By Else

There are so many subgenres within the Science Fiction Fantasy world that I would lose the plot if I were to have to divide my section into them all. But some genres do not get the attention they deserve, so I am going to highlight a couple of subgenres every year to shine some light on my favorites.

African Myth-Inspired Fantasy is the first highlight. Do keep your eyes out for the shelf I will dedicate to this subgenre in our Amsterdam store!

Mythology-inspired works or retellings have been quite popular lately, and the publishing industry has even decided to diversify this genre with non-Greek and Norse mythology-inspired works. “African Myth” is not just one genre, of course; the books in this list are inspired by mythologies from all over the African continent.

African mythology is also very underrepresented, but I want to celebrate the books that met with some success and are amazing (and expand my own TBR list while researching this).

I have read a couple of the books on this list, and I have gotten my colleague Mike to read a couple as well. We both wrote a couple of book reviews for those.

I am also highlighting some books I haven’t read, but would love to. (To be fair, my To Be Read pile is way too long anyway).

The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter
In a world consumed by endless war one young man will become his people’s only hope for survival. Game of Thrones meets Gladiator in this gripping, action-packed epic fantasy debut set in a brutal world of war, dark magic and dragons.
Read the book review here.

The Dance of Shadows by Rogba Payne
High fantasy inspired by West African spirituality that follows a young musician drawn into a battle between gods.
Read the book review here.

The Killing Moon by N.K. Jemisin
Assassin priests, mad kings, and the goddess of death collide in the first book of the Dreamblood Duology by NYT bestselling and three-time Hugo-Award winning author N. K. Jemisin.
Read the book review here.

Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko
Nothing is more important than loyalty. But what if you’ve sworn to protect the one you were born to destroy?
Read the book review here.

Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James
This book is right up there on my To Be Read list. Marlon James takes inspiration from oral storytelling and Central and West African mythology while highlighting the way people experience and recall  events differently and also the unreliability of storytellers. This book is lyrical and non-chronological, and I’ve been told it is not the easiest read but very much worth it. It has been nominated for a couple of literary awards and has won a couple more. Do check the trigger warnings before reading.

Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor
I am afraid to admit that I’ve had this book in my bookcase for over eight years but haven’t yet read it. It still has the ABC price tag on it from 2017, long before I started working here. But that doesn’t take away that I adore everything I’ve read written by Nnedi Okorafor (I wrote a book review for her latest novel, Death of the Author), and that my plans for this year are to make my way through most of her backlist. That includes the Akata Witch series.
Akata Witch is about Aba, born in New York but living in Nigeria. Aba stands out in more ways than one: she’s albino, amazing at football and is considered an Akata, a “wild animal,” because she is from America. After a vision of the end of the world, Ada becomes entangled with the world of the Leopard People, where some creepy stuff happens (serial killers killing children, juju, all kinds of wickedness). It is steeped in Nigerian myth and magic.
If nothing else, I have convinced myself to catapult this book to a top spot on my TBR list!

Masquerade by O.O. Sangoyomi
Do you see this cover? It must be one of the prettiest books I’ve seen in quite some time. I am in love. This is a West African mythology-inspired political fantasy book (try saying that three times fast) and is for everyone who loves a power-hungry, morally gray female character.
Timbuktu is conquered by Yorubaland, and Òdòdó, the main character, is abducted to be married to the warrior king and whisked away across the Sahara. Masquerade is about Òdòdó trying to reclaim her power and finding a way to wield it. It takes an untraditional path, but is so worth it!

The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna
The Gilded Ones is a powerful high fantasy novel, loosely based on what Namina Forna experienced during the civil war in Sierra Leone. It discusses themes such as xenophobia, abuse, inequality and racism, set in a patriarchal world in which every girl gets cut at the age of 15 to see what color they bleed. The main character, Deka, gets cut and bleeds gold instead of “pure” red blood. She is deemed impure and has to suffer the consequences.

The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi
The Final Strife is heavily influenced by Ghanaian and Arabic mythology. This book deals with blood magic and people who are sorted into different classes based on the color of their blood. After a rebellion in which a societal group sought to upend the hierarchy, only one child survives and is grieving the loss of her family 20 years later. This book features astronomical worldbuilding and lovable characters, with a great dose of LGBTQIA+ representation!

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
I think this might be one of the most well-known African Myth-inspired books. Based on Nigerian (Yoruba) mythology, this book is set to be adapted into a movie with a star-studded line-up.
In Orisha, magic used to thrive but is now considered dangerous and forbidden. The main character, Zeli, is a Diviner, someone who uses magic, and lives in fear of the government. When a magical object is found, the Diviners hope this can help them overcome their oppression and restore magic to the lands.
Adeyemi doesn’t shy away from big topics, and this book is heavily political, focusing on issues of class, race, oppression, privilege and police violence.