Sọmadịna

Like everyone in their village before them, Sọmadịna and her twin brother, Jayaike, are eager to come of age and receive magical gifts from their “primordial mother,” diety Ala. When their powers finally develop, however—more than a year after those of their peers—the abilities don’t represent the happy revelation that Sọmadịna expected. While Jayaike can disappear at will, Sọmadịna’s abilities prove far more dangerous; somehow, with a single word, she kills a village boy who was assaulting a young girl. Though the village council sentences Sọmadịna to death for her actions, her older sister and grandfather, renowned dịbịas in service to the gods, successfully block the execution order. Still, Sọmadịna’s relationship with her mother suffers, as she considers both twins to be “abominations.” Then, when a strange hunter kidnaps Jayaike, Sọmadịna sets off to rescue her brother. A fast-paced plot fosters excitement and intrigue, while Sọmadịna’s dedication to Jayaike, and the feeling of home and safety the twins inspire in each other, adds an emotionally resonant through line. Intertwining messages of family, hope, and self-confidence, as conveyed via a determined and headstrong heroine, permeate this robust adventure across a fantastical, West Africa–inspired landscape by Emezi (Bitter). Ages 12–up. Agent: Jackie Ko, Wylie Agency. (Apr.)