African-inspired Fantasy
Fantasy settings based on African geography, cultures, folklore, myths, legends, or histories — inspired by the Quest with Asian stories of this kind. Suggestions welcome!
created by kishmish
last updated August, 2026
Comments
Hi, you should consider the dance of shadows by Rogba Payne!
kishmishOP
Wow, this sounds great! Thank you so much for the recommendation! 🫶🏽 I’ve added it here and to my TBR
Race is socially constructed and categorizations/conceptions vary culturally, but here are the authors on this list who, as far as I could tell, do not identify or would not be racialized as Black:
Soraya Bouazzaoui Deena Mohamed S.A. Chakraborty
If you think otherwise of any of these, or know of others that belong here, please let me know! I may have missed things 😅
Edited: removed Michelle Jabès Corpora’s book His Face Is the Sun from the list
For further African literature recommendations (not limited to fantasy, but by authors from the countries/areas they write about) check out vumaisbooked’s wonderful list 🔗What do you know about Africa?
Thank you for linking 🥰💐!!
The two other short stories set in The Dead Djinn Universe called The Haunting of Tram Car 015 and A Dead Djinn in Cairo would be great additions, imo. I love this list!
kishmishOP
thanks, polter! 🫶🏽 i’ve added them! (i was really shocked this didn’t already exist and am still kind of worried that i just messed up my searches somehow)
I don't think I've seen a list like it but honestly I'm surprised no one has done it yet?? It's such a good list idea and I like the way you executed it
A Song of Wraiths and Ruins by Roseanne K Brown!
I was surprised to see that I already have a few of these on my TBR! I need to start reading them ASAP!
ahhh i can’t believe i hadn’t commented on this absolutely PHENOMENAL list yet, as i remember really loving it when you first posted it! i so appreciate the time, care, and effort you put into not only this list, but everything else you do on pagebound, and this list is such a perfect demonstration of all the thought you put into what youve built here (especially with the amount of books you had to add yourself, since they weren’t already on pagebound!). so much love to you and everything you create 💖💖💖💖
I have Birth of a Dynasty, Raybearer, Masquerade, and The Daughters of Izdihar on my list already to check out for political intrigue, but if you know of any other titles here that are heavy with the fantasy politics, i'd love to have them on my shelf too!!!
kishmishOP
Thank you so much, ayz! You’re a ray of sunshine. I admire the work and care you put into everything you do here as well, not only in your absolutely iconic deep-dive posts and lists, but also how supportive and positive you are to everyone else. You make being on here so much more fun, and I’m sure encourage so many other users in continuing to post here, as you do for me. 💗
I think my top recommendation would be The Killing Moon by N.K. Jemisin! One of the main characters is an ambassador, so direct political involvement is very much at the forefront.
Master of Poisons also has politics at the beginning. It’s been a long time since I read it, so I don’t remember how much it continues, but as a whole it’s a parable about trying to get a society to take action on climate change, so might be an interesting change in the goals of the political activity. I’m in the process of re-reading, so I can check back when I’m finished!
There are a few others that I’m less sure about, and depend more on your parameters for political fantasy.
Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon has some politicking, but it’s in the context of a corporation, not government (like office politicking). The premise is that the different pantheons are organized as “spirit companies” with worship as currency. There’s on-page SA that’s never addressed as such, though, which makes me not want to recommend it.
Shubeik Lubeik and Harmattan Season address real-world politics (bureaucracy/corruption, colonialism, etc.) through a fantasy lens. (I don’t think this is what you’re looking for based on what I’ve seen categorized elsewhere as political fantasy, but I thought it might be worth mentioning.) I believe Everfair, Wizard of the Crow, She Would Be King, Aicha, and Transparent City are also all more in this category (based in real world politics and historical events), but I haven’t read these yet. Can again check back in about them as I read them, though!
There are a few where there definitely is politicking happening in the world, but the main characters are mostly just suffering the effects rather than directly involved. I’d put The Final Strife & Faebound, Son of the Storm, and In the Shadow of the Fall into this category. (tbh also Masquerade—I DNF’d at 52%, but the main character didn’t have much agency at all up to that point.) My favorite of this kind is Scarlet Odyssey.
I haven’t read this yet, but A Stranger in Olondria might be worth checking out too? The blurb says it’s reminiscent of GRRM, which makes me think of you, hahah 🥰
If you want a fantasy story where a character's burgeoning literacy actually affects the plot, A Stranger in Olondria is great for that.
INTERESTING…. Gonna have to read this for sure to continue to add to the salt I have toward a certain book we both read 💯🤓
Ugh wowowow thank you SO much for all of these ❤️ saving immediately, you’re the best 🫶😭
Gorgeous list!
kishmishOP
thank you so much! 🫶🏽 I really love your African literature list—I’ve linked to it in the pinned comment, though feel free to let me know if you’d like it removed!
I’ve just seen it now! Thank you so much, that’s more than okay!
I can't wait to read all the books in this list. Thank you for creating it ❤️. There are many cultures and myths in our continent that make for great foundations for fantasy books.
kishmishOP
I’m so glad! 🫶🏽 Some of my favorite books are on here, and I found some new ones for my TBR too. I hope you love the ones you read! I do wish there were more inspired by places other than Nigeria and Egypt (as beautiful and interesting as both countries are). If you come across any, please let me know!
I wish as well but it is mostly up to us to promote our cultures and sadly creative writing is quite neglected in most African countries from what I know. In Morocco I was always discouraged from pursuing literature in my studies because of this.
kishmishOP
I found one based on Moroccan myth & history! Aicha by Soraya Bouazzaoui—it may not be out yet, it’s a 2026 release and I think I’ve just seen ARC reviews so far. But just wanted to comment in case you hadn’t seen it yet! 🫶🏽
Omg thank youuuu ❤️ I look forward to it. Aicha is an iconic figure of moroccan folklore
Love the list! Bout to beef up my TBR. One recommendation for your consideration:
- Scarlet Odyssey by C. T. Rwizi
kishmishOP
This sounds great! Some of the other titles from this author sound interesting too. 👀 Thank you so much for the rec! 🫶🏽
You’re welcome. I’ve read and own all three books in the Scarlet Odyssey series, and they were very entertaining and well-written. It’s hard not to love Salo (the MC), and the setting was so real but also so fantastical. You can tell it’s Africa, but there’s also a binary star system, so it gives you that other worldly feeling. I recommend them to anyone who will listen, lol.
kishmishOP
I just started it, and it really is already so, so excellent. Thank you so much for this recommendation! It’s always a struggle for me with books as severely underrated as this one—makes you just want to shake the world awake to alert everyone, doesn’t it?
I’m happy you’re enjoying it. It still surprises me that I don’t see it around much. It’s well-written and entertaining. The world building was well done. I clearly don’t understand publishing and what makes a book a big hit. Maybe it’ll blow up in some years.
Yesss love this list and can't wait to get even more overlap on it too!! Thank you!
kishmishOP
thank you, mari! 💞 so sweet, i hope you enjoy your reads!
Are there any standalone reads you feel are a good place to start or you'd recommend?
I enjoy a nice adventure, relationship development, good character arcs but open to anything!
kishmishOP
Your question is making me realize that I need to read more of the standalones on here! 😅 My top recommendations for you do have sequels, but I haven’t read any of the sequels and still really love them. (Does that make them almost like standalones? 😬 I’m sorry for not answering your question properly!) These are: Raybearer, In the Shadow of the Fall and The Lies of the Ajungo. In the Shadow of the Fall and The Lies of the Ajungo are both novellas, in case that makes them more/less palatable.
In terms of true standalones, I think my picks would be Somadina or Redemption in Indigo. Somadina just fell (somewhat inexplicably) flat for me. Redemption in Indigo has strange and stylized prose that makes it feel like it wouldn’t be the most accessible starting point. Otherwise, other people enjoyed Masquerade much more than I did. (I just realized halfway through that I don’t like the Hades/Persephone myth and was never going to enjoy a retelling.) I really loved and highly recommend Shubeik Lubeik, but it’s a graphic novel.
I’ll come back with updates if I find any in my reading that might work better! I have high hopes for She Would Be King, The House of Rust, and A Stranger in Olondria. 🤞🏽
Yay!! Thank you! I think a good parameter for standalone stories (even in a series) is if you feel satisfied by the ending vs a cliffhanger! I have Masquerede on my bookshelf so was gonna read that next but I am bookmarking a few now!! Tyyy 🫶🫶
