Ahoy there me mateys!  I received this sci-fi eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  So here be me honest musings . . .

I am a fan of the author's writing having read six of her previous works and I will continue to read new releases and catch up on old ones. 

Noor follows the life of Anwuli Okwudili who changed her name to AO - short for Artificial Organism.  She was born with birth defects and made the choice to get augmentations to her body.  She embraces the pain and her choices and is determined to live life on her own terms.  Others call her freak, devil, and worse and see her mechanical legs and arm as abomination.  The day comes where AO protects herself in self-defense and her life is destroyed.

The novel follows her journey on the run and the truths she discovers.  I really loved AO as a character.  The pain she suffered, her self-will, and her ability not to see the world through the lens of hatred were admirable. I love both her body positivity and her realistic viewpoints on human behavior and prejudice.  Not that I wish people weren't so horrible of course. This novel doesn't shy from the selfish things folks do out of ignorance or selfishness or fear.  But there is good in humanity as well.  I also loved the herdsman DNA and his two awesome cows.

The world building is as wonderful as usual.  This book was inspired by the author's visiting an African solar plant.  I loved the solar and wind powered tech.  I loved the desert life and the tech for survival..  I loved how the big bad corporation controlled the world and how there is a small amount of justice in the end.  This comeuppance may not last long but it is nice to see the maligned and outcast part of society win.  There is always satisfaction in that.  If ye haven't read this author's afrofuturism style before, this is a good place to start.

So lastly . . .

Thank ye DAW!

Side Note: There is going to be a third book in the Akata Witch series out in January 2022.  Cool!!