuring non-stop action, even though it is a dual-timeline story going back and forth between the protagonist’s past and her evolving present. Oftentimes, that slows down the pace of a book (not good in thrillers) or creates confusion. Fortunately, this debut author is able to keep the pace thrumming despite switching back and forth. For me, she did so because she presented Nena/Echo as a complex killer from the very first scenes. The dual timelines take place in the protagonist's childhood (told in the first person present) and her adult present (told in the third person past). The scenes from her childhood make us better understand how she came to be the way she is and why triggering events at the start of the book cause her to ponder her motivations and ultimately change.
The only issue I have with the book is I think the book description should have listed the multiple triggers of this book. While I appreciate that the author has put them at the front of the book, people don't always read a preview before diving in, especially for something like First Reads or other times where they just might choose a book simply by genre or hype. So, for the reader who might not see the author's note before choosing the book, I'll list the triggers stated in the note below. In the same note, the author stresses that she believes she has handled these topics with sensitivity. I did not necessarily think that was so.
TRIGGERS: Emotional, sexual, and physical abuse; parental death; human trafficking; and physical and sexual violence.
This is a very violent thriller featuring non-stop action, even though it is a dual-timeline story going back and forth between the protagonist’s past and her evolving present. Oftentimes, that slows down the pace of a book (not good in thrillers) or creates confusion. Fortunately, this debut author is able to keep the pace thrumming despite switching back and forth. For me, she did so because she presented Nena/Echo as a complex killer from the very first scenes. The dual timelines take place in the protagonist's childhood (told in the first person present) and her adult present (told in the third person past). The scenes from her childhood make us better understand how she came to be the way she is and why triggering events at the start of the book cause her to ponder her motivations and ultimately change.
The only issue I have with the book is I think the book description should have listed the multiple triggers of this book. While I appreciate that the author has put them at the front of the book, people don't always read a preview before diving in, especially for something like First Reads or other times where they just might choose a book simply by genre or hype. So, for the reader who might not see the author's note before choosing the book, I'll list the triggers stated in the note below. In the same note, the author stresses that she believes she has handled these topics with sensitivity. I did not necessarily think that was so.
TRIGGERS: Emotional, sexual, and physical abuse; parental death; human trafficking; and physical and sexual violence.
December 6, 2021
2.5 stars
Nena Knight, codename Echo is a trained assassin for an organization known as The Tribe, which provides protection to the people of Africa. Ripped from her home and subjected to horrors beyond imagination as a teen, Nena was sold to a sadistic Frenchman before a shocking escape and quick adoption by the leaders of The Tribe.
Now Nena is tasked with killing a lawyer for the organization …but cannot pull the trigger after a fateful meeting with his teenage daughter as well as the realization his client is one of the men who sold her into slavery that was believed to be dead.
Nena is falling for the lawyer and has a budding motherly affection for his teenager and is also seeking vengeance on the people who destroyed her life.
Wow, there is so much going on in this book. It reads like a convoluted action movie with all the stereotypes: an assassin becomes vulnerable when she finds something/someone to care about while simultaneously facing a reckoning with her past.
The relationships formed so quickly with little-to-no believable development, events are ridiculously convenient and unbelievable, the surprise twist at the end felt over-the-top and ridiculous.
I realized quickly I needed to suspend my disbelief with this story but it had such a range of overused tropes that I rolled my eyes in several places while allowing myself to just be entertained, the same way I would if I still had a cable package and a Jason Statham movie would come on and I was too lazy to find the remote to change the channel. This is part soap opera, part action hero movie - meaning there’s some serious/dramatic topics but they are handled in a surface level way - and I managed to read it all, but only because I was too lazy to get off the couch and find another book.
Also extremely important are the numerous trigger warnings including human trafficking, rape/sexual violence, graphic violence/murder/dismemberment.
For more reviews, visit
Nena Knight, codename Echo is a trained assassin for an organization known as The Tribe, which provides protection to the people of Africa. Ripped from her home and subjected to horrors beyond imagination as a teen, Nena was sold to a sadistic Frenchman before a shocking escape and quick adoption by the leaders of The Tribe.
Now Nena is tasked with killing a lawyer for the organization …but cannot pull the trigger after a fateful meeting with his teenage daughter as well as the realization his client is one of the men who sold her into slavery that was believed to be dead.
Nena is falling for the lawyer and has a budding motherly affection for his teenager and is also seeking vengeance on the people who destroyed her life.
Wow, there is so much going on in this book. It reads like a convoluted action movie with all the stereotypes: an assassin becomes vulnerable when she finds something/someone to care about while simultaneously facing a reckoning with her past.
The relationships formed so quickly with little-to-no believable development, events are ridiculously convenient and unbelievable, the surprise twist at the end felt over-the-top and ridiculous.
I realized quickly I needed to suspend my disbelief with this story but it had such a range of overused tropes that I rolled my eyes in several places while allowing myself to just be entertained, the same way I would if I still had a cable package and a Jason Statham movie would come on and I was too lazy to find the remote to change the channel. This is part soap opera, part action hero movie - meaning there’s some serious/dramatic topics but they are handled in a surface level way - and I managed to read it all, but only because I was too lazy to get off the couch and find another book.
Also extremely important are the numerous trigger warnings including human trafficking, rape/sexual violence, graphic violence/murder/dismemberment.
For more reviews, visit
May 5, 2022
Her Name Night was a book I wanted to like more than I did. It wasn't a bad book but I thought the author relied too heavy on the trauma in the before sections to carry the story without balancing out the after sections. I didn't expect the sexual violence to be so detailed and brutal on page. Nena's life was just horrific for that period of her childhood and it was a lot to read what happened in her village and then what happened to her in Paris. In contrast in the after sections it often felt like none of that ever happened. And a lot of conversations in the after section were forced and seemed like a way to show us that this is a progressive heroine. There were over explanations of culturally relevant things that didn't need to be explained and I didn't like the shift in tense.
Even the killing sections with Nena as an assassain weren't that descriptive unlike the gruesome details of her assualt so I didn't feel the same emotions in the fight sequences. I didn't find it beleivable she would go through all this trauma and then just easily except this new family who wanted to adopt her. Even the way the people from her past enter back into her life made her new family feel so imcompetant even though they were described as otherwise and they're running this huge organization. Then she had the cliche romance that makes her open up in a way she's never opened up before but there was nothing remarkable about that man that made it believable. I understand the closeness she felt to his daughter but I didn't buy the romance.
I don't see myself continuing with this series.
Even the killing sections with Nena as an assassain weren't that descriptive unlike the gruesome details of her assualt so I didn't feel the same emotions in the fight sequences. I didn't find it beleivable she would go through all this trauma and then just easily except this new family who wanted to adopt her. Even the way the people from her past enter back into her life made her new family feel so imcompetant even though they were described as otherwise and they're running this huge organization. Then she had the cliche romance that makes her open up in a way she's never opened up before but there was nothing remarkable about that man that made it believable. I understand the closeness she felt to his daughter but I didn't buy the romance.
I don't see myself continuing with this series.
December 18, 2021
I was pleasantly surprised with this story. It's not something I would usually pick up but thanks to Kindle Unlimited I found it on a whim and thought I'd give it a go to try and broaden my reading.
It follows Nena, a highly trained assassin for The Tribe. The Tribe is an organisation that essentially protects the rights of the people of Africa and we follow Nena on her journey and how she got into this position of power, to some degree.
She had a pretty brutal childhood, witnessing the death of family members and being sex trafficked at a young age. At times it could get quite graphic in certain scenes so this book may not be for everyone (themes/trigger warnings: human/sex trafficking, violence, sexual abuse/violence, rape, strong murder scenes). The story is part action, assassin thriller, love story and feminist heroine.
One thing I especially liked about this story was the alternating (and nice and short) chapters. In the Before, we would see how Nena's life changes dramatically, witnessing in quite brutal circumstances, how she was sold into sex trafficking, held captive and abused. It then switches to the After, where we meet people who are important to Nena's life, seeing her live a somewhat 'normal' life and assassinating the bad guys essentially.
There was so much character growth with Nena as we watch her reclaim her power that she lost at a young age. You can't help but root for her in every instance. I think it was a pretty awesome debut novel and I am very interested in book two when that releases.
It follows Nena, a highly trained assassin for The Tribe. The Tribe is an organisation that essentially protects the rights of the people of Africa and we follow Nena on her journey and how she got into this position of power, to some degree.
She had a pretty brutal childhood, witnessing the death of family members and being sex trafficked at a young age. At times it could get quite graphic in certain scenes so this book may not be for everyone (themes/trigger warnings: human/sex trafficking, violence, sexual abuse/violence, rape, strong murder scenes). The story is part action, assassin thriller, love story and feminist heroine.
One thing I especially liked about this story was the alternating (and nice and short) chapters. In the Before, we would see how Nena's life changes dramatically, witnessing in quite brutal circumstances, how she was sold into sex trafficking, held captive and abused. It then switches to the After, where we meet people who are important to Nena's life, seeing her live a somewhat 'normal' life and assassinating the bad guys essentially.
There was so much character growth with Nena as we watch her reclaim her power that she lost at a young age. You can't help but root for her in every instance. I think it was a pretty awesome debut novel and I am very interested in book two when that releases.
June 1, 2022
I disliked the split narrative, one chapter in the present and then one backstory chapter. This killed narrative drive for me. I almost gave this 3 stars but the tail end of the book which doesn't suffer the split narrative pulled it up to 4.
May 10, 2022
awesome
Engaging characters and plot. Hard to read some of the events even though they are important to the story as a whole. Cannot wait for more from this author.
Engaging characters and plot. Hard to read some of the events even though they are important to the story as a whole. Cannot wait for more from this author.
November 18, 2022
4.5/5
December 15, 2022
*Explosive*
‼️Trigger warnings - contains physical & sexual abuse and gruesome murders‼️
This is the story of Nena knight who on the outside is beautiful and can take care of herself. She is a assassin and very good at her job.
Life was not always this way. She is Ghanaian and as a child she was subjected to horrors as she was made to watch her whole family decimated in the most horrifying way as she was tied up and abused over and over again then she was sold from one frying pan into another abuser.
The book is told over two timelines as before - charting her time from a young girl and after charting her time away from her old life transitioning to the present.
Because of what she went through she has no time for love let alone anything else. She has lost faith in it preferring to get her head down, trying to figure out how she can avenge what happened to her family. One day the possibility of love presents itself to her but will it be smooth sailing?�.
We see how she became a survivor and how she came upon the name Knight and what happens when the past collides with the present.
‼️Trigger warnings - contains physical & sexual abuse and gruesome murders‼️
This is the story of Nena knight who on the outside is beautiful and can take care of herself. She is a assassin and very good at her job.
Life was not always this way. She is Ghanaian and as a child she was subjected to horrors as she was made to watch her whole family decimated in the most horrifying way as she was tied up and abused over and over again then she was sold from one frying pan into another abuser.
The book is told over two timelines as before - charting her time from a young girl and after charting her time away from her old life transitioning to the present.
Because of what she went through she has no time for love let alone anything else. She has lost faith in it preferring to get her head down, trying to figure out how she can avenge what happened to her family. One day the possibility of love presents itself to her but will it be smooth sailing?�.
We see how she became a survivor and how she came upon the name Knight and what happens when the past collides with the present.
November 15, 2021
Ok, first: WOMAN ASSASSIN, WOMAN ASSASSIN!! The cover is beautiful, and eye catching so before you even open the book it’s pulling you in. This book also has some graphic content in it so it’s not for everyone. The MC Nena is an assassin who was sex trafficked as a child so as you can imagine at times it’s intense reading. The chapters alternate between Nena’s past and present as they collide and intersect. This book starts and does not stop; it kept me completely locked in the whole time! Along with being a true thriller it’s a story about survival, trauma, growth, and retribution. Her Name Is Knight really elicited strong emotion from me, which books don’t typically do. I can’t recommend this book enough. This was the best book I’ve read in a while!
June 12, 2023
Pay attention to the content warnings in the beginning of the book! This story had aspects that were much darker than I normally read but I am definitely going to read the next two books in the series because this author has created a dynamic character that I want to know more about. The covers of these books are all gorgeous, & I loved all the references to Marvel's Wakanda.
October 5, 2021
Rating: 2.2/5
Firstly, I would like to draw the attention of potential readers to the fact that this novel contains subject matter that some people may find offensive or distressing. You should not even consider reading this book if you are likely to be disturbed by any of the following: frequent use of expletives; emotional, sexual and physical abuse; parental death; decapitation; human trafficking; rape and other examples of both physical and sexual violence. Where these events occur they are also often described quite graphically rather than simply being referenced in passing.
That aside, I would acknowledge that plenty of other early readers and reviewers have rated this highly, so it may well be that my opinion is a bit of an outlier in this instance. Not that I don't think there are aspects of this debut novel from Yasmin Angoe that are praiseworthy - there are certainly some impressive elements, but I found it disappointing in other respects. I felt the narrative needed to be tighter and there were sections that simply meandered when they should have been more concise and punchy.
The narrative runs across two non-specific timelines referred to only as "Before" and "After". The "Before" chapters relate to Nena's earlier life, initially in Ghana, and is told in the first person present tense. The "After" sections use the past tense and the third person. For the most part the chapters alternate between "Before" and "After", which works okay, but there are occasions when the quite regimented alternation of timeframe disrupts the flow of the story and has an adverse effect on the maintenance of excitement levels or the readers' emotional investment in the characters.
On the whole, I found the "Before" sections to be more engaging and impressively written. For the most part this is where we are able to see a strong female character who has battled through adversity. The "after" sections tend more towards the superficial and have an air of "playing to the crowd". There were also other times when I found the author's style to be strangely inconsistent with the pitch and choice of language seeming disjointed or out of place. I can accept, to a point, that this may have had a deliberate element designed to display the changing nature of Nena's character, but, if that was indeed the intention, I am not sure that it always achieved its aim.
I believe that a sequel is planned to "Her Name is Knight" but while this debut novel has its merits, I am not sure that it has done enough to tempt me back for book two.
Firstly, I would like to draw the attention of potential readers to the fact that this novel contains subject matter that some people may find offensive or distressing. You should not even consider reading this book if you are likely to be disturbed by any of the following: frequent use of expletives; emotional, sexual and physical abuse; parental death; decapitation; human trafficking; rape and other examples of both physical and sexual violence. Where these events occur they are also often described quite graphically rather than simply being referenced in passing.
That aside, I would acknowledge that plenty of other early readers and reviewers have rated this highly, so it may well be that my opinion is a bit of an outlier in this instance. Not that I don't think there are aspects of this debut novel from Yasmin Angoe that are praiseworthy - there are certainly some impressive elements, but I found it disappointing in other respects. I felt the narrative needed to be tighter and there were sections that simply meandered when they should have been more concise and punchy.
The narrative runs across two non-specific timelines referred to only as "Before" and "After". The "Before" chapters relate to Nena's earlier life, initially in Ghana, and is told in the first person present tense. The "After" sections use the past tense and the third person. For the most part the chapters alternate between "Before" and "After", which works okay, but there are occasions when the quite regimented alternation of timeframe disrupts the flow of the story and has an adverse effect on the maintenance of excitement levels or the readers' emotional investment in the characters.
On the whole, I found the "Before" sections to be more engaging and impressively written. For the most part this is where we are able to see a strong female character who has battled through adversity. The "after" sections tend more towards the superficial and have an air of "playing to the crowd". There were also other times when I found the author's style to be strangely inconsistent with the pitch and choice of language seeming disjointed or out of place. I can accept, to a point, that this may have had a deliberate element designed to display the changing nature of Nena's character, but, if that was indeed the intention, I am not sure that it always achieved its aim.
I believe that a sequel is planned to "Her Name is Knight" but while this debut novel has its merits, I am not sure that it has done enough to tempt me back for book two.
October 18, 2021
Title: Her Name is Knight (Nena Knight #1)
Author: Yasmin Angoe
Book # 99-2021
Start/Finish: 10/13 - 10/16
Rating: 4 stars
Setting: Ghana ; Florida
Length: 431 pgs ; 82 chapters
Published: 11/2021
Series: 1 of ?
This was soooo close to being a 5 star. But when I heard her forgiving one but not another individual for the exact crimes, she lost credibility with me.
Other than that one section, I thought the story was a great story. Theirs's a lot of violence in the story from rape to beheading.
Author: Yasmin Angoe
Book # 99-2021
Start/Finish: 10/13 - 10/16
Rating: 4 stars
Setting: Ghana ; Florida
Length: 431 pgs ; 82 chapters
Published: 11/2021
Series: 1 of ?
This was soooo close to being a 5 star. But when I heard her forgiving one but not another individual for the exact crimes, she lost credibility with me.
Other than that one section, I thought the story was a great story. Theirs's a lot of violence in the story from rape to beheading.
October 5, 2021
I so wanted to like this book, but found so much to dislike in the first 80 pages that I had a hard time deciding whether or not to finish.
While well written, the premise is highly derivative. The trained assassin trope is well worn, but I found myself asking so many questions in the first few chapters that I wondered if I could suspend disbelief long enough to keep reading. Like why is her team so large? And if they’re all trained killers what sets Nena apart? Why is she assigned the big marks?
And who or what is The Tribe to be making these life or death kinds of decisions? If its reach is so extensive and its resources so vast, why not solve problems through the law rather than taking the law into its vengeful and vigilante hands?
Seems to me that Nena would have been better served by her creator to be a lone assassin like John Rain or Evan Smoak, to name just two. Or more in her vein, like Taylor Stevens� Vanessa Munroe, who explored similar themes to great effect a decade or more ago.
Angie’s best writing and most compelling storytelling are the chapters told from Nena’s POV, and they are heart-rending and gut-wrenching. Though it’s not untrodden ground, it’s tilled beautifully if savagely, which is appropriate for the subject.
I just wish I had more reasons to like Nena and her cause.
While well written, the premise is highly derivative. The trained assassin trope is well worn, but I found myself asking so many questions in the first few chapters that I wondered if I could suspend disbelief long enough to keep reading. Like why is her team so large? And if they’re all trained killers what sets Nena apart? Why is she assigned the big marks?
And who or what is The Tribe to be making these life or death kinds of decisions? If its reach is so extensive and its resources so vast, why not solve problems through the law rather than taking the law into its vengeful and vigilante hands?
Seems to me that Nena would have been better served by her creator to be a lone assassin like John Rain or Evan Smoak, to name just two. Or more in her vein, like Taylor Stevens� Vanessa Munroe, who explored similar themes to great effect a decade or more ago.
Angie’s best writing and most compelling storytelling are the chapters told from Nena’s POV, and they are heart-rending and gut-wrenching. Though it’s not untrodden ground, it’s tilled beautifully if savagely, which is appropriate for the subject.
I just wish I had more reasons to like Nena and her cause.
May 23, 2022
The writing felt very sterile and technical. I didn't connect much to Nena's narrative though there was always something interesting or horrifying going on.
The story is told through dual timelines before Nena became a killer and after. In the before, it's through first pov, so we witness her trauma through her own words. The after is through third-person pov, so there's more distance between us and Nena.
The world isn't kind to women, so there is abuse upon abuse heaped upon the page. A shining example is when a brother, under gunpoint, is asked to rape his sister. Not for the weak of heart.
There's really nothing enjoyable about this story, and I didn't feel a sense of satisfaction when Nena hardened into a killer after all the intense trauma. The before is more engaging than the after, but it's of course hard to read. I think my lack of enjoyment stems from a lack of characterization. I kept being "told" things, but I didn't see it.
On that same note, I wish Nena had more bonding time with Cortland. They barely said a few words to each other, but this is the catalyst that encouraged her doubt in the Tribe? A single dad who blinked twice? They needed way more scenes together. Not gonna lie Keigel and Nena had way more chemistry. I thought Nena and Georgia's connection was handled better.
The story is told through dual timelines before Nena became a killer and after. In the before, it's through first pov, so we witness her trauma through her own words. The after is through third-person pov, so there's more distance between us and Nena.
The world isn't kind to women, so there is abuse upon abuse heaped upon the page. A shining example is when a brother, under gunpoint, is asked to rape his sister. Not for the weak of heart.
There's really nothing enjoyable about this story, and I didn't feel a sense of satisfaction when Nena hardened into a killer after all the intense trauma. The before is more engaging than the after, but it's of course hard to read. I think my lack of enjoyment stems from a lack of characterization. I kept being "told" things, but I didn't see it.
On that same note, I wish Nena had more bonding time with Cortland. They barely said a few words to each other, but this is the catalyst that encouraged her doubt in the Tribe? A single dad who blinked twice? They needed way more scenes together. Not gonna lie Keigel and Nena had way more chemistry. I thought Nena and Georgia's connection was handled better.
February 3, 2022
This was 3.5 rounded up. I love female assassins and Nena Knight makes for a pretty great one. The backstory is incredibly dark and horrific so be warned before you dive in (the author prefaces the book with a trigger warning).
The story is told in two timelines both from Nena’s POV. In her past we hear how her birth family is destroyed and how she winds up adopted by the Knights. In the present we watch her struggle to assassinate someone for the first time because she feels something for him. While trying to reconcile her emotions with her directives she suddenly finds out that the men who destroyed her life in the past are still alive and are creeping into her life today. As her worlds collide, Nena realizes that she’s not the terrified little girl she was the first time around and this time she’s not going to let them get away with it.
The character of Nena was great but the story in the present day was bumpy. Way too many things happened by coincidence or in ways it could never happen (are you really telling me the knights wouldn’t run a background check on someone they dated?!). While the topics didn’t feel YA, the writing did and it suffered as a result. I’ll still definitely check out the second book when it’s out!
The story is told in two timelines both from Nena’s POV. In her past we hear how her birth family is destroyed and how she winds up adopted by the Knights. In the present we watch her struggle to assassinate someone for the first time because she feels something for him. While trying to reconcile her emotions with her directives she suddenly finds out that the men who destroyed her life in the past are still alive and are creeping into her life today. As her worlds collide, Nena realizes that she’s not the terrified little girl she was the first time around and this time she’s not going to let them get away with it.
The character of Nena was great but the story in the present day was bumpy. Way too many things happened by coincidence or in ways it could never happen (are you really telling me the knights wouldn’t run a background check on someone they dated?!). While the topics didn’t feel YA, the writing did and it suffered as a result. I’ll still definitely check out the second book when it’s out!
December 18, 2021
Strong, Black Female Lead, can it be any better?!
I liked the tenacity of the the protagonist: Nena /Echo. She is a survivor and unbelievably strong. It’s not often that we get to read about someone that looks like us being the strong one, the main character and not the side kick or “token�. I liked the theme of family, forgiveness, and self - empowerment. However, I have to warn this is NOT a happy story and the ending definitely wasn’t a happy ever after type of ending. There’s lots of triggers; the author articulated the various triggers instead of a prologue.
The novel took awhile to draw me in. The parallel timelines were slightly frustrating. On the other hand, in hindsight, I see how it added to the suspense. It forced me to keep reading because I wanted to know how Nena found her adoptive family and her profession:assassin.
I recommend this novel if you like a book that has strong Black characters and lots of action. I think you’ll love “Her Name is Knight� by Yasmin Angoe.
I liked the tenacity of the the protagonist: Nena /Echo. She is a survivor and unbelievably strong. It’s not often that we get to read about someone that looks like us being the strong one, the main character and not the side kick or “token�. I liked the theme of family, forgiveness, and self - empowerment. However, I have to warn this is NOT a happy story and the ending definitely wasn’t a happy ever after type of ending. There’s lots of triggers; the author articulated the various triggers instead of a prologue.
The novel took awhile to draw me in. The parallel timelines were slightly frustrating. On the other hand, in hindsight, I see how it added to the suspense. It forced me to keep reading because I wanted to know how Nena found her adoptive family and her profession:assassin.
I recommend this novel if you like a book that has strong Black characters and lots of action. I think you’ll love “Her Name is Knight� by Yasmin Angoe.
December 21, 2021
This is a very good, and very intense, thriller. Nena survives a horrible adolescence, raped and sold off to the highest bidder. There are a lot of detailed descriptions here, so if you've got triggers, you might pass on this one.
Rescued by members of a paramilitary group, Nena becomes an assassin. Due to some clever and believable coincidences, she is presented with a quandary, which puts her crossways with a lot of people. The set up is excellent, and the thrilling parts of the middle and end are well done. The plot loses some momentum, and a few poor choices are made, but the end is a resounding victory. If not for those minor weaknesses, I would give this book 5-stars.
The fact that the story starts in central Africa and continues to involve those countries adds to the inventiveness of the story.
GR shows that the author is working on the sequel, and based on the remaining plot threads, I look forward to reading it very much.
Rescued by members of a paramilitary group, Nena becomes an assassin. Due to some clever and believable coincidences, she is presented with a quandary, which puts her crossways with a lot of people. The set up is excellent, and the thrilling parts of the middle and end are well done. The plot loses some momentum, and a few poor choices are made, but the end is a resounding victory. If not for those minor weaknesses, I would give this book 5-stars.
The fact that the story starts in central Africa and continues to involve those countries adds to the inventiveness of the story.
GR shows that the author is working on the sequel, and based on the remaining plot threads, I look forward to reading it very much.
June 29, 2022
Got this for free from Prime Reads. I enjoy bubble-gum action, and hoped this would be a breezy read. It started out rough with sentences like "Only contempt that grows like a snowball as they throw him in with the crowd of waiting villagers."
But, hey, it's pulp.
The characters were mah and the set up is: what if Cheikh Anta Diop had some secret underground shadow government with a private army and adopted a terrorized and traumatized girl to turn her into the ultimate assassin?
The main character tries to present as stoic and disciplined all the time while not being very stoic and disciplined throughout the book. The sections of how she becomes traumatized were very difficult to read, and I'm fairly far on the rougher end of tender-hearted, particularly for fiction.
The end scenes were so silly pretty much dropped it down to the "it was ok" for me from waving back and forth. I wouldn't recommend. This has all been done before, and better.
But, hey, it's pulp.
The characters were mah and the set up is: what if Cheikh Anta Diop had some secret underground shadow government with a private army and adopted a terrorized and traumatized girl to turn her into the ultimate assassin?
The main character tries to present as stoic and disciplined all the time while not being very stoic and disciplined throughout the book. The sections of how she becomes traumatized were very difficult to read, and I'm fairly far on the rougher end of tender-hearted, particularly for fiction.
The end scenes were so silly pretty much dropped it down to the "it was ok" for me from waving back and forth. I wouldn't recommend. This has all been done before, and better.
January 1, 2022
“Surprise is a luxury you can’t always afford.�
Nena, AKA Echo is a trained assassin out for blood to avenge her Ghanaian tribe. She has experienced unimaginable trauma and needs to rectify the wrongs done to her family.
This debut book by Yasmin Angoe is so beyond brilliant ! My entire being was wrapped in this story that pulled out so many emotions and thoughts. I could see myself in Nena, willing to protect her family at any cost. Legacy is important and If you don’t fight for it, who will? What we experience in childhood runs deep within for years to come and shape who we become. Nena has to be one of the best heroines I’ve come across! This cover alone caught my attention. Mission Impossible meets Alias meets Revenge meets The Count of Monte Cristo.
Read this book!!! This story reaches and stays with the reader. This is a book lover’s book . 🖤🖤🖤🖤
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️+
Nena, AKA Echo is a trained assassin out for blood to avenge her Ghanaian tribe. She has experienced unimaginable trauma and needs to rectify the wrongs done to her family.
This debut book by Yasmin Angoe is so beyond brilliant ! My entire being was wrapped in this story that pulled out so many emotions and thoughts. I could see myself in Nena, willing to protect her family at any cost. Legacy is important and If you don’t fight for it, who will? What we experience in childhood runs deep within for years to come and shape who we become. Nena has to be one of the best heroines I’ve come across! This cover alone caught my attention. Mission Impossible meets Alias meets Revenge meets The Count of Monte Cristo.
Read this book!!! This story reaches and stays with the reader. This is a book lover’s book . 🖤🖤🖤🖤
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️+
October 5, 2021
Wow!!!! First things first I will state this book has some serious trigger warnings for human trafficking, abuse and death. Now that those are out of the way ! THIS BOOK IS EPIC. The story line was beautifully written, the characters feel so real it's as if I know them and I am so sad it's over 💔 definitely wishing for a sequel. I loved that this book centers around people of colour it brings a whole new life and culture to the story. The one thing I that got a bit confusing was the jumping of perspectives but I honestly wouldn't have changed it because it made it that much more intense. All in all I am deeply in love I can't wait to see what else Yasmin dishes out.
December 22, 2021
2 Stars - Cool premise. Boring execution most of the way through.
Shelved as 'didnt-finish'
November 14, 2022DNF @ 19%. Wasn’t expecting all that on page murder and rape as the traumatic backstory for the main character. It’s implied in the summary but this is way too much for me.
Shelved as 'wishlist'
December 17, 2021Thanks so much to Caro for the rec because this sounds AWESOME
Read
August 21, 2024 Set aside at 17%. I should have paid attention to the trigger warnings
'Her Name Is Knight' starts with an Author's Note that reads:
"Please note this novel depicts issues of emotional, sexual, and physical abuse; parental death; human trafficking; and both physical and sexual violence. The descriptions of violence are vivid, and I have worked to approach these topics with the utmost sensitivity and respect; I wanted you to be aware in case any of the content is triggering. Please use the resources below if you need any support. One other thing:
This novel is about one fictional woman’s story, told concurrently during two different times of her life. During her childhood her story is in first person present tense so that you see the world and her journey through her eyes. As an adult, her story is in third person past tense to give you a panoramic view and scope of what this kick-ass assassin can do."
I read it, shrugged and moved on. mostly because I wanted to be entertained by seeing "...what this kick-ass assassin can do".
The opening chapter is labelled AFTER and features Nena as an experienced assassin on a mission to kill. It was slick, fast, loaded with violence and with nasty people doing nasty things. It showed me what Nena could do. The third-person account kept things at a distance that allowed me to watch the violence with a little dispassion. The action visuals were all in High Def but the emotional soundtrack was intentionally muted. Even so, there was enough reflection from Nena to show that she was suppressing her emotions by letting herself be Echo, a crucial member of a skilled team, rather than Nena Knight. I was impressed.
Things changed in Chapter Four, the first BEFORE chapter. It opens like this:
"Before I became Echo, before I was Nena, I was Aninyeh. And this is my story, my recounting.
Of who I was.
Of how I came to be."
You can hear how sombre that is: confessional, regretful, unforgiving but unapologetic. I knew then that this was going to be a tougher read than I'd expected but it was well-written and I wanted to hear Aninyeh's voice so I read on, visiting with with fourteen-year-old Aninyeh in her small village in Ghana, knowing that something bad was coming.
The next few chapters alternated between BEFORE and AFTER with each visit to BEFORE becoming darker and harder to take. The AFTER chapters were also not pain-free. There was no 'Mission Impossible' gloss, just killers killing people that they'd never met but who seemed to deserve to die.
I set the book aside part way through Chapter 12, the fifth BEFORE chapter, when I realised that I should have given more weight to the trigger warnings in the Author's Note. I'd selected 'Her Name Is Knight' so I could distract myself with an entertaining thriller. Now I had waded through a brutal massacre and was about to read a graphic description of child rape. I could see that these things were not included gratuitously. I knew that the cruelty and violence being described were borrowed from reality ratherthan being a product of the author's imagination. Even so, I didn't want those images in my head.
So, to my own surprise, although the book was well-written, had an elegant stoytelling structure. a solid plot and a main character with depth and complexity, I set 'Her Name Is Knight' aside.
'Her Name Is Knight' starts with an Author's Note that reads:
"Please note this novel depicts issues of emotional, sexual, and physical abuse; parental death; human trafficking; and both physical and sexual violence. The descriptions of violence are vivid, and I have worked to approach these topics with the utmost sensitivity and respect; I wanted you to be aware in case any of the content is triggering. Please use the resources below if you need any support. One other thing:
This novel is about one fictional woman’s story, told concurrently during two different times of her life. During her childhood her story is in first person present tense so that you see the world and her journey through her eyes. As an adult, her story is in third person past tense to give you a panoramic view and scope of what this kick-ass assassin can do."
I read it, shrugged and moved on. mostly because I wanted to be entertained by seeing "...what this kick-ass assassin can do".
The opening chapter is labelled AFTER and features Nena as an experienced assassin on a mission to kill. It was slick, fast, loaded with violence and with nasty people doing nasty things. It showed me what Nena could do. The third-person account kept things at a distance that allowed me to watch the violence with a little dispassion. The action visuals were all in High Def but the emotional soundtrack was intentionally muted. Even so, there was enough reflection from Nena to show that she was suppressing her emotions by letting herself be Echo, a crucial member of a skilled team, rather than Nena Knight. I was impressed.
Things changed in Chapter Four, the first BEFORE chapter. It opens like this:
"Before I became Echo, before I was Nena, I was Aninyeh. And this is my story, my recounting.
Of who I was.
Of how I came to be."
You can hear how sombre that is: confessional, regretful, unforgiving but unapologetic. I knew then that this was going to be a tougher read than I'd expected but it was well-written and I wanted to hear Aninyeh's voice so I read on, visiting with with fourteen-year-old Aninyeh in her small village in Ghana, knowing that something bad was coming.
The next few chapters alternated between BEFORE and AFTER with each visit to BEFORE becoming darker and harder to take. The AFTER chapters were also not pain-free. There was no 'Mission Impossible' gloss, just killers killing people that they'd never met but who seemed to deserve to die.
I set the book aside part way through Chapter 12, the fifth BEFORE chapter, when I realised that I should have given more weight to the trigger warnings in the Author's Note. I'd selected 'Her Name Is Knight' so I could distract myself with an entertaining thriller. Now I had waded through a brutal massacre and was about to read a graphic description of child rape. I could see that these things were not included gratuitously. I knew that the cruelty and violence being described were borrowed from reality ratherthan being a product of the author's imagination. Even so, I didn't want those images in my head.
So, to my own surprise, although the book was well-written, had an elegant stoytelling structure. a solid plot and a main character with depth and complexity, I set 'Her Name Is Knight' aside.
February 6, 2025
the booksta skreets have been slipping! Because I don't see this book on my feed 432 times/day and there's something not quiteright about that...
Nene is an assassin who comes at knight! She takes aim and knows how to kill with the best of them. It stems from her gruesome experiences as a young girl. She endured some awful losses as a teen that caused her to learn how to kill like a pro. Now, she comes face to face with her worst enemy and is determined to serve vengeance cold and brutalz
Her Name is Knight is not my average read, but baby, it was a good one, indeed. Action packed vibes, nonstop thrills, and bloody violence.
Split into past/present, I must say that the horrendous scenes in the past sections hypnotized and gripped me! There was lots of blood, gore and descriptive violence but I just couldn’t look away from it. This really helped me understand how Nena could participate in organized crime, a professional killer. I could feel when the innocence escaped her, and wickedness took root. And boy, did I understand!
My only critique is that the past sections were oh my God pulsing. So much tension, so much fright, so much anxiousness and heartbreak. The author went DEEP and DARK! Now, I don't have to have those things the entirety of the read, and glad these sections could be broken up because I needed to catch my breath. It’s just that the present sections picked up more midway, but when they did, whew!!!!!
The ending was so good and satisfying! I’m anxious to see what Knight has in store next! Great story! Great narration!And this is one I would absolutely love to see on the big screen!!
Nene is an assassin who comes at knight! She takes aim and knows how to kill with the best of them. It stems from her gruesome experiences as a young girl. She endured some awful losses as a teen that caused her to learn how to kill like a pro. Now, she comes face to face with her worst enemy and is determined to serve vengeance cold and brutalz
Her Name is Knight is not my average read, but baby, it was a good one, indeed. Action packed vibes, nonstop thrills, and bloody violence.
Split into past/present, I must say that the horrendous scenes in the past sections hypnotized and gripped me! There was lots of blood, gore and descriptive violence but I just couldn’t look away from it. This really helped me understand how Nena could participate in organized crime, a professional killer. I could feel when the innocence escaped her, and wickedness took root. And boy, did I understand!
My only critique is that the past sections were oh my God pulsing. So much tension, so much fright, so much anxiousness and heartbreak. The author went DEEP and DARK! Now, I don't have to have those things the entirety of the read, and glad these sections could be broken up because I needed to catch my breath. It’s just that the present sections picked up more midway, but when they did, whew!!!!!
The ending was so good and satisfying! I’m anxious to see what Knight has in store next! Great story! Great narration!And this is one I would absolutely love to see on the big screen!!
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