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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
tense
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
The publisher calls this God-Punk - that is a bit to detailed or me, so I'll go with either Urban Fantasy or Dystopia...
While David Mogo wasn't just as fast paced and fun as some of my other favourite UFs, the fresh setting, and different tone and voice more than made up for it!
I've seen some other reviews complaining about too much introspection and not enough action, and I can't say I consciously noticed that or was in any way bothered.
I did really like the main character and especially his Papa Udi and a girl named Fati. I did lose track about who is who a few times with the other side characters though, as the cast grew, and they all seemed to have a whole multitude of names (or titles?). I always found my footing again, but my memory is already bad for names, so this was the only real challenge for me.
Bits and pieces of the dialogue where in slang, and I had to work to catch all of that, but it was little enough to actually add to the setting, and not feel like a chore. I got used to it pretty quickly and then it got easier to "translate". Here's one such example:
I usually hate info dumps, and I also saw some reviews complain about those in here - I actually felt like I got just the utter basic info, and had to make do with that! Which is fine, especially with such a short and quick read.
All in all this was fun to read and to explore Lagos, which I have since looked up!
While David Mogo wasn't just as fast paced and fun as some of my other favourite UFs, the fresh setting, and different tone and voice more than made up for it!
I've seen some other reviews complaining about too much introspection and not enough action, and I can't say I consciously noticed that or was in any way bothered.
I did really like the main character and especially his Papa Udi and a girl named Fati. I did lose track about who is who a few times with the other side characters though, as the cast grew, and they all seemed to have a whole multitude of names (or titles?). I always found my footing again, but my memory is already bad for names, so this was the only real challenge for me.
Bits and pieces of the dialogue where in slang, and I had to work to catch all of that, but it was little enough to actually add to the setting, and not feel like a chore. I got used to it pretty quickly and then it got easier to "translate". Here's one such example:
"I understand." He chews a bit. "That thing wey you do with Sango, your body suppose don scatter."
"I feel like say pessin carry my body knack am for ground, arrange am back," I say, glad to be back to the old us. "The thing dey pain, I no lie."
I usually hate info dumps, and I also saw some reviews complain about those in here - I actually felt like I got just the utter basic info, and had to make do with that! Which is fine, especially with such a short and quick read.
All in all this was fun to read and to explore Lagos, which I have since looked up!
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
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
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was like an African Odyssey---a misplaced man in search of what "home" is. A fantastic debut novel. A refreshing new story with fantasy elements not derived from western folklore; something that I think is lacking in the YA fiction and fiction world overall.
I do think David's characterization is a little cliche. Okungbowa often came close to giving him that depth that helps a reader really resonate with a character. David experiences hardships that are relatable, even when many derive from him being a half-god. However, something still felt missing.
Nevertheless, this is a great story for those in search of action. Okungbowa did a great job in this area---his descriptions make these parts feel like something from an epic blockbuster combined with an anime like DBZ. Many parts come to feel a bit corny, but I still found them exciting.
If anything, David Mogo, Godhunter is a riveting step forward in bringing more diversity into the western fiction world that we desperately need.
I do think David's characterization is a little cliche. Okungbowa often came close to giving him that depth that helps a reader really resonate with a character. David experiences hardships that are relatable, even when many derive from him being a half-god. However, something still felt missing.
Nevertheless, this is a great story for those in search of action. Okungbowa did a great job in this area---his descriptions make these parts feel like something from an epic blockbuster combined with an anime like DBZ. Many parts come to feel a bit corny, but I still found them exciting.
If anything, David Mogo, Godhunter is a riveting step forward in bringing more diversity into the western fiction world that we desperately need.
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Set in Lagos, Nigeria, Isale Eko precisely - After an event known as the falling, thousand of Orishas fall to the city causing widespread chaos, David Mogo also known as Orisha Daji which translates to half human half God captures these fallen deities for a fee. He is a demigod who makes a living from hunting these powerful beings.
The plot kicks off when he accepted a job offer from a powerful wizard gangster called Lukmon Ajala who wants to capture orisha beji, two high gods to seize control of Lagos and unleash a legion of dangerous, hybrid godling-child creatures called Taboos. To fix his mistake, David Mogo teams up with the twin sister of the high god, a powerful sorcerer and a mute girl. Throughout the journey, David does not only confront the external threat posed by Ajala and his creations but also his own repressed godly identity and the challenge of protecting his loved ones in a city fractured by Divine intervention
A rich display of culture woven with the theme of self discovery and identity. Suyi Davies’s intricate style of writing is explicit when he applies pidgin (which uniquely stands out from the popular west centric fantasy.
The world building is striking! And what better way to captivate me than employing the “found family” trope which is highlighted by characters like Papa Udi, Fatoumata. For me, the plot illustrates Nigeria as a country, Lukmon Ajala represents Greedy Nigerian politicians and their crazy hunger for everlasting power, the zombie children portrays, the youths we look up to for change and the brighter future, what is LASPAC role again? You have to read this one!
The plot kicks off when he accepted a job offer from a powerful wizard gangster called Lukmon Ajala who wants to capture orisha beji, two high gods to seize control of Lagos and unleash a legion of dangerous, hybrid godling-child creatures called Taboos. To fix his mistake, David Mogo teams up with the twin sister of the high god, a powerful sorcerer and a mute girl. Throughout the journey, David does not only confront the external threat posed by Ajala and his creations but also his own repressed godly identity and the challenge of protecting his loved ones in a city fractured by Divine intervention
A rich display of culture woven with the theme of self discovery and identity. Suyi Davies’s intricate style of writing is explicit when he applies pidgin (which uniquely stands out from the popular west centric fantasy.
The world building is striking! And what better way to captivate me than employing the “found family” trope which is highlighted by characters like Papa Udi, Fatoumata. For me, the plot illustrates Nigeria as a country, Lukmon Ajala represents Greedy Nigerian politicians and their crazy hunger for everlasting power, the zombie children portrays, the youths we look up to for change and the brighter future, what is LASPAC role again? You have to read this one!
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It was alright. I suspect some of the things I struggled with (remembering who the characters were, the narrative structure) are cultural barriers and on me to overcome. So my critique is mostly about David and the scope of the story.
David really doesn't feel like a fleshed out character to me. He's just... Simple. And the solution to every problem he has seems to be pushing himself harder or asking for help. In some ways, it feels like the only barrier to his success is himself, and by the end, I was rolling my eyes every time David just had to reach a little deeper to succeed.
As for the scope of the story, we see so many things that would be much more interesting if explored in detail, but we skim over all of it. This is explained, but I don't think it does the story any favors. Especially given the above. The little stories in this book seem much more compelling than the story we get.
Since this is the author's debut, I may read one more and see if these issues get resolved. There was enough good that I didn't think reading this was a waste of time. But it's not really one I can recommend.
David really doesn't feel like a fleshed out character to me. He's just... Simple. And the solution to every problem he has seems to be pushing himself harder or asking for help. In some ways, it feels like the only barrier to his success is himself, and by the end, I was rolling my eyes every time David just had to reach a little deeper to succeed.
As for the scope of the story, we see so many things that would be much more interesting if explored in detail, but we skim over all of it. This is explained, but I don't think it does the story any favors. Especially given the above. The little stories in this book seem much more compelling than the story we get.
Since this is the author's debut, I may read one more and see if these issues get resolved. There was enough good that I didn't think reading this was a waste of time. But it's not really one I can recommend.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot