There is no water in the City of Lies.
Nigerian American author Moses Ose Utomi brings readers a powerful novella about a boy setting out to save his people, making allies, honing new (supernatural) skills, and uncovering devastating truths.
They knew that all of history was a lie told to instill fear in those whose fearlessness could have rewritten it.
This is the first in The Forever Desert series. I can’t say it has a happy ending, but it does have a hopeful one.
It had been so long since he’d had the freedom to cry. That’s what crying was—freedom. You could only cry when there were no more urgent responsibilities. Only when there was no one watching you who depended on your strength. Only when the people around you wouldn’t take advantage of your tears.
The story has action, magic, and found family, and is delivered like a fable imparting wisdom (as well as a few gut punches). This is the author’s first novella, and his first novel (the YA Fantasy Daughters of Oduma) was also published earlier this year. I’d say he’s worth keeping an eye on, for sure!
Jessica Crawford 