Book Review: The Binti Series by Nnedi Okorafor

A young Himba woman's entire life changes trajectory when her transport to an intergalactic university is attacked by aliens that seem as confused and threatened by her and she is by them.

In searching out award-winning books that slipped through the cracks of my TBR list, I came across Hugo- and Nebula-winning author Nnedi Okorafor and her novella series Binti, Home, and The Night Masquerade. Not only were these quick reads packed with all the sci-fi tropes my nerdy heart could handle, but they also brilliantly showcased the afrofuturist and academia themes in ways I have never read before. This series truly hooked me from the beginning and blew me away with its ending!

Binti, a Himba woman living on a futuristic Earth, pursues her dream of attending an intergalactic university, much to the dismay of her family and the scorn of her fellow classmates. Little does she know how much her endeavors will truly cost her as her transport is attacked by aliens, the jellyfish-like Meduse, and all souls onboard are killed but her. Fascinated by the cultural practices that Binti's classmates scoffed at, especially the otijze clay made from Earth's soil that seems to heal them, the Meduse agree to Binti's plea for a peaceful solution to a centuries-old war between them and the human Khoush tribe. But it will cost her dearly. Will her family even recognize the woman she has become? And what is with her new Meduse friend, Okwu, and his quick temper?

If all that wasn't enough to entice you to take a chance on this series, Binti also comes from a long line of harmonizers. As she trains and practices in a quest to become a master harmonizer, the magic she is able to tap into feels like a combination of The Force from Star Wars and mathematical equations from all my Meteorology and physics classes. I have never encountered a math-based magic system before, let alone in a sci-fi series, and I was incredibly captivated by how Okorafor is able to make the complexity of the system so accessible. It was truly beautifully written.

This series was fantastic from start to finish.

I gave all of the books 4/5 stars.