She Who Knows

She Who Knows, Book 1

De: Nnedi Okorafor

Narrado por: Yetide Badaki

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.

©2024 by Nnedi Okorafor. (P)2024 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Yetide Badaki narrates this audio novella about Najeeba, who was introduced in the author's previous novel, Who Fears Death. Years before that story takes place, Najeeba is a 13-year-old girl who receives the call to the Salt Roads, an experience usually reserved for men. With her smooth voice and precise pacing, Badaki allows the details to linger in listeners' minds as the setting unfolds.… Using a mature voice, Badaki embodies a girl whose journey transforms her, and the world around her, irrevocably.” —AudioFile Magazine

"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)

Intriguing

This story kept me so captivated from beginning to the end. Very well written!! I absolutely loved it .

fantastic addition to this story

Finished She Who Knows. Wow, what a powerful punch this novella has. If you read Who Fears Death and Book of Phoenix, a lot of things fall into place with this one. Can't wait to see what's next in store for Najeeba.

An instant classic read?

“She Who Knows” was an exceptionally engaging read. The narrative’s seamless integration with the narrator’s captivating ability left an indelible impression on the reader. The reader’s attention was utterly captivated and unable to be disregarded. The storyline effectively elucidates the events preceding it, providing a comprehensive background for readers to delve deeper into the historical context of the characters and the unfolding events.

Fascinating

Narration perfect. Story encompassing all senses in descriptive power. The tale flowed and held suspense and wonder and outrage.

Mesmerized

So want to read more. This is a great story easy to read interesting characters an interesting setting and interesting activities. Listened in one sitting. Could not put it down.

Futuristic Mythology

Nnedi Okorafor has created an amazing world in this dystopian piece of work, mixing West African Myth and Africanfuturism.

I could not stop listening to this hypnotic piece of work, and I look forward to reading more of Okorafor's works. 5 out of 5; one of the bests reads thus far this year for me.

Intriguing story that drew me in completely. Narrator is talented and her voicevoice was pleasant

I do hope story continues. I was left wanting more and the ending implied that there is.

I should not have waited so long to read Nnedi.

Do the audio version. The narrator is fantastic.
And it’s silly that you have to put a minimum number of words into the review before you can post it.
Two words are sufficient for most reviews.

Great Story.

Loved the ending. Explained so much of the story Who Fears Death. Still; many questions that I have which I hope other books will explain.

Different

After quite a number of, uh, run-of-the-mill time swallowing audio books, I like to listen to these types of books.

Arab & African, Arab-African magic realism. At times I felt a bit reluctant to go along… but even if you don’t want to go where she is going, you can learn where she came from, which is good already.