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pallavi_vats 's review for:
Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon
by Wole Talabi
Finally, beginning my journey into African mythology with this book, which I'm sure is going to be long & diverse. Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon is as interesting as its title, premise and the cover. Despite its shortcomings, it kept me hooked.
TITLE & THE COVER:
The reasons why I picked this up and flew threw it were the eye catching first appearances. I love the detail of the cover.
Mythology and Fantasy:
As a fantasy fiction enthusiast, nothing gets me going like a good mythology-fantasy blend. In that, the author does a fabulous job of introducing you to an ex nightmare god and a succubus. The unlikeliness of this pair already sucks you in, then the author goes above and beyond to add multiple locations, timelines, iconic elements like heists & much more. This book is almost ready for a TV adaptation.
The World:
The plot takes us around the globe and in different time periods while keeping a fantastical backbone to the worldbuilding. The corporatisation of the Orisha pantheon was hilarious to read, while the notes on colonialism were appreciated. Cameos of gods from other pantheons like Murugan in an epic action scene were quite engaging. The world overall is a colorful, blasting, detailed chaotic environment. Don't believe me? Just read this:
Down on the ground, four bronze horses with flames for eyes were galloping madly behind them, leaving a trail of broken asphalt, sparks, and fire in their wake. A large angry figure rode behind the horses, driving them forward with vicious purpose. A bronze rope that extended all the way to the horses’ strained throats was wound tightly around the imposing figure’s forearm as it rode the back half of a crudely bisected gray sedan, giving chase in a makeshift chariot.
Wole Talabi. Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon (Kindle Locations 66-69). Kindle Edition.
I mean that's a gifted writer, right there.
The Characters:
One of the weakest elements to this story for me were the characters. I did not feel invested in any of them and the main characters got bland to read after a point. In this regard, it felt like the author had too much to fit into one little book. This had too much content fighting for a breathing space. A duology or trilogy might've helped the character arcs more, especially Shigidi's low self confidence regarding his looks.
The Story:
An attractive aspect to the book is its premise of Nigerian gods planning a heist as their freelancing project. However, the excessive packing of too much writing left very less time for the actual heist to happen. Plus by the time it happens, I was already bored. Further, the uneven pacing of the book really put me off. The plot gets extremely slow when Shigidi and Succubus are having a moment or we're in the flashback, but the actually interesting parts are flown through. I think the initial few chapters raise your expectations of the book so much, that it crashes and burn in the end.
Overall, SATBHOO was an entertaining read & Wole Talabi is an author I'm gonna look out for, Despite some bumps, the potential his imagination and creativity holds in this piece, is quite promising to me.
TITLE & THE COVER:
The reasons why I picked this up and flew threw it were the eye catching first appearances. I love the detail of the cover.
Mythology and Fantasy:
As a fantasy fiction enthusiast, nothing gets me going like a good mythology-fantasy blend. In that, the author does a fabulous job of introducing you to an ex nightmare god and a succubus. The unlikeliness of this pair already sucks you in, then the author goes above and beyond to add multiple locations, timelines, iconic elements like heists & much more. This book is almost ready for a TV adaptation.
The World:
The plot takes us around the globe and in different time periods while keeping a fantastical backbone to the worldbuilding. The corporatisation of the Orisha pantheon was hilarious to read, while the notes on colonialism were appreciated. Cameos of gods from other pantheons like Murugan in an epic action scene were quite engaging. The world overall is a colorful, blasting, detailed chaotic environment. Don't believe me? Just read this:
Down on the ground, four bronze horses with flames for eyes were galloping madly behind them, leaving a trail of broken asphalt, sparks, and fire in their wake. A large angry figure rode behind the horses, driving them forward with vicious purpose. A bronze rope that extended all the way to the horses’ strained throats was wound tightly around the imposing figure’s forearm as it rode the back half of a crudely bisected gray sedan, giving chase in a makeshift chariot.
Wole Talabi. Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon (Kindle Locations 66-69). Kindle Edition.
I mean that's a gifted writer, right there.
The Characters:
One of the weakest elements to this story for me were the characters. I did not feel invested in any of them and the main characters got bland to read after a point. In this regard, it felt like the author had too much to fit into one little book. This had too much content fighting for a breathing space. A duology or trilogy might've helped the character arcs more, especially Shigidi's low self confidence regarding his looks.
The Story:
An attractive aspect to the book is its premise of Nigerian gods planning a heist as their freelancing project. However, the excessive packing of too much writing left very less time for the actual heist to happen. Plus by the time it happens, I was already bored. Further, the uneven pacing of the book really put me off. The plot gets extremely slow when Shigidi and Succubus are having a moment or we're in the flashback, but the actually interesting parts are flown through. I think the initial few chapters raise your expectations of the book so much, that it crashes and burn in the end.
Overall, SATBHOO was an entertaining read & Wole Talabi is an author I'm gonna look out for, Despite some bumps, the potential his imagination and creativity holds in this piece, is quite promising to me.