Scan barcode
agnewjacob120's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
timinbc's review against another edition
3.0
It's not easy to rate or review Okorafor's books.
I'm used to reading stories of the "tell me a story" variety. The stories can address injustice, and most good ones do. But I've become used to having them set in space, or a world that is clearly not ours. And usually the book isn't tightly focused on the injustice.
Okorafor sets her stories in this world, OK, not quite this world, and rages about the injustice, and does Hulk-like things about it. If that doesn't suit you, go find another author. If you have room for it, well, they will widen your view.
This prequel to "Who Fears Death" apparently started as a novelette, then a novella, and now it's a novel. What next?
The first challenge is to come to terms with Okorafor's combination of real-world, future-world, and magic realism. Near the end, for example, a character who doesn't appear to have superpowers walks from North America to Africa across the dried-up ocean. It takes him four months. Across the deserted, empty ocean bed. Rain and manna are not mentioned. But MR lets you do this. Characters die, and shimmer back into existence like vampires reconstituting from ash. Sometimes they are doing stuff that would not be out of place in the Marvel Superheroes universe. In the same world, some characters are constrained by ordinary physics and logic. If you can't accept that, you will struggle with these books.
How does this one end? Well, if you're going to read it, don't let anyone tell you. And don't peek back at "Who Fears Death." Better to let this one develop.
I didn't care for the story-within-a-story framing; didn't seem necessary.
And on the whole, I found it a bit too rage-y and preachy. But as a white male, I have to accept that Okarafor is coming from a very different place, and - let's not start talking about Sad Puppies here - we need that in our SF/F.
Finally, I found it very weird indeed that I happened to read most of this book on Sept. 11, and kept coming across the concept of bad people doing bad things in American towers, and characters from other cultures wanting to destroy those towers. There are 364 other days in the year, so I'm going to say the author wasn'y saying something obliquely there.
I'm used to reading stories of the "tell me a story" variety. The stories can address injustice, and most good ones do. But I've become used to having them set in space, or a world that is clearly not ours. And usually the book isn't tightly focused on the injustice.
Okorafor sets her stories in this world, OK, not quite this world, and rages about the injustice, and does Hulk-like things about it. If that doesn't suit you, go find another author. If you have room for it, well, they will widen your view.
This prequel to "Who Fears Death" apparently started as a novelette, then a novella, and now it's a novel. What next?
The first challenge is to come to terms with Okorafor's combination of real-world, future-world, and magic realism. Near the end, for example, a character who doesn't appear to have superpowers walks from North America to Africa across the dried-up ocean. It takes him four months. Across the deserted, empty ocean bed. Rain and manna are not mentioned. But MR lets you do this. Characters die, and shimmer back into existence like vampires reconstituting from ash. Sometimes they are doing stuff that would not be out of place in the Marvel Superheroes universe. In the same world, some characters are constrained by ordinary physics and logic. If you can't accept that, you will struggle with these books.
How does this one end? Well, if you're going to read it, don't let anyone tell you. And don't peek back at "Who Fears Death." Better to let this one develop.
I didn't care for the story-within-a-story framing; didn't seem necessary.
And on the whole, I found it a bit too rage-y and preachy. But as a white male, I have to accept that Okarafor is coming from a very different place, and - let's not start talking about Sad Puppies here - we need that in our SF/F.
Finally, I found it very weird indeed that I happened to read most of this book on Sept. 11, and kept coming across the concept of bad people doing bad things in American towers, and characters from other cultures wanting to destroy those towers. There are 364 other days in the year, so I'm going to say the author wasn'y saying something obliquely there.
tregina's review against another edition
4.0
More brutal than I was expecting, but in a strong storytelling way. It feels fearless. I am never disappointed by her books.
smateer73's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely adored this book. Phoenix’s story leaps off the page, twisting truth and reality and making each person rethink what humanity means, what the implications of history are, what one person can do, and how far humanity will go, even causing their own downfall. The words are so mystical, so incredible. I read this whole book in a day and I loved every second of it.
jenhurst's review against another edition
4.0
4.5.
This book is amazing. Beautiful writing and I loved the fusion of science fiction, fantasy and the dystopian setting.
This book is amazing. Beautiful writing and I loved the fusion of science fiction, fantasy and the dystopian setting.
mitziatratum's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
kaylabsimon's review against another edition
4.0
Excellent book! Strong female protagonist. Very unpredictable and great world-building. I’m looking forward to reading more by Nnedi Okorafor.
chelseareads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Maybe my favorite Okorafor yet. Occurs before the events of "Who Fears Death." Very heavy.