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The Lies of the Ajungo
(2023)(The first book in the Forever Desert series)
A Novella by Moses Ose Utomi
2024 Locus Award for Best Novella (nominee)
2024 Nommo Award for Best Novella (nominee)
Moses Ose Utomi's debut novella, The Lies of the Ajungo, follows one boy’s epic quest to bring water back to his city and save his mother’s life. Prepare to enter the Forever Desert.
A Library Journal Best Book of the Month!
They say there is no water in the City of Lies. They say there are no heroes in the City of Lies. They say there are no friends beyond the City of Lies. But would you believe what they say in the City of Lies?
In the City of Lies, they cut out your tongue when you turn thirteen, to appease the terrifying Ajungo Empire and make sure it continues sending water. Tutu will be thirteen in three days, but his parched mother won’t last that long. So Tutu goes to his oba and makes a deal: she provides water for his mother, and in exchange he will travel out into the desert and bring back water for the city. Thus begins Tutu’s quest for the salvation of his mother, his city, and himself.
The Lies of the Ajungo opens the curtains on a tremendous world, and begins the epic fable of the Forever Desert. With every word, Moses Ose Utomi weaves magic.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Genre: Fantasy
A Library Journal Best Book of the Month!
They say there is no water in the City of Lies. They say there are no heroes in the City of Lies. They say there are no friends beyond the City of Lies. But would you believe what they say in the City of Lies?
In the City of Lies, they cut out your tongue when you turn thirteen, to appease the terrifying Ajungo Empire and make sure it continues sending water. Tutu will be thirteen in three days, but his parched mother won’t last that long. So Tutu goes to his oba and makes a deal: she provides water for his mother, and in exchange he will travel out into the desert and bring back water for the city. Thus begins Tutu’s quest for the salvation of his mother, his city, and himself.
The Lies of the Ajungo opens the curtains on a tremendous world, and begins the epic fable of the Forever Desert. With every word, Moses Ose Utomi weaves magic.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Genre: Fantasy
Praise for this book
"A searing and mythical tale of manipulation, kindness, and sacrifice." - Marie Brennan
"Gripping and full of heart, the tale bubbles with a love of story itself. Utomi's star is on the rise and I can't wait to see what his imagination brings us next." - Maurice Broaddus
"The Lies of the Ajungo is a tightly-packed, devastating punch, a masterful use of the novella as form and a heartbreaking tale of the lies we hold on to--the lies that help us live and the lies that hold us back." - C L Clark
"The Lies of the Ajungo is a masterfully epic and delightful tale. It is rich with, and spun from West African lore, with puzzles that unfurl before you as you read, thrilling fight scenes, wonderful mysteries, slowly unfolding secrets, and a dazzling revelation at the end of it all." - Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki
"Exquisitely crafted and original. Fiction at its best shows us the truth by telling us lies." - T L Huchu
"A captivating and violent fable, The Lies of the Ajungo plumbs the depths of deception yet bursts with hope. Taut and unexpected. I devoured it." - Fonda Lee
"Utomi is on the brink of something exceptional." - Suyi Davies Okungbowa
"Gripping and full of heart, the tale bubbles with a love of story itself. Utomi's star is on the rise and I can't wait to see what his imagination brings us next." - Maurice Broaddus
"The Lies of the Ajungo is a tightly-packed, devastating punch, a masterful use of the novella as form and a heartbreaking tale of the lies we hold on to--the lies that help us live and the lies that hold us back." - C L Clark
"The Lies of the Ajungo is a masterfully epic and delightful tale. It is rich with, and spun from West African lore, with puzzles that unfurl before you as you read, thrilling fight scenes, wonderful mysteries, slowly unfolding secrets, and a dazzling revelation at the end of it all." - Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki
"Exquisitely crafted and original. Fiction at its best shows us the truth by telling us lies." - T L Huchu
"A captivating and violent fable, The Lies of the Ajungo plumbs the depths of deception yet bursts with hope. Taut and unexpected. I devoured it." - Fonda Lee
"Utomi is on the brink of something exceptional." - Suyi Davies Okungbowa
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