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This is the 1st book in the Who Fears Death series and this one was a hard read. And hard to read in the fact of all the violence against women that takes place in this book. I mean really. Onyesonwu, our heroine, and her friends are set on this crazy life-threatening journey to save their people. This book reminds me so much of the Akata Witch series by Dr. Okorafor but way more ADULT. Sex, female circumcision, rape, the children of rape, it's all in here. So readers beware. I personally liked The Book of Phoenix and thought that it was the better of the two books.
Despite the difficult subject matter, I was left inspired and renewed by reading this book. It is a page turner full of wonder and surprise. It is one of the best fantasy novels I've ever read (and I read everything!) But I'm leaving this review mostly to warn you: I was reading on the kindle and the review page come up before the book is finished! If you don't read on after the "rate this book" sign pops up, you will miss the satisfaction of the mysterious and magical afterword. DO NOT MISS IT!
Top-notch world-building, intriguing magic system. Pacing felt uneven at times, but not enough to disrupt my reading overall. The ending might frustrate some readers, but it's a neat structural choice.
Our main character is strong and flawed, a great combination. Without spoiling some of the later events, I do wish the narrative had interrogated some of her choices a bit more in light of her expressed beliefs and values, particularly regarding rape, consent, and body autonomy.
I love stories and was excited to learn that Nnedi Okorafor loves both reading and writing them. On the strength of my read of "Binti," I tackled "Who Fears Death" as a leap of faith that I can acknowledge now as worthy of my time. My reluctance to read the jacket matter or the reviews paid off more than I'd imagined, as did my habit of allowing the writer to tell their story; my actions couldn't have been a better decision. My recommendation: Read the title page and the copyright page. Then start with Chapter 1 and finish the book. Finally, read the afterword. Next!
It was a joy to read my first fantasy novel that broke with the medieval European trappings and unfolded in post-technological, magical Sudan. There are difficult, brutal issues that reflect today's world, and the heroine, Onyesonwu, is an unforgettable force of nature. The usual fantasy tropes are present -- sins of the father, magical apprenticeship, a grand destiny, prophecies fulfilled in unexpected ways -- but they're given new clothes and orthogonal turns, making this book feel both recognizable and new. The ending was mysterious, a bit too much so, for my tastes. I would have loved to have understood more about how the Great Book shaped the world or was shaped by it -- I didn't have a good sense that Onyesonwu had figured out the solution, or if fate was just carrying her along.
You gotta read this. Pow right in the kisser. It hooks you by the mouth and drags you through choppy waters. You struggle and pull, but this book yanks you into the net. By the end you are flopping in the bottom of the boat gasping for air and waiting to be super.
I bought this book to read on a camping trip. It was so good that I ended up sunburnt from being so absorbed in the story all day, then stayed up way too late reading by headlamp while the campfire died down at night and everyone else went to sleep. I couldn't put this book down. It's well-written and imaginative with strong characters and a riveting story. The best thing about it, though, is that it's an all-hope-is-lost underdog kind of story that deals with lots of trauma and brokenness, but it is also completely hopeful because of the way the author empowers the characters. This is a powerful and wise book.
I highly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys fantasy from a different perspective, time and place. I can only hope that if it does make it to the big or little screen, that they do it justice.
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