In One Way Witch by Nnedi Okorafor, we get Najeeba as the middle-aged warrior many women have been demanding. This is a follow-up to She Who Knows and part of Okorafor’s 2010 classic, Who Fears Death’s universe.

Najeeba is a middle-aged woman who has just about everything taken from her. Her husband is dead. Her daughter died righting the wrongs of the world (sorry, slight spoiler?), but she still remembers The Before Times. This is when she looks inward and returns to the magic she wields. The magic that she kept tight inside as she mothered and was a good wife. Free from those structures and cultural obligations, Najeeba seeks to push her own boundaries and fulfill her long-neglected potential.

This is also a tale of revenge and what one woman can accomplish when she has nothing else to lose. Najeeba’s teacher calls her reckless more times than I can remember - I wish I had kept count. But for me, this was her stepping into her own power. Outside of norms and expectations.

If you are like me, in that middle age space where it really is just you against the world, you may also cheer her on as she learns to be most powerful, even with the stumbles, and as she learns to love again.

Okorafor has plans for one more book in this universe and given the ending of One Way Witch, I am eager to see where our hero with all her beautiful flaws lands.

4/5 ⭐️ this book I enjoyed! I’m dying to reread Who Fears Death now! Which I will soon! I’m loving the backstory in book 1 to now this story of Najeeba after Who Fears Death! Like the world in Jwahir is coming together beautifully! To see Najeeba hone in on her sorcery and finally coming face to face with her past in order to move forward is giving clarity to having this soon to be a full circle moment! It’s the reason why I’ve given this a 4 star because we almost there and I need this end perfectly! So hopefully it does! But a solid sequel novella to wonderful story from Najeeba’s POV!

One Way Witch
Nnedi Okorafor

In the second book of the She Who Knows series, Najeeba is left to deal with the world after her daughter has free the world of its curse. She’s having trouble with the fact that people can’t remember the past. Most people will never understand the sacrifices that
Onyesonwu made.

There is an intense level of loneliness that Najeeba has to grapple with. Although she perseveres, she loses so much in her life time. While navigating her grief, she makes the decision to hone her kponyungo abilities. She soon enlists the assistance of Aro and a few others along the way.

I have a soft spot for Najeeba. She is powerful and yet so beautifully flawed. I find it endearing. She foraged through so much adversity. She help nurture her daughters gifts. Now, it’s her turn to fulfill her destiny. I love powerful women. I’m not mad at the cliffhanger. It’s a saga and it’s epic. I’m glad I’m reading the series in the order. It’s feels like a puzzle that slowly coming together.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

#netgalley #onewaywitch
#nnediokorafor #daw #readandtellwithshantel

Would I recommend reading "Who Fears Death" before this? Yes, probably for better context. However, I enjoyed this novella immensely even without having read WFD. The story of Najeeba is extremely powerful and raw, it is also an emotional ride, since we follow her right after the events of "She Who Knows" and experience her becoming more powerful and reclaiming what is truly hers after experiencing such strong trauma.

Nnedi, as always, writes immaculately - everything is exactly what it needs to be, with the structure and narrative packing in such a punch. The world-building and complex magic are fabulously entrancing. There is nothing that could have been left out, but enough to fill me with even more questions about the main characters future. That being said, I cannot wait for the next entry in this series and will in the mean time catch up with what I haven't yet read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this novella in exchange for an honest review. And thank you to Nnedi Okorafor, you are brilliant.

Najeeba, narrator of She Who Knows, returns to continue her journey of recovery and magic. The second book of a planned trilogy, One Way Witch is very much a book of the after, after loss after violence, after rape and after everything changed.

When Onyesonwu, Najeeba's daughter died, her death triggered a great global change. Not everyone remembers or even knows this change occurred, but the world got better genocide, slavery and many other ills of humanity seem to be no more. But not everyone has been able to forget the world that was before. Some simple leave in search of something to provide their lives meaning, even abandoned family with no warning or way to follow them.

Najeeba's story centers on her village and her embrace of the life of a sorcerer, like her daughter she seeks training from the local masters. But she is also reckless and constantly balances her desire to learn and masters the skills of magicians against having a joyful loving life.

The book is set in the Afro-futurist world that many of Okorafor's books are placed. Similar technologies are used such as the water capture stations that give life in deserts. In this world change is constant, but the people we know might still reappear, there roles changed, but there drive and spirit constants.

Recommend to readers of science fiction, shared world fantasy or strong women driven stories.

*In order to understand this book I HIGHLY recommend reading Who Fears Death as it is the story about Najeeba’s childhood*

Thank you to NetGalley and DAW for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Najeeba is all alone now. After Onyesonwu saved the world, Najeeba is left to live her life without anyone remembering her daughter. She now decides to ask the sorcerer who trained her daughter to train her as she has always stifled her witching powers. As she begins to learn, she realizes she must take on difficult things from her past while also forging her new future.

This was a different pace than She Who Knows. The stakes are not nearly as high. I still enjoyed this book quite a bit! There’s very little that Okorafor writes that I won’t enjoy. This may or may not be a spoiler to some so proceed with that expectation.
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The ending is ambiguous. I’m not sure if there will be another installment in this series or if it will be the end with this very liquid ending. For this reason I did give it 4/5 stars.

Ahoy there me mateys!  This book is the second in a trilogy.  This novella overlaps slightly and continues after the book Who Fears Death.  According to the author's foreword for this story, it should not be read without knowledge of that novel.  Unlike the first book, this middle novella is lighter on action and is much more reflective.  The main character, Najeeba, is training to be a sorcerer and is dealing with the trauma of the past.

What I really found fascinating wasn't Najeeba's training (as cool as it was) but the themes of memory and trauma.  Najeeba's daughter, Onyesonwu, had Changed the world for the better.  The problem is that people don't remember the world as it was with the exception of Najeeba and a few others.  Najeeba has the memories of the Before and the Now.  She has sorrow because Onyesonwu saved the world and no one remembers her.  She misses her deceased husband.  She misses the friends that no longer remember their prior bond.  She chooses to keep going and have a greater goal rather than give up on life.  Najeeba becomes better acquainted with her own power and who she wants to be.  She might still make mistakes based on her trauma but she is growing and maturing in how she handles those issues.

However, just because the world became better didn't mean that all evil had left the world.  Those with no memories of the Before still have residual effects from the trauma in their pasts.  A person finds themselves wanting to leave a spouse or move to a new town seemingly out of the blue.  This is because the trauma leaves a mark on the being.  I loved the juxtaposition of Najeeba dealing with her two sets of memories and the stories and consequences  of the Change on regular folk.

The other aspect that I loved was how these novellas about Najeeba wrap around and comment on Onyesonwu's story.  I don't normally need the Before and Now after the saving the world but in this case how they intertwine and cause the reader to reevaluate the original novel is just so thought-provoking and wonderful.  Najeeba gets to learn about her daughter on multiple levels.  She even shares the same teacher.  I cannot wait for the final book in the trilogy and seeing how Najeeba continues to fight evil in her past and follow Onyesonwu's legacy into the future.  Arrrr!

4.5 rounded up

I don't think this was necessary. In the world where Onyesawu exists, I felt this instalment added nothing to her story or expanded the plot.

It's possible that if I'd read the other, related series, this would have hit harder. I really do recommend reading this in conjunction with "Who Fears Death." I had hoped that just because I'd read book 1 of this series, I'd be able to follow everything. There were notes at the beginning that helped, so I didn't feel entirely lost, but there were some things that were a bit hard to follow without context. (My own fault, of course, but I'm just suggesting that you might want to be wiser than I was.)

I really enjoy Najeeba as a character---"She Who Knows" was quite enjoyable, but I really appreciated that this book follows her as an older woman starting over. I believe she's about fifty in this book, and she's coming back into her own power after a series of devastating losses that happen off-page in this series, but which I believe are detailed in the related books. I don't see a lot of books about older female protagonists, though there have been more coming out recently, and seeing a character whose personal journey is ongoing makes me feel... hopeful, I suppose. The Najeeba of this story makes very different choices than she made in book 1, in part because of her trauma, but also because she's matured and knows herself better than she did when she was younger. At the same time, Najeeba makes different mistakes than before, often based on her fears around her prior traumas and losses.

I look forward to seeing how this series ends, especially with the hints this book provides re: future events. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. I plan to go back and read the related books before the final installment of this series releases!

One Way Witch is the second novella in a planned trilogy, set in the same universe as Okorafor’s previous novel Who Fears Death.

I decided to go back and read Who Fears Death before reading One Way Witch. I am so glad that I did! The added context and history of Who Fears Death definitely gave me a greater appreciation of One Way Witch.

One Way Witch draws us further into the world of Who Fears Death with a focus on Najeeba’s story. A solid follow-up to She Who Knows, this book captivates and Okorafor’s character-driven storytelling shines.

Argh, no resolution! However, that means we get more of Najeeba’s story in another installment, so I’m okay with that.

Nnedi Okorafor is a brilliant author. I love this world she created, and I love reading about her characters as they come to life on the page.

Okorafor does include a brief summary of a previous book at the beginning, but it is very bare bones, and she recommends that you read “Who Fears Death” first, which is about Najeeba’s daughter, Onyesonwu. I read the novella about Najeeba’s childhood, “She Who Knows”, but I haven’t yet read “Who Fears Death.” Just know that you will get some spoilers in both novellas.

Highly recommended, and Okorafor is an auto-read author for me. She’s amazing.

Thank you to NetGalley and DAW for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Well this made me have a new fear. "One Way Witch" by Nnedi Okorafor continues the She Who Knows trilogy (out 29 April 2025).

Having the world forget your daughter existed sounds like a nightmare. But her actions might have saved the world. Najeeba has to live with this knowledge, on top of the horrors she has already experienced. But someone else does remember, the sorcerer who trained Onyesonwu, now will train her. She can turn into a kponyungo, but there is more to learn. And she needs it if she is to kill THAT.

Reasons to read:
-New existential horror
-Narration floored me
-Progression in a way that works for her
-Did not see them coming
-That final talk with that person was so much

Cons:
-I did not need my mind to be aware of something like that happening, makes all those similar moments freak me out just a bit more

I love Nnedi Okorafor’s stories so much, and One Way Witch is no exception. This is the second novella in the She Who Knows series and continues Najeeba’s story. I highly recommend reading Who Fears Death first. I wish I had realized how closely this series follows the events of that novel. As soon as I figured it out, I bought it immediately because I need to know her daughter’s story!

In One Way Witch, I enjoyed watching Najeeba step more fully into her power as a sorceress. The novella leans heavily on showing rather than telling, which made it visually rich but sometimes harder to connect to emotionally, especially during the big confrontation scene. That said, it clearly sets the stage for book three, which I’ll be picking up as soon as it’s released.

Overall, if you love the worlds Nnedi creates, this is another mesmerizing installment. I recommend it for fans of her work and those looking for immersive Africanfuturist storytelling with powerful female leads.

3.5 stars-Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book, releasing April 29th!

I had to give less than four stars because I didn't like this one quite as much as She Who Knows, the prequel in this series. This one picks back up with Najeeba quite a while after the events of the first book (this occurs after the events of Who Fears Death-I read that one but quite a while ago and don't remember specifics, but there's a foreword that covers what you need to know included with this volume). This definitely felt like the middle book in a trilogy-the plot is pretty slow-moving and building and covers Najeeba's time training to harness her power and become a sorcerer. Partly due to this it didn't have the same pull as the first volume, although I still love Najeeba as a character and did finish it in a few days. I think the next steps are definitely intriguing enough for me to want to finish the series even if this one didn't grab me the same way as She Who Knows.

Thanks to DAW and Netgalley for this ARC.

I loved the first two books in this series, She who knows and Who Fears Death. The Afrofuturist genre of Okorafor's writing is so unique and gritty. I had first read Who Fears Death for one of my University Literary courses and devoured it. I had never read a book with female rage, sci Fi and African culture mixed into one. Najeeba and Onyesonwu's mother daughter relationship is both intense and enduring. The way Okorafor includes modern day genocide, racism and weaponized rape was heartbreaking.

One Way Witch continues Najeeba's storyline from Who Fears Death. She searches out her daughters teacher Aro to become a sorcerer, and looks to take out the mysterious Cleanser. This felt like an extended epilogue to the ending of this series. It didn't have the same strong story telling as the first two but wraps up a few key points of Najeeba's storyline. The world building is expanded and I do enjoy the magic system in this series. I just wish this had a bit of the same strong direction as the previous two installments.

I look forward to reading more of Okorafor's writing.

3.5 stars, rounded up. Like many middle books in a trilogy, this story was a bit slow as it serves as a bridge in Najeeba's character arc. It covers the time both before and after the events in Who Fears Death, and is focused on Najeeba's healing from the past and working towards her future goals. As always, Okorafor's writing is strong, and I have a feeling the next book will be a fantastic culmination of all this world- and character-building. Thank you to NetGalley and DAW for a digital review copy.

I read One Way Witch because I enjoyed She Who Knows and wanted to read more. If you've read She Who Knows, One Way Witch is the sequel - but in many ways, it is a stand-alone book. There are a few references to Najeeba's daughter, Onyesonwu, but if you haven't read the first volume, you're not missing much; the references fill in any gaps, and other than both being about Najeeba, the two volumes are almost completely separate stories. Onyesonwu changed the world at the end of the first volume, and this volume takes place in the new world.

I was looking forward to One Way Witch, and while it wasn't bad, it wasn't what I was expecting. It didn't grab me the way other books from this author have done, and I'm not quite sure why - just that I kept waiting for something else to happen. I'm not sure what, just that it wasn't what I expected. There was no real action in this novel, just a recounting of events in Najeeba's life - and maybe that's what I was looking for: some grand event. Still, if you enjoy Nnedi Okorafor's writing, this is worth reading.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My thanks to NetGalley for the eARC.

Not as good as She Who Knows, not as "bad" as Who Fears Death. We continue onwards with Najeeba, and it starts of interesting enough but the hinted at confrontation with the Cleanser never materializes and instead we have a lot of filler material that doesn't excite or entice as much as She Who Knows managed to do.
Typical middle book situation, alas.

This book and series is something else, in a very good way. Nnedi Okorafor is an auto-read author and in the pantheon of my favorite authors. I read She Who Knows about a year ago and this time took heed to the suggestion to read Who Fears Death before diving into One Way Witch. Such a heart rendering story, so beautiful and tragic. I saw elements of Who Fears Death in Death of the Author and now understand my favorite book by Nnedi (Death of the Author) even better. Najeeba's story isn't over and I want more. I feel like I need to reread She Who Knows with this new context. I'm glad we get resolution with Daib (no spoilers!) but I'm still heartbroken over Onyesonwu. I need the next installment of Najeeba's story, againt the Cleanser masquerade from her home village. I love that she is this powerful witch/sorceress and wish to see her continue what her daughter started in setting things right. I hate Aro and hope that Najeeba and the Ada and Nana the Wise come back together again. Anything Nnedi publishes, I will automatically buy. Just amazing.

One Way Witch shifts the spotlight to Najeeba, offering a more intimate glimpse into her life surrounding the events that led to the transformation of the world—events previously explored in Who Fears Death. This story serves as a transitional chapter for her character, tracing the emotional and spiritual steps she takes toward her future role in a reimagined world.

Rather than a high-stakes narrative, the book leans into introspection. Najeeba spends much of it immersed in learning magic and coming to terms with profound personal loss. The pacing is intentionally measured, echoing her need for space and healing. Despite the quieter plot, her journey remains emotionally rich and purposeful, illustrating how growth often happens in stillness.

Readers following the series will find value in the way it deepens the lore and extends the world-building. Above all, it’s Okorafor’s lyrical writing and nuanced character work that continue to make the story resonate.