#african fantasy

[ya-world-challenge]

18 Afrofantasy Worlds to Read after you watch Wakanda Forever

So I see you guys love these lists and, hey, I’m not going to complain, I love looking at these sets of beautiful cover art. This theme is... Afro Fantasy Worlds! ♥♥ From alt-Cairo to alt-Johannesburg and many magical worlds in between, I’ve chosen 18 books full of African magic.

Add your favorites in the comments, too! I only ended up with two male MCs... that’s sadly a shortcoming in YA fantasy in general, although not every book here is YA.

Support my blog and read at the same time when you buy from the linked titles below, which go to Bookshop.org (where you support small bookshops, too!) Or get a free trial at Scribd for ebooks & audiobooks.

Beasts of Prey by Ayana Gray Fate binds two Black teenagers from different social classes together  as they strike a dangerous alliance to enter a magical jungle and hunt down the ancient creature menacing their home--and discover much more than they bargained for.

Daughters of Nri by Reni K. Amayo A gruesome war results in the old gods' departure from earth. The only remnants of their existence lie in two girls. Twins, separated at birth. Goddesses who grow up believing that they are human. Their epic journey of self-discovery as they embark on a path back to one another.

Everfair by Nisi Shawl A steampunk alternate-history novel set in the Belgian Congo. What if the African natives developed steam power ahead of their colonial oppressors? This land, named Everfair, is set aside as a safe haven, an imaginary Utopia for native populations of the Congo as well as escaped slaves returning from America and other places where African natives were being mistreated.

The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi A fantasy trilogy with its roots in the mythology of Africa and Arabia, three women band together against a cruel empire where castes are divided by the color of one's blood.

A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark A young magical detective in 1912 Cairo must investigate the murders of a secret brotherhood dedicated to one of the most famous men in history, al-Jahiz, when the murderer claims to be al-Jahiz himself returned to condemn the modern age for its social oppressions

Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko Tarisai was raised in isolation by a mysterious, often absent mother known only as The Lady. The Lady sends her to compete to be chosen as one of the Crown Prince's Council of 11. If she's picked, she'll be joined with the other Council members through the Ray, a bond deeper than blood. That closeness is irresistible to Tarisai, who has always wanted to belong somewhere. But The Lady has other ideas, including a magical wish that Tarisai is compelled to obey: Kill the Crown Prince once she gains his trust.

Kingdom of Souls by Rena Barron Heir to two lines of powerful witchdoctors, Arrah yearns for magic of her own. Under the disapproving eye of her mother, the Kingdom's most powerful priestess and seer, she fears she may never be good enough. But when the Kingdom's children begin to disappear, Arrah is desperate enough to turn to a forbidden, dangerous ritual.

Son of the Storm by Suyi Davies Okungbowa Danso is a clever scholar on the cusp of achieving greatness--except he doesn't want it. Instead, he prefers to chase forbidden stories about what lies outside the city walls. But when Danso stumbles across a warrior wielding magic that shouldn't exist, he's put on a collision course with Bassa's darkest secrets. Drawn into the city's hidden history, he sets out on a journey beyond its borders.

The Theft of Sunlight by Intisar Khanani Children have been disappearing from across Menaiya for longer than Amraeya ni Ansarim can remember. When her friend's sister is snatched, Rae knows she can't look away any longer. She finds unexpected support from a foreign princess and a street thief with secrets of his own.

Blood Scion by Deborah Falayei They wanted me to be a monster. I will be the worst monster they ever created. Fifteen-year-old Sloane can incinerate an enemy at will--she is a Scion, a descendant of the ancient Orisha gods. When she is forcibly conscripted into the Lucis army, Sloane sees a new opportunity: to overcome the bloody challenges of Lucis training, and destroy them from within.

Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen Simi prayed to the gods, once. Now she serves them as Mami Wata--a mermaid--collecting the souls of those who die at sea and blessing their journeys back home. But when a living boy is thrown overboard, Simi goes against an ancient decree and does the unthinkable--she saves his life. And punishment awaits those who dare to defy the gods.

The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna On the day of the blood ceremony of her village, Deka's blood runs gold, the color of impurity-and Deka knows she will face a consequence worse than death. Then a mysterious woman comes to her with a choice: stay in the village and submit to her fate, or leave to fight for the emperor in an army of girls just like her. They are called alaki-near-immortals with rare gifts. And they are the only ones who can stop the empire's greatest threat.

Zoo City by Lauren Beukes Set in a world where murderers and other criminals acquire magical animals that are mystically bonded to them. Zinzi has a Sloth on her back, a dirty 419 scam habit, and a talent for finding lost things. When a little old lady turns up dead and the cops confiscate her last paycheck, Zinzi's forced to take on her least favorite kind of job -- missing persons.

Noor by Nnedi Okorafor In a near-future Nigeria. Anwuli Okwudili prefers to be called AO, Artificial Organism. Instead of viewing her strange body the way the world views it, as freakish, unnatural, even the work of the devil, AO embraces all that she is: A woman with a ton of major and necessary body augmentations. And then one day she goes to her local market and everything goes wrong.

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope. Now Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.

A River of Royal Blood by Amanda Joy Sixteen-year-old Eva is a princess, born with the magick of marrow and blood--a dark and terrible magick that hasn't been seen for generations in the vibrant but fractured country of Myre. Its last known practitioner was Queen Raina, who toppled the native khimaer royalty and massacred thousands, including her own sister, eight generations ago. Eva must now face her older sister, Isa, in a battle to the death if she hopes to ascend to the Ivory Throne.

Changa’s Safari by Milton Davis In the 15th century on the African Continent a young prince flees his homeland of Kongo, vowing to seek revenge for the murder of his father and the enslavement of his family and his people. He triumphs over the slavery and the fighting pits of Mogadishu to become a legendary fighter and respected merchant.

Waking Fire by Jean Louise Naira Khoum has only known life in Lagusa, a quiet village at the desert’s end. But to the rest of the world, Lagusa is a myth, its location shrouded in secrecy. While war rages to the north led by power-hungry Sothpike and his army of undead monsters called Dambi, Naira’s people live in peace. Until the impossible happens—Lagusa is attacked by a Mistress sent to do Sothpike’s bidding with a hoard of Dambi under her control.

Bonus: Daughters of Oduma by Moses Ose Utomi An elite female fighter must reenter the competition to protect her found family of younger sisters in this scintillating young adult fantasy inspired by West African culture.

[blackfictional]

ch • ŋkani

a travelling mage and the main character of my story.

[howhow326]

For black history month, I think we should begin popularizing monsters from the African continent the same way European monsters are overpopularized. To that end, here's a list of some of the most famous folkloric figures from Africa!

Mmoatia

Origin: Ghana (Akan)

Creature it is not: Dwarf

(Singular: Aboatia) Mmoatia are a subclass of abosom (spirits in between Man and Creator) that live in the forests of Ghana. They are short, have curved noses, backwards feet, and a unique language made up of only whistling sounds. Whistling in the forest is a sure way to get their attention. According to legend, they are phenomenal herbalists that will sometimes share their knowledge with humans. When a person gets lost in the woods, they are said to have been taken by Mmoatia. Humans who come back after being taken will become incredible medicine men. In Ghana, Dust Devils are called "Mmoatia Mframa" (Wind of Mmoatia) because they are belived to be a portal to their world similar to how fairyrings are treated in Ireland.

Mmoatia are divided into three tribes: Black, White, and Red. Black Mmoatia are supposedly harmless, while White and Red ones are always up to some kind of mischief.

Adze

Origin: Ghana (Ewe)

Creature it is not: Vampire

In Ewe culture, the Adze is a type of demonic spirit associated with witchcraft. They take the form of a fire fly that, during the night, crawls inside human beings in order to posses them. People possesd by the Adze are said to be witches, who use the spirit to slowly drain the life force of people that they envy (Old witches target the young, Poor witches target the wealthy, enslaved witches target their masters as they should).

When targeting a person, the Adze will leave it's host human during the night and crawl into the house of the victim. When it's close, it will drain blood from the victim like a mosquito.

Werehyena

Origin: Pan-African

Creature it is not: Werewolf

Just like how there are Werewolf stories all over Europe, there are Werehyena stories all over Africa. Compared to werewolves, which are said to be men cursed to be monsters, Werehyenas are actually monsters that disguise themselves as humans only to eat it's friends during the night. The people most likely to be werehyenas are village outsiders and blacksmiths, who are associated with magic.

In Angola, there is a similar (but not the same) creature to the werehyena called the Kishi. It is literally a two-faced demon that has a handsome man's body and face in the front, and a hyena's face in the back. This creature lures unsuspecting women into relationships so that it may eat them. If the Kishi has any male children with it's prey, it teaches them the art of femicide.

Mami Wata

Origin: Pan-African

Creature it is not: Mermaid (ok, it kinda is a mermaid but I need to keep the joke running)

Even more wide-spread than the Werehyena, Mami Wata is a figure so popular that it is common for water spirits in Africa to be retroactively labeld as Mami Wata and take on her iconography.

The most famous picture of Mami Wata is actually a french painting of a black Caribbean snake charmer, who west africans later identified as Her. Mami Wata is worshipped as a powerful, female river spirit that controls the flow of the river, the rate at which fish can be caught, the money that men can make, and several other things important to humanity. She is also said to be a seductress, who sleeps with unsuspecting men only to later kill them for cheating on their wives. Indeed, Mami Wata is a defender of women and a slayer of sinful and abusive men.

In many places, it is common to believe that women who drown or go missing in bodies of water were taken by Mami Wata to be taught magic. The women who return become pristessess to her, while the women who never come back become new Mami Watas.

Impundulu

Origin: South Africa (Zulu)

Creature it is not: Thunderbird (no hate, Thunderbird gets constantly thrown into things where it shouldn't be by people who don't understand it. And those people tend to be not native)

Impundulu, or Lightning Bird (NOT THUNDER BIRD), is a person sized Hamerkop bird that has the power to control the weather and summon lightning. It is also creature of evil magic, allied with witches and it has a never ending hunger for blood. It is said to sometimes take the form of a handsom young men in order to seduce women (why dose that keep happening).

Impundulu are immortal, and the ones that serve as witch familiars are passed down in the family as the old master dies and the child becomes grown. The bird is immune to gunshots, stabbing, drowning, and poison. It's only weakness is fire.

[hadesoftheladies]

So I’ve been working on an epic fantasy series for the past four years, and this JK Rowling thing has honestly made it real for me.

I’m trying to break into a male/white-dominated genre as a black, feminist woman. Whatever few advantages I do have (my voice, perspective and style being unique as an East African for example, or getting special spotlight from liberals who want to “celebrate poc authors” just because they’re poc) are thrown into complete uncertainty because of my beliefs.

For one, I’m a radical feminist. So I’ve already pissed off white liberals and white conservatives, which, let’s be honest, are the largest contributors and consumers to and in the fantasy sphere. Looking at what’s happening to Rowling and even Chimamamanda, I have no confidence people will be normal about my beliefs. For example, everytime I criticize gender, even online, white liberals accuse me of being pro-colonialism and imperialism, despite me literally growing up in a neocolonial state, having a national independence the same age as my dad, and having grandmothers and grandfathers who were slaves, and the children of people thrown into concentration camps. I’m talked over by white liberals and the moment they can successfully label me a terf, I’m successfully censored as a small artist and critic of oppressive systems. They are so willing to put down pocs that don’t agree with every little thought because their anti-racism has been solely performative.

And I am a feminist, which is high on the list of “most likely to piss off white man.” The increase of anti-woman propaganda, the increase of violence in that propaganda, the virtual and social “witch-hunting and burning”, the insane vitriol spewing from the mouths of men who only wanted a socially acceptable target to spill all their hate on: Brie Larson, Amber Heard, Joanne Rowling, and all sorts of female artists and professionals.

And what about my gay/lesbian/bisexual/transsexual characters and complex egalitarian/matriarchal societies? My books would be banned by my own government to the jubilation and relief of its majority Christian and Muslim population. In East Africa, homophobia is on the up and up. So what I’m looking at is virtually no support.

Unless I keep quiet about everything I believe about the world and myself. But how do you do that? How do you tell yourself “I’ll set aside the very urgent activism that needs to be done for the sake of profit?” How do you feign silence on the oppressed communities and the mistreatment of their humanity? For profit? It would be like cutting off my arm.

But I can’t not make my art. And I can’t not give it. And I can’t not live my life according to what I believe. I am passionate about justice and social change as I am passionate about my craft. How can I give either of them up?

Anyway, I’m gonna do it. Of course. Sales be damned. I doubt I’ll go with a pseudonym, because my books are mine, and my ethnic name is a rarity and victory in itself in the genre. I can’t give that up. I’ll have to be strategic but I have to live my life independent of the world’s regression. How else am I supposed to create a sanctuary for myself and other’s like me? I cannot wait for oppressors to grow a conscience.

Nevertheless, I’m gonna have a lot of banned books and in just my 20s! The amount of censorship will render me a literature outlaw all over the world! :)))) If I ever get a Wikipedia page, it’s going to be hella exciting and one helluva cautionary tale.

[mask131]

Fantasy throughout the world

On top of having an article centered around the French fantasy specifically, the "Modern Success" issue of the BNF Fantasy series also has an article (again written by Anne Besson) covering the topic of "Fantasy throughout the world". Here is, once again, a rough translation by your humble servant:

While heavily dominated by an English-speaking production, fantasy literature found its place in numerous European countries, and managed to cross several continents.

Born in England, grown in parallel on the two sides of the Atlantic oceans, and becoming a mass-phenomenon in the United-States, fantasy is without a doubt an anglophone genre. Even today the fantasy market has a MASSIVE unbalance, and the modern fantasy successes prove that the mondialization of the imaginations is dominated by the cultural superpower of the USA. But ever since the 1970s, as the translations of Tolkien spread across the world and role-playing games conquered the heart of teenagers, "native fantasies" started to appear in various European languages.

German fantasy is a good example of one of those "local takes" - it does help that Germany has a literary background including the Romantic movement, and the brothers Grimm fairytales. After the enormous success of Michael Ende's Never-Ending Story in 1979, the German fantasy did not stop. Many successful authors appeared. Wolfgang Hohlbein gained an internal fame, with his 1982 Märchenmond or his 1999's Chronicles of the Immortals. Cornelia Funke was a famous German youth author, with her trilogy "Inkworld" in 2003. Kai Meyer reworked Germanic legends in his 1998's Loreley or his 2001's Nibelungengold. Walter Moers created the continent of Zamonia, and popularized the character of Captain Blue-Bear (hero of a 1993's children television show, of two novels, and of a 1999's movie).

But very often, international fame only latches on one specific author that is well-known outside of their country's frontiers. In Poland, this author would be Andrzej Sapkowski with his 1986's Witcher series, adapted in 2007 as a video game, and in 2019 as a television series). In Spain, it would be Javier Negrete with his 2003's Tramorea.

Crossing the continents, it becomes very tempting to mix together the magic of fantasy literature with specifically cultural supernatural domains - the Hindu pantheon, the Chinese ghost stories, the kami and the yokai of Japan, the witchcraft of Africa or the Caribbean Isles...

South-America is rich of a literary tradition that in France we compare to our own "fantastique": the short stories of Argentina's authors Jose Luis Borges or Adolfo Bioy Casares in the 40s, the magical realism of Alejo Carpentier in Cuba (The Century of Lights, 1962), of Gabriel Garcia Marquez in Columbia (A Hundred Years of Solitude, 1967) or Carlos Fuenta in Mexico (Terra Nostra, 1975).

On the side of the African continent, The Road of Hunger, in 1991, by Nigerian author Ben Okri, is also part of this more "legitimate" current, a form of fantasy much closer to "general literature", but there is a new African generation, dominated by English-speaking women (Nnedi Okorakor, Nisi Shaw, Lauren Beukes) that fully appropriate and absorb the fantasy genre.

Up until a very recent date, it was considered more respectful to not assimilate these works, born of very different cultures, with a genre that is both modern and Anglo-Saxon. However, the numeric world and the mondialized economy have today destroyed a lot of cultural frontiers, and today we assist to a true "meeting of the imaginations" mixing various cultures together. The author of this article mentions as an example several works coming from East-Asia: the Japanese manga Full Metal Alchemist by Arakawa Hirowu, the other Japanese manga Witch Hat Atelier, or the Sino-American movie The Great Wall (2016).

[mediamatinees]

The Soaring Heights and Devastating Lows of "Children of Blood and Bone"

Grab your staff and bone dagger. Today, we follow Zélie, Tzain, and Amari to freedom in "Children of Blood and Bone"!

Content Warning: Children of Blood and Bone contains graphic violence, mentions of sexual violence, fictional slurs, mentions of enslavement, and various other forms of bigotry. This is a “Chose One” story about ending genocide, so even though it’s written in an amazing way, it’s still very heavy. Reader discretion is advised. Minor spoilers for Children of Blood and Bone ahead! This review is…

[noahhawthorneauthor]

*closes book, leans back and steeples fingers. Exhales*

That was a villain origin story.

[kempbell]

Auroras In the Dessert (A short story)

Her mind was blank.  The thundering of a thousand drums filled her ears, snapping her back to lucidity like the jolt of a fall in a dream. Her eyes darted around her surroundings and she realized she was in some sort of an arena, magnificent and monumental. Around the stage, a dozen torches flared brightly between giant sculptures of clasped hands tightly contorted as if in desperate prayer. The scene was beautiful but unsettling, like a dozen suns rebelling under the sky of the starry night. The crowd in the stands seemed unimpressed. Almost judging. No cheering or clapping filled the air, only drums. Where was she? In fact, what was her name? Her entire life was like a word dancing on the tip of her tongue, and just before she had time to snatch it back into reach, a flash of pain cracked across her ribs.

Pain lanced through her torso like forking lightning as the true reality of the situation quickly began to set in. She was in the center of an arena. That meant she was in the middle of a fight. She used her staff to block the clap of her opponent’s and ducked to the side, creating distance. The drumming continued. Her eyes studied her opponent- a boy she instinctively deduced was about her age. They locked eyes and dancing in his gaze she caught a glimpse of emotions that felt uncomfortably familiar; ambition, confusion and most importantly- fear. 

Seeing an opening, she charged- her staff a blur of motion. He fell quickly. The girl suppressed a smile, caught off guard by the sudden feeling of glee blossoming in her chest. That's it, she realized as she stood over the body of her fallen opponent. Whoever she was, this is what she was good at. The girl looked up. The crowd didn't cheer. In fact, they didn't even seem to be looking at her at all. Their eyes were all on the boy standing a few meters ahead of her, the boy she had just knocked down. The girl took a step back in disbelief, then looked back down at the body at her feet. It was already starting to fade away like the memory of a dream upon waking. What she had mistaken for a mouth became just another line in the sand, his eyes another chip in the ground, and the dark outline of a head a mere trick of the light. Her heart sank. It had been a mirage.

The girl immediately threw up defensive walls around her subconscious, clearing her thoughts, avoiding eye contact, and sensing for any intruders. As her mind raced, she quickly tried to Apiece things together. Whatever this was, it was most likely not a fight to the death. If it had been, they would have been given spears, not staves. The rhythm of the drums didn't seem upbeat; instead, the djembes sounded almost ceremonial. And judging by the lack of cheers and the expressions on the faces of the people in the crowd, she began to doubt this was even a gladiatorial fight at all. She charged forward with a violent flurry of blows, risking an attack to her shin. Then she leaped back, giving herself more space to think. She gazed up toward the crowd one more time and locked eyes with a regal, crowned figure sitting on the golden throne beneath the banner of the purple eye- the mark of the Ecclesiarchy. The praying hands, the torches, the djembes- it all clicked. She was in a fighting ceremony. She wasn't here to entertain, she was here to be judged. But on what grounds? The drumming stopped.

The battlefield became bathed in an ethereal purple glow as the auroras began to shine. Otherworldly streams of pink, green and blue, twisted above, shifting amongst the stars like ghost dancers in the sky. The night had just begun.

Her opponent stopped attacking. The crowd fell silent. All eyes were on him. He took a deep breath and stepped forward, as if trying to carefully calculate exactly what to say.

“Courage,” he said.

The word hung in the air, like a challenge. The girl froze for a moment, confused at the sudden silence of the night, and then her world very quickly began to fall apart. 

I Fear ravaged her as the thundering of the drums began again rising, rolling, roaring like the panicked heartbeats of a thousand dying men. Her breathing became shallow as all of her training, muscle memory and instincts slipped out of her fingers like a tight rope out of her reach. She could barely hear the drums amidst the hammering of her own chest. The girl had nowhere to run. Which meant she had to fight. She grabbed her staff with trembling hands and slowly started to circle her opponent.

Luckily, he seemed just as scared as she was, if not even more so. Slowly piecing things together, she realized that they were in the same boat. For some reason, all of her courage had vanished, and it seemed that the rules of this game dictated that whatever her opponent took from her, he also had taken from himself. This explained the loss of her memories, and the confusion she found in his eyes the first time they clashed. Although for whatever reason, it seemed that he was gaining back his memories quicker than she was. He struck again and she started to hold her ground. Struggling, but learning to read his attacks. Instinctively searching for weaknesses. He seemed to favor his left. The girl applied pressure and their struggle intensified, the snapping of their staves cracking through the arena. The boy briefly withdrew, then jumped back and threw his left arm forward. A swarm of bats materialized and torrented towards the girl, but she blinked them away like the nuisance they were. She would not be fooled again. She charged forward, and they seemed evenly matched. Too evenly matched for her liking. The drumming stopped. It was her move.

She needed to think carefully. After all, whatever she took from him she would also have taken from herself. She walked forward and summoning energy from a place she forgot even existed, snapped her staff in half across her knees. She felt fire in her veins. The girl closed her eyes, focused on the connections she wanted to sever from her opponent’s subconscious, and took a deep breath. “The left arm,” she said.

Her arm fell limp by her side. And judging by the look of it, his did too.

II The loss of her opponent's dominant arm had put him at a severe disadvantage, and the loss of his courage from the previous move only amplified that fact. Realizing he wouldn’t be able to wield a full staff with only one hand, the boy dropped his weapon and hit the girl with a full force mirage. His touch was not subtle, but this was Nithemelinde. A place where temples were built to knowledge, philosophers worshiped like gods and rival chiefs assassinated for simply having a different world view. Subtlety died in the desert. At least she remembered that much.

Her opponent split into two and charged at her. Fighting back her rising fear, the girl closed her eyes and listened. No footsteps. She heard a shuffling in the sand behind her and swung to defend an incoming attack- he had used the distraction to pick up the other half of her broken staff. The more they fought and the more distant things started to fade back into her memory, the less the events that had happened started to make sense. If it had been his move after she came to, and the turns alternated, that meant she was the one that had chosen to take their memories. But why would she have wiped her own so thoroughly, but barely scratched the surface of his? What tactical advantage would that have given her? Or what secrets was she trying to protect? Their fighting intensified again, and they still seemed so evenly matched. Now this made no sense whatsoever. They were evenly matched before but now he wasn’t even using his dominant hand. It was like she was fighting her own reflection. The drumming stopped.

Her opponent stopped attacking her, took a step back and smiled. He turned his head to his side as if prompting her to follow his gaze. She followed his eyes and landed on a boy standing a few meters to the side of her, the boy she had just been fighting. The girl took a step back in disbelief, then looked back at the person in front of her. He was already starting to fade away like the memory of a dream upon waking. A terrible feeling of deja vu gripped at her chest. He hadn’t moved an inch. The girl felt like an animal trapped in an imaginary cage- a helpless child stuck in an unending dream. She was being toyed with. She needed to take back control but what could she trust when all of her senses were being lied to? The rushing of her panicked thoughts were like the silent prayers of the statues that surrounded her, falling on deaf ears. The light of the auroras bathed them all. Twisting. Shifting, like the sands.

“Coordination,” the boy said.

And the girl began to count.

III 30. Something felt off. Her opponent rushed her, and she tried to bring up her right arm to defend his attack. But nothing happened. The face of his staff connected with her jaw, threatening to rip it clean from her skull. She crashed to the ground in a flash of agony and disorientation and struggled to get up. That definitely felt real. 20. Her opponent seized the opening, jumping on top of her and unleashing a flurry of blows. She moved to push him off, but nothing seemed to work correctly. She kicked and screamed, the frightened animal within her now desperately praying for the comfort of that cage. She kicked again. Something strange happened instead. She made an effort to move her right foot, and felt her left draw a line in the sand. She tried her right arm. Nothing. She tried her left- the arm that she had disabled in her previous move- and her right arm flailed violently. The boy forced his fist into her nose. The tides of the game had just been turned drastically against her favor. 15. Getting the hang of things, she started to frantically fight back and defend her now bloodied face. If her plan was to work, she had to convincingly make him think he was winning, but she couldn't get herself killed in the process. She would need to cut this close. 10. Judging by the events of this battle, it seemed her opponent wouldn't risk direct conflict unless he absolutely believed he had the upper hand. 5. She was starting to lose consciousness. 4. But she had to be sure this wasn't an illusion. 3. Her world felt like it was on fire. 2. Agony. 1. The drumming stopped. “Eyes.” She spluttered, cutting off his ability to cast illusions, and then rolled him over, putting her knees on both of his arms and hand on his throat. She squeezed. Her grip tightened as she squeezed through tears, drops of blood falling from her nose. He writhed violently. The ground beneath her was alive with movement. And then it wasn’t. She let go.

— The arena echoed with thunderous applause. She couldn't see, but it appeared that whatever this game was testing her on, she had passed. She looked around blindly, her sightless eyes searching for the source of the sound. Approaching footsteps filled her ears.

“Congratulations. You have passed the Ere Aye. I admit, your approach was a little violent for my tastes but the rules are the rules. You’re free to graduate,” The voice was regal. Refined. But reluctant, “as the rules dictate, you can have the honors of consummating your victory.” A knife was placed into her hand. Without hesitating, the girl brought the blade to her former opponent's throat, fighting to hide the glee tugging at the corner of her mouth as she did so. She might’ve been in civilized company now, but she wouldn't risk having him rifling through her brain ever again. Then everything came back.

Like the sight that returned to her vision, under the light of her memories everything became clear. She had just completed the Ere Aye- the game of dreams. The examination that every graduating mageling was required to pass before attaining the rank of Orisha and the examination that was judged by the Queen of the Akaye herself. But none of that mattered. That wasn't why she was really here. Her mission had been risky and wiping her own memories to avoid detection had been a drastic but necessary move. Now, as her memories came flooding back, she understood why she had to have done it. Of course she didn't have a name. She didn't need one. She was the sharp spearhead at the tip of a philosophy, the blade that carved an idea into the minds of the masses. She was an assassin. With the enemy Queen in sight, she gripped her blade with both hands, took a deep breath. And charged.

[doktorno83]

Illustration

By NGArt7

Source: https://www.deviantart.com/ngart7/art/Illustration-965784634

[gollancz]

ICYMI - earlier this month we paired with Brittle Paper to reveal our gorgeous cover for SHIGIDI!

The digital version is coming in August, with our beautiful hardback following in early 2024.

[goldenmuseart]

Here’s another of my original characters, Husani. He’s an illusionary master. From the same African fantasy project I’m working on. More characters to come eventually!

[ya-world-challenge]

South African Urban Fantasy/Sci-fi YA Books

Wonderful demon-fighting and dystopian stories from the tip of the African continent! Includes Botswana, Lesotho, and South Africa, zombies and sloths, gangsters and archangels, and more.

Zoo City, Lauren Beukes Sister-Sister, Rachel Zadok Crooks & Straights, Masha du Toit Azanian Bridges, Nick Wood Deadlands, Lily Herne The Dead City Blues, Yelena Calavera Devilskein & Dearlove, Alex Smith Called by the Blessed, Jali Henry Apocalypse Now Now, Charlie Human Entwined, Cheryl S. Ntumy Charm, Cat Hellisen

[blackfictional]

ch • bini

born into a family of jewellery makers and gem cutters, she is ambitious and will inherit her parents workshop.

[bookishbichic]

The Lies of The Ajungo by Moses Ose Utomi

#Booksworthreading This was one book i enjoyed reading. I can't wait to have a physical copy in my hands. 10 toes down i recommend this. 96 pages that packs a punch!

Summary ( From Good reads): They say there is no water in the City of Lies. They say there are no heroes in the City of Lies. They say there are no friends beyond the City of Lies. But would you believe what they say in the City of Lies?In the City of Lies, they cut out your tongue when you turn thirteen, to appease the terrifying Ajungo Empire and make sure it continues sending water. Tutu will…

[howhow326]

Ijimere, Yoruba forest spirits

So some random Tumblr post had the audacity to mention Ijimere without elaborating on what they are, so I decided to do actual research and make this. You are welcome.

Ijimere, which is the Yoruba name for Patas monkeys, are a sacred animal that has several connections to the supernatural. According to Yoruba legends, the first Ijimere was a legendary hunter loyal to the orisha Orunmila. However, the hunter betrayed Orunmila's trust which resulted in him being cursed by the orisha to be a monkey. Despite the curse, Ijimere had higher intelligence compared to the other animals, thus giving them the title "Ijimere bara obo" (Metaphorically: Top among peers. Literally: Patas monkey top of all monkeys).

According to another legend, hunters who die in the forest reincarnate as Ijimere, who watch over the forest and have the ability to travel between the living world and afterlife at will. To this day, Ijimere are still seen as a symbol of wisdom in Yorubaland.

All in all, I think Ijimere are quite similar to other "magic animals" like cat fairy's from Ireland and Kitsune from Japan :)

Source:

[yaworldchallenge]

🇱🇸 Lesotho

Region: Southern Africa

Called by the Blessed

Author: Jali Henry

352 pages, published 2020

Original language: English

Native author? Yes

Age: Teen

Blurb:

If she fails, her sisters will die, demons will take over the world and she’ll get trapped in Hell for eternity, so no pressure then… Impoverished orphan Naledi struggles to raise her younger sisters in rural Africa. Her life already sucks but when she manifests the rare ability to open portals through time and space, her life gets a whole lot more complicated. Will learning to harness her powers piss off God and land her in Hell? Now a couple of archangels want Naledi to use her powers to spy on Hell and stop a demon Armageddon. Spies who are caught on earth get tortured, so imagine how badly spies who are caught in actual Hell get tortured… If you love feisty heroines, gut-wrenching emotion, sweet romance and explosive endings, you’ll love this book.

Other reps: #christian (mythology)

Genres: #fantasy, contemporary #magic #romance #adventure #mythology

My thoughts:

An angel-demon urban fantasy in South Africa? Sweet.

Review to come.

 Kobo ebook