Pride and New Releases!

This one isn’t out for a couple more weeks, but I’m super excited for it! It’s the first in a fantasy trilogy based in African and Arabian mythology. In it, three women take on an empire that bases social standing on blood. Blue bloods, like Sylah, are poor workers who lead the resistance, while red blooded people like Anoor wield magic that has allowed them to secure control and an elite status. Finally, clear-blooded people, like Hassa, are enslaved. Despite coming from different social classes, the women provide the spark that brings about revolution.

Jacob’s parents are hoping to boost their Delicatessen’s profile when the unthinkable happens: Jacob is caught on video trying to cross the Korean demilitarized zone that lies between North and South Korea. Jacob is arrested and the video goes viral, plunging his family into a well of suspicion. The gag? Jacob is being possessed by his grandfather, who’s desperate to cross back into North Korea and reunite with the family he left behind. As his parents worry about their livelihood and whether their son will be released, his sister copes by smoking weed more and more. Meanwhile, none of them know of the possession. This is funny at times and has what I think is a pretty original premise that allows for new ways to look at family history and dysfunction.

Ifeakandu’s debut collection has nine stories about gay men in Nigeria. Each one adds a nuanced and compassionate perspective to queer, African narratives. In the first story, Auwal tries to get help with money troubles from his lover, Chief Emeka, even though he’s not sure he can fully trust the man. In the title story, two boys in college hang on to their romance, even as the pressures of societal expectations threatens it. Throughout, characters experience joy and passion, even as they very carefully navigate danger, and Ifeakandu is good at putting readers in the minds of his queer characters in a modern-day Nigeria.