Cover Image: Binti: The Night Masquerade

Binti: The Night Masquerade

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Member Reviews

I'm not going to lie, I cried for a good chunk of this novella. No shame in my game, yet I loved this finale. After the events of the last book, things never slowed down. We still have our main characters and I rooted for them even more than the previous books. They were fighting for a lot this go round and this journey was... a ride. It did drag a bit, not saying it was because of the longer length, but this never hindered my enjoyment of the story. Overall, I am hoping there is a next book? Please?

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The three novellas covering the adventures of Binti are all examples of excellent story-telling and world-building, and this latest, 3rd in the series is no different. With this author's ability to create essentially a new mythology and write dynamic characters I highly recommend it and believe that this series is a plus for any library. African themes sure, but with a near universal appeal to readers of science fiction.

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Longer than the other two works. Interesting concept, but things just seem to happen to Binti because she is special (AKA a master harmonizer) and although I liked the world building it just couldn't get past the fact that circumstances including the novel-ending deus ex machina all conspire to make her super special without a lot of proactive action on her part.

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This was a really strong conclusion to the series. There was a lot of action and some exciting things that happened. I would say I felt things tied up a little too neatly but I wasn't unhappy about that. I would really love to re-read the series together. I felt like there were some details I lost between the three volumes and had to try and remember. I would love to see a bind-up of all three! Highly recommend to people who have read and enjoyed the first two volumes, Binti and Binti: Home. Also highly recommended the whole series to anyone that enjoys sci-fi.

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Binti's visit back to Earth with her alien BFF Okwu takes a tragic turn when the Khoush, enemies of Okwu's people, decide to strike at Binti's family for sheltering him. This never ending war has found its way into Binti's backyard, and as a master harmonizer, Binti feels a responsibility to create peace between Okwu's people and the Khoush -- a duty that could create more tragedy before it's resolved.

The Night Masquerade further explores Binti's background, as she struggles to incorporate her many identities into her vision of herself, her destiny, and her responsibilities.

“You want to know what I think?” He looked at me for a moment, clearly trying to decide if it were better to keep his words to himself.
“Go on,” I urged him. “I want to hear this.”
“You try too hard to be everything, please everyone. Himba, Meduse, Enyi Zinariya, Khoush ambassador. You can’t. You’re a harmonizer. We bring peace because we are stable, simple, clear. What have you brought since you came back to Earth, Binti?”

Well, an entertaining sci-fi adventure, for starters.

I am sad to see the conclusion of the Binti series, but now I'll move on to Ms. Okorafor's other works.

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