ust finished reading my copy of Tolu' A. Akinyemi's ( @tolutoludo ) poetry book "Never Play Games with the Devil". I recommend it.

Akinyemi's poetry is quick, to the point, and needs no embelishment. Dry phrases are so crisp he needs little more to make the short poems crackle. Politically chastizing makes for a core theme. He is frank, not ruthless, not cut short, nor obnoxious.

With such curt phrasing one wonders how he coukd dedicate a section to love poems, but truly the day to day mystery of a woman, not shrouded in legend, but the pragmatic makes love so much more real.

My first read by Akinyemi will not be my last. My first read of a Nigerian poet and it will not be my last.

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#neverplaygameswiththedevil

Never Play Games with the Devil by Tolu A. Akinyemi is a unique set of poetry that is worth the read.

I enjoy diving into poetry every once and a while. The real issues discussed in this poetry were done excellently. I think this book may be hit and miss with people, but it's worth the read if you like poetry.

Three out of five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and The Roaring Lion Newcastle for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

Tolu Akinyemi write words that are clear but carry deep meaning.
Each poem carries a theme of regret, of broken men, of a people robbed of their deserved future.

In Never play games with the devil, Tolu x-rays Nigeria, his personality, his aspirations as a human, writer and as a Nigerian.
That doesn't break me till SARS and I remember that the struggle for freedom from brutality is still on and going home should be a joyous thought.

It is a book for deep thinkers and jokers too for Tolu gets this dynamic right and ends on love, it will get better.

Thank you to the Roaring Lion Newcastle and NetGalley for the Reader's Copy!

Now available.

There is a certain urgency to Tolu' A. Akinyemi's words in "Never PLay Games with the Devil", a rush to pen his immediate thoughts in a world that might not let him live for much longer. This collection is effective, simple with its language but deep with the implications, deep with its connection to Nigeria and the West, with its push for the ever greater hustle. However, as a reader, I wish there was more variety in the topics presented, maybe a variation in style. It seems like a collection better suited to spoken word than the written form perhaps.