SHADOW SPEAKER Desert Magician's Duology, Book 1

Délé Ogundiran's immersive performance of this Niger-set fantasy captures both the nostalgia of coming of age and the awe of otherworldly exploration. Ejii Ugabe is equally horrified and enthralled when the Red Queen Jaa beheads the village chief--who is Ejii's father--in front of her. Freed from the patriarchal confines of her father's dictatorship, Ejii embarks on a quest to become Jaa's successor. She travels alongside Dikeogu, a rainmaker, exploring the strange land, creatures, and other worlds of a universe previously transformed by an ecoterrorist bomb. Ejii must learn to use her shadow speaking powers to navigate interstellar politics and prevent war. Ogundiran's imaginative narration, especially of whimsical characters like the Desert Magician, bring a dash of wonder to an inventive story of empowerment. A.A.H. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2023]