When the stories one is told conflict with the world one knows, what other choice is there but to seek out other stories? Stories that could make sense of a senseless world.

These two sentences came midway in Moses Ose Utomi’s last installment of his novella trilogy, The Memory of the Ogisi. And for me, they capture the spirit of the story that revolves around Ethike, an ogisi, who has devoted himself to studying a historical figure named Osi. Osi’s story was told in the second novella of the trilogy, The Truth of the Aleke. Ethike learns how stories can shape a narrative that keeps society’s elite in power and oppresses those under their rule.

Ethike is granted permission to travel to the Forever Desert in search of Osi’s tomb. The journey will transform him, making him understand that finding the truth can be hazardous.

Utomi draws upon his West African heritage to craft a story that is gentle on the surface but treacherous and heartbreaking underneath it. The Memory of the Ogisi wraps a trilogy of novellas that are a breath of fresh air in the fantasy genre. I have always believed that the novella is the perfect length to tell a story in prose fiction. I came across an article recently by the author Ian McEwan, who feels the same way. Utomi’s trilogy inspired a hope in me that more authors will create novella series, proving that this type of storytelling is well-suited to our modern era.

The Memory of the Ogisi provided a satisfying ending to the Forever Desert Trilogy, and I would recommend readers read the first two books of the trilogy, The Lies of the Ajungo and The Truth of the Aleke first. Bravo, Moses Ose Utomi!