Hi,

The Nigerian fantasy scene is one that has been growing steadily. Aside from the Big Four languages ( Igbo. Yoruba, Hausa and Benin) there are many other tribes(about 371 ethnic tribes) and languages. Each tribe would have their own mythology and folktales, imagine the vast amount of stories yet to be told! Nigerian fantasy writers also tap in to other worlds and bring them to life in a spectacular way ( Yes i said it better than your faves)! I’m a Nigerian, Of course i am going to hype my people up.

Some popular Nigerian fantasy authors you may be familiar with are Nnedi Okorafor , her book Who fears Death is a World Fantasy award winner (2011) and one of her most popular works. Suyi Davies Okungbowa’s Son of the storm was a hit debut. And you may be familiar with The lies of the Ajungo by Moses Ose Utomi, a novella that came out last year and was an absolute delight to read ( click the title to read a review).

Nigerian fantasy books are interesting, from the world building to the powerful storytelling. These books will transport you into different worlds that you’ll be sure to remember. The last two books i added would be released this year ( April 9th and August 20th , 2024 respectively). I have read their previous works and loved them, so i am looking forward to reading their new books.

So here are the recommendations i think you’ll enjoy them. Read the summary and see what interests you. By Clicking on the titles you’ll be able to get an amazon link to purchase the book. Are there any books here on your radar? let me know in the comments!

• Sanya by Oyin Olugbile:She could either be the saviour of her people,or the destroyer of their world. Sanya always felt different. And everyone that knew her—the people in the village she grew up in, her beloved brother, Dada, her Aunt Abike, and even her parents before she was born—knew that there was something special about her, too. After an unspeakable tragedy causes her to leave home and grow up too soon, she is devastated to find that her incredible powers are linked to a future which she must fight, even at the cost of her very soul. She begins life anew, hoping that the dark prophesy would somehow rewrite itself. Soon, however, her carefully crafted life and identity becomes the catalyst for a deadly war that will tear her family apart, and doom everything she holds dear.

• Shigidi and Brass head of Obalufon by Wole Talabi : Shigidi is a disgruntled and demotivated nightmare god in the Orisha spirit company, reluctantly answering prayers of his few remaining believers to maintain his existence long enough to find his next drink. When he meets Nneoma, a sort-of succubus with a long and secretive past, everything changes for him. Together, they attempt to break free of his obligations and the restrictions that have bound him to his godhood and navigate the parameters of their new relationship in the shadow of her past. But the elder gods that run the Orisha spirit company have other plans for Shigidi, and they are not all aligned–or good. From the boisterous streets of Lagos to the swanky rooftop bars of Singapore and the secret spaces of London, Shigidi and Nneoma will encounter old acquaintances, rival gods, strange creatures, and manipulative magicians as they are drawn into a web of revenge, spirit business, and a spectacular heist across two worlds that will change Shigidi’s understanding of himself forever and determine the fate of the Orisha spirit company

• Amaechi by Chima Nwoke : The Past, the Present and Tomorrow is an anthology of short stories with themes of police/military brutality, espionage, re-imagined folktales and African traditional religious beliefs such as the mythology of the Igbo gods, and reincarnation. The genres explored in the anthology range from African folklore and mythologies, whodunit as well as heist thrillers, to Africanfuturism.It is a book heavy with tales of the supernatural. Yet, its charm mostly lies in its ordinariness – the way the material effortlessly collapses into the immaterial – like life itself. Quite intriguingly, a cultural awakening is sweeping through Africa. Most African people are turning to indigenous imaginaries, or at least daring to question dominant, European-style ideologies and life-ways. Amaechi. has emerged as both an arsenal and pacifier to fold the modern into the traditional; the real into the magical; the past and the future. The Past, the Present, and Tomorrow: this subtitle accurately captures the message of Amaechi. In Igbo Ontology, the past lives through the present. People carry in them the spirits of their ancestors. The present is a canvas, already dotted with trails of the past, but available for the making of a future. The universe is enveloped in energy, guided by forces sometimes familiar, other times alien and untamable. This is the foundational idea that undergird the broad themes explored in the stories that make up the book.

• Forever desert series (The truth of the Aleke) by Moses Ose Utomi: The Aleke is cruel. The Aleke is clever. The Aleke is coming.500 years after the events of The Lies of the Ajungo , the City of Truth stands as is the last remaining free city of the Forever Desert. A bastion of freedom and peace, the city has successfully weathered the near-constant attacks from the Cult of Tutu, who have besieged it for three centuries, attempting to destroy its warriors and subjugate its people.17-year-old Osi is a Junior Peacekeeper in the City. When the mysterious leader of the Cult, known only as the Aleke, commits a massacre in the capitol and steals the sacred God’s Eyes, Osi steps forward to valiantly defend his home. For his bravery he is tasked with a tremendous responsibility―destroy the Cult of Tutu, bring back the God’s Eyes, and discover the truth of the Aleke.

• Memory of stone series by ` Chio Zoe: Finally thriving as a criminal in an infamous rundown city nicknamed The Bottoms, 18-year-old Nyx is forced to leave to rescue her only friend. When she is imprisoned for her damning discoveries she must do everything to regain her freedom, even if that means losing everything she’s ever known. Loran’s Blade is a mask-wearing commander and a living legend at only eighteen. Coerced into life at court, he finds that not everything is as simple as death on a battlefield, especially when he discovers secrets hidden down dark corridors in court. When the attention of the king lands him on a dishonorable mission, he must decide where his loyalties lie.When their paths cross, they must discover why they are drawn to each other, or remain enemies.In a world of magic and buried secrets, there is a thin line between normality and danger.

• `Son of the Storm (Nameless republic series) by Suyi Davies Okungbowa: In the ancient city of Bassa, Danso is a clever scholar on the cusp of achieving greatness—only he doesn’t want it. Instead, he prefers to chase forbidden stories about what lies outside the city walls. The Bassai elite claim there is nothing of interest. The city’s immigrants are sworn to secrecy. But when Danso stumbles across a warrior wielding magic that shouldn’t exist, he’s put on a collision course with Bassa’s darkest secrets. Drawn into the city’s hidden history, he sets out on a journey beyond its borders. And the chaos left in the wake of his discovery threatens to destroy the empire.

• Who fears death by Nnedi Okorafor : In a far future, post-nuclear-holocaust Africa, genocide plagues one region. The aggressors, the Nuru, have decided to follow the Great Book and exterminate the Okeke. But when the only surviving member of a slain Okeke village is brutally raped, she manages to escape, wandering farther into the desert. She gives birth to a baby girl with hair and skin the color of sand and instinctively knows that her daughter is different. She names her daughter Onyesonwu, which means “Who Fears Death?” in an ancient African tongue.Reared under the tutelage of a mysterious and traditional shaman, Onyesonwu discovers her magical destiny – to end the genocide of her people. The journey to fulfill her destiny will force her to grapple with nature, tradition, history, true love, the spiritual mysteries of her culture – and eventually death itself.

• Amobi and the Door beyond time ( stormbringer series)by Michael Nwanolue: Amobi is a dibia, a super awesome West African priest of Amadioha, the god of thunder and lightning. He just doesn’t know it yet. But when he makes a church explode and accidentally vaporizes a security guard, he starts to realise there might be some truth to his grandfather’s stories after all. Now, with his two best friends, who are also dibias, and a snarky guide who may or may not hate him, Amobi has to free the gods from their prison, all before the world is annihilated and plunged into eternal darkness.

• The Smoke that Thunders by Erhu Kome ( Out on April 9th,2024): In this mesmerizing fantasy rooted in Urhobo and West African folklore, sixteen-year-old Naborhi longs for a life away from her small, traditional clan in Kokori. But as her rite of passage approaches and she is betrothed to an arrogant young man, Naborhi feels her dreams slipping away from her.Then Naborhi becomes bonded to a mysterious animal and begins having harrowing visions of a kidnapped boy. She soon meets Atai, the son of an Oracle from a rival queendom, and learns that she is being guided by the gods. She and Atai, along with Naborhi’s eager-for-adventure cousin, Tamunor, set off across the continent to rescue the mysterious boy. But when they find him―and find out his true identity―Naborhi realizes there is more than just her freedom at stake: she must stop a war that has already been set in motion.With lush, unique worldbuilding and a dynamic cast of characters, The Smoke That Thunders is a gripping story of political intrigue, fierce love, and what it means to be free

• She who knows By Nnedi Okorafor ( Out August, 2024): When there is a call, there is often a response. Najeeba knows. She has had The Call. But how can a 13-year-old girl have the Call? Only men and boys experience the annual call to the Salt Roads. What’s just happened to Najeeba has never happened in the history of her village. But it’s not a terrible thing, just strange. So when she leaves with her father and brothers to mine salt at the Dead Lake, there’s neither fanfare nor protest. For Najeeba, it’s a dream come travel by camel, open skies, and a chance to see a spectacular place she’s only heard about. However, there must have been something to the rule, because Najeeba’s presence on the road changes everything and her family will never be the same. Small, intimate, up close, and deceptively quiet, this is the beginning of the Kponyungo Sorceress.