Such an a-MEI-zing story, true to its universe and Blizzard's beautiful storytelling techniques. The beginning was simple and heartwarming, the middle kept me constantly willing to find out what will happen next and the ending left me with the uplifting effect of feeling like a hero. I loved Efi's character, I could see my ambitions in her coding and robot-making abilities, but also in all her hopes for the betterment of her community and her fears of not belonging and of failure. I was happy when she was happy, sad when she was sad, and was fangirling hard when she (SPOILER-but minor)...

...met Lucio, her favourite music artist in the flesh!! I enjoyed all the mentions to the in-game voice-lines and also their fighting abilities which were acurate to the game. The small metions of Torbjorn and (presumably, in my opinion) Sombra (still not sure it was her though, perhaps she wasn't bcz it it was her, her code wouldn't be as easy for a 12-year-old genius to break it, however smart she is, Sombra is the ultimate internet hacker) entertained me, as also the newly added characters that had a connection to Efi and were anti-heros (spoiler without context).

Overall, this book taught me a few things about Nigeria's culture, like the naira, their money unit (1 naira= 0.0023 euro and 0.0026$ , yes, I looked it up), some of the daily outfits and the mouth-watering foods and desserts, for which I want to find good recipes and test them as soon as possible.

I'm from Greece, so I knew little things about the culture of west Africa.
Some food I learned from this book are:

Fufu.


Amala.


Fried plantain.


Egusi stew.


Akaraje.


I also like to highlight that Overwatch (and Blizzard) know what they're doing, since they confided the author AND coder Nicky Drayden to write this fantastic Orisa book.

I want to talk about many references in the book to the game, but for now, I will let you enjoy this book's magic on your own.







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This is a book targeted for middle readers I think. Kids from 9 to 12 maybe. It was okay. There was much more telling than showing. ( )

Firstly, I am not a fan of Overwatch and hadn't heard of it before reading this book. For some reason, it's not a game my kids have ever gotten into...don't get that wrong because they do have their games they love. But somehow, this one slipped through the cracks. (Go figure?) So, I went at this as a gamer-book fan but knowing nothing about this particular one.

I was really surprised how well this is written and have no doubt fans of the game will love every page.
The main character bounces off the pages right away with tons of personality, determination, and quirkiness. Her desire to get her robots right was already cute, but she's packed with fierce determination and a heart of gold. And she doesn't go the adventure alone. There are lots of sub-characters along the way, and these were just as fun and intriguing as she is. They made for a fun read.

The plot is engaging and keeps things rolling at a very fast pace. Some things are a bit predictable, but many are not. There's tension, danger, excitement, humor and everything needed to get lost in the pages. I have no idea how much is based on the real game...or whether it's not, but it was entertaining. There was also enough depth and background to allow the world to gain a bit of richness. So, I didn't need to know the game to enjoy it, either.

Then, there are the aspects which, obviously, seemed to hang on the game. While this did add a bit of clunkiness as a 'normal' read, knowing the origins kept it from becoming overly irritating. All in all, this is a fun read. If you don't know the game, you'll want to after reading this. And if you are an Overwatch fan, you'll want to pick this one up, anyway. It's fun and well-written for middle graders (and maybe, even those just a pinch older who love to pretend). ( )

The Hero of Numbani has a slow start, but it’s full of bits of wisdom and heart. I’m not super familiar with all of Overwatch, but, as a newcomer, I kept up. Perfect for STEM kids

"Rain on the leopard does not wash off its spots." Let no setback stop you!

3.5
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