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1 of 1 copy available
⭐ "The book is grounded by its unflinching exposure of the brutalities of colonialism, racism, and greed, and exalted by the beauty of Okorafor’s prose." —Library Journal (starred review)
The Book of Phoenix is a unique work of AfricanFuturism. A prequel to the highly acclaimed, World Fantasy Award-winning novel, Who Fears Death, it features the rise of another of Nnedi Okorafor’s powerful, memorable, superhuman women.
A fiery spirit dances from the pages of the Great Book. She brings the aroma of scorched sand and ozone. She has a story to tell....
Phoenix was grown and raised among other genetic experiments in New York’s Tower 7. She is an “accelerated woman”—only two years old but with the body and mind of an adult, Phoenix’s abilities far exceed those of a normal human. Still innocent and inexperienced in the ways of the world, she is content living in her room speed reading e-books, running on her treadmill, and basking in the love of Saeed, another biologically altered human of Tower 7.
Then one evening, Saeed witnesses something so terrible that he takes his own life. Devastated by his death and Tower 7’s refusal to answer her questions, Phoenix finally begins to realize that her home is really her prison, and she becomes desperate to escape.
But Phoenix’s escape, and her destruction of Tower 7, is just the beginning of her story. Before her story ends, Phoenix will travel from the United States to Africa and back, changing the entire course of humanity’s future.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
May 5, 2015 -
Formats
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Kindle Book
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OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9780698175167
- File size: 2670 KB
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EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9780698175167
- File size: 3028 KB
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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April 20, 2015
This haphazard prequel to Okorafor’s postapocalyptic first novel for adults, Who Fears Death, explores the circumstances that led to that apocalypse. Phoenix is a three-year-old biological weapon who looks and acts like a 40-year-old woman. Escaping from the facility where she was created, Phoenix flees from a malevolent organization bent on recapturing her and bending her to their will. While this installment answers burning questions from Who Fears Death, it lacks much of the nuance and intrigue that make the author’s other work so beloved. Okorafor once again creatively melds European and African mythologies into a fresh hybrid, but the wonder and magic aren’t enough to distract from the flat characterization and bland narration. This tale of oppression is brimming with anger, but without a compelling reason to care about the characters, Okorafor’s vital larger messages are lost. -
Starred review from May 15, 2015
Phoenix was not born but grown in a laboratory. A shadowy corporation runs labs around the world, breeding individuals with extraordinary abilities. Phoenix lives in Tower 7 in New York City, sheltered from the outside world and content enough until her friend Saeed witnesses an atrocity in the lab and kills himself. Phoenix, whose power makes her burn like a sun only to be reborn, escapes her prison, determined to be free of the labs. VERDICT This prequel to Okorafor's World Fantasy award winner Who Fears Death tells another fascinating tale of futuristic fantasy, although the labs give this tale a more sf feel despite the superhuman characters. Phoenix becomes a true heroine, leading other lab dwellers to freedom. Action, excitement, and exotic locales abound, but the book is grounded by its unflinching exposure of the brutalities of colonialism, racism, and greed, and exalted by the beauty of Okorafor's prose.
Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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