The Book of Phoenix by Nnedi Okorafor

The Book of Phoenix by Nnedi Okorafor

NAME: Aryaman Khanna.

PROFILE: Ex-intelligence officer, Phoenix 5 division, Intelligence and Research Wing.

STATUS: Released from a high-security prison in Lakshadweep after serving a seven-year sentence for a botched counterterrorism operation led by Director General Amarjyot Bhushan.

KNOWN FAMILY: A mother, a son and a wife, who was attacked before she could publish an expos about a bioweapon in her newspaper.

CURRENT LOCATION: Last seen heading to Mumbai in pursuit of his wife's attackers and on a top-secret comeback mission.

MISSION: Foil the bioweapon strike an international terror group has been planning to carry out in Mumbai on the anniversary of 26/11.

The Phoenix tells a dystopian tale of espionage and global terror, of sleeper cells and double agents, of biological warfare and suicide attacks. But at its heart there's a message of hope and one man's love for his family and country.

“Okorafor triumphs over the perils of the prequel by making the inevitable feel newly dreadfulBlending 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

“A gripping examination of the power of myth and of who is allowed to write and preserve history.... Okorafor’s fantastical The Book of Phoenix has that ring of truth, 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 of Phoenix isn’t just well written, and it isn’t just smart as hell; it’s also a damn good story, and it kept me reading almost nonstop all the way through.”—Tor.com

“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

Nnedi Okorafor (nnedi.com), the first black woman to win the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel, is the first black woman to win the award. She's also a Hugo and Nebula Award winner. She possesses a Ph.D. in English and is a professor at SUNY Buffalo. She was born in the United States to two Igbo (Nigerian) immigrant parents and raised in both countries. She splits her time between Buffalo and the Chicago suburbs, where she and her daughter Anyaugo (Anya) dwell. Nnedi's work spans early chapter books through adult short tales and lengthier fiction, and has been published in both Africa and the United States.