Binti

At some point, I want to give individual ratings, because I really liked “Binti,” “Binti: Sacred Fire” and “Binti: Home” - I liked “Binti: The Night Masquerade” until the closing chapters when things started to feel a little strange. I'd probably call this a 3.5/5 instead of just 3, but it's closer to a 3 than a 4 for me, and I can't do half ratings.

The writing is pretty splendid. It's approachable, and the stories are interesting. I was interested in all of the devices, the cultural examinations, and Binti's exploration of her different identities and how they impacted one another. I did get a little annoyed at frequently seeing the phrase, “a Meduse-like people” - it made the world feel much less diverse than it portends (that world being Oomza Uni). I think using the word “astrolabe” for that device is a very cool detail.

Binti's reactions to some events and people in the second half of “The Night Masquerade” really puzzled me. Some of it just didn't make sense. I needed a lot more out of Dele and I have to say I agreed with Mwinyi's assessment of the rather performative mourning over one character.

I also thought the frequent incorporation of other species DNA to be a little challenging. How many things can one person be? That is explored very lightly in here, and would be something to explore further. It started to feel very trope-ish with the last one. Similarly, I felt some things got very rushed and convenient explanations (especially at Oomza Uni), but that's the price to be paid for short form.

I think I'd love another story or two about Binti's time at Oomza Uni! All in all, I enjoyed reading these.