Definitely a solid 4.5.

After loving The Lies of the Ajungo, I just had to read this one immediately and though it’s a fundamentally different kind of story, the author does a great job with the twists and turns in this one, even more than the first book.

I’ll keep this review short because I feel that this book works best if one doesn’t know what to expect from it. It did take me a while for me to start liking it though coz the protagonist Osi isn’t immediately endearing like Tutu, and it was only after finishing the book and going over his whole character arc (and especially reading the author’s note) that I realized what his character was all about.

If the first book was about what the powerful would do to hoard their power, this one is about the perils of distorted history and keeping a populace ignorant; how people believing naively in their own righteousness maybe gullible to manipulation; how realizing that one has been lied to all their life can lead to disillusionment and may have unforeseen far reaching consequences.

Overall, I’m just very glad to have read these two novellas now even though I missed the first one in 2023. But now I have to wait for probably a year for the final third and it’s gonna be long and eagerly awaited. I’m very impressed by the author’s writing and very excited to see what more surprises the author has for us in the next. And to anyone new to this series, you can start with either book first and experience this superb world and characters.

I am so glad I got "The Truth of Aleke" as an ARC! Thank you Tor and Netgalley for letting me back into Moses Ose Utomi's Forever Desert early. Out March 5th, 2024!

"The Aleke is cruel. The Aleke is clever. The Aleke is coming."
500 years after "The Lies of the Ajungo" one city stands free in the Forever Desert. Fending off attacks from the Cult of Tutu as bastion of freedom and peace. Osi is training to be a Peacekeeper in the city because he believes he knows how to best help the city. Which is unfortunate because he is gravely injured when the Aleke arrives and steals items of great import, kills a lot of people and messes him up. As a reward, he is elevated and put on an intense training program to go after the Cult. And then nothing bad happens, right? Oh wait there is a lot of book left after that...

Reasons to read:
-The nature of truth across time
-How stories can be twisted
-OK they did tell us some things up front that are very true
-The wildlife that is mentioned just tickles my animal sci background
-Some comeuppance
-My description might have one or two lies...

Cons:
-That's rough buddy
-Now I have to wait for more!!!

I have such mixed feelings about this instalment because I didn’t necessarily enjoy the reading process…. But after reading the after note from the author I GET IT and I am now frothing at the mouth for book 3.

This book is not as enjoyable as book 1 but I now understand that it’s not meant to be. Osi is not the same character archetype as Tutu and the story doesn’t unfold in the way that readers are familiar with.

That being said, this book is equally as captivating and beautifully written as book 1 and the setup is destined for an explosive conclusion.

Probably 3.5⭐️

Once again, Moses Ose Utomi knocks it out of the park. They pack a huge punch in The Truth of the Aleke, raising the bar from The Lies of the Ajungo. In Lies, we have a character investigating how to get water for his people, which feels very straightforward in a new and interesting world. In Truth, Osi, our main character, grapples with questions of legacy, truth, friendship, and more; all in less than 120 pages. Osi has been tasked with revenge for a theft from his city, and his want to be remembered drives him to find so much more than he bargained for. I would recommend reading both of these books together, and I greatly look forward to the next book in the series.

This return to the Forever Desert was much anticipated and fully lived up to my expectations.

The Truth of the Aleke is a beautifully written commentary on truth and history. The prose flows poetically, and the plot rings of fables, but the beauty is in the depth. The truth of Tutu’s story and the weaponizing of history after so many years had even me wondering if I misremembered what I read in the Lies of the Ajungo not too long ago.

This novella, like the former, is a short tale that packs a punch. I see so much of myself in Osi, and I know that will resonate with many other readers as well. I so desperately want to know the truth and to be in the “right” side, but there is a vulnerability that comes along with that drive - a vulnerability this novella exposes perfectly.

This is definitely a strong recommendation (though please read The Lies of the Ajungo first) and my first five star read of 2024.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to advance read this title. All opinions are my own.

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Tor Publishing Group for an advance copy of this fantasy novel set in a vast desert, featuring a boy who hopes to be the hero that he imagines he is, and the dreadful cost these dreams take on him body and soul.

Growing up one has a certain set of ideas to how the world is supposed to be run. That the people we trust, who are showing us and teaching the ways in which we find ourselves are good people. That those who want to take these freedoms away are bad people. And that some of the fundamental truths one has been raised with, well happened. Slowly as one gets older one learns that government and the powerful are there to help or be beneficial, it is for control. Without control, there could be chaos, even worse there could be peace. Or maybe something even better. The Truth of the Aleke, by Moses Ose Utomi, is the second book in the Forever Desert series, and takes place 500 years after the first one, in a City that is everything but it's name.

Osi is seventeen and a Junior Peace Keeper in the City of Truth, the last remaining city in all of the Forever desert. Osi is the son of a Peacekeeper who died fighting the Cult of Tutu, silent killers who wish to destroy everything the City stands for and their leader the Aleke. Osi knows he is destined for great things, but is having a hard time getting people to believe him, constantly getting in trouble, and embarrassing his family. Osi's latest punishment includes being omitted from the next Ascendency of Heroes, something he knows that he will be a major part of one day. Osi attends anyway, sneaking in to the ceremony, just as the Cult attacks, destroying many, killing Peacekeepers and heroes, and stealing the sacred God's Eyes which give the heroes their power. Osi manages to keep an Eye for himself, but is maimed in the fight against the Aleke. To the city Osi is a hero and is given a year to train to join the heroes to fight against the Cult and the Aleke. And things start to get weird.

A short novllea that has a lot to say about power, belief and who those who control the narrative control the history. Again this is the second book in the series, and I suggest reading the first book before the second, for two reasons. One the first book, like this, is very good, and two it will help one understand a lot of what is going on in the story. The twists are pretty good. For a novella there is a lot going on, with a story that gets a little twisty and turny, but does not lose it's way. Osi is a dolt, but a good dolt, who grows a lot. The world is richly imagined, and there is a lot more I would like to know about this story. The author has a good grasp of keeping everything together and more importantly keeping everything going. There is a lot of action, but more importantly the action has consequences, and long lasting effects, not gratuitous in the slightest.

Again I would read the first book, as this is a very good series, and one won't be disappointed. There is a lot more going on here than in most usual fantasy books, and I look forward to more books in this series.

The Truth of the Aleke
By Moses Zoe’s Utomi
A review by Jamilla (@Landsawaybooks a wordpress.com blog)

An absolutely stunning sequel to the riveting The Lies of the Ajungo.

Tutu is dead and in the centuries that have past his truth was warped into a hideous form, but nevertheless, the City of Lies was born anew from his sacrifice, known now as the City of Truth.

War, however, prevails in the Forever Desert, with the rise of a new foe, the daunting and fiercesome Aleke.

The Aleke is cruel, The Aleke is clever, The Aleke is coming.

We follow a new protagonist, a young brave glory-seeker by the name of Osi. He’s always known that he was meant for greatness—no matter what others may say.

And greatness finds him too.

I don’t think I’ve ever read a story told in this way, and I’m so intrigued by this world in which truth and power collide and corrupt. I’m so excited to see what the next chapter of this series will reveal!

Thank you to TOR and Netgalley for a review copy of this book.

I thought since this book takes place 500 years after the first book set in the Forever Desert, it wouldn’t be a big deal if I read it first. Now I wish I had read The Lies of the Ajungo first. This entry is what the story from the first book becomes after 500 years of retelling.

The Truth of the Aleke is a stylized fable, repeating certain phrases like one does when telling a fairy tale. I found some of the writing quite entrancing, but the story itself is as simple in the telling as a fairy tale. He did this, this happened; he did this, this happened.

I’m not sure what the moral of this fable is. A betrayal turns into death, and more betrayal. The author acknowledges this book’s connection to what happened on 9/11. “It was a cruel and chaotic time when the dichotomy of allies and enemies, of good and evil, ceased to make sense.” I guess that’s as good a way to describe The Truth of the Aleke as any. It’s depressing and puzzling. I keep puzzling over what it means, which I suppose is a victory for the author.

I’m not sure whether I will go back and read the The Lies of the Ajungo, or if I will read the third book. The Forever Desert is not a happy place to spend time.

I read an advance reader copy of The Truth of the Aleke.

Diving back into the Forever Desert series with "The Truth of the Aleke" was like returning to a vividly painted world I'd been missing. There's something about this series that keeps me coming back for more, and this installment was no exception.

Our protagonist, Osi, feels incredibly real with his flaws and naivete. He's a character that truly embodies the struggle between youthful idealism and the harsh realities of the world. As he stumbles through mistakes and confronts shocking truths, I felt every bit of his frustration and determination. His journey is not just a physical one across a besieged city but a deeply internal struggle with the world's truths and lies.

Reading this book was like watching an intense anime unfold in my mind (I'll blame the flu medicine). The action sequences, the powered-up defenders, the constant threat—all of it felt larger than life yet intimately relatable thanks to Osi's heartfelt perspective. The dynamic of the eternal siege and Osi's place within it was fascinating, portraying a young man out of depth yet fiercely committed. He is, all in all, a good kid, just trying to do the right thing.

However, the deeper I got into the story, the more I found myself questioning the underlying currents. The connection to the first book and the ensuing saga left me pondering the reasons behind the perpetuated lies and the never-ending conflict. It's clear the novel is a meditation on truth, power, and history, yet it's the ambiguity and complexity of these themes that had me hooked.

Osi's tragic heroism is a compelling narrative. His unwavering belief in justice and truth, pitted against a world rife with deception, makes for an intriguing character study. His evolution throughout the story is a delicate balance between change and steadfastness, a portrayal of how deeply personal beliefs can both shape and be shaped by one's journey.

While this novella leaves some questions tantalizingly unanswered, perhaps inviting readers to ponder and speculate, it's this very aspect that underscores the series' depth and allure. As the book concluded, I was left with a sense of anticipation and contemplation, eager for the next chapter in this imaginative and provoking series. If you're looking for a story that combines the thrill of fantasy with a thoughtful exploration of deeper themes, this is a journey worth taking.

I'm so invested in this universe, it's so interesting and inventive. This is an excellent follow up to the last one.

Reads well and moves along at a good clip with a strong voice. I stopped after chapter 2 (14%) but easy three to four stars and five for the right readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for the ARC.

This is a fantastic follow-up to one of my favourite reads of 2023, The Lies of the Ajungo. The Truth of the Aleke is at once familiar in tone and style, yet every element from the themes to the characters to the history/worldbuilding feels much more vivid and nuanced. It's incredible how much emotion and detail can be packed into such a short novel, which is a testament to Moses Ose Utomi's fantastic writing.

Osi, the main character, is flawed, tragic, and ultimately quite naive. He makes mistakes, sometimes fatal and devastating ones, in his quest for clarity, which (even until the very end of this book) you're not quite sure he actually finds. Truth or lie, friend or foe, are all muddled and shrouded in mystery and suspicion. The plot twists are genuinely shocking - though maybe that's just because I'm as fallible as Osi.

Overall, this is a great sequel, and I am super excited to see what mindbending twists Book 3 has in store for me!

Thank you to Tor.com and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

While this is a sequel to The Lies of the Ajungo it feels like it also can be read as a standalone. Equally fascinating, equally heartwrenching. Osi is a powerful character, masterfully written. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free advance copy.

This was a great follow up to The Lies of the Ajungo. Osi’s story broke my heart and I found myself yelling “that’s not what happened!” a lot.

A great read!

A fantastic sequel to an equally fantastic first book, Truth of the Aleke picks up 500 years after the events of the Lies of the Ajungo, giving us a peek at the current state of the Forever Desert. Osi, the new main character, lives in the City of Truth, the last city in the Desert. The City is besieged by attacks from the Cult of Tutu for over 100 years. More clever readers than me will remember that the main character from the first book's name was Tutu. Osi joins the peacekeepers, and finds himself thrown into a conflict he never truly understood when the leader of the Cult commits a massacre in the city. Osi is an interesting character, like Tutu he has very little understanding of the full picture, and unlike Tutu, Osi ends up being too late in figuring out the truth, if his conclusion even is the real truth. The way the author plays with truth and lies, and how history is told by the winners versus the losers is fantastic. Even as more is revealed, it's hard to tell who is telling Osi the truth, putting the readers in his shoes as he tries to figure out what is really going on. I'll admit, I forgot a lot of what happened in the first book, but I felt like that worked in my favor. The twists and turns of the plot took me by surprise, yet as the story went on and I remembered more of the events of the first book, things really started to click. Much like with the first book, the end of this one took me by surprise in the best way. The author is a master storyteller, and i'm excited to see what he has in store for book three, with the plot seeming to trend towards a more sweeping look at the state of the Forever Desert.

In this sequel to The Lies of the Ajungo, there are three truths about the Aleke:

The Aleke is cruel.
The Aleke is clever.
The Aleke is coming.

In the City of Truth, the people know that the Aleke has been inspired by the atrocities of the late Chief Tutu, terrorizing the peoples of the Forever Desert, and they can only hold out through their Peacekeepers and Truthseekers. Osi, a junior Peacekeeper, loses his chance to become an official Truthseeker, but during an attack by the Aleke's forces, Osi makes a choice that changes his path in life and sets him on a journey to unravel the truth.

Building on the setting and the mythology of the first story in the series, this novella reveals how history is crafted by those in power -- and how truth can be both immutable and flexible, depending on your perspective. Osi becomes a tragic hero in his total belief in justice and truth, and his tragedy comes from how he grows along his journey -- and how he yet remains the same. The author's note at the end offers clarity after what can be a mind-bending story, and the setup for the next installment of the Forever Desert series promises an exciting finale. 4 stars.

Thank you, Tor.com and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.