Reviews

In the Shadow of the Fall by Tobi Ogundiran

therearenobadbooks's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Here is a duology coming this July (book 1 in July 2024) that will please magic and fantasy readers, religion/orisha inspired lore for fans of N.K. Jemisin and Suyi Davies.  
I love novellas that are still full journeys, mentally and physically. Great relevation at the end,  satisfying and with character growth.  Made me curious for the next volume. Also love the artwork of the cover and the one painted by the words and descriptions of the author (great imagery). 
Thank you, publisher, for the arc copy. 
Ashâke can no longer accept the orisha ignore her. After the incident where she tries to capture one, her only path now is to escape the isolation of the temple and find the truth of the world. 

mothreadsbookssometimes's review

adventurous dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

In the Shadow of the Fall is a novella about an acolyte, Ashâke, who has been refused a promotion to priesthood. She attempts to summon the orisha (deities), but fails and instead sees a terrible vision. And with it being a novella, I can’t say too much else without spoiling the story😅

This was so good! It’s such a quick read — the first couple chapters are a little slow, but once you hit the first interlude, we’re off. Every few chapters, we get an interlude from the POV of a side character. Those interludes were my favorite chapters because that was where the world-building really got to shine.  
For only 150-ish pages, the story and the world is very well-explained. The pacing was smooth, moving quickly but not at a breakneck speed.  
The last third of the book had me in a chokehold, I couldn’t stop reading because it was so exciting. I can’t wait for the second book of the duology, and in the meantime, I’ll probably be reading Jackal Jackal for the first time. 

CW: death/murder, suicide, violence, religious trauma

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Death, and Murder

Moderate: Suicide

morybaby's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

3.5

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review. 
Black women/girls in fantasy/mythology is my favourite genre. This being about Yoruba mythology made me eat it up even more. The author was able to do so much with this being a novella. 
I can’t wait for book 2!!

dkranenburg99's review

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A Special Thank you to NetGalley and Tordotcom for this ARC

Wow! Novellas are not usually my cup of tea, but this Yoruba-inspired fantasy caught my attention while browsing Netgalley. It is an enchanting beginning to a story I cannot wait to see continue. I love our main character and her struggle to believe, and while it was short, I felt like I could be stuck in the world for days. I didn't know what to expect given that I have little familiarity with the culture of the Yoruba, but Ogundiran wrote this world very nicely and in less than 200 pages. It was easy to understand without losing the nuances he was conveying. I hope this one gets a lot of love upon publishing. If you're looking for a short read or something based on a culture you don't see a lot of in fantasy, THIS IS IT!

rebelkel's review

adventurous inspiring tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

This epic fantasy novella was quite enjoyable! Incredible world building and I loved some of the characters Ashâke meets along the way. 

It was a little too much plot for the size of the novella so it felt rushed at times. 

Thank you Net Galley for providing this novella in exchange for an honest review. 

roseleebooks's review

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No

3.5

In the Shadow of the Fall introduces a fascinating world and lore. Ashâke is a protagonist I think has a lot of potential. Her backstory was well thought out and could make for a really wonderful series. However the story felt very rushed with a lot of plot put into a small number of pages. I kept wanting more time to be spent expanding the characters and the story.

I'll likely still pick up the next book to see where this goes, but would wish to see more of the book spent on character development and not feeling like the pace was too fast for the story it is telling.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group - Tordotcom books for an opportunity to read and review this book prior to publication.

vermillion__'s review

3.0

 In the Shadow of the Fall is the first book of a novella duology. The story follows Ashake, an acolyte in the temple of Ifa, who aspires to become a priest. However, Orisha refuses to speak to her. One day she tried to bind the orisha and everything she knew changed and she found herself in an ancient war. I found the premise of the story to be unique and intriguing, and I enjoyed reading it. However, I felt that the pacing of the story was a bit rushed, and I wished that certain parts had been explored in greater depth. Overall, it was a great start to a new story, and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys mythology. Personally, I am eagerly waiting for the release of the final book in the series. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

kiiarareads's review

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

katelin00's review

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

meganobrien419's review

adventurous challenging dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0