Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor

Born into post-apocalyptic Africa to a mother who was raped after the slaughter of her entire tribe, Onyesonwu is tutored by a shaman and discovers that her magical destiny is to end the genocide of her people.

Full review at: http://sffbookreview.wordpress.com/2012/04/20/nnedi-okorafor-who-fears-death/

A wonderful and unique book that totally took me by surprise and left me happy, sad and wanting more, all at the same time.

I've only ever read Okorafor's short fiction, so this was a great experience. I don't think I've ever read a book that explored feminism in an East African society, let alone a post-apocalyptic East African society. The nuanced take on women in these cultures is smart, refreshing, and well-worth the read. At times, I felt the pacing was a bit quick for me (maybe I'm just super into her short fiction and wanted something slower-paced), but it was an impressive story nonetheless. If you like a good mix of sci-fi and fantasy, complex and complicated characeters, and beautiful prose, give this one a try.