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The Book of Phoenix

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What to expect

'There's more vivid imagination in a page of Nnedi Okorafor's work than in whole volumes of ordinary fantasy epics' Ursula K. LeGuin

Prequel to the highly acclaimed, World Fantasy Award-winning novel, Who Fears Death.

*** ARTHUR C. CLARKE AWARD FINALIST***

They call her many things - a research project, a test-subject, a specimen. An abomination.

But she calls herself Phoenix, an 'accelerated woman' - a genetic experiment grown and raised in Manhattan's famous Tower 7, the only home she has ever known. Although she's only two years old, Phoenix has the body and mind of an adult - and powers beyond imagining. Phoenix is an innocent, happy to live quietly in Tower 7, reading voraciously and basking in the love of Saeed, another biologically altered human.

Until the night that Saeed witnesses something so terrible that he takes his own life. Devastated, Phoenix begins to search for answers - only to discover that everything that she has ever known is a lie.

Tower 7 isn't a haven. It's a prison.

And it's time for Phoenix to spread her wings and rise.

Spanning continents and centuries, The Book of Phoenix is an epic, incendiary work of magical realism featuring Nnedi Okorafor's most incredible, unforgettable heroine yet.

Critics Review

PRAISE FOR NNEDI OKORAFOR:
There's more vivid imagination in a page of Nnedi Okorafor's work than in whole volumes of ordinary fantasy epics
Ursula K. LeGuin
Nnedi Okorafor writes glorious futures and fabulous fantasies. Her worlds open your mind to new things, always rooted in the red clay of reality
Neil Gaiman
Okorafor's books are fresh, original and smart. We need more writers like her
Patrick Rothfuss, author of The Name of the Wind
Haunting and absolutely brilliant. My heart and guts are all turned inside out
John Green on Who Fears Death
Okorafor's writing is wonderful, and the details of her world-building ... are complex and fascinating
Veronica Roth
Blending poetic passages with sharp observation and the occasional cadence of a story told by firelight, The Book of Phoenix is an assured introduction not just to her world's myths, but to the process of mythmaking

The New York Times
Nnedi Okorafor is a master storyteller
Ngugi wa Thiong’o
Nnedi Okorafor is one of the most powerful voices in Science Fiction & Fantasy
SFF World
A gripping examination of the power of myth and of who is allowed to write and preserve history . . . a superlative adventure that addresses all-too-harsh realities
The San Francisco Chronicle
Okorafor's inventiveness is as stunning as ever, and the ending is nothing short of spectacular
The Chicago Tribune
Phoenix and her story exist in that shimmering space that marks where science fiction and magical realism overlap.... The Book of Phoenix hit all of my emotional checkboxes
BookRiot
The book is grounded by its unflinching exposure of the brutalities of colonialism, racism, and greed, and exalted by the beauty of Okorafor's prose
Library Journal (starred review)
This is a story of vengeance, a fantastic epic battle between good and evil; written as a fable for the future
Barnes & Noble Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog
While the grim logic of the plot makes it very clear early on how the plot must play out, the process is as entrancing as watching an avalanche sweep toward you, and Okorafor's prose is as ever, enthralling
RT Reviews
The Book of Phoenix isn't just well written, and it isn't just smart as hell; it's also a damn good story . . . Original, sharp, thoughtful and evocative
Tor.com

User Reviews

Book 4.0
Narration 4.0
Author Nnedi Okorafor
Narrator Patricia Rodriguez Rodriguez
Duration 10 hours and 3 minutes
Release Date
ISBN 9781444762815
Format Audiobook
Publisher Hodder & Stoughton
Genre Fantasy, Science fiction, Thriller / suspense fiction
Availability AU, GB, IE
Rating
4.0 (1 review)
Narration
4.0 (1 review)

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