The Lies of the Ajungo

by Moses Ose Utomi

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250849069
Publisher:	Tor Publishing Group
Publication date:	03/21/2023
Series:	The Forever Desert , #1
Pages:	96
Sales rank:	37,351
Product dimensions:	5.38(w) x 8.25(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Moses Ose Utomi is a Nigerian-American fantasy writer and nomad currently based out of Honolulu, Hawaii. He has an MFA in fiction from Sarah Lawrence College and short fiction publications in Fireside Fiction, Fantasy Magazine, and more. His debut YA fantasy novel, Daughters of Oduma, will be coming out in early 2023. When he’s not writing, he’s traveling, training martial arts, or doing karaoke—with or without a backing track.

Editorial Reviews

★ 01/16/2023

Utomi perfectly blends fantasy and fable in his mesmerizing debut novella. In the vast Forever Desert lies the City of Lies, a town with no water. To survive, the city struck a deal with the fierce Ajungo Empire, trading the severed tongues of all citizens aged 13 and older for water. Tutu is days away from his 13th birthday when his mother falls gravely ill from dehydration. Desperate to save her, Tutu asks the city’s leader, Oba Ijefi, permission to go search the desert for water. Along the way, he befriends fellow travelers from other cities where lives have also been destroyed by the Ajungo demanding various body parts. All decide to band together to seek out the Ajungo and put a stop to their endless cycles of greed—a quest that leads them to a deadly secret that will change the lives of Tutu and his people forever. Utomi does a fantastic job pacing Tutu’s coming-of-age as his experiences in the desert challenge his ingrained beliefs. The simple yet effective plot draws readers into a harsh and beautiful world where nothing is as it seems. Fantasy fans will want to keep an eye on this up-and-coming author. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

Utomi perfectly blends fantasy and fable in his mesmerizing debut novella. …[He] draws readers into a harsh and beautiful world where nothing is as it seems. Fantasy fans will want to keep an eye on this up-and-coming author.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“This short but deeply affecting parable will unveil new perspectives to readers long after it’s done. Highly recommended.” —Library Journal, starred review

“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, author of The Unbroken

“Utomi writes a legendary tale that is certain to inspire many more.” —Locus Reviews

“A deftly written fantasy quest.” —BuzzFeed

“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, author of the Green Bone Saga

“Utomi is on the brink of something exceptional.” —Suyi Davies Okungbowa, author of Son of the Storm

“Exquisitely crafted and original. Fiction at its best shows us the truth by telling us lies.” —T. L. Huchu, author of The Library of the Dead

“A searing and mythical tale of manipulation, kindness, and sacrifice.” —Marie Brennan, author of A Natural History of Dragons

“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

From the Publisher

★ 12/01/2022

DEBUT The City of Lies has no water. They only survive by the grace of the Ajungo Empire, who trade them a trickle of water in return for the tongues of the people. But one young boy named Tutu leaves the city just before his cutting to search for water in the Forever Desert. He is doomed to fail but determined to try. When he is forced by hard and desperate lessons to see what he has been taught is itself a lie, he is finally able to find not just water but freedom. This is a story at the intersection of fable and fantasy. The Forever Desert is a setting that could hold multiple myths—and does. Through Tutu's eyes, readers experience this desert world in all its stark beauty. They also experience the grit of his loss of innocence, as the scales that have blinded him fall from his eyes. VERDICT This short but deeply affecting parable will unveil new perspectives to readers long after it's done. Highly recommended.—Marlene Harris

Library Journal