Published by Gollancz in October 2026
Review by Sithulisiwe A. Wabatagore
Australia-based Nigerian born engineer and author Wole Talabi’s second novel The Fist of Memory is a first contact sci-fi action thriller predominantly set in a futuristic dystopian Nigeria reeling from the aftermaths of a second civil war. The divide between the rich and poor is gaping and corruption is rampant, while a terrifying elite secret group called the Elders holds the power over political and socio-economic issues. The fictitious political system plays around with the idea of real power holders lurking in the background while their puppets ostensibly run the show. That concept in itself brings a layer of complexity and intrigue to the plot because, after all, even puppets hold their own beliefs, and ultimately the puppet president’s opinions collide with the Elders’ with fatal results. Talabi interweaves the pervasiveness of corruption and poverty in a palpable way by presenting the misfortune of ordinary citizens in bleak and desperate situations. He handles these themes with delicate expertise, merging them with the main plot in ways that enrich the narrative, a testament to his craftmanship.
The central plot revolves around two protagonists, Tope and Itumeleng. Tope, a seasoned assassin, survives the murder of her mother during the second Nigerian Civil War, leaving her deeply traumatised. She is taken in by a witchdoctor who becomes both her father figure and her handler for her assassination assignments. The action thriller thread of the novel is activated when Tope deviates from her code of conduct by taking on the unsanctioned assassination of a powerful military Brigadier General in order to assist his abused wife, with whom she sympathises.
The second protagonist is Itumeleng, a South African astronomer who is constantly riddled by dreams yet refuses to accept their supernatural nature, while also denying his ancestral supernatural heritage in favour of a purely scientific outlook on life. It is Itumeleng who first notices the rapidly approaching extraterrestrial spacecraft and rings the alarm that prompts international political intervention, with selected personnel converging in Nigeria to monitor the approach of the spacecraft, as it is first feared that it could hit Earth, resulting in devastating loss of lives.
In Nigeria, Tope and Itumeleng’s destinies collide as Tope is on the run from an assassin sent to eliminate her. She hijacks Itumeleng, forcing him to be her driver. Their bond strengthens when Itumeleng realises that Tope is the woman he has been dreaming about. Amidst all this chaos, we learn that the Irunmole, the non-communicative extraterrestrial beings, are on their way to Earth to help the planet heal spiritually and to cultivate a spirit of interconnectedness. It is the unravelling of this spirit of ubuntu, of interconnected dependency and oneness, that offers the ending a satisfactory feel assured to leave the reader chewing on how the principles of ubuntu could heal many of the world’s problems from feelings of disconnect to the villainisation of differences.
Tope’s character development keeps us on the edge of our seats as it unravels during her mission to assassinate the Brigadier General and continues as she herself becomes the hunted when Ahanna, another seasoned assassin, and members of her adoptive family of assassins come after her. The themes of betrayal and vengeance add a texture of deep emotions to the novel, while high-speed chases, carefully planned and executed assassinations and clean-ups enrich the thrill of the story with their gorier and more violent imagery.
Itumeleng, on the other hand, must confront himself and discover the parts of himself he has been hiding from. Once he does this, he steps into his own, a more confident man empowered by his link to his ancestors. It’s the diametrically opposed characters of Tope and Itumeleng that make them the perfect combination for the central characters in this story.
This was a great, suspenseful, action-packed read with high stakes that had me emotionally invested and on the edge of my seat. The prose effortlessly drew on topical African themes including the effects of religious fervour, which might have been exaggerated for dramatic effects but definitely added an authenticity to the text. The speculative fiction elements of the story added an exciting dimension (such as the ‘teleportation juju’, which is sure to catch the interest of any Naruto readers with its parallels to Minato’s ‘teleportation jutsu’). The sci-fi elements are strong, and I was particularly intrigued by the concept of the Neuranexus AI, a type of AI assistant embedded in one’s own mind. I would highly recommend this novel, as it kept me glued to its pages, wanting to devour more.
A weakness of the novel is that the Irunmole’s perspective is a lot less dramatic than the other perspectives. Granted, throughout their approach towards Earth, they didn’t communicate with the humans, but a few dramatic exchanges between themselves would have been sensational. However, as they were peacemakers, my advocacy for more drama might be misplaced. Tope’s romantic arc felt rushed and might have benefited from further development, but given the otherwise immersive and riveting read, this becomes a minor issue, especially considering that Itumeleng’s romantic arc develops satisfactorily. Having said this, The Fist of Memory is well-crafted and definitely a much-needed book for world literature with its multicultural references. So, if you have a taste for action thriller sci-fi with non-communicative extraterrestrial beings delivered in great prose and with a healing message for humanity, then you won’t want to miss this read.