The Daughter Who Remains

She Who Knows #3

by Nnedi Okorafor

Set in the universe Africanfuturist luminary Nnedi Okorafor first introduced in the World Fantasy Award-winning Who Fears Death, The Daughter Who Remains is the breathtaking conclusion to the She Who Knows trilogy

Featuring Najeeba, now older and wiser than readers have ever known her, this is a tale of family,courage, and healing

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Fiction, Africa, Science Fiction Fantasy

192 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication February 17, 2026

About the author

Nnedi 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.

Reviews

[Abbi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't expect to love this final book of the She Who Knows trilogy this much, especially since I struggled a bit getting through the second book. Najeeba has come into her potential and has found joy and peace and healing, yet still has the commitment laid on her by her faither to keep. Also, Najeeba's healing didn't make her meek or quiet. She's still the outspoken, stubborn, surviving woman she has been.

Her daughter, Onyesonwu, has saved the world, but Najeeba and others are still dealing with the consequences of it - I appreciate that throughout these books (both Who Fears Death and the She Who Knows trilogy) it's not a plot or ending where everything is perfect once the hero wins. The peopel who remember the Before have lost tremendous things, and even those who don't remember deal with the impact of it. The book also brings everything together from the prior books to culminate in a really satisfying full circle ending for Najeeba.

[Reading Xennial · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third and final novella in the “She Who Knows” trilogy. I was lucky enough to read all three in sequence to get the whole story and I read the second and third back to back. I recommend reading these novellas close together because it’s easy to forget details, especially of the world building and magic system, if you wait too long in between. This was a great conclusion to the series. If you read and enjoyed the first novellas then you’ll enjoy this one as well. Okorafor’s writing is beautiful and this book didn’t have to rely on world-building because that was done in the previous novellas so you get just Najeeba’s story which is compelling.

Thank you, NetGalley and DAW for allowing me to read this early. The opinion in this review is my own.

[Kate Kulig · Rating 4 out of 5]

A stunning conclusion to a powerful, moving series. I hope Nnedi Okorafor writes more in this universe; the world-building remains masterful.

Najeeba has been building up to the climax of this book for a very long time. The tension builds steadilyearning what she needs before setting out on her mission. She learns, and she heals, and her determination grows, but her emotional state is anything but one-note. The book is heart-wrenching and gut-wrenching and the story could not have been told any other way.

My sincere thanks to NetGalley and DAW for the opportunity to read and review the ARC

[Agatha · Rating 5 out of 5]

So BEYOND honored to get an arc for my favorite author ever <3

I asked what would happen when my favorite series ended and now I know: heartache but also peace. And also a strange yearning for the world Okorafor created in the Who Fears Death universe.

Out of Onyesonwu, Phoenix, and Najeeba, I think I liked Najeebas story best. I like that her story didn't end or even focus on beating Daib, she had something to do predating the thing he did to her as an individual, she has chosen to move on from that.

I hope to read Sssolu's story soon

[Sherie Carnegie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely loving it! I thought this was a trilogy but after that ending, there is no way! There has to be a 4th book. I love seeing Najeeba's story unfold. This mother is under great pressure after birthing 2 great daughters. Maybe her mission in life wasn't to destroy the Cleanser, but to help it to restore balance? Her perspective is skewed so we may never know. Nnedi Okonofor is now an auto-buy author for me. This series is so engrossing and would make a great tv show/movie. I highly recommend this.

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great conclusion to this series! And it definitely sets us up for yet another spinoff that I hope we get. Najeeba is now older, pregnant with a second daughter created out of love, but gearing up to face a dangerous foe in order to save the world. It's a story of love and sacrifice and leaving the world better for those who come behind you. This entire series is top tier and the audio narration is great as well. Quick reads but beautifully written and impactful. I received an audio review copy via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

[Jen &#x1f319; · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this has a lot of hallmarks of Nnedi Okorafor’s other books. It’s beautifully written, well developed world and emotional. But I found it too short. I prefer being able to breathe with the characters and having more time. I found it too short for me to feel attached enough to the characters.

**thank you DAW and netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review**

[Doc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, that was an amazing ending to this entire saga! There are so many parts to this, elements I want to analyze, I will have to read this again to fully do so but let me just say -I am so emotional after this ending.....I love Najeeba!

[Book Club of One · Rating 3 out of 5]

Noted to be the conclusion of the She Who Knows series, The Daughter Who Remains closes the narrative thread of Najeeba and her family as they grapple with the magically changed Afro-Futurist world.

Nnedi Okorafor completes Najeeba’s journey, where in the beginning she was a child, here in book three she is an adult. One who both suffered trauma and grown in her own strengths and understanding of the world. For this book she sets out to remove a dangerous presence from the world, but the journey is just as important as the destination.

Being the third work in a series, this volume dispenses with world building and explaining technologies. Instead we are focused on the hero’s journey.

Recommended to readers of Afro-futurists stories, stories embracing the full life of a character and magical possible futures.

I received a free digital version of this book via NetGalley thanks to the publisher.

[Christopher Roblodowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank Daw books for providing a digital copy of this novel, The Daughter that remains. This is the finale in a trilogy of books. I thoroughly enjoyed the first two novels. In this one, we find Najeeba giving birth to a second daughter. Although she names her daughter Ikuku, she reluctantly accepts Ssolu, the name given to her by the town. Joining her are glassmaker Dedan and her camel, Morningstar. From the opening, albeit one sentence long first chapter, we are presented Najeeba's expected outcome. It's like the author wasted no time in telling her audience, this is what's going to happen. We know she is set on defeating the Cleanser, a foe unlike she has ever faced. By defeating him, she will set things right by her people. We are reminded multiple times that for her, defeating him is more important than her own life. Ultimately, the novel ends as it should and I felt rewarded for having joined the author on this incredible journey. The last couple of lines were poetic and so satisfying. I highly recommend this entire trilogy as I've thoroughly enjoyed Najeeba's ability to defy norms, and expectations, and doing so with wit and determination.