Harare Review of Books

161 pp. September 2, 2025, Stars and Saber. African SF.

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This novella, set in the Sauútiverse, introduces us to Chant’L (from “chant”) who has sound magic that’s not entirely under her control. From childhood Chant’L’s been haunted by the sounds in her head, and it takes her misusing her magic and being exiled by the Guardians to work out what the sounds are, and how her power works.

It’s a coming-of-age story, a weighty read with significant emotional heft. Chant’L carries a great deal of resentment (mostly against her mother) and has suffered loss in her short life—convincing bases for her drive and her character’s arc. If her world is mysterious, the backstory is the Sauútiverse itself; you need some understanding of its mythology to connect more fully with this story. And as with other books set in the Sauútiverse, this is deliciously and unapologetically Afrocentric in its outlook—one example being the treatment of the Nga’phandileh (the entities that are the reason for the existence of the Guardians), of whom it’s never clarified in this novella whether they are good or bad.

Pensive, brooding, dark. Recommended, and a great addition to the Sauútiverse.

Thanks to Stars and Sabers and NetGalley for early DRC access.

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