Who Fears Death

4.5* I've noticed a lot more African themed speculative fiction lately. This was my first read in this specific subgenre and I absolutely loved it. There are no western medieval fantasy cliches in this journey. Her companions are not dwarves and elves, just school friends and a fellow gifted lover. Set in the near future, the author makes effective use of many of our modern day Africa's horrors and its post colonization scars (think Rwanda in the 1990's). Against this dystopian backdrop of racial genocide, our heroine's quest through the desert and her magical abilities are beautifully detailed, making the jarring scenes of violence all the more stark.