KN Reads: Zahrah the Windseeker by Nnedi Okorafor

Imagine a child born with vines in her hair. From that first imagery I was hooked, and Zahrah the Windseeker by Nnedi Okorafor did not let me down. It’s an imaginative, bright, and addictive story. I read it in one sitting, eyes wide, and I recommend you do the same. (Usually I leave the recommendation to the end, but it’s too important today.)

Zahrah is born into the Ooni Kingdom in a community that fears difference and, as a result, eyes her unusual hair with suspicion. With the vines in her hair (called dadalocks) and difference marking her apart, Zahrah still fears the unknown as much as any of those around her, so walking into the Forbidden Greeny Forest to save her best friend Dari is almost beyond her.

Yet she does. She gathers up her nerves and ignores her own terror for the sake of her friend, and in doing so she discovers much about herself.

This coming-of-age story is satisfying and emotionally rewarding. Zahrah is not a simple character, but neither does she allow events to shape her. She shapes herself in the face of adversity and learns how much power a Windseeker can have as she abandons her preconceptions. She is loyal, fierce, and smart. A protagonist I look for in every book I read, but rarely find in a believable guise.

If the fascinating plot and compelling characters aren’t enough for you, well, how about those computers grown from seeds? The wise and dangerous creatures in the market who tell your fate? The buildings that are planted instead of constructed?

In 2016 I’m making an active effort to read more books written by and featuring people of colour, especially in my favourite genres of sci-fi and fantasy. Zahrah the Windseeker came to me through my hunt for more diverse fiction, and I’m glad it did since I will now be reading everything Nnedi Okorafor has ever written. It’s a quick read but it’s one that’s stuck with me and out of the twenty-two books I’ve read so far this year, this one is by far my favourite.

So yes, I recommend you read it.

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My rating: 5/5

Goodreads average rating: 4.09

See it on Goodreads, or buy it on Amazon (UK, Canada, USA).

KN Reads: Empire Ascendant by Kameron Hurley

Empire Ascendant

by Kameron Hurley

There is something about picking up the second in a series. You already know you like the concept or you wouldn’t bother to continue, but this time it’s different. The story has to hold up not only to its internal standard but to your memories of the first book and it takes a skilled author to manage that. Luckily Kameron Hurley counts as a skilled author and in Empire Ascendant she unravels the story into something even bigger without once dropping the thread.

For you poor souls who haven’t picked up the first of the Worldbreaker series (The Mirror Empire), it is set in a multiverse where the worlds are dominated by stars in the sky that switch and change over time. Each one brings changes with its ascent and each one gives power to a certain group of people. When the most destructive and rarest star, Oma, begins its ascent the worlds are drawn closer together and the barriers grow thin. Those in dying worlds begin their attempt to conquer another to keep their kind going past all odds. Through a select group of varied characters we are shown through the complexities of war and loyalty from people trying to achieve their conflicting goals.

That’s what sets this book apart: complexity. Whether you’re talking about the unusual gender constructs between the different cultures or about the many motivations for slaughter and mercy, Empire Ascendant has you covered. Nothing is dumbed down. No morality is considered superior to another; they merely exist and are portrayed through the struggles of characters that cannot truly be taken as good or bad.

In other words, it feels real. Even with the stars and the magic and the windows between worlds, the characters are believable, though they are not comfortable.

Take Zezili. By far the most interesting character in the books so far, she is a horrible person. She abuses her husband in her chauvinistic entitlement. She is sexist to the lesser gender of men (brutally portrayed as weak in her culture, and even forced into girdles to keep their narrow hips). She has slaughtered countless slaves and others with no qualms. Yet although you may not agree with her methods, you understand her reasoning and want her to survive. Though I would hate to meet her down a dark alley she is an excellent mirror into a person twisted by circumstance and privilege.

Zezili and her husband twist ordinary fantasy sexism on its head. With a strong, violent wife and a weak, submissive husband it would be easy within the context of our culture to play them for laughs, but Kameron Hurley never does. The characters are not caricatures. They have motivations and conflict within themselves and are both doing the best they can in a rigid gendered society.

Though some people have decried the first book as sexist I believe that’s too narrow a view. Nothing in these books is given a moral judgment; it is portrayed as it would be in reality, often giving you some insight into how we in our own world view gender without shoving it too far down your throat. It’s a fascinating way to get new viewpoints across and never in my life would I have thought a gender neutral character might get hir own chapters. It is refreshing and should be celebrated, especially when it is done so well.

Usually I would have problems keeping up with so many characters; like A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin the chapters switch between characters and cities and worlds, but it’s never hard to follow. It is always a smooth transition even with the added characters of the second book. If you’re a fan of intense fantasy with an impressive death toll, Empire Ascendant by Kameron Hurley is the book for you.  Good news! It’s out in October, so preorder it now.

Review: Paladin by Sally Slater

Paladin by Sally Slater

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There’s something different about Sam of Haywood, trainee to the Paladins. Though as brash and skilled as the rest of the recruits, Sam has a secret. She is the daughter of a Duke determined to make her way as a warrior in a world full of demons.

The book opens on a tragedy which scars Sam for the rest of the story and spurs her to action. She is to be trained by Paladin Lyons alongside another recruit, a half-demon named Braedon. Sent out of the camp on a new mission, they bond and grow stronger on their journey.

Sam is one of those rare characters who knows her own mind and won’t back down, not ever, not even when it’s in her best interests. There is always the risk with gender-bending stories like this that the woman will give in after the battle is over and go back to being a wife or a girlfriend or something other than herself, defined by her relationship with men. Yet although many of the characters of this story are men, Sam is not defined by them. Even romance does not make her lose her independence.

There’s a thousand things I enjoyed about this book. It was an easy read and addictive too. I could not wait to find out what happened next and though there was one particular plot point that was obvious long before it twisted, there were satisfying and unexpected ones along the way.

The best thing about this is book is the way the relationships are handled. Without giving too much away, Sam gets entangled with someone who could do her harm and yet it reads more like a Black-Widow-and-Hulk than your generic Twilight romance. Yes, there’s a risk involved, but Sam can handle herself and makes sure everyone knows it. A lot.

Sam of Haywood deserves a place in the zeitgeist as one of the best characters around. The only reason I haven’t rated this as five stars is because the ending drags its feet too much but it didn’t take away from the quality of the story as a whole.

If you’re a fan of well-written and fun fantasy books with believable and interesting characters, give Paladin a try.

View all my reviews