The original edition's title is meant to face and criticize its derogatory meaning.

The novel was published as What Sunny Saw in the Flames in both Nigeria and the UK akata has a derogatory meaning in Nigerian dialects. The novel deals with themes of ethnicity, identity, and dealing with whatever gifts or curses life provides. A powerful witch, he targets children for his evil deeds.

Black Hat Otokoto is the main antagonist of the novel.

He was sent to Nigeria by his parents as punishment for using his magic inappropriately.

Sasha is another American-born Nigerian.

Chichi can see Sunny's magical abilities better than anyone else.

Chichi is Orlu's friend who becomes close with Sunny.

Orlu is Sunny's classmate at school and a 'Leopard Person'.

Because of her pale skin and hair, people call her a witch. Aged 12 and albino, Sunny loves to play soccer but is unable to spend long periods in the sun.

Sunny Nwazue is an American-born Nigerian.

The group is cultivated by leaders in the magical communities to try to capture Black Hat Otokoto, a serial killer who also knows magic. Her magical teachers connect her with three other magical students to become a coven, a group of magical Leopard People assembled to pursue a purpose. As a free agent, she needs to learn about the magical community. Sunny discovers that she has magical abilities which makes her a 'free agent' in the magical community called the Leopard People in West Africa. She is Black and albino, and cannot go out in the sun for long periods because of her albinism.

Twelve-year-old Sunny Nwazue was born in America yet lives in Nigeria. Nnedi Okorafor based the novel in Nigerian culture, politics, cosmology, folklore, and tradition to create many of the entities and spirits in the novel. It was nominated for the Andre Norton Award and it is the first novel in the Nsibidi Scripts Series, where it is followed by two sequels Akata Warrior and Akata Woman published in 20 respectively.

Akata Witch (retitled What Sunny Saw in the Flames in Nigeria and the UK) is a 2011 fantasy novel written by Nigerian-American author Nnedi Okorafor.

Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor