Akata Warrior by Nnedi Okorafor
(Format used for this read: Audiobook)
This book is a sequel to the book “Akata Witch”…so if you have not read that book yet, you ABSOLUTELY need to do that before you read this review.
If you want to read my thoughts on it, you can click here:
I happy to say I COMPLETELY enjoyed this second book as much as I did the first!
I didn’t really have any doubts that I would because this author is FANTASTIC and I had a BLAST making my way thru “Akata Witch.”
Sunny, Orlu, ChiChi and Sasha are back…this time a little older, a little wiser, causing a little more trouble, and encountering a little more danger.
Here is the official summary:
“A year ago, Sunny Nwazue, an American-born girl Nigerian girl, was inducted into the secret Leopard Society. As she began to develop her magical powers, Sunny learned that she had been chosen to lead a dangerous mission to avert an apocalypse, brought about by the terrifying masquerade, Ekwensu. Now, stronger, feistier, and a bit older, Sunny is studying with her mentor Sugar Cream and struggling to unlock the secrets in her strange Nsibidi book.
Eventually, Sunny knows she must confront her destiny. With the support of her Leopard Society friends, Orlu, Chichi, and Sasha, and of her spirit face, Anyanwu, she will travel through worlds both visible and invisible to the mysteries town of Osisi, where she will fight a climactic battle to save humanity.
Much-honored Nnedi Okorafor, winner of the Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy awards, merges today’s Nigeria with a unique world she creates. Akata Warrior blends mythology, fantasy, history and magic into a compelling tale that will keep readers spellbound.”
This story had all the same aspects that made the first book such a tremendous piece of fantasy fiction: magic, friendship, Nigerian culture, adventure…
but it also had so many layers of deeper issues happening underneath and alongside all of that.
The issues of colorism, sexism, and racism are addressed in these pages…
Along with deep dives into strained family dynamics, the journey of self growth, exploring first romances, religious and societal pressures/expectations, and the importance of safe friendships.
The first book dissected these things as well but I feel like in this second one, the characters are older so the issues they face they began to have a deeper understanding of the impact all of these things have on their personhood and lived experience.
The magical friendship foursome do go out on a big, important adventure concerning the Leopard World yet again…which I don’t want to reveal right here…but there are also little subplots they each experience on their own too.
Part of me feels like the biggest piece of THIS book is the growth each of them takes individually into learning more of their true selves, their capabilities, and their gifts.
If you loved the first book, you will LOVE this book….you may even love it MORE.
I was totally immersed in the world she created for a second time…and I sincerely hope that this is NOT where the series ends!