God of Mercy

Nwoka's debut feels like a dream, or a fable, or something in between . . . The vestiges of colonialism run deep throughout this novel, as well as themes of forgiveness and compassionate love . . Recommended for fans of Nnedi Okorafor's Remote Control of Nghi Vo's The Empress of Salt and Fortune. -Ashley Rayner, Booklist In Okezie Nwoka's dazzling and disquieting novel God of Mercy, battles between gods reignite a war between religions . . . Rife with magical realism and full of promise . . . God of Mercy undertakes a scrupulous review of the destructive power of colonialism through an imprisoned, gifted girl. -George Hajjar, Foreword Reviews [God of Mercy] owes a debt to Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart, revising that novel's message for the recent past . . . A pair of distinctive qualities [make] Nwoka worth continued attention. First is their command of different rhetorical modes . . . Second is an earned note of optimism . . . A well-turned dramatization of spiritual and social culture clashes. -Kirkus Nwoka's dense, mythologically charged debut . . . immerses the reader in an often-bewildering world . . . [a] stirring coming-of-age story. -Publishers Weekly God of Mercy is a profound exploration of religion, faith, and compassion from a gifted storyteller. Okezie Nwoka creates a richly imagined postcolonial landscape that is at once otherworldly, tragically human, and completely unforgettable. -Maisy Card, author of These Ghosts are Family God of Mercy isn't just a heart-stopping debut-it's a complete decolonization of the novel, a resounding rejection of the white gaze, a chronicle of a history that has for too long gone untold. This book is at the forefront of a new generation of postcolonial novels, and Nwoka's talent is unmatched. -R.A. Frumkin, author of The Confidence This beautiful book has magic in it, and grace, and power. -Kate Christensen, author of The Great Man