Title: Dazzling
Author: Chịkọdịlị Emelụmadụ
Genre: Contemporary Fantasy
Publisher: Headline/Wildfire
Pages: 368
Release Date: 16 February 2023
Hello fellow book lovers! Today I'm back with my review for Dazzling by Chịkọdịlị Emelụmadụ, a rich and thoroughly bewitching debut steeped in magical realism and Nigerian mythology that I genuinely couldn't put down.
Synopsis
Soon you will become the thing all other beasts fear.
Treasure and her mother lost everything when Treasure's daddy died. Haggling for scraps in the market, Treasure meets a spirit who promises to bring her father back - but she has to do something for him first.
Ozoemena has an itch in the middle of her back that can't be scratched. An itch that speaks to her patrilineal destiny, to defend her people by becoming a leopard. Her father impressed upon her what an honour this was before he vanished, but it's one she couldn't want less - she has enough to worry about as she tries to fit in at a new school.
But as the two girls reckon with their burgeoning wildness and the legacy of decisions made by their fathers, Ozoemena's fellow students start to vanish. Treasure and Ozoemena will face terrible choices as each must ask herself: in a world that always says 'no' to women, what must two young girls sacrifice to get what is theirs?
Review
I wasn’t really sure what to expect when I first started reading this-as magical realism isn’t something I read very much of (I tend to read more YA, historical or epic fantasy than anything contemporary.) But the world building and complex characters really made this a standout and memorable read!
I loved how visceral and detailed the descriptions were which really added depth to the narrative. There is some gore however it’s pretty mild in comparison to a lot of contemporary horror novels (Grady Hendrix’s for example) so if you’ve read those then you’ll probably be fine here. Though I do recommend checking TWs just to be on the safe side.
What I can say, however, is that adult fantasy fans will almost certainly love the uncanny intensity and vividness of Emelụmadụ's gorgeous prose.
Our main characters, Ozoemena and Treasure both have such strong narrative voices and I loved how easy it was to distinguish between them both (a pet peeve of mine is reading multiple POV books and getting confused on who's perspective I’m currently reading.)
Both girls were incredibly well written and endearingly complex, though in different ways. And some of their experiences (particularly Treasure’s experiences) were so incredibly heart wrenching that I stayed up into the early hours, devouring whole chapters in the hope of finding out whether both Ozoemena and Treasure got some semblance of happiness, justice or satisfaction by the end. Though if you want to know the outcome to this, you’re gonna have to read for yourselves ;)
I also enjoyed the similarities we see in the struggles and upheavals both girls face (Treasure in the literal loss of her father, and Ozoemena in the absence of hers.) It's one of many instances that really highlights just how intrinsically tied they both are to each other, and the roles they have to play.
The theme of ancestral legacy was also incredibly fascinating—through Ozoemena and her gift we see the physical presence of generational heritage and how at odds those traditional practices have become in the advent of more ‘western’ cultural practices. But through the Spirits that Treasure encounters we also see a darker side to their (the spirits) need for survival.
The mystery aspect surrounding Treasure’s school identity was fabulously intriguing and I admit, my guess for who I thought she was is soo unbelievably wrong. But despite not having a clue who she was, it did mean the twist we encounter at the end—which was *chef’s kiss* perfection— was something I didn’t see coming AT ALL.
Overall, Dazzling is a breathtakingly imaginative and powerfully feminist debut that lovers of magical realism and contemporary fantasy simply don’t want to miss!
A massive thank you to headline/wildfire for the stunning proof.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5
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