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Wow. Everything about this book is so unique, and I am so glad to have stumbled upon it. Reading something brought about with such thoughtfulness and collaboration is incredibly cool, not to mention that the primary author is a queer POC - what a joy to find.

The story itself is fantastic. I've never read a historical retelling into fantasy that felt quite like this, and the topics handled here are so impressive. The book covers family, community, identity, loss, generational trauma, and what it means to exist alongside others. Despite having no immediate similarities to the situation of the Wajinru, I felt the emotions so deeply that it was hard to not be moved by this book. The words craft clear images while reading, and it's evident that every piece is an intentional choice. It's beautiful, and I will be thinking about it for a long time. Highly recommend.

Edited to add: Oh! Big fan of the casual demi/intersex/non-binary representation, too.

Used for 2022 r/Fantasy Bingo (BIPOC author); also fits for weird ecology (hard mode), two or more authors (hard mode), arguably historical SFF (hard mode), standalone (hard mode), revolution and rebellion, set in Africa, non-human protagonist (hard mode), mental health (hard mode), and family matters (hard mode).