A Siege of Owls

The Millions, A Most Anticipated Book of the Year

“Mr. Awoke’s material is rich and his writing is stately” —Sam Sacks, The Wall Street Journal

“The book has already drawn attention as a deeply human, urgent, and earnest story. With its vivid setting, contemporary themes and emotional realism, this novel has the potential to resonate widely—offering a powerful and timely voice that goes beyond escapism.” —The Malvern Observer

“Uchenna Awoke’s A Siege of Owls is a lyrical work of magical realism . . . The novel moves fluidly between realism and the mythic, using oral tradition as a framework to explore survival, violence, and the way stories carry meaning across generations.” —Anjola Akinmade, Culture Custodian

“A Siege of Owls is a masterpiece . . . If mythmaking—that is, mythmaking the becoming or unbecoming of our country—is Awoke’s goal in writing this novel, he immensely succeeds in mythologising the aggressive extremities of our times. And it’s all captured in a near pitch-perfect prose with lyrical undertones. That lyricism is elevated when Awoke begins to look at landscapes with his peculiar parabolic vision . . . A Siege of Owls is a thoroughly multidimensional novel with multidimensional characters whose survival in a carnivorous world seems hinged to all sorts of arbitrary decisions and situational anxieties. What Awoke has written here is an allegory of these violent times, a masterpiece of psychological and philosophical depth, such as seems rare in this shallow adrenaline age.” —Chimezie Chika, Afrocritik

“A sweeping West African-set fabulistic tale.” —Erica Ezeifedi, Book Riot

“Nigerian author Awoke offers a captivating and magic-fueled adventure set in contemporary Africa . . . Awoke weaves his immersive and lyrical tale with folklore and vivid scenes of real-world violence. This one hits hard.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Awoke masterfully captures the fantastical interconnectedness of the Nigerian zeitgeist in his latest novel . . . This isn’t a book for skimming on the go but one to mull over in a comfy chair with a hot drink. Awoke honors the legacy of Nigerian oral storytelling, utilizing rich metaphors and Igbo phrasing to weave together profound themes. His style of magical realism beautifully reflects a culture in which the spiritual and physical worlds are inextricably linked. This is a haunting, evocative exploration of growth and destiny that truly lingers long after the last page is finally turned. This vibrant tale is not to be missed.” —Enobong Tommelleo, Booklist

“In A Siege of Owls, Uchenna Awoke conjures a dreamy and wondrous Nigeria, a place where magic trees and giant raptors coexist with modern political violence. Awoke is a novelist whose abilities are vast—his prose is sublime, and the story he tells here is as urgent as it is moving.” —Luis Jaramillo, author of The Witches of El Paso