She Who Knows - by Nnedi Okorafor (Hardcover)

About the Book

"An intimate glimpse into the life of a teenager whose coming of age will herald a new age for her world. Set in the universe Africanfuturist luminary Nnedi Okorafor first introduced in the World Fantasy Award-winning Who Fears Death, this is the first in the She Who Knows trilogy"--

Book Synopsis

Amazon Editors' Pick - August 2024
Gizmodo's New Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror Books Releasing in August
Screenrant #1 Most Anticipated Book in Sci-fi Coming Out in August

⭐ "Readers will devour this." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)
⭐ "While this book may be short, its impact is anything but small." --Kirkus (starred review)

Part science fiction, part fantasy, and entirely infused with West African culture and spirituality, this novella offers an intimate glimpse into the life of a teenager whose coming of age will herald a new age for her world. Set in the universe Africanfuturist luminary Nnedi Okorafor first introduced in the World Fantasy Award-winning Who Fears Death, this is the first in the She Who Knows trilogy

When there is a call, there is often a response.

Najeeba knows.

She has had The Call. But how can a 13-year-old girl have the Call? Only men and boys experience the annual call to the Salt Roads. What's just happened to Najeeba has never happened in the history of her village. But it's not a terrible thing, just strange. So when she leaves with her father and brothers to mine salt at the Dead Lake, there's neither fanfare nor protest. For Najeeba, it's a dream come true: travel by camel, open skies, and a chance to see a spectacular place she's only heard about. However, there must have been something to the rule, because Najeeba's presence on the road changes everything and her family will never be the same.

Small, intimate, up close, and deceptively quiet, this is the beginning of the Kponyungo Sorceress.

Review Quotes

"Okorafor packs a punch in her She Who Knows series launch, a return to the realm of the World Fantasy Award-winning Who Fears Death . . . Fans of Who Fears Death will appreciate the return to this rich, fully realized world, but Okorafor keeps things accessible enough that this works just as well on its own. Readers will devour this."
--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"As always with Okorafor's work, the prose is sharp and immersive, the characters provide insight into family drama and healing, and the narrative seamlessly blends elements of fantasy, folklore, and speculative fiction . . . While this book may be short, its impact is anything but small."
--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"A new work from Africanfuturist Okorafor is always an event for speculative-fiction fans."
--Ashley Rayner, Booklist

"She Who Knows is a surprisingly intimate novel . . . [A] tale of courage and defiance, and one that is eminently readable even to those unfamiliar with Who Fears Death."
--Gary K. Wolfe, Locus

Praise for Nnedi Okorafor

"An epic collision of new tech and elemental magic--suspensful, immersive, and chillingly relevant. Another stunning feat of imagination from Nnedi Okorafor."
--Leigh Bardugo, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Ninth House

"Nnedi Okorafor writes glorious futures and fabulous fantasies. Her worlds open your mind to new things, always rooted in the red clay of reality."
--Neil Gaiman, New York Times-bestselling author of American Gods

"Haunting and absolutely brilliant. My heart and guts are all turned inside out."
--John Green, New York Times-bestselling author of The Fault in Our Stars

"Shadow Speaker is wonderful, highly original stuff, episode after amazing episode, full of color, life and death... Nnedi also deals head-on with the fact that power and pain are closely linked, as are magic and blood. I think this book is marvelous."
--Diana Wynne Jones, author of Howl's Moving Castle

"There's more vivid imagination in a page of Nnedi Okorafor's work than in whole volumes of ordinary fantasy epics."
--Ursula K. Le Guin, author of The Left Hand of Darkness

"Shadow Speaker is endlessly imaginative, full of mystery and delight on every page. Nnedi Okorafor is a voice that will delight readers of all ages and backgrounds."
--Tananarive Due, American Book Award-winning author of The Reformatory

"Like Thunder is an excellent demonstration of [Okorafor's] gifts as a novelist: it is inventive, fast-paced, and deeply concerned with difficult journeys to self-discovery, as well as the transformative costs of such adventures."
--Los Angeles Review of Books

About the Author

Nnedi Okorafor is an international award-winning New York Times-bestselling author. Born in the United States to Nigerian immigrant parents, Nnedi is known for drawing from African cultures to create captivating stories with unforgettable characters and evocative settings. Nnedi's works have received the World Fantasy, Nebula, Eisner, Lodestar, Nommo, and Hugo Awards, amongst others. Nnedi holds a PhD in Literature and two Master's Degrees (Journalism and Literature). Learn more at nnedi.com.