What a ride!
If you’re looking for a unique, partly-sci-fi take on the detective genre, you’re in for a treat.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for giving me the opportunity to read Esperance. This isn’t a genre I normally read, but I’m glad that I took the opportunity to check it out.

5+1
Novels take so much work, so I try to give five positives when reviewing, but nothing is perfect, so I’ll also give one criticism.

Five positives:

1. Like any good murder mystery, the story kicks off with a murder. I was enthralled from the beginning, and trying to figure out the motive behind the murder(s) was one of the highlights for me. And I liked how as the characters honed in on the murderer, everyone had to change their tactics.

2. At the beginning, there was just a bit of supernatural horror, but that quickly revealed itself as sci-fi tech. The technology that Oyebanji displayed was often unique, sometimes gross, and very exciting. This was a big surprise for me.

3. The story kicks off in Chicago, USA, but it then shifts to multiple locales in the UK. There is also a huge African and Nigerian element here. I loved the international nature of the story. We got to see different locales, different dialects and culture, and watching how they intermingled and clashed was fun.

4. There aren’t many major characters in this story, but the ones that Oyebanji focused on were great. I thought Oyebanji did a good job introducing us to the story through Ethan, the middle-aged detective. Even though he was racist (among other flaws), he had endearing qualities as well. I was so invested with him that I found the POV shift to Abidemi to be a bit jarring. However, Abi quickly grew to be the highlight of the book, and she completely stole the show. I loved almost everything about Abi’s character. She was quirky, powerful, but far from omnipotent. She failed a lot throughout the story, but she always found a way to keep on fighting. I also loved how she played against Hollie, a young Brit that served as a foil. Seeing their relationship deepen was another highlight for me.

5. Another fun surprise was how many visceral action scenes there were. I felt that the stakes always felt real, and there were real consequences to both victories and losses.

One negative:
1. I’m not sure that the character work truly lived up to its full potential. There is a lot of great characterization, but I didn’t think the emotional arcs of the characters fully landed. This is partly due to the plot accelerating the story in act three, but I still think we needed a bit deeper character work in the final act.

I had some issues with this book, but it was overall a great experience. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone interested in detective stories especially with sci-fi elements.

I loved "Braking Day," and I was equally enthusiastic about this book's the premise, but I ended up hating the execution. I tried really hard to get in the mood for the kind of mashup this book turned out to be (Afrofuturism with strong thriller vibes), but I found it extremely didactic and moralistic. I didn't feel it was so much science fiction as a book that employs science fictional motifs to build a central mystery which is neither resolved on the basis of these elements exclusively (some weird pseudo-historical revelations turn out to offer the solution), nor articulated solely with this mystery in mind (its point seems to be social commentary on racism and intergenerational trauma. rather than social vision or tech-savvy portrayals of the future). I soon found myself not caring about the characters - they were mostly superficial and stereotypical stand-ins for the moral of the story to develop, for th author to make a point. Perhaps the delayed revelation of their backstories is at fault; perhaps the promise in the synopsis that the book is a techno-thriller akin to Crouch and Stephenson had me convinced that the crucial factor would be plot and characterization, not intricacy and complexity for their own sake. In brief, something was missing: grit, mood, atmosphere? It felt too much like an empty structure, beautifully decorated but not attractive enough to live in.

Starts as a police procedural, which is fine by me - I love them: Chicago cops turn up to investigate a death, the cause of death is very weird, and how it was managed is baffling. Cops hear about a similar murder a long way across the country...

Meanwhile, someone has just arrived in England - we don't know where from - and talks like someone from a bad 1930s film. She meets a grifter, they fall into some trouble together, and of course their paths eventually cross the paths of the American cops. And I can't tell you why or how without going into some of the key revelations, the discovery which was a massive part of why I enjoyed this novel so much.

I spent a lot of this novel not really sure who the traveller was, where they were from, and what their purpose would turn out to be. Sometimes this sort of suspense is really annoying, but not here: although their overall intention was mysterious, Oyebanji still managed to create a character who was fascinating and appealing enough that I wanted to keep hanging out with them. He also does some very clever things with the American cops, I think, although as a white Australian I'm really not in a position to fully comment on that.

The book is fantastic. There's wonderful characters, excellent interactions between them, and an intriguing and compelling mystery. It covers racism, mammoth questions like what justice really is or looks like - and is a standalone story. Highly recommended.

Esperance hooked me from page one and didn’t let go. I mean, how could it? It opens with an impossible murder - a father and son drown in seawater inside their 20th-floor Chicago apartment (with no water tank around, floors dry, and nail scratches on the ceiling). A dead barracuda is just lying there next to them. For me, that’s the kind of opening that demands attention, and trust me, Oyebanji knows exactly how to keep it.

All of this somehow ties to a woman in Bristol who dresses and speaks like she walked out of the 1930s Nigeria, has and builds tech that shouldn’t exist, and is on a very specific historical scavenger hunt. Yeah, I’m in.

The pacing is perfect - the short chapters told from two points of view (Detective Ethan Krol and Abi) fly by quickly thanks to the right mix of action, mystery, and those oh-crap moments where everything shifts. The sci-fi elements are there, but Oyebanji doesn’t over-explain them, which somehow makes them even cooler. I found the twists top-tier, but your mileage may vary. Anyway, just when I thought I had things figured out, nope. With that said, it’s possible some readers won’t be crazy about police procedural elements, but since I love them, I had no issues here.

I also loved the dynamic between Hollie and Abi. Hollie is basically most of us. Abidemi, on the other hand, is an enigma - charismatic, dangerous, and inhumanly brilliant. Their relationship had the odd but interesting energy, and I loved how their interactions went from trust and suspicion and back.

Even the antagonist had motivations that actually made sense. There’s logic to their actions, even if their methods are, let’s say, a lot.

By the time I hit the final act, I was all in. The twists come fast, the revelations hit hard, and the ending is equally satisfying and unsettling. I feel it’ll stick with me. If you’re into Blake Crouch-style thrillers, Neal Stephenson-esque tech mysteries, or just a smart, fast-paced story that refuses to be predictable, Esperance is absolutely worth your time.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

In "Esperance," Adam Oyebanji weaves an intricate tale that blurs the lines between science fiction and social commentary, offering readers a thought-provoking exploration of human resilience, society's darkest impulses, and the enduring hope for a better future.

Set against the backdrop of a dystopian future, "Esperance" takes us to a world on the brink of collapse. The story follows a diverse cast of characters, grappling with their own struggles while navigating the remnants of a society that has been devastated by climate change, political corruption, and technological upheaval. "Esperance" is a tale of survival and resistance, as our protagonists band together to uncover hidden truths and challenge the oppressive systems that have led to their world's downfall.

Oyebanji masterfully tackles themes such as environmental degradation, the ethics of artificial intelligence, and the power dynamics inherent in societal structures. The novel delves into the consequences of humanity's relentless pursuit of progress at the expense of the natural world, urging readers to reflect on their own roles in shaping the future. The motif of hope, symbolized by the titular "Esperance" (meaning "hope" in French), runs through the narrative, reminding us that even in the darkest times, there is always a glimmer of light.

One of the standout aspects of "Esperance" is its rich and multifaceted characters. Oyebanji does not shy away from portraying their flaws and vulnerabilities, making them feel remarkably real and relatable. The protagonist, whose journey from disillusionment to empowerment forms the heart of the story, is particularly compelling. Supporting characters, each with their own unique perspectives and backgrounds, add depth and complexity to the narrative, ensuring that readers remain invested in their fates.

Oyebanji's prose is lyrical and evocative, painting vivid pictures of a world in ruins an immersive reading experience, drawing readers into the bleak yet captivating world of "Esperance." The pacing is well-balanced, with moments of tension and introspection seamlessly interwoven, keeping the reader engaged from start to finish.

While "Esperance" excels in its thematic depth and character development, it occasionally falters in its plot execution. Certain plot twists and resolutions may feel predictable to seasoned readers of the genre, and there are moments where the narrative momentum slows. However, these minor drawbacks do not detract significantly from the overall impact of the novel.

"Esperance" by Adam Oyebanji is a compelling and thought-provoking read that offers a powerful critique of contemporary societal issues through the lens of speculative fiction. Its exploration of hope, resilience, and the human spirit makes it a poignant and timely addition to the genre. Readers who enjoy stories that challenge them to think deeply about the world around them will find much to appreciate in this novel. Highly recommended for fans of dystopian fiction and social commentary.

It’s been a long time since I’ve read a thriller and I don’t know that I’ve ever read one this engaging. It hits all the usual marks and then some, since in addition to being a well-crafted police procedural/mystery, it’s also a well-crafted sci-fi novel. The social commentary is also spot on, though I’ll be curious to see if there are any changes in the final draft, particularly with how often race is mentioned in the first section. It seems to be intentional as a way of characterizing the white cop’s relationship to the idea of race, but it felt unnecessary, especially since it wasn’t consistent throughout the book.

Once the perspectives shifted, though, and especially as we got to know all the characters better, the book really hit its stride and became unputdownable. The final act was as thrilling as you could hope for it to be and kept me eagerly page-turning until the last. Overall, it was a very enjoyable read and I look forward to seeing how others enjoy it once it is released.

Many thanks to Adam Oyebanji and DAW Publishing for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my review.

[Thanks to DAW books and NetGalley for offering this eARC in exchange for my honest review!]

Alright, I'm in a weird position, here. I DNFed Esperance by Adam Oyebanji before the halfway mark despite being thoroughly sold on the premise. Neo-noir Afrofuturist space thriller? We're checking a bunch of boxes! Tackling intergenerational trauma, enslavement, reparations? Weird bugs? Phenomenal, let's see it. I settled in for what promised to be a wild ride. And it was, just not in any of the ways I expected.

Racism and especially anti-Black racism is, of course, one of the story's core themes: its roots, who perpetuates it, and how, and why, and its myriad ripple effects across cultures and across time. We spend a great deal of time on racism in the United States thanks to our hard-boiled Chicago detective, Ethan Krol. and that's where I feel things start to go sideways.

From page one we see the narrative-relevant microaggressions from Krol and others that tell us Esperance's is a world of discrimination pretending that racial bigotry belongs to The Past. All fine and good, great mirror of our own world, but the problem is that the discrimination isn't confined to the plot. The way certain Black characters are described by the story, for example, is steeped in colorism. The sentence that first had me questioning everything: "Amadi Okoro's skin might have been onyx black, but if he'd been hanged the marks still would have been easy to see" (Location 180). One could argue that since Krol is our third-person POV in this scene that it helps set up up his character as casually racist, and that may even be the author's intention; but, it feels wildly out of step with subsequent intentionally racist lines and that ambiguity, which remains pervasive, is a significant problem for a novel with so much to say about such painful topics. I don't trust the book to be consistent, and that's a tough ask for me as a reader.

What's more, the intentionally bigoted moments are often underdone. This is part of a larger problem with great scene ideas being rushed or abandon altogther, but I digress. Charged conversations and scenes breeze by with little commentary from the characters or the book itself. Weird hair-related comments unacknowledged; Kroll's drive-by East Asian sexualization; all-around strange racist moments that would be much stronger if they told us anything about our characters as individual people. That's what I'm really craving: Why does Krol move through the world this way, other than trying incredibly hard to be Humphrey Bogart? I don't know, because the book seems far more interested in developing the plot than any of its characters.

That neglect is profoundly disappointing because I really want to connect with these characters! The set-up is fun, please give me any reason to care about Krol's health, his divorce, his prejudices, his personality, his pride, anything. Why is Abi the way she is, emotionally? Who is she outside of the plot? What's Holly's deal? I feel like I catch fleeting glimpses of these people, but they're just that: glimpses. Give me a reason to care, please!

I'm so conflicted. I see the bones of a great story, with plenty of crucial themes to explore. Oyebanji's love of noir shines so bright from the very first page. I wanted to love it, but the dissonant, shallow characters and inconsistent plotting left too much to be desired.

[Note: I don't feel a star rating is relevant here, but I'm putting three stars as balance between my critiques and my appreciation for all its truly gorgeous potential.]

This is so good. A new favourite author for me. Science fiction meets action meets twists and turns. Truly great read. I am off to read the author’s other books. More please.

At first glance, Esperance is a mystery thriller that immediately draws you in. Like many mystery thrillers, it keeps you on the edge of your seat as you try to piece together clues to solve the mystery. Unlike most, however, Adam Oyebanji expertly weaves in elements of science fiction, playing with reality while simultaneously delving into the histories of racism and the very real horrors of intergenerational trauma.

Some of the reveals and discoveries genuinely took me by surprise, and I appreciated how the author handled these realisations within the wider story arc. The characters' reactions felt authentic and grounded in real-time. However, I felt that some of the reveals and conclusions were a little rushed, leaving me desperate for more. I would have loved more time to explore the later developments, as they truly piqued my interest and felt deserving of greater depth within the overarching thematic narrative.

I was surprised to very quickly grow attached to many of the characters and really appreciated how each character felt incredibly distinct from the next, with differing but clear personal motivations for their roles in the story, even if we do have to wait until the end for some clarity on a backstory or two.

Ultimately, I am grateful to Adam Oyebanji for sharing the story of Esperance with the world. Esperance is the perfect crossover between the mystery thriller genre and the ever-growing collection of essential Afrofuturism works.

Thanks to NetGalley and DAW for the e-ARC. All opinions are my own.

TWs/CWs:
Graphic: Racism, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Child death, Drug use, and Gun violence
Minor: Gore, Rape, Slavery, Blood, and Trafficking

The concept here--a human descended from ancestors saved by aliens and transported to another planet comes to Earth to stop one of her fellow such humans from killing all of the descendants of the man who condemned their ancestors to die--is interesting, even if it doesn't always work well. At the center of the novel is the question as to whether the children should suffer for the sins of their forebears. The humans from another planet mostly say yes, while humans from Earth mostly say no. The tone zigzags from police procedural to buddy caper to technothriller to family drama, and while I enjoyed reading the mash-up of genres, the ease of which characters accepted some of the weirdness created by the human-aliens felt a little too easy, and the capabilities of the human-alien tech involved wasn't always consistent.

I really enjoyed this one. A sci-fi thriller with a dash of Afrofuturism was right up my alley. I enjoyed all of the characters and it was definitely action packed. I couldn't put it down! I'm definitely interested in reading more from Oyebanji.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC! Esperance releases in the US from DAW Books in May 2025.

Adam Oyebanji’s Esperance weaves together a detective mystery and a speculative exploration of history’s darkest legacies. Opening with a chilling homicide in Chicago—a father and son drowned in saltwater, the mother left comatose by an unexplained neurotoxin—the novel immediately grabs your attention. Detective Ethan Krol’s investigation pulls readers into a web of unsettling murders across continents, intricately tied to a centuries-old slave ship and the horrifying fate of its passengers.

Parallel to Ethan’s narrative is the story of Abidemi, a futuristic human navigating a contemporary Earth that feels alien to her. Abi’s mission to track down descendants of the Esperance’s captain adds a layer of sci-fi intrigue, seamlessly integrating elements of advanced technology and alternate worlds. Abi’s strange electronic devices feel almost mythic, blending her connection to the past with the high-tech future she represents. As her path converges with Ethan’s, the narrative builds to a tense crescendo that spans Chicago, Rhode Island, and Edinburgh, ultimately culminating in revelations about a planet called Ibi Aabo—a home to the descendants of those the Esperance’s captain so cruelly discarded.

What struck me most was the ambition of Oyebanji’s world-building. The concept of Ibi Aabo and the hauntingly poetic notion of a planet populated by the descendants of enslaved people resonates deeply. It’s a premise that could easily become heavy-handed, but Oyebanji balances the speculative with the personal, grounding the narrative in Abi’s and Ethan’s dogged pursuits.

However, I found some aspects lacking the depth they deserved. The racial and historical themes—so central to the novel’s core—felt underexplored at times, almost overshadowed by the fast-paced plot. Ethan’s character, too, left me wanting more; his personality seemed serviceable to the mystery but lacked the complexity to make him truly memorable.

That said, the novel’s brisk pacing and binge-worthy intrigue more than compensated. Oyebanji keeps the reader hooked with sharp twists, compelling stakes, and the unrelenting question of how history’s ghosts manifest in the present. While not a lyrical read, the writing is crisp and functional, serving the plot’s intricacies without distraction.

Ultimately, Esperance is a thrilling exploration of intergenerational trauma, justice, and the lengths to which vengeance can stretch across time and space. For readers who enjoy genre-blending stories with high stakes and deep ethical questions, this book will not disappoint.

📖 Recommended For: Fans of genre-blending mysteries, readers intrigued by speculative fiction tied to historical trauma, and lovers of high-stakes, fast-paced narratives with a touch of sci-fi.

🔑 Key Themes: Historical Reckoning, Intergenerational Trauma, Justice and Vengeance, Racial Identity, Futuristic Technology, and the Legacy of Slavery.

Content / Trigger Warnings: Vomit (moderate), Murder (severe), Slavery (minor), Death of a Child (moderate), Rape (minor), Gore (minor), Sex Trafficking (minor), Racism (severe), Drug Use (moderate), Violence (severe), Blood (minor), Gun Violence (minor).

Braking Day fue una buena carta de presentación para Adam Oyebanji, al menos para mí, aunque sus obras posteriores ya no se puedan enmarcar en el género. Con Esperance nos ofrece un thriller de investigación policíaca con toques de ciencia ficción, pero aunque consigue mantener constantemente la tensión, lo cierto es que los misterios y sus resoluciones son bastante previsibles.


Esperance está dividida en dos voces narrativas, por un lado la de Ethan Krol, un detective que deberá resolver unos asesinatos aparentemente por ahogamiento en agua salada en mitad de Chicago y por otro lado, Abi Eniola, una extraña mujer que aparece en Bristol y no parece entender nada de lo que sucede a su alrededor, aunque cuenta con recursos y capacidades muy por encima de lo normal. Oyebanji los mantiene separados durante bastante tiempo, aunque al final estarán destinados a encontrarse

Decía Sherlock Holmes que cuando se han eliminado todas las posibilidades, lo que queda, por muy improbable que parezca, tiene que ser verdad. Y este llega a ser el razonamiento de Krol, porque conforme se van a acumulando las víctimas, incluso niños, no vislumbra ningún hilo conductor de las muertes que entre dentro de lo plausible.

Reconozco que el libro está escrito con cierto humor, sobre todo en la forma de hablar de Abi que utiliza un slang bastante desfasado o en los problemas de comunicación entre los súbditos británicos y los americanos. Como buen thriller que se precie también tiene enfrentamientos, persecuciones y acción, muchas acción. El lector continúa atrapado en la lectura a la espera de la explicación que unirá a los dos personajes y justificará sus acciones, pero la verdad es la más que previsible razón de los asesinatos se nos desvela un tanto por birlibirloque y no llega a sorprendernos.

Mención aparte merece Hollie Rogers, la “compañera” que irá con Abi de aventuras y que le irá interpretando el mundo actual sobre la marcha. Vale que no tiene mucho arraigo en su comunidad y vale que gracias a Abi tendrá accesos a recursos que nunca podría haber imaginado, pero… en fin… ¿irse con alguien a quien acabas de conocer a Chicago tras ver cómo dejaba fuera de juego a un matón con una velocidad imperceptible por el ojo humano? ¿Creer que te vas a librar de tus deudas con el hampa local por la buena voluntad de una desconocida? Hay gente que confiada, muy confiada y luego está Hollie.

Adam Oyebanji nos ofrece con Esperance una novela entretenida pero de poca sustancia, con un toque sutil de ciencia ficción que la hace posible pero que destaca dentro del género.

Firstly thank you to the publishers for my early access in exchange for a review.
I’ve reviewed a few of this authors books and this is definitely one of their strongest .
Thought provoking and well written

This is so good. A new favourite author for me. Science fiction meets action meets twists and turns. Truly great read. I am off to read the author’s other books. More please. Thank you to the author. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

Writing: 5/5 Characters: 4/5 Story: 4.5/5

Part (very weird) murder mystery, part speculative fiction and a wow ending — Esperance is an evolving surprise from start to finish.

Ethan Karol is the Chicago PD detective trying to solve the seemingly inexplicable murder of a father and son, found drowned in seawater next to a large (also dead) fish on the 20th floor of a fashionable apartment building. Meanwhile, Abidemi Eniola is roaming the streets of Bristol (England), dressed in 30s attire, speaking in a weird accent, and full of technological trickery that is beyond anything her accidental sidekick, Hollie, has even considered possible. And both Karol and Eniola appear to be trying to track down a very specific, long ago sea captain…

All the characters are fun to read and slowly learn about. Character insight comes through action and behavior more than any kind of introspection. Themes of racism, justice, and intergenerational trauma are core to the story, but (IMHO) serve primarily as background motivation for what is an intense, action filled set of pages. In truth, a little more action than I usually care for, but so well-written and full of surprising twists I didn’t even have time to complain (to myself).

I’ve read all four of Oyebanji’s books in the last four months and they have all been written (or at least published) in the last three years. This is promising! Two books are straight up mysteries (not cozies, but also not *too* thrilling for me) and two are SciFi Crime / Mystery. Author has exactly the kind of interesting bio that leads to creative plots and unusual characters. I’ll be keeping an eye out for all his new, apparently rapidly produced(!), works.

I was expecting a fast-paced cyberpunk techno-thriller with Africanfuturism flair from this book, and I did get that and in that this was an entertaining story. But I didn't connect with it as much as I had hoped; however I think this was just a case of it not being the right book for me.

This book tells the story of a hard-boiled police detective in Chicago, Ethan Krol, who's investigating the bizarre deaths of a family that was found drowned in seawater in their apartment building. Concurrently, a woman who speaks like a 1930s gangster movie who seems to have strange cybernetic implants is also on the trail of this mysterious killer, tagged along reverently by blindly trusting Hollie. Thus follows a breakneck, globe-spanning tale of twists and turns, racism and reparations as they struggle to understand the motive and means of the killer.

The detective I found to be a stereotype of a disgruntled, grumpy old white guy commonly found in noir films. The mystery was intriguing and the motives of the killer kept me reading to the end, but I kept wanting to DNF several times. It was just too heavy on the police procedural and investigation for my taste; I'm not a fan of gritty police procedurals.

This was a plot-driven thriller and I tend to prefer stories that focus more on character development. The characters in this just felt flat and underdeveloped. I didn't feel like I really got to know any of them as they got flung from one chase scene or action sequence to the next.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I powered through this book in a couple of days, trying to make it last longer, but it’s a difficult one to put down. Comparisons to Blake Crouch and Andy Weir caught my attention, and the author did not disappoint.

The story starts out as a murder mystery, drowned bodies, with seawater in their lungs, are found many miles from the sea. It soon becomes apparent that the murderer has the ability to disrupt technology and hack in to systems that make him or her invisible to the investigator. Detective Ethan Krol is determined to find out why and how these families are being murdered,

Meanwhile, in Bristol, England, Abedimi Eniola is also hunting down targets, claiming she needs to deliver heirlooms to their rightful owners.

She says she is Nigerian, but speaks like a 30’s gangster moll, and seems not quite human.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and highly recommend. Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was everything that I was looking for from a thriller novel, it had that concept that I was looking for and thought the use of racism and trauma worked with the story being told. It has really well written and thought Adam Oyebanji wrote a strong story that the characters felt like they belonged in this universe. I thought everything fit together and was glad I read this.