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Lost Ark Dreaming
The brutally engineered class divisions of Snowpiercer meets Rivers Solomon’s The Deep in this high-octane post-climate disaster novella written by Nommo Award-winning author Suyi Davies Okungbowa
Off the coast of West Africa, decades after the dangerous rise of the Atlantic Ocean, the region’s survivors live inside five partially submerged, kilometers-high towers originally created as a playground for the wealthy. Now the towers’ most affluent rule from their lofty perch at the top while the rest are crammed into the dark, fetid floors below sea level.
There are also those who were left for dead in the Atlantic, only to be reawakened by an ancient power, and who seek vengeance on those who offered them up to the waves.
Three lives within the towers are pulled to the fore of this Yekini, an earnest, mid-level rookie analyst; Tuoyo, an undersea mechanic mourning a tremendous loss; and Ngozi, an egotistical bureaucrat from the highest levels of governance. They will need to work together if there is to be any hope of a future that is worth living―for everyone.
Off the coast of West Africa, decades after the dangerous rise of the Atlantic Ocean, the region’s survivors live inside five partially submerged, kilometers-high towers originally created as a playground for the wealthy. Now the towers’ most affluent rule from their lofty perch at the top while the rest are crammed into the dark, fetid floors below sea level.
There are also those who were left for dead in the Atlantic, only to be reawakened by an ancient power, and who seek vengeance on those who offered them up to the waves.
Three lives within the towers are pulled to the fore of this Yekini, an earnest, mid-level rookie analyst; Tuoyo, an undersea mechanic mourning a tremendous loss; and Ngozi, an egotistical bureaucrat from the highest levels of governance. They will need to work together if there is to be any hope of a future that is worth living―for everyone.
179 pages, Hardcover
First published May 21, 2024
About the author
Suyi Davies Okungbowa
24 books687 followersAlso known as Suyi Davies (writing for young readers)
Suyi Davies Okungbowa is a Nigerian author of fantasy, science fiction and general speculative work. His latest novels include Son of the Storm and Warrior of the Wind , both of the epic fantasy trilogy, The Nameless Republic. His debut godpunk fantasy novel David Mogo, Godhunter won the 2020 Nommo Award for Best Novel. His shorter works have appeared in various periodicals and anthologies and have been nominated for various awards. He also writes for younger audiences as Suyi Davies. He earned his MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Arizona, and is an Assistant Professor at the University of Ottawa.
Suyi Davies Okungbowa is a Nigerian author of fantasy, science fiction and general speculative work. His latest novels include Son of the Storm and Warrior of the Wind , both of the epic fantasy trilogy, The Nameless Republic. His debut godpunk fantasy novel David Mogo, Godhunter won the 2020 Nommo Award for Best Novel. His shorter works have appeared in various periodicals and anthologies and have been nominated for various awards. He also writes for younger audiences as Suyi Davies. He earned his MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Arizona, and is an Assistant Professor at the University of Ottawa.
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May 9, 2024I've been a fan of Okungbowa's longer epic fantasy series and was happy to pick up this science fantasy novella with a climate change premise that intrigues. It is a tale set in a near future Nigeria and told from 3 POVs and interspersed with short excerpts from (fictional) news stories that help flesh out the world quickly. I won't spoil anything, but it's a quick read with novel-sized tension and action and some lovely high concept ideas about immigration, class, and community. Overall, thought-provoking while maintaining the pacing and enjoyment of the action-adventure kind of book I would expect from Okungbowa. All told with a healthy dose of voice and character development. Best of all, it broke my monthslong reading slump. I see this one in the award conversations for 2024, and well-deserved.
I received a free ARC which in no way impacted my honest review.
I received a free ARC which in no way impacted my honest review.
July 5, 2024
Well, this was a huge disappointment. The writing was incredibly dry and what should have been an interesting story was an utter bore.
At times the writing got all flowery but even then it was dry. Petals were falling all over the place.
Only good thing about this was that it was under 200 pages. Even that was too long though.
At times the writing got all flowery but even then it was dry. Petals were falling all over the place.
Only good thing about this was that it was under 200 pages. Even that was too long though.
January 15, 2024
Within the confines of its short page count, Suyi Davies Okunbowa deploys truly impressive economical worldbuilding to situate us right into this literal fish(creature)-out-of-water tale.
The narrative unfolds within a massive skyscraper that towers above the flooded African coast, where societal classes are physically stratified – akin to turning the train from Snowpiercer vertically – the higher class residing above and the lower class below the ever-rising sea level, a literal manifestation of social hierarchy.
What sets this novella apart are the deeply felt interludes scattered throughout. These reflections delve into the complexities of humanity, trauma, displacement, class, intergenerational oral tradition, immigration, and more. It's a tapestry of themes carefully woven throughout the narrative.
Lost Ark Dreaming is not only profound, but also approachable and exciting. It left me wanting more, and I look forward to seeing whatever Okungbowa writes next.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
See this review and others at The Speculative Shelf and follow @specshelf on Twitter and @thespeculativeshelf on Instagram.
The narrative unfolds within a massive skyscraper that towers above the flooded African coast, where societal classes are physically stratified – akin to turning the train from Snowpiercer vertically – the higher class residing above and the lower class below the ever-rising sea level, a literal manifestation of social hierarchy.
What sets this novella apart are the deeply felt interludes scattered throughout. These reflections delve into the complexities of humanity, trauma, displacement, class, intergenerational oral tradition, immigration, and more. It's a tapestry of themes carefully woven throughout the narrative.
Lost Ark Dreaming is not only profound, but also approachable and exciting. It left me wanting more, and I look forward to seeing whatever Okungbowa writes next.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
See this review and others at The Speculative Shelf and follow @specshelf on Twitter and @thespeculativeshelf on Instagram.
June 7, 2024
4.0 Stars
Video Review https://youtu.be/csQk2BcJee4
This was such an interesting African speculative novel loosely inspired biblically by Noah's Ark. Other than the initial, premise this one has no religious overtones and instead takes the story to an futuristic other worldly place.
In a short number of pages, the author was able to build a complex and fascinating world. I was pleased to find that the story had a darker underbelly and didn’t share away from those realities. This story could have been written into a longer novel but I also thought it worked well at the published lengh.
I have read this author before and they are quickly rising to favourite author status. I love his ability to write imaginative worlds with morally complex characters and well plotted narratives. This would be a good place to start with this author.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
Video Review https://youtu.be/csQk2BcJee4
This was such an interesting African speculative novel loosely inspired biblically by Noah's Ark. Other than the initial, premise this one has no religious overtones and instead takes the story to an futuristic other worldly place.
In a short number of pages, the author was able to build a complex and fascinating world. I was pleased to find that the story had a darker underbelly and didn’t share away from those realities. This story could have been written into a longer novel but I also thought it worked well at the published lengh.
I have read this author before and they are quickly rising to favourite author status. I love his ability to write imaginative worlds with morally complex characters and well plotted narratives. This would be a good place to start with this author.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
May 18, 2024
Wow. Lost Ark Dreaming was just fantastic, and I didn't want it to end.
This post-apocalyptic dystopia novella takes place in the future, where survivors of rising water levels live inside five partially submerged towers known as 'the Fingers'. We follow three of these survivors whose world is turned upside down one day with the truth about these towers and the ocean-dwelling dangers surrounding it.
"In the silence that ensconced them all, Yekini experienced a true moment of the sublime, her mind racing upon contemplating the vastness of the ocean, the malleability of species, the inadequacy of the concept of humanity, the endless possibilities of being."
This short novella pulled off impressive world-building, West African mythology, and a dystopian tale, to convey a powerful message about climate change and humanity. I was hooked from the start and will be thinking about Lost Ark Dreaming for some time. 4.5 stars - I highly recommend to fans of the dystopia and post-apocalyptic genres.
Side note: I can't believe I haven't read anything by this author before and am really looking forward to trying his fantasy series in the future. (I'm also very much hoping for more sci fi like this novella!)
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for a copy of the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
This post-apocalyptic dystopia novella takes place in the future, where survivors of rising water levels live inside five partially submerged towers known as 'the Fingers'. We follow three of these survivors whose world is turned upside down one day with the truth about these towers and the ocean-dwelling dangers surrounding it.
"In the silence that ensconced them all, Yekini experienced a true moment of the sublime, her mind racing upon contemplating the vastness of the ocean, the malleability of species, the inadequacy of the concept of humanity, the endless possibilities of being."
This short novella pulled off impressive world-building, West African mythology, and a dystopian tale, to convey a powerful message about climate change and humanity. I was hooked from the start and will be thinking about Lost Ark Dreaming for some time. 4.5 stars - I highly recommend to fans of the dystopia and post-apocalyptic genres.
Side note: I can't believe I haven't read anything by this author before and am really looking forward to trying his fantasy series in the future. (I'm also very much hoping for more sci fi like this novella!)
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for a copy of the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 4, 2024
I wasn't a huge fan of the author's adult fantasy series (loved the worldbuilding; story was all right), but I was definitely willing to give him another try.
And I'm glad I did because this novella did not disappoint!
If you're a fan of sci-fi stories where the MCs are stuck with a potentially dangerous alien lifeform, then this might be for you.
The thing I really liked about this story was that the author took the above trope and made it wholly his own. I thought I was getting a typical locked-room horror mystery mixed with action thriller, but I was 100% wrong. And I liked that I was wrong.
What I got instead was a science fantasy story set in a futuristic Lagos that considers the consequences of climate change, neoliberalism, and the loss of cultural identity. It creates a bridge between gritty dystopian sci-fi (think Cyberpunk 2077 or Blade Runner) with a cultural fantasy rooted in the author's identity.
While most of the story is literal, the ending is very metaphorical and open-ended. Some might like this, some might not. It was quite different and I ended up liking it.
Thank you to Tordotcom and NetGalley for this arc.
And I'm glad I did because this novella did not disappoint!
If you're a fan of sci-fi stories where the MCs are stuck with a potentially dangerous alien lifeform, then this might be for you.
The thing I really liked about this story was that the author took the above trope and made it wholly his own. I thought I was getting a typical locked-room horror mystery mixed with action thriller, but I was 100% wrong. And I liked that I was wrong.
What I got instead was a science fantasy story set in a futuristic Lagos that considers the consequences of climate change, neoliberalism, and the loss of cultural identity. It creates a bridge between gritty dystopian sci-fi (think Cyberpunk 2077 or Blade Runner) with a cultural fantasy rooted in the author's identity.
While most of the story is literal, the ending is very metaphorical and open-ended. Some might like this, some might not. It was quite different and I ended up liking it.
Thank you to Tordotcom and NetGalley for this arc.
May 21, 2024
I was really impressed with this novella. It's hard to tell a complete story in under 200 pages but this author nails it. I think the world is interesting, the story is told beautifully with a dreamlike quality and the characters are all complex with their own backstory. The story draws you in and immerses you into this world right away. I think this author could have written this as a much longer novel but it also satisfies as a shorter one. I will definitely be checking out more of their work.
In a way this book reminded me of "Wool" by Hugh Howey but it's also very different so it's hard to compare them but I got the same feeling while reading.
Thank you to NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group | Tordotcom and Suyi Davies Okungbowa for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Pub Date: 5/21/24
In a way this book reminded me of "Wool" by Hugh Howey but it's also very different so it's hard to compare them but I got the same feeling while reading.
Thank you to NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group | Tordotcom and Suyi Davies Okungbowa for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Pub Date: 5/21/24
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June 24, 2024
Just when I thought it was going one way, it took a hard 180...and then did it again.
Fascinating world building with a lot to say on generational trauma, climate crisis, immigration and classism in not a whole lot of pages. Where it succeeds in myth, I felt that it faltered in the ending. Mostly because I'm not the biggest fan of ambiguous endings, and this was a very blank space at the end.
I received an ARC from NetGalley
Fascinating world building with a lot to say on generational trauma, climate crisis, immigration and classism in not a whole lot of pages. Where it succeeds in myth, I felt that it faltered in the ending. Mostly because I'm not the biggest fan of ambiguous endings, and this was a very blank space at the end.
I received an ARC from NetGalley
May 8, 2024
I received this arc from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.
A novella with an amazing amount of depth and thematic resonance, Lost Arc Dreaming is an absolute tour de force.
This book reminded me quite a bit of the movie/show Snowpiercer, due to the structure of the tower - which you heard in the jacket copy - and the focus on classism. While Snowpeircer was entirely about that, this novel goes further, using its plot and setting to dig into themes of climate change, elitism, and historical debt.
Yet, despite all these complex topics, the story is also entirely entertaining and exciting. Once the book starts, it doesn’t stop when it comes to action and pacing, moving at a breakneck speed that suited the story and maintained great tension. There are three character points of view, though the one main character, Yekini, gets the most attention. We are given just enough backstory on the characters to give them motivations and goals that make sense, as well as depth. We have a skeptical government worker, a devoted tower manager, and a grieving engineer; their personalities and plans worked well with and against one another to create an engaging dynamic between the three. I loved seeing them work and fight with one another.
The setting is simple yet effective. It’s one of those books where I didn’t care how feasible the setting was, because it’s an allegory. To be clear, the setting made sense as a setting, but certain infrastructure questions I had regarding the entropy of technology and even structural concerns were not addressed. YET, the tower setting is not meant to be a hyper-realistic exposition of what it would be like living in such a closed system. It's an allegory for not only classism in general, but how certain countries or cultures are being left behind (or, most likely, will be left behind) as climate change claims more and more coastlines. As such, there is enough explained or fleshed out to make the story make sense and extrapolate on these themes in a way that felt organic and not didactic.
I can’t say too much else about it without going into spoilers, but Lost Arc Dreaming is utterly entrancing.
A novella with an amazing amount of depth and thematic resonance, Lost Arc Dreaming is an absolute tour de force.
This book reminded me quite a bit of the movie/show Snowpiercer, due to the structure of the tower - which you heard in the jacket copy - and the focus on classism. While Snowpeircer was entirely about that, this novel goes further, using its plot and setting to dig into themes of climate change, elitism, and historical debt.
Yet, despite all these complex topics, the story is also entirely entertaining and exciting. Once the book starts, it doesn’t stop when it comes to action and pacing, moving at a breakneck speed that suited the story and maintained great tension. There are three character points of view, though the one main character, Yekini, gets the most attention. We are given just enough backstory on the characters to give them motivations and goals that make sense, as well as depth. We have a skeptical government worker, a devoted tower manager, and a grieving engineer; their personalities and plans worked well with and against one another to create an engaging dynamic between the three. I loved seeing them work and fight with one another.
The setting is simple yet effective. It’s one of those books where I didn’t care how feasible the setting was, because it’s an allegory. To be clear, the setting made sense as a setting, but certain infrastructure questions I had regarding the entropy of technology and even structural concerns were not addressed. YET, the tower setting is not meant to be a hyper-realistic exposition of what it would be like living in such a closed system. It's an allegory for not only classism in general, but how certain countries or cultures are being left behind (or, most likely, will be left behind) as climate change claims more and more coastlines. As such, there is enough explained or fleshed out to make the story make sense and extrapolate on these themes in a way that felt organic and not didactic.
I can’t say too much else about it without going into spoilers, but Lost Arc Dreaming is utterly entrancing.
June 17, 2024
Rating: 3.5 stars
This is an interesting and unusual post-climate disaster novella written by Nigerian author Suyi Davies Okungbowa and set off the West coast of Africa. This is something of a creature feature, but not in the usual sense. The reader explores the post-apocalyptic word featuring five partially submerged, semi-segregated, kilometer-high tower refuges by following three characters: Yekini, an earnest, mid-level rookie analyst; Tuoyo, an undersea mechanic mourning the loss of a spouse; and Ngozi, an egotistical bureaucrat from the highest levels of governance. There are also those left for dead, who seek vengeance...
A fast-paced, compelling and complex little novel.
This is an interesting and unusual post-climate disaster novella written by Nigerian author Suyi Davies Okungbowa and set off the West coast of Africa. This is something of a creature feature, but not in the usual sense. The reader explores the post-apocalyptic word featuring five partially submerged, semi-segregated, kilometer-high tower refuges by following three characters: Yekini, an earnest, mid-level rookie analyst; Tuoyo, an undersea mechanic mourning the loss of a spouse; and Ngozi, an egotistical bureaucrat from the highest levels of governance. There are also those left for dead, who seek vengeance...
A fast-paced, compelling and complex little novel.
January 15, 2024
I’ve read a few things by Suyi Davies Okungbowa in anthologies, and enjoyed them. This novella is the first thing I’ve read from him longer than a short story. Okungbowa is Nigerian, and as I’m always a sucker for books that draw on cultures I’m unfamiliar with, I was happy to snap this one up.
It’s set in the not-too-distant future, post climate collapse. The entire book takes place in the Pinnacle, an arcology (not a word used within the novella, but it's what the Pinnacle is) that had been built off the coast of Lagos before the seas rose. Life in the Pinnacle is strictly hierarchical; everyone lives on their assigned level, and is only permitted to travel to a different one if their job requires it. The elite, the Uppers, live on the top floors of the tower; the Midders live between the Uppers and the waterline; the Lowers live on the levels that are underwater. No one leaves the Pinnacle. The status of the not-flooded lands are never addressed in one way or the other, and there are stories of strange creatures in the water, evolved out of the wreck of the old world.
The story addresses such themes as class divides, responsibility for climate change, coping with climate change, and valuing indigenous cultures. On the whole, I enjoyed it - it was creative and compelling, and (as implied above) I love getting a window into a different culture. But it also felt lacking to me, like it was trying to do too much in too few pages. I felt like it tried to do too much, at the cost of not doing enough of anything. So it left me rather unsatisfied. It left me more interested in Okungbowa’s novels - I’d like to see what he can do in a longer form.
My blog
It’s set in the not-too-distant future, post climate collapse. The entire book takes place in the Pinnacle, an arcology (not a word used within the novella, but it's what the Pinnacle is) that had been built off the coast of Lagos before the seas rose. Life in the Pinnacle is strictly hierarchical; everyone lives on their assigned level, and is only permitted to travel to a different one if their job requires it. The elite, the Uppers, live on the top floors of the tower; the Midders live between the Uppers and the waterline; the Lowers live on the levels that are underwater. No one leaves the Pinnacle. The status of the not-flooded lands are never addressed in one way or the other, and there are stories of strange creatures in the water, evolved out of the wreck of the old world.
The story addresses such themes as class divides, responsibility for climate change, coping with climate change, and valuing indigenous cultures. On the whole, I enjoyed it - it was creative and compelling, and (as implied above) I love getting a window into a different culture. But it also felt lacking to me, like it was trying to do too much in too few pages. I felt like it tried to do too much, at the cost of not doing enough of anything. So it left me rather unsatisfied. It left me more interested in Okungbowa’s novels - I’d like to see what he can do in a longer form.
My blog
May 20, 2024
In this near-future dystopian SF, we learn about one of the remaining bastions of humanity, "The Pinnacle." This is a huge skyscraper in the middle of the ocean (used to be off the coast of Lagos until climate change flooded the city and changed coastlines worldwide). The main plot of the novella revolves around Yakini, a civil servant in the Pinnacle, who is asked to take on a mission to "The Lowers," the portion of the skyscraper that remains completely underwater. Yakini is a "Midder," and she is escorting an "Upper," Ngozi, part of the ruling class. Yes, social stratification literally reflects our slightly more metaphorical lower/middle/upper class structure: the Lowers do the menial work of keeping the Pinnacle working; the Midders make up civil servants and bureaucrats; the Uppers make decisions about how the whole is to be run.
Yakini will soon realize that one of the "Children," humanoid/amphibion creatures with gills, has infiltrated the Pinnacle. She will have to decide whether maintaining the status quo of the Pinnacle, that at least keeps people alive, is worth suppressing the truth about the world around them.
The book is structured with the meat of the story and characters taking us on the journey of the plot, while the worldbuilding is communicated in old news stories and other "found footage"-like interludes. The whole is written with poetic language, and the ending is an ambitious and ambiguous take on a revolution. I'm still not 100% sure what happens in the end. I quite enjoyed the first parts, but the final two chapters are abrupt. I think this could have benefited from a longer treatment. It is a good way to try out Okungbowa's prose, and I think I'll be checking out his novels in future!
This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novella.
Yakini will soon realize that one of the "Children," humanoid/amphibion creatures with gills, has infiltrated the Pinnacle. She will have to decide whether maintaining the status quo of the Pinnacle, that at least keeps people alive, is worth suppressing the truth about the world around them.
The book is structured with the meat of the story and characters taking us on the journey of the plot, while the worldbuilding is communicated in old news stories and other "found footage"-like interludes. The whole is written with poetic language, and the ending is an ambitious and ambiguous take on a revolution. I'm still not 100% sure what happens in the end. I quite enjoyed the first parts, but the final two chapters are abrupt. I think this could have benefited from a longer treatment. It is a good way to try out Okungbowa's prose, and I think I'll be checking out his novels in future!
This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novella.
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June 10, 2024reading vlog: https://youtu.be/rxpe7isigUo?si=N-z8j...
What a fantastic story! This book has skyrocketed up my list of best books I’ve read and is in contention for my best book of the year. I knew from chapter one that I was going to love the story, and the rest of the book didn’t disappoint. It’s perfection.
The short chapters really set the pace, and build the tension as our characters realize they are not alone in the tower, and a vengeful water demon is hiding in the shadows. Not only that, but the higher ups think they are overreacting. Everything in this story felt so real. So painfully, beautifully human.
We follow three very different characters on the day that their lives are completely upended and changed forever. We learn about their hopes, dreams, and fears as they try to navigate the chaos. They don’t like each other, and never come to like each other, but they agree to work together to survive.
A major theme throughout the story is the human capacity for working together for good, and for turning on each other and hurting other humans, especially those who are a little different. There are no easy answers here, and the story mostly asks questions, all while providing a trilling, suspenseful tale.
The climax of the story was truly beautiful. I’m getting chills just thinking about it again. It’s an open ending, and I absolutely love it.
It’s been several days since I read this book, and I can’t stop thinking about it. I will definitely be rereading it, and I have a feeling it will stick with me for a long time.
I received an arc of this book from the publisher via Netgalley.
What a fantastic story! This book has skyrocketed up my list of best books I’ve read and is in contention for my best book of the year. I knew from chapter one that I was going to love the story, and the rest of the book didn’t disappoint. It’s perfection.
The short chapters really set the pace, and build the tension as our characters realize they are not alone in the tower, and a vengeful water demon is hiding in the shadows. Not only that, but the higher ups think they are overreacting. Everything in this story felt so real. So painfully, beautifully human.
We follow three very different characters on the day that their lives are completely upended and changed forever. We learn about their hopes, dreams, and fears as they try to navigate the chaos. They don’t like each other, and never come to like each other, but they agree to work together to survive.
A major theme throughout the story is the human capacity for working together for good, and for turning on each other and hurting other humans, especially those who are a little different. There are no easy answers here, and the story mostly asks questions, all while providing a trilling, suspenseful tale.
The climax of the story was truly beautiful. I’m getting chills just thinking about it again. It’s an open ending, and I absolutely love it.
It’s been several days since I read this book, and I can’t stop thinking about it. I will definitely be rereading it, and I have a feeling it will stick with me for a long time.
I received an arc of this book from the publisher via Netgalley.
December 1, 2023
4.5/5 - A dystopic eco-sci-fi thriller, but with stunning prose interludes that transcend genre convention.
On the surface this is a fast-paced, eco-dystopia story about class, survival and sea monsters. But as soon as we dive below the surface of the story, the importance of memories, the impact of stories and the depth of grief stare back at us through watery eyes.
In the future, humanity takes refuge in tall towers, built to withstand the ever-rising sea levels making life on land uninhabitable. Society is divided into those who live at the top, middle and bottom (under the water level). We're following two 'midders' and a 'lower' as they investigate a leak on a bottom level, only to realize that a sea monster may have infiltrated the building.
Suyi Davies Okungbowa cleverly plays with ideas of privilege, power and identity as our characters move throughout the levels of the building to overcome each new obstacle in their way. This book is perfectly paced coming in at 200 pages. I like the forward momentum of the action juxtaposed with short/in-complete flashbacks that build our characters into fully-rounded and flawed humans.
What elevates this book for me are the interludes and alt chapters spread throughout the book. They're used to provide background outside of the immediate storyline we're following, and a meditation on it's themes. It gives the reader space to sit with the story, and I loved it.
This book is best read while fishing on a boat. If you fall asleep, you'll dream of running through darkened hallways towards the light. Don't forget to breathe.
On the surface this is a fast-paced, eco-dystopia story about class, survival and sea monsters. But as soon as we dive below the surface of the story, the importance of memories, the impact of stories and the depth of grief stare back at us through watery eyes.
In the future, humanity takes refuge in tall towers, built to withstand the ever-rising sea levels making life on land uninhabitable. Society is divided into those who live at the top, middle and bottom (under the water level). We're following two 'midders' and a 'lower' as they investigate a leak on a bottom level, only to realize that a sea monster may have infiltrated the building.
Suyi Davies Okungbowa cleverly plays with ideas of privilege, power and identity as our characters move throughout the levels of the building to overcome each new obstacle in their way. This book is perfectly paced coming in at 200 pages. I like the forward momentum of the action juxtaposed with short/in-complete flashbacks that build our characters into fully-rounded and flawed humans.
What elevates this book for me are the interludes and alt chapters spread throughout the book. They're used to provide background outside of the immediate storyline we're following, and a meditation on it's themes. It gives the reader space to sit with the story, and I loved it.
This book is best read while fishing on a boat. If you fall asleep, you'll dream of running through darkened hallways towards the light. Don't forget to breathe.
May 27, 2024
This novella's cover says, "A surreal fusion of African politics, climate fiction, and mythology in the tongue of poetry and philosophy" - Tlotlo Tsamaase. As can also be seen on the cover, there are five towers, called fingers, that were built off the coast of Nigeria in the shape of a hand. Only one of them is still habitable, the middle finger, called the Pinnacle. How metaphorical. For its political allegory it uses the standard economic model. The upper floors rule everything, live in luxury, and do nothing productive. The middle floors are the professional class and the undersea floors are the underclass. Everyone outside the tower must be the enemy. The climate fiction is that the sea levels rose and now an unknown amount of the world is underwater. Although lip service is given to world mythologies, the mythology of the Yoruba people takes precedence. This was by far the weakest part for me. There wasn't anything that I found to be strong.
Yekini is a mid-level analyst for the government, which she'd rather not be, but it's a living. She dreams of saving people and making the ark/tower a better place for all. Ngozi is a mid-level administrator with great ambitions who dreams of becoming an upper because it's what he deserves. Everyone else matters not. Tuoyo lost her wife at sea to outsiders and now only seeks to live in peace while overseeing her undersea level. These three viewpoints who meet up right away provide clashing views of class conflict and different perspectives of life in the Pinnacle. One other viewpoint and archived materials make up the rest of the chapters. I didn't care about any of the characters, which was at least somewhat because of they were too much caricatures of what they went meant to represent. As to the story itself, I found it to be a rather generic take on government corruption, solidarity, and outside intervention. I especially didn't like how it ended.
It was my mistake for not considering how allegorical this was going to be. For me this an another example of how impenetrable allegories can be if you don't have the relevant cultural knowledge to understand them. This has also been the case for a lot of the translated allegorical short fiction I've read, mostly Chinese. I don't know if it's the Black African authors I've come across, mostly Nigerian, or if it's something else, but their works baffle me almost every time. I'm continually unable to tell if there's some deeper meaning and/or if I simply don't like what's presented. I tried reading Son of the Storm, one of Okungbowa's novels, and didn't get far because of what a peculiarly uncomfortable experience it was and wrote as such, before removing everything I wrote about the stuff I hadn't finished. I didn't like this because the allegory is put above everything else to where questioning anything about the story is irrelevant because that's not what matters.
Yekini is a mid-level analyst for the government, which she'd rather not be, but it's a living. She dreams of saving people and making the ark/tower a better place for all. Ngozi is a mid-level administrator with great ambitions who dreams of becoming an upper because it's what he deserves. Everyone else matters not. Tuoyo lost her wife at sea to outsiders and now only seeks to live in peace while overseeing her undersea level. These three viewpoints who meet up right away provide clashing views of class conflict and different perspectives of life in the Pinnacle. One other viewpoint and archived materials make up the rest of the chapters. I didn't care about any of the characters, which was at least somewhat because of they were too much caricatures of what they went meant to represent. As to the story itself, I found it to be a rather generic take on government corruption, solidarity, and outside intervention. I especially didn't like how it ended.
It was my mistake for not considering how allegorical this was going to be. For me this an another example of how impenetrable allegories can be if you don't have the relevant cultural knowledge to understand them. This has also been the case for a lot of the translated allegorical short fiction I've read, mostly Chinese. I don't know if it's the Black African authors I've come across, mostly Nigerian, or if it's something else, but their works baffle me almost every time. I'm continually unable to tell if there's some deeper meaning and/or if I simply don't like what's presented. I tried reading Son of the Storm, one of Okungbowa's novels, and didn't get far because of what a peculiarly uncomfortable experience it was and wrote as such, before removing everything I wrote about the stuff I hadn't finished. I didn't like this because the allegory is put above everything else to where questioning anything about the story is irrelevant because that's not what matters.
May 22, 2024
4.5*
Wow did this little story pack a punch! I could not put it down, and frankly, I could use all the stories set in this world with these characters. Basically, the situation is this: climate change has wreaked havoc, and now almost all of humanity has to live in unconventional places. For instance, this giant tower that we see on the cover of the book. There is no leaving; anyone going outside would be swept away. Two of our main characters are currently in "middle" levels- not the lower, least fortunate levels, but not in the upper echelon of the elite, either. Another is from the lower levels and has the most knowledgeable about what is happening. And fun fact, it's nothing good!
Basically (and this is the part that did confuse me a bit) there are some undersea entities that I guess maybe evolved from humans, but regardless, they're not exactly coming into the tower for a dinner date. This is a huge danger to the entirety of the tower, but those at the top don't actually care- and they certainly don't care about the lives of the individuals who live there, nor the three workers sent to handle the problem. The commentary was incredible, especially given the very entertaining nature of the story. It's full of excitement, but still manages character development in a very minimal number of pages. And like I said, I didn't fully understand the mythical creature part, but it wasn't a big issue at the end of the day. Even if I couldn't quite wrap my head around the concept, I still understood the general idea, and certainly what the author was trying to say through the mythological parts.
Bottom Line: So much awesome in so few pages! Cannot wait to read more from this author (and I would absolutely take a follow up to this world, please and thank you)!
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
Wow did this little story pack a punch! I could not put it down, and frankly, I could use all the stories set in this world with these characters. Basically, the situation is this: climate change has wreaked havoc, and now almost all of humanity has to live in unconventional places. For instance, this giant tower that we see on the cover of the book. There is no leaving; anyone going outside would be swept away. Two of our main characters are currently in "middle" levels- not the lower, least fortunate levels, but not in the upper echelon of the elite, either. Another is from the lower levels and has the most knowledgeable about what is happening. And fun fact, it's nothing good!
Basically (and this is the part that did confuse me a bit) there are some undersea entities that I guess maybe evolved from humans, but regardless, they're not exactly coming into the tower for a dinner date. This is a huge danger to the entirety of the tower, but those at the top don't actually care- and they certainly don't care about the lives of the individuals who live there, nor the three workers sent to handle the problem. The commentary was incredible, especially given the very entertaining nature of the story. It's full of excitement, but still manages character development in a very minimal number of pages. And like I said, I didn't fully understand the mythical creature part, but it wasn't a big issue at the end of the day. Even if I couldn't quite wrap my head around the concept, I still understood the general idea, and certainly what the author was trying to say through the mythological parts.
Bottom Line: So much awesome in so few pages! Cannot wait to read more from this author (and I would absolutely take a follow up to this world, please and thank you)!
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
July 2, 2024
i really liked the post-climate disaster, dystopian concepts of a world in which humans are crammed into half-submerged towers after the dangerous rise of sea levels. the portrayal of a strict hierarchical society with an oppressed lower strata is par for the course in any speculative novel but i liked how it was explored within a tower where people were restricted from moving above or below their level and how that worked as a metaphor for borders and migration. i do feel like these concepts were a bit too ambitious for a novella and i wish the ending wasn't quite so vague and open-ended.
June 22, 2024
This was a good sci-fi setting for a novella but I'm not sure there was enough character development or plot in it's shorter length
June 10, 2024
this was actually so good and i am a proud novella hater
February 26, 2024
LOST ARK DREAMING grew on me. At first, it seemed like your typical YA dystopia with the classic “oh-no-the-government-is-evil-and-has-been-secretly-hiding-something-from-us” trope, mixed with the Snowpiercer-esque blunt metaphor of people from different physical “layers” of a train/ship/skyscraper being different classes (a trope I also recently encountered in AN UNKINDNESS OF GHOSTS)—and it very much can be distilled to those two tropes, but a unique part of this novella can be found in its interludes.
Sometimes poetry, sometimes newspaper articles, or general reflections related to the novel’s themes, it’s an interesting way of adding a little extra to the book. I’m not sure if it always worked for me. It’s nice because it feels different, yet it also sometimes took me out of the story because there are a *lot* of interludes for such a short story.
Nearing the end, it reminded me the most of an obscure little Polish film, “O-bi, O-ba: The End of Civilization”, in which a post-apocalyptic society has as its only hope a mythical vessel which is said to come to rescue them some day. It’s a common trope in these hopeless generation ship stories, but it works quite well here, but I won’t say too much else about it because that would spoil things.
Overall, it’s at the very least an interesting work and a great example of a novella done well.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Sometimes poetry, sometimes newspaper articles, or general reflections related to the novel’s themes, it’s an interesting way of adding a little extra to the book. I’m not sure if it always worked for me. It’s nice because it feels different, yet it also sometimes took me out of the story because there are a *lot* of interludes for such a short story.
Nearing the end, it reminded me the most of an obscure little Polish film, “O-bi, O-ba: The End of Civilization”, in which a post-apocalyptic society has as its only hope a mythical vessel which is said to come to rescue them some day. It’s a common trope in these hopeless generation ship stories, but it works quite well here, but I won’t say too much else about it because that would spoil things.
Overall, it’s at the very least an interesting work and a great example of a novella done well.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 20, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor.com for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions contained within are my own.
—-
Right away, I notice the evocative quality of Okuongbowa’s writing, and how adept he is at conveying information to the reader. Within even the first few paragraphs, I know that our primary protagonist is not religious, but that many of Earth’s old religions survive, passed on to her generation. I know that this is a post-apocalyptic Earth rather than a secondary world. I know a little of the protagonist’s family history. But most importantly, the information conveyed flows, tied together into a single stream, and does not feel like an info dump.
Between front-story chapters, we get poetic interludes and news clippings, articles, etc., from a pre-flood world. If you know me, you know I’m a sucker for fictional epigraphs, so these are a great tool for drawing me right in while providing both atmosphere and further information. These were also the parts of the story which set it most specifically and immersively in Lagos, Nigeria, which I deeply appreciated and wanted more of.
These epigraphs are also used to highlight the handling of a theme I want to commend here, namely the intersection of a climate disaster story and class warfare. I hate to say it (that’s a lie,) but environmentalist fiction can be a hotbed of eco-fascist ideology. (If you see a book blaming ‘overpopulation’ for the death of the environment, or the phrase ‘humans are the real virus,’ or some similar shit, fucking run.) Okungbowa’s themes, however, couldn’t fall farther from it. Instead, he showcases the way the powerful shortsightedly throw people and environment alike under the bus, with a clear understanding that those living in poverty have the least control over what happens to their world.
Going back to the front-story, however, there are three focus characters. Yekini, a safety analyst, is our everywoman. Her POV gets the lion’s share of the page count, but she’s the least memorable of the three. Ngozi, a bureaucrat, starts out obnoxious, but proves to have a surprising amount of depth and capacity for character growth. Lastly, we have Tuoyo, the engineer who discovered the breach in the tower’s foundation which serves as this book’s inciting incident. Tuoyo also has the most personal connection to what’s going on in the plot, having previously lost her wife to an attack by the so called ‘Yemoja’s Children’ - humanoid, water-dwelling, mysterious, and deeply feared.
Do I think the story could have been improved by any of these characters starting with a driving need or goal and making the plot happen rather than serving as its instrument? Absolutely. But the stakes rise quickly, and the characters likewise rise quickly to the challenge, so it doesn’t feel like they have no agency.
The world building is high-concept, with the haves atop the Pinnacle and the have-nots at the below-water bottom, but the social interactions remain believable enough to avoid it becoming didactic cheese. The attitudes of the Lowers toward the Midders do a lot of the heavy lifting here. The obvious cliche would be to present the Lowers as innocent and downtrodden, beaten down for the least dissent - or as an unruly mob seconds away from murdering those more privileged than them. Instead, the Lowers are presented (chiefly in the character of Tuoyo) as believable people trying to do their jobs, who resent (but don’t hate) the Midder bureaucracy and see no reason to humor interlopers when they’re being dumb. Those potential cliches are even lampshaded in the subverted expectations of the two Midders, neither of whom had ever set foot in the lower levels before.
As I read, I wound up jotting down some questions about the world building. Where does the food the characters eat come from? Why do two of the three main characters seem immune to the Pinnacle’s pervasive propaganda? (Try saying that five times fast.) Subpar past reading experience and my own cranky nature led me to assume those questions would never be answered, so I was pleasantly surprised when Okungbowa addressed both. He didn’t dwell on either issue, but yes, there’s an agricultural level, which uses manure. And yes, Yekini’s grandmother specifically taught her to look beyond the party line. So yay not getting sloppy. Faith restored and all that.
The plot takes some dips and turns, ending up somewhere both expected and not. I was surprised how late in the story the nature of the Children was revealed, given that it’s right there in the synopsis. Once the Queen Conch came into play… I get what Okungbowa was getting at, but I found the more abstracted nature of those sections distancing. That said, I did like the ambiguity of the ending. Anything too cut and dry - either too cynical or too idealistic - would have irked me. So let the camera iris out, fade to black, and end on a powerful moment.
3.5 stars overall, and I think I will round this one up.
—-
Right away, I notice the evocative quality of Okuongbowa’s writing, and how adept he is at conveying information to the reader. Within even the first few paragraphs, I know that our primary protagonist is not religious, but that many of Earth’s old religions survive, passed on to her generation. I know that this is a post-apocalyptic Earth rather than a secondary world. I know a little of the protagonist’s family history. But most importantly, the information conveyed flows, tied together into a single stream, and does not feel like an info dump.
Between front-story chapters, we get poetic interludes and news clippings, articles, etc., from a pre-flood world. If you know me, you know I’m a sucker for fictional epigraphs, so these are a great tool for drawing me right in while providing both atmosphere and further information. These were also the parts of the story which set it most specifically and immersively in Lagos, Nigeria, which I deeply appreciated and wanted more of.
These epigraphs are also used to highlight the handling of a theme I want to commend here, namely the intersection of a climate disaster story and class warfare. I hate to say it (that’s a lie,) but environmentalist fiction can be a hotbed of eco-fascist ideology. (If you see a book blaming ‘overpopulation’ for the death of the environment, or the phrase ‘humans are the real virus,’ or some similar shit, fucking run.) Okungbowa’s themes, however, couldn’t fall farther from it. Instead, he showcases the way the powerful shortsightedly throw people and environment alike under the bus, with a clear understanding that those living in poverty have the least control over what happens to their world.
Going back to the front-story, however, there are three focus characters. Yekini, a safety analyst, is our everywoman. Her POV gets the lion’s share of the page count, but she’s the least memorable of the three. Ngozi, a bureaucrat, starts out obnoxious, but proves to have a surprising amount of depth and capacity for character growth. Lastly, we have Tuoyo, the engineer who discovered the breach in the tower’s foundation which serves as this book’s inciting incident. Tuoyo also has the most personal connection to what’s going on in the plot, having previously lost her wife to an attack by the so called ‘Yemoja’s Children’ - humanoid, water-dwelling, mysterious, and deeply feared.
Do I think the story could have been improved by any of these characters starting with a driving need or goal and making the plot happen rather than serving as its instrument? Absolutely. But the stakes rise quickly, and the characters likewise rise quickly to the challenge, so it doesn’t feel like they have no agency.
The world building is high-concept, with the haves atop the Pinnacle and the have-nots at the below-water bottom, but the social interactions remain believable enough to avoid it becoming didactic cheese. The attitudes of the Lowers toward the Midders do a lot of the heavy lifting here. The obvious cliche would be to present the Lowers as innocent and downtrodden, beaten down for the least dissent - or as an unruly mob seconds away from murdering those more privileged than them. Instead, the Lowers are presented (chiefly in the character of Tuoyo) as believable people trying to do their jobs, who resent (but don’t hate) the Midder bureaucracy and see no reason to humor interlopers when they’re being dumb. Those potential cliches are even lampshaded in the subverted expectations of the two Midders, neither of whom had ever set foot in the lower levels before.
As I read, I wound up jotting down some questions about the world building. Where does the food the characters eat come from? Why do two of the three main characters seem immune to the Pinnacle’s pervasive propaganda? (Try saying that five times fast.) Subpar past reading experience and my own cranky nature led me to assume those questions would never be answered, so I was pleasantly surprised when Okungbowa addressed both. He didn’t dwell on either issue, but yes, there’s an agricultural level, which uses manure. And yes, Yekini’s grandmother specifically taught her to look beyond the party line. So yay not getting sloppy. Faith restored and all that.
The plot takes some dips and turns, ending up somewhere both expected and not. I was surprised how late in the story the nature of the Children was revealed, given that it’s right there in the synopsis. Once the Queen Conch came into play… I get what Okungbowa was getting at, but I found the more abstracted nature of those sections distancing. That said, I did like the ambiguity of the ending. Anything too cut and dry - either too cynical or too idealistic - would have irked me. So let the camera iris out, fade to black, and end on a powerful moment.
3.5 stars overall, and I think I will round this one up.
April 22, 2024
Lost Ark Dreaming
I received this book as an eARC from the publisher
One Sentence Review: A well-constructed and engaging climate fiction novella that attempts to blend science and mythology but falls into the trap of privileging one over the other in advocating for a posthuman vision of the future.
Lost Ark Dreaming is sent in the Pinnacle, the tallest and only remaining tower from The Fingers, a five-tower complex built off the coast of Lagos, Nigeria, on an artificially constructed island in the closing days of Earth’s ability to sustain our current way of life. Built to withstand inevitable flooding, people from Lagos flee to The Fingers, but each of the other four towers is abandoned as they become uninhabitable. Many people are left to die in the waters, and our main characters are haunted by this very recent history. The tower itself is divided into a fairly strict class hierarchy—literally. The richest and most privileged lived at the top of the tower (with the founder’s descendent, the nominal ruler of the tower, living at the very top), and each level decreased in status, wealth, and power. Our main characters are Ngozi, a fairly high-level bureaucrat, Tuoyo, a mid-level analyst, and Yekini, a low-level foreman. Ngozi and Tuoyo are summoned to Yekini’s level to deal with a breach, a situation that could prove catastrophic. Ngozi strongly and obviously does not want to be there and comes burdened with stereotypes, privilege, and ego; Tuoyo has significantly more mixed feelings but quickly sides with Yekini against Ngozi’s arrogant attitude. The first half of the novella focuses on figuring out what caused the breach, and the second half focuses on the secrets the tower leadership is keeping and their disregard for the lower levels/classes.
In the one-sentence review, I mentioned the inclusion of mythology in this book, and I can’t get more into *how* mythology enters the book without giving away the twist so just trust me that it is there in the rest of the discussion. A lot of climate fiction has the technofix problem, i.e., if we find the right technology, then all our problems will be solved, and we won’t have to give up too much of our accustomed way of life. I call this a problem because (at least in my opinion) this is a fairly delusional way of thinking as it allows the reader to escape any critical examination of our contemporary behavior. Lost Ark Dreaming does not fully fall into the technofix trap: the world has dramatically changed from what we recognize in some ways, but it still heavily relies on the idea that our salvation will come through the timely appearance of some quasi-magic invention. The only people who are saved are the ones who are able to get to The Pinnacle somehow.
The intrusion into the book of the mythological elements presents a counterpoint to the above observation about the technological elements. And I mean that very literally. It is not just a philosophical difference (although it is that) but one of direct conflict. This is what makes this not a solarpunk novel. Instead of thinking through the implication of intertwining traditional beliefs with the necessity of lifestyle and civilization change separates this from that tradition. The book does end with a gesture to a better future that could embrace the posthuman and confront problematic past choices, but nothing is done with that promise.
The strongest aspect of this novella is the characters. All three of the central characters are narrators with POV chapters that cycle through each person. Each character expresses a lot of their interiority, so the readers get a good look into how each character’s perspectives and beliefs shift through the book as they encounter new information. The plot is well-paced with information reveals given at the right time for character development.The world building did take some shortcuts in the form of relying on the reader already agreeing with the author on some element (i.e., those in power inherently bad) without giving the reader too much information about *why*. There is no main villain besides a vague power that be. This made the excellent character construction and development of the protagonists fall a little flat at the end.
I love a found documents book and while this isn’t directly a found documents book, there are interstitial chapters which are found documents and this was definitely a personal highlight to get some of the world building and history of this world. I love this kind of
This has nothing to do with the book because the author doesn’t write their own blurbs, but: I think the blurb for this book does it a huge disservice. It is described as being “high-octane” and also implies that all five of the towers are still intact and occupied. The blurb seems to have been written from a synopsis of the book not the actual book.
If you are interested in climate fiction either as an already established connoisseur or someone who is looking to get into the genre, I would recommend this book. I don’t think it is the strongest entry in the genre, but it does present many of the core conflicts and tensions of the genre. The African setting is a welcome breath of fresh air in the American publishing scene as well.
I received this book as an eARC from the publisher
One Sentence Review: A well-constructed and engaging climate fiction novella that attempts to blend science and mythology but falls into the trap of privileging one over the other in advocating for a posthuman vision of the future.
Lost Ark Dreaming is sent in the Pinnacle, the tallest and only remaining tower from The Fingers, a five-tower complex built off the coast of Lagos, Nigeria, on an artificially constructed island in the closing days of Earth’s ability to sustain our current way of life. Built to withstand inevitable flooding, people from Lagos flee to The Fingers, but each of the other four towers is abandoned as they become uninhabitable. Many people are left to die in the waters, and our main characters are haunted by this very recent history. The tower itself is divided into a fairly strict class hierarchy—literally. The richest and most privileged lived at the top of the tower (with the founder’s descendent, the nominal ruler of the tower, living at the very top), and each level decreased in status, wealth, and power. Our main characters are Ngozi, a fairly high-level bureaucrat, Tuoyo, a mid-level analyst, and Yekini, a low-level foreman. Ngozi and Tuoyo are summoned to Yekini’s level to deal with a breach, a situation that could prove catastrophic. Ngozi strongly and obviously does not want to be there and comes burdened with stereotypes, privilege, and ego; Tuoyo has significantly more mixed feelings but quickly sides with Yekini against Ngozi’s arrogant attitude. The first half of the novella focuses on figuring out what caused the breach, and the second half focuses on the secrets the tower leadership is keeping and their disregard for the lower levels/classes.
In the one-sentence review, I mentioned the inclusion of mythology in this book, and I can’t get more into *how* mythology enters the book without giving away the twist so just trust me that it is there in the rest of the discussion. A lot of climate fiction has the technofix problem, i.e., if we find the right technology, then all our problems will be solved, and we won’t have to give up too much of our accustomed way of life. I call this a problem because (at least in my opinion) this is a fairly delusional way of thinking as it allows the reader to escape any critical examination of our contemporary behavior. Lost Ark Dreaming does not fully fall into the technofix trap: the world has dramatically changed from what we recognize in some ways, but it still heavily relies on the idea that our salvation will come through the timely appearance of some quasi-magic invention. The only people who are saved are the ones who are able to get to The Pinnacle somehow.
The intrusion into the book of the mythological elements presents a counterpoint to the above observation about the technological elements. And I mean that very literally. It is not just a philosophical difference (although it is that) but one of direct conflict. This is what makes this not a solarpunk novel. Instead of thinking through the implication of intertwining traditional beliefs with the necessity of lifestyle and civilization change separates this from that tradition. The book does end with a gesture to a better future that could embrace the posthuman and confront problematic past choices, but nothing is done with that promise.
The strongest aspect of this novella is the characters. All three of the central characters are narrators with POV chapters that cycle through each person. Each character expresses a lot of their interiority, so the readers get a good look into how each character’s perspectives and beliefs shift through the book as they encounter new information. The plot is well-paced with information reveals given at the right time for character development.The world building did take some shortcuts in the form of relying on the reader already agreeing with the author on some element (i.e., those in power inherently bad) without giving the reader too much information about *why*. There is no main villain besides a vague power that be. This made the excellent character construction and development of the protagonists fall a little flat at the end.
I love a found documents book and while this isn’t directly a found documents book, there are interstitial chapters which are found documents and this was definitely a personal highlight to get some of the world building and history of this world. I love this kind of
This has nothing to do with the book because the author doesn’t write their own blurbs, but: I think the blurb for this book does it a huge disservice. It is described as being “high-octane” and also implies that all five of the towers are still intact and occupied. The blurb seems to have been written from a synopsis of the book not the actual book.
If you are interested in climate fiction either as an already established connoisseur or someone who is looking to get into the genre, I would recommend this book. I don’t think it is the strongest entry in the genre, but it does present many of the core conflicts and tensions of the genre. The African setting is a welcome breath of fresh air in the American publishing scene as well.
May 19, 2024
There's a lot to love in this vivid, dystopian novella. It's a story with teeth. It's a story that peels back layers of political lies to reveal a dark truth at the center of it all. Between the three main characters, I thought this was well told and well accomplished. Looking forward to reading more from Okungbowa.
February 20, 2024
Oh my God! I absolutely love this book! Lost Ark Dreaming tells the story of Yekini, a government official working in what used to be Lagos, but is now a skyscraper within which people are grouped according to class with the most affluent at the top. When cracks start to emerge in the system, Yekini must work with Ngozi and Tuoyo to find a solution.
The author writes about heavy themes like class, immigration, politics and religion without detracting from the beauty of the story. I love details and can’t stop raving about how good the world building in this book is. I can’t wait to see what else this author releases.
If you’re looking to get into African sci-fi/fantasy, this is the book for you.
The author writes about heavy themes like class, immigration, politics and religion without detracting from the beauty of the story. I love details and can’t stop raving about how good the world building in this book is. I can’t wait to see what else this author releases.
If you’re looking to get into African sci-fi/fantasy, this is the book for you.
February 3, 2024
I was honestly shocked at how good this was, purely because it takes such an incredible writer to be able to successfully write large pieces of work AND novellas. If Okungbowa writes it, I'm going to read it.
Okungbowa showed in his Nameless Republic series that he has an incredible imagination when it comes to worldbuilding, and that skill is on display in this piece. Taking place in the near-future when climate change has caused flooding that results in humans living in giant skyscrapers. For such a short book, this book touches on so many different aspects of society. This book is incredibly deep, and I feel like numerous college-level essays could be written regarding the number of points Okungbowa was trying to make about what our world has become and where it is going.
This had me thinking so much, both about the book and the world, and I was just so impressed.
Thank you to Tor Publishing Group and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Okungbowa showed in his Nameless Republic series that he has an incredible imagination when it comes to worldbuilding, and that skill is on display in this piece. Taking place in the near-future when climate change has caused flooding that results in humans living in giant skyscrapers. For such a short book, this book touches on so many different aspects of society. This book is incredibly deep, and I feel like numerous college-level essays could be written regarding the number of points Okungbowa was trying to make about what our world has become and where it is going.
This had me thinking so much, both about the book and the world, and I was just so impressed.
Thank you to Tor Publishing Group and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
April 17, 2024
Read this review and other Science Fiction/Fantasy book reviews at The Quill to Live
Let’s take another break from the deluge of generation ships and instead focus on another type of ship, the ark. Didn’t see that one coming did you? Or maybe you’re here to hold me to task on the books I promised to read in our Black Author Appreciation post from earlier this year. Either way, I’m going to talk about Lost Ark Dreaming by Suyi Davies Okungbawa. It’s an eco-science fiction that cleverly engages with class hierarchy in a world already underwater that mostly succeeds, while taking a few interesting missteps.
Five towers remain standing above the ocean off the west coast of Africa. Their lower levels are submerged in the depths, designed to withstand the rise of the Atlantic ocean. What was meant to be a resort for the wealthy has become a sanctuary for human life in the new climate. The upper levels are populated by the ultra wealthy, while the poor and working are submerged below the water. When a leak occurs in the lowers, Yekini is sent down as a bodyguard to protect Ngozi while he investigates the cause and provides a solution to the problem. Tuoyo, a mechanic and inhabitant of the lowers, shows them that there is still life below. However, rumors about the children of Yemoja circle around the leak, though the legends have yet to be verified. Will the three be able to work together and cross their divides to solve the slow crisis?
Lost Ark Dreaming is an interesting novella. Okungbawa not only tells a narrative, he interweaves poetry, folklore delivered through dream sequences, and archival reports into the pages, providing more depth than a straightforward story would have accomplished. For a shorter story, this works really well, and I’m curious how such methods would play out over a longer page count. The world Okungbawa creates is a stark one; a small collection of skyscrapers where the first thirty floors are submerged in the ocean, designed to survive the rising sea levels. The lower floors are relegated to the poor and working folk, the middle section the middle class and well you see where this is going. It’s not unique, but I do find it compelling with the added stress of being actively submerged if you’re poor. It delivers a visual that is hard to shake.
The story follows three perspectives, each from a different section of the tower. Ngozi, a bureaucrat with dreams of being a part of the upper upper floors, is decently fleshed out as someone who doesn’t want to rock the boat, and is constantly doing the math. He pits his career against the lives and livelihoods of those lower than him. It clearly causes a bit of distress, but he’s also distant and removed. Yekini, a data analyst from the mid levels, takes a lot at face value. She is isolated as well, but rolls with the punches. Her preconceptions are open to changing data and circumstances. It gives her the connective tissue vibe between the layers that is sorely needed between the lower and the upper. Tuoyo, however, as much as I wanted her to, didn’t stick with me. She’s pragmatic, sure, but I can’t really grasp the things that made her stand out as a character. Tuoyo was competent as all hell sure, but we rarely got to see her as a lower, only someone who has to interact with the uppers and middles when they come down to investigate.
The biggest problem I had with the story, despite Okungbawa’s attempts at providing depth, was its length; it’s just too damn short. Everything in the book is designed to bring stark visualization and provide mental shortcuts to the themes. That’s not a bad thing, the story’s efficiency is a strength. It just doesn’t give room for the themes to breathe and grow into something more interesting. The city feels like it has a history, and it’s partially explored through the archives, but in short staccato bursts meant to crystallize the themes. The archival interludes felt like Okungbawa breaking the fourth wall to tell you the point of the story. The tower also feels empty, and I don’t know if that was a purposeful choice to highlight the degraded nature of the place, or if it was passed over for brevity. The shortness, while bolstered by Okungbawa’s exploratory instincts, also removes a lot of the curiosity. I don’t need a full re-telling of the tower and city’s history, nor a detailed accounting of the lives of the characters, but I think it would have been nice to actually see the tower. See how the levels have become what they are, and how people in the lowers make do as a society.
But when the novella shines, it really shines. The poetry is evocative and really feels like Okungbawa put his heart into nailing it. The use of African spirituality (both in and out of dream sequences) and the various ways different cultures use words and names, adds a fresh perspective. It makes the tower feel like the melting pot it became, but serves as a stark reminder that there are still cultural divisions intermingled with the class ones. Obviously, I am not well versed in African folklore and religions, but I’m starting to grasp some of them through exposure, and Okungbawa is very inviting. He doesn’t necessarily explain it to the uninitiated but does take time to highlight the differences between cultures in a way that leads to outside curiosity. It’s inviting you in to understanding, which couples nicely with some of the story’s themes.
Lost Ark Dreaming is a short and tantalizing vision that, for me, could have used a little more exploration. It feels like waking up from a dream and trying to grasp for deeper meaning, but only being left with whatever you can remember. The title alone makes this suggestion feel correct, and leaves me with both satisfaction, and a half-full stomach. I wanted more from the dream, and I’m left with the general feeling that I had one, scrambling to find meaning from it. If there was a little less of the archival fourth wall being broken, I could accept the dreamlike nature of the story, pushing the reader into exploring it outside the book. So maybe that’s what I will take away from it; the pursuit of curiosity, the vision of a future not yet decided, instead of craving that curiosity handed to me on a golden plate.
Rating: Lost Ark Dreaming – Dive in, and let it wash over you but at your own pace.
-Alex
An ARC of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts on this book are my own.
Let’s take another break from the deluge of generation ships and instead focus on another type of ship, the ark. Didn’t see that one coming did you? Or maybe you’re here to hold me to task on the books I promised to read in our Black Author Appreciation post from earlier this year. Either way, I’m going to talk about Lost Ark Dreaming by Suyi Davies Okungbawa. It’s an eco-science fiction that cleverly engages with class hierarchy in a world already underwater that mostly succeeds, while taking a few interesting missteps.
Five towers remain standing above the ocean off the west coast of Africa. Their lower levels are submerged in the depths, designed to withstand the rise of the Atlantic ocean. What was meant to be a resort for the wealthy has become a sanctuary for human life in the new climate. The upper levels are populated by the ultra wealthy, while the poor and working are submerged below the water. When a leak occurs in the lowers, Yekini is sent down as a bodyguard to protect Ngozi while he investigates the cause and provides a solution to the problem. Tuoyo, a mechanic and inhabitant of the lowers, shows them that there is still life below. However, rumors about the children of Yemoja circle around the leak, though the legends have yet to be verified. Will the three be able to work together and cross their divides to solve the slow crisis?
Lost Ark Dreaming is an interesting novella. Okungbawa not only tells a narrative, he interweaves poetry, folklore delivered through dream sequences, and archival reports into the pages, providing more depth than a straightforward story would have accomplished. For a shorter story, this works really well, and I’m curious how such methods would play out over a longer page count. The world Okungbawa creates is a stark one; a small collection of skyscrapers where the first thirty floors are submerged in the ocean, designed to survive the rising sea levels. The lower floors are relegated to the poor and working folk, the middle section the middle class and well you see where this is going. It’s not unique, but I do find it compelling with the added stress of being actively submerged if you’re poor. It delivers a visual that is hard to shake.
The story follows three perspectives, each from a different section of the tower. Ngozi, a bureaucrat with dreams of being a part of the upper upper floors, is decently fleshed out as someone who doesn’t want to rock the boat, and is constantly doing the math. He pits his career against the lives and livelihoods of those lower than him. It clearly causes a bit of distress, but he’s also distant and removed. Yekini, a data analyst from the mid levels, takes a lot at face value. She is isolated as well, but rolls with the punches. Her preconceptions are open to changing data and circumstances. It gives her the connective tissue vibe between the layers that is sorely needed between the lower and the upper. Tuoyo, however, as much as I wanted her to, didn’t stick with me. She’s pragmatic, sure, but I can’t really grasp the things that made her stand out as a character. Tuoyo was competent as all hell sure, but we rarely got to see her as a lower, only someone who has to interact with the uppers and middles when they come down to investigate.
The biggest problem I had with the story, despite Okungbawa’s attempts at providing depth, was its length; it’s just too damn short. Everything in the book is designed to bring stark visualization and provide mental shortcuts to the themes. That’s not a bad thing, the story’s efficiency is a strength. It just doesn’t give room for the themes to breathe and grow into something more interesting. The city feels like it has a history, and it’s partially explored through the archives, but in short staccato bursts meant to crystallize the themes. The archival interludes felt like Okungbawa breaking the fourth wall to tell you the point of the story. The tower also feels empty, and I don’t know if that was a purposeful choice to highlight the degraded nature of the place, or if it was passed over for brevity. The shortness, while bolstered by Okungbawa’s exploratory instincts, also removes a lot of the curiosity. I don’t need a full re-telling of the tower and city’s history, nor a detailed accounting of the lives of the characters, but I think it would have been nice to actually see the tower. See how the levels have become what they are, and how people in the lowers make do as a society.
But when the novella shines, it really shines. The poetry is evocative and really feels like Okungbawa put his heart into nailing it. The use of African spirituality (both in and out of dream sequences) and the various ways different cultures use words and names, adds a fresh perspective. It makes the tower feel like the melting pot it became, but serves as a stark reminder that there are still cultural divisions intermingled with the class ones. Obviously, I am not well versed in African folklore and religions, but I’m starting to grasp some of them through exposure, and Okungbawa is very inviting. He doesn’t necessarily explain it to the uninitiated but does take time to highlight the differences between cultures in a way that leads to outside curiosity. It’s inviting you in to understanding, which couples nicely with some of the story’s themes.
Lost Ark Dreaming is a short and tantalizing vision that, for me, could have used a little more exploration. It feels like waking up from a dream and trying to grasp for deeper meaning, but only being left with whatever you can remember. The title alone makes this suggestion feel correct, and leaves me with both satisfaction, and a half-full stomach. I wanted more from the dream, and I’m left with the general feeling that I had one, scrambling to find meaning from it. If there was a little less of the archival fourth wall being broken, I could accept the dreamlike nature of the story, pushing the reader into exploring it outside the book. So maybe that’s what I will take away from it; the pursuit of curiosity, the vision of a future not yet decided, instead of craving that curiosity handed to me on a golden plate.
Rating: Lost Ark Dreaming – Dive in, and let it wash over you but at your own pace.
-Alex
An ARC of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts on this book are my own.
December 2, 2023
This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.
When I heard that there's a new stunning Novella Novella from award wining Speculative Fiction author of David Mogo, Godhunter and The Nameless Republic Series, Suyi Davies Okungbowa. I had to get my hands on the advanced readers copy.
Set in a dystopian Lagos, many years after the world has been submerged in water and humanity now survives in towers called the Fingers. Lost Ark Dreaming opens through the eyes of Yekini, an analyst.
The story picks up after Yekini is sent to the lower level of the "Finger" to assist a government official to investigate a breach.
Firstly, the author, Suyi Davies Okungbowa mentioned that if you're a fan of the acclaimed dystopian shows, Silo and Snowpiercer, then you'll absolutely love this Novella.
And let me say this, it didn't not disappoint.
From the start of the story, we get to explore this vivid dystopian world Suyi has created. As a scifi Enthusiast, reading Lost Ark Dreaming felt like watching a film. Suyi has a way with his writing that brings his worlds to life and you're transported into the world itself.
From the different character's point of views which is something I highly enjoyed. From the Determined yet Doubting Yekini to the Ambitious but Frightened Ngozi to the Firm yet Passionate Tuoyo. Exploring the Finger—The set of this story — through the 3 different characters was interesting.
Lost Ark Dreaming feels like a more character driven story than a plot driven. Not to say that the plot isn't intriguing. In my opinion, if you're interested in a story that is heavy on the character's perspectives on different societal issues that tend to arise in dystopian worlds like classism.
Then you'll enjoy how these characters relate to their circumstances and are forced to make decisions that determine what their futures would be in mere seconds.
I enjoyed how we get introduced to these characters. We see them in their own spaces and we see a glimpse of who they are. The story progesses and they get tossed into this mysterious scheme that eventually ends to them uncovering the truth about who they are, truly. What it means to come from different parts of the Finger. What it means to rediscover truths buried long deep. What it means to work with someone who doesn't necessarily have the same ideologies as you.
I enjoy Suyi's worlds and characters because they force you to have conversations on what humanity is, what it means to learn to not he afraid to enter another person's world and see through their own perspective.
Lost Ark Dreaming has everything from strong willed characters to mystery to Yoruba mythologies to Rebellion to Rediscovering truths.
This should definitely be on your reading list by 2024. Don't thin it, just go in and have a ride and enjoy. I definitely did.
When I heard that there's a new stunning Novella Novella from award wining Speculative Fiction author of David Mogo, Godhunter and The Nameless Republic Series, Suyi Davies Okungbowa. I had to get my hands on the advanced readers copy.
Set in a dystopian Lagos, many years after the world has been submerged in water and humanity now survives in towers called the Fingers. Lost Ark Dreaming opens through the eyes of Yekini, an analyst.
The story picks up after Yekini is sent to the lower level of the "Finger" to assist a government official to investigate a breach.
Firstly, the author, Suyi Davies Okungbowa mentioned that if you're a fan of the acclaimed dystopian shows, Silo and Snowpiercer, then you'll absolutely love this Novella.
And let me say this, it didn't not disappoint.
From the start of the story, we get to explore this vivid dystopian world Suyi has created. As a scifi Enthusiast, reading Lost Ark Dreaming felt like watching a film. Suyi has a way with his writing that brings his worlds to life and you're transported into the world itself.
From the different character's point of views which is something I highly enjoyed. From the Determined yet Doubting Yekini to the Ambitious but Frightened Ngozi to the Firm yet Passionate Tuoyo. Exploring the Finger—The set of this story — through the 3 different characters was interesting.
Lost Ark Dreaming feels like a more character driven story than a plot driven. Not to say that the plot isn't intriguing. In my opinion, if you're interested in a story that is heavy on the character's perspectives on different societal issues that tend to arise in dystopian worlds like classism.
Then you'll enjoy how these characters relate to their circumstances and are forced to make decisions that determine what their futures would be in mere seconds.
I enjoyed how we get introduced to these characters. We see them in their own spaces and we see a glimpse of who they are. The story progesses and they get tossed into this mysterious scheme that eventually ends to them uncovering the truth about who they are, truly. What it means to come from different parts of the Finger. What it means to rediscover truths buried long deep. What it means to work with someone who doesn't necessarily have the same ideologies as you.
I enjoy Suyi's worlds and characters because they force you to have conversations on what humanity is, what it means to learn to not he afraid to enter another person's world and see through their own perspective.
Lost Ark Dreaming has everything from strong willed characters to mystery to Yoruba mythologies to Rebellion to Rediscovering truths.
This should definitely be on your reading list by 2024. Don't thin it, just go in and have a ride and enjoy. I definitely did.
December 12, 2023
This was the best novella I’ve read in years, and one of my favorite reads of the 2023. Great characters, incisive class commentary and a wonderful Nigerian-inspired mythology make this a special and unique science fantasy.
Set in a partially submerged towers rising above a future underwater Lagos, Lost Ark Dreaming follows a cop, a bureaucrat, and an engineer as they investigate a breach in the tower’s lower walls. The back cover copy is right on the money with the comparison to Snow Piercer. The tower is a compelling allegory for class divisions and climate injustice. Okungbowa smartly has each of the POV characters come from a different strata, allowing him to paint a rich picture of his this society and how it mirrors our own. I especially loved the conversation with the descendant of the man who built the tower; it’s a perfect - and darkly funny - depiction of an out-of-touch billionaire.
The world building, prose and action scenes are all expertly done. But what impressed me most is that Okungbowa is able to pull off compelling character arcs for his three protagonists in such a short space. All of them having a compelling backstory, which they have to face in the final actions they take in the climax. All three of them have a satisfying journey, especially the bureaucrat, Ngozi.
My only small quibble is that our heroes’ quest ends up being closely tied to a mcguffin-esque fantasy object that wasn’t clearly described. Okungbowa mostly uses poetry and vague interludes to explain the importance of this object, which left me very fuzzy on what it actually did and why it mattered. Still, this didn’t detract much from my enjoyment or from the emotional resonance of the ending.
I’ve been reading a lot of sci-fi and fantasy novellas this year because they’re getting so trendy, and they often feel short or rushed. Lost Ark Dreaming, on the other hand, felt perfectly adapted to its length. It’s amazing how much depth Okungbowa packs into these pages, giving us a fully realized world and three fleshed out POVs - something many authors can’t pull off in a 500-page novel. A total delight, and highly recommended for any SFF fans.
Set in a partially submerged towers rising above a future underwater Lagos, Lost Ark Dreaming follows a cop, a bureaucrat, and an engineer as they investigate a breach in the tower’s lower walls. The back cover copy is right on the money with the comparison to Snow Piercer. The tower is a compelling allegory for class divisions and climate injustice. Okungbowa smartly has each of the POV characters come from a different strata, allowing him to paint a rich picture of his this society and how it mirrors our own. I especially loved the conversation with the descendant of the man who built the tower; it’s a perfect - and darkly funny - depiction of an out-of-touch billionaire.
The world building, prose and action scenes are all expertly done. But what impressed me most is that Okungbowa is able to pull off compelling character arcs for his three protagonists in such a short space. All of them having a compelling backstory, which they have to face in the final actions they take in the climax. All three of them have a satisfying journey, especially the bureaucrat, Ngozi.
My only small quibble is that our heroes’ quest ends up being closely tied to a mcguffin-esque fantasy object that wasn’t clearly described. Okungbowa mostly uses poetry and vague interludes to explain the importance of this object, which left me very fuzzy on what it actually did and why it mattered. Still, this didn’t detract much from my enjoyment or from the emotional resonance of the ending.
I’ve been reading a lot of sci-fi and fantasy novellas this year because they’re getting so trendy, and they often feel short or rushed. Lost Ark Dreaming, on the other hand, felt perfectly adapted to its length. It’s amazing how much depth Okungbowa packs into these pages, giving us a fully realized world and three fleshed out POVs - something many authors can’t pull off in a 500-page novel. A total delight, and highly recommended for any SFF fans.
December 5, 2023
This is one of those books that is so deeply fascinating that you never want it to end. I absolutely adored the worldbuilding here and could have read for hundreds of more pages about the environmental collapse and the towers where humans found refuge and the humans who were left behind and what became of them and the surrounding seas. I was captivated from start to finish and would love to see future stories exploring this same dystopian future. The comps to Snowpiercer and Rivers Solomon's works are spot on, so absolutely trust that.
I also really enjoyed the character work in this story. Okungbowa writes deep and fully fleshed out characters that are so relatable and easy to understand, which is something I don't often feel in a novella. As a reader, I felt like I truly knew and cared for these people after just a few pages of getting to know them. Each character has a lengthy backstory that is fed to the reader through tiny comments and snips of memory as we go along, yet feels so simple to piece together. It's absolutely masterful.
One of my biggest complaints is one I often have with novellas - I wanted more. I wanted more details, more answers, more time, which isn't always in the nature of a novella, but does still change how I experience the story. This same concern ties into how some of the action unfolds. There's a certain point in the story where the action ramps up fairly drastically and the quick pace made it a bit difficult to tell what was going on at certain times. I kept feeling a bit muddled for a few paragraphs, then would figure it out and jump back in, then promptly be a bit lost again. Maybe I just wasn't clever enough to keep track of everyone and their various goals at this stage.
Overall, a really cool read that I definitely wouldn't mind experiencing again. In the meantime, absolutely begging for more stories in this world. Would definitely recommend without reservation.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Tor for an ARC in exchange for review.
I also really enjoyed the character work in this story. Okungbowa writes deep and fully fleshed out characters that are so relatable and easy to understand, which is something I don't often feel in a novella. As a reader, I felt like I truly knew and cared for these people after just a few pages of getting to know them. Each character has a lengthy backstory that is fed to the reader through tiny comments and snips of memory as we go along, yet feels so simple to piece together. It's absolutely masterful.
One of my biggest complaints is one I often have with novellas - I wanted more. I wanted more details, more answers, more time, which isn't always in the nature of a novella, but does still change how I experience the story. This same concern ties into how some of the action unfolds. There's a certain point in the story where the action ramps up fairly drastically and the quick pace made it a bit difficult to tell what was going on at certain times. I kept feeling a bit muddled for a few paragraphs, then would figure it out and jump back in, then promptly be a bit lost again. Maybe I just wasn't clever enough to keep track of everyone and their various goals at this stage.
Overall, a really cool read that I definitely wouldn't mind experiencing again. In the meantime, absolutely begging for more stories in this world. Would definitely recommend without reservation.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Tor for an ARC in exchange for review.
April 21, 2024
The premise of this dystopian novella didn't initially interest me, but after seeing a friend rate this highly, I decided to bump it up on my TBR and I'm glad I did! It's such an intriguing and thought provoking novella; I love its mix of mythology and sci-fi.
The premise will be familiar to dystopian readers. In the future, a mega-wealthy capitalist builds five towers, called The Fingers, off the coast of West Africa. The tallest of these fingers is called the Pinnacle. As climate-change and flooding ravages humanity and land, the Pinnacle becomes the last toehold for humans as we know them. The Pinnacle is socially stratified by location. The Lowers live in the levels below sea level, then there are the Midders and the Uppers. This novella rotates between three perspectives.
Yekini is a Midder who works as an analyst and takes care of her grandmother. She's keen and earnest and wants to do what's right for all. When there's a breach in the Lowers, she's sent to investigate with Ngozi, who is a bureaucratic Midder with his eye to climb higher. He's stuck up and looks down on the Lowers, but he also has a traumatic past he's trying to live up to. Tuoyo is an engineer and mechanic from the Lowers, and is the foreman of her work group. She's devastated from the loss of her wife years earlier to creatures called the Children of Yemoja. Now it appears that one of these children might've managed to infiltrate the Pinnacle.
What makes this really special is the use of Yuraba mythology and flood mythology—Mami Water, Yemoja, Noah and the ark, and more. I loved it. I also really enjoyed the characters and the pacing is excellent. I read it in only two sittings!
The premise will be familiar to dystopian readers. In the future, a mega-wealthy capitalist builds five towers, called The Fingers, off the coast of West Africa. The tallest of these fingers is called the Pinnacle. As climate-change and flooding ravages humanity and land, the Pinnacle becomes the last toehold for humans as we know them. The Pinnacle is socially stratified by location. The Lowers live in the levels below sea level, then there are the Midders and the Uppers. This novella rotates between three perspectives.
Yekini is a Midder who works as an analyst and takes care of her grandmother. She's keen and earnest and wants to do what's right for all. When there's a breach in the Lowers, she's sent to investigate with Ngozi, who is a bureaucratic Midder with his eye to climb higher. He's stuck up and looks down on the Lowers, but he also has a traumatic past he's trying to live up to. Tuoyo is an engineer and mechanic from the Lowers, and is the foreman of her work group. She's devastated from the loss of her wife years earlier to creatures called the Children of Yemoja. Now it appears that one of these children might've managed to infiltrate the Pinnacle.
What makes this really special is the use of Yuraba mythology and flood mythology—Mami Water, Yemoja, Noah and the ark, and more. I loved it. I also really enjoyed the characters and the pacing is excellent. I read it in only two sittings!
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