Shadow Speaker

As a big fan Nnedi Okorafor's Who Fears Death and The Book of Phoenix, when I found out that a new edition of the out-of-print Shadow Speaker would be published by Daw Books, I immediately requested a review copy. In my excitement, I forgot that the bulk of the author's early career years were spent writing YA material. And having been written a few years before the aforementioned novels, this one is another YA offering.

As such, other than the Africanfuturism setting and some Africanjujuism elements, Shadow Speaker is more akin to Binti than to Who Fears Death or The Book of Phoenix. Nothing wrong with that, of course. Yet your mileage will vary based on your expectations. If, like me, you're expecting an adult SFF work, chances are you might be disappointed. Had I known that it was a YA book, I still would have read it. But I would have gone into it with a different set of expectations and might have enjoyed it more in the end.

Here's the blurb:

Deluxe, expanded edition of an out-of-print early novel from Africanfuturist luminary Nnedi Okorafor, with a brand-new introduction from the author.

Niger, West Africa, 2074

It is an era of tainted technology and mysterious mysticism. A great change has happened all over the planet, and the laws of physics aren’t what they used to be.

Within all this, I introduce you to Ejii Ugabe, a child of the worst type of politician. Back when she was nine years old, she was there as her father met his end. Don’t waste your tears on him: this girl’s father would throw anyone under a bus to gain power. He was a cruel, cruel man, but even so, Ejii did not rejoice at his departure from the world. Children are still learning that some people don’t deserve their love.

Now 15 years old and manifesting the abilities given to her by the strange Earth, Ejii decides to go after the killer of her father. Is it for revenge or something else? You will have to find out by reading this book.

I am the Desert Magician, and this is a novel I have conjured for you, so I’m certainly not going to just tell you here.

I haven't read the original version of Shadow Speaker, so it's unclear how much work the author put into this revised edition. It wasn't rewritten from the ground up, that's for sure. Indeed, it's the work of a much less mature Nnedi Okorafor and it shows. She explores many of the themes that will be at the heart of her future novels and short fiction, and the post-apocalyptic African environment is another fixture she will learn to refine and end up calling Africanfuturism. Unfortunately, though you can definitely catch glimpses of the talented writer she will become, Shadow Speaker is a black and white YA tale that doesn't resound with much depth.

The worldbuilding leaves a little to be desired. There are some cool concepts, especially the peace bombs and the Change and its aftermath. Problem is, those ideas are seldom developped adequately. I would have liked to discover more about the war that engendered the Change. The same goes for the various worlds that are now connected together. More information regarding the various metahumans and their powers would also have been appreciated. Many of the concepts Okorafor introduces are fascinating, yet she spends very little time elaborating on them and that impacts the overall reading experience in negative fashion.

As the title implies, Ejii is a shadow speaker. Her eyes are different than regular people and her special abilities allow her to talk to shadows. She's the child of two tribal leaders in her community. Her father is a Muslim fundamentalist and her mother a more compassionate and moderate woman. When her father is killed for abusing his power, the faction that supported him somewhat ostracize Ejii. Like Binti, Ejii is an engaging protagonist and Okorafor did a good job making readers feel her pain/loss at leaving her family and friends behind as she embarks on a quest to avert a war that could mean the end of everything. Still, the characterization is definitely subpar compared to that of Who Fears Death or The Book of Phoenix. Onyesonwu was brazen, confused, and alienated, which meant that it wasn't always easy to follow the first-person narrative of such a bitter, mad, and ambivalent teen girl. Although no less complex and three-dimensional, Phoenix was a much easier protagonist to root for. As an accelerated woman, in many respects she was but a child in an adult's body. But that child was forced to grow up fast and face truths that would change her life. Ejii, for all of her teenage angst, can't hold a candle to either of them. Dikéogu, the second main character, is even worse in that regard. The rest of the supporting cast, with the exception of Jaa, Buji, and Gambo, are more or less forgettable. Again, a little more depth would have gone a long way.

Weighing in at 325 pages, Shadow Speaker is a relatively short novel. Still, the pace can be an issue at times. Though the narrative flows well for the better part of the novel, the rhythm can occasionally be sluggish, especially when Ejii and her traveling companions first depart on their quest. This is nothing new, as most travelogue portions of Okorafor's past works suffer from the same shortcoming.

The endgame failed to elevate this book to another level and the somewhat lackluster ending offered little in the way of resolution. Not sure if the original ending was the same, or if it was altered because there is now a sequel about to be released. I'm currently reading Like Thunder, and it appears to be a better read. Time will tell if Nnedi Okorafor can up her game and bring the Desert Magician's duology up to par with her best works.

The final verdict: 6.75/10

For more info about this title, check out this Amazon Associate link.