I’d like to thank my mother for her constant unwavering support for the strange career I’ve chosen. I’d like to thank Clarkesworld Magazine for publishing the novelette version of this story. The feedback I received for that story boosted my confidence. Thanks to Subterranean Press for publishing the novella version of this novel, “African Sunrise.” It was that process which brought the talented illustrator Eric Battle into the mix. Thank you to Eric Battle for his stunning illustrations of Phoenix Okore and her world. Stories are best told on many levels and his illustrations are a wonderful voice added to the cacophony that is The Book of Phoenix. I’d like to thank my DAW editor Betsy Wollheim; when she reads my wild flawed complex women characters, she sees superheroines. Many thanks to NASA geologist (and 2001 Clarion Writers Workshop classmate) Thomas Wagner for his knowledge about global warming, especially about what it would take to make New York tropical. Thanks to my agent Don Maass; always there to guide me. Lastly, I’d like to thank my most dedicated beta reader Angel Maynard who read this in its most raw form; her unbiased eyes and honest feedback helped to make this novel burn. Shout out to my daughter Anyaugo, family, and dearest friends. <3