What. A. Book!

@oosangoyomi you are such a powerful writer! I'd been looking for a book that delved emotionally deeper than a plot led by tropes and this book absolutely delivered! (For reference, you can still find tropes in there like corruption arcs and whatnot, but in no way did that aid me in knowing what to expect).

This book really did feel like an unapologetic step into the brutal and beautiful world of 15th century West Africa. The main character felt human and therefore understandable, but at other times she could feel almost unattainable for a reader, if that makes sense. She undergoes experiences most of us can't relate to and her journey felt like that which is told in mythology, so she came to feel almost god-like as she embraced her own identity. I am aware that there are elements of mythology woven into the book, which would have aided this as well.

And another thing, for it to be her debut? I love debuts and for this one to be especially thought provoking and powerful (am I using that word too much?), I am just amazed. It was exactly what I needed.

Thankyou so much for the e-ARC!

AMAZING BOOK!

The culture, the vibrance, the eloquent writing - this hit all the spots for me! Òdòdó's journey from the forges of Timbuktu to the royal palace of the Aláàfin in Sàngóte` was a real ride, with so many twists and turns and it had me rooting for her every step of the way.

If I have to be picky, and the reason I didn't give it 5 stars, is because I feel like we missed a lot of backstory before it was action galore already on the 17th page, I would have liked a few more pages on her life and daily life in Timbuktu before the action started. I also felt like the marketing (at least what I saw before, was a Hades & Persephone retelling vibe), but this gave me more a loosely based on Persephone-vibe, which the author herself has marketed the book as on her instagram and that fit so much better I would say,

I so wish I'd liked this book. In theory, it was everything I was looking for: I haven't read enough stories set in medieval Africa, and that the protagonist is a young woman just made it even better.

But this one wasn't for me. For one thing, the first 60% of the book is fairly dull. It was like watching a long training montage without knowing the ultimate goal. Things just happened and didn't seem to be building towards anything. There are many characters, and there's not enough time to get a full sense of some of them. Òdòdó, the protagonist, was initially hard to like and she gets more difficult to like and emphasize with as the narrative progresses. The reasons for her choices are sometimes opaque.

It's taken me about two weeks after finishing the book to write this review because I was trying to figure out why I still didn't enjoy it once the story got going. I think it's partly because I didn't find the worldbuilding immersive. It didn't feel ancient, it didn't feel regal, and it didn't feel African. It had the trappings of Africa -- the food, the clothes. But something was missing, and I wonder if that had something to do with the story being rooted in Greek mythology instead of African or African-derived mythology. I generally love a cultural mashup, though, so maybe I'm wrong about that. But this novel felt like cosplay.

I was also disappointed that the relationship between Rótìmí and his second-in-command was never explicitly defined as romantic or sexual. The way homosexuality was only ever vaguely alluded to made it seem like Hayes code censors had been at this book. But it's 2024, not 1934. And I don't know how homosexuality was perceived in the various kindgoms in northwest medieval Africa, but surely a reimagining is a perfect opportunity to depict a wide acceptance of queer relationships. You could definitely read this book and not realize any of the characters are gay. In Nigeria today, homosexuality is criminalized and queer people are persecuted. It's one of the worst countries on earth for queer people. That makes me question, is part of the reason for the spinelessness wanting to sell this book in Nigeria?

Many of the most fundamental reasons why I didn't enjoy this book are my own fault though - I had a lot of mistaken assumptions at the start. I had thought this was an alternate history with fantasy elements, like RF Kuang's Poppy Wars trilogy. I think my brain made that stupid leap because the description uses the word "reimagined" and imagination can be associated with the fantastical. I kept waiting for people to, like, explode into living fire. Something about all of the metalworkers being women called witches probably made me thing they really were witches, too. I also didn't realize how violent the book was going to be, and how cruel and sadistic the characters would prove. I think that was partly because it was written like YA and the protagonist is so young. Content-wise, it's definitely not YA, though.

I'm honestly really glad most people seem to like this book, though. It's the kind of book we need more of. I almost didn't write a review at all because I know that if this book doesn't sell, that will affect the prospects for future Black authors writing Africa-set stories in a way that doesn't happen to non-minoritized authors.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

incredible incredible debut, i later found out it was loosely based on Hades and Persephone and it was done splendidly. The pacing was beautiful and so was the prose, not a single dull moment, can't wait for the next book and everything the author writes in the future.

Loosely based on the story of Hades and Persephone, Masquerade tells a story about war, politics and love.

The writing style drew me in immediately. Everything was so eloquently described. You could almost feel the heat, taste the dust and make you feel how Òdòdó felt.
It's intense, gripping and complex.

The characters are written and are fully fleshed out. The character development is amazing, and I loved how Òdòdó grew into a position that gained respect from those who previously looked down on her. She is fierce, and not afraid to take risks to get what she wants. She is not just a pretty accessory to a man.
It was interesting to see her deal with conflicting feelings about her situation.

The book also gives a lot of attention to the relationship between women, and their complexity. You often see stories where there are multiple wives, and they mostly hate or compete with each other. It is refreshing to see that in this book, this is not the case, and we see women actually supporting women.

The ending was also just perfect for me. The book feels finished, but there is more than enough room for a sequel to Òdòdó's story.

If you want to read a book with a fierce female lead, beautifully written characters, political intrigue and adventure, I highly recommend this book!

Thank you Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group for granting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This was such a beautifully told book. I was hooked from the first page and Òdòdó was so unbelievably intriguing to watch as a character. The workings of her mind was so impressive to watch and I loved how observant she was. The progression of the romance had a constant love and hate at the same time but actually having you feel both of those things was quite the feat. I didn’t know what direction she was truly going to lean until the end. I won’t spoil the ending but I had absolute chills. This made itself one of my all time favorite books.

It was exhilarating, intoxicating, striking… I couldn’t put it down. Fabulous debut! Can’t wait for the sequel already!

Masquerade feels like the end of a Fairytale where the girl gets the boy and they live happily ever after. Or do they? It begs the question: if you got everything you ever wanted, is it truly what you’d hoped it would be or would you want more?

Òdòdó is a blacksmith living in Timbuktu and is superstitiously considered a witch along with all the blacksmiths. One day while creating flowers, a man wearing rags comes to her and she gifts him a flower, thinking him a beggar. Days later, she’s kidnapped and taken across the Sahara to the Royal City where she discovers her beggar is the Aláàfin (a King of Kings) and she is to become his bride.

Taken from a life of work and thrust into one of luxury Òdòdó does her best to adjust to her new surroundings. However, not everyone wants her there and Òdòdó has to find a way to secure her place with Àrẹ̀mọ (the Aláàfin) and to seize the power she’s never had.

The first half of the book is on the slower side, learning about the court and the players in it. The second half definitely speeds things up — political plots become unveiled and Òdòdó herself does everything she can to hold onto the power she’s gained. I do have mixed feelings on this second part, on one hand there are some storylines I felt were well done and on the other I felt they were either executed too fast or barely at all. There were some plot threads I felt were going to go somewhere and then were cut off sharply and it felt like … that’s it? That’s where we’re going?

What I loved:

— the setting: I loved that it was in Africa.
— the African folklore: loved learning about this!
— Strong female MC
— the twins
— the writing style

What I didn’t love:

— things that had great build-up but weren’t executed with any satisfaction
— the repetition (one braid kept falling from Àrẹ̀mọ’s bun and he never noticed but we’re told this detail multiple times throughout the book)
— the pacing was on the slower side

All in all my trend with wanting to love Hades and Persephone based myths continues: they never quite hit the mark.

Thank you to Forge and Raincoast books for my gifted copy.

I’m not entirely sure how to feel about this book. While I was grateful to get an arc for it, it really was up and down through the whole thing. There was love then a couple chapters later there was dislike for the person that the main character loved. The ending also came out of nowhere. I was very confused the whole time about what the main character’s feelings truly were. It could be that I’m not understanding it because it is not about my culture, but it was hard for me to get through. There were still characters I admired though.

This was an interesting historical fiction that is based on a Nigerian/Yoruba Retelling of Hades and Persephone. I loved how well-written this book was and how the author kept me invested and interested in the main character Ododos. As a Nigerian, I always appreciate books based on our traditions and mythology and I loved how that was woven into the Hades and Persephone aspects. The main character Ododo was a badass female character who wasn't afraid to take risks and do what was necessary to get to the top and I loved and supported her rights and wrongs. There's political and cultural intrigue along with betrayals and adventure which makes the book even more interesting. If you are looking for a diverse historical fiction with a strong female character along with passion and intrigue then you need to read this. Thank you Tor Forge for the arc for an honest review.

Hello,

Firstly, I would like to thank you for allowing me to receive a digital copy of this book. I completed it, and I loved it. A review is filmed and ready to go for my TikTok.

However, as Tor Books is owned by Macmillan Publishing Group, who also owns Saint Martin's Press, this review will not be posted until the boycott of Saint Martin's Press is over - courtesy of a Wednesday Books employee who thought it would be a wonderful idea to spread some violently racist vitriol towards the Palestinian people. If Macmillan or Saint Martin's Press won't take action, then the readers will.

I hope you can understand and appreciate this.

Thank you.

4.75

One thing's for certain and two things for sure! I will ALWAYS support Ododos rights and wrongs! Period.

✅love to hate / obsession and possession
✅Nigerian Folklore and Mythology
✅Powerful Female character that's ready to do the needful to get to the top!
✅Betrayal on betrayal
✅ Persephone x Hades parallels

If not for the fact I have to work for a loving I would have eaten this book up in one sitting!

Ododos character development was A++ watching her grow form strength to strength to outwit those that looked down on and belittled her 🤌🏿. Like BOW DOWN SHE HAS ARRIVED.

The expanse of Yurobaland was described so vividly and their connections to eachother were prefect.

The King definitely learned not to take so much from his bride for her to prove herself and give almost nothing in return. 🤭 If you don't learn you feel sha.

The characters, story and political intrigue were so well done I need book two as soon as possible because I can't wait to see where the story goes next. What is in store for Yourobaland and our cast of characters.

The author set out to prevent the death of precolonial African stories and she DID THAT with bells on and I hope to see a tend of more and more books of this kind being released! I'm off to go down a research rabbit hole happily ignited by this book

I finished O. O. Sangoyomi's historical debut, MASQUERADE, last week ... and my thoughts are still not in order. It is simply TOO good for words. Seriously, truly, this book is as fierce and gorgeous as its cover.

Breathless. Evocative. Elephants. Blood. Intrigue. Twists. Atmosphere. Flowers. That Guy™️.

No thoughts. Just witches.

Read it!!!!

Set in a wonderfully reimagined 15th century West Africa, Masquerade is a dazzling, lyrical tale exploring the true cost of one woman’s fight for freedom and self-discovery, and the lengths she’ll go to secure her future.

Beautiful in every way. I loved it!

First of all, this cover is GORGEOUS. I really enjoyed this book. A beautifully written, West African, historical, rags to riches political romance. I don’t think I’ve ever read anything steeped in African culture like this is. I was constantly googling pronunciations and definitions and I love that in a book; learning while being entertained is so fun! The descriptions were so rich that I could feel the Sahara heat on my skin, smell the Royal garden’s flowers and hear the clinking of Àrèmo’s crown beads.

Òdòdó was such a strong FMC, taking her circumstance in stride. She was an absolute BADASS and political mastermind. The things she endured and overcame were incredible. I didn’t love that she was kidnapped for a marriage (especially given what she had to do for said marriage), but I believe that Àrèmo did love her and she him. As a King and conqueror, he’s definitely morally grey, at best, but he enabled Òdòdó to become who she was meant to be. The ending was PERFECT and I loved this so much.

Masquerade blew me away. This was a brilliant and breathtaking work. I especially loved the ancient African setting. I feel this is something that doesn’t get explored much in works of fiction so it was exciting and new for me. Overally I found this book enjoyable and mysterious in all the good ways

Wow, this book was incredible! Extremely well-written, descriptive, and powerful, this is the story of a young woman who is kidnapped from her position as a blacksmith and taken in to be the wife of the king. The politics in this book were fascinating. I loved getting to see behind the scenes of some of the most powerful people in this land, as well as those who were considered “less important,” like the women, the commoners, and the slaves. Admittedly I went into this book not knowing much about medieval African history or mythology, so it was incredibly engrossing to read and learn about.

The main character was so refreshing! She was a strong and capable woman, but she felt so real in the way that she reacted to the world and other people around her. The characters in this book all felt truly unique and fleshed out as their own person, even the side characters. And oh my goodness, the character development throughout this story is top tier. Sometimes I was wanting to yell at the characters for the choices they made, but ultimately it felt so real!

I loved the portrayal of women and female relationships in this book. In a lot of media if there is more than one wife, they tend to hate each other and compete constantly for their husband’s affection, and that was not the case for the different relationships in this book. The women were supportive, helpful, and caring to one another. We love to see women supporting women!

Overall, I have to give this book 5/5 stars. I can’t think of any real complaints; the story was great.

Wow. This book challenged me in ways a book hasn't done in a long time. For the majority of the book I was incredibly frustrated and worried about where this book was going. But I'm glad I kept with it because it was everything it needed to be.

It was bloody and brutal with layers of deceit (even within characters themselves) that made it hard to put down. The main character's actions and feelings were hard to predict and most times that resulted in me wanting to throw the book across the room. But the crafting of this character was so well done and made the ending just perfect.

This was an amazing read, I cannot wait to get the physical copy of this book. It was a wild ride and everything I needed to start my 2024 off with

Such a great start to the reading year. I was instantly hooked by Sangoyomi's writing and was not disappointed (shocked? yes but disappointed never) with the way the story turned out!

<B>In Masquerade we follow the blacksmith Ododo, who is kidnapped from her home to become the bride of the all powerful, Alaafin. Ododo is at first wary of the Alaafin's motives and is hesitant in becoming his bride (I would be too if he kidnapped me). As time progresses and Ododo becomes accustomed to life at court, she slowly begins to fall for the Alaafin but all is not as it seems and not everybody is pleased with the Alaafin's new bride - to -be.</B>

One of the things I loved the most about this story was Ododo, I enjoyed that we discovered the inner machinations of Yoruba court as we did. Her naivete about certain things did annoy me at times and I constantly had to be reminding myself that this was loosely based on the Persephone myth and thus she probably had Stockholm's cause ain't no way <spoiler> you meet the psycho that is Aremo and go yes I must love the man that took me from home and made me kill my mother is the love of my life. I also may be based but I loved the ending, that moved it up a star for me, should a killed him from the jump! </spoiler>. I also really loved the relationship that Ododo had with the twins. Speaking of the twins they were so mischievous and fun and I too wondered at times if they shared a mind lol.
With that being said there are quite a few things that were touched on more:
<spoiler> - Omosewa's death, I get that he was an asshole and may have not been generally liked but Rotimi killing a great warrior on the basis that he did like the King's wife seemed random to me. It seemed to me like the author needed to kill off this character and that was the only way she say fit.
- On the topic of Rotimi, it is implied that him and his second in command were more than good workers and you want me to believe that Rotimi was satisfied with his measly attempt and was just gonna live with the fact that the love of his life had been sold off into slavery what??
- which brings me to another issue I had with the story, I'm not going to pretend to be knowledgeable about 15th century Africa but why was everybody so nonchalant about their loved ones being sold off into slavery?? Like they were upset for a minute and then it was oh well life continues
-how did nobody suspect that Kolo was not Kolo.. was there no delegation, you mean to tell me that none of the royals had ever laid eyes on the the real Kolo?!</spoiler>

<I>"Yes, I am your daughter," I spat the words back at her. "And I will be the Alaafin's wife. And one day, I will be someone's mother. But when will I get to be a person?"</I>