adventurous emotional informative reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25 stars

This tells the story of Najeeba, a teenager discovering her power. Like her father, she hears the call to travel the Salt Roads, an occupation usually reserved for men. But this is just the beginning of Najeeba’s growing abilities.

This was my first Nnedi Okorafor, but it won’t be my last! I was a little concerned about not having read Who Fears Death, which this is a prequel for, but that is not a problem as far as I can tell. I am not really familiar with the mythology/folklore this story is drawing from, but the author pulled me into Najeeba’s world and gave me enough information to follow along. I believe this is the first of a planned trilogy and I look forward to seeing where the story goes.

I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and Daw in exchange for my honest review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

I generally don't know what to expect from Okorafor, sometimes her stories and characters drag me in and give me a good read and other times I struggle with her style of storytelling.

I enjoyed this story for the most part. I do feel like there was a lot of telling and leading as a reader and that took me out of the story whenever it happened. Again her world-building could have been more developed. I wanted more backstory regarding the MCs background and the powers she inherited. I hope more will be revealed in the follow-up.

This novella was just okay for me. This story is beautifully written and steeped with West African culture and spirituality. However, I never really cared about our main character except to be annoyed/outraged at how every man treated her. Honestly I think it was too quiet of a story for me. It's the story of the beginning of the Kponyungo Sorceress, so maybe I was just expecting more than a girl growing up.

Thank you NetGalley and DAW for the ARC.

Before writing a review, I should mention that I read the books wrong. I started with 'The Book of Phoenix' and then 'She Who Knows'. While I was in the middle of reading I realised that there is another book called 'Who Fears Death' and I'm slightly annoyed at myself that I didn't read it, even though I had downloaded it months ago!!!

Regardless! Nnedi Okorafor's 'She Who Knows' was a great read. Even after reading both of the novellas, I got an idea of what the storyworld/worldbuilding is about. It's a very intriguing novella about a young girl discovering her powers and Okorafor thoroughly immerses the writer into the culture and tension of the story.

I look forward to reading more of Okorafor's books, and will most certainly read 'Who Fears Death' very soon!

I couldn’t get invested in this book.

It is the first book in a new trilogy and a prequel to Who Fears Death, which you don’t have to read before picking this one up. However, I wouldn’t recommend doing that. Not much happens here, and it ends before the interesting stuff seems to start happening.

You should also know that there are barely any Sci-Fi or Fantasy elements present.

Nnedi Okorafor never ceases to amaze me. She Who Knows, a prequel to her World Fantasy Award-winning novel Who Fears Death, continues to showcase her talent for blending afrofuturism, mysticism, and powerful themes of identity. This is the sixth book I’ve read by Okorafor.

The novella tells the origin story of Najeeba, the mother of the heroine from Who Fears Death. Najeeba is a 13-year-old girl who hears The Call to travel the Salt Roads—an occupation traditionally reserved for men. Her journey challenges the norms of her village and alters the course of her family’s future. This afro-futuristic tale combines science fiction with mysticism and explores complicated and sometimes violent relationships between different cultural groups.

She Who Knows is a captivating novella that not only introduces Najeeba’s story but also sets the stage for what promises to be an intriguing trilogy.
I’m looking forward to diving into Who Fears Death next.

Thank you to NetGalley and DAW Books for providing an advanced reader’s copy of She Who Knows.

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Daw Publishing. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Afrofuturism, Post-Apocalyptic Fiction, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Adult fiction
Spice Level: There is sex on the page between teens
Format: Novella

I've enjoyed Nnedi Okorafor's books time and time again. In *SHE WHO KNOWS*, the main character, Najeeba, receives the call, telling her when to travel to the salt fields. The problem is that girls never go. And then she makes things worse because she's impulsive.

The book continues to explore how society divides men and women and what it takes to change. Fear controls some of the people's reactions. But there's more to it than that—other forces are moving and destroying villages. And dangerous creatures are roaming.

My main criticism is that I wanted the book to keep going! How could it only be a novella? Now, I'm anxiously waiting for the next installment.

Happy reading!

"She who knows" is the first book of Nnedi Okorafor's new seiries, but from what I understand it can be read as a stand alone.

This world that the writer has developed, has been established in a previous trilogy that I haven't read. It is a dystopian post modern Africa and the protagonist is a girl who wants to experience the journey to the salt road, alongside the men. This journey though is not meant to be held by women.

She has mystical powers that are not yet fully developed, so she is not aware of their full extend, and she's constantly facing descrimination, sometimes even from her own family.

While reading this book I wasn't able to understand the point the author tried to make, as it resembles more of an introduction to a bigger story. I think it would be more complete if it was a bit shorter and a part of a bigger book. It doesn't make much sense, because even though we see her journey through the years and we witness somewhat of a development for her character, the plot leaves much to be desired.

It is well written, and I am sure that the last page is a very promising start for the next book, but I strongly feel that it needs something more to be considered as complete by itself. Generally in book series, there is, of course, a bigger story spread throughout the volumes, which have to be read in order, so you can understand the overarching plot, but each book has its own complete sub plot, that serves the lore.

For sure, I will read the other books of the author, because her world is undeniably interesting, but this particular book didn't provide me with the fulfilling experience I expected!

The first book I read from Nnedi Okorafor was Binti, I was blown away by the beautiful writing style, the characters, world building, culture, the tension, all the elements are what quickly made Nnedi Okorafor one of my favourite authors.
She Who knows is a coming of age dystopian novel set in Africa, following Najeeba, a tense and sometimes confronting read, the story is also magical, empowering and rich with culture with beautifully written world building and strong characters which is just what I expected being from Nnedi.
I have not read Who Fears Death but I have purchased it and I look forward to reading it soon so I can get to know the story of Onyesonwu, Najeeba’s daughter.

I am very grateful to Netgalley and DAW for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review. I was very excited to receive an arc for my favourite author.

Nnedi Okorafor does it again with She Who Knows. A wonderful world steeped in powerful culture and brilliant writing. This book grabs the reader from the beginning to the end and you won’t want to let go. The imagery and action should propel this to the top of the pile.

Nnedi Okorafor is literally my most read author and Who Fears Death was one of my favorite reads the year I read it. As you can imagine, I was unbelievably happy to learn that we would get a prequel and backstory to Najeeba's story before we see her in the future book. As expected, Okorafor's pen game completely delivered!! This novella, packs a punched and gives an awesome introduction to this unique world the author has created. This novella is crafted in a way that would be a treat to fans of the previous book, while being a nice introduction to new readers of the series. I thoroughly enjoyed this origin story and look forward to the next installment in this world. I will definitely be adding physical copies to my shelf to complete the series.

Thank you, Netgalley and the publisher, DAW, for providing me and e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Nnedi Okorafor is brilliant and her latest is just another achievement for one of our current powerhouses in fantasy and sci-fi. The novel is tense, packed tight with with meaning (and stress), and the mastery of language on display here is remarkable.

Nnedi Okorafor has such a way with words, and I truly enjoy how she blends fantasy and sci-fi together! Najeeba is a 13-year old Osu-nu, basically an untouchable within the Okeke people, and she just felt her first Call. Usually, it's only men who hear the call to the Dead Lake, but Najeeba is special (and magical).

The story is brutal, and I felt dread for much of my read, fitting for a dystopian novel. I really enjoyed the ending (though it did feel a bit rushed) and wanted to see what happened next for adult Najeeba. I haven't read the trilogy that this book is a prequel/sequel for, but I'm also interested! This story definitely spoils the ending of that series though. Nnedi Okorafor is a dazzling writer, and I'm excited for how this story continues!

This novella is enchanting. I always enjoy post-the-apocalypse with rebuilt society stories that include some of the same technology as the past. This novella also has an intriguing concept that is based on a bit of magic. In this way, the novella is a blend of magical realism, afrofuturism, and sci-fi fantasy.

Najeeba herself is tough and resourceful, yet, because the novella is quite short with a lot going on, I didn’t feel I got to know her too deeply, but I sympathized with her plight. While the magic aspect is pretty integral to certain plot points, magical realism, versus straight-up fantasy, is not a preferred sub-genre of mine, so I did have questions about unexplained aspects (like what the ”witches” actually are?). Yet, I was absolutely entranced by the wonderfully flowing narrative, the descriptions of the landscape, and the story itself.

While “teenage girl subverts gender norms” is a very common story (this is not a YA though, to be clear), it’s always one I’m on board for. Yet, I found the world-building aspect not entirely fleshed out. In truth, this is one of those novellas that could have easily been a full novel given the potential depth of the various components. For example, we’re never really told in detail - at least I don’t think - why the salt road and market aspects are so sexist, because other aspects of her society don’t seem sexist. Najeeba’s mom is some sort of town leader, women appear to have a choice as to who they marry, and birth control is readily available (meaning women have control over their sexuality), so why there is sexism around the salt road in particular was something I could have used more background in. This wasn’t something that I noticed at the time of reading, just upon reflection. Did this affect my enjoyment of the story? Absolutely not.

Basically, if you want a quick read that’s very addictive and fun, you should check this out, as the prose is fluid, quick-paced, and very immersive.

The story of Najeeba that is told in She Who Knows began in Nnedi Okorafor's Who Fears Death. In that book we see a different Najeeba, here we learn of her origin story, a coming of age in a future dystopian Africa. Readers of other Okorafor books (like 2021's Noor) will find the technology and powers familiar.

Najeeba is the only daughter of a salt trader. Unusual for those who live in her village, Najeeba feels the semi-yearly call to go and harvest from the salt lake, something usually onyl felt by men. The salt lake was discovered by two women but has become the purview of men. Only one group is called at a time, and each takes their mined haul to the market to trade. All the village benefits form the sale.

Najeeba is in her early teens and very good with the garden, beyond hearing the call, she also begins to exhibits other powers, being able to commune with animals and project her consciousness beyond her body. As she learns more about herself and her powers she struggle to adjust to growing up and challenging the status quo of her village life. Her actions, long overdue are changing who can and cannot do what.

Recommending to readers of dystopian works, coming of age stories, Afrofuturism or science fiction.

A mysterious and exciting Africanfuturist novella, She Who Knows tells the origin story of a character from an earlier novel Who Fears Death, but it also stands proudly on its own. I have read and enjoyed much of Nnedi Okorafor’s short fiction, particularly the Binti trilogy, and this new novella contained many of the themes I’ve come to expect from her work: strong-willed girls, desert societies, spirits and technology, and mystical powers that manifest in unexpected ways.

In She Who Knows, young Najeeba wakes up one morning imbued with knowledge that has only ever come to the men of her town; the call to walk the salt roads and mine from the dead lake. Her father is reluctant to bring her along at first, but as she travels with him and her brothers, encountering dust witches and glowing orbs, Najeeba discovers unique and unusual strengths within her that change her community’s way of life.

Great pacing and evocative writing, and my only complaint is that the story left me wanting more (often my issue with novellas!) but I will gladly dive into Who Fears Death to find out more about these characters and their journeys into the unknown.

Thanks to DAW Books and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Although this novella is a backstory for a character in one of Nnedi Okorafor's previous works, it can be enjoyed all on its own. If you have yet to read something by Nnedi Okorafor, then you are in for a treat with this story. Okorafor's writing blends fantasy, science fiction, and African culture together in a way that no other author even comes close to. Her stories and her imagination are truly one of a kind.

She Who Knows is just another example of why Okorafor is one of today's best authors!

She Who Knows (Hardcover)
by Nnedi Okorafor
A families curse and it's reprocessing affect more than one generation. This African inspired science fiction book shows the nature of Mythology and history. When people are oppressed and enslaved by others there is always retribution. The pride of family can attain the highest cost.
A great book for middle school students needing to find the spark within.

This was a really good novella. I haven't read anything else by this author before, but I'm now interested in diving deeper into this world.

I love the African based world that has been created, the mix of the old and the new. I also adore the main character and how she forged her own path in a patriarchal society, opening doors for other women. This does have its costs, however, but I love that she knew herself enough to know what she wanted and to go for it.

This isn't necessarily a happy story, but I found it quite touching in many ways, and it also felt real in a way I can't really describe.

"Part science fiction, part fantasy, and entirely infused with West African culture and spirituality, this novella offers an intimate glimpse into the life of a teenager whose coming of age will herald a new age for her world. Set in the universe Africanfuturist luminary Nnedi Okorafor first introduced in the World Fantasy Award-winning Who Fears Death, this is the first in the She Who Knows trilogy.

When there is a call, there is often a response.

Najeeba knows.

She has had The Call. But how can a 13-year-old girl have the Call? Only men and boys experience the annual call to the Salt Roads. What's just happened to Najeeba has never happened in the history of her village. But it's not a terrible thing, just strange. So when she leaves with her father and brothers to mine salt at the Dead Lake, there's neither fanfare nor protest. For Najeeba, it's a dream come true: travel by camel, open skies, and a chance to see a spectacular place she's only heard about. However, there must have been something to the rule, because Najeeba's presence on the road changes everything and her family will never be the same.

Small, intimate, up close, and deceptively quiet, this is the beginning of the Kponyungo Sorceress."

I love that acceptance leads to change.