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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
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:
Yes
loved the premise & the writing but the structure really slowed down the novel & made it confusing. The backstory could've been blended in more seamlessly than making them separate characters in so many different time periods. the beginning was really slow also but the ending was good. I'd be interested in reading a sequel
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The one woman in the book had no personality, and the plot was pretty sparse. There was not enough character development to make the ending feel meaningful.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
slow-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
Sex and power. Nightmares and succubi. Art heist and car chase. This was a fun fantasy novel that spans hundreds of years and tricky negotiations and company politics. If this is god-punk I think I have myself a new favorite genre
Shigidi is a fun exploration of a post-colonized spiritual world. The hierarchies of cultural pantheons and their deities mirror our modern business structures both in terms of rank and file and corruption that overly benefits the top. Where I felt the book faltered is primarily in its structure. A major driving force of the narrative, and the emotional lynchpin behind the fantastic Nneoma, is given away in the book’s opening chapter. The heist aspect of the narrative, a genre I personally can’t get enough of, is short lived. And a wide range of foreshadowing plays less into the book itself and more into, I imagine, a sequel. Despite this, there is so much about this novel that I couldn’t get enough of. The intermittent flashbacks paint detailed and complex characters, specifically Nneoma who easily stole the show. She featured an emotional depth and a backstory that wove itself between other core characters that, in comparison to the titular Shigidi, made him feel somewhat one dimensional, primarily characterized by his need to understand Nneoma, something that I can at least empathize with. I see now that some of Shigidi’s pain points may be a result of his narrative being split between this book and a future story and perhaps I wouldn’t be this focused on his faults if the book itself wasn’t named after him.
DNFed 03/2025
Shigidi and Nneoma feel like caricatures of masculinity and femininity. He's tall and heavily muscled, as the book keeps reminding me, and she's all breasts and hips and raw sex appeal. She is, unsuprisingly, a succubus, because what else could a female spirit be? Certainly not a uniquely talented nightmare god. She has sex three times in the first five chapters, and the emphasis is always on male pleasure derived from her body, and frankly it's all rather wearying. Plus, the writing isn't good enough to make this story of spirit companies and supernatural corporate espionage gripping.
Shigidi and Nneoma feel like caricatures of masculinity and femininity. He's tall and heavily muscled, as the book keeps reminding me, and she's all breasts and hips and raw sex appeal. She is, unsuprisingly, a succubus, because what else could a female spirit be? Certainly not a uniquely talented nightmare god. She has sex three times in the first five chapters, and the emphasis is always on male pleasure derived from her body, and frankly it's all rather wearying. Plus, the writing isn't good enough to make this story of spirit companies and supernatural corporate espionage gripping.
The synopsis is misleading. Although I am 40 pages in, I can tell I don’t like where it’s headed. I read some spoilers, and they confirmed my thoughts. This book is so short, and although I own it, I won't force myself to read it. 2025 is the year I need to let go of books that do not bring me joy.
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
There is a lot of time/place travelling which I found distracting. A number of the many characters seem to just be there for show without much of a story to them.