Tor.com Binti: The Night Masquerade

Nnedi Okorafor concludes the Binti trilogy in "Binti: The Night Masquerade". The story begins almost exactly where the previous novella left off, with Binti caught in a fresh conflict between the Khoush and Meduse while her home burns and her awakened Enyi Zinariya abilities disorient her. Okorafor perfectly captures this disorientation and chaos at the beginning, setting the tone for the revelations of latter half of the novella. "The Night Masquerade" continues to develop the world that Okorafor established in the first novella, offering a middle path to conflict and a magical way of seeing the harmony in nature. Additionally, Okwu and Mwinyi are delightful in their interactions with each other and add more charm to that world. Okorafor writes, "Binti was change, she was revolution, she was heroism" (pg. 137). In this, she perfectly summarizes the themes of all three books. While this book addresses some heavy issues, Okorafor also includes some humorous scenes that recall the anarchic style of Douglas Adams. Oomza Uni is a limitless source of characters and possibilities and, though Okorafor may have finished Binti's story, I hope she returns to this wonderful world in future stories.

Really loved this book, and this series as a whole! I feel like Okorafor ended it kind of...weirdly? Things I would've wondered about months after reading book she put into the main story and it's like "Oh, ok. Wasn't really wondering about this at this particular time, but thanks for letting me know?" And as Binti lampshaded in the story, certain parts were anti-climatic.So so glad Mwinyi became a part of the main cast. I love him to death next to Binti and Okwu :) Despite the story's awkward flaws, it's still one of my favorite series!

I've enjoyed this trilogy so much. Binti, more so. Being 2 species comes with heavy trials and tribulations; and Binti is kind of....lost? confused? trepid? This was quite a journey. That said, there wasn't much that I didn't like, it just was kind of off kilter from books 1&2. Or maybe it was Mwinyi? New characters create ripples in an already perfect story. Mwinyi felt very sudden. Still, a great ending for this novella series.

It’s rare that an original story can be conveyed with such beautiful vibrance and emotion, but Binti delivers on every line. As the final instalment to the Binti trilogy, The Night Masquerade does the previous two novellas justice, and then sprinkles on a touch of additional ‘wow’ just to be safe. Nnedi Okorafor has the remarkable ability to make you feel everything at once with only a few words, and the journey she takes you on in Binti will leave you beautifully breathless and richer for your time. I will be rereading this for the rest of my life!

The Binti trilogy reminds me of the Star Wars trilogy, in some ways. The first book left me feeling elated and full of wonder, the second book left me feeling sad, confused, and incomplete, and the third book left me feeling good and yet wanting more.I hope this is not the end of Okorafor's work in this universe.Beautiful covers by David Palumbo evocatively capture key elements of each story and characters, btw. Bravo.