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The Nsibidi Scripts #3
Akata Woman
From the moment Sunny Nwazue discovered she had magic flowing in her blood, she sought to understand and control her powers. Throughout her adventures in Akata Witch and Akata Warrior, she had to navigate the balance between nearly everything in her life–America and Nigeria, the “normal” world and the one infused with juju, human and spirit, good daughter and powerful Leopard Person.
Now, those hard lessons and abilities are put to the test in a quest so dangerous and fantastical, it would be madness to go…but deadly not to. With the help of her friends, Sunny embarks on a mission to find a precious object hidden deep in a magical realm. Defeating the guardians of the prize will take more from Sunny than she has to give, and triumph will mean she will be forever changed.
Now, those hard lessons and abilities are put to the test in a quest so dangerous and fantastical, it would be madness to go…but deadly not to. With the help of her friends, Sunny embarks on a mission to find a precious object hidden deep in a magical realm. Defeating the guardians of the prize will take more from Sunny than she has to give, and triumph will mean she will be forever changed.
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First published January 18, 2022
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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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January 14, 2022Akata Woman!? All the exclamation points!!!!!!!!!!!
We're getting another Akata Witch book!?
I thought it was a duology!? Okorafor single-handedly proves dreams really do come true.
We're getting another Akata Witch book!?
I thought it was a duology!? Okorafor single-handedly proves dreams really do come true.
October 21, 2022
3.5 stars - It's so great to see these characters continue to learn and grow! While I'm not sure this one was the strongest plot wise, the world, characters, and imaginative landscape is still wonderful, and I think it's a pretty cool project to see the books grow in maturity along with the characters
January 31, 2022
Thank you to Penguin Teen and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for review. All opinions are my own.
Every time I pick ones of these up, I go on a magical journey. I really hope this isn't the last one!
Akata Witch picks up a bit after the events of Akata Warrior. Sunny and her friends are going about normal life and learning more about their Leopard powers. However, Udide, the giant spider, has bitten both Sunny and Chichi and the two know they'll have to attempt to do what Udide has asked. This means traveling to the Nimm village to try and find what they stole. This is a bit hard since Sunny didn't know she was Nimm and Chichi's mother was thrown out.
The story of this book is all about finding the ghazal that was stolen from Udide. In between deciphering clues about where it could be and how to get, Sunny and co are also continuing their studies. I really love how the Leopard world rewards gaining knowledge. I wish that's how my world worked because it seems like people would be a lot more understanding and empathetic with this system.
Sunny continues to be surprised by how strong she is physically. This started in book 2, but I swear to god there are at least 3 times where she's like "BUT look at my arms!? HOW!". Every time it made me laugh. I just love Sunny so much. I have a feeling she'll probably be the strongest, magic wise in her coven, even though she's still catching up as a free agent.
The ending of this does tie up the narrative plotline in this book, but it doesn't feel like the series is over. There's still so much Sunny and her coven could learn. Plus we see signs that Sunny and maybe her coven mates could pass the master level abilities and I want to see that happen. I would love another book or several. I'm okay with these series being long!! Bring it on!
Rep: Albino Nigerian-American female MC, Nigerian-American male side character, Nigerian female side character, Nigerian male side character with dyslexia, Nigerian female side character with severe scoliosis and uses a cane.
CWs: Blood, child abuse (child is slapped), death, injury/injury detail, violence, spiders including small and very large ones. Moderate: War, mentions of Biafran war and tensions, racism, racial slurs, ableism, misogyny, sexism.
Every time I pick ones of these up, I go on a magical journey. I really hope this isn't the last one!
Akata Witch picks up a bit after the events of Akata Warrior. Sunny and her friends are going about normal life and learning more about their Leopard powers. However, Udide, the giant spider, has bitten both Sunny and Chichi and the two know they'll have to attempt to do what Udide has asked. This means traveling to the Nimm village to try and find what they stole. This is a bit hard since Sunny didn't know she was Nimm and Chichi's mother was thrown out.
The story of this book is all about finding the ghazal that was stolen from Udide. In between deciphering clues about where it could be and how to get, Sunny and co are also continuing their studies. I really love how the Leopard world rewards gaining knowledge. I wish that's how my world worked because it seems like people would be a lot more understanding and empathetic with this system.
Sunny continues to be surprised by how strong she is physically. This started in book 2, but I swear to god there are at least 3 times where she's like "BUT look at my arms!? HOW!". Every time it made me laugh. I just love Sunny so much. I have a feeling she'll probably be the strongest, magic wise in her coven, even though she's still catching up as a free agent.
The ending of this does tie up the narrative plotline in this book, but it doesn't feel like the series is over. There's still so much Sunny and her coven could learn. Plus we see signs that Sunny and maybe her coven mates could pass the master level abilities and I want to see that happen. I would love another book or several. I'm okay with these series being long!! Bring it on!
Rep: Albino Nigerian-American female MC, Nigerian-American male side character, Nigerian female side character, Nigerian male side character with dyslexia, Nigerian female side character with severe scoliosis and uses a cane.
CWs: Blood, child abuse (child is slapped), death, injury/injury detail, violence, spiders including small and very large ones. Moderate: War, mentions of Biafran war and tensions, racism, racial slurs, ableism, misogyny, sexism.
February 24, 2022
Eh.... Didn't finish, got about two thirds of the way through. This one's not for me. I loved the first book. It was creative, tight, and had tons of character. The second book meandered a ton but pulled it together in the end. Akata Woman... it's weird. It notably doesn't meander, there's pretty much no fluff. We have a lot of Chekov's magic lessons, a lot of lampshaded "this is going to be important later" moments. That's fine in and of itself. We've got a clear goal, to find Udide's juju.
What we don't have is character arcs. There's no growth in any of the four main characters. Sure, they're learning things and getting more powerful, but that's not meaningful growth. They don't have any agency in the story, not really. They go to a place, get given the next clue, then they follow it. Repeat. At no point do they have to make hard choices. At no point is there conflict for our main characters beyond "this external circumstance is dangerous."
Now the places they're going are cool, don't get me wrong. Okorafor is a master world builder, and her powers are on full display here. We've got amazingly creative magic, creatures, and people. There's constantly something crazy happening that recontextualizes the world you thought you knew.
That in itself is a problem, though. The rules are so loose you don't know what can and can't be done, and our main characters don't know either. They have no plan, and they have no agency because all they can do is walk in and let stuff happen to them. This means that there's no stakes. We have no idea what's going to happen next, which you would think is a good thing, but really it just untethers you from the story. There's no opportunity for our characters to make meaningful choices.
It's a light show, all spectacle with no emotional heart. What does Sunny want besides solving the immediate problem in front of her? How is she broken inside, and what does she need to do to fix it?
There is conflict there to be mined with her father. We could make Sunny's relationship with her family the focal point, help her understand her father on a deeper level than just "traditional man bad", help her father understand her better and see his daughter's worth. But the book's too busy describing juju to dig into that.
I am all for creative worldbuilding. I've been reading fantasy and science fiction since I learned how to read. But what makes a story good is emotional truth and character growth. That's what grips you deep into the night and makes you hungry for more, when you can feel what those characters are feeling and agonize and exult with them. When the characters are hungry for something it propels the story forward. This is why my wife always cries when she watches Encanto, because she herself was the unspecial child in her family, and to see Mirabel accepted and exalted by her family touches a deep emotional thread in her life. Sunny and the others aren't hungry for anything. There are no deep emotions here. So I got bored.
What we don't have is character arcs. There's no growth in any of the four main characters. Sure, they're learning things and getting more powerful, but that's not meaningful growth. They don't have any agency in the story, not really. They go to a place, get given the next clue, then they follow it. Repeat. At no point do they have to make hard choices. At no point is there conflict for our main characters beyond "this external circumstance is dangerous."
Now the places they're going are cool, don't get me wrong. Okorafor is a master world builder, and her powers are on full display here. We've got amazingly creative magic, creatures, and people. There's constantly something crazy happening that recontextualizes the world you thought you knew.
That in itself is a problem, though. The rules are so loose you don't know what can and can't be done, and our main characters don't know either. They have no plan, and they have no agency because all they can do is walk in and let stuff happen to them. This means that there's no stakes. We have no idea what's going to happen next, which you would think is a good thing, but really it just untethers you from the story. There's no opportunity for our characters to make meaningful choices.
It's a light show, all spectacle with no emotional heart. What does Sunny want besides solving the immediate problem in front of her? How is she broken inside, and what does she need to do to fix it?
There is conflict there to be mined with her father. We could make Sunny's relationship with her family the focal point, help her understand her father on a deeper level than just "traditional man bad", help her father understand her better and see his daughter's worth. But the book's too busy describing juju to dig into that.
I am all for creative worldbuilding. I've been reading fantasy and science fiction since I learned how to read. But what makes a story good is emotional truth and character growth. That's what grips you deep into the night and makes you hungry for more, when you can feel what those characters are feeling and agonize and exult with them. When the characters are hungry for something it propels the story forward. This is why my wife always cries when she watches Encanto, because she herself was the unspecial child in her family, and to see Mirabel accepted and exalted by her family touches a deep emotional thread in her life. Sunny and the others aren't hungry for anything. There are no deep emotions here. So I got bored.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 6, 2022
I truly enjoy reading about Sunny and her friends as they grow into their magic and their selves.
This was a fun read as Sunny and Chichi honored their word as they went on an adventure to find something that was stolen a long time ago.
I do enjoy this series, I would like to know if it is going to continue, or if this was the end of their journey.
This was a fun read as Sunny and Chichi honored their word as they went on an adventure to find something that was stolen a long time ago.
I do enjoy this series, I would like to know if it is going to continue, or if this was the end of their journey.
March 7, 2022
3.5
I lost focus of what I was reading and did not feel as much emotions as I thought I should, but I still can't get over the creativity of the world building, that could go over multiple books, I think
The main character is not yet a woman, barely under 16, but I still felt proud of her and her 3 friends, their bond was cute
I lost focus of what I was reading and did not feel as much emotions as I thought I should, but I still can't get over the creativity of the world building, that could go over multiple books, I think
The main character is not yet a woman, barely under 16, but I still felt proud of her and her 3 friends, their bond was cute
January 11, 2022
Sunny’s back! She and her tight group of ChiChi, Orlu and Sasha have new tasks, dangers and magic to deal with.
Udide, the enormous, terrifying spider being/entity whom the teens dealt with in “Akata Warrior” (book two), returns, and she’s determined that ChiChi and Sunny find and return a ghazal that Udide wrote millennia ago, and that was stolen by a few Nimm women (including ChiChi’s mother) some years earlier. Consequently, so it makes sense to Udide that ChiChi and Sunny are required to make reparations, as both young women are Nimm.
At the same time, ChiChi, Sasha and Orlu go through a ceremony amongst Leopard people, which if passed, allows the to move onwards in their studies and abilities with magic. Sunny will have to eventually also do this, but is urged by the others to wait a while, as it is strenuous and disruptive. And if that isn’t enough, Sunny’s father is still having problems with Sunny and her secrets, and Anyanwu’s and Sunny’s relationship remains fractured.
So, a serious and very dangerous quest for the girls, and of course Orlu and Sasha accompany them, because this small group of friends is powerful together and incredibly supportive of each other, which I absolutely love.
The teens must travel a road, The Road, only accessible through Nsibidi scripts. Their path is treacherous, and incredibly wonderful, too, as the teens get to travel to another world, Ginen, which is a gorgeous, healthy version of Earth. Okorafor’s descriptions of this place and the way the people there have found ways to truly, harmoniously live with nature left me with a strong desire to travel there.
There is a lot of danger on every step of the way, and the teens get to use their many and diverse skills, though Sunny, as a Nimm warrior, with all her abilities, is particularly tested, dealing with the numerous difficulties they encounter, even while she and Anyanwu continue their “argument”. Sunny’s and Anyanwu’s relationship fascinates me, and has through all three books: it’s loving, fractious, empowering, secretive and spiritual.
Okorafor is clearly having some fun in this book as the prose is lively and the pacing is fast. There is so much magic, and I love how these four teens are maturing and relying on each other. I’m glad I’ve travelled with these teens on the many paths, dangers and revelations they have gone on, and I love the powerful way Sunny’s story resolves in this trilogy.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Penguin Young Readers Group for this ARC in exchange for my review.
Udide, the enormous, terrifying spider being/entity whom the teens dealt with in “Akata Warrior” (book two), returns, and she’s determined that ChiChi and Sunny find and return a ghazal that Udide wrote millennia ago, and that was stolen by a few Nimm women (including ChiChi’s mother) some years earlier. Consequently, so it makes sense to Udide that ChiChi and Sunny are required to make reparations, as both young women are Nimm.
At the same time, ChiChi, Sasha and Orlu go through a ceremony amongst Leopard people, which if passed, allows the to move onwards in their studies and abilities with magic. Sunny will have to eventually also do this, but is urged by the others to wait a while, as it is strenuous and disruptive. And if that isn’t enough, Sunny’s father is still having problems with Sunny and her secrets, and Anyanwu’s and Sunny’s relationship remains fractured.
So, a serious and very dangerous quest for the girls, and of course Orlu and Sasha accompany them, because this small group of friends is powerful together and incredibly supportive of each other, which I absolutely love.
The teens must travel a road, The Road, only accessible through Nsibidi scripts. Their path is treacherous, and incredibly wonderful, too, as the teens get to travel to another world, Ginen, which is a gorgeous, healthy version of Earth. Okorafor’s descriptions of this place and the way the people there have found ways to truly, harmoniously live with nature left me with a strong desire to travel there.
There is a lot of danger on every step of the way, and the teens get to use their many and diverse skills, though Sunny, as a Nimm warrior, with all her abilities, is particularly tested, dealing with the numerous difficulties they encounter, even while she and Anyanwu continue their “argument”. Sunny’s and Anyanwu’s relationship fascinates me, and has through all three books: it’s loving, fractious, empowering, secretive and spiritual.
Okorafor is clearly having some fun in this book as the prose is lively and the pacing is fast. There is so much magic, and I love how these four teens are maturing and relying on each other. I’m glad I’ve travelled with these teens on the many paths, dangers and revelations they have gone on, and I love the powerful way Sunny’s story resolves in this trilogy.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Penguin Young Readers Group for this ARC in exchange for my review.
March 5, 2022
3.5 ⭐️s. I love the first two better but this was still good. I can easily imagine their might be more in this series.
January 24, 2022
Not my favorite
I've enjoyed this series, but this one just didn't catch me. The plot was repetitive, journeying through strangeness, asking questions of each other that they wouldn't have answers to, and doing the excessively overused gesture of "kissing their teeth". The story was okay, but was lacking pacing and a complex plot. Fortunately the characters were still interesting, but even they were pretty static. So, guess I'd say this one was disappointing.
I've enjoyed this series, but this one just didn't catch me. The plot was repetitive, journeying through strangeness, asking questions of each other that they wouldn't have answers to, and doing the excessively overused gesture of "kissing their teeth". The story was okay, but was lacking pacing and a complex plot. Fortunately the characters were still interesting, but even they were pretty static. So, guess I'd say this one was disappointing.
December 31, 2022
Ahoy there mateys! Well I though this was a duology so color me surprised when I found out about this third book. I loved jumping back into the story of Sunny Nwazue and the other Leopard People. The best part of this book continues to be the friendships between the characters. I also love the world building. I don't have a lot to say about the specific plot other than I enjoyed it. Oh but the parts mentioning the Nigerian Civil War were interesting (if sad) and led me to read more about it. It seems like the series is finished given the ending but if I am surprised by more, I will read those too. Though I was a wee bit confused by the ending. Minor problem that is likely just me being dense. Arrr!
September 30, 2021
I'm so grateful to be able to walk through a door and back into Sunny Anyanwu Nwazue's world -- and it feels like that -- the story flows around the reader and explains just enough to keep you going without slowing down to reveal the mysteries. I loved the previous books in the series and was not at all disappointed in this one. Just glad to see Sunny's journey continue in all its vivid, unpredictable, surprising glory.
Advanced Reader's Copy provided by Edelweiss.
Advanced Reader's Copy provided by Edelweiss.
February 4, 2023
Solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 stars. I just wasn’t as invested this time around. Something about the story didn’t grip me. But I enjoyed myself nonetheless!
August 13, 2023
La reseña completa en https://inthenevernever.blogspot.com/...
«A vosotras también os matarán. Somos un aquelarre Oha. A las misiones suicidas vamos juntos, joder».
Ya saben lo mucho que disfruto con las novelas de Nnedi Okorafor. La autora estadounidense de ascendencia igbo, es una de las escritoras actuales que publica una fantasía y una ciencia ficción muy diferente a la que estamos acostumbrados a encontrar en las librerías. Y su serie Akata que nos lleva a la Nigeria actual pero llena de magia y peligros es una de mis favoritas. Por eso hoy quiero recomendarles su tercera entrega: Mujer Akata. Una novela en la que acompañaremos a Sunny a enfrentarse al mayor reto que ha tenido hasta ahora. Uno que podría matarla o cambiarla para siempre.
«A vosotras también os matarán. Somos un aquelarre Oha. A las misiones suicidas vamos juntos, joder».
Ya saben lo mucho que disfruto con las novelas de Nnedi Okorafor. La autora estadounidense de ascendencia igbo, es una de las escritoras actuales que publica una fantasía y una ciencia ficción muy diferente a la que estamos acostumbrados a encontrar en las librerías. Y su serie Akata que nos lleva a la Nigeria actual pero llena de magia y peligros es una de mis favoritas. Por eso hoy quiero recomendarles su tercera entrega: Mujer Akata. Una novela en la que acompañaremos a Sunny a enfrentarse al mayor reto que ha tenido hasta ahora. Uno que podría matarla o cambiarla para siempre.
August 24, 2022
another great book in this series but not my favorite in terms of plot
June 28, 2023
I really love this series but found myself getting a bit bored with this one. It’s still entertaining but maybe lacks some of the depth of the other books in the series.
September 23, 2022
There were a couple of what just happened sequences, and the series doesn't feel finished even if I kind of get what Okorafor was going for. I also didn't quite like what happened with Sunny and her dad - Anyanwu was right to be pissed. If it was just that one time, I understand the pressure. But it was a pattern of minimizing Sunny with the dad, and that band-aid solution just didn't cut it. But, I liked the dynamic between the kids and especially between Chichi and Sunny - there was every possibility of unnecessary drama, including when Sunny is told of some disturbing news about Chichi and her mother, but Sunny does the right thing and listens to her friend instead of some rando. I appreciated that.
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August 1, 2022AHHHHHH WHAT????
I remember in middle school we have these things called processing's (who named them? please) where it was basically a form made up of questions like "what did you do wrong?, what will you do to improve? was this your first time? why did this happen?" which would be sent to your parents with an email. anyways i was in history class reading this masterpiece of a series during class or something, no big deal, and i remember the teacher coming up to me out of no where and saying "YOURE PROCCESSED" i almost shit my pants. This lady sent an email to my russian strict parents about me reading like whaaaaaaaaaaaat?
I remember in middle school we have these things called processing's (who named them? please) where it was basically a form made up of questions like "what did you do wrong?, what will you do to improve? was this your first time? why did this happen?" which would be sent to your parents with an email. anyways i was in history class reading this masterpiece of a series during class or something, no big deal, and i remember the teacher coming up to me out of no where and saying "YOURE PROCCESSED" i almost shit my pants. This lady sent an email to my russian strict parents about me reading like whaaaaaaaaaaaat?
March 21, 2022
I really enjoyed the rich descriptions of this book and the story. I loved that every scene was described in such precise detail, but by the end I was frustrated that Sunny always won, always had the special power, always gained the necessary speciality. I love a well-rounded hero, and that’s something Sunny is not. She’s confident and able which is great, but she doesn’t even need her other coven members because she can do everything. I know this is her story, but a realistic character needs some flaws.
February 20, 2022
5 out of 5 stars!
This is NOT the FINAL book in this series, but A LOT happens in which it COULD be the LAST one.
This book sees the characters as they continue to explore their adolescence while saving the world, again. This series has transcend from middle grade to young adult.
Thank you Sasha for proposing this Buddy Read as a way for us to catch up with this series.
Thank you Dr. Okorafor for this series! Please write more when you can!
Complete RTC!
This is NOT the FINAL book in this series, but A LOT happens in which it COULD be the LAST one.
This book sees the characters as they continue to explore their adolescence while saving the world, again. This series has transcend from middle grade to young adult.
Thank you Sasha for proposing this Buddy Read as a way for us to catch up with this series.
Thank you Dr. Okorafor for this series! Please write more when you can!
Complete RTC!
June 16, 2022
~2.5 stars. I read this because I read the other two in the series earlier this year and wanted to wrap it up. I could see myself liking this when I was in middle school but everything feels pretty flat to me now. The main characters are 15, in the first book they are 12, but it doesn't feel like they have changed much in that time.
January 23, 2022
I loved the first two books in the series but this one was less exciting to me. I enjoyed being back in Sunny’s world, but I found the plot a bit repetitive and not super exciting. Maybe I’ll get more out of it more on a re-read.
February 14, 2022
Sunnyyyyyyyyyyyy
I want to re-read the whole series to date because I definitely didn't remember some details from the previous book? But I understood enough to appreciate the complexity of the journey. I just love these books!
I want to re-read the whole series to date because I definitely didn't remember some details from the previous book? But I understood enough to appreciate the complexity of the journey. I just love these books!
March 27, 2022
I'm so glad I finally picked up with the rest of this series as the third one was coming out, after rereading the first one for years and years, since it came out. This most recent (final?) installment was truly amazing.
I was surprised that there were multiple journeys in this one (at least two) instead of one big one leading up to a final battle the way there had been in the first two books. I've always had a bit of trouble with fantasy series where the villains change, and I was even worried about that after the battle in the first book, even after five rereads (maybe why I was so hesitant to pick up Akata Warrior for such a long time). But that one did have a good setup for Akata Woman that both hinted at what was to come and also ended one story arc on the right note.
All of this sets up for a lot more guesswork and surprises on the part of the reader than I feel the first two did, although it's hard to tell from Akata Witch since it is one of the few books I am so familiar with after so many years and rereads. I really like books that keep me on my toes, and Akata Woman definitely does this.
The character growth in this was also excellent. I was surprised that another two years had passed since the events of the previous novel. In a way, though, I really like how not everything is back-to-back, and we have to do some guesswork and filling in the blanks about previous events between the books. It also makes things feel less mundane. I've never seen this style before, but I really like it. It sets up for the books to grow with their readership, considering the time gaps between publication. All four major characters have gone through a lot, both together and individually, and it really shows. Then there's the whole Sunny and Anywanyu thing, which it still takes a while to wrap my head around, and I think I'll have to reread both Akata Warrior and Akata Woman to wrap my head around all of that.
I don't know whether there will be a fourth book, and I'm of two minds about whether I want one. On the one hand, I'd love to see how they deal with things in the real world along with the Leopard world , but on the other hand I think this was an okay stopping place. Plus, with all the worlds they've traversed, where else can they go? Regardless, a series reread, especially if I can do it all at once, is definitely something necessary for this series, probably more than once.
Now that I've finished this series, I plan to dive into the Binti trilogy as well, and maybe also read After the Rain this year, making Nnedi Okorafor my most read author through different series over the same year (and maybe ever). I have definitely found a new favorite author.
I was surprised that there were multiple journeys in this one (at least two) instead of one big one leading up to a final battle the way there had been in the first two books. I've always had a bit of trouble with fantasy series where the villains change, and I was even worried about that after the battle in the first book, even after five rereads (maybe why I was so hesitant to pick up Akata Warrior for such a long time). But that one did have a good setup for Akata Woman that both hinted at what was to come and also ended one story arc on the right note.
All of this sets up for a lot more guesswork and surprises on the part of the reader than I feel the first two did, although it's hard to tell from Akata Witch since it is one of the few books I am so familiar with after so many years and rereads. I really like books that keep me on my toes, and Akata Woman definitely does this.
The character growth in this was also excellent. I was surprised that another two years had passed since the events of the previous novel. In a way, though, I really like how not everything is back-to-back, and we have to do some guesswork and filling in the blanks about previous events between the books. It also makes things feel less mundane. I've never seen this style before, but I really like it. It sets up for the books to grow with their readership, considering the time gaps between publication. All four major characters have gone through a lot, both together and individually, and it really shows. Then there's the whole Sunny and Anywanyu thing, which it still takes a while to wrap my head around, and I think I'll have to reread both Akata Warrior and Akata Woman to wrap my head around all of that.
I don't know whether there will be a fourth book, and I'm of two minds about whether I want one. On the one hand, I'd love to see how they deal with things in the real world along with the Leopard world , but on the other hand I think this was an okay stopping place. Plus, with all the worlds they've traversed, where else can they go? Regardless, a series reread, especially if I can do it all at once, is definitely something necessary for this series, probably more than once.
Now that I've finished this series, I plan to dive into the Binti trilogy as well, and maybe also read After the Rain this year, making Nnedi Okorafor my most read author through different series over the same year (and maybe ever). I have definitely found a new favorite author.
September 11, 2022
This author thinks on another level! Good writing and character development are things I expect from the author. I also expect the unexpected, and I was not disappointed. I want to re-read this in the future when my life is less stressful - the images drawn might make more sense then. Whole series is definitely worth reading! 4.5 stars
December 3, 2022
Sunny and Orlu are my new favourite 'he asked for no pickles' type of couple
December 30, 2023
Siento que este mundo es tan grande que puede llegar a ser una serie interminable. Me gustaron todas las aventuras y la mezcla de naturaleza, magia y tecnología.
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March 10, 2023I couldn't get into the audiobook like the first two. I was totally lost with whom the characters were even after looking it up.
Its a me thing.
Its a me thing.
April 25, 2023
Very satisfying and beautiful conclusion to this great series! Beautiful characters, stories, and world(s). I thought the covid bit at the end felt unnecessary and tacked on.
February 19, 2022
I have been waiting for this book for years. Years!!! Okay, five years, but still. Years!!! As much as I love this series, it just takes forever for Nnedi Okorafor to release books in it. The first one came out in 2011, the next in 2017, and then finally this one in 2022. See what I mean about those gaps? And while I would like to say it was worth the wait, this one let me down a little. The first two were five stars, this one is more like a 3.5 that I decided to round up. To be fair, I’m not the target audience so the young adult readers of this series may not have the same issues I did.
The world that Okorafor has created in this series is so rich and interesting. I love the characters, the magic system, and the overall story arc. However, this one fell short because it was very much a get the MacGuffin journey. Go here and then there and then to this next place to maybe get the MacGuffin. A lot of the discussions in this felt circular. Things and ideas being repeated by the characters and this time the unique background and world wasn’t able to keep me going. I struggled with the journey aspect, and this is coming from someone who loves journey and road trip novels normally. But this just felt like a lot of going from place to place without a lot of plot/story development.
As with the other novels Okorafor uses this as a way to talk about issues that are important to her and may not be things that some readers are aware of. For example, others have talked about police brutality and the immigrant experience. This one discusses, among other things, the Republic of Biafra, which seceded from Nigeria in 1967 after a lot of racial tensions following Nigerian independence. Everything I know about the Biafran War comes from Half of a Yellow Sun, so needless to say I don’t know a lot and could stand to learn more. This could be used as a soft introduction and a jumping off point to discuss it with your child, but it doesn’t give a lot of information or details. For someone wanting to learn more, they are going to have to seek out some other resources. However, I appreciate all the different issues that she tries to raise awareness for.
Overall, I am still happy with this series, even if I find this particular installment lackluster. I don’t believe that this will be the end of this series, but if I have to keep waiting five years for the next book I won’t promise to continue reading after this. I’ll have forgotten most of the details by the time the next book comes out and I’m not sure that I will want to reread everything in preparation like I did for this one. However, Okorafor has quite a few other books that I am interested in checking out and I will be tackling her backlist over the next few years.
The world that Okorafor has created in this series is so rich and interesting. I love the characters, the magic system, and the overall story arc. However, this one fell short because it was very much a get the MacGuffin journey. Go here and then there and then to this next place to maybe get the MacGuffin. A lot of the discussions in this felt circular. Things and ideas being repeated by the characters and this time the unique background and world wasn’t able to keep me going. I struggled with the journey aspect, and this is coming from someone who loves journey and road trip novels normally. But this just felt like a lot of going from place to place without a lot of plot/story development.
As with the other novels Okorafor uses this as a way to talk about issues that are important to her and may not be things that some readers are aware of. For example, others have talked about police brutality and the immigrant experience. This one discusses, among other things, the Republic of Biafra, which seceded from Nigeria in 1967 after a lot of racial tensions following Nigerian independence. Everything I know about the Biafran War comes from Half of a Yellow Sun, so needless to say I don’t know a lot and could stand to learn more. This could be used as a soft introduction and a jumping off point to discuss it with your child, but it doesn’t give a lot of information or details. For someone wanting to learn more, they are going to have to seek out some other resources. However, I appreciate all the different issues that she tries to raise awareness for.
Overall, I am still happy with this series, even if I find this particular installment lackluster. I don’t believe that this will be the end of this series, but if I have to keep waiting five years for the next book I won’t promise to continue reading after this. I’ll have forgotten most of the details by the time the next book comes out and I’m not sure that I will want to reread everything in preparation like I did for this one. However, Okorafor has quite a few other books that I am interested in checking out and I will be tackling her backlist over the next few years.
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