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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I have really enjoyed Wole Talabi’s short fiction so I was happy to pick up what I believe is his first full length novel.
A lot about this worked for me – I enjoyed the way the orisha and spirits of the Yoruba pantheon were characterized as members of a board of a Spirit Company, and the world-building focused on a kind of corporate capitalist restructuring wherein spirits and gods respond to petitions for the pray-pay that keeps them alive – the critiques are strong but the novel doesn’t feel didactic. I liked the urban fantasy vibe, set predominantly in Lagos and London, and I enjoyed Shigidi’s transformations and POV. I also found the non-linear structure effective. I did not expect Aleister Crowley to turn up as a character, but I appreciate that his overt racism was named explicitly.
What didn’t quite work for me was the pacing – there were sections that were very fast action, and others that were rather plodding. While I appreciate that Nneoma, a succubus, is given a complex internal life and her own set of motivations beyond her sexual powers, I feel like having her very explicitly committing rape was not really... addressed in any kind of adequate way. I understand there is mythology here, but I cannot say this text does the best job handling gender & sexuality & patriarchal dynamics.
Content warnings: violence, blood, gore (relatively minor), sexual assault, rape (on page), racism, misogyny / sexism, car accident
Thank you DAW & NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Car accident
Minor: Gore, Blood
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
American Gods but with Nigerian mythology. Because they're gods, I struggled to connect with them and that's always key to my enjoyment. We'll written and complex characters but I had no one to root for. Excellent book, just not for me.
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Who doesn’t love a good ol heist
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
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:
Complicated
Absolutely loved this. It was a little bit of a head-spinner to jump into, but I chalk that entirely up to my lack of familiarity with the Yoruba pantheon. I genuinely can't overstate how much I would gobble up a screen adaptation of this. I loved the main character; Shigidi really goes on a journey and I found it surprisingly relatable. Would happily consume another story in this world or something else entirely by the author.
adventurous
funny
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:
Complicated
A great heist in a beautifully fleshed out world with a sweet love story
Super fun tale of gods behaving badly. It's like Madeline Miller's Circe meets contemporary times and global locales. This is a wild romp.
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Features:
- A nightmare god and a succubus plotting a world-crossing heist
- Gods and spirits based on Yoruba mythology
- Based primarily in Lagos and London
- Explores themes of trust, love, and the cost of pursuing your desires
- A good blend of a steamy romance, heist, and fantasy
Getting what you desire comes at a price, and the cost for both nightmare god Shigidi and succubus Nneoma has been high. Though the present storyline centers on a dangerous heist, this book predominantly focuses on the Shigidi and Nneoma’s partnership and the experiences that have brought them to this moment. This book jumps around time, perspective, and worlds as the pieces fall into place, so you have to be willing to go with the flow. It has a literary feel but manages to stay very accessible throughout. I found the world and characters interesting (particularly Nneoma) and loved getting a small taste of Yoruba mythology through this piece. This one can get a little steamy, but I would definitely recommend this read to anyone who is interested in mythology-inspired stories and powerful beings getting up to no good.
Pro: True to their nature
Shigidi is a nightmare god, one of the lower tier gods in the Orisha Spirit Company. Where he once had a following that afforded him a decent lifestyle, people’s belief in him has all since disappeared. A chance encounter with succubus Nneoma gives him an opportunity to escape the dead end job he hates, but it will cost what little is left of his old life. When an offer to gain back everything Shigidi and Nneoma have lost and more arises, they can’t help but agree to a heist that is more likely to end in their destruction than in their freedom.
Shigidi and Nneoma have a complicated partnership and this book does a wonderful job developing these characters both individually and as a couple. Despite Shigidi being the titular character, there is more of a focus on Nneoma and she is definitely the more interesting one for me. Talabi manages to create a succubus character who is complex and relatable while still fully embracing her true nature and power. Things get steamy in both romantic and terrifying ways, but she never feels guided by pure, blind lust. Nneoma is very much her own woman and the desire to know more about her made me devour the pages.
Shigidi complements Nneoma very well in both personality and power despite being less interesting overall. Having been so restricted for most of his existence, there is very little about his past to explore and uncover. Instead, Shigidi’s journey is more about establishing his new identity and purpose. I love that a lot of this searching is done through his partnership with Nneoma, but it naturally puts the spotlight on Nneoma a little more.
The Breakdown: Here, there, and everywhere in between
Shigidi and Nneoma are both immortal beings who can exist in both the mortal and spiritual world. Talabi takes full advantage of their long lifespan and the exploration of their past experiences can jump back centuries. In addition to jumping around time, the location and perspective each section is told in can differ. Each chapter is labeled with a date and location, but it can still be a little difficult to tell which perspective it uses at first. Though it moves around quite a lot, I never felt lost while reading this book and I found it easy to figure out why we had jumped back to certain memories. However, the extended time span over which we experience these memories makes them feel a little disconnected from each other and it is a little harder to visualize the sequence of events that shape the characters. I appreciate how Talabi tries to embrace the immortal nature of his characters, so jumping around did not bother me too much. However, it does happen a lot and I can see it being annoying and/or confusing to some readers who like their stories to be more linear.
Special thanks to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!