A stunning, heartwrenching new novel from Abi Daré, New York Times bestselling author of The Girl with the Louding Voice.

When Tia accidentally overhears a whispered conversation between her mother—terminally ill and lying in a hospital bed in Port Harcourt, Nigeria—and her aunt, the repercussions will send her on a desperate quest to uncover a secret her mother has been hiding for nearly two decades.

Back home in Lagos a few days later, Adunni, a plucky fourteen-year-old runaway, is lying awake in Tia’s guest room. Having escaped from her rural village in a desperate bid to seek a better future, she’s finally found refuge with Tia, who has helped her enroll in school. It’s always been Adunni’s dream to get an education, and she’s bursting with excitement.

Suddenly, there’s a horrible knocking at the front gate. . . .

It’s only the beginning of a harrowing ordeal that will see Tia forced to make a terrible choice between protecting Adunni or finally learning the truth behind the secret her mother has hidden from her. And Adunni will learn that her “louding voice,” as she calls it, is more important than ever, as she must advocate to save not only herself but all the young women of her home village, Ikati.

If she succeeds, she may transform Ikati into a place where girls are allowed to claim the bright futures they deserve—and shout their stories to the world.

The Liquid Eye of a Moon is a masterful debut that has been likened to A Nigerian Catcher in the Rye. It delves into the silence surrounding a hidden and dangerous contemporary caste system in Nigeria.

Fifteen-year-old Dimkpa dreams of the day his father will be made village head, ushering in a new era for his family. With this change, he aspires to return to school, perhaps even attend university. He imagines a life where his mother won't have to toil endlessly, selling foraged wild food at the market, and where the construction of a fine tomb for his late aunt Okike can be a reality. Most importantly, their family’s status as ohu ma, belonging to the lowest Igbo caste, will no longer be a barrier.

However, when his father is unexpectedly overlooked for a younger man, defying tradition, Dimkpa realizes that his destiny is in his own hands. His journey takes him from his small village in rural Nigeria to Lagos, Awka, and back again. Along the way, Dimkpa discovers the harsh truth that wealth does not come easily, that superstitions are deeply ingrained, and that knowledge truly is power. He learns the value of living in the moment rather than constantly pursuing an elusive future.

The Liquid Eye of a Moon is at once hilarious and poignant, capturing the tumultuous nature of adolescence and the challenge of forging one's path in a world that seems intent on holding you back.

Little Rot is a thrilling journey through the elite underbelly of a Nigerian city. It follows the tumultuous events of one weekend, starting with a breakup that triggers a downward spiral and a party that devolves into chaos. The novel weaves a tangled web of sex, lies, and corruption, leaving no one unscathed.

Aima and Kalu, who have just ended their long-term relationship, find themselves at the heart of the turmoil. Kalu, in the throes of his loss, attends an exclusive sex party thrown by his best friend, Ahmed. A single decision there sets off a chain of events that brutally disrupts their lives. Meanwhile, Ola and Souraya, two Nigerian sex workers from Kuala Lumpur, become entangled in the scene just as disaster strikes.

Plunged into the city's glittering but corrupt underworld, the characters are desperate for an escape from the dangers that now stalk them. As they navigate through a world poisoned by power struggles, sexual violence, and betrayal, they must decide how far they're willing to go to save one another—or themselves. Little Rot not only tests the limits of their resilience but also showcases the storytelling genius of Akwaeke Emezi, who delivers a gripping tale of deviance, power, and survival.