Akata Warrior

"A 12-year-old kid, scorned by society, comes into possession of magical abilities and discovers, in fact, that the things that have always set them apart from others are a sign they belong to a secret other world, far more glorious than their own, where a fabulous quest awaits. That’s the admittedly familiar premise of Nnedi Okorafor’s Akata Witch series, in which Akata Warrior is the second installment. But instead of a boy named Percy or Harry, our hero is an American-born Nigerian girl named Sunny Nwazue (now in her teens). And where most fantasy tromps staidly in the wake of Tolkien, plundering British, Germanic and Norse myths to give shading and depth to their magic systems, Okorafor instead opts for West African mythology, creating a magical world that’s specific and surprising in its details. Breathtakingly paced and intricately plotted, this book is sure to delight fantasy nerds of all stripes."