by I had so much fun last year putting together my list of 25 Asian-inspired fantasy books for the launch of The Sword of Kaigen that I’ve been looking for an excuse to post a similar list of African sci-fi and fantasy ever since. I still don’t have one, but we’re going ahead anyway!
Below, you’ll find new releases and classics, adult fiction and YA, Afrofuturism and sword and sorcery. From Angola to Morocco, there should be an African SFF story here for everyone!
1. The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter
In a South African-inspired world where gifted women have the power to call down dragons and gifted men can transform into fighting machines, a swordsman with no magical gifts seeks revenge on the people who betrayed him.
Shelved as High Fantasy and Dragons on Goodreads.
2. Daughters of Nri by Reni K. Amayo
This YA fantasy follows a pair of identical twin girls, separated at birth, both unwittingly bearing the power of lost gods.
Shelved as Young Adult and Fantasy on Goodreads.
3. The Kishi by Antoine Bandele
A monk in search of redemption is the only one who can save a village beset by a demon in this dark fantasy inspired by Angolan mythology.
Shelved as Fantasy and Horror on Goodreads. (See also: Antoine Bandele’s By Sea & Sky)
4. Kingdom of Souls by Rena Barron
This dark fantasy follows a young witch doctor trying to come into her power in a West African-inspired world where magic comes at a price and ambition can wake demons.
Shelved as Fantasy and Young Adult on Goodreads.
5. Acacia by David Anthony Durham
Compared to George R. R. Martin’s work, this high fantasy follows the four children of a king on a quest to avenge their father’s death and restore their lost empire.
Shelved as Epic Fantasy and Sci-fi/Fantasy on Goodreads.
6. A Taste of Honey by Kai Ashante Wilson
A menagerie owner’s son falls in love with a soldier from across the sea in this romantic fantasy novella, which takes influence from the Yoruba of West Africa and the North African Roman Empire.
Shelved as Fantasy, LGBT, and Romance on Goodreads. (See also: Kai Ashante Wilson’s Sorcerer of the Wildeeps)
7. David Mogo Godhunter by Suyi Davies Okungbowa
Described as Nigerian God-punk, this urban fantasy follows a freelance godhunter on adventures through the streets of a futuristic Lagos.
Shelved as Urban Fantasy, Sci-fi/Fantasy, and Mythology on Goodreads.
8. War Girls by Tochi Onyebuchi
This dystopian sci-fi adventure follows a pair of sisters through a war-torn Nigeria full of flying mecha and cyborgs.
Commonly shelved as Science Fiction and Young Adult on Goodreads. (See also: Tochi Onyebuchi’s Beasts Made of Night and Crown of Thunder)
9. Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
A young heroine embarks on a quest to restore magic to a fantasy world inspired by the Yoruba mythology of Nigeria.
Shelved as fantasy and young adult on Goodreads. (See also: Tomi Adeyemi’s Children of Virtue and Vengeance)
10. Imaro by Charles R. Saunders
This collection of short stories chronicles the adventures of a larger-than-life warrior struggling to overcome adversity and find acceptance in a sprawling world based on pre-colonial Africa.
Shelved as Heroic Fantasy and Sword and Sorcery on Goodreads.
11. The Queen of Zazzau by J. S. Emuakpor
The heir to a crumbling kingdom seeks the help of a god of war in this historical fantasy, based on the true story of the Hausa warrior queen, Amina of Zazzau.
Categorized as military fantasy on Amazon.
12. Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James
Marlon James’ dark fantasy follows a mercenary hired to find a mysterious missing child.
Shelved as Fantasy and Adult on Goodreads.
13. A River of Royal Blood by Amanda Joy
A pair of sisters vie for the throne of a kingdom of fey and magic in this North African-inspired YA fantasy.
Shelved as Fantasy and Young Adult on Goodreads.
14. Zoo City by Lauren Beukes
Beukes’ wild urban fantasy follows a young heroine through the seedy underbelly of a city teeming with crime and magical animals.
Shelved as Urban Fantasy and Science Fiction on Goodreads.
15. Everfair by Nisi Shawl
This Afrofuturistic steampunk story explores an alternate history in which the Congo developed steam technology ahead of Europe.
Shelved as science fiction, steampunk, fantasy and history on Goodreads.
16. The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna
A girl with supernatural powers finds new purpose as a warrior after being cast out by her community in this West African-inspired YA fantasy (slated for release May 2020).
Shelved as Fantasy and Young Adult on Goodreads.
17. The Ear, The Eye, and The Arm by Nancy Farmer
Set in 2194 Zimbabwe, this YA adventure follows three kidnapped children trying to find their way home and the three magical detectives hired to find them.
Shelved as Young Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Adventure on Goodreads. (See also: Nancy Farmer’s A Girl Named Disaster)
18. Temper by Nicky Drayden
This Afrofuturistic fantasy tells a tale of demons, temptation, and the relationship between brothers.
Shelved as Science Fiction and Fantasy on Goodreads. (See also: Nicky Drayden’s The Prey of Gods and Escaping Exodus).
19. The Dreamblood Duology by N. K. Jemisin
Jemisin’s Egyptian-inspired epic fantasy includes The Killing Moon and The Shadowed Sun.
Shelved as Fantasy and Science Fiction on Goodreads.
20. Kintu by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi
Set in a reimagined Uganda, this historical fantasy tells the story of several generations of a single family trying to break an old curse.
Shelved as Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction and Fantasy on Goodreads.
21. Lost Gods by Micah Yongo
A teenage assassin finds himself hunted by those he once considered family in this epic fantasy inspired by Africa and the Middle East.
Shelved as High Fantasy on Goodreads.
22. Mirage by Somaiya Daud
A young poet is kidnapped into a world of danger and court intrigue in this Moroccan-inspired space fantasy.
Shelved as fantasy, young adult, and science fiction on Goodreads.
23. Rosewater by Tade Thompson
The first book in Thompson’s Wormwood Trilogy, this science fiction thriller follows a rogue government agent through a Nigeria under threat of alien invasion.
Shelved as science fiction and fantasy on Goodreads.
24. The Wolf Queen by Cerece Rennie Murphy
A young heroine sets out to reclaim her past and restore an ancient magic in this romantic action fantasy.
Shelved as fantasy and magic on Goodreads.
25. Binti by Nnedi Okorafor
The first ever Himba student at an interstellar university has to strike a balance between her new life among the stars and the traditions of her people in the midst of a war with an alien race.
Shelved as science fiction and novella on Goodreads.
(See also: Nnedi Okorafor’s Akata Witch, Who Fears Death, and Zahara the Windseeker)
Since new books keep popping onto my radar, I’m adding an honorable mentions section here. Feel free to let me know anything I should add.
Honorable mentions:
- Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko (West African-inspired YA, slated for release April 2020)
- A Song of Wraith and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown (West and North African-inspired YA, slated for release June 2020)
- A Cry to War by E.O. Odiase & K.N. Pumpuni (West African high fantasy, sequel, A Dance for the Gods, slated for release February 2021)
- Lion’s Blood by Steven Barnes (African-dominated alternate history)
See also: 25 Asian-Inspired Fantasy Books
Great list! There are books I’ve read and I haven’t read, yet. I’m glad someone else read “The Eye, the Ear, and the Arm”! However, have you read anything by Nnedi Okorafor yet? You’re missing out!
YES! I loved ‘The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm’ when I was younger and Nancy Farmer’s ‘A Girl Named Disaster’ is up there with my favorite YA/MG books of all time.
I read and adored Binti (which was the perfect length for my tiny attention span lol) so I’ll probably get the rest of Nnedi Okorafor’s stuff on Audible at some point.
EDIT: I realized after reading your comment that I had published the wrong draft of this post. All the numbers were wonky and Binti was missing. Fixed now!
Finally, someone else whose read “A Girl Named Disaster”!!! And, I’m glad you’ve read some of Nnedi Okorafor’s books! She just announced her new one coming out next year!!!
War Girls and The Gilded ones seem right up my alley. Thanks for the list!