Akata Witch
core novel 2011 The Nsibidi Scripts
Record
| First published | 2011 |
|---|---|
| Original language |  EN |
| Work type | novel |
| Canon status | core |
| Reader rating | 4.02 (39,174 ratings, collected 2026-09-15) |
| Page count | 349 |
| First-edition ISBN | 9780670011964 |
| Internal chronology | 1 |
Synopsis
Akata Witch introduces twelve-year-old Sunny Nwazue, an American-born Nigerian girl with albinism who cannot tolerate prolonged sun exposure and is often mocked for her appearance, after her family relocates to the town of Aba, Nigeria. She discovers she possesses magical abilities that mark her as a free agent within the hidden community of the Leopard People, and she is drawn into friendship with her classmate Orlu, who can undo things with his abilities, and the independent, homeschooled Chichi. Alongside another American-born Nigerian student, Sasha, who was sent to Nigeria as punishment for misusing magic, the four are brought together into an Oha coven, a group formed for a specific magical purpose: to help track down Black Hat Otokoto, a powerful and dangerous Leopard Person believed responsible for a string of child abductions.
Where it sits
- Universe: The Nsibidi Scripts
- Series: The Nsibidi Scripts core; position 1 of 3 in the series' recorded order
- Author: Nnedi Okorafor
Awards (verified)
- Andre Norton Award (Best Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy Book), 2011: nominated; Confirmed via SFWA's own Nebula Awards database and its 2011 nominees announcement.
Notes
- From the series record (The Nsibidi Scripts): Complete YA fantasy trilogy set primarily in Aba, Nigeria, following Sunny Nwazue and the magical Leopard People society grounded in Nigerian culture, folklore, and Nsibidi script magic. Akata Witch was published in Nigeria and the UK under the title What Sunny Saw in the Flames.
Neighbouring works
Publication order and internal chronology are tracked as two separate orderings, but they resolve to the exact same sequence for this book, so one combined line is shown instead of two identical ones.
- Reading order, within the series The Nsibidi Scripts: position 1 of 3: next Akata Warrior (2017)
Sources
- Wikipedia: Akata Witch
- The Nebula Awards: Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu nominee page (Andre Norton Award)
- SFWA: 2011 Nebula Awards Nominees Announced
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