Wordies, if you fancy a gripping coming-of-age fantasy, rich in indigenous Igbo folklore and culture, then I have a great recommendation for you!

“What if we had all drowned?” I once asked Ahudi. “When the water came in.” She had held my hands and smiled. “Then we would still be free,” she replied. “We would still be free.”

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Somadina is the tale of twins Somadina and Jayaike, whose existence causes tension in their village for various reasons. But when Somadina gets into hot water and Jayaike is kidnapped, Somadina must leave everything she knows to find him while coming to terms with the magic that has changed everything.

Somadina is my second read by this author, the first being The Death of Vivek Oji. I saw similar themes around complex families, living with bodies that don’t meet societal expectations and the impact of that, and strong references to Igbo folklore. I ate it up.

And speaking of ‘eating it up’, I enjoyed the mentions of all the delicious Nigerian foods so much that I looked up a recipe for stew and had a go at making my own. I’m not sure if I did brilliantly, but it sure tasted great!

Unintentional food influencing aside, Emezi writes layered, fully fleshed characters, and crafts rich worlds in all their colour and darkness with a precision that is remarkable. The book has that unputdownable quality, so it had me up reading at most ungodly hours because I was locked in.

“Lies are for people who are afraid.” He smiled at me, almost kindly. “There is nothing I fear.”

I liked Somadina as a protagonist and felt for all of the difficulties she went through. While she wasn’t perfect, I never felt irritated by her, but to pity her for her struggles felt like an insult. Instead, I was just swept along, willing her to find that sense of acceptance and alignment that she both needed and deserved. I’d like to think that this was an intentional effect.

In an ideal world, I would have liked this to be just a little longer, as I felt like I slammed into the ending suddenly and it was over so quickly that I was left breathless. But the fact I wanted to hang on to the magic a bit longer can only be a good thing, right?

I look forward to reading more by this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my e-arc.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨(4.5 out of 5 stars)

Format: E-book

Pages: 254

Category: Fantasy

Published: 6 May 2025

About: Somadina and her twin brother, Jayaike, are practically the same person: they finish each other’s sentences and make each other whole. When the twins come of age, their magical gifts begin to develop, but while Jayaike’s powers enchant, Somadina’s cause fear to ripple through her town.

Always an outsider, Somadina now faces blatant – and dangerous – hostility. And things go from bad to worse when her brother, the one person she trusted, vanishes. Somadina knows that no matter the dangers, she must track him down. Even if it means entering the Sacred Forest. Even if it means gruelling, otherworldly travel she may not survive. Even if it means finding the hidden places where those closest to the spirit world don’t dare to go.

Does Somadina have the strength – within both her body and her soul – for the trying journey ahead?

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