The Memory of the Ogisi by Moses Ose Utomi is the third and final installment of the Forever Desert series.

Utomi’s writing is lyrical, worldbuilding is imaginative, and storytelling is unique. I was incredibly impressed by the depth of this series’ exploration of political power, historical narratives, truth and memory, and familial relationships.

The three novellas are woven into one another, and the finale should most definitely be read in short succession after the first two books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for the ARC. I look forward to reading Moses Ose Utomi's future works.

I always wondered how this trilogy of modern folk tales was going to come to a close and I certainly could never have predicted the direction that it went. This is definitely the kind of story that is best enjoyed by reading all three books in quick succession because the amount of easter eggs that appear in this final installment can really only be enjoyed with a fresh memory. The number of callbacks not only in character names and historical events, but also in specific phrases and themes was amazing to experience. What started out as a small contained fantastical tale in The Lies of the Ajungo has ballooned outward to grow beyond the scope of a single city into the fate and history of the entire world and every being that has lived within it. Reading this I was simultaneously filled with a sense of wonder as the story that has been unfolding from the beginning reached it’s end and dread that the characters would never learn enough to save themselves. While I wish there was more to this story I am satisfied by the ending that we were given and this will be a series of tales that will stick in my head for a long time. And I will definitely return to this review once the book has released to share my favorite quotes because Utomi’s writing is incredibly quotable and poignant.

Thank you to netgalley for the ARC of this story. This review is left voluntarily and any opinions are my own.