The first Binti novella is a fun, fast-paced sci-fi adventure and a good beginning. I'm sad to say that I didn't really enjoy the continuation of this series as much as the opener. I'm not really sure what it was, exactly, except that I didn't like the way Binti was constantly getting berated by people — especially by people who were supposed to be on her side!

I enjoyed the wrap-up of the novella, but man, it was a slog to get there. As I try to pick apart what I didn't like, I think it's maybe a point-of-view issue? Binti keeps telling the reader things that she believes are true but we never see them in action. She talks about how close she is to her family but they belittle her constantly on page until she literally dies, she talks about how much she loves Oomza Uni but we never see her have a good time there — to the contrary, we see her being harassed there instead. Which is more an artifact of the novella format than anything, but when all the important moments that have to be on-page instead of just alluded to are traumatic, it just kind of adds up to a trauma parade. I wish I liked the series more, because I know so many people who love it! It's definitely very cinematic; maybe it would make more sense to me on a screen.

I. ADORE. this trilogy. Holy cow. I cannot recommend the omnibus enough.

A story full of compassion, coping, and deeply human emotions, Binti explores themes of trauma and its healing, family values and obligations, cultural norms and memory, barbarism versus civility, racial and ethnic prejudices, woman and personhood, and many more—all in the context of a space-based science fiction that feels like fantasy.

Binti is such an incredible heroine. She is whip-smart and has to balance how her values are confronted at every turn in her journey, which makes for compelling stakes and obstacles. Her relationship with her family, friends, mentors, and strangers sets up problems at every turn that she has to learn to deal with (on her own, she feels), and as such, the reader cannot help but love her.

My favorite was the "Sacred Fire" short story in the collection, which I thought was such a poignant exploration of dealing with trauma.

I love all three of the Binti Novellas - they're gorgeously written, imaginative, immersive, exciting and just overall brilliant. If you're even remotely into Sci Fi, you need to read Nnedi Okorafor, post-haste. She is a grandmaster of the genre and you will not be disappointed.

Fascinating book. New ideas wrapped in familiar tropes makes this book both novel and eerily familiar.

3.5/5

Binti: The Complete Trilogy by Nnedi Okorafor is the entire collection of Binti novellas plus a brand-new story in one hardcover edition, and the book is beautiful! This is a collection of Afrofuturistic stories that has been on my radar since the first story has come out; I remember seeing the original cover for the first Binti and being interested in it but not picking it up at the time. I actually made the decision that I’d read the novellas when they were all published, so I was delighted to see that they would be published together in one book, and I was even more delighted that I would have the opportunity to read and review it for the publisher. The decision to read these stories back-to-back-to-back was the right one for me.

Binti is a very smart young woman from a small, insular African village who has her life basically mapped out for her due to the customs of her people. Unbeknownst to her parents, she has been accepted to Oozma University with high marks and the equivalent of a full scholarship, and she very much wants to go. Going would mean being ostracized or banished by her people and possibly even her own family, who really don’t seem to support nor understand women in academics or higher learning. Staying home and getting married is her other option and the ultimate in settling; this is not at all what Binti wants. Binti chooses to go to University, sneaking away and risking everything. While being transported to University, the unthinkable happens: her ship is attacked by beings of another culture and everyone is massacred except for her. She is the only one left alive, but she is…changed. Binti ends up caught between several groups of people, an unwilling spokesperson for them all. This trilogy is the story of how she tries to bring peace not only to these different groups of people, but also to her family after she has left them, and to herself for the decisions that she has made.

The strengths of these stories are many, the biggest of these being Binti herself and the world-building. The world is very well done, especially considering that these are all stories that are on the shorter side. The language is lush and descriptive, and I feel like it was pretty easy to lay these scenes out in my head whether the setting was Binti’s village, outer space, or Oozma University. Binti herself is incredible as a character. She becomes increasingly complex as the series continues as she learns that she can do new things and she continues to change as the story arc moves. Her culture is so rich and vital to her, so she carries it with her from place to place; I love this so much. I loved every part of the African culture that was put into this story and I see what the author did here.

What I love most about Binti is that she is true to what she is feeling. If she feels unsure about herself or a decision that she has to make, the readers know it. If she feels sad or embarrassed, we know it. If she feels cautious or if she feels her own strength, we know that too. Binti isn’t automatically this warrior-type character just because she is the lead in the story, and I appreciate that so much. We get the whole person, with all of her vulnerabilities and flaws and strengths, and they’re very well done. I am reminded of a scene in the first novella when Binti has come into a crowded area in a larger city, and she overhears people talking down about her because of how she is dressed and because of what she is wearing on her skin and hair. In those scenes, I learned so much about Binti and how vulnerable yet strong she is. (I also want to mention that the supporting cast is just great.)

The thing that I felt was a weakness for me may not be a problem for other readers: it’s the math part of the story, which played very heavily throughout. I’ve already mentioned that Binti is very smart, which I love; in particular, she excels in mathematics. But I think the mathematical parts of the story brought me totally out of the narrative every time equations were mentioned, and also every time treeing was mentioned. Which was a lot. I had four novellas to get used to it and try to find my place with the math, and I could not. It just never happened for me.

More than anything, I love Binti’s journey into discovering who she really is and being comfortable with that, comfortable enough to be honest with her family and her village, and comfortable enough to be honest with herself about what she wants from life. So I guess this is sort of a coming-of-age tale wrapped up in science fiction. I think that if the stories were longer, they would be slightly more developed because there would be more room for detail and fleshing out characters and scenes that I felt were a little rushed or disjointed. To me, the newest story (Sacred Fire) is the best out of all of them. Just so, so good. And at the moment, it looks like it is only available in this omnibus, but perhaps that will change with a little bit of time.

I recommend this one strongly if you’re a fan of Afrofuturistic stories or just science fiction novellas in general. Binti is a fun character and the world and characterization in these stories is definitively worth experiencing.

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you, Daw Books!

This book was like nothing else I've ever read!

I wasn't really sure what to expect when I started reading this book. I saw it recommended several places, so when I saw it on Netgalley I had to read it, but I didn't know much about it.

The Binti series is a trilogy of novellas. I read the omnibus edition, with all three novellas put in one book. While, as a whole, they were good, I think it would be better to review them separately.

Book #1: Binti

I loved this book! It introduces us to Binti, who has just decided to leave her home to travel through space to Oomza University, something unheard of for the Himba people, especially a girl.

I absolutely loved the story and the multicultural and self-exploration messages behind it. I sped through this book and was super excited to move on to the next.

I like the representation of PTSD in this book. Throughout the book, Binti continuously has flashbacks about being on the ship to Oomza Uni.

Book #2: Home

I loved the first book, but this book was a little slow for me. It was taking me a while to get through the first half of it, so I checked out the audiobook from the library. I enjoyed listening to the audiobook much more than I enjoyed reading this book.

As with the first book, the author did an excellent job of showing us Binti's culture. In this book, she faces the repercussions of leaving her family home to go to Oomza University. She also comes back a different person, something most of her family struggles to understand.

While I didn't enjoy this book as much as the first, it was still good. I loved the ending and couldn't wait to see what happened next.

Book #3: The Night Masquerade

This book picked things back up a bit. However, I wasn't sure about the ending.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone, just because it is something so different, and I think everyone should try it out.

I listened to half of the 2nd book and the whole 3rd book as audiobooks, and I enjoyed that much more than reading them.

Amazing. This should be an essential read for all fantasy fans. Definitely a great piece of work. Highly recommend this trilogy.

Unfortunately, I did not get the chance to read this omnibus ARC prior to the book's publication, but we did end up buying it for our library collection. I have read and loved the first novella of the series.

The three-part YA title now combined into one book. Binti is a Himba girl destined to live out her life as a lower-class citizen and chained to her father's profession. However, her determination to learn more leads her into interstellar space. During her journeys, she unlocks the secrets of her own land and people as well as find a way for warring groups to find peace.

This is a fantastic tale of high adventure as well as finding yourself in a new environment. As Binti goes off to college on another planet she is quickly thrown into an interstellar war, but it is only her own brilliance and her own roots that make peace a path for the future. She heals herself, her people, and other planets. Highly recommended and a good entry book for this prolific author.

Binti: The Complete Trilogy is a wonderfully unique book, blending elements of a marginalized main character from a marginalized culture with some classic sci-fi elements--like space travel, diverse species, war, and politics--with some not-so-classic sci-fi elements like living space ships, a sentient war-crazed jellyfish-like species, trans-spatial consciousness, and resurrection. This uniqueness is definitely its strength.

To that strength is added solid prose and full-but-not-ponderous inner dialogue. Such dialogue could have easily overtaken the narrative as the young main character is overwhelmed by the things that happen to her and the isolation she experiences, but it doesn't.

Additionally, I loved the underlying themes expressed in Binti's thoughts: "Everything is so complicated and connected," he thinks, in relation to the fraught history her tribe shares with a nearby culture, the Himba. Too, she wonders if one can be broken, as she felt herself to be near the end of the third book, and still bring change. That point, most of all, resonated with me as I feel myself to be "broken" at times, or at least woefully inadequate but so desirous to bring change and improve the lives of as many people as possible as deeply as possible.

There were a few very minor instances of repetitive defining that pulled me out of the story ever so slightly, such as the fact that every time "life salt" is mentioned it is also defined, not just at its first mention. This seemed unnecessary to me, but as I mentioned, was minor and didn't detract significantly from my enjoyment of the story.

If I could rate it on a scale of 1 to 10 stars, I would give this a 9.75.

I enjoyed the inclusion of the short story "Sacred Fire" in this omnibus collection. There was so much hinted at and so much to ponder from the story and the setting, but I do wish the novellas had been fleshed out into a full novel. There were so many interesting possible storylines started and dropped along the way!

The review of Binti: The Complete Trilogy is in the July 2019 issue of SFRevu.com (<http://sfrevu.com/php/Review-id.php?id=18345>) and is exclusive to them until August 2019.

I could read these stories over and over again and still be in awe. Individually, they are amazing. Together, they are a marvel. Nnedi is fast becoming one of my favorite authors of all time!

This is a fantastic collection of one of the biggest new names in Sci-Fi around, definitely something any sci-fi reader should pick up to read and easily one of the coolest viewpoints I've read in a long, long time.

I absolutely loved this series. Binti is a powerful female heroine. She exhibits bravery in the face of changes that affect her mentally,emotionally, and physically. This gripping, moving series proves Nnedi Okorafor is a great writer for teens and adults. While this is a reprint of the three previous Binti novels along with the addition of one new story, I had never previously read anything by this author. After reading this I went on to read others, but the Binti series will probably remain my favorite by the author. There is just something about Binti that makes you feel for her because of the struggles she has to overcome, which spoiler alert, may even include death.

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*
DNF @ 18%

Alrighty, I won't be rating this one, because it doesn't seem fair. The synopsis sounds amazing and the writing IS good-- the story is there, but for some reason I'm just not interested. Sci-fi books and I have a complicated relationship. This is one I might try again at another time or perhaps the audio version.

<div><div>3.5 stars, <a href="https://reviews.metaphorosis.com/review/binti-nnedi-okorafor/">Metaphorosis Reviews</a></div><div><br>

<div><div><strong>Summary: </strong><span class="revsum"><p>Binti, from a
desert-dwelling Namibian clan, has been accepted to Oomza Uni – a
prestigious inter-alien university, but far from home. On the way,
disaster falls – she’s right in the middle of a long-standing feud
between the human Koush and the alien Meduse.</p>
</span></div>
<div><strong>Review: </strong><p>I’m both an idealist and a cynic. I’m
an idealist in that I think things can get better, and that both
individual and concerted effort can make that happen. I’m a cynic in
that I don’t believe most people will make that effort, and that group
decisions are not often focused on net benefit.</p>
<p>But you came here for a book review, not a philosophy discussion.
Well, here’s where the cynicism comes in. In my experience, ‘popular’
doesn’t have much overlap with good. So, when I hear the SFF community
enthusing about the next great writer, I don’t rush out to buy their
book. More often than not, it’s not that great.</p>
<p>I’ve been hearing Nnedi Okorafor’s name for quite some time. Because
I’m cynical about popular wisdom, I didn’t pay much attention. Still,
sometimes I’m wrong, so when NetGalley offered this book, I took up my
chance to read it. I’m glad I did.</p>
<p>This isn’t the best book I’ve ever read. In fact, it has many flaws.
The punctuation is often odd, the structure is clunky (even allowing for
it being an agglomeration of several stories), the world is a bit
vague, and the characters aren’t perfect. What it is, though, is
innovative. <i>Binti </i>is a great example of SFF diversity at its
best. Its ill-defined world is centered on astrolabes that somehow
function as both smartphones and contain a person’s future, where an
understanding of math allows one to generate and control electric
currents. It’s odd and fuzzy, but interesting. And, of course, Binti’s
own culture is of a type we rarely see in SFF, which is refreshing.</p>
<p>And here’s the other side of the philosophy – Binti herself is a
relentless idealist. Every now and then, Okorafor seems to forget and
allow Binti to throw a tantrum, but they’re so out of character that I
tended to write them off as editing failures. The other characters have
similar out-of-character moments, but by and large they’re clearly
defined. The world itself is similarly off-kilter – Binti’s people are
all about nature and harmony, but also eating other creatures alive and
wearing silk; their morals (and Binti’s own) are all over the place.
There are limited consequences for even terrible acts against groups,
but actions with mild effects on individuals are treated as serious.
Prejudice against Binti’s group is bad, but her own group’s prejudices –
well, that’s the way people are (though I give Okorafor some credit for
at least acknowledging them). Binti forms a bond with another person
late in the book, but it’s somehow never in question that her own
desires will win out. The science is thin, there are altogether too many
handy coincidences, and some bits slip over into magic. Some things –
like ‘deep’ everything – are barely explained. In short, some of the
worldbuilding is sloppy and simplistic – but it is novel, and that
carries a lot of weight.</p>
<p>I’m not sure why these pieces were published separately, since
they’re clearly part of a single narrative that forms only a
moderate-length novel. In fact, had they been published as a single
novel, they might have worked better. Despite the book’s flaws, I was
expecting to give it 4 stars for innovation and character; until nearly
the end – the end of the last story pretty much falls apart, with one
long sequence that is largely pointless. While Okorafor takes a casual
stab at wrapping up, the close fairly shouts out “I expect to write more
about Binti! This is just a convenient stopping point.” It doesn’t
really work for the story or the collection, and left me disappointed.
The first three stories in the collection (and there are four, so
‘trilogy’ is a misnomer) are innovative. The fourth is more of a holding
zone. All in all, though, Binti offers the kind of fresh outlook we
could use more of.</p>
</div>
<strong><span style="color: #990000;">I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.</span></strong></div></div></div>

I really enjoy the creativity and themes that Nnedi Okorafor incorporates into all of her writing. The reason I picked this up is because of my love of her Akata Witch series. Unfortunately, this series did not live up to what I was expecting in terms of detail or world building.

The Binti trilogy is focused on a character of the same name. She is from a planet where her people are rated as second class citizens and they never leave. Binti is different - not only is she about to leave, but she has been admitted to the most prestigious school in the solar system. Binti is determined to not only have opportunity, but take opportunity, even if it means the loss of the people closest to her.

As Binti embarks on her journey aboard the ship the Third Fish, she is in for more than she bargains for. This trilogy is not only about Binti's time going to University, but is also about how she returns home and sets centuries old fights between people right.

While I enjoyed the idea of the story, the execution was repetitive at best. I understand the author's choice in doing so, as it illustrated the character's experience of PTSD and anxiety, but to read it was at times, excruciating. Okorafor is still one of my favorite fantasy sci-fi writers despite my misgivings with this series.

I would recommend this for anyone who is interested in reading more African Sci-Fi, especially if they enjoyed Okorafor's other works. I would also recommend this for young adult readers.

Binti: The Complete Trilogy is a bind up containing all three novellas (Binti, Home and The Night Masquerade) in Nnedi Okorafor's award winning Binti trilogy plus an extra short story called Sacred Fire. I'll review each of the stories separately but I've really enjoyed the whole series so it's definitely one I'm happy to recommend!

Binti:

Binti is a member of the Himba tribe, a group of people who live in a dessert region of their planet and who have a strong connection to each other and their home. She is the first member of the tribe to be offered a place at the galaxy famous Oomza University, somewhere only the very best of the best are invited to study. It goes against all traditions for Binti to leave her homeland and it's something her family would never allow so she has to sneak off in the middle of the night to catch the spaceship on time. When the ship comes under attack by a jellyfish like alien species Binti is the only one on board who has a chance to communicate with the Meduse and try to broker peace before they arrive at the university.

I thought this story was a great introduction to the series although I really would have loved for it to be longer! I loved Binit's character, she's smart and resourceful but also nervous as she leaves her homeland for the first time and you could feel her bewilderment as she first arrived in a big city which was completely alien to her. The story shows all to well how much prejudice humans can feel towards people who are a little bit different to themselves but I liked the way Binti handled that and was glad to see her start to make friends with the other students on board the ship.

Where it fell down a little for me was after the Meduse came on board and slaughtered nearly everyone on board including Binti's new friends. I was really curious about the Meduse's anatomy & could easily picture them almost floating around the ship but it was a little hard to believe she was able to talk them out of their plans to destroy the university so quickly. I think I just needed a little bit more time to see Binti and Okwu go from enemies to allies, that would have made the turnaround feel a bit more believable and realistic.

I am really curious to see where the story goes from here though and I've got very high hopes for the series as a whole.

Sacred Fire:

This short story is set several weeks after Binti and Okwu arrive at the Oomza University. Binti is struggling to come to terms with everything that happened on the journey and is quite obviously, and very understandably, suffering from PTSD and flashbacks. She had dreamed of attending the university but nothing is quite what she expected. She's treated as an outsider even by the other humans because they consider the Himba people to be lesser than themselves, people don't understand her culture and they also blame her for surviving the massacre on the ship when many of their friends and family members were killed.

It's not all bad though, Binti is enjoying her studies and she's even starting to make a couple of friends so there is hope for her future. This was an enjoyable short and definitely left me looking forward to continuing the series.

Home:

Binti and Okwu have been studying at the Oomza University for a year now and it's time for Binti to return home and face her family before continuing her studies. She is considered a hero by some for preventing the meduse from attacking the university but others consider her a traitor for supposedly aligning with them against the humans. Her family haven't forgiven her for leaving them and travelling so far from home either so it's set to be a difficult reunion.

I have to admit I was surprised and a little disappointed when I realised that most of this story wouldn't be set at the university because I was so interested in all the different alien creatures that attend. But then we get to travel back to Binti's homeland and find out all about her family's tribal traditions and I was so swept up in the story that I didn't have time to be upset.

This isn't an easy journey for Binti, her family are resentful that she left and to be honest I kind of hated most of her siblings for the way they treated her when she returned but I loved Binti for standing up for what she wanted and being brave enough to choose her own path in life. It was hard for her to come home and realise how much she has changed while the people she left behind carried on in the same familiar paths, she no longer feels like she fits in with her family which was heartbreaking, especially since she doesn't feel much like she fits in at university either.

She does find out a lot about her father's side of the family though which I absolutely loved, they are a nomad tribe who were much more open to change and much happier to welcome Binti into their circle. She had to face some difficult truths about the fact that while people are prejudiced against her and the Himba tribe, the Himba, herself included, also have their own prejudices against the nomadic dessert tribes even though they are blood relations. I felt like Binti really grew a lot emotionally in this instalment and I'm excited to see where her journey takes her next.

The Night Masquerade:

As much as I've enjoyed this series overall I have to admit that The Night Masquerade wasn't my favourite instalment and I was left feeling a little disappointed about the way things ended.

The previous instalment ended when Binti realised that Okwu and her family were under attack and this one kicks off with her desperate journey across the desert with the help of her guide Mwinyi. Binti is unable to contact anyone she left behind but she knows something awful has happened and that the Khoush have broken the treaty so it's a race against time for her to get home in time to help the people she cares about.

It's hard to go into too much detail but what Binti uncovers is a shocking betrayal that should have left her devastated. I think one of the problems I had with this story was how quickly she seemed to brush everything off and start trying to rebuild the peace between the Khoush and the Meduse. I get that she was trying to prevent her village being destroyed in an all out war between the other two groups but considering everything the Khoush had done at that point I would have expected her to be a little less invested in the peace process. I guess she's a better woman than I am though!

Really my main issue with this novella was how unresolved so many things were, we get some answers but a lot of things are left open ended and this really didn't feel like the end of a series. If there was another book to come I wouldn't have been so disappointed by that but as the end of a trilogy it felt unsatisfying. Especially the way the author played with our emotions only to magically fix things moments later. I think after loving the first two stories so much I had high expectations for a grand finale and it just wasn't as epic as I hoped.