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The Desert Magician's Duology #2
Like Thunder: The Desert Magician's Duology, Book 2
Niger, West Africa, 2077
I am the Desert Magician; I bring water where there is none.
This book begins with Dikeogu Obidimkpa slowly losing his mind. Yes, that boy who can bring rain just by thinking about it is having some . . . issues. Years ago, Dikeogu went on an epic journey to save Earth with the shadow speaker girl, Ejii Ubaid, who became his best friend. When it was all over, they went their separate ways, but now he's learned their quest never really ended at all.
So Dikeogu, more powerful than ever, reunites with Ejii. He records this story as an audiofile, hoping it will help him keep his sanity or at least give him something to leave behind. Smart kid, but it won't work—or will it?
I can tell you it won't be like before. Our rainmaker and shadow speaker have changed. And after this, nothing will ever be the same again.
As they say, "Onye amaro ebe nmili si bido mabaya ama ama onye nyelu ya akwa oji welu ficha aru."
Or, "If you do not remember where the rain started to beat you, you will not remember who gave you the towel with which to dry your body."
I am the Desert Magician; I bring water where there is none.
This book begins with Dikeogu Obidimkpa slowly losing his mind. Yes, that boy who can bring rain just by thinking about it is having some . . . issues. Years ago, Dikeogu went on an epic journey to save Earth with the shadow speaker girl, Ejii Ubaid, who became his best friend. When it was all over, they went their separate ways, but now he's learned their quest never really ended at all.
So Dikeogu, more powerful than ever, reunites with Ejii. He records this story as an audiofile, hoping it will help him keep his sanity or at least give him something to leave behind. Smart kid, but it won't work—or will it?
I can tell you it won't be like before. Our rainmaker and shadow speaker have changed. And after this, nothing will ever be the same again.
As they say, "Onye amaro ebe nmili si bido mabaya ama ama onye nyelu ya akwa oji welu ficha aru."
Or, "If you do not remember where the rain started to beat you, you will not remember who gave you the towel with which to dry your body."
Audible Audio
First published November 28, 2023
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About the author
Nnedi Okorafor
153 books17.8k followersNnedi Okorafor is a New York Times Bestselling writer of science fiction and fantasy for both children and adults. The more specific terms for her works are africanfuturism and africanjujuism, both terms she coined and defined. Born in the United States to two Nigerian (Igbo) immigrant parents and visiting family in Nigeria since she was a child, the foundation and inspiration of Nnedi’s work is rooted in this part of Africa. Her many works include Who Fears Death (winner of the World Fantasy Award and in development at HBO as a TV series), the Nebula and Hugo award winning novella trilogy Binti (in development as a TV series), the Lodestar and Locus Award winning Nsibidi Scripts Series, LaGuardia (winner of a Hugo and Eisner awards for Best Graphic Novel) and her most recent novella Remote Control. Her debut novel Zahrah the Windseeker won the prestigious Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature. She lives with her daughter Anyaugo in Phoenix, AZ. Learn more about Nnedi at Nnedi.com and follow Nnedi on twitter (as @Nnedi), Facebook and Instagram.
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July 25, 2025
A heartwarming story about genocide
Like Thunder is a just-released sequel to Shadow Speaker. The Shadow Speaker is a quite old novel by Nnedi Okorafor, but an updated version came out 2-Oct-2023. Shadow Speaker ends in 2074. Earth has become connected to other worlds, so that travel from one world to another is possible. Ette, the chief of the humans living in one of those other worlds, Ginen, hates Earth and wants to destroy its peoples. At the end of Shadow Speaker Chief Ette is forced to sign a magically binding three-year truce with Earth representatives.
Like Thunder takes place mostly in 2077. You will notice that 2077-2074 = 3, so the truce is about to expire and does actually expire in the course of Like Thunder. Chief Ette's genocidal ambitions have not cooled during that time. If you have met humans, you will not be surprised to learn that Ette manages to find people to help him among the people of Earth.
The point of view character of Shadow Speaker was Ejii Ubaid, who is, in fact, a shadow speaker -- a kind of juju seer. Her best friend, whom we met in that book, is Dikéogu Obidimkpa. Like Thunder is told by Dikéogu -- it is ostensibly a transcript of a series of audio recordings he made. Dikéogu is the scion of a wealthy Nigerian family, who rejected him because he is not normal -- he is a Stormbringer. He controls rain and lightning and thunder, and it is he whom the cover depicts. Dikéogu is not OK. He has not learned to control his gifts.
Genocidal war makes a powerful background story. Like Thunder is, in my opinion, a better story than Shadow Speaker, because the plot is less random and more compelling.
Do you need to read Shadow Speaker before Like Thunder? No, not really. There is enough relevant background here to make the earlier book unnecessary. Should you? In my opinion, no, it is not worth your time. I did not really enjoy Shadow Speaker.
I thank NetGalley and DAW for an advance reader copy of Like Thunder. This review expresses my honest opinions.
Blog review.
Like Thunder is a just-released sequel to Shadow Speaker. The Shadow Speaker is a quite old novel by Nnedi Okorafor, but an updated version came out 2-Oct-2023. Shadow Speaker ends in 2074. Earth has become connected to other worlds, so that travel from one world to another is possible. Ette, the chief of the humans living in one of those other worlds, Ginen, hates Earth and wants to destroy its peoples. At the end of Shadow Speaker Chief Ette is forced to sign a magically binding three-year truce with Earth representatives.
Like Thunder takes place mostly in 2077. You will notice that 2077-2074 = 3, so the truce is about to expire and does actually expire in the course of Like Thunder. Chief Ette's genocidal ambitions have not cooled during that time. If you have met humans, you will not be surprised to learn that Ette manages to find people to help him among the people of Earth.
The point of view character of Shadow Speaker was Ejii Ubaid, who is, in fact, a shadow speaker -- a kind of juju seer. Her best friend, whom we met in that book, is Dikéogu Obidimkpa. Like Thunder is told by Dikéogu -- it is ostensibly a transcript of a series of audio recordings he made. Dikéogu is the scion of a wealthy Nigerian family, who rejected him because he is not normal -- he is a Stormbringer. He controls rain and lightning and thunder, and it is he whom the cover depicts. Dikéogu is not OK. He has not learned to control his gifts.
Genocidal war makes a powerful background story. Like Thunder is, in my opinion, a better story than Shadow Speaker, because the plot is less random and more compelling.
Do you need to read Shadow Speaker before Like Thunder? No, not really. There is enough relevant background here to make the earlier book unnecessary. Should you? In my opinion, no, it is not worth your time. I did not really enjoy Shadow Speaker.
I thank NetGalley and DAW for an advance reader copy of Like Thunder. This review expresses my honest opinions.
Blog review.
October 25, 2023
"Best to know where you've been to know where you need to go."
Where Shadow Speaker promoted peace and prosperity, even on the brink of war, Like Thunder is fueled by rage: the product of an expired three-year treaty, slavery, and genocide. Perspectives shift in this harrowing Africanfuturist sequel, following the first person POV of Dikéogu Obidimkpa, a Rainmaker capable of bringing down lightning and manipulating the weather. Told through introspective and personal audio files, Like Thunder is immediately more engaging when compared to its predecessor, as it is, in many ways, an oral history of Dikéogu, Stormbringer.
The peace treaty forged at the Golden Dawn has expired, and fear seeps into the narrative, real and raw and overwhelming. Our narrator is slowly losing himself, his sanity, and all that makes him whole, and it’s propulsive and captivating. In writing the history and experiences of Dikéogu, Okorafor excels at generating interest and emotion, starting from the beginning by offering up memories of Dikéogu’s enslavement – a horrific thing brought about by his own parents, too conservative to accept their Changed son for who he is or what he stands for. Instead, they’d rather get rid of him. Pretend he died. It doesn’t work, of course. Instead, it fuels Dikéogu with rage and hatred. He escaped the cocoa plantations, but his best friend didn’t. Hundreds of other children didn’t. He remembers every name. Every face. Every single child sold to profit the wealthy. He will never forget, and his journey begins with war on a personal front.
Unlike its predecessor, Like Thunder is not really a coming-of-age book. It is a book about profound loss. It is a book about tragedy. It is a book about man-made destruction and environmental collapse. It is a book about prejudice and conservatism. It is a book about genocide. It is equal parts harrowing and hopeful and mysterious, and it is full of important lessons: on love and loss, politics and warfare. Within these pages, Okorafor knows no bounds. She doesn’t sugarcoat anything. But she does leave room for change. For relationships. For moments of meaning and peace. We witness Dikéogu speak with gods, fall in love, unlock his full potential, hunt monsters, and commit murder. We witness him love and lose – both himself and others. We witness trauma, pure and simple. Okorafor weaves Dikéogu’s tale with magic and mysticism and enough tension to propel it forward indefinitely.
While I personally believe that Like Thunder could have benefitted from a bit more length to wrap up plot points with the same attention to detail given to character building, Okorafor pens a story that is compelling from beginning to end.
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December 12, 2023
I think I would read anything this author writes - she is just fantastic. I never expected to like her books, but I kept seeing her on lists and finally gave in and read Binti and then just kept reading and here we are.
This second book in the duology was just as good as the first one [you MUST read that book first, or all that happens in this book will be tremendously confusing], though much, much different. Still set on Earth [in the not-so-distant future], it is several years after the end of the first book and many things have changed from that time. This time it is the story of Dikéogu Obidimkpa [a Rainmaker], who was a companion to Ejii [who is a Shadow Speaker] in the previous book and has been on his own since they parted at the end of book one, and well, things are REALLY not going well for him [he is, he believes, losing his mind] and so he goes looking for Ejii to see what she can do and if they can continue the mission they thought they'd accomplished already all while finding more of his powers and all he can do and be all while fighting a world that thinks people like himself and Ejii do not belong.
This book is MUCH angrier, sadder and much more heartbreaking than book one. Be prepared to ugly cry. Be prepared to be supremely angry. And be prepared to have a very hard time putting this down [much like book one, I had to force myself at night to stop and go to bed] because once you get started, it is very, very difficult to walk away.
SO. WELL. DONE.
Thank you to NetGalley, Nnedi Okorafor, and Astra Publishing House/DAW for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
**I cannot say enough about the narrator of this book [Délé Ogundiran] as well. She is just fantastic and I would listen to her narrate just about anything, and in the case of these two books, she really brings them to life and I highly recommend listening to them because of this. She is absolutely one of my all-time favorites. **
This second book in the duology was just as good as the first one [you MUST read that book first, or all that happens in this book will be tremendously confusing], though much, much different. Still set on Earth [in the not-so-distant future], it is several years after the end of the first book and many things have changed from that time. This time it is the story of Dikéogu Obidimkpa [a Rainmaker], who was a companion to Ejii [who is a Shadow Speaker] in the previous book and has been on his own since they parted at the end of book one, and well, things are REALLY not going well for him [he is, he believes, losing his mind] and so he goes looking for Ejii to see what she can do and if they can continue the mission they thought they'd accomplished already all while finding more of his powers and all he can do and be all while fighting a world that thinks people like himself and Ejii do not belong.
This book is MUCH angrier, sadder and much more heartbreaking than book one. Be prepared to ugly cry. Be prepared to be supremely angry. And be prepared to have a very hard time putting this down [much like book one, I had to force myself at night to stop and go to bed] because once you get started, it is very, very difficult to walk away.
SO. WELL. DONE.
Thank you to NetGalley, Nnedi Okorafor, and Astra Publishing House/DAW for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
**I cannot say enough about the narrator of this book [Délé Ogundiran] as well. She is just fantastic and I would listen to her narrate just about anything, and in the case of these two books, she really brings them to life and I highly recommend listening to them because of this. She is absolutely one of my all-time favorites. **
January 5, 2024
Podría leer otros 10 libros sobre Ejii y Dikeogu, me encantan los personajes. La historia está bien tensa y catártica además. Otro hit de Nnedi Okorafor.
December 12, 2023
Thank you to DAW and Netgalley for the review copy in exchange for an honest review. This does not change my opinion in anyway.
TW/CW: (Child) Abuse | Slavery | Death | Murder
Like Thunder is the sequel to Shadow Speaker in which I saw great things but it did not manage to grab me. I struggled with the same things in this book. I can see what Okorafor wants to do but the book never grabs me.
In this book we follow Dikéogu, the boy that Ejii meets during her travel in the previous book. This book is set up in two different sections. The first half is all about what happened with Dikéogu after the ending of Shadow Speaker. What was his path so the speak. Initially filled with rage for slavery and those that wronged him, the aftermath of that brings him in a town where he meets a girl who manages to settle him. I think he managed to feel a sliver of happiness there.
The second half of the book is more of a continuation of the plot from the first book. The covenant breaks and something comes to our side of the portal, sucking people dry of their soul. Dikéogu searches out his old friends to figure out how to stop this.
Again, what I struggled here the most with were the characters and some of the writing. I managed to settle into the first half and found a new appreciation of Dikéogu. But I hate that he found something for himself and that had to be axed for the plot and for him to be able to get together with Ejii at the end of the book. Which was one relationshp that was incredibly forced. There was more interesing tension between Dikéogu and Arif on the page than there ever was between Dikéogu and Ejii.
Sometimes I felt that I was skimming the surface of a story, being dragged along with all these events. But never finding myself immersed in it.
TW/CW: (Child) Abuse | Slavery | Death | Murder
Like Thunder is the sequel to Shadow Speaker in which I saw great things but it did not manage to grab me. I struggled with the same things in this book. I can see what Okorafor wants to do but the book never grabs me.
In this book we follow Dikéogu, the boy that Ejii meets during her travel in the previous book. This book is set up in two different sections. The first half is all about what happened with Dikéogu after the ending of Shadow Speaker. What was his path so the speak. Initially filled with rage for slavery and those that wronged him, the aftermath of that brings him in a town where he meets a girl who manages to settle him. I think he managed to feel a sliver of happiness there.
The second half of the book is more of a continuation of the plot from the first book. The covenant breaks and something comes to our side of the portal, sucking people dry of their soul. Dikéogu searches out his old friends to figure out how to stop this.
Again, what I struggled here the most with were the characters and some of the writing. I managed to settle into the first half and found a new appreciation of Dikéogu. But I hate that he found something for himself and that had to be axed for the plot and for him to be able to get together with Ejii at the end of the book. Which was one relationshp that was incredibly forced. There was more interesing tension between Dikéogu and Arif on the page than there ever was between Dikéogu and Ejii.
Sometimes I felt that I was skimming the surface of a story, being dragged along with all these events. But never finding myself immersed in it.
dnf
February 8, 2025Thanks to NetGalley & Astra Publishing House for an eARC of this book. The following review is my honest reflection on the text provided.
DNF @ 19%
I made it through Shadow Speaker because I knew I had this ARC to read but I couldn't make myself push through this one. I didn't particularly like Dikéogu in the first book so an entire book from his perspective was not a promising start. There were a few good moments but nothing that lasted or hinted at making this read worthwhile for me. I've had a few DNFs lately. I've been pretty busy so when I do have time to read I want to make sure it's something that's worth reading. Unfortunately, Like Thunder doesn't meet that threshold for me right now.
DNF @ 19%
I made it through Shadow Speaker because I knew I had this ARC to read but I couldn't make myself push through this one. I didn't particularly like Dikéogu in the first book so an entire book from his perspective was not a promising start. There were a few good moments but nothing that lasted or hinted at making this read worthwhile for me. I've had a few DNFs lately. I've been pretty busy so when I do have time to read I want to make sure it's something that's worth reading. Unfortunately, Like Thunder doesn't meet that threshold for me right now.
January 9, 2024
Hoopla Audiobook. I love books by Needi! I have read the majority of her canon and Like Thunder continues the trend of internet characters, magnificent worlds and powers. There was a few gasping moments, chuckles and smiles while listening. Happy it was my first book finished of the new year.
April 16, 2024
I was disappointed with this book.
Not as good as her other books. It seemed a bit disjointed to me.
Not as good as her other books. It seemed a bit disjointed to me.
December 11, 2023
A great continuation and ending to The Desert Magician’s Duology. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Looking forward to whatever Nnedi’s next book will be.
February 11, 2024
This story takes place in a wild world! It is a post-near-apocolypse (you really should read Shadowspeaker before this one) world where a nuclear war almost happened... but instead (minimal spoiling) something happens that opens up the plane that earth is on, to other worlds where strange and magical things are possible; jungles will pop up out of nowhere and then dissappear unspecified amounts of time later; there are changed people with wild and creative abilities; there are strange places between the realms.
Over and through all this magical world building is of course, prejudice, fear, and hatred. This book is full of anger because this book is full of the mistreatment of those who have been othered.
I thought that Okorafor's use of the first person narrative was a great choice for this book; I am always intrigued by a not entirely reliable narrator which, let's be honest hear, is always the case when we try to tell our own story!
I will continue to read everything that Okorafor writes, and I'm in luck, because she is a hardworking writer who is not only always working on at least a few projects, but she gets them done! I'm grateful and can't wait to read what she has in store next!
Over and through all this magical world building is of course, prejudice, fear, and hatred. This book is full of anger because this book is full of the mistreatment of those who have been othered.
I thought that Okorafor's use of the first person narrative was a great choice for this book; I am always intrigued by a not entirely reliable narrator which, let's be honest hear, is always the case when we try to tell our own story!
I will continue to read everything that Okorafor writes, and I'm in luck, because she is a hardworking writer who is not only always working on at least a few projects, but she gets them done! I'm grateful and can't wait to read what she has in store next!
November 12, 2023
*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book.*
While I really enjoyed book one of this duology, the second book did not manage to grab my attention and hold it. I found the change of focaliser exhausting, the world building and story felt all over the place and I had trouble paying attention and remembering things. This is probably a me-problem, but I feel like Okorafor crammed too much into this tiny book and it shows. Sorry :(
While I really enjoyed book one of this duology, the second book did not manage to grab my attention and hold it. I found the change of focaliser exhausting, the world building and story felt all over the place and I had trouble paying attention and remembering things. This is probably a me-problem, but I feel like Okorafor crammed too much into this tiny book and it shows. Sorry :(
January 9, 2024
I really enjoyed this one. Okorafor tends to draw me in with her younger characters. They are more sensitive and aware to me of their societal surroundings and tend to be more self-reflective. Even though the world building doesn't stand on its own here, it is the characters that make this story move, and I feel as if I could do with more Dikeogu and Ejii.
April 6, 2024
Both books needed to be 600 pages. The world she creates is so magical. I wanted more time to explore it!
January 3, 2024
As far as I'm concerned, Ms. Okorafor can do no wrong.
Another fantastic story.
Another fantastic story.
December 20, 2023
Like Thunder (The Desert Magician's Duology #2)
by Nnedi Okorafor
The second book in an African Science fiction story. The book shows the nature of understanding, acceptance and divergence that causes and heals conflicts. The passing on of leadership, and heroic processes from elders to youth. This book shows that heroes although helped by the past have to make their own decision, to live or die. Your only choice is what you are willing to die for. Its an amazingly self analyzing book, looking at your own prejudices and ideology over and over again as the characters face a very dynamic, swiftly changing world that has conflict with ideology.
by Nnedi Okorafor
The second book in an African Science fiction story. The book shows the nature of understanding, acceptance and divergence that causes and heals conflicts. The passing on of leadership, and heroic processes from elders to youth. This book shows that heroes although helped by the past have to make their own decision, to live or die. Your only choice is what you are willing to die for. Its an amazingly self analyzing book, looking at your own prejudices and ideology over and over again as the characters face a very dynamic, swiftly changing world that has conflict with ideology.
November 27, 2023
First I want to thank NetGalley and DAW for allowing me access to an eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Like Thunder is the second book in the Desert Magician Duology. If you haven’t read the first book, Shadow Speaker, then please go do that before reading any further. I don’t want to spoil too much of the first book, but it is important to note that this Duology changes perspective in the second novel. The first book is from the perspective of the shadow speaker Ejii and this, the second book, is from the perspective of Dikéogu a companion of Ejii in the First book.
The Desert Magician duology takes place in a changed future Earth that has been broken, and the barriers between our world and others has thinned enough to allow passage between them. The majority of the events take place in Niger and Nigeria a generation after the Earth and its people were changed. Some people were changed more than others, and they are referred to as Changed Ones. Changed Ones come in a variety of types each with their own special abilities. Dikéogu, our subject for this book, is growing into his power as a rainmaker, and after the events of the first book he has joined up with Gambo, a powerful windseeker, to train his abilities. Part of that training includes facing Dikéogu’s past and the hurt he still carries with him.
I am a huge fan of Nnedi Okorafor, and if you’ve read any of her other books, you will definitely find some commonalities between this duology and other books she has written. I really enjoyed this series as a whole, but I think I much preferred Ejii’s story over Dikéogu’s. This being the second in a duology it is absolutely necessary to finish the story, and my only real detractor is that I don’t particularly like Dikéogu. He is quite often rash and selfish, but he is also young and has a great burden placed on his shoulders, so I try not to judge him too harshly. This second story also digs even deeper into the themes of division and how we grant or withhold personhood to other people. This is a fundamental topic in science fiction and no matter the era it continues to be relevant.
I really enjoyed both of these books, and the series is a must-read for any serious sci-fi fan. If you haven’t read anything by Okorafor before, I suggest reading Remote Control as well and of course Binti. Okorafor is a master of storytelling and crafts beautiful tales of Africanfuturism that will keep you looking for more like it. I hope you read this series, and I hope this helped you find a new book to dive into. Happy Reading!
Like Thunder is the second book in the Desert Magician Duology. If you haven’t read the first book, Shadow Speaker, then please go do that before reading any further. I don’t want to spoil too much of the first book, but it is important to note that this Duology changes perspective in the second novel. The first book is from the perspective of the shadow speaker Ejii and this, the second book, is from the perspective of Dikéogu a companion of Ejii in the First book.
The Desert Magician duology takes place in a changed future Earth that has been broken, and the barriers between our world and others has thinned enough to allow passage between them. The majority of the events take place in Niger and Nigeria a generation after the Earth and its people were changed. Some people were changed more than others, and they are referred to as Changed Ones. Changed Ones come in a variety of types each with their own special abilities. Dikéogu, our subject for this book, is growing into his power as a rainmaker, and after the events of the first book he has joined up with Gambo, a powerful windseeker, to train his abilities. Part of that training includes facing Dikéogu’s past and the hurt he still carries with him.
I am a huge fan of Nnedi Okorafor, and if you’ve read any of her other books, you will definitely find some commonalities between this duology and other books she has written. I really enjoyed this series as a whole, but I think I much preferred Ejii’s story over Dikéogu’s. This being the second in a duology it is absolutely necessary to finish the story, and my only real detractor is that I don’t particularly like Dikéogu. He is quite often rash and selfish, but he is also young and has a great burden placed on his shoulders, so I try not to judge him too harshly. This second story also digs even deeper into the themes of division and how we grant or withhold personhood to other people. This is a fundamental topic in science fiction and no matter the era it continues to be relevant.
I really enjoyed both of these books, and the series is a must-read for any serious sci-fi fan. If you haven’t read anything by Okorafor before, I suggest reading Remote Control as well and of course Binti. Okorafor is a master of storytelling and crafts beautiful tales of Africanfuturism that will keep you looking for more like it. I hope you read this series, and I hope this helped you find a new book to dive into. Happy Reading!
December 15, 2023
The Desert Magician’s Duology is spectacular. This second volume in the series probably needs to be read in order, after the first. Okorafor’s imagination in this books flourishes in a semi post apocalyptic setting in which magical forces have altered the environment and its inhabitants in richly surprising ways, perforating the boundaries between nature and humans, between planets, between times. The characters are vivid and the action twisty. Taken together the two novels of this series are my favorite of Okorafor’s work so far, which is saying a lot.
December 18, 2023
I didn't take to Dikeogu as a charatcter as readily as Ejii in Shadow Speaker but, by the end was captivated by the characters and story. 3 1/2 stars.
January 10, 2024
This follow up to the revised "Shadow Speaker" in the "Desert Magician's Duology" picks up some years later, and follows Dikéogu Obidimkpa, who fears he is losing his mind. Dikéogu can call the rain as he is a storm bringer, but things haven't been working all that well for him for a while, as his ability to control his gift/superpower is not in control.
Dikéogu has been on his own for some time, and is happy when he reunites with Ejii Ubaid, his best friend and shadow speaker. But she needs help too, and the problems the pair thought they had resolved years earlier really aren't. So, the two, along with Arif, get ready to fight for their world again.
There is much to like in this book: Dikéogu is a fantastic character, and his struggles following the last war, in the first section of the book, are hard reading, as this young man, for all his wonderful qualities, is reviled by his family, and struggles to be treated with respect thanks to the markings on his face which point to his past life as a slave. This section of the story is compelling, and I particularly liked that it's shown as transcipts from his free-flowing thoughts as he tried to live after the first war, even finding some small measure of peace before that, too, is ripped away from him, along with his increasingly scattered mind.
The second half of the book is where the book began to lose me. It concerns his reuniting with Ejii and Arif, and all their new struggles to defeat the evil that they thought they had vanquished before. It's full of action, interesting character moments, including Dikéogu helping Ejii deal with her trauma from the previous war. Unfortunately, I did not feel as engaged during the book's second half, and also was not sure that the romance author Okorafor included between Dikéogu and Ejii worked, as I preferred them as merely best friends.
I loved the mention of Nsibidi scripts in this duology, which indicates some slight connection perhaps between this and the Akata Witch series.
Even though this book did not entirely work for me, I love the future Nigeria conceived of by this author, and continue to be fascinated by its stories that are a mix of identity, magic and technology.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Astra Publishing House for this ARC in exchange for my review.
Dikéogu has been on his own for some time, and is happy when he reunites with Ejii Ubaid, his best friend and shadow speaker. But she needs help too, and the problems the pair thought they had resolved years earlier really aren't. So, the two, along with Arif, get ready to fight for their world again.
There is much to like in this book: Dikéogu is a fantastic character, and his struggles following the last war, in the first section of the book, are hard reading, as this young man, for all his wonderful qualities, is reviled by his family, and struggles to be treated with respect thanks to the markings on his face which point to his past life as a slave. This section of the story is compelling, and I particularly liked that it's shown as transcipts from his free-flowing thoughts as he tried to live after the first war, even finding some small measure of peace before that, too, is ripped away from him, along with his increasingly scattered mind.
The second half of the book is where the book began to lose me. It concerns his reuniting with Ejii and Arif, and all their new struggles to defeat the evil that they thought they had vanquished before. It's full of action, interesting character moments, including Dikéogu helping Ejii deal with her trauma from the previous war. Unfortunately, I did not feel as engaged during the book's second half, and also was not sure that the romance author Okorafor included between Dikéogu and Ejii worked, as I preferred them as merely best friends.
I loved the mention of Nsibidi scripts in this duology, which indicates some slight connection perhaps between this and the Akata Witch series.
Even though this book did not entirely work for me, I love the future Nigeria conceived of by this author, and continue to be fascinated by its stories that are a mix of identity, magic and technology.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Astra Publishing House for this ARC in exchange for my review.
November 27, 2023
In Shadow Speaker we followed Ejii Ugabe's hero journey to find the killer of her father as she learned to use her strange powers. She is known as a shadow speaker, one who can see well in the dark and read people's thoughts and emotions. Along the way she met the rainmaker Dikéogu Obidimkpa. He'd been imprisoned as a chocolate slave due to his parents shame of his manifesting strange powers. Like Thunder concludes the quest of these two changed people in a dystopian 2070s West Africa.
Picking up shortly after the end of the first book, in Like Thunder Dikéogu Obidimkpa is our narrator and with the aid of government agents, is freeing the other chocolate slaves. After the initial quest to free the slaves is completed, he begins to train under a mentor before suffering a mental breakdown and wandering in a fugue state. This time is lost to him, but as he heals and recovers some of the pieces return. Eventually he comes back to himself and finds love, but while he enjoys this return to normalcy, greater powers are at play. In the city, the changed are other-ized by being called cockroaches and begin to disappear alongside those speaking for understanding and acceptance. Is it genocide?
It is a darker story than the first volume, with much of the happiness of the first adventure undone. Our heroes face greater challenges and both endure trauma and loss. But they are older and wiser and still deeply committed to creating and sustaining peace. Both books look at the divisions between youths and elders. As well as the courage and strength it takes to stand up for one's beliefs.
I received a free digital version of this book via NetGalley thanks to the publisher.
Picking up shortly after the end of the first book, in Like Thunder Dikéogu Obidimkpa is our narrator and with the aid of government agents, is freeing the other chocolate slaves. After the initial quest to free the slaves is completed, he begins to train under a mentor before suffering a mental breakdown and wandering in a fugue state. This time is lost to him, but as he heals and recovers some of the pieces return. Eventually he comes back to himself and finds love, but while he enjoys this return to normalcy, greater powers are at play. In the city, the changed are other-ized by being called cockroaches and begin to disappear alongside those speaking for understanding and acceptance. Is it genocide?
It is a darker story than the first volume, with much of the happiness of the first adventure undone. Our heroes face greater challenges and both endure trauma and loss. But they are older and wiser and still deeply committed to creating and sustaining peace. Both books look at the divisions between youths and elders. As well as the courage and strength it takes to stand up for one's beliefs.
I received a free digital version of this book via NetGalley thanks to the publisher.
December 11, 2023
3.5 rounded down
The change of POV from the first part didn’t sit well with me.
The change of POV from the first part didn’t sit well with me.
December 7, 2023
african futurism is one of my favorite genres. this was great, but also still very all over the place (as in, some of the motivations of the characters suddenly doing something opposite to what they felt a second before caught me off guard a number of times), and maybe that's intentional since the story is about teens, and lord knows... also the main character in this book was, interestingly, reporting from something that was happening in the last chapter, which was unclear and a little confusing until the very end. in any case i loved the story, and want more of this genre for sure.
November 28, 2023
“Like Thunder" by Nnedi Okorafor, the concluding installment of the Desert Magician duology, is an immersive journey through hardships, heartaches, and the unwavering spirit of Dikeogu. As he navigates his own challenges after the events of book one and before reuniting with Ejii, his narrative unfolds with vivid imagery, perilous quests, and Okorafor's signature infusion of West African mythology.
The story captivates with its rich exploration of Dikeogu's character, highlighting the complexities of his personal struggles and growth. The emotional depth and resilience exhibited by the characters make the journey not just an epic quest but a profound exploration of identity and destiny.
Okorafor's storytelling prowess shines through in her ability to seamlessly blend the mystical and the earthly, creating a world where West African mythology breathes life into this post-apocalyptic setting. While the final battle against a tyrant threatening Earth was pretty anti-climatic as far as conclusions go, the emotionally charged journey to get there was very engrossing.
"Like Thunder" offers readers a unique blend of fantasy, mythology, and poignant human experiences. The Desert Magician duology, with its vibrant characters and captivating storyline, is a fitting addition to Okorafor's impressive body of work.
Thank you to Astra Publishing House and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
The story captivates with its rich exploration of Dikeogu's character, highlighting the complexities of his personal struggles and growth. The emotional depth and resilience exhibited by the characters make the journey not just an epic quest but a profound exploration of identity and destiny.
Okorafor's storytelling prowess shines through in her ability to seamlessly blend the mystical and the earthly, creating a world where West African mythology breathes life into this post-apocalyptic setting. While the final battle against a tyrant threatening Earth was pretty anti-climatic as far as conclusions go, the emotionally charged journey to get there was very engrossing.
"Like Thunder" offers readers a unique blend of fantasy, mythology, and poignant human experiences. The Desert Magician duology, with its vibrant characters and captivating storyline, is a fitting addition to Okorafor's impressive body of work.
Thank you to Astra Publishing House and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
November 20, 2023
My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Astra Publishing House, DAW. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.
Genre: Africanfuturism, Fantasy, SciFi, African Fantasy
Audience: Young Adult
Language: Medium (some cursing)
Spice Level: Medium (fade to black)
The post nuclear war where the gateway opened between worlds that introduced magic is fascinating as always. I feel like Shadow Speaker set the tone, and Like Thunder continues in the same vein. If you loved one, you will love both of them.
This is epic fantasy because the team of kids is saving the world. But there are personal elements because the tragedy hits close when their families and friends may die or be harmed. We have friends who separated in the first book get reunited. Some evil is dispelled. And heroic deeds and sacrifices are made.
The style of storytelling is interesting. In ways, it feels a bit remote to me. As a frame story, the Desert Magician, is telling us the tale—he's mostly present speaking to us in the beginning and end. Also our main character, Dikéogu, cycles through madness and love and trauma. Seriously, there's a lot going on. And teenage angst is part of the drama, which is about the only thing that makes this fit as young adult.
I've enjoyed this duololgy.
Happy reading!
Genre: Africanfuturism, Fantasy, SciFi, African Fantasy
Audience: Young Adult
Language: Medium (some cursing)
Spice Level: Medium (fade to black)
The post nuclear war where the gateway opened between worlds that introduced magic is fascinating as always. I feel like Shadow Speaker set the tone, and Like Thunder continues in the same vein. If you loved one, you will love both of them.
This is epic fantasy because the team of kids is saving the world. But there are personal elements because the tragedy hits close when their families and friends may die or be harmed. We have friends who separated in the first book get reunited. Some evil is dispelled. And heroic deeds and sacrifices are made.
The style of storytelling is interesting. In ways, it feels a bit remote to me. As a frame story, the Desert Magician, is telling us the tale—he's mostly present speaking to us in the beginning and end. Also our main character, Dikéogu, cycles through madness and love and trauma. Seriously, there's a lot going on. And teenage angst is part of the drama, which is about the only thing that makes this fit as young adult.
I've enjoyed this duololgy.
Happy reading!
December 22, 2023
Like Thunder is the second half of the Desert Magician’s Duology, and the follow-up to the utterly excellent Shadow Speaker. Like that first book, Like Thunder is a story within a story, as the whole duology is a tale of a possible future, and a lesson to be learned, told by the Desert Magician himself.
But it is not the Desert Magician’s story, no matter how much that being meddled with the characters and the events that they faced. Just as Shadow Speaker was the story of Eiji Ugabe, the titular shadow speaker herself, Like Thunder represents her best friend Dikéogu Obidimkpa’s side of the events that followed.
Shadow speaking is but one of the many transformations and strange, new powers brought into this world after the ‘peace bombs’ were dropped and the oncoming nuclear catastrophe was transformed into something survivable for the human population.
A survival that seems to be more contingent on the adaptability of not just the humans of Earth, but also the sentient populations of ALL the worlds that have become interconnected after Earth’s ‘Great Change’ caused a ‘Great Merge’ of several formerly separated worlds.
The story in Shadow Speaker very much represented Eiji’s perspective on the world, as Eiji’s first impulse is always to talk, and to listen. An impulse that combines her youthful belief that people CAN be better if given the opportunity, and is likely a result of her talent for speaking with not just the shadows of the dead, but directly into the minds of other people and animals.
Her talent is to see others’ points of view and to project her own. She’s young enough to believe that if there is understanding, there can be peace.
Like Thunder is not Eiji’s story, and it shouldn’t be. Instead, it’s a kind of mirror image. Just as Eiji’s talent leads her to foster peace and understanding, her friend Dikéogu’s talent is violent. Dikéogu is a stormbringer, someone who brings all of the violence of nature and all of the violence visited upon him in his scarred past to every encounter with his friends, with his enemies, and with his world.
And within himself.
The world through which we follow Dikéogu in this concluding volume of the Desert Magician’s Duology is the direct result of Eiji’s peacemaking in her book. Because, unfortunately for the world but fortunate for the reader enthralled with their story, Eiji didn’t really make peace because peace is not what most of the people present for the so-called ‘peace conference’ had any desire for whatsoever.
And have been maneuvering in the background to ensure that the only peace that results in the end is the peace of the grave. Someone is going to have to die. Too many people already have. It’s only a question of whether Dikéogu and Eiji’s feared and reviled powers will save the world – or end it.
Escape Rating A-: As much as I loved Shadow Speaker, I came into this second book with some doubts and quibbles – all of which were marvelously dashed to the ground at the very beginning of Dikéogu’s story.
Eiji and Dikéogu were both very young when their adventure began, but by the time they met they had both already seen enough hardship and disaster to fill a whole lifetime for someone else. But Eiji was just a touch older than Dikéogu, and the differences between her fourteen and his thirteen mattered a lot in terms of maturity.
In other words, Eiji was definitely on the cusp of adulthood in her book, making adult decisions with huge, literally world-shaking consequences, while Dikéogu frequently came off as a whiny little shit, an impression not helped AT ALL by the higher pitched voice used by the narrator for his character.
Dikéogu had PLENTY of reasons for his hatreds and his fears – but that doesn’t mean that they were much more enjoyable to listen to than they were to experience. Less traumatic, certainly, but awful in an entirely different way.
But Like Thunder takes place AFTER the events of Shadow Speaker. (This is also a hint that neither book stands on its own) Whiny thirteen becomes traumatized fifteen with more experience, a bit more closure for some of the worst parts, a bit more distance from terrible betrayals – and his voice drops. (This last bit, of course, doesn’t matter if you’re reading the text and hearing your own voice in your head, but matters a lot in audio.)
Dikéogu’s life experience, particularly after he was sold into slavery by his own uncle at the age of twelve, have taught him that the world is pain and strife and that he has to defend himself at all times and that people will believe ANYTHING if it allows them to stay comfortable and maintain their illusions and their prejudices.
He learned that last bit from his parents, Felecia and Chika Obidimkpa, the power couple of THE West African multimedia empire. They betrayed him into slavery, they betrayed him by pretending he was dead, they betray him every single time they broadcast a program filled with ridiculous nostalgia for a past that never was and disallows and disavows Dikéogu’s existence as a stormbringer, a ‘Changed One’ with powers granted by the ‘Great Change’ they hate so much.
It’s no surprise that his parents are in league with his enemies.
What is a surprise, especially to Dikéogu, is how much of his story, how much of his trauma and how many of his tragedies, are directly traceable to that first betrayal AND his inability to deal with its consequences to himself and the magic he carries.
So, very much on the one hand, Like Thunder is a save the world quest with a surprising twist at its end. A twist at least partly manufactured, and certainly cackled over, by the Desert Magician. And absolutely on the other hand, it’s a story about a young man learning to live with the person he has become – and very nearly failing the test. ALL the tests.
Whichever way you look at it, it is compelling and captivating from the first page – or from the opening words – until the very last line of the Desert Magician congratulating themself on a tale well told and a heartbreaking but ultimately hopeful message delivered.
Originally published at Reading Reality
But it is not the Desert Magician’s story, no matter how much that being meddled with the characters and the events that they faced. Just as Shadow Speaker was the story of Eiji Ugabe, the titular shadow speaker herself, Like Thunder represents her best friend Dikéogu Obidimkpa’s side of the events that followed.
Shadow speaking is but one of the many transformations and strange, new powers brought into this world after the ‘peace bombs’ were dropped and the oncoming nuclear catastrophe was transformed into something survivable for the human population.
A survival that seems to be more contingent on the adaptability of not just the humans of Earth, but also the sentient populations of ALL the worlds that have become interconnected after Earth’s ‘Great Change’ caused a ‘Great Merge’ of several formerly separated worlds.
The story in Shadow Speaker very much represented Eiji’s perspective on the world, as Eiji’s first impulse is always to talk, and to listen. An impulse that combines her youthful belief that people CAN be better if given the opportunity, and is likely a result of her talent for speaking with not just the shadows of the dead, but directly into the minds of other people and animals.
Her talent is to see others’ points of view and to project her own. She’s young enough to believe that if there is understanding, there can be peace.
Like Thunder is not Eiji’s story, and it shouldn’t be. Instead, it’s a kind of mirror image. Just as Eiji’s talent leads her to foster peace and understanding, her friend Dikéogu’s talent is violent. Dikéogu is a stormbringer, someone who brings all of the violence of nature and all of the violence visited upon him in his scarred past to every encounter with his friends, with his enemies, and with his world.
And within himself.
The world through which we follow Dikéogu in this concluding volume of the Desert Magician’s Duology is the direct result of Eiji’s peacemaking in her book. Because, unfortunately for the world but fortunate for the reader enthralled with their story, Eiji didn’t really make peace because peace is not what most of the people present for the so-called ‘peace conference’ had any desire for whatsoever.
And have been maneuvering in the background to ensure that the only peace that results in the end is the peace of the grave. Someone is going to have to die. Too many people already have. It’s only a question of whether Dikéogu and Eiji’s feared and reviled powers will save the world – or end it.
Escape Rating A-: As much as I loved Shadow Speaker, I came into this second book with some doubts and quibbles – all of which were marvelously dashed to the ground at the very beginning of Dikéogu’s story.
Eiji and Dikéogu were both very young when their adventure began, but by the time they met they had both already seen enough hardship and disaster to fill a whole lifetime for someone else. But Eiji was just a touch older than Dikéogu, and the differences between her fourteen and his thirteen mattered a lot in terms of maturity.
In other words, Eiji was definitely on the cusp of adulthood in her book, making adult decisions with huge, literally world-shaking consequences, while Dikéogu frequently came off as a whiny little shit, an impression not helped AT ALL by the higher pitched voice used by the narrator for his character.
Dikéogu had PLENTY of reasons for his hatreds and his fears – but that doesn’t mean that they were much more enjoyable to listen to than they were to experience. Less traumatic, certainly, but awful in an entirely different way.
But Like Thunder takes place AFTER the events of Shadow Speaker. (This is also a hint that neither book stands on its own) Whiny thirteen becomes traumatized fifteen with more experience, a bit more closure for some of the worst parts, a bit more distance from terrible betrayals – and his voice drops. (This last bit, of course, doesn’t matter if you’re reading the text and hearing your own voice in your head, but matters a lot in audio.)
Dikéogu’s life experience, particularly after he was sold into slavery by his own uncle at the age of twelve, have taught him that the world is pain and strife and that he has to defend himself at all times and that people will believe ANYTHING if it allows them to stay comfortable and maintain their illusions and their prejudices.
He learned that last bit from his parents, Felecia and Chika Obidimkpa, the power couple of THE West African multimedia empire. They betrayed him into slavery, they betrayed him by pretending he was dead, they betray him every single time they broadcast a program filled with ridiculous nostalgia for a past that never was and disallows and disavows Dikéogu’s existence as a stormbringer, a ‘Changed One’ with powers granted by the ‘Great Change’ they hate so much.
It’s no surprise that his parents are in league with his enemies.
What is a surprise, especially to Dikéogu, is how much of his story, how much of his trauma and how many of his tragedies, are directly traceable to that first betrayal AND his inability to deal with its consequences to himself and the magic he carries.
So, very much on the one hand, Like Thunder is a save the world quest with a surprising twist at its end. A twist at least partly manufactured, and certainly cackled over, by the Desert Magician. And absolutely on the other hand, it’s a story about a young man learning to live with the person he has become – and very nearly failing the test. ALL the tests.
Whichever way you look at it, it is compelling and captivating from the first page – or from the opening words – until the very last line of the Desert Magician congratulating themself on a tale well told and a heartbreaking but ultimately hopeful message delivered.
Originally published at Reading Reality
November 14, 2023
I adore Nnedi Okorafor and have read a few of her books this past year. One of which was the first part of this duology, Shadow Speaker. I appreciated reading the conclusion and following Dikeogu but I didn't enjoy it as much as Ejii and Shadow Speaker. This is mainly because I don't like aimless characters, which Dikeogu very righlt was after his horrific experiences, but I personally would have cut the first half of the book and would have started once the pact with Chief Ette crumbled, where the action is. I know that means I'd be cutting half of Dikeogu's character development and we don't want that! I will continue to read Nnedi's books because she is an amazing author and I want to read everything she's ever published. Even with the slow first half, I would still recommend because the overarching story of the duology is incredible and I really enjoyed it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 17, 2024
As a big fan Nnedi Okorafor's Who Fears Death and The Book of Phoenix, when I contacted the folks at Daw Books to request a review copy of Shadow Speaker, in my excitement I somehow forgot that the bulk of the author's early career years were spent writing YA material. Hence my disappointment when I realized that her latest was definitely YA.
Indeed, other than the Africanfuturism setting and some Africanjujuism elements, Shadow Speaker was more akin to Binti than the aforementioned novels. Likewise, Like Thunder, its sequel, is YA through and through. Nothing wrong with that, as I mentioned in my previous review. But your mileage will vary based on your expectations. Those looking for adult science fiction will need to look elsewhere, for the Desert Magician's duology is a black and white YA series which offers very little in terms of shades of gray.
Here's the blurb:
Niger, West Africa, 2077
Welcome back. This second volume is a breathtaking story that sweeps across the sands of the Sahara, flies up to the peaks of the Aïr Mountains, cartwheels into a wild megacity—you get the idea.
I am the Desert Magician; I bring water where there is none.
This book begins with Dikéogu Obidimkpa slowly losing his mind. Yes, that boy who can bring rain just by thinking about it is having some…issues. Years ago, Dikéogu went on an epic journey to save Earth with the shadow speaker girl, Ejii Ubaid, who became his best friend. When it was all over, they went their separate ways, but now he’s learned their quest never really ended at all.
So Dikéogu, more powerful than ever, reunites with Ejii. He records this story as an audiofile, hoping it will help him keep his sanity or at least give him something to leave behind. Smart kid, but it won’t work—or will it?
I can tell you this: it won’t be like before. Our rainmaker and shadow speaker have changed. And after this, nothing will ever be the same again.
As they say, ‘Onye amaro ebe nmili si bido mabaya ama ama onye nyelu ya akwa oji welu ficha aru.’
Or, ‘If you do not remember where the rain started to beat you, you will not remember who gave you the towel with which to dry your body.’
If you look at the date, you'll realize that 3 years have passed since the events chronicled in Shadow Speaker. Which means that the truce agreed upon at the end of the first volume is about to expire. I was expecting Okorafor to be less parsimonious in this sequel, but the worldbuilding continues to be subpar. As was the case in its predecessor, the cool concepts and ideas found throughout Like Thunder are seldom developped adequately. If at all, truth be told. Once again, this impacts the overall reading experience in negative fashion.
I wasn't sure how much work the author put into the revised edition of Shadow Speaker. I felt that it was the work of a much less mature Nnedi Okorafor and it showed. She explored many of the themes that would be at the heart of her future novels and short fiction, and the post-apocalyptic African environment was another fixture she would learn to refine and end up calling Africanfuturism. Unfortunately, though you could clearly catch glimpses of the talented writer she would become, I opined that Shadow Speaker was a YA offering that didn't resound with much depth. Oddly enough, though it was written recently, it feels as though Like Thunder is another older and out-of-print title that Okorafor decided to bring back to life. Not a new work written by an experienced pro writing at the top of her game.
Once more, the characterization leaves a lot to be desired. As the title implies, this book is told through the perspective of Dikéogu Obidimkpa, Ejii's companion from the first installment. He is the son of a famous and wealthy Nigerian family that rejected him because he is a metahuman who can control rain, lightning, and thunder. The structure of this novel can be a bit weird, for a good chunk of Dikéogu's tale is told through a series of transcripts of audio recordings he made. This plot device works well at times, but it can occasionally be clunky and I wonder why Okorafor thought that this would be a good way to go. As much as I disliked him in Shadow Speaker and with so little character development and growth over the course of two separate volumes, discovering the extent of Dikéogu's back story was my favorite part of Like Thunder. Another highlight was what happened to him in the aftermath of his return from Ginen. Which is probably why I didn't enjoy how that storyline got cut off, simply so he could be reunited with Ejii. From that point on, the rest of the book is a somewhat uninteresting continuation of the events from Shadow Speaker. With everything being so black and white, I struggled to maintain interest. Had I been younger, perhaps I would have loved this series. Alas, at my age I often found it hard to keep turning those pages.
Like its predecessor, Like Thunder is another relatively short novel that suffers from pacing issues. The narrative flows well at first, then becomes sluggish when Dikéogu and Ejii are reunited. The same goes for the travelogue portion before the endgame, as is usually Okorafor's wont.
Speaking of endgames, this one was more exciting than the one that brought the previous volume to a close. Still, although the ending offered enough closure, its execution was more or less satisfying. As such, it failed to bring the Desert Magician's duology up to par with Nnedi Okorafor's best works. Hence, I only recommend that you read this series if you are a YA fan. Otherwise, you are bound to be disappointed.
For more reviews, check out www.fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com
Indeed, other than the Africanfuturism setting and some Africanjujuism elements, Shadow Speaker was more akin to Binti than the aforementioned novels. Likewise, Like Thunder, its sequel, is YA through and through. Nothing wrong with that, as I mentioned in my previous review. But your mileage will vary based on your expectations. Those looking for adult science fiction will need to look elsewhere, for the Desert Magician's duology is a black and white YA series which offers very little in terms of shades of gray.
Here's the blurb:
Niger, West Africa, 2077
Welcome back. This second volume is a breathtaking story that sweeps across the sands of the Sahara, flies up to the peaks of the Aïr Mountains, cartwheels into a wild megacity—you get the idea.
I am the Desert Magician; I bring water where there is none.
This book begins with Dikéogu Obidimkpa slowly losing his mind. Yes, that boy who can bring rain just by thinking about it is having some…issues. Years ago, Dikéogu went on an epic journey to save Earth with the shadow speaker girl, Ejii Ubaid, who became his best friend. When it was all over, they went their separate ways, but now he’s learned their quest never really ended at all.
So Dikéogu, more powerful than ever, reunites with Ejii. He records this story as an audiofile, hoping it will help him keep his sanity or at least give him something to leave behind. Smart kid, but it won’t work—or will it?
I can tell you this: it won’t be like before. Our rainmaker and shadow speaker have changed. And after this, nothing will ever be the same again.
As they say, ‘Onye amaro ebe nmili si bido mabaya ama ama onye nyelu ya akwa oji welu ficha aru.’
Or, ‘If you do not remember where the rain started to beat you, you will not remember who gave you the towel with which to dry your body.’
If you look at the date, you'll realize that 3 years have passed since the events chronicled in Shadow Speaker. Which means that the truce agreed upon at the end of the first volume is about to expire. I was expecting Okorafor to be less parsimonious in this sequel, but the worldbuilding continues to be subpar. As was the case in its predecessor, the cool concepts and ideas found throughout Like Thunder are seldom developped adequately. If at all, truth be told. Once again, this impacts the overall reading experience in negative fashion.
I wasn't sure how much work the author put into the revised edition of Shadow Speaker. I felt that it was the work of a much less mature Nnedi Okorafor and it showed. She explored many of the themes that would be at the heart of her future novels and short fiction, and the post-apocalyptic African environment was another fixture she would learn to refine and end up calling Africanfuturism. Unfortunately, though you could clearly catch glimpses of the talented writer she would become, I opined that Shadow Speaker was a YA offering that didn't resound with much depth. Oddly enough, though it was written recently, it feels as though Like Thunder is another older and out-of-print title that Okorafor decided to bring back to life. Not a new work written by an experienced pro writing at the top of her game.
Once more, the characterization leaves a lot to be desired. As the title implies, this book is told through the perspective of Dikéogu Obidimkpa, Ejii's companion from the first installment. He is the son of a famous and wealthy Nigerian family that rejected him because he is a metahuman who can control rain, lightning, and thunder. The structure of this novel can be a bit weird, for a good chunk of Dikéogu's tale is told through a series of transcripts of audio recordings he made. This plot device works well at times, but it can occasionally be clunky and I wonder why Okorafor thought that this would be a good way to go. As much as I disliked him in Shadow Speaker and with so little character development and growth over the course of two separate volumes, discovering the extent of Dikéogu's back story was my favorite part of Like Thunder. Another highlight was what happened to him in the aftermath of his return from Ginen. Which is probably why I didn't enjoy how that storyline got cut off, simply so he could be reunited with Ejii. From that point on, the rest of the book is a somewhat uninteresting continuation of the events from Shadow Speaker. With everything being so black and white, I struggled to maintain interest. Had I been younger, perhaps I would have loved this series. Alas, at my age I often found it hard to keep turning those pages.
Like its predecessor, Like Thunder is another relatively short novel that suffers from pacing issues. The narrative flows well at first, then becomes sluggish when Dikéogu and Ejii are reunited. The same goes for the travelogue portion before the endgame, as is usually Okorafor's wont.
Speaking of endgames, this one was more exciting than the one that brought the previous volume to a close. Still, although the ending offered enough closure, its execution was more or less satisfying. As such, it failed to bring the Desert Magician's duology up to par with Nnedi Okorafor's best works. Hence, I only recommend that you read this series if you are a YA fan. Otherwise, you are bound to be disappointed.
For more reviews, check out www.fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com
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November 7, 2023This was an interesting sequel to Shadow Speaker, it takes place a few years after the first book and centers around Dikeoju, Ejii's friend and companion from the first book. The book, much like it's companion, is a character study above all else. While there is action, it is often outside the periphery of our main character and the focus is always on his tenuous grasp with reality. While there were things I really liked about the book, I did not find this to be my favorite of Nnedi's books.
January 28, 2025
Ahoy there me mateys! I usually love Okorafor's work so I was extremely surprised at how hard it was to finish this duology. I got both books from the publisher back in 2023. I managed to read and enjoy about half of Shadow Speaker before I stalled. I tried multiple times to finish part one and just couldn't get back into the story. That brings us to 2025. I decided to get copies of the audiobooks and try again. Dele Ogundiran's narration was excellent and helped me finish the series but I ended up being lukewarm about the duology after completing it.
Part One deals with Ejii Ugabe whose father is killed when she is 9 due to his backward politics. He wants the world to harken to "traditional" values where men dominate and women are second-class citizens and magic of all types is forbidden. The problem is that the Great Change brought magic into the world and magic doesn't seem to be going anywhere. Later Ejii is 15 and has developed shadow speaker abilities. Ejii goes on an adventure to figure out her powers and gets drawn into helping avert war.
Part Two deals with Dikéogu Obidimkpa. He and Ejii became friends in part one. Several years have passed and Dikéogu has to deal with his rainmaker powers. The first section of the book explains the his history of the past several years. The current problem is that the former slave seems to be losing his mind. The temporary peace is about to end and magic users are being slaughtered. Dikéogu decides to fight back.
One of the major problems I had with this duology was connecting to the characters. I often liked them but more often had a hard time sympathizing with them. Both Ejii and Dikéogu can be extremely violent and hurt a lot of people. I get when it is self-defense but lots of times, the two of them just lose control. There did not seem to be enough self-awareness psychologically. Of course they were just struggling to survive. I also thought the romantic relationship between Ejii and Dikéogu was awful. I wish they just would have stayed best friends.
Perhaps some of this comes down to world building in general. Niger in 2074 is not very nice. There are tribal disputes, gender disparages, prejudice about magic users, child slavery, and immense poverty. These elements have also existed as long as humans have but reading about them in this duology set far into the future was unsettling. Also the magic did not make sense a lot of the time. Meditation seemed to be important but a lot of it seemed intuitive with no real rules. This magic exists in other Okorafor books but only bothered me in this one. Then there were the interconnected universes. I am still unclear about how they worked or really related to each other.
I did like some aspects of these books. I loved the personalities of the camels and the bird friends. I liked the developments between Dikéogu and Arif. I really appreciated Ajii's mother. I liked Dikéogu's brief happy relationship though I was sad it ended for the plot romance with Ajii. I appreciated Dikéogu getting to fight the slavers and save children. I always appreciate strong willed women in Okorafor's stories.
Unfortunately I felt underwhelmed and ultimately confused at the conclusion of the duology. I am glad to have finally completed it though. Arrrr!
Part One deals with Ejii Ugabe whose father is killed when she is 9 due to his backward politics. He wants the world to harken to "traditional" values where men dominate and women are second-class citizens and magic of all types is forbidden. The problem is that the Great Change brought magic into the world and magic doesn't seem to be going anywhere. Later Ejii is 15 and has developed shadow speaker abilities. Ejii goes on an adventure to figure out her powers and gets drawn into helping avert war.
Part Two deals with Dikéogu Obidimkpa. He and Ejii became friends in part one. Several years have passed and Dikéogu has to deal with his rainmaker powers. The first section of the book explains the his history of the past several years. The current problem is that the former slave seems to be losing his mind. The temporary peace is about to end and magic users are being slaughtered. Dikéogu decides to fight back.
One of the major problems I had with this duology was connecting to the characters. I often liked them but more often had a hard time sympathizing with them. Both Ejii and Dikéogu can be extremely violent and hurt a lot of people. I get when it is self-defense but lots of times, the two of them just lose control. There did not seem to be enough self-awareness psychologically. Of course they were just struggling to survive. I also thought the romantic relationship between Ejii and Dikéogu was awful. I wish they just would have stayed best friends.
Perhaps some of this comes down to world building in general. Niger in 2074 is not very nice. There are tribal disputes, gender disparages, prejudice about magic users, child slavery, and immense poverty. These elements have also existed as long as humans have but reading about them in this duology set far into the future was unsettling. Also the magic did not make sense a lot of the time. Meditation seemed to be important but a lot of it seemed intuitive with no real rules. This magic exists in other Okorafor books but only bothered me in this one. Then there were the interconnected universes. I am still unclear about how they worked or really related to each other.
I did like some aspects of these books. I loved the personalities of the camels and the bird friends. I liked the developments between Dikéogu and Arif. I really appreciated Ajii's mother. I liked Dikéogu's brief happy relationship though I was sad it ended for the plot romance with Ajii. I appreciated Dikéogu getting to fight the slavers and save children. I always appreciate strong willed women in Okorafor's stories.
Unfortunately I felt underwhelmed and ultimately confused at the conclusion of the duology. I am glad to have finally completed it though. Arrrr!
July 21, 2025
Two years ago the pact of peace between the Earth we know and the other realm was made. As with any pact made with distrust, it starts to crumble before its time. When the escalation of the campaign becomes personal, Dikeogu is drawn back into the orbit of an old acquaintance and to foes old and new. The Stormbringer hasn't been idle in the time. Or has Ejii, the shadow speaker he had done remarkable things with. Nor was their time of happiness found within their individual growth journeys destroyed just by the most sudden revelation. They aren't the same people they were when they went their separate ways. Can they become a team again? Or will the world they love crumble at the hands of the distributors?
Despite the disturbing occurrences, the tragedies, of "Shadow Speaker" this follow up felt so much heavier. In part because the darkness of human history that have persisted have already been laid out. "Like Thunder" is able to dig into the roots and see just how far across social, historical, political, and spiritual grounds ethics, actions, and philosophies can reach and ripple back to effect one another. This is not just a magical adventure novel. It is one of sometimes contradictory perspectives that cause the reader to slow down and isn't afraid to pin the fact that human response, nature, isn't always heroic of villainous. We exist in murky spaces. SO are our decisions and what they lead to the same.
Those looking for a closer look at the magic systems of this world and its parallels may be a little disappointed. Oh, there is more than a hefty share of it and various types throughout. The workings and parameters simply seem endless. IN the nature of a storyteller and a life in progress, there are many threads that even if addressed still remain open ended. A person telling a tale can only share their own experience to the best of their ability. This writing tool allowed Okorafor to focus on imagination and possibilities. As a whole, it was what fit this duology.
Finally I'd like to acknowledge how diverse the personalities and character voices were in this book. There is a large cast. Each seems to have their own ambitions that run against or even alongside to others. It is through these different experiences and the exploration of where our roads take us that make the reveal concerning the circumstances Dikeogu being presented in the tone it is rather cleaver.
Very enjoyable, though at times, a little chaotic. I did from time to time get slightly confused about which characters could perform and were doing what. I also didn't love the romantic tensions, but I did appreciate how physical elements and the level of which they went were handled. All too often books for younger readers now cash in on a 'spice' factor. That generally leads to a disregard of what might feel more natural to the storytelling style before hand.
All the same it is a duology that I think could appeal to multiple reading levels and possible genre fans. It also would make for an interesting reread to get an even better grip on the lush world.
Despite the disturbing occurrences, the tragedies, of "Shadow Speaker" this follow up felt so much heavier. In part because the darkness of human history that have persisted have already been laid out. "Like Thunder" is able to dig into the roots and see just how far across social, historical, political, and spiritual grounds ethics, actions, and philosophies can reach and ripple back to effect one another. This is not just a magical adventure novel. It is one of sometimes contradictory perspectives that cause the reader to slow down and isn't afraid to pin the fact that human response, nature, isn't always heroic of villainous. We exist in murky spaces. SO are our decisions and what they lead to the same.
Those looking for a closer look at the magic systems of this world and its parallels may be a little disappointed. Oh, there is more than a hefty share of it and various types throughout. The workings and parameters simply seem endless. IN the nature of a storyteller and a life in progress, there are many threads that even if addressed still remain open ended. A person telling a tale can only share their own experience to the best of their ability. This writing tool allowed Okorafor to focus on imagination and possibilities. As a whole, it was what fit this duology.
Finally I'd like to acknowledge how diverse the personalities and character voices were in this book. There is a large cast. Each seems to have their own ambitions that run against or even alongside to others. It is through these different experiences and the exploration of where our roads take us that make the reveal concerning the circumstances Dikeogu being presented in the tone it is rather cleaver.
Very enjoyable, though at times, a little chaotic. I did from time to time get slightly confused about which characters could perform and were doing what. I also didn't love the romantic tensions, but I did appreciate how physical elements and the level of which they went were handled. All too often books for younger readers now cash in on a 'spice' factor. That generally leads to a disregard of what might feel more natural to the storytelling style before hand.
All the same it is a duology that I think could appeal to multiple reading levels and possible genre fans. It also would make for an interesting reread to get an even better grip on the lush world.
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