Akata Witch

Akata Witch follows twelve-year-old Sunny Nwazue, an American-born albino child of Nigerian parents who moves back to Nigeria. Akata Witch explores Sunny's discovery of latent magical powers, which she utilizes alongside three gifted friends to track and capture a serial killer.

The narrative integrates Nigerian folk beliefs and rituals, specifically focusing on juju magic systems derived from Igbo and Yoruba folklore. Akata Witch incorporates the Nsibidi symbolic scripts and the concept of the Leopard People, a secret magical society operating within modern Nigeria. The plot also references the Alusi, spirits worshipped by the Igbo people, including the deity Anyanwu.

This novel is the first installment in The Nsibidi Scripts series, succeeded by Akata Warrior (2017) and Akata Woman (2022). It received a nomination for the Andre Norton Award.

Nnedi Okorafor is a Nigerian American author of science fiction and fantasy born on April 8, 1974. Nnedi Okorafor coined the terms Africanfuturism and Africanjujuism to describe her work, which merges her West-African heritage with her American experiences. Her other notable works include the Binti series, Who Fears Death, Zahrah the Windseeker, Lagoon, and Remote Control.