The Book of Phoenix

April 20, 2015
This haphazard prequel to Okorafor’s postapocalyptic first novel for adults, Who Fears Death, explores the circumstances that led to that apocalypse. Phoenix is a three-year-old biological weapon who looks and acts like a 40-year-old woman. Escaping from the facility where she was created, Phoenix flees from a malevolent organization bent on recapturing her and bending her to their will. While this installment answers burning questions from Who Fears Death, it lacks much of the nuance and intrigue that make the author’s other work so beloved. Okorafor once again creatively melds European and African mythologies into a fresh hybrid, but the wonder and magic aren’t enough to distract from the flat characterization and bland narration. This tale of oppression is brimming with anger, but without a compelling reason to care about the characters, Okorafor’s vital larger messages are lost.

Starred review from May 15, 2015

Phoenix was not born but grown in a laboratory. A shadowy corporation runs labs around the world, breeding individuals with extraordinary abilities. Phoenix lives in Tower 7 in New York City, sheltered from the outside world and content enough until her friend Saeed witnesses an atrocity in the lab and kills himself. Phoenix, whose power makes her burn like a sun only to be reborn, escapes her prison, determined to be free of the labs. VERDICT This prequel to Okorafor's World Fantasy award winner Who Fears Death tells another fascinating tale of futuristic fantasy, although the labs give this tale a more sf feel despite the superhuman characters. Phoenix becomes a true heroine, leading other lab dwellers to freedom. Action, excitement, and exotic locales abound, but 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.

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