She Who Knows by Nnedi Okorafor
Review by Sam Lubell
DAW Hardcover / eBook ISBN/ITEM#: 9780756418953
Date: 20 August 2024

She Who Knows is a novella prequel to her popular Afrofuturist novel, Who Fears Death (2010). She Who Knows begins the story of Najeeba, the mother of Onyesonwu, the main character of Who Fears Death. This is essentially Najeeba's origin story, showing her childhood and her initial discoveries about her special abilities.

The story takes place in a future post-disaster Africa where remnants of science coexist with magic. Najeeba is part of the Osu-nu (untouchable) tribe among the Okeke people. Only the Osu-nu know the secret location of the salt lake; and they make their living by traveling the salt roads, collecting the salt, and selling it at the market.

Najeeba's name means She who knows. At age thirteen, Najeeba, the first person narrator, feels the annual call to travel to the Salt Roads, which only males are supposed to hear. While her parents take this in stride, others in the village, including her best friend and her boyfriend, insist that "Girls and women don't go on the salt roads." Even her brothers say she should stay at home instead. And in the market, she has to hide she is a girl. However, by the middle of the book, Najeeba has set a trend and a third of the girls in the village join their fathers on their trips to the salt lake.
On Najeeba's first trip, she encounters a witch (tornado) that lifts her up twenty feet into the sky. Afterward, she is able to send her spirt traveling outside her body and be super-persuasive at bargaining when selling salt in the market. By the end of the book, she has other powers as well, becoming almost the equivalent of a comic book hero.

Najeeba is an interesting character with a unique voice that captures the wonder of learning what she can do with a slight edge of nervousness.

Fans of Who Fears Death will welcome this prequel. Other readers may want to wait to see how the other two volumes of this trilogy turn out. She Who Knows is mostly setup--how she grew up with her powers. It remains to be seen if the other two books reward this beginning. The second book, One Way Witch, was published in April 2025.

I did have a slight problem with how She Who Knows fits with Who Fears Death. By the end of this book, Najeeba is much more powerful than the Najeeba at the start of Who Fears Death, even though this book (except the very last couple of pages) is set earlier.

This was a beautiful and haunting read, with foreground rroting. Would definitely pick up an Okorafor book in the future, perhaps due to its length, I didn’t connect with the characters, I am eager to read a longer work, and if it continue the series.

She Who Knows, part one of a duology that's *also* connected to some of Nnedi Okorafor's other books, is a short glimpse into the life of Najeeba, a quick moment in time over the course of about three years (and a little later, then much later), a girl in a 'race' of outcasts who is the first female of her village (and that anyone knows of!) to hear the Call that it's time to go harvest salt, a once yearly trip that will provide for her family for the next year. Together with her father and brothers, her journeys into the salt fields and the market bring to her things she learns about herself and her potential far beyond a salt sojourner, and how the lives of her family and village are changed from her presence in these markets.

I only started reading Okorafor this year and let me tell you I want to eat up her entire backlist - even this short novella, the first book of this overarching connected world that I have read, is extremely enticing to read the rest of it. It can be a standalone book, except for the last chapter, but it's a fascinating Afrofuturist take on those still on the planet and living with what the planet has to offer. I definitely want to dive in and learn more about the religious and magic systems within She Who Knows, and I'm eager to read the other half of the duology soon.

Thank you to DAW Books for the opportunity to read this title via NetGalley!

This feels like an African fable. Najeeba is a brave character fighting the establishment to improve her family’s fortunes. The magic system of the world is briefly examined, and it makes me eager for the rest of the trilogy.

This story seems to be sort of a prequel to Who Fears Death but then seems to jump to the end of the events of that book at the end. I thought it was the start of a separate series so I've not read that book and felt this one stands mostly alone except she is telling this story to another character Aro who I assume is from Who Fears Death. They don't get an intro or explanation.

The story by itself is an interesting novella set in a future world where water and salt are both scarce. The story kicks off with relatively little explanation around the world building and seems to assume you already know what's happening. This doesn't overly bother me but if this series is intended to include Who Fears Death, it should be updated as such. For example, I have no idea what the Cleanser is or does and have no reference frame for any of the cities mentioned.

The book then follows a number of her teenage years and the events that occur through those years. It jumps around a bit and mainly focuses on a specific journey and then bypasses the year inbetween those journeys. The end trails off as not really a cliff hanger but a to be continued.

Overall, my main critique is if you need to read another book to understand this one then they should be included in the series together.
Thank you NetGalley for the copy!

Currently catching up on reviewing my arcs so I will give a more detailed review in the future!

I will definitely read more by this author. This book left me in such a book hangover! The writing was absolutely beautiful and the world...chefs kiss

Who Fears Death is one of my all-time favorite books. Because of this, I was curious about She Who Knows that’s a prequel of sorts. It follows a 13-year-old Najeeba. Najeeba experiences “The Call,” a summons historically reserved for the men of her village to traverse the Salt Roads to the Dead Lake. We follow her journey.

Okorafor’s prose is, as always, sharp and immersive. The plot is interesting, but I felt the story was rushed and less engaging than her other works.

It features a character from She Who Knows Death, but works as a stand-alone novella as well. I appreciate Okorafor's work for celebrating west-African culture

A really great novella with a strong voice and fascinating world. The only small flaw is that the ending felt a bit rushed, but I still had a great time reading it and I would definitely recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the early read. I was really impressed by how the author built this vivid fantasty world in just a few short pages - I enjoyed the African futuristic elements, the strong narrative voice, the propulsive storytelling that had me flying through the book. I wish it would've been longer.

4 stars

One thing that made Okorafor’s award-winning novel Who Fears Death so spectacular was its incredibly rich world-building. She Who Knows is the first book of a new trilogy set in that same Africanfuturist universe, which blends West African culture with speculative fiction, fantasy, and folklore.

The book follows teenage Najeeba, who becomes the first girl in her village to ever get the Call — a mystical pull to travel to the salt mines, a journey she undertakes alongside her father and brothers. Her decision to answer the Call sets Najeema on a trajectory that irrevocably transforms her, as she experiences levels of freedom outside her village’s gender and caste norms and discovers the depths of her own magical abilities — all explored through Okorafor’s intimate, impactful prose. It’s a short, but spellbinding read that left me wanting to return to Who Fears Death just to spend a little more time in this world.

The concept of this novel was good enough, and in fact I was intrigued by the family dynamics between the protagonist and her family, but there was "something" missing. I liked learning about the culture and the relationship they had with salt, the journey her and her family (I think her father and brother) to where they were gathering the salt, but I didn't go into this wanting to read yet another story about how women aren't treated equally. I understand and appreciate stories that have something more to say than just telling a story, but it didn't even really interrogate the basis of the misogyny it was trying to depict. Like, WHY don't girls usually go on these trips to gather the salt? I know there was reference of a holy text that the protagonist's dad believed in, but I don't think I understood much of the reason beyond 'this is what this magical book says so that's what's correct'. It was just fine.

It's the first book I read by this author and I was fascinated by the world building, a very interesting dystopia, and the mix of afro-futurism and fantasy.
Well plotted and intriguing, a fleshed out heroine and a tightly knitted plot.
Will surely read more
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Thank you NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The world created by Nnedi Okorafor was fascinating, afro-futuristic, and post apocalyptic. They did a fantastic job of mixing magic elements into this futuristic setting. The writing was beautiful. The only reason its not 5 star is because I am come to realize that I just don't enjoy short stories very much anymore.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 Stars.
I liked Binti by Okorafor and I wanted to read more from her (Still want), so I picked this book but I don't think that it was the right thing to do. The world-building and Najeeba's story were interesting, however I didn't like it that much. She went through some spiritual experiences that sounded more like Sufism and mysticism than magical powers in my opinion. Her relationship with every character in the story was problematic like there were no feelings involved at all. Yes, we get it that Najeeba is so different from the other girls, more independent, stronger and smarter than any man around her. She is a free spirit, she does whatever she wants with whoever she wants. And then, the end. Really?!
All in all, the story really needed more development. I hope that the author's other books are way better than this one.

I thought that I've already written a review for this book, I'm sorry I forgot.

Nnedi Okorafor’s She Who Knows is a powerful and evocative novella that serves as a prequel to her acclaimed novel Who Fears Death. Through the eyes of Najeeba, Okorafor explores themes of resilience, femininity, and defiance in the face of an oppressive and magical world. The novella’s prose is lyrical and raw, capturing the depth of Najeeba’s struggles and triumphs while providing poignant insights into the world her future daughter, Onyesonwu, will inherit. For readers familiar with Okorafor’s work, the story resonates with her trademark blend of speculative elements, deeply human storytelling, and Africanfuturism

As someone who hasn’t yet finished Who Fears Death, I found She Who Knows an excellent entry point into the characters and the world. It enriches the narrative by offering a deeper understanding of Najeeba’s experiences and how they will come to shape Onyesonwu’s journey. Okorafor’s ability to create layered, emotionally complex characters shines here, making this a solid 4-star read for me. The novella’s intimate focus on Najeeba adds an extra dimension to the overarching story, making me even more eager to continue reading Who Fears Death.

The writing style just wasn't for me and I wasn't invested. I wish I had noticed this was part of an existing world, as I'd liked to have read that trilogy first. I like the concept but just wasn't hooked.

This was such an enchanting short story. I loved it! Rich in African folklore, futuristic yet touching on matters of humanity so closely. It showed how beautifully we, as separate beings, are part of our family and their history, as well as our culture. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a short read in the sci-fi genre, while also seeking a strong MC coming of age.

Fairly solid as far as an Okorafor book goes - it's the start of a new series set in a world I know from another book of hers, and I ended up going through it in about three nights. Definitely interested in more.

More please!

Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 5⭐
Diversity: African

WHAT I LIKED & DISLIKED ABOUT IT:
I could not get enough. I'm sad it was a novella. I wanted more of Najeeba's story. The self-empowerment. The struggle of balancing identity, personal fulfillment, and familial obligations are all relatable themes. The loss of relationships when you step into your own worth and power. Najeeba is quiet but strong. Ooof, more please! I'm ready for the next one in this series and I will definitely be reading more from this author.

RECOMMENDATION:
I can't see any sci-fi/fantasy lover not enjoying this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and DAW for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.