Cynthia Marangwanda’s second novella, The Toppling, is an urban fantasy delivered with surgical precision. From the very first sentence, the narrator sets up the conflict:

“My eyes fly open, and I immediately sense malevolence in the air.”

Indeed, this story is in many ways about malevolence. Mamoyo wakes up from a nightmare to find the monster from her dream inside her bedroom. Not surprised, though certainly jaded by what is clearly not the first time this is happening, she gets up and quickly summons her ancestors’ help in fighting off this sprite.

“Soon enough, I sense myself slipping into a trance state, entering the liminal space between the land of the living and the realm of those beyond.”

But who is Mamoyo? And how is it she can summon ancestors against evil? From here on out, Marangwanda weaves a heartfelt work of fiction; a story about a traumatic childhood and precocious maturity, of a journey from victim to heroine, of forgiveness but most of all, a story about restoration. Through the eyes of Mamoyo we get a glimpse into Zimbabwe’s bitter colonial past and the vicious cycles that have birthed a bruised nation, all the while being treated to an epic rollercoaster of magic after magic. Yet, the story is told in such a homely language anyone in the family can pick it up. It is a quick read too.

If I had to compare it to a song, I’d say this novella starts off like Brian Nhira’s Mwana Washe but quickly crescendos into Survivor’s Eye of the Tiger as you move into the second chapter. It is a flourishing, confident story of reclamation.

Highly recommended for the whole family.