I finished the trilogy. The third audiobook on Hoopla was consistently narrated by Robin Miles. The second book left us with a cliffhanger when Binti received devastating news. I was a bit frustrated that this third one did not resolve this cliffhanger right away. Binti is deep in the desert with the Enyi Zinariya, the tribe of her father and grandmother. She is becoming close with Mwinyi, who is teaching her the ways of their unique harmonizing. She spends awhile in a trance-like state before returning home to find the destruction of her home. It turns out I was right to feel that the resolution at the end of the first book, which involved a treaty between the majority culture on Earth and the Meduse, was too easy. The antagonism between the two groups is not so simple to sweep away. The title The Night Masquerade refers to a mythical creature (actually a ceremonial role played by a Himba elder), who appears to Binti's people to signal societal change. In the Himba tradition, usually only men have a vision of the Night Masquerade, but Binti sees it three times. Using this as the title suggests an importance to this role, which I do not think was very successful. Characters are coping with death multiple times through the story and are moved to action for good or for ill because of it. Tribal clashes continue. Battles are threatened. Diplomacy seeks peace. Feelings of triumph and grief are mixed in a strange concoction. Then we are back in space and Binti's DNA goes through more modifications. Math continues to be a meditative and energizing force. Miracles are performed in ways you only see in fantasy/sci-fi. Ultimately Binti becomes a combination of skills and parts from all the different sources that have influenced her being. And aren't we all like that.
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