Reviews
"Okorafor triumphs over the perils of the prequel by making the inevitable feel newly dreadful. Blending poetic passages with sharp observation and the occasional cadence of a story told by firelight, The Book of Phoenix is an assured introduction not just to her world's myths, but to the process of mythmaking." -- The New York Times "A gripping examination of the power of myth and of who is allowed to write and preserve history.... Okorafor's fantastical The Book of Phoenix has that ring of truth, a superlative adventure that addresses all-too-harsh realities." -- The San Francisco Chronicle "Okorafor's inventiveness is as stunning as ever, and the ending is nothing short of spectacular ." -- The Chicago Tribune "Phoenix and her story exist in that shimmering space that marks where science fiction and magical realism overlap .... The Book of Phoenix hit all of my emotional checkboxes."--BookRiot " The Book of Phoenix isn't just well written, and it isn't just smart as hell; it's also a damn good story , and it kept me reading almost nonstop all the way through."--Tor.com "The book is grounded by its unflinching exposure of the brutalities of colonialism, racism, and greed, and exalted by the beauty of Okorafor's prose ." -- Library Journal (starred review) "This is a story of vengeance, a fantastic epic battle between good and evil ; written as a fable for the future." --Barnes & Noble Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog "While the grim logic of the plot makes it very clear early on how the plot must play out, the process is as entrancing as watching an avalanche sweep toward you, and Okorafor's prose is as ever, enthralling ."-- RT Reviews, Praise for Nnedi Okorafor's award-winning Who Fears Death : "A fantastical, magical blend of grand storytelling." - Publisher's Weekly "Beautifully written, this is dystopian fantasy at its very best. Expertly exploring issues of race, gender, and cultural identity, Okorafor blends future fantasy with the rhythm and feel of African storytelling ." - Library Journal "To compare author Nnedi Okorafor to the late Octavia E. Butler would be easy to do, but this simple comparison should not detract from Okorafor's unique storytelling gift." - New York Journal of Books "Her pacing is tight. Her expository sections sing like poetry. Descriptions of paranormal people and battles are disturbingly vivid and palpable. But most crucial to the book's success is how the author slowly transforms Onye's pursuit of her rapist father from a personal vendetta to a struggle to transform the social systems that created him." -The Village Voice "Both wondrously magical and terribly realistic ." - The Washington Post , "Okorafor triumphs over the perils of the prequel by making the inevitable feel newly dreadful. Blending poetic passages with sharp observation and the occasional cadence of a story told by firelight, The Book of Phoenix is an assured introduction not just to her world's myths, but to the process of mythmaking." -- The New York Times "A gripping examination of the power of myth and of who is allowed to write and preserve history.... Okorafor's fantastical The Book of Phoenix has that ring of truth, a superlative adventure that addresses all-too-harsh realities." -- The San Francisco Chronicle "Okorafor's inventiveness is as stunning as ever, and the ending is nothing short of spectacular ." -- The Chicago Tribune "Phoenix and her story exist in that shimmering space that marks where science fiction and magical realism overlap .... The Book of Phoenix hit all of my emotional checkboxes."--BookRiot " The Book of Phoenix isn't just well written, and it isn't just smart as hell; it's also a damn good story , and it kept me reading almost nonstop all the way through."--Tor.com "The book is grounded by its unflinching exposure of the brutalities of colonialism, racism, and greed, and exalted by the beauty of Okorafor's prose ." -- Library Journal (starred review) "This is a story of vengeance, a fantastic epic battle between good and evil ; written as a fable for the future." --Barnes & Noble Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog "While the grim logic of the plot makes it very clear early on how the plot must play out, the process is as entrancing as watching an avalanche sweep toward you, and Okorafor's prose is as ever, enthralling ."-- RT Reviews, Incredible praise for Who Fears Death : "Both wondrously magical and terribly realistic." -- The Washington Post "[Okorafor's] expository sections sing like poetry. Descriptions of paranormal people and battles are disturbingly vivid and palpable." -- Village Voice "A fantastical, magical blend of grand storytelling." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Beautifully written, this is dystopian fantasy at its very best." -- Library Journal (starred review) "Okorafor is a master storyteller who combines recent history, fantasy, tradition, advanced technology and culture into something wonderful and new that should not be missed." -- RT Book Reviews (top pick) "This is a horrifying, inspiring, painful, joyous book." --io9 Selected accolades for Who Fears Death : --Winner of the 2011 World Fantasy Award for Best Fantasy Novel --Winner of the 2010 Carl Brandon Kindred Award --Winner of the 2010 RT Reviewer's Choice Best Book Award (Science Fiction) --A 2010 Locus Award Finalist for Best Fantasy Novel --A 2010 Nebula Award Nominee --A 2011 Tiptree Honor Book --Finalist for a 2010 Black Excellence Award --A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2010 --An Amazon.com Best Book of 2010 --A Library School Journal Best Book of 2010 --And more!, Praise for The Book of Phoenix : "Okorafor triumphs over the perils of the prequel by making the inevitable feel newly dreadful. Blending poetic passages with sharp observation and the occasional cadence of a story told by firelight, The Book of Phoenix is an assured introduction not just to her world's myths, but to the process of mythmaking." -- The New York Times "A gripping examination of the power of myth and of who is allowed to write and preserve history.... Okorafor's fantastical The Book of Phoenix has that ring of truth, a superlative adventure that addresses all-too-harsh realities." -- The San Francisco Chronicle "Okorafor's inventiveness is as stunning as ever, and the ending is nothing short of spectacular ." -- The Chicago Tribune "Phoenix and her story exist in that shimmering space that marks where science fiction and magical realism overlap .... The Book of Phoenix hit all of my emotional checkboxes."--BookRiot " The Book of Phoenix isn't just well written, and it isn't just smart as hell; it's also a damn good story , and it kept me reading almost nonstop all the way through."--Tor.com "The book is grounded by its unflinching exposure of the brutalities of colonialism, racism, and greed, and exalted by the beauty of Okorafor's prose ." -- Library Journal (starred review) "This is a story of vengeance, a fantastic epic battle between good and evil ; written as a fable for the future." --Barnes & Noble Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog "While the grim logic of the plot makes it very clear early on how the plot must play out, the process is as entrancing as watching an avalanche sweep toward you, and Okorafor's prose is as ever, enthralling ."-- RT Reviews
