The Memory of the Ogisi - (Forever Desert) by Moses Ose Utomi (Hardcover)

About the Book

"The epic conclusion to Moses Ose Utomi's critically-acclaimed Forever Desert series, The Memory of the Ogisi shatters every truth, interrogates every lie, and is a story of oppression you'll never forget. Even deserts have a beginning. Even gardens have an end. Even water has a story. The City of a Thousand Stories stands resolute on the edge of the Forever Desert. It is a lush metropolis, where water flows into every mouth that thirsts and knowledge sprouts in every mind that craves it. Yet despite their prosperity, no one can remember how the city began. It is a dire state of affairs: a people who do not learn their past cannot chart their future. Ethike is an Ogisi, one of the City's many historians, who has devoted his life to studying a little-known figure named Osi. He believes Osi to be the key to the city's origins, but his years of research have only raised more questions about Osi's identity. Until, one day, he believes he has found the answer. Spurred by his love for his city and his family, Ethike ventures into the Forever Desert in search of the Lost Tomb of Osi. If he can find it, he will finally be able to prove his worth to the City's Elders and cement Osi's role in history. But history is a story told by the powerful. What Ethike uncovers beneath the sand is a power far beyond anything he could have expected...and it wants vengeance"-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

The epic conclusion to Moses Ose Utomi's critically-acclaimed Forever Desert series, The Memory of the Ogisi shatters every truth, interrogates every lie, and is a story of oppression you'll never forget.

Even deserts have a beginning. Even gardens have an end. Even water has a story.

The City of a Thousand Stories stands resolute on the edge of the Forever Desert. It is a lush metropolis, where water flows into every mouth that thirsts and knowledge sprouts in every mind that craves it. Yet despite their prosperity, no one can remember how the city began. It is a dire state of affairs: a people who do not learn their past cannot chart their future.

Ethike is an Ogisi, one of the City's many historians, who has devoted his life to studying a little-known figure named Osi. He believes Osi to be the key to the city's origins, but his years of research have only raised more questions about Osi's identity. Until, one day, he believes he has found the answer.

Spurred by his love for his city and his family, Ethike ventures into the Forever Desert in search of the Lost Tomb of Osi. If he can find it, he will finally be able to prove his worth to the City's Elders and cement Osi's role in history. But history is a story told by the powerful. What Ethike uncovers beneath the sand is a power far beyond anything he could have expected...and it wants vengeance.

Review Quotes

Praise for The Memory of the Ogisi

"The Memory of the Ogisi reads with the force of an oncoming sandstorm: inevitable and unrelenting. Over the course of this trilogy, Moses Ose Utomi has grown so sure and skilled with using the power of myth (and memory), his storytelling is like a blade wielded by a master." --Maurice Broaddus, author of the Astra Black series

Praise for The Truth of the Aleke

"The Truth of the Aleke is riveting and merciless, an exploration of power, deceit, corruption, and ultimately, hope. I was not prepared, and neither are you." --Fonda Lee, author of the Green Bone Saga and Untethered Sky

"The end of one story braids into the beginning of the next, and in this powerful sequel, truth cuts deeper than any lie." --Marie Brennan, author of A Natural History of Dragons

"The best fiction leaves us asking difficult questions about the world we live in and this novella succeeds in doing that and more. Such incredible writing!" --T.L. Huchu, USA Today bestselling author of The Library of the Dead

"This mind-bending story will have both new and returning fans hooked." --Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Utomi's searing, thought-provoking fantasy novella has heartbreaking parallels in the present and is highly recommended." --Library Journal, starred review

"Utomi returns to the Forever Desert with this devastating, timely fantasy novella....There is no solace in this thought-provoking sequel, only uncomfortable truth." --Booklist, starred review

"The Truth of the Aleke feels like you're stepping into a story told around a campfire by a wise elder. We are literally watching an undeniable voice come into his own." --Maurice Broaddus, author of the Astra Black series

"The Truth of the Aleke weaves a dazzling tale that paints with sharp strokes, through massive battles and dizzying magics, to show the sheer power of stories and the deadly confluence between truth and lies." --Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki, World Fantasy Award-winning editor of Africa Risen

Praise for The Lies of the Ajungo

Winner of the Ignyte Award!

"Utomi's writing is both elegant and efficient, and the story is so eminently devourable that I finished it in a couple of hours. In keeping with the contradictions at the book's heart, it left me perfectly sated and hungry for more." --The New York Times

"A captivating and violent fable, The Lies of the Ajungo plumbs the depths of deception yet bursts with hope. Taut and unexpected. I devoured it." --Fonda Lee, author of the Green Bone Saga

"The Lies of the Ajungo is a tightly-packed, devastating punch, a masterful use of the novella as form and a heartbreaking tale of the lies we hold on to--the lies that help us live and the lies that hold us back." --C. L. Clark, author of The Unbroken

"Exquisitely crafted and original. Fiction at its best shows us the truth by telling us lies." --T. L. Huchu, author of The Library of the Dead

"Utomi perfectly blends fantasy and fable in his mesmerizing debut novella. ...[He] draws readers into a harsh and beautiful world where nothing is as it seems. Fantasy fans will want to keep an eye on this up-and-coming author." --Publishers Weekly, starred review

"This short but deeply affecting parable will unveil new perspectives to readers long after it's done. Highly recommended." --Library Journal, starred review

"Gripping and full of heart, the tale bubbles with a love of story itself. Utomi's star is on the rise and I can't wait to see what his imagination brings us next." --Maurice Broaddus

"Utomi writes a legendary tale that is certain to inspire many more." --Locus Reviews

About the Author

Moses Ose Utomi is a Nigerian-American fantasy writer and nomad currently based out of Honolulu, Hawaii. He has an MFA in fiction from Sarah Lawrence College and short fiction publications in Fireside Fiction, Fantasy Magazine, and more. He is the author of the novella The Lies of the Ajungo and the YA fantasy novel Daughters of Oduma. When he's not writing, he's traveling, training martial arts, or doing karaoke--with or without a backing track.