The latest novella from visionary science fiction author Nnedi Okorafor is now out and expands the world of her popular story Who fears death. She who knows is the first book in a trilogy that tells the story of Najeeba, the mother of Who fears death Main character Onyesonwu. It is set in a future version of our Earth, in a desert, where Najeeba discovers hidden powers within herself that change the course of her life and her community.

Considering that this is not only a new story from one of the current masters of the genre, but also a prequel, you may be excited to read it, but also curious if the book is a must-read. Who fears death first. I read She who knowsand I will answer this question below and also give you my spoiler-free Review of the novella.

Let’s start with the first question: If you have not read Who fears deathyou can still immerse yourself in She who knows? For me the answer is yes. I had Who fears death had been on my reading list for quite some time, but I hadn’t gotten around to it yet when I got a copy of She who knows. This turned out to be a good thing, as I wanted to gauge how accessible this prequel series would be for both newcomers and old hands who have loved Okorafor’s work for some time.

Since She who knows is Najeeba’s story, it still reads wonderfully whether you know the bigger story or not. I’m sure there are a lot from nodding to Who fears death I missed that, and it sounds like the series will go beyond the events of Who fears death in later parts, but that didn’t spoil the experience of hearing about Najeeba’s journey in any way. So yes, whether you have read Who fears death or not, you can still read and enjoy She who knows. Just be prepared to spend a while with it, because if you like this book, you will almost certainly Who fears death later.

I said “hear Najeeba’s story” above, and that was a deliberate choice of words. Okorafor is a multi-award-winning author who has been writing books for quite some time, and as far as the actual prose part goes, she is exceptional. She who knows reads like Najeeba is telling her story. It is told in the first person, with references to her telling this story to someone she meets later in her life. Because of this, the voice jumps off the page in a way that reminded me of oral storytelling traditions. This made the book extremely engaging and hard to put down. I can imagine it would be great as an audiobook.

The world-building in this novella is deep and interesting, with roots in our own world but supported and expanded by Okorafor’s imagination. This book is set in Earth’s future, so there are familiar things like portable phones as well as more mystical elements. Okorafor’s work is often defined as African futurism and African jujuism—future-focused, Africa-centered science fiction and fantasy that combine imagination with the myths and spiritualities of the region—and that balance is on full display here. I love the tone and world of this book. Combined with the narrative style, it all helps to make Najeeba’s story feel both larger than life and intimately relatable, as a young person being told what roles she should fill in society, and resisting that to forge her own path.

There is also a lot of magic in this story, which plays a very important role in the narrative. Okorafor does not over-explain many of the magical elements, which helps to make them Feeling magical and powerful and almost beyond comprehension for the people involved. There were a few moments where the magic almost felt a little too convenient, as Najeeba didn’t know what was happening but things mysteriously worked out in her favor. But since these moments ended in ominous ways just as often as they did in favorable ways, it never broke my immersion. Instead, it just made me more curious to find out more about the forces at play in the story, and I hope they’re explored in more detail in future books.

Now let’s talk a little about the size of the book itself. She who knows is a concise novella of about 160 pages that mostly tells the story of Najeeba’s childhood and how she grew into the young woman who would eventually give birth to Onyesonwu. Najeeba has deep character development considering the relatively short size of the book, with a lot of growth and change throughout the story. This developmental progression is often supported by poignant lines about how the world around Najeeba sees or doesn’t see her, and how she expands or contracts in turn. The scale of this story felt perfect.

One reason why this all works so well is that Okorafor is one of those rare writers who is equally capable of writing shorter and longer stories – her Hugo Award-winning Binti The series also consists of novellas – and you can really tell that in this book. This is exactly the kind of novella I could imagine reading again and again, especially when the sequels come out. She who knows ends with the observation that Najeeba’s childhood is over… but that she is also looking to the future; we learn a lot about this in the hints of a framework that are scattered throughout. Presumably Okorafor will explore Najeeba’s future in other parts. And after reading She who knowsI’m excited to see what she comes out with next.

She who knows expands the world of Nnedi Okorafor’s popular book Who fears death while providing another solid entry point for new readers. Najeeba is a strong character surrounded by a diverse cast that feels like real people. The magic and inner story resonates strongly throughout this book, but it’s clearly just the beginning of Najeeba’s larger story. I look forward to seeing where the story goes from here.

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