Nigeria, the near future. A recent world war has led to unexpected consequences on both the earth and its inhabitants. Ejii is a child of this new world. She is a shadow speaker - she can feel and hear shadows around her. Because of this ability, she is considered a threat by those unchanged, including her cruel father. When he is killed by the renowned Jaa, on a visit to Ejii’s village, the girl believes her circumstances will improve, but the following years prove her wrong, until fate or another power gives us an opportunity for revenge.
When I saw a new book by Nnedi Okorafor on NetGalley, I was super excited. Okorafor’s Binti trilogy made me rediscover sci-fi and encouraged me to search for books I’d love in this genre I wasn’t best friends with. Actually, Shadow Speaker isn’t exactly a new release, since it was first published in 2007 and was Okorafor’s first YA novel, but it was out of print. The 2023 version is expanded and has a new introduction.
What I found the most fascinating about this book was how many of the elements that made Binti so enjoyable were already budding in this earlier novel. You’ve got fantastic world-building, in this africanfuturist Nigeria and potential other planets, a headstrong but caring female main character, themes of family, identity, uprootedness, discussions of politics and righteousness. I felt that Shadow Speaker wasn’t as gripping and exciting as Binti had been, but that may be a consequence of me having read the latter first. I do think this book would be a good introduction to Okorafor’s writing (especially for a YA audience), even though I still consider Binti a more accomplished book.
On a last note, it is also worth noticing that I read this book in a state of high stress, so I may not have been as focused on it as I would have liked.
Rep: Black Muslim MC.