I am increasingly intrigued by African science fiction, by its deep reconnection with the myths and legends of that land, myths and legends that are almost unknown to us Europeans, or known through colonialist transpositions. This is the case with Okungbowa's novella, which incorporates into its narrative post-apocalyptic themes related to environmental disaster and politics linked to the exploitation of African lands and populations. The setting is taken by weight from Ballard's High Rise, and some elements of the story recall The Drowned World, by the same author. The inspiration, however, is decidedly original, drawing on the imagery of an ancient power capable of calling the dead back to life and giving them a new nature, able to cope and flourish in the new environmental conditions. This leads to a kind of clash of civilisations between the human survivors, locked in what remains of high towers created to shelter the wealthy, and the new species. Until something happens...
The novel is definitely very good, the themes treated extremely interesting and the three main protagonists undergo a remarkable evolution, however, something does not add up in the motivations of the representative of the new species who comes into contact with them, generating in the reader expectations that are then not fulfilled. This part would deserve to be revised.

ost Ark Dreaming is a postapocalyptic fantasy taking place in a handful of high rise apartments located in what used to be Lagos Nigeria, which has been drowned along with most of the world in what's referred to as a Second Deluge. Our three protagonists are an analyst named Yekini, an engineer named Touya, and a mid-level administrator in the Office of the Pinnacle Leadership named Ngozi. These three individuals are drawn into a strange quest that might save the denizens of the towers, or destroy them.

The quest is set off when Yekini and Ngozi end up in the lower levels of the apartment building, to investigate a "breach." What could be breaking into the lower levels from underwater? Mer-people. Mer-people who really, really don't like their human cousins all that much.

The Children of Yemoja are the descendants of slaves who were thrown overboard. The goddess Yemoja brought them back to life, transforming them into Mer-people. The previous contacts the tower dwellers of Pinnacle have had with these Children were not very friendly. (And by not friendly I mean the Children dragged the tower dwellers under water drowned them.)

When Yekini, Touya and Ngozi report that a Child might have broken into the tower, the leadership responds by trying to kill everyone on that level. (By flooding the lower levels, which does not seem like much of a stop gap measure to use against a fish-person. On the other hand, it's made painfully clear that the leaders on the upper levels are absolutely ignorant of the way people on the lower levels live, and don't care about them.) This leads to an attempt to escape the flood and an encounter with the Child...that very much changes their outlook.

The tone of the book rests somewhere between hopeful and haunting, with a setting that is coldly dystopic in nature. The three characters, all from similar "fought their way to the top" backgrounds, but have varying ideals and opinions that often clash with each other as they argue. The interplay of viewpoints and the way they see their current positions was very well done, and highlighted how toxic the society they were living in was.

The ending is extremely open ended, and I am not entirely sure if the end goal of what the protagonists were trying to do was successful. (I do not, generally speaking, like books that end on an open "what the heck just happened?" This may or may not be an exception, I might need to re-read before I form a final opinion.) I did like the interactions between the characters and how they slowly begin to influence each other, and come to a mutual understanding. (And that mutual understanding is that they live in a crapsack world and would like to rectify this somehow.)

This is an interesting, thought provoking book with fascinating worldbuilding. It's a very "fast" read, and every bit of the story moved the plot forward at a very fast pace. The protagonists were all well-rounded and sympathetic, in their own way. (Ngozi. Ngozi is "in his own way." He has an absolute gift for saying the worst possible thing without realizing that he's just said the Worst. Possible. Thing. Even after you explain it to him. Dude. Why are you like this?)

This review is based on a galley copy received from NetGalley.

This is one of those books that is so deeply fascinating that you never want it to end. I absolutely adored the worldbuilding here and could have read for hundreds of more pages about the environmental collapse and the towers where humans found refuge and the humans who were left behind and what became of them and the surrounding seas. I was captivated from start to finish and would love to see future stories exploring this same dystopian future. The comps to Snowpiercer and Rivers Solomon's works are spot on, so absolutely trust that.

I also really enjoyed the character work in this story. Okungbowa writes deep and fully fleshed out characters that are so relatable and easy to understand, which is something I don't often feel in a novella. As a reader, I felt like I truly knew and cared for these people after just a few pages of getting to know them. Each character has a lengthy backstory that is fed to the reader through tiny comments and snips of memory as we go along, yet feels so simple to piece together. It's absolutely masterful.

One of my biggest complaints is one I often have with novellas - I wanted more. I wanted more details, more answers, more time, which isn't always in the nature of a novella, but does still change how I experience the story. This same concern ties into how some of the action unfolds. There's a certain point in the story where the action ramps up fairly drastically and the quick pace made it a bit difficult to tell what was going on at certain times. I kept feeling a bit muddled for a few paragraphs, then would figure it out and jump back in, then promptly be a bit lost again. Maybe I just wasn't clever enough to keep track of everyone and their various goals at this stage.

Overall, a really cool read that I definitely wouldn't mind experiencing again. In the meantime, absolutely begging for more stories in this world. Would definitely recommend without reservation.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Tor for an ARC in exchange for review.

This was my first time reading anything by Suyi Davies Okungbowa and I was very excited to start it.
My rating system is as follows for any ARC book:
1 star = DNF, wouldn't recommend this to anyone and found significant flaws in it
2 stars = Finished, not something I would recommend but some may find it good
3 stars = This is a good book, nothing too spectacular but I enjoyed the read
4 stars = This was a fun and intriguing read, would talk about it and look for other works by this author
5 stars = An amazing book, would re-read

Overall rating: 3.5 stars (4 star rating on non-half star sites)
I really enjoyed the book, the premise was very intriguing. For me the character development was a little slow and that caused me to get pulled out of the story a few times to figure out why the character was doing what they were doing.
I would definitely still recommend this to someone who enjoys this style of fantasy work and am excited to see Suyi continue to grow and become an even more stellar author.

Specific feedback:
I felt as if the characters motivations weren't realized soon enough in the book. When we finally meet the final character that's when a lot of the motivation starts to roll out. This made the first half of the book a little sluggish for me, as I was trying to figure out who these characters were as I wasn't seeing anything but their flaws being flaunted on the page.
Once the character development was flushed out I truly enjoyed reading and quickly finished the last 25% of the book in nearly one sitting.
I loved how the world was built and shown throughout the book, there wasn't any tiresome info dump but the world was shown through small tidbits of the characters backstory, epigraph style chapters, and how everyone responded emotionally to situations.

This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.


When I heard that there's a new stunning Novella Novella from award wining Speculative Fiction author of David Mogo, Godhunter and The Nameless Republic Series, Suyi Davies Okungbowa. I had to get my hands on the advanced readers copy.

Set in a dystopian Lagos, many years after the world has been submerged in water and humanity now survives in towers called the Fingers. Lost Ark Dreaming opens through the eyes of Yekini, an analyst.

The story picks up after Yekini is sent to the lower level of the "Finger" to assist a government official to investigate a breach.

Firstly, the author, Suyi Davies Okungbowa mentioned that if you're a fan of the acclaimed dystopian shows, Silo and Snowpiercer, then you'll absolutely love this Novella.
And let me say this, it didn't not disappoint.

From the start of the story, we get to explore this vivid dystopian world Suyi has created. As a scifi Enthusiast, reading Lost Ark Dreaming felt like watching a film. Suyi has a way with his writing that brings his worlds to life and you're transported into the world itself.

From the different character's point of views which is something I highly enjoyed. From the Determined yet Doubting Yekini to the Ambitious but Frightened Ngozi to the Firm yet Passionate Tuoyo. Exploring the Finger—The set of this story — through the 3 different characters was interesting.

Lost Ark Dreaming feels like a more character driven story than a plot driven. Not to say that the plot isn't intriguing. In my opinion, if you're interested in a story that is heavy on the character's perspectives on different societal issues that tend to arise in dystopian worlds like classism.

Then you'll enjoy how these characters relate to their circumstances and are forced to make decisions that determine what their futures would be in mere seconds.

I enjoyed how we get introduced to these characters. We see them in their own spaces and we see a glimpse of who they are. The story progesses and they get tossed into this mysterious scheme that eventually ends to them uncovering the truth about who they are, truly. What it means to come from different parts of the Finger. What it means to rediscover truths buried long deep. What it means to work with someone who doesn't necessarily have the same ideologies as you.

I enjoy Suyi's worlds and characters because they force you to have conversations on what humanity is, what it means to learn to not he afraid to enter another person's world and see through their own perspective.

Lost Ark Dreaming has everything from strong willed characters to mystery to Yoruba mythologies to Rebellion to Rediscovering truths.
This should definitely be on your reading list by 2024. Don't thin it, just go in and have a ride and enjoy. I definitely did.

4.5/5 - A dystopic eco-sci-fi thriller, with stunning prose interludes that transcend genre convention.

On the surface this is a fast-paced, eco-dystopia story about class, survival and sea monsters. But as soon as we dive below the surface of the story, the importance of memories, the impact of stories and the depth of grief stare back at us through watery eyes.

In the future, humanity takes refuge in tall towers, built to withstand the ever-rising sea levels making life on land uninhabitable. Society is divided into those who live at the top, middle and bottom (under the water level). We're following two 'midders' and a 'lower' as they investigate a leak on a bottom level, only to realize that a sea monster may have infuriated the building.

Suyi Davies Okungbowa cleverly plays with ideas of privilege, power and identity as our characters move throughout the levels of the building to overcome each new obstacle in their way. This book is perfectly paced coming in at 200 pages. I like the forward momentum of the action juxtaposed with short/in-complete flashbacks that build our characters into fully-rounded and flawed humans.

What elevates this book for me are the interludes and alt chapters spread throughout the book. They're used to provide background outside of the immediate storyline we're following, and a meditation on it's themes. It gives the reader space to sit with the story, and I loved it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for providing an advanced reader copy.

This book is best read while fishing on a boat. If you fall asleep, you'll dream of running through darkened hallways towards the light. Don't forget to breathe.

I haven’t been reading much science fiction lately and striking out with the few I have, but this slim novel was a welcome reminder of what the genre can do.
In a world reshaped by climate disasters, off the coast of West Africa, the population is surviving in enormous, socioeconomically striated towers. Three very different characters from different levels find themselves coming together to investigate what initially seems as a breach and turns out to be so much more.
Dystopia weaves around mythology to potentially forge a new path for a world that has lost its way. You may call them dreamers, but they are not the only ones. For what is the world but a dream collectively agreed upon. And what worth does that agreement hold if it cannot be revisited and rewritten when change arises and new perspectives are offered.
A striking, dare I say, poetic worldbuilding takes this book a long way. But then it is also exciting, character driven, and compelling in the way that’ll have you turning page after page toward its resolution.
A thoroughly enjoyable read. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

Thank you NetGalley, Suyi Davies Okungbowa, and their publishers for the ARC!

3.5 rounded up! I feel like this book could have benefitted from being a bit longer, but I love the feelings that this shorter story had packed into it nonetheless!

If you want to read about the double-sided nature of humanity, go read this book!