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Forever Desert #2
The Truth of the Aleke
Moses Ose Utomi returns to his Forever Desert series with The Truth of the Aleke, continuing his epic fable about truth, falsehood, and the shackles of history.
The Aleke is cruel. The Aleke is clever. The Aleke is coming.
500 years after the events of The Lies of the Ajungo, the City of Truth stands as is the last remaining free city of the Forever Desert. A bastion of freedom and peace, the city has successfully weathered the near-constant attacks from the Cult of Tutu, who have besieged it for three centuries, attempting to destroy its warriors and subjugate its people.
17-year-old Osi is a Junior Peacekeeper in the City. When the mysterious leader of the Cult, known only as the Aleke, commits a massacre in the capitol and steals the sacred God's Eyes, Osi steps forward to valiantly defend his home. For his bravery he is tasked with a tremendous responsibility—destroy the Cult of Tutu, bring back the God's Eyes, and discover the truth of the Aleke.
The Aleke is cruel. The Aleke is clever. The Aleke is coming.
500 years after the events of The Lies of the Ajungo, the City of Truth stands as is the last remaining free city of the Forever Desert. A bastion of freedom and peace, the city has successfully weathered the near-constant attacks from the Cult of Tutu, who have besieged it for three centuries, attempting to destroy its warriors and subjugate its people.
17-year-old Osi is a Junior Peacekeeper in the City. When the mysterious leader of the Cult, known only as the Aleke, commits a massacre in the capitol and steals the sacred God's Eyes, Osi steps forward to valiantly defend his home. For his bravery he is tasked with a tremendous responsibility—destroy the Cult of Tutu, bring back the God's Eyes, and discover the truth of the Aleke.
105 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 5, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 370 reviews
February 24, 2024
4.5 stars rounded up
I think this was even better than the first novella in the series, and a story with deeper character work and more nuance. The authors note at the end offers context to what this story is trying to accomplish, but at its core this is about power, evil, and what it's like to become disillusioned about what you thought was true and what you thought was right. Excellent. I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher, all opinions are my own.
I think this was even better than the first novella in the series, and a story with deeper character work and more nuance. The authors note at the end offers context to what this story is trying to accomplish, but at its core this is about power, evil, and what it's like to become disillusioned about what you thought was true and what you thought was right. Excellent. I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher, all opinions are my own.
March 18, 2024
“The Lies of The Ajungo” (1st book of The Forever Desert series) was one of my favorite read last year, it was only 100ish pages short book (a novella) but it was so wellwritten with great characterization, amazing worldbuilding and engaging plot.. It truely gave me amazing experience even tho ofcourse it felt short.. now Moses Ose Utomi back with the second book “The Truth Of The Aleke” and i immediately dive into it the second i got the ebook! and it was JUST AS GOOD AS BOOK 1 😍😍 Moses Ose Utomi did it again!!
The event on this book happened 500 years after the event on “The Lies Of The Ajungo” This time we follow Osi, a young man who just want to contribute to his city “The City Of Truth” and became a warrior like his father, The City Of Truth is in war with The Aleke, evil warlord who want to conquered them. Raised with story about how cruel but clever The Aleke is Osi accidently choosen as a “Truthseeker” a special warrior of 4 with magical ability & skill to fight The Aleke… BUT soon Osi learned that war is actually far from simple, his enemy also own their complex reason to attack them
“I will not help you win this war,” he said. “But I will help you bring peace.”
This is a story about sacrifice, truth, power, action and being true to yourself, i really wish this series got more recognition it deserved and i cannot wait to see what’s Moses Ose Utomi has in store for the next book 😍😍
The event on this book happened 500 years after the event on “The Lies Of The Ajungo” This time we follow Osi, a young man who just want to contribute to his city “The City Of Truth” and became a warrior like his father, The City Of Truth is in war with The Aleke, evil warlord who want to conquered them. Raised with story about how cruel but clever The Aleke is Osi accidently choosen as a “Truthseeker” a special warrior of 4 with magical ability & skill to fight The Aleke… BUT soon Osi learned that war is actually far from simple, his enemy also own their complex reason to attack them
“I will not help you win this war,” he said. “But I will help you bring peace.”
This is a story about sacrifice, truth, power, action and being true to yourself, i really wish this series got more recognition it deserved and i cannot wait to see what’s Moses Ose Utomi has in store for the next book 😍😍
March 12, 2024
the lies of the ajungo was one of my absolute favorite reads of last year and it seemed like the truth of the aleke was gearing up to be the same - the writing is as strong as ever and i was really hooked and absorbed - until the last few pages. this has one of the strangest endings i've read in a long time, i'm still scratching my head over it. the ending just feels unsatisfying and a bit pointless. like we really went through all that just for it to come to....this?
February 29, 2024
4.5/5
"Truth is a cruel teacher. It does not appease.It does not reconsider. Its lessons vary in delivery - sometimes tickling in over decades, sometimes crashing down all at once - but consistently disregard the desires of the student.
The Truth of the Aleke is an excellent sequel to The Lies of the Ayungo. It's self-contained and technically works as a standalone, but I highly encourage you to read the series in the publication order. It'll make the impact of the ending much stronger.
Five hundred years have passed since the events of The Lies of The Ajungo, and history has replaced truth. The City of Truth and its leaders have been at war with the Cult of Tutu and its cruel leader, Aleke, for three centuries. Both sides of the conflict have different versions of history, with neither fully interested in the truth.
Young Osi believes his city stands as the final bastion in the fight against the ruthless hordes of Aleke, who bring nothing but suffering and destruction. Aleke's actions seem to confirm his belief: their attacks leave the city wrecked and its citizens massacred. Osi survives (not gonna tell you how) and embarks on a quest to defeat Aleke and retrieve the ancient magical artifacts stolen from the City during the bloodbath.
His journey into the desert reveals the depth of the lies. And Osi's fate is brutal and gut-wrenching. Osi is a flawed and naive hero, desperate for truth, and easily manipulated by others. His desire for glory blinds him and results in rather poor choices. The clash of his youthful idealism with the harsh realities of the world and political cunning is painful to watch.
I loved how Utomi approached themes of truth, power, and history, showing their ambiguity and complexity. The way he packed excellent world-building in just 112 pages impressed me, too. And I can't forget about awesome action sequences and awesome magical powers that enhance the readability of the story.
The Forever Desert is shaping to be a brilliant trilogy of novellas somewhere on the intersection of dark fantasy and fable. I can’t wait to read the last one in the series.
"Truth is a cruel teacher. It does not appease.It does not reconsider. Its lessons vary in delivery - sometimes tickling in over decades, sometimes crashing down all at once - but consistently disregard the desires of the student.
The Truth of the Aleke is an excellent sequel to The Lies of the Ayungo. It's self-contained and technically works as a standalone, but I highly encourage you to read the series in the publication order. It'll make the impact of the ending much stronger.
Five hundred years have passed since the events of The Lies of The Ajungo, and history has replaced truth. The City of Truth and its leaders have been at war with the Cult of Tutu and its cruel leader, Aleke, for three centuries. Both sides of the conflict have different versions of history, with neither fully interested in the truth.
Young Osi believes his city stands as the final bastion in the fight against the ruthless hordes of Aleke, who bring nothing but suffering and destruction. Aleke's actions seem to confirm his belief: their attacks leave the city wrecked and its citizens massacred. Osi survives (not gonna tell you how) and embarks on a quest to defeat Aleke and retrieve the ancient magical artifacts stolen from the City during the bloodbath.
His journey into the desert reveals the depth of the lies. And Osi's fate is brutal and gut-wrenching. Osi is a flawed and naive hero, desperate for truth, and easily manipulated by others. His desire for glory blinds him and results in rather poor choices. The clash of his youthful idealism with the harsh realities of the world and political cunning is painful to watch.
I loved how Utomi approached themes of truth, power, and history, showing their ambiguity and complexity. The way he packed excellent world-building in just 112 pages impressed me, too. And I can't forget about awesome action sequences and awesome magical powers that enhance the readability of the story.
The Forever Desert is shaping to be a brilliant trilogy of novellas somewhere on the intersection of dark fantasy and fable. I can’t wait to read the last one in the series.
July 5, 2025
"That was not..." he began, but he couldn't finish.
"Not what?" Obasa spoke softly, watching Osi with knowing, compassionate eyes. "Not the history you were told? History is only a story, told by those with power to justify why they have it. The truth does not bend to power's whims."
The Aleke is cruel. The Aleke is clever. The Aleke is coming. Centuries after the events of ‘The Lies of the Ajungo’, the City of Truth stands as the last remaining free city of the Forever Desert. A bastion of freedom and peace, the city has successfully weathered the near-constant attacks from the Cult of Tutu, who have besieged it for three centuries, attempting to destroy its warriors and subjugate its people.
We follow Osi, a Peacekeeper in the City of Truth whose need for justice drives him to make stupid decisions. One of these stupid decisions led to him saving the city and in consequence, being raised above his station. Now tasked with destroying the Cult of Tutu, Osi goes out in search of truth. But what is the truth? And who can he truly trust?
The prologue of this book pissed me. They did my boy Tutu dirty.
Do not fear that you may do wrong, his baba had taught him from a young age. Fear that you may not do right.
June 2, 2024
4.5 stars
In The Truth of the Aleke, Utomi returns to the brutal Forever Desert and once again crafts an unforgettable modern fable that will crush your soul in just a few pages.
Taking place 500 years after the first novella, The Lies of the Ajungo, this story follows the young Osi as his relatively quiet life is turned brutally upside down by a brutal attack from the Cult of Tutu on his city. Through a series of miraculously unfortunate events, he finds himself launched into a quest to bring down the leader of the Cult, but the truth of the Aleke is nothing like he ever could have imagined.
Now, I’ll have to admit I was nervous to see if Utomi would be able to recapture the same magic from the first novella, but that concern flew straight out the window the moment I read the first page. Though this sequel maintains most of its fable-like quality that made its predecessor so unique, I actually think the more intimate and character-driven storytelling in The Truth of the Aleke increased the brilliance and impact of the narrative.
Osi is a much more emotionally complex protagonist than Tutu was, but that only endeared him more to me. All his virtues and vices are on full display, and I loved how Utomi played around with the idea of heroism and the typical hero’s journey through his quest. Osi is allowed to be flawed and messy, and his actions are shown to have dire and devastating consequences, which I absolutely loved (even though it broke my heart).
Moreover, by creating such a large time-gap between the first and second novella, Utomi was able to really hit home the themes and messages that lie at the core of this narrative. Especially the themes of corruption, the vicious cycles of war, and of history being just another fantastical story written by the people with the most power shine bright in this novella, which makes this both a very timely and (unfortunately) timeless story that will resonate with any and all humans who have witnessed these atrocities in the real world over and over again.
Even though this technically works as a self-contained story, I really think you would do yourself a disservice by not reading the series in release order. The way that the legacy of characters in The Lies of the Ajungo has been twisted over time was both very fascinating and disheartening to see, and I already can’t wait to see how the events of this novella are going to influence the future of the Forever Desert in the upcoming finale of this series.
I can't truly say I enjoyed reading this novella considering how harrowing its events are, but that is exactly why I love it so much. If you like the idea of being transported into a lush desert fantasy setting that will fill you with wonder, while also being taken on a difficult journey that confronts and challenges you with some of the most uncomfortable moral and ethical quandaries, then I can't recommend The Truth of the Aleke highly enough. Utomi is a master at his craft, and I absolutely want to read anything and everything he ever writes, thank you very much!
In The Truth of the Aleke, Utomi returns to the brutal Forever Desert and once again crafts an unforgettable modern fable that will crush your soul in just a few pages.
Taking place 500 years after the first novella, The Lies of the Ajungo, this story follows the young Osi as his relatively quiet life is turned brutally upside down by a brutal attack from the Cult of Tutu on his city. Through a series of miraculously unfortunate events, he finds himself launched into a quest to bring down the leader of the Cult, but the truth of the Aleke is nothing like he ever could have imagined.
Now, I’ll have to admit I was nervous to see if Utomi would be able to recapture the same magic from the first novella, but that concern flew straight out the window the moment I read the first page. Though this sequel maintains most of its fable-like quality that made its predecessor so unique, I actually think the more intimate and character-driven storytelling in The Truth of the Aleke increased the brilliance and impact of the narrative.
Osi is a much more emotionally complex protagonist than Tutu was, but that only endeared him more to me. All his virtues and vices are on full display, and I loved how Utomi played around with the idea of heroism and the typical hero’s journey through his quest. Osi is allowed to be flawed and messy, and his actions are shown to have dire and devastating consequences, which I absolutely loved (even though it broke my heart).
Moreover, by creating such a large time-gap between the first and second novella, Utomi was able to really hit home the themes and messages that lie at the core of this narrative. Especially the themes of corruption, the vicious cycles of war, and of history being just another fantastical story written by the people with the most power shine bright in this novella, which makes this both a very timely and (unfortunately) timeless story that will resonate with any and all humans who have witnessed these atrocities in the real world over and over again.
Even though this technically works as a self-contained story, I really think you would do yourself a disservice by not reading the series in release order. The way that the legacy of characters in The Lies of the Ajungo has been twisted over time was both very fascinating and disheartening to see, and I already can’t wait to see how the events of this novella are going to influence the future of the Forever Desert in the upcoming finale of this series.
I can't truly say I enjoyed reading this novella considering how harrowing its events are, but that is exactly why I love it so much. If you like the idea of being transported into a lush desert fantasy setting that will fill you with wonder, while also being taken on a difficult journey that confronts and challenges you with some of the most uncomfortable moral and ethical quandaries, then I can't recommend The Truth of the Aleke highly enough. Utomi is a master at his craft, and I absolutely want to read anything and everything he ever writes, thank you very much!
January 25, 2024
Definitely a solid 4.5.
After loving The Lies of the Ajungo, I just had to read this one immediately and though it’s a fundamentally different kind of story, the author does a great job with the twists and turns in this one, even more than the first book.
I’ll keep this review short because I feel that this book works best if one doesn’t know what to expect from it. It did take me a while for me to start liking it though coz the protagonist Osi isn’t immediately endearing like Tutu, and it was only after finishing the book and going over his whole character arc (and especially reading the author’s note) that I realized what his character was all about.
If the first book was about what the powerful would do to hoard their power, this one is about the perils of distorted history and keeping a populace ignorant; how people believing naively in their own righteousness maybe gullible to manipulation; how realizing that one has been lied to all their life can lead to disillusionment and may have unforeseen far reaching consequences.
Overall, I’m just very glad to have read these two novellas now even though I missed the first one in 2023. But now I have to wait for probably a year for the final third and it’s gonna be long and eagerly awaited. I’m very impressed by the author’s writing and very excited to see what more surprises the author has for us in the next. And to anyone new to this series, you can start with either book first and experience this superb world and characters.
After loving The Lies of the Ajungo, I just had to read this one immediately and though it’s a fundamentally different kind of story, the author does a great job with the twists and turns in this one, even more than the first book.
I’ll keep this review short because I feel that this book works best if one doesn’t know what to expect from it. It did take me a while for me to start liking it though coz the protagonist Osi isn’t immediately endearing like Tutu, and it was only after finishing the book and going over his whole character arc (and especially reading the author’s note) that I realized what his character was all about.
If the first book was about what the powerful would do to hoard their power, this one is about the perils of distorted history and keeping a populace ignorant; how people believing naively in their own righteousness maybe gullible to manipulation; how realizing that one has been lied to all their life can lead to disillusionment and may have unforeseen far reaching consequences.
Overall, I’m just very glad to have read these two novellas now even though I missed the first one in 2023. But now I have to wait for probably a year for the final third and it’s gonna be long and eagerly awaited. I’m very impressed by the author’s writing and very excited to see what more surprises the author has for us in the next. And to anyone new to this series, you can start with either book first and experience this superb world and characters.
December 25, 2025
3.5*
definitely not as good as the first one but i’m so intrigued to read the final instalment 👀
definitely not as good as the first one but i’m so intrigued to read the final instalment 👀
January 21, 2024
I have such mixed feelings about this instalment because I didn’t necessarily enjoy the reading process…. But after reading the after note from the author I GET IT and I am now frothing at the mouth for book 3.
This book is not as enjoyable as book 1 but I now understand that it’s not meant to be. Osi is not the same character archetype as Tutu and the story doesn’t unfold in the way that readers are familiar with.
That being said, this book is equally as captivating and beautifully written as book 1 and the setup is destined for an explosive conclusion.
Probably 3.5⭐️
This book is not as enjoyable as book 1 but I now understand that it’s not meant to be. Osi is not the same character archetype as Tutu and the story doesn’t unfold in the way that readers are familiar with.
That being said, this book is equally as captivating and beautifully written as book 1 and the setup is destined for an explosive conclusion.
Probably 3.5⭐️
August 18, 2024
3.5/5
This didn't slap as hard as book one but I DEFINITELY wasn't ready for that conclusion.
300 years after the events in The Lies of Ajungo we find out what the world looks like when the system collapses. Problem is, new system also sucks and people keep dying.
While I get that a novella doesn't have space to dwindle and explain things I consider relevant, this book has too many things coming out of the magician's hat that you just need to run along with and I didn't like that.
I'll still be looking forward to the next installment cause I love this world and its conflicts.
This didn't slap as hard as book one but I DEFINITELY wasn't ready for that conclusion.
300 years after the events in The Lies of Ajungo we find out what the world looks like when the system collapses. Problem is, new system also sucks and people keep dying.
While I get that a novella doesn't have space to dwindle and explain things I consider relevant, this book has too many things coming out of the magician's hat that you just need to run along with and I didn't like that.
I'll still be looking forward to the next installment cause I love this world and its conflicts.
September 1, 2025
I’m always intrigued by stories that play with truth. That question what it is, who holds it, and what we can do with it.
Utomi’s author note at the end really puts things into perspective with this one.
Utomi’s author note at the end really puts things into perspective with this one.
October 7, 2024
I have no words for just how amazing this series is. Depressing as shit but amazing. 5 ⭐
April 6, 2025
What a deception. Compare to the first book (that I adored), the twists where lazy and not as interesting. Still a good read and I will buy the third book when it comes out because they are super short.
April 13, 2024
Thank you to Tor Publishing Group | Tordotcom for the e-ARC. All opinions are honest and my own.
Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars, rounded up
Rep: Black boy protagonist, Black characters, desert setting, disabled characters
TW: classim, violence (resulting in loss of limbs), war, death, brutalization of children, child soldiers, corruption
Although this review will not contain any spoilers forThe Truth of the Aleke I would advise not reading this, if you do not wish to be spoiled for any of the events of book one,The Lies of the Ajungo .
My sincere apologies for not posting my written review sooner. I excitedly gobbled this book up, posted some video reviews and then procrastinated writing this one. I hope you can forgive me. /j
This review is actually a bit difficult to write, the The Truth of the Aleke is the sequel to The Lies of the Ajungo . There is not a ton I can say that will not spoil the book, because yet again, Utomi has shown us that he has a crafty mind. I’ll backtrack for a bit and say that I read The Lies of the Ajungo in either August or September of 2023 and I truly loved it. For such a small book, it packed an immense punch, the sequel is still rather short, but does slightly exceed one hundred pages. Initially, I was not as enamored with our protagonist, Osi, the same way I was with Tutu. It’s not that he was unlikeable, he was simply a different character, more stubborn, a bit arrogant, very steadfast, which contrasted with Tutu’s resilience, innocence, and sheer determination to help his Ma, his people. They did serve as parallels, sometimes even mirrors, during this story which was imperative.
The book picks up 500 years after the events of The Lies of the Ajungo , but everything we read previously holds relevance. I did have some separation between reading the books as I read my e-ARC in late January of this year. That did provide a reading experience that was conducive to this story, because much like the people of the land I was navigating truths from lies, truths from half-truths and crafty omissions. I definitely do not recommend reading this if you remember nothing from the first book, but some time between is fine and also you can always read them back to back for the most refreshed reading experience. Honestly, I do not want to say much more except pay attention and enjoy the story.
The last piece I will leave you with is to ensure you do not skip the acknowledgements when you read this one. The first page or so really serves as more of an Author’s Note, a very rewarding one to boot, once you have finished. I’m very excited and mildly anxious to read the third and final installment, hopefully in 2025 (I have no idea about the pub date).
Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars, rounded up
Rep: Black boy protagonist, Black characters, desert setting, disabled characters
TW: classim, violence (resulting in loss of limbs), war, death, brutalization of children, child soldiers, corruption
Although this review will not contain any spoilers forThe Truth of the Aleke I would advise not reading this, if you do not wish to be spoiled for any of the events of book one,The Lies of the Ajungo .
My sincere apologies for not posting my written review sooner. I excitedly gobbled this book up, posted some video reviews and then procrastinated writing this one. I hope you can forgive me. /j
This review is actually a bit difficult to write, the The Truth of the Aleke is the sequel to The Lies of the Ajungo . There is not a ton I can say that will not spoil the book, because yet again, Utomi has shown us that he has a crafty mind. I’ll backtrack for a bit and say that I read The Lies of the Ajungo in either August or September of 2023 and I truly loved it. For such a small book, it packed an immense punch, the sequel is still rather short, but does slightly exceed one hundred pages. Initially, I was not as enamored with our protagonist, Osi, the same way I was with Tutu. It’s not that he was unlikeable, he was simply a different character, more stubborn, a bit arrogant, very steadfast, which contrasted with Tutu’s resilience, innocence, and sheer determination to help his Ma, his people. They did serve as parallels, sometimes even mirrors, during this story which was imperative.
The book picks up 500 years after the events of The Lies of the Ajungo , but everything we read previously holds relevance. I did have some separation between reading the books as I read my e-ARC in late January of this year. That did provide a reading experience that was conducive to this story, because much like the people of the land I was navigating truths from lies, truths from half-truths and crafty omissions. I definitely do not recommend reading this if you remember nothing from the first book, but some time between is fine and also you can always read them back to back for the most refreshed reading experience. Honestly, I do not want to say much more except pay attention and enjoy the story.
The last piece I will leave you with is to ensure you do not skip the acknowledgements when you read this one. The first page or so really serves as more of an Author’s Note, a very rewarding one to boot, once you have finished. I’m very excited and mildly anxious to read the third and final installment, hopefully in 2025 (I have no idea about the pub date).
December 7, 2024
Wow! That one was better than the first and ends with a real gut-punch. This continues to be a compelling novella series and I look forward to the last instalment next year.
September 22, 2025
WHAT!?
500 years have passed since The Lies of the Ajungo and Tutu has passed into history and myth as a villain. He brutally slew Oba Ijefi and created his own cult that conquered the various lands of the Forever Desert, slaughtering everyone until the Spearman, a silent hero, slew him. We know this to be a lie, but sixteen-year-old Osi, living in the City of Truth, does not. Osi merely wants to graduate from Peacekeeper to Truthkeeper to fight off the Aleke, the current ruler of the Cult of Tutu.
However, things are not so simple in this world. One day, the Aleke attacks the City of Truth, killing thousands and stealing the God's Eyes which gives warriors supernatural power. After one of the Truthkeepers is killed in the attack, Osi is chosen by the others and the Speaker of the city to train and become a Truthkeeper himself. As time passes, however, Osi soon learns that all he believes might not be true, but truth is not nonexistent.
Okay, so...WOW! The Lies of the Ajungo blew me away when I read it last year, but The Truth of the Aleke practically sucker punched me in the gut. Whereas Tutu himself was a very determined boy, Osi is much more naïve and tries to cling to his ideals when he is faced challenges. And believe me, his world gets turned upside down. And whereas Tutu was basically a boy slowly learning about the world with the passage of time and through exchanges with others, Osi learns through failure and a major loss of innocence; and the failure is often cruel. This makes Osi complex and nuanced as he tries, struggling, to juggle with responding with what is the right thing to do and who to trust. Through much of the beginning of the story, Osi trusts in his dead father's words:
Do not fear that you may do wrong. Fear that you may not do right.
Osi believes that this means he must do the right thing and always try to help others, but as time passes and he sees that both the Truthseekers are not as noble as he idolized them as, and that the Cult of Tutu may not have such nefarious reasons for their attacks, he learns that his father's advice cannot hold much weight.
I genuinely felt bad for Osi, because he tries so many times to be better and understand why things have happened, but he is almost always met with failure. The poor boy is beaten, tortured, tested, pushed to the limit, and betrayed multiple times.
Like with my review of The Lies of the Ajungo, I won't spoil anything here, because my God do you need to feel the way the twists in this book make you breathless with both shock and anger on your own.
Osi was such a complex boy and despite this novella's length, the other characters are fleshed out too, though I will admit some their conclusions felt a bit rushed or passed over. The other Truthseekers--Lumhen, Hizo, and Izen--will give you perplexing thoughts. Osi desires friendship with them and some of them give it to him, but...Let's just say that the Truthseekers are multi-faceted in their logic and actions, but some of the reasoning behind will piss you off and some of it, in specific contexts, will make you begrudgingly nod your head. Still, the Truthseekers and others in the City of Truth are not passive observers in this game of lies, truths, violence, and history. Lumhen is the most fleshed out of the Truthseekers, followed by Izen, and it pained me to see Osi realize that all the glitter is not gold. Hizo we didn't get as much out of, but his exchanges with Osi were interesting. I loved Osi's friend Inusu. Spunky gal! But, I'm not sure what happens to her after the end.
The Aleke himself is a very interesting character. Cunning and mixing truth and lies in same sentences. I both loved and hated him, much like the Truthseekers, for the path he lead Osi down. Is he justified in his actions? Maybe. Is he a monster? Well, can you call someone a monster who gives in return what he was given?
There weren't as many fight scenes in this book as there were the previous ones and that's not a complaint, but I do miss them because Moses Ose Utomi wrote them well in The Lies of the Ajungo. It is mostly poor Osi getting the crap beat out of him, literally and metaphorically. Nonetheless, it is a greatly violent book. Bloody, gory deaths all around.
My one and only major critique is that--yes, I know it's a short novella--is that the pacing was too quick sometimes. Some characters' actions and decisions feel suddenly made a few times and the conclusion of some of their fates feels brisk. That aside, I really enjoyed this, even with all the frustration and heartbreak it intentionally gave me.
I cannot wait to read The Memory of the Ogisi to see how it all ends.
500 years have passed since The Lies of the Ajungo and Tutu has passed into history and myth as a villain. He brutally slew Oba Ijefi and created his own cult that conquered the various lands of the Forever Desert, slaughtering everyone until the Spearman, a silent hero, slew him. We know this to be a lie, but sixteen-year-old Osi, living in the City of Truth, does not. Osi merely wants to graduate from Peacekeeper to Truthkeeper to fight off the Aleke, the current ruler of the Cult of Tutu.
However, things are not so simple in this world. One day, the Aleke attacks the City of Truth, killing thousands and stealing the God's Eyes which gives warriors supernatural power. After one of the Truthkeepers is killed in the attack, Osi is chosen by the others and the Speaker of the city to train and become a Truthkeeper himself. As time passes, however, Osi soon learns that all he believes might not be true, but truth is not nonexistent.
Okay, so...WOW! The Lies of the Ajungo blew me away when I read it last year, but The Truth of the Aleke practically sucker punched me in the gut. Whereas Tutu himself was a very determined boy, Osi is much more naïve and tries to cling to his ideals when he is faced challenges. And believe me, his world gets turned upside down. And whereas Tutu was basically a boy slowly learning about the world with the passage of time and through exchanges with others, Osi learns through failure and a major loss of innocence; and the failure is often cruel. This makes Osi complex and nuanced as he tries, struggling, to juggle with responding with what is the right thing to do and who to trust. Through much of the beginning of the story, Osi trusts in his dead father's words:
Do not fear that you may do wrong. Fear that you may not do right.
Osi believes that this means he must do the right thing and always try to help others, but as time passes and he sees that both the Truthseekers are not as noble as he idolized them as, and that the Cult of Tutu may not have such nefarious reasons for their attacks, he learns that his father's advice cannot hold much weight.
I genuinely felt bad for Osi, because he tries so many times to be better and understand why things have happened, but he is almost always met with failure. The poor boy is beaten, tortured, tested, pushed to the limit, and betrayed multiple times.
Like with my review of The Lies of the Ajungo, I won't spoil anything here, because my God do you need to feel the way the twists in this book make you breathless with both shock and anger on your own.
Osi was such a complex boy and despite this novella's length, the other characters are fleshed out too, though I will admit some their conclusions felt a bit rushed or passed over. The other Truthseekers--Lumhen, Hizo, and Izen--will give you perplexing thoughts. Osi desires friendship with them and some of them give it to him, but...Let's just say that the Truthseekers are multi-faceted in their logic and actions, but some of the reasoning behind will piss you off and some of it, in specific contexts, will make you begrudgingly nod your head. Still, the Truthseekers and others in the City of Truth are not passive observers in this game of lies, truths, violence, and history. Lumhen is the most fleshed out of the Truthseekers, followed by Izen, and it pained me to see Osi realize that all the glitter is not gold. Hizo we didn't get as much out of, but his exchanges with Osi were interesting. I loved Osi's friend Inusu. Spunky gal! But, I'm not sure what happens to her after the end.
The Aleke himself is a very interesting character. Cunning and mixing truth and lies in same sentences. I both loved and hated him, much like the Truthseekers, for the path he lead Osi down. Is he justified in his actions? Maybe. Is he a monster? Well, can you call someone a monster who gives in return what he was given?
There weren't as many fight scenes in this book as there were the previous ones and that's not a complaint, but I do miss them because Moses Ose Utomi wrote them well in The Lies of the Ajungo. It is mostly poor Osi getting the crap beat out of him, literally and metaphorically. Nonetheless, it is a greatly violent book. Bloody, gory deaths all around.
My one and only major critique is that--yes, I know it's a short novella--is that the pacing was too quick sometimes. Some characters' actions and decisions feel suddenly made a few times and the conclusion of some of their fates feels brisk. That aside, I really enjoyed this, even with all the frustration and heartbreak it intentionally gave me.
I cannot wait to read The Memory of the Ogisi to see how it all ends.
March 30, 2024
#1) The Lies of the Ajungo ★★★☆☆
we're getting more from this world! ♥
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February 24, 2025
“History is only a story, told by those with the power to justify why they have it. The truth does not bend to power’s whims.”
Amazing!!!! It’s hard to say if this was better than book 1 because it felt just as moving and incredible but in a profoundly different way? Cannot believe these masterpieces are novellas.
Amazing!!!! It’s hard to say if this was better than book 1 because it felt just as moving and incredible but in a profoundly different way? Cannot believe these masterpieces are novellas.
Read
October 14, 2024"Power is like water. It is not loyal. It is not honest. It has no desire but to grow."
The world is cruel and power hungry. And sometimes our convictions and hard work are not enough.
Unlike Tutu from the first book, Osi had a more privileged upbringing. And thus, was focused into becoming a hero more for the sake of heroism itself rather than Tutu's act of desperation. At least at the start of it.
The ending was a bit frustrating, but it also hits close to home. The setting may be fantasy but, like Osi, sometimes we tend to be too idealistic that we let those with power use us for their own benefit.
September 26, 2025
I really enjoyed this, but it didn't kick me in the heart the way The Lies of the Ajungo did. I think mostly it's because I found the main character Osi unlikeable, as he was full of hubris for most of the book, and then ended up a poor, sad toothless character who finally realized he'd been taken advantage of his whole life. This was a sad and destructive morality story about the evils of power and warfare, and the precariousness of the innocents. And, of course, in good Utomi fashion, we learn that there are no clear heroes anymore, and this type of ambiguity sucks.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 1, 2025
I don't get it.
This should have been a quick 4 star, but it wasn't. I've been trying to figure out what wasn't working for me with this book so this is me trying to find it out. The setting was good. I enjoyed seeing these two peoples and all that. The writing is good. In theory, this should have been an enjoyable and captivating read like the first book was, but it wasn't.
So why didn't I feel engaged with the story?
1. I never connected with Osi. I never felt for him or empathised with him. It felt like walking alongside a stranger in silence rather than experiencing life with him and cheering him on. I'd have felt more if we were following a cat's story in this world than his. He's just meh to me.
2. I didn't have anything to root for. I didn't feel like there was really a pressing goal tbh. The Aleke are our threats, yes, but it didn't really feel like it. People continued their lives and kept thriving regardless, and considering the fact that they'd been at war for 300 years, I didn't get any urgency to finish the war once and for all. Maybe because we didn't see the effect the war had on the people in the city. Sure, attacks and all that but otherwise there might as well have not been a war to begin with. It felt more like a neighbour feud than a threat to their existence. For those reasons, I didn't care about the threat of the Aleke. It felt more distant and vague than an immediate problem.
Now, despite these things, I kept reading because they don't make it a bad book; I just had to warm up to it. Things would get better as we went along. And they did, kind of, but by the end I had a whole lot more questions about this story, and not in a good way. If you haven't read the book, you can stop here cause my next complaints involve spoilers. I'd still recommend it passively as a good change of scenery in the fantasy realm. I did like the idea that stories will always change depending on who's telling it. It was interesting to see play out. But ultimately the book as a whole didn't work for me, but it worked for a lot of other people, so maybe the problem is me. Happy reading.
SPOILERS AHEAD!!
I haven't put any structure to my thoughts and I'm just writing them as they come so forgive any incoherence that may show up. These are just things that bothered me after finishing the book.
1. Who even is the Aleke? We find out it's the old man, but the war has been going on for centuries, so who started it? Is it just a title for their leader? And how was an outsider able to just walk in and lead the people of Tutu? Who was in charge before he came in?
2. How has the war gone on for that long?? Those people are severely dehydrated and are clearly impoverished. On the other side, the City of Truth has access to a lot of water, the people are clearly in good shape and they have God's Eyes How on earth are the two sides evenly matched enough to have a 3-century war? It doesn't make any sense. Do the Aleke have a secret weapon? An edge? Because even if you account for their having iron, that's only a hindrance to the Truthseekers. If you take them out of the picture, the people in the city should still be more than capable of taking out the people in the desert. So how does this neverending war make sense?
4. "The Aleke is coming.
And only Osi can stop him."
are you sure about that?
Was that statement just meant to create some kind of hype? There's absolutely nothing that distinguishes Osi as being "the only one who can stop the Aleke".
5. I'm still annoyed at the whole betrayal thing. Not because it happened but because of its rationale. I was interested in knowing their motives for abandoning Osi. But they did it... just so they could have more Peacekeepers? Really? The enemy has God's Eyes now, meaning the city has only a fixed number of Seers who can stand against them. The city is legitimately under threat from that. And instead of insisting on mandatory recruitment, or at the very least implore more youths to join by making them aware of the greater danger, they chose to take one of their very few Seers, train him earnestly for a year and kill him off with the hope that his martyrdom will inspire more people to join the magicless faction of their defense system? Are you kidding me? What kind of mental leap did they do to make this sound logical? Am I missing something? No, really, am I?
6. Are the Changemakers even legitimate? Were the desert people just spies who came to create trouble in the city by claiming to fight for justice of the sufferers in the war, therefore undermining the leadership in the city? Or were they truly just people who wanted both sides to cease their fighting? And if it's the latter and it was that easy for them to enter the city, why didn't more come to the city and show the people that they aren't looking for war but peace? From what we saw with Osi, none of the common folk in the desert exhibited any bloodlust for the city. Maybe they hid it well, but I just don't get the point of adding this element to the story. It adds nothing to it except giving Osi some people to fight alongside him against the Truthseekers.
Honestly, I was really hoping to find that the city actually WAS the Aleke and were using other cities to enrich themselves somehow, that they were fed a narrative that they were the oppressed when really they were the oppressors. It wasn't the case, but even so I liked that Obasa manipulated Osi into helping them win the city. I applaud that move. I just didn't get why the story kept pointing at different things. You can call it subversion but I don't think it was executed well enough to fully embody that description. For example,
Had Osi known what she truly meant, he would have fled right then,
deep into the Forever Desert, as far away from the Truthseekers as he could
run.
As Izen looked upon the Aleke’s territory, moonlight shining in her eyes,
there was something in her demeanor and in the uncharacteristic excitement
in her voice that Osi found unsettling.
A feeling that had come far too late.
Misdirection? Maybe. Was there a point to it by the end of the book? I don't think so. Because those retrospective insights aren't coming from Osi but from the narrator. Yes, yes, I understand that Osi would have run away if he'd known that he'd be sacrificed by his comrades so it does make sense in that way (but looking at his character, would he really?). And of course they made us suspicious of the Truthseekers. The whole book has been doing that. But we did not need these retrospections. It felt like the author was trying to force us to look more closely at the Truthseekers when we were already doing so. Like he didn't trust that we would be misdirected without the insertion of such statements. I tolerated them, expecting a big payoff for them. Instead I was disappointed and annoyed.
I'm going to stop here. I just needed to get it out of my system. I'm writing these complaints with the hope that someone who's read the book will explain to me what I got wrong from my deductions and tell me what it is I missed. I really do think I might have missed important details because it reached a point where I was just reading to get the book over with. Maybe something important didn't stick, which ultimately ruined my experience. If so, please let me know. I genuinely want to understand why I'm the only one who has problems with this one. If my questions are answered either in the next book or through a comprehensive discussion, I will happily change my review and rating to reflect my new understanding of the world and story. Until then, 2.5 stars.
*
Book 5 in my personal 7 books in 7 days challenge
This should have been a quick 4 star, but it wasn't. I've been trying to figure out what wasn't working for me with this book so this is me trying to find it out. The setting was good. I enjoyed seeing these two peoples and all that. The writing is good. In theory, this should have been an enjoyable and captivating read like the first book was, but it wasn't.
So why didn't I feel engaged with the story?
1. I never connected with Osi. I never felt for him or empathised with him. It felt like walking alongside a stranger in silence rather than experiencing life with him and cheering him on. I'd have felt more if we were following a cat's story in this world than his. He's just meh to me.
2. I didn't have anything to root for. I didn't feel like there was really a pressing goal tbh. The Aleke are our threats, yes, but it didn't really feel like it. People continued their lives and kept thriving regardless, and considering the fact that they'd been at war for 300 years, I didn't get any urgency to finish the war once and for all. Maybe because we didn't see the effect the war had on the people in the city. Sure, attacks and all that but otherwise there might as well have not been a war to begin with. It felt more like a neighbour feud than a threat to their existence. For those reasons, I didn't care about the threat of the Aleke. It felt more distant and vague than an immediate problem.
Now, despite these things, I kept reading because they don't make it a bad book; I just had to warm up to it. Things would get better as we went along. And they did, kind of, but by the end I had a whole lot more questions about this story, and not in a good way. If you haven't read the book, you can stop here cause my next complaints involve spoilers. I'd still recommend it passively as a good change of scenery in the fantasy realm. I did like the idea that stories will always change depending on who's telling it. It was interesting to see play out. But ultimately the book as a whole didn't work for me, but it worked for a lot of other people, so maybe the problem is me. Happy reading.
SPOILERS AHEAD!!
I haven't put any structure to my thoughts and I'm just writing them as they come so forgive any incoherence that may show up. These are just things that bothered me after finishing the book.
1. Who even is the Aleke? We find out it's the old man, but the war has been going on for centuries, so who started it? Is it just a title for their leader? And how was an outsider able to just walk in and lead the people of Tutu? Who was in charge before he came in?
2. How has the war gone on for that long?? Those people are severely dehydrated and are clearly impoverished. On the other side, the City of Truth has access to a lot of water, the people are clearly in good shape and they have God's Eyes How on earth are the two sides evenly matched enough to have a 3-century war? It doesn't make any sense. Do the Aleke have a secret weapon? An edge? Because even if you account for their having iron, that's only a hindrance to the Truthseekers. If you take them out of the picture, the people in the city should still be more than capable of taking out the people in the desert. So how does this neverending war make sense?
4. "The Aleke is coming.
And only Osi can stop him."
are you sure about that?
Was that statement just meant to create some kind of hype? There's absolutely nothing that distinguishes Osi as being "the only one who can stop the Aleke".
5. I'm still annoyed at the whole betrayal thing. Not because it happened but because of its rationale. I was interested in knowing their motives for abandoning Osi. But they did it... just so they could have more Peacekeepers? Really? The enemy has God's Eyes now, meaning the city has only a fixed number of Seers who can stand against them. The city is legitimately under threat from that. And instead of insisting on mandatory recruitment, or at the very least implore more youths to join by making them aware of the greater danger, they chose to take one of their very few Seers, train him earnestly for a year and kill him off with the hope that his martyrdom will inspire more people to join the magicless faction of their defense system? Are you kidding me? What kind of mental leap did they do to make this sound logical? Am I missing something? No, really, am I?
6. Are the Changemakers even legitimate? Were the desert people just spies who came to create trouble in the city by claiming to fight for justice of the sufferers in the war, therefore undermining the leadership in the city? Or were they truly just people who wanted both sides to cease their fighting? And if it's the latter and it was that easy for them to enter the city, why didn't more come to the city and show the people that they aren't looking for war but peace? From what we saw with Osi, none of the common folk in the desert exhibited any bloodlust for the city. Maybe they hid it well, but I just don't get the point of adding this element to the story. It adds nothing to it except giving Osi some people to fight alongside him against the Truthseekers.
Honestly, I was really hoping to find that the city actually WAS the Aleke and were using other cities to enrich themselves somehow, that they were fed a narrative that they were the oppressed when really they were the oppressors. It wasn't the case, but even so I liked that Obasa manipulated Osi into helping them win the city. I applaud that move. I just didn't get why the story kept pointing at different things. You can call it subversion but I don't think it was executed well enough to fully embody that description. For example,
Had Osi known what she truly meant, he would have fled right then,
deep into the Forever Desert, as far away from the Truthseekers as he could
run.
As Izen looked upon the Aleke’s territory, moonlight shining in her eyes,
there was something in her demeanor and in the uncharacteristic excitement
in her voice that Osi found unsettling.
A feeling that had come far too late.
Misdirection? Maybe. Was there a point to it by the end of the book? I don't think so. Because those retrospective insights aren't coming from Osi but from the narrator. Yes, yes, I understand that Osi would have run away if he'd known that he'd be sacrificed by his comrades so it does make sense in that way (but looking at his character, would he really?). And of course they made us suspicious of the Truthseekers. The whole book has been doing that. But we did not need these retrospections. It felt like the author was trying to force us to look more closely at the Truthseekers when we were already doing so. Like he didn't trust that we would be misdirected without the insertion of such statements. I tolerated them, expecting a big payoff for them. Instead I was disappointed and annoyed.
I'm going to stop here. I just needed to get it out of my system. I'm writing these complaints with the hope that someone who's read the book will explain to me what I got wrong from my deductions and tell me what it is I missed. I really do think I might have missed important details because it reached a point where I was just reading to get the book over with. Maybe something important didn't stick, which ultimately ruined my experience. If so, please let me know. I genuinely want to understand why I'm the only one who has problems with this one. If my questions are answered either in the next book or through a comprehensive discussion, I will happily change my review and rating to reflect my new understanding of the world and story. Until then, 2.5 stars.
*
Book 5 in my personal 7 books in 7 days challenge
August 2, 2024
“Power is like water. It is not loyal. It is not honest. It has no desire but to grow”
That was one hell of an author’s note, damn
That was one hell of an author’s note, damn
May 20, 2024
“He revisited memories in the way of a rejected lover, searching in vain for the moment that would explain everything, not realizing that moment had occurred in the heart, a place he couldn’t see.”
Book 2 starts half a millenia after the events of The Lies of the Ajungo. Truth be told I didn’t even know there was a book 2 till I checked goodreads. The Lies of the Ajungo had such a satisfying conclusion and stands alone really well. I loved it and was excited to find out that there was a sequel. Jumped in immediately.
It was interesting reading how differently the history is being perceived in the current times when the actual events were very different (from Book 1.) The book was also much slower paced than Book 1. Osi is not as likable a protagonist as Tutu was. But he’s more real. The plot takes a backseat and we get a much more character driven story this time around. Osi goes through a much bigger character arc than Tutu’s. The politics of the world are much more complex than in Book 1 and as a result Osi’s journey and growth involves a lot more nuance.
The undoing of the book comes in the ending. In book 1, the ending was an absolute highlight. There was a series of reveals, each elevating the stakes and the story higher. It was very satisfying and I was convinced it was a standalone. In this one, the ending falls flat. It was a case of “and we’re here” after a long journey. The twist was very predictable and the story is left incomplete. It doesn’t end in a cliffhanger. The whole book just feels like a prologue. Textbook middle book syndrome - doesn’t live up to the first book, basically serves as a setup for the third-book.
The writing was still very strong and I’m definitely going to pick up Book 3 when it comes out. I’m just not very eager to.
“Truth is a cruel teacher. It does not appease. It does not reconsider. Its lessons vary in delivery- sometimes trickling in over decades, sometimes crashing down all at once- but consistently disregard the desires of the student.”
Book 2 starts half a millenia after the events of The Lies of the Ajungo. Truth be told I didn’t even know there was a book 2 till I checked goodreads. The Lies of the Ajungo had such a satisfying conclusion and stands alone really well. I loved it and was excited to find out that there was a sequel. Jumped in immediately.
It was interesting reading how differently the history is being perceived in the current times when the actual events were very different (from Book 1.) The book was also much slower paced than Book 1. Osi is not as likable a protagonist as Tutu was. But he’s more real. The plot takes a backseat and we get a much more character driven story this time around. Osi goes through a much bigger character arc than Tutu’s. The politics of the world are much more complex than in Book 1 and as a result Osi’s journey and growth involves a lot more nuance.
The undoing of the book comes in the ending. In book 1, the ending was an absolute highlight. There was a series of reveals, each elevating the stakes and the story higher. It was very satisfying and I was convinced it was a standalone. In this one, the ending falls flat. It was a case of “and we’re here” after a long journey. The twist was very predictable and the story is left incomplete. It doesn’t end in a cliffhanger. The whole book just feels like a prologue. Textbook middle book syndrome - doesn’t live up to the first book, basically serves as a setup for the third-book.
The writing was still very strong and I’m definitely going to pick up Book 3 when it comes out. I’m just not very eager to.
“Truth is a cruel teacher. It does not appease. It does not reconsider. Its lessons vary in delivery- sometimes trickling in over decades, sometimes crashing down all at once- but consistently disregard the desires of the student.”
January 2, 2024
I thought since this book takes place 500 years after the first book set in the Forever Desert, it wouldn’t be a big deal if I read it first. Now I wish I had read The Lies of the Ajungo first. This entry is what the story from the first book becomes after 500 years of retelling.
The Truth of the Aleke is a stylized fable, repeating certain phrases like one does when telling a fairy tale. I found some of the writing quite entrancing, but the story itself is as simple in the telling as a fairy tale. He did this, this happened; he did this, this happened.
I’m not sure what the moral of this fable is. The main character The author acknowledges this book’s connection to what happened on 9/11. “It was a cruel and chaotic time when the dichotomy of allies and enemies, of good and evil, ceased to make sense.” I guess that’s as good a way to describe The Truth of the Aleke as any. It’s depressing and puzzling. I keep puzzling over what it means, which I suppose is a victory for the author.
I’m not sure whether I will go back and read the The Lies of the Ajungo, or if I will read the third book. The Forever Desert is not a happy place to spend time.
I read an advance reader copy of The Truth of the Aleke.
The Truth of the Aleke is a stylized fable, repeating certain phrases like one does when telling a fairy tale. I found some of the writing quite entrancing, but the story itself is as simple in the telling as a fairy tale. He did this, this happened; he did this, this happened.
I’m not sure what the moral of this fable is. The main character The author acknowledges this book’s connection to what happened on 9/11. “It was a cruel and chaotic time when the dichotomy of allies and enemies, of good and evil, ceased to make sense.” I guess that’s as good a way to describe The Truth of the Aleke as any. It’s depressing and puzzling. I keep puzzling over what it means, which I suppose is a victory for the author.
I’m not sure whether I will go back and read the The Lies of the Ajungo, or if I will read the third book. The Forever Desert is not a happy place to spend time.
I read an advance reader copy of The Truth of the Aleke.
January 29, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley & Tordotcom for an eARC of this book. The following review is my honest reflection on the text provided.
4.5 stars
The Aleke is cruel. The Aleke is clever. The Aleke is coming
Just as enjoyable as the first in the series, this author seriously knows how to deliver a message quickly and concisely. You’re thrown into this world and I was drawn in within the first few pages. It takes almost no time to orient yourself and know what’s going on.
Osi is all of us. Wanting to do what is good and right and in search of the truth. He can be stubborn and wrong but deep down he only wants to do what is right.
With twists and turns, this very short book speaks universal truth.
4.5 stars
The Aleke is cruel. The Aleke is clever. The Aleke is coming
Just as enjoyable as the first in the series, this author seriously knows how to deliver a message quickly and concisely. You’re thrown into this world and I was drawn in within the first few pages. It takes almost no time to orient yourself and know what’s going on.
Osi is all of us. Wanting to do what is good and right and in search of the truth. He can be stubborn and wrong but deep down he only wants to do what is right.
With twists and turns, this very short book speaks universal truth.
December 17, 2024
My thanks go out to the publisher and netgalley for offering me access to an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
While I initially thought I was gonna end up loving this one less than I did the Lies of the Ajungo, the final 10% made me reconsider. I thought I had the story figured out, turns out I was still in for a surprise.
I like the insights the author shares about this in his afterword and it is the sentiments he shares there that explain why I ultimately think this one is gonna take the cake.but mind you, I thoroughly enjoyed both and I thought both were really impressive. Very eager to see what the author will do in book 3.
While I initially thought I was gonna end up loving this one less than I did the Lies of the Ajungo, the final 10% made me reconsider. I thought I had the story figured out, turns out I was still in for a surprise.
I like the insights the author shares about this in his afterword and it is the sentiments he shares there that explain why I ultimately think this one is gonna take the cake.but mind you, I thoroughly enjoyed both and I thought both were really impressive. Very eager to see what the author will do in book 3.
May 7, 2024
Dare I say this was even better than the first installment? To start, this novella's characterizations are much more complex, with several in-depth layers to Osi's character. I found myself emotionally invested almost immediately. It also maintains the mixture of fable and fantasy, which I loved from the first novella, while taking on a darker, more tangled element in this installment. If you're wondering whether or not you should continue The Forever Desert series, please please do!!!
November 12, 2025
I don't think my love for The Truth of the Aleke is as strong as The Lies of the Ajungo, but honestly I did love it, and I'm eager to see how the trilogy closes out. I feel like it gave me a lot of stuff to chew on that I wasn't expecting. Like the first book subverted expectations, and then I thought I knew what the second book would offer based on the first, but it turns out I didn't, and I feel like I had a rug pulled out from under me. It leaves me intensely curious about where the final installment is going to take it.
Overall, I loved this one, even though it did hurt me. I'm intensely curious and eager to see how the story plays out in the final book. This trilogy is giving me a lot of big feelings and a lot of things to mull over intellectually, while also just being a genuinely enjoyable fantasy tale.
Overall, I loved this one, even though it did hurt me. I'm intensely curious and eager to see how the story plays out in the final book. This trilogy is giving me a lot of big feelings and a lot of things to mull over intellectually, while also just being a genuinely enjoyable fantasy tale.
March 17, 2024
"Do you know why I will never trust your Truthseekers, young Osi?" he asked. "Because they are powerful. Many people liken power to a spear. Or an oba. But is it neither. Power is like water." He rolled the die. One. "It is not loyal. It is not honest. It has no desire but to grow." He rolled again. One. "Even when defeated, it simply changes shape or place, filling any vacuum it finds, persisting until the day it can resume its growth."
Thank you, NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group, for the chance to read and review this book.
I was a big fan of the first book, The Lies of the Ajungo, and was really excited to read this one! Moses Ose Utomi has a distinctive style of writing that carries through both books. Both books unpack power and what people will do to maintain it. Both leave you feeling unsettled, and this one doesn't have the happiest of endings either. I also really appreciate how this book told the story of another city where Tutu is considered something else entirely.
That being said, the characters of this book, while realistic, fell flat. We don't need to have a clear good or bad thing happening, but some more details could have helped them become more distinctive and allowed some personality to make them more discernible; Hizo is the one who gives us the most in that regard.
"You numb yourself," Hizojie said. He was away from them, sitting with his head leaned back against the lunch table bench, staring at the sky. His voice lacked its usual bite. It was soft and calm, as sincere as Osi had ever heard it. "A Seer does not suffer when he steps on the sand. Because he feels nothing for the sand. That is all people are, Osi. Grains of sand. Burn them, crush them, step on them. You will learn to feel nothing."
Thank you, NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group, for the chance to read and review this book.
I was a big fan of the first book, The Lies of the Ajungo, and was really excited to read this one! Moses Ose Utomi has a distinctive style of writing that carries through both books. Both books unpack power and what people will do to maintain it. Both leave you feeling unsettled, and this one doesn't have the happiest of endings either. I also really appreciate how this book told the story of another city where Tutu is considered something else entirely.
That being said, the characters of this book, while realistic, fell flat. We don't need to have a clear good or bad thing happening, but some more details could have helped them become more distinctive and allowed some personality to make them more discernible; Hizo is the one who gives us the most in that regard.
"You numb yourself," Hizojie said. He was away from them, sitting with his head leaned back against the lunch table bench, staring at the sky. His voice lacked its usual bite. It was soft and calm, as sincere as Osi had ever heard it. "A Seer does not suffer when he steps on the sand. Because he feels nothing for the sand. That is all people are, Osi. Grains of sand. Burn them, crush them, step on them. You will learn to feel nothing."
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