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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
A new take on classic Urban Fantasy—Godpunk?
Gods have rained down on Lagos, the capital of Nigeria. We enter the story some time later, into the dystopian society that has developed here in the aftermath. David Mogo, our 1st person narrator, is a demi-god working as an illegal godhunter. An old wizard with dubious morals sends David Mogo off to catch two high gods, Taiwo and Kehinde. David is in need of money to fix his roof, so off he goes, despite his misgivings about this wizard. Obviously things don’t go as expected.
This was the first part in a book that reads like three novellas collected in one volume, with a red thread running through them and each connected closely in terms of time, location and characters. Enjoyable, even though I never really connected with David Mogo on an emotional level.
I looked up a lot about Nigeria, the orishas, Nigerian Pidgin, a lot of vocabulary, food items, clothing styles, etc. Then I was looking up info about Lagos, Victoria Island, Makoko, and, and, and... all this kept slowing down my reading speed, as I kept going off on tangents and looking something up almost constantly... My kind of fun!
I struggled a bit with the Nigerian Pidgin used in some of the dialogues, but decided to just go with it — I hope I managed to get the gist of the conversations.
Interesting article in the Guardian about the floating city of Makoko:
https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/feb/23/makoko-lagos-danger-ingenuity-floating-slum
Bottomline: I had fun, my imagination got engaged, I learned a lot of new things, I enjoyed the writing. I would read more by this author. 4.5 stars.
+*+*+
Part of my #ReadPOC2021 challenge. I read this for the March prompt, „A Work of Fiction“.
Post about the March prompt: https://lonelycryptidmedia.com/2021/02/08/nine-works-of-fiction-by-authors-of-color-to-expand-your-reading-list/
Main challenge: https://lonelycryptidmedia.com/2020/12/11/reading-writers-of-color-2021/
From the author‘s website: (slightly amended)
Suyi Davies Okungbowa is a Nigerian author of fantasy, science fiction and other speculative works inspired by his West-African origins. His new epic fantasy trilogy, The Nameless Republic, is forthcoming from Orbit, beginning in May 2021 with [b:Son of the Storm|50718369|Son of the Storm (The Nameless Republic, #1)|Suyi Davies Okungbowa|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1601953281l/50718369._SY75_.jpg|75749627]. His highly-anticipated debut, the godpunk fantasy novel David Mogo, Godhunter, won the 2020 Nommo Ilube Award for Best Speculative Novel by an African. Learn more at suyidavies.com.
I received this free e-copy from the publisher/author via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review, thank you!
Gods have rained down on Lagos, the capital of Nigeria. We enter the story some time later, into the dystopian society that has developed here in the aftermath. David Mogo, our 1st person narrator, is a demi-god working as an illegal godhunter. An old wizard with dubious morals sends David Mogo off to catch two high gods, Taiwo and Kehinde. David is in need of money to fix his roof, so off he goes, despite his misgivings about this wizard. Obviously things don’t go as expected.
This was the first part in a book that reads like three novellas collected in one volume, with a red thread running through them and each connected closely in terms of time, location and characters. Enjoyable, even though I never really connected with David Mogo on an emotional level.
I looked up a lot about Nigeria, the orishas, Nigerian Pidgin, a lot of vocabulary, food items, clothing styles, etc. Then I was looking up info about Lagos, Victoria Island, Makoko, and, and, and... all this kept slowing down my reading speed, as I kept going off on tangents and looking something up almost constantly... My kind of fun!
I struggled a bit with the Nigerian Pidgin used in some of the dialogues, but decided to just go with it — I hope I managed to get the gist of the conversations.
Interesting article in the Guardian about the floating city of Makoko:
https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/feb/23/makoko-lagos-danger-ingenuity-floating-slum
Bottomline: I had fun, my imagination got engaged, I learned a lot of new things, I enjoyed the writing. I would read more by this author. 4.5 stars.
+*+*+
Part of my #ReadPOC2021 challenge. I read this for the March prompt, „A Work of Fiction“.
Post about the March prompt: https://lonelycryptidmedia.com/2021/02/08/nine-works-of-fiction-by-authors-of-color-to-expand-your-reading-list/
Main challenge: https://lonelycryptidmedia.com/2020/12/11/reading-writers-of-color-2021/
From the author‘s website: (slightly amended)
Suyi Davies Okungbowa is a Nigerian author of fantasy, science fiction and other speculative works inspired by his West-African origins. His new epic fantasy trilogy, The Nameless Republic, is forthcoming from Orbit, beginning in May 2021 with [b:Son of the Storm|50718369|Son of the Storm (The Nameless Republic, #1)|Suyi Davies Okungbowa|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1601953281l/50718369._SY75_.jpg|75749627]. His highly-anticipated debut, the godpunk fantasy novel David Mogo, Godhunter, won the 2020 Nommo Ilube Award for Best Speculative Novel by an African. Learn more at suyidavies.com.
I received this free e-copy from the publisher/author via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review, thank you!
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
this had a very compelling premise but the execution was a bit bland and dry. the character voice fell flat and the plot seemed tedious and repetitive. the pacing is very uneven and i question the inclusion of the last two parts. i know trilogies are getting kinda tired and worn out in the ya fantasy genre, but this might have benefitted from either trimming the plot or going fully maximalist and really expanding on all this. as it is, this felt both lacking and still too dense, all at once.
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I loved this book's description of Lagos, the way it introduces Yoruba culture and a little bit of Nigerian Pidgin, and I loved the setup of the start of the story. About half-way through, the plot gets less intriguing for me. While the authir lost me in some of the action scenes, I did like the writing style and I'm very glad I picked up this book as I learned some really interesting facts thanks to it.
I was fascinated by the concept but I think the delivery was not up to my expectations.
I found it confusing and the plot seems to have some issues.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
I found it confusing and the plot seems to have some issues.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
The gods have fallen to Earth and the world has been irreversibly changed.
This is the story of David Mogo, a demigod who occupies his time in this post-Falling time by hunting down creatures called godlings and sending them back to the area of Lagos that has been occupied by the fallen gods. One day, he gets a proposition from a local wizard to score a lot more cash for a much more dangerous job. What happens afterwards changes David's life forever.
This book is broken into three parts, following David and the aftermath of the decisions he makes. The last two sections I enjoyed immensely! They were fast-paced, gripping, and incredibly readable. I tore through the last two parts so quickly and the ending was so satisfying. You're probably wondering why this book is only getting three stars if I liked it quite so much.
It's because of the first section. The first section just dragged for me. I couldn't connect with the characters, I couldn't connect with the story, and it just felt blah until the very end. I was close to DNFing the book before the end of the first section picked up and compelled me to read the rest. I think my main issue with the first section was that there was no depth to the characters, especially our titular character, David Mogo. He felt so flat and boring, which you would think would be hard to do with a demigod. Thankfully, he felt much more fleshed out in the subsequent sections, which is why I think I enjoyed them so much. Also, the action was better paced in the last two sections as opposed to the first, where it felt like it was all crammed in at the end.
Overall, this was an enjoyable book if you can power through the first third of it! I think it's worth it to keep going!
The gods have fallen to Earth and the world has been irreversibly changed.
This is the story of David Mogo, a demigod who occupies his time in this post-Falling time by hunting down creatures called godlings and sending them back to the area of Lagos that has been occupied by the fallen gods. One day, he gets a proposition from a local wizard to score a lot more cash for a much more dangerous job. What happens afterwards changes David's life forever.
This book is broken into three parts, following David and the aftermath of the decisions he makes. The last two sections I enjoyed immensely! They were fast-paced, gripping, and incredibly readable. I tore through the last two parts so quickly and the ending was so satisfying. You're probably wondering why this book is only getting three stars if I liked it quite so much.
It's because of the first section. The first section just dragged for me. I couldn't connect with the characters, I couldn't connect with the story, and it just felt blah until the very end. I was close to DNFing the book before the end of the first section picked up and compelled me to read the rest. I think my main issue with the first section was that there was no depth to the characters, especially our titular character, David Mogo. He felt so flat and boring, which you would think would be hard to do with a demigod. Thankfully, he felt much more fleshed out in the subsequent sections, which is why I think I enjoyed them so much. Also, the action was better paced in the last two sections as opposed to the first, where it felt like it was all crammed in at the end.
Overall, this was an enjoyable book if you can power through the first third of it! I think it's worth it to keep going!
As a Nigerian girl, all my life I read fantasy books by white writers and always understood it no matter how it was written. I was almost misdirected by reviews of white readers of this book. Most of them don't seem "to get it." They DNF it at 25% and have the guts to put long commentary on the book, they even go as far as rating a book they didn't finish. Who the hell does that?!?
Enough of this negative talk, here is why you should read David Mogo, Godhunter.
1- It’s a pleasurable adventure. A demigod and some mortals get to fight gods. On the streets of Lagos. Just visualize that for a bit. If you know nothing about Lagos Nigeria, YouTube is your friend.
2- In the realms of the unbelievable, it’s important that the lead character is portrayed realistically and deeply. David Mogo is a demigod and has the personality to go with that. I was rooting for him a lot even though he was so cocky sometimes but he’s a demigod, I’d be cocky too.
3-When I read fantasy fiction, I expect the writer to be crazy, be inventive and not play safe just like Jemisin did in How Long ‘Til Black Future Month(that’s my standard now). I’m glad Suyi Davies put in the effort. Especially as the location for the book is such a famous city. He also made some changes to the gender of a god that I applauded.
4- His worldbuilding is wonderful. Again, Lagos is a very popular city, I live in Lagos but since I’ve read the book, I can’t look at Lagos the same. I just keep seeing things differently. So weirdly amazing.
5- Through fantasy, we can talk about real-life issues in a removed way. and David Mogo Godhunter does a decent job of addressing Nigerian police brutality.
This is one of the most entertaining fantasy books from a Nigerian writer and if you've read better, drop your comments.
Enough of this negative talk, here is why you should read David Mogo, Godhunter.
1- It’s a pleasurable adventure. A demigod and some mortals get to fight gods. On the streets of Lagos. Just visualize that for a bit. If you know nothing about Lagos Nigeria, YouTube is your friend.
2- In the realms of the unbelievable, it’s important that the lead character is portrayed realistically and deeply. David Mogo is a demigod and has the personality to go with that. I was rooting for him a lot even though he was so cocky sometimes but he’s a demigod, I’d be cocky too.
3-When I read fantasy fiction, I expect the writer to be crazy, be inventive and not play safe just like Jemisin did in How Long ‘Til Black Future Month(that’s my standard now). I’m glad Suyi Davies put in the effort. Especially as the location for the book is such a famous city. He also made some changes to the gender of a god that I applauded.
4- His worldbuilding is wonderful. Again, Lagos is a very popular city, I live in Lagos but since I’ve read the book, I can’t look at Lagos the same. I just keep seeing things differently. So weirdly amazing.
5- Through fantasy, we can talk about real-life issues in a removed way. and David Mogo Godhunter does a decent job of addressing Nigerian police brutality.
This is one of the most entertaining fantasy books from a Nigerian writer and if you've read better, drop your comments.
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Only minor spoilers in this review.
I’ll be honest, David Mogo Godhunter was a frustrating read, for multiple reasons. I feel like the book’s description or back of book summary was a bait-and-switch with what the story actually was. I was sold on the detective, really bounty hunter/godhunter, aspect of the story. There’s a case, a job he’s given, and he needs to deliver. And while we were given that to an extent, that part of the story only lasted the first third of the novel. After that, this was mostly a post-apocalyptic battle for survival against gods and magical zombies. Of course, the reviews heralding this as “A Nigerian Harry Dresden” certainly didn’t help this.
The other thing that got to me was the structure of the story. It was engaging, for the most part, but it felt disjointed, particularly after the first third. It felt like the entire initial narrative wrapped up after the first third. We had the mystery/bounty mission completed within the first 130 pages. After that, it was like a novel, movie, or tv show that over-performed and got an unexpected second entry, another season despite the narrative having already completed, which then left the author to explore plots points or ideas that hadn’t been fully hammered out or planned for when making the original story. That’s what this felt like. The promised story completed around 130 pages in, and then the next third was like an unexpected sequel/continuation but within the same book. To me, this would have worked better as three separate novellas rather than one novel. But that’s just me.
The last thing I’ll say, isn’t something that annoyed or frustrated me, just something that I wanted to give a little heads up for. A lot of the dialogue is written not in straightforward English, but more in a Nigerian Pidgin English. I want to be very clear, this is NOT a bad thing. The author, Suyi Davies Okungbowa, is from Lagos, Nigeria. The story is set in Lagos, Nigeria. He’s writing primarily for Lagosians and Nigerians. I’m not meant to understand every single intricacy of Nigerian language and culture, and I loved experiencing it for the first time! This is just a little heads-up for anyone who might not be prepared, someone who might be a bit turned off by this.
One of the most helpful reviews I read for this pointed out how many negative reviews there were for this book, which almost caused the reader to skip the book until she realized all the negative reviews were from white people experiencing Lagosian fantasy for the first time; they just didn’t get it. Once I knew that, I dove in with less hesitancy, as the negative reviews were also causing me to turn away from this. And while I still had issues with the structure and other things I laid out above, I do think this book is good for people looking to branch out and experience something new!
I’ll be honest, David Mogo Godhunter was a frustrating read, for multiple reasons. I feel like the book’s description or back of book summary was a bait-and-switch with what the story actually was. I was sold on the detective, really bounty hunter/godhunter, aspect of the story. There’s a case, a job he’s given, and he needs to deliver. And while we were given that to an extent, that part of the story only lasted the first third of the novel. After that, this was mostly a post-apocalyptic battle for survival against gods and magical zombies. Of course, the reviews heralding this as “A Nigerian Harry Dresden” certainly didn’t help this.
The other thing that got to me was the structure of the story. It was engaging, for the most part, but it felt disjointed, particularly after the first third. It felt like the entire initial narrative wrapped up after the first third. We had the mystery/bounty mission completed within the first 130 pages. After that, it was like a novel, movie, or tv show that over-performed and got an unexpected second entry, another season despite the narrative having already completed, which then left the author to explore plots points or ideas that hadn’t been fully hammered out or planned for when making the original story. That’s what this felt like. The promised story completed around 130 pages in, and then the next third was like an unexpected sequel/continuation but within the same book. To me, this would have worked better as three separate novellas rather than one novel. But that’s just me.
The last thing I’ll say, isn’t something that annoyed or frustrated me, just something that I wanted to give a little heads up for. A lot of the dialogue is written not in straightforward English, but more in a Nigerian Pidgin English. I want to be very clear, this is NOT a bad thing. The author, Suyi Davies Okungbowa, is from Lagos, Nigeria. The story is set in Lagos, Nigeria. He’s writing primarily for Lagosians and Nigerians. I’m not meant to understand every single intricacy of Nigerian language and culture, and I loved experiencing it for the first time! This is just a little heads-up for anyone who might not be prepared, someone who might be a bit turned off by this.
One of the most helpful reviews I read for this pointed out how many negative reviews there were for this book, which almost caused the reader to skip the book until she realized all the negative reviews were from white people experiencing Lagosian fantasy for the first time; they just didn’t get it. Once I knew that, I dove in with less hesitancy, as the negative reviews were also causing me to turn away from this. And while I still had issues with the structure and other things I laid out above, I do think this book is good for people looking to branch out and experience something new!
adventurous
challenging
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The first time I tried to read this book, I put it down after a chapter thinking "eugh, another tough guy macho main character". Boy have I ever been so glad to be wrong. David is a fantastically faceted main character, made of petulant angers and deep, abiding loves and simple everyday greed, a refreshing respect for people who do things better than he does, and not a bit of incandescent (zing!) fury. I'm having trouble thinking of the last time I liked a male character this much. The human cast of side characters is wonderfully free of narrative clichés and deeply, well, human, though the god characters remain a bit distant, possibly due to the book having roughly a trilogy's worth of plot crammed into 400 pages.
What this book doesn't do is explain anything. If you have no background in Nigerian culture, religions, Lagos geography and the Naija pidgin, prepare to spend a lot of time on google or be very confused. What this book does do is slam you face first into red dirt and tarmac in the apocalyptic remains of a metropolis, blood in your mouth and screaming godlings in your ears and the entire range of human and superhuman emotion roiling inside you. I love a book that hits the ground running through an obstacle course and trusts the reader to keep up, but not everyone will.
What this book doesn't do is explain anything. If you have no background in Nigerian culture, religions, Lagos geography and the Naija pidgin, prepare to spend a lot of time on google or be very confused. What this book does do is slam you face first into red dirt and tarmac in the apocalyptic remains of a metropolis, blood in your mouth and screaming godlings in your ears and the entire range of human and superhuman emotion roiling inside you. I love a book that hits the ground running through an obstacle course and trusts the reader to keep up, but not everyone will.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Torture, Violence
Minor: Pedophilia
Oh dear, we need Neil Gaiman to give us a proper story about the pantheons as the books drops names every page without a hint of what gods we are talking about. The fights are difficult to understand, I have no idea why the firebringer never used fire, why the mother left its child, why suddenly airport fills up with people and why Payu doesn't remember what he did that his children died. It's a mess. But it's an extra star for an idea of Lagos without people.