This was a great ending to the series. I honestly took a while to get back to it because I wanted to take my time. Okorafor does a great job of ending the series in a satisfying way. I will echo what some other readers said though which is that it felt like the story had several endings. I think it may have been better if it had ended differently too. Just because I think it would have made it a more “real” ending in my eyes. I felt myself losing a bit of interest towards the end. All together that is why I only gave this one 4 stars.
“The Night Masquerade” follows Binti who has returned to her home planet trying to do what she can to get back to her people with her knowing all of her family are lost to her now. The Khoush and Meduse still continue to attack one another, and unfortunately others are now in the cross-fire.
Binti is such a great character. She makes mistakes, but is trying her best to do what she can to keep her people safe. I felt for her still warring within herself to not lash out and try to change what she perceives may be coming next. I also loved the characters of Mwinyi and Okwu. And of course we see prior characters as well.
The writing was solid, an I saw echoes of topics that were covered in Octavia Butler’s books (Xenogenesis series). The pacing of the book was a bit off I thought. I think the bigger issue I saw though was that I felt that the book was over explaining a lot of things and it felt like we had several “endings” and that threw things up for me a bit too.
I read this for Cannonball Read 14:
- Star: A book set in space or one that involves astronomy, a famous person, a character who wants to be famous or once was, a starfish.
- “The Night Masquerade” does have Binti go into space once again. At one point Saturn is experienced.