Àkànní

By Jessica Tagbajumi

Àkànní wants to become an onija, joining the elite defenders of her solar system. Training at the Onija Institute seems to bring her closer to a life built around courage and justice. When her home planet Asa is attacked, however, the government's refusal to act challenges everything she believes about the people she hopes to serve.

Returning to search for survivors, she meets rebels who are asking the same difficult questions. Evidence suggests that Asa's devastation is part of a larger plan, and the group must work together to reveal a danger the authorities will not acknowledge.

Set in a five-planet system inspired by Nigerian places and cultures, this middle grade graphic novel combines space adventure with questions about loyalty and responsibility. Àkànní's journey forces her to decide whether honor means following an institution or confronting its failures.