Akata Warrior

by Nnedi Okorafor

Overview

The long-awaited sequel to the genre-breaking Akata Witch by multiple award-winner Nnedi Okorafor!

“The most imaginative, gripping, enchanting fantasy novels I have ever read!” —Laurie Halse Anderson, New York Times bestselling author of Speak

A year ago, Sunny Nwazue, an American-born girl Nigerian girl, was inducted into the secret Leopard Society. As she began to develop her magical powers, Sunny learned that she had been chosen to lead a dangerous mission to avert an apocalypse, brought about by the terrifying masquerade, Ekwensu. Now, stronger, feistier, and a bit older, Sunny is studying with her mentor Sugar Cream and struggling to unlock the secrets in her strange Nsibidi book.

Eventually, Sunny knows she must confront her destiny. With the support of her Leopard Society friends, Orlu, Chichi, and Sasha, and of her spirit face, Anyanwu, she will travel through worlds both visible and invisible to the mysteries town of Osisi, where she will fight a climactic battle to save humanity.

Much-honored Nnedi Okorafor, winner of the Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy awards, merges today’s Nigeria with a unique world she creates. Akata Warrior blends mythology, fantasy, history and magic into a compelling tale that will keep readers spellbound.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780142425855
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	10/16/2018
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	512
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 7.80(h) x 1.40(d)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Nnedi Okorafor is a novelist of African-based science fiction, fantasy, and magical realism for both children and adults. Born in the United States to Nigerian immigrant parents, Nnedi is known for weaving African culture into creative evocative settings and memorable characters. In a profile of Nnedi’s work, the New York Times called Nnedi’s imagination “stunning.” Nnedi has received the World Fantasy Award, the Hugo Award, and the Nebula Award, among others, for her novels. Her fans include Rick Riordan, John Green, Laurie Halse Anderson, and Ursula K. Le Guin among others.

Nnedi Okorafor holds a PhD in English and is a professor at SUNY Buffalo. She divides her time between Buffalo and the suburbs of Chicago, where she lives with her daughter. Learn more at nnedi.com or follow her on Twitter @nnedi.

Editorial Reviews

Okorafor invents wild, fantastical creatures and worlds, but she's got an even rarer gift, too: She can describe the effect of using magic—the emotional and physiological repercussions of it—so viscerally, it's as if it were a fever we'd contracted ourselves…What makes [Sunny] an irresistible character is that she's not just pure of heart, she's also a fiercely protective sister and a palpably real teenager…Okorafor describes Sunny's moments of anguish beautifully, as well as her feelings of kinship and wonder.

The New York Times Book Review - Jeff Giles

Praise for Akata Warrior:

★ "Okorafor’s novel will ensnare readers and keep them turning pages until the very end to see if and how Sunny fulfills the tremendous destiny that awaits her." —Booklist, starred review

★ "Akata Warrior swiftly synthesizes the lessons and knowledge of the first book into a heart-racing story of resilience and a determination to save the world. This title is a unique coming of age story, coupling the distinct experience of the cultural duality as both African and African-American with lessons of love, loyalty, and the pains of adolescent insecurities." —BCCB, starred review

★  "Don’t miss this beautifully written fantasy that seamlessly weaves inventive juju with contemporary Nigerian culture and history." —School Library Journal, starred review

"Satisfy fans eager for more of Okorafor’s signature brand of magic." —The Horn Book

"The narrative is well paced and multifaceted, taking the reader on a tour of both modern Nigeria and the mystical worlds of the Wilderness (sometimes simultaneously). Along the way, the reader is given a fascinating glimpse into Nigerian culture."  —VOYA

Raves for Nnedi Okorafor's writing: 

"There’s more imagination on a page of Nnedi Okorafor’s work than in whole volumes of ordinary fantasy epics." —Ursula K. Le Guin, award-winning author of A Wizard of Earthsea

“The most imaginative, gripping, enchanting fantasy novels I have ever read!” —Laurie Halse Anderson, National Book Award finalist and New York Times bestselling author of Speak

"I always loved science fiction, but I didn’t feel I was part of it—until I read first Octavia Butler, and now Nnedi Okorafor." —Whoopi Goldberg

"Highly original stuff, episode after amazing episode, full of color, life, and death. Nnedi Okorafor's work is wonderful!" —Diana Wynne Jones, award-winning author of The Chronicles of Chrestomanci

"Jam-packed with mythological wonders." —Rick Riordan, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series

"Okorafor's imagination is stunning." —The New York Times Book Review

"A marvelous and uplifting read, heartwarming in its portrayal of true friendship, heartbreaking in its portrayal of headstrong youth and the perils of pride." —Cory Doctorow, award-winning author of Little Brother

"The voice of Nnedi Okorafor does not obey the rules of distance, time, or place. Hers is the voice that fuses matter and imagination. She shows us just how close we are to that alternate reality." —Tchidi Chikere, Nigerian award-winning film director and screenwriter

From the Publisher

In this sequel to Akata Witch (Penguin Random House, 2011/Voya June 2011), the reader returns to the story of Sunny Nwazue. She is a thirteen-year-old Leopard Person who is sensitive to the workings of Juju and now must learn to control her powers as well as keep her secret safely hidden from the Lambs (non-magical people). She is also albino and must deal with the unique and sometimes precarious position people with albinism have in Nigerian society. As she continues her studies with her teacher, Sunny learns that things are not always as they seem, and that the consequences for the misuse of Juju can be serious. Furthermore, she must confront the fact that Ekwensu, a malevolent spirit, is trying to breach the barrier between the physical and spirit worlds in order to wreak havoc. Will Sunny stop this intrusion? What is the meaning behind the vision of a burning city that haunts her dreams? What is happening to Chukwu, her elder brother who is now starting college? Only time will tell. Although this is a sequel, the writer does an excellent job bringing the reader up to speed; as such, while this is intended to be read in sequence, it works as a standalone volume. Sunny is an appealing character, and the reader will relate to how she struggles to balance her life with her friends, her loyalty to her family, and her newfound duties as a Leopard Person. The narrative is well paced and multifaceted, taking the reader on a tour of both modern Nigeria and the mystical worlds of the Wilderness (sometimes simultaneously). Along the way, the reader is given a fascinating glimpse into Nigerian culture. The story deals with issues of self discovery, family duty, and risk taking. This book would be an excellent addition to high school libraries. Reviewer: Jonathan Ryder; Ages 15 to 18.

VOYA, December 2017 (Vol. 40, No. 5) - Jonathan Ryder

Akata Warrior is the wondrous sequel to Akata Witch. Sunny is one of the Leopard People, a mystical group with extraordinary capabilities. She is also a strong young girl who can beat all the boys in soccer, any time, any place. The story combines ancient African lore with modern Nigerian life to give a unique perspective that is often not shared or celebrated in our society. Every page is filled with vivid imagery and realistic characters who bring the story to life, as well as a fresh approach to storytelling. 5Q, 4P. Reviewer: Lucero Rios, Teen Reviewer; Ages 15 to 18.

VOYA, December 2017 (Vol. 40, No. 5) - Red Titanic

★ 09/01/2017
Gr 7 Up—Fans of Akata Witch will fall again for the wondrously intriguing fantasy world in modern-day Nigeria in this imaginative sequel. Ekwensu, the evil spirit that Sunny, now 13, and her leopard society friends defeated in the previous book has returned. He severs Sunny's connection to her spirit face Anyanwu, and without it, Sunny feels lost and unsure of herself. The fact that the severing did not kill her means that the vision that she saw a year ago of a fiery apocalypse may come true. The prevalence of oil spills caused by companies in the Niger Delta makes the threat of a massive fire all too real. To restore Sunny's spirit face, she and the others must find the giant spider spirit Udide, ask it to spin a flying grasscutter (a van-sized rodentlike creature) for them, then fly it to the city of Osisi in Lagos to prevent the world's end. The magic in Sunny's world is not always kind or gentle, and the punishment for breaking the rules can be brutal. This, alongside the novel's portrayal of contemporary Nigeria with its cuisine, multiethnic groups speaking many languages, economic inequality between social classes, and threats against albinos, will make readers believe that this magical world could really exist. The story has playful elements too, like Grashcoatah the grasscutter and Sunny's wasp artist. VERDICT Don't miss this beautifully written fantasy that seamlessly weaves inventive juju with contemporary Nigerian culture and history.—Sharon Rawlins, New Jersey State Library, Trenton

School Library Journal

2017-07-17
A soccer-loving, American-born Nigerian 13-year-old matures into her mystical powers.A few years after her Igbo parents brought their children to live in Nigeria (Akata Witch, 2011), Sunny Nwazue had learned she belonged to the mystical Leopard People. Now she alternates among regular school; Leopard training with her teacher, Sugar Cream; training with her magical alter ego spirit face; and hiding her secret life from her parents and brothers. Sunny is albino, though her magic has eliminated most disabling effects aside from a need to wear glasses. A superstitious bigot accuses Sunny (who does draw supernatural power from her albinism) of being a witch; as albino Nigerians suffer genuine harm from such accusations, the truth in this attack strikes a discordant note. The magic appears influenced by Igbo religious practices in Sunny's diverse Nigeria, populated by Muslims and Christians, where Sunny and her African-American and Nigerian friends learn magic and eat in Uzoma's Chinese Restaurant. Sunny's been having strange nightmares, possibly tied to new environmental disasters. An oracle explains that these dreams are prophetic and sends her and her friends to a magical city populated with spirits who chat on cellphones. Much like their magical world, it's "simultaneously ancient and modern West African." It's a hefty tome for a middle school read, but Sunny's an inviting character who keeps the pace moving. A charming adventure stocked with a house-sized spider, an Afro comb gifted by a goddess, and a giant flying rodent—one who loves hip-hop. (Fantasy. 11-14)

Kirkus Reviews