Akwaeke Emezi

From National Book Award finalist Akwaeke Emezi comes a companion novel to PET that explores both the importance and cost of social revolution--and how youth lead the way. Bitter is an aspiring artist who has been invited to cultivate her talents at a special school in the town of Lucille. Surrounded by other creative teens, she can focus on her painting--though she hides a secret from everyone around her. Meanwhile, the streets of Lucille are filled with social unrest. This is Lucille before the Revolution. A place of darkness and injustice. A place where a few ruling elites control the fates of the many. The young people of Lucille know they deserve better--they aren't willing to settle for this world that the adults say is "just the way things are." They are protesting, leading a much-needed push for social change. But Bitter isn't sure where she belongs--in the art studio or in the streets. And if she does find a way to help the Revolution while being true to who she is, she must also ask: what are the costs? Acclaimed novelist Akwaeke Emezi looks at the power of youth, protest, and art in this timely and provocative novel, a companion to National Book Award Finalist Pet. Praise for PET: "The word hype was invented to describe books like this." --Refinery29NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST" A] beautiful, genre-expanding debut. . . . Pet is a nesting doll of creative possibilities." --The New York Times"Like Madeleine] L'Engle, Akwaeke Emezi asks questions of good and evil and agency, all wrapped up in the terrifying and glorious spectacle of fantastical theology." --NPR

From the critically acclaimed author of Pet and The Death of Vivek Oji, Bitter, takes a timely and provocative look at the power of youth, protest and art.Bitter is thrilled to have been chosen to attend Eucalyptus, a special school where she can focus on her painting surrounded by other creative teens. But outside this haven, the streets are filled with protests against the deep injustices that grip the town of Lucille.Bitter's instinct is to stay safe within the walls of Eucalyptus . . . but her friends aren't willing to settle for a world that the adults say is 'just the way things are.' Pulled between old friendships, her creative passion, and a new romance, Bitter isn't sure where she belongs - in the art studio or in the streets. And if she does find a way to help the revolution while being true to who she is, she must also ask: at what cost?

From National Book Award finalist Akwaeke Emezi comes a companion novel to the critically acclaimed PET that explores both the importance and cost of social revolution--and how youth lead the way. After a childhood in foster care, Bitter is thrilled to have been chosen to attend Eucalyptus, a special school where she can focus on her painting surrounded by other creative teens. But outside this haven, the streets are filled with protests against the deep injustices that grip the city of Lucille. Bitter's instinct is to stay safe within the walls of Eucalyptus . . . but her friends aren't willing to settle for a world that's so far away from what they deserve. Pulled between old friendships, her artistic passion, and a new romance, Bitter isn't sure where she belongs--in the studio or in the streets. And if she does find a way to help the revolution while being true to who she is, she must also ask: at what cost? This timely and riveting novel--a companion to the National Book Award finalist Pet--explores the power of youth, protest, and art.

From National Book Award finalist Akwaeke Emezi comes a companion novel to the critically acclaimed PET that explores both the importance and cost of social revolution--and how youth lead the way. After a childhood in foster care, Bitter is thrilled to have been chosen to attend Eucalyptus, a special school where she can focus on her painting surrounded by other creative teens. But outside this haven, the streets are filled with protests against the deep injustices that grip the city of Lucille. Bitter's instinct is to stay safe within the walls of Eucalyptus . . . but her friends aren't willing to settle for a world that's so far away from what they deserve. Pulled between old friendships, her artistic passion, and a new romance, Bitter isn't sure where she belongs--in the studio or in the streets. And if she does find a way to help the revolution while being true to who she is, she must also ask: at what cost? This timely and riveting novel--a companion to the National Book Award finalist Pet--explores the power of youth, protest, and art.

The one and only Akwaeke Emezi is back with a breathtaking, sexy and out-of-this world page-turner that will blow away their fans. Son of the Morning weaves together Southern folklore and magic with Akwaeke Emezi's own remarkable brand of bold, Black-centered fantasy and romance. Galilee, Gali for short, has been raised by a formidable clan of women, the Kincaids, in the American South. Growing up, there was always something different about Gali, but it's a secret that her family of women has never shared with her. Gali assumes that it will always be like this, living with an ache and emptiness inside her, never finding something full enough to fill that hollow... Until, that is, she meets Lucifer Helel. He's supposedly the head of security for her wealthy friend Oriaku's family, but he is far too beautiful to be the mere mortal that he appears. From the moment they lay eyes on each other, both of them know: the other one is not human. Their lives are going to change forever - and for eternity, threatening everyone around them: Gali's family, her friends, and perhaps the whole world, after their heated first encounter threatens the very foundations of Heaven and Hell.

The one and only Akwaeke Emezi is back with a breathtaking, sexy and out-of-this world page-turner that will blow away their fans. Son of the Morning weaves together Southern folklore and magic with Akwaeke Emezi's own remarkable brand of bold, Black-centered fantasy and romance.Galilee, Gali for short, has been raised by a formidable clan of women, the Kincaids, in the American South. Growing up, there was always something different about Gali, but it's a secret that her family of women has never shared with her. Gali assumes that it will always be like this, living with an ache and emptiness inside her, never finding something full enough to fill that hollow...Until, that is, she meets Lucifer Helel. He's supposedly the head of security for her wealthy friend Oriaku's family, but he is far too beautiful to be the mere mortal that he appears. From the moment they lay eyes on each other, both of them know: the other one is not human. Their lives are going to change forever - and for eternity, threatening everyone around them: Gali's family, her friends, and perhaps the whole world, after their heated first encounter threatens the very foundations of Heaven and Hell.

From Sunday Times bestselling author Akwaeke Emezi comes a steamy paranormal romance set in the Black South - a bold new foray that takes us on a journey of magic and fantasy, from the whispering creeks outside the city of Salvation to the very depths of Hell itself.Galilee Kincaid is haunted by the pull of something ancient - a whisper in her bones, a secret too vast to name. Raised in the shadow of the Kincaid legacy, a formidable clan of Black women rooted in the weeping willows and rushing creeks, a hollow ache has always pulsed inside her...Until she meets him. Lucifer Helel. Head of security for her wealthy friend's family, he guards a mysterious relic older than time itself. From the moment Gali lays eyes on him, something stirs within her. His gaze burns like fire, a predator's hunger concealed behind the mask of a mortal. In an instant, Gali knows he is not human.From their very touch, Lucifer sees the truth about Gali - something she doesn't even know. She's not human either.Enter Leviathan, Lucifer's most trusted prince of Hell. A creature of shadow and fury, Levi has one mission: destroy Galilee before she unravels the delicate balance that binds Heaven, Hell, and Earth.Because Lucifer and Galilee's unstoppable attraction is more than forbidden - it's powerful enough to tear apart the very fabric of existence. As war rages and the world teeters on the edge of eternity, will Galilee embrace the untamed force within her and risk everything to reclaim her true self?

From New York Times bestselling author Akwaeke Emezi comes a steamy paranormal romance set in the Black South--a bold new foray that takes us on a journey of magic and fantasy, from the whispering creeks outside the city of Salvation to the very depths of Hell itself.Tenderhearted Galilee was raised by the Kincaids, a formidable clan of Black women sequestered deep in the weeping willows and dark rushing creeks of their land. Galilee has always known that she's different--that there is an old and unknowable secret around her very existence. It has been a hollow ache inside her since her childhood, something she assumes she will always have to live with.Until she meets Lucifer Helel. He's fronting as the head of security for her wealthy friend Oriaku's family, protecting a mysterious, ancient artifact, but from the moment she lays eyes on him, Gali knows he's not human. From her first incendiary touch, Lucifer knows something even Gali herself doesn't--that she isn't human either. Enter: Leviathan. As Lucifer's most trusted prince of Hell, Levi is ruthless and determined to eliminate the intolerable danger that is Galilee before she brings death and disaster to those he loves. While unseen battles rage between Hell, Heaven, and earth, Lucifer and Galilee's attraction threatens to bring all the structures of their existence crashing down around them.Soon, loyalties will be shattered and reformed as Kincaid secrets clash with the princes of Hell, driving even the most powerful to their knees. Galilee Kincaid must decide if she will step into herself and embrace the consequences of power in this astonishing, seductive, and wildly original fantasy.

DELUXE LIMITED EDITION features stenciled edges, color endpapers, and a unique jacket that reveals an alternate case cover illustration when removed. Available for a limited time while supplies last.From New York Times bestselling author Akwaeke Emezi comes a steamy paranormal romance set in the Black South--a bold new foray that takes us on a journey of magic and fantasy, from the whispering creeks outside the city of Salvation to the very depths of Hell itself.Tenderhearted Galilee was raised by the Kincaids, a formidable clan of Black women sequestered deep in the weeping willows and dark rushing creeks of their land. Galilee has always known that she's different--that there is an old and unknowable secret around her very existence. It has been a hollow ache inside her since her childhood, something she assumes she will always have to live with.Until she meets Lucifer Helel. He's fronting as the head of security for her wealthy friend Oriaku's family, protecting a mysterious, ancient artifact, but from the moment she lays eyes on him, Gali knows he's not human. From her first incendiary touch, Lucifer knows something even Gali herself doesn't--that she isn't human either. Enter: Leviathan. As Lucifer's most trusted prince of Hell, Levi is ruthless and determined to eliminate the intolerable danger that is Galilee before she brings death and disaster to those he loves. While unseen battles rage between Hell, Heaven, and earth, Lucifer and Galilee's attraction threatens to bring all the structures of their existence crashing down around them.Soon, loyalties will be shattered and reformed as Kincaid secrets clash with the princes of Hell, driving even the most powerful to their knees. Galilee Kincaid must decide if she will step into herself and embrace the consequences of power in this astonishing, seductive, and wildly original fantasy.

"A masterwork...mesmerizing...We come away troubled, unsettled -- and in some subtle way changed."-The New York Times "The perfect steamy read for those hot summer nights." -PeopleA thrilling new novel from the bestselling, award-winning, visionary Akwaeke Emezi One weekend. The elite underbelly of a Nigerian city. A party that goes awry. A tangled web of sex and lies and corruption that leaves no one unscathed. Aima and Kalu are a longtime couple who have just split. When Kalu, reeling from the breakup, visits an exclusive sex party hosted by his best friend, Ahmed, he makes a decision that will plunge them all into chaos, brutally and suddenly upending their lives. Ola and Souraya, two Nigerian sex workers visiting from Kuala Lumpur, collide into the scene just as everything goes to hell. Sucked into the city's corrupt and glittering underworld, they're all looking for a way out, fueled by a desperate need to escape the dangerous threat that looms over them.

A sweeping YA fantasy inspired by indigenous Igbo culture from the Sunday Times bestselling author - dibias, deities, magic and a twin hunting down her kidnapped brother.We had done and survived unimaginable things. Our world was so much bigger than our town, the river full of crocodiles, and these forests we'd grown up in. There was an entire sea out there to prove it.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?Sunday Times bestseller Akwaeke Emezi masterfully weaves a tale of identity, family, and the power of the past, in a world where the extraordinary is ordinary.'Magic is packed into every corner.' Kirkus ReviewsReaders love Akwaeke Emezi:'Exceptional . . . a powerful magic.''Unforgettable . . . will stay with me for a long time.''Phenomenal . . . just wow.''I love Emezi's writing.''One of the best YA novels I have ever read.''This is something special.''A must read for ALL.''One of the best books I have read this year, easily.'

NATIONAL BESTSELLER - From the National Book Award finalist and author of Pet comes a novel set in a magical West African world, about a teen girl who must save her missing twin while learning to navigate her own terrifying new powers. 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 grueling, 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? National Book Award finalist Akwaeke Emezi masterfully weaves a tale of family, identity, and the power of the past, in a world where the extraordinary is ordinary.

FROM THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF YOU MADE A FOOL OF DEATH WITH YOUR BEAUTY'Fun, sexy, dangerous.' NANA KWAME ADJEI-BRENYAH 'A must-read.' GLAMOUR'Addictive.' iNEWS'Poetic, scorchingly graphic.' GUARDIAN 'Thrilling.' PEOPLE MAGAZINEReeling with grief from their recent breakup, Kalu and Aima are drawn into separate nights of decadence in the heart of New Lagos: a city teeming with traffic, polluted air and cracked faith.Tonight, the pair are desperate to forget about their troubles. But when Kalu visits an exclusive sex party hosted by his best friend, Ahmed, he makes a decision that plunges the couple and their friends into the city's corrupt and glittering underworld.Readers love Little Rot:'IMMERSIVE . . . It forces you to ask, when push comes to shove how righteous are you really?' ?????'This has got to be the best book I have read in a very long time.' ?????'Akwaeke never disappoints. . . I enjoyed every page of it!' ?????'I could not put this down.' ?????'I've really no words for Emezi's genius. Their stories devour you, consume you, drawing you in completely.' ?????

FROM THE INTERNATIONALLY BESTSELLING AUTHOR'A masterwork of the form . . . mesmerizing.' New York Times 'A fun, sexy, dangerous, dark thriller about corruption.' Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah'A dazzling literary talent.' EsquireAkwaeke Emezi's exhilarating new novel follows five people over the course of a weekend which will brutally upend all of their lives.As Kalu drops Aima at the airport, it marks the end of their four-year relationship. Shattered and broken open, he thinks that's the last he will see of his ex-girlfriend. But, reeling from the breakup, both Aima and Kalu find themselves drawn back to Lagos: to separate nights of decadence. When Kalu visits an exclusive sex party hosted by his best friend, Ahmed, he makes a decision that will plunge them all into chaos.On the other side of town, Ola and Souraya, fresh off their first-class flight from Kuala Lumpur, are getting ready for their own nights of pleasure, unaware that everything is about to go awry. Pulled into a whirlwind descent through the city's corrupt and glittering underworld, they're all looking for a way out, fueled by a desperate need to escape the threat that looms over them.

They wanted revenge, they wanted people to be held accountable in a world where that just didn't happen. It was like expecting a rotten tree to bear fruit.Akwaeke Emezi's exhilarating new novel follows five people over the course of a heady weekend which will brutally upend all of their lives.When Kalu drops Aima at Lagos Airport, it marks the end of their four-year relationship. Shattered and broken open, he thinks that's the last he will see of his girlfriend. But Aima is drawn back into the city - to the scandalous, decadent nightlife of her best friend.As Kalu grieves, his friend offers him an exclusive invitation to one of his sordid, global parties - a way for Kalu to escape, if only for a night. Kalu knows it will offer every possible indulgence and something even more precious: time with the man he loves, but whose actions will plunge them all into a whirling descent that pulls in everyone connected to them.

"A masterwork...mesmerizing...We come away troubled, unsettled -- and in some subtle way changed."-The New York Times "The perfect steamy read for those hot summer nights." -PeopleA thrilling new novel from the bestselling, award-winning, visionary Akwaeke Emezi One weekend. The elite underbelly of a Nigerian city. A party that goes awry. A tangled web of sex and lies and corruption that leaves no one unscathed. Aima and Kalu are a longtime couple who have just split. When Kalu, reeling from the breakup, visits an exclusive sex party hosted by his best friend, Ahmed, he makes a decision that will plunge them all into chaos, brutally and suddenly upending their lives. Ola and Souraya, two Nigerian sex workers visiting from Kuala Lumpur, collide into the scene just as everything goes to hell. Sucked into the city's corrupt and glittering underworld, they're all looking for a way out, fueled by a desperate need to escape the dangerous threat that looms over them.

"A masterwork...mesmerizing...We come away troubled, unsettled -- and in some subtle way changed."-The New York Times "The perfect steamy read for those hot summer nights." -PeopleA thrilling new novel from the bestselling, award-winning, visionary Akwaeke Emezi One weekend. The elite underbelly of a Nigerian city. A party that goes awry. A tangled web of sex and lies and corruption that leaves no one unscathed. Aima and Kalu are a longtime couple who have just split. When Kalu, reeling from the breakup, visits an exclusive sex party hosted by his best friend, Ahmed, he makes a decision that will plunge them all into chaos, brutally and suddenly upending their lives. Ola and Souraya, two Nigerian sex workers visiting from Kuala Lumpur, collide into the scene just as everything goes to hell. Sucked into the city's corrupt and glittering underworld, they're all looking for a way out, fueled by a desperate need to escape the dangerous threat that looms over them.

'A triumph ... A wholly original and creative mind' NEW YORK TIMES‘A multi-genre phenomena, it’s a triumph of a creative mind’ GLAMOUR‘Frightens and astonishes ... Combines Maya Angelou’s passion and Sylvia Plath’s devastating self-inquisition' GUARDIAN‘Emezi is a dream of a writer’ BOLU BABALOLA________________________A fiercely contemporary collection which renegotiates the contract between poet and reader in the light of this moment in human history, from the bestselling author of The Death of Vivek OjiContent Warning: Everything concerns itself with the fugitive nature of being in the world especially, but not exclusively, within blackness. The poems reshape possibilities for poetry by paying close attention to the author's rhythm of thought, making a series of durable anthems from the noise of the contemporary moment.In this bold debut poetry collection, Akwaeke Emezi – award-winning author of Freshwater, PET, The Death of Vivek Oji and Dear Senthuran – imagines a new depth of belonging. Crafted of both divine and earthly materials, these poems travel from home to homesickness, tracing desire to surrender and abuse to survival, while mapping out a chosen family that includes the son of god, mary auntie, and magdalene with the chestnut eyes. Written from a spiritfirst perspective and celebrating the essence of self that is impossible to drown, kill, or reduce, Content Warning: Everything distills the radiant power and epic grief of a mischievous and wanting young deity, embodied.