4.5🌟 This is a really quick and interesting fantasy novella based on African, Ifa, mythology. We meet Ashake, an acolyte, who is attempting to live her life in devotion to the Orishas, unfortunately, things don't go as expected and she is thrust into a whirlwind journey to find her place within her faith. This story is short but mighty! If you love fantasy novels and desire something with an intense storyline with unexpected twists and turns, then I absolutely recommend this book. I'm so excited to get my hands on the next book in this story to see where Ashake's journey takes her next. I know the conclusion is going to be epic!!!

Also, the cover art of this book and the next are absolutely stunning!!! I'll will definitely be getting physical copies to decorate my book shelves.

Thank.you, Netgalley and Tor publishing for providing an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I found the setting of the story to be really interesting. I think the writing is really well done... however I really couldn't get into this story and it prevented me from wanting to finish it. I really didn't love the characters and because of that I had to DNF.

"For fans of N. K. Jemisin and Tomi Adeyemi" was all I needed to hear to be excited about In The Shadow of the Fall. In addition to stunning wordbuilding, this prose is stunning and captivating. If you're a novella reader, you're in for a treat! And it you don't typically read novellas, this is absolutely the standard.

Thank you NetGalley and Tordotcom for offering me an Arc of In the Shadow of the Fall!

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this e-arc! 4/5 stars, an amazing novella that I'm excited to see more of!

we love to see new mythology enter the fantasy world! I'm not very familiar with west african mythology but it was super interesting to see in a new fantasy. ogundiran does a really great job of establishing the world and fleshing it out, especially given that it's a novella. some fantasy suffers from confusing world building that you only understand ten chapters in but ogundiran's world building is precise and well explained, but also very descriptive and lush. ashake is also a very vivid character - you feel her emotions as she experiences them, and she's very well written. she did annoy me at times, but given her situation and circumstances, her reactions are totally understandable. I do think because this is a novella, it does suffer a little from length - we move through ashake's emotions so quickly that you almost get whiplash from how quickly she swings from one to another. I think a full length novel would've allowed us to sit in ashake's emotions for longer, for her to fully digest what she's feeling after she learns new things, and that would've made her feel more fleshed out. but overall, a wonderful first novella, and I'm definitely gonna be locked in for the second!

I thoroughly enjoyed this novella. We follow a young woman who after a life of devotion feels abandoned and desperate. She then takes matters into her own hands and things don’t go that way one would anticipate.

Give the shorter length of this book, both the plot and characters were very well mapped and fleshed out. I’m hoping there’s a sequel coming because it definitely does not feel resolved!

Thank you to Tor for the review copy. My opinions are my own.

This was a fast paced novella that is at points confusing, but the twists I didn't see coming, but thinking back there were signs. This is a story that I think reading a couple of times would not be a hardship because there is so much packed into the 160 page story. I thought I knew what was going on but I am left with a bunch of questions about some of the people and what was going on, so I hope my questions get answered in the next novella.

Recommend for those who like interesting stories and complicated mythos, but also those who love mysteries with a magical bent.

Thank you to Tor Publishing Group and NetFalley for the e-ARC. All opinions are honest and my own.

Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars, rounded up

Rep: Black girl protagonist, Black characters, pantheon of Orishas, Western-Africa folklore

TW: violence, massacre, religious piety, death, brutalization of children
I thought this book review was going to be late, but fortunately I mixed up the NetGalley archive date with the publishing date! I absolutely loved this book and I saw that the sequel, AT THE FOUNT OF CREATION (and conclusion, as this is a duology) was posted to NetGalley. Once I submit this review I am going to request that one as well.

This is a novella, sitting at about 150 pages, and once again I can count on Tordotcom to deliver a fantastic fantasy novella. I haven’t experienced a miss from them yet, but I digress. We start off by meeting the young, but old for an acolyte, Ashâke. She is questioning her purpose at the temple of Ifa as she has not been spoken to by an Orisha (Deities from the Yoruba religion), so naturally she goes to extreme means to take matters into her own hands. Consequences ensue and she goes on a journey, which leads to some horrifying truths. This one is a little tricky to talk about, because it is short and I don’t want to give away the plot. However, Ogundiran does a great job creating a sense of urgency and foreboding, while introducing us to the world and the characters in a manner that feels authentic and timely.

We met Ashâke and get to spend time with her at the temple. We come to understand the dynamics and the reasoning for why they exist, which lends itself to us understanding Ashâke’s woes and desires. However, this story is dual-pov so we jump around and follow a rather nefarious character, who serves as a counter to Ashâke. The author intelligently utilizes dramatic irony (when the reader is knowledgeable about things the character is not) to heighten our emotions while reading which inherently scopes out the world for us. Ashâke meets a handful of characters along her way, which enlighten her to understand what she was missing and what is at stake. There’s a group of travelers that we meet along the way which add a layer of culture, richness, and community and aid in the dimensions of the world, without Ogundiran having to info-dump. The reader can organically learn about the world through character interactions and their individual histories.

By way of the second point of view character we also get to see the happenings of the Orisha. I think it’s always interesting to learn more about their pantheon, and we come to learn why they are revered and how mortals suffer when gods clash. I’d recommend this series for fans of African fantasy and folktales, adventure, destiny, self-discovery, and lovers of worlds ruled by divine beings.

In the Shadow of the Fall is an exciting and beautifully written novella.

Ashake is an acolyte at the temple, but has yet to ascend to the priesthood. She is older than the other acolytes, and frustrated that the Orisha have not spoken to her yet. After an ill-planned forbidden ritual goes poorly, Ashake is punished and begins to lose faith in the Orisha. She flees the temple, and finds a kind group of nomads who take her in while she questions everything she once knew. Meanwhile, a dark force is threatening the peace of the land and the Orisha themselves. When Asake confronts some truths that leave her shaken, she must make a difficult decision about the path forward.

I really enjoyed this novella! So much so, I was wishing it was longer, as I was completely drawn into the story right from the beginning. The story moved quickly since it is fairly short, and there is a lot of character development and world building throughout. There are a lot of West African influences in this book, and helped create a rich and vibrant world for this story. We follow Asake, who is lively and likable, and I empathized with her struggles with her faith. There are a few exciting twists and plenty of action to keep the plot moving along. I also enjoyed the few alternative POV chapters which provided some interesting background and set things up for the next story. Overall, this was a fast paced and engaging read, and I’m very much looking forward to the next book!!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This was so good! It's very short but dang the author managed to pack some intricate world building and character depth into this story. The pace was fantastic. It hooked me from the beginning with some strong stakes and kept me compelled with the characters. I had a great time and now I'm on the end of my seat waiting for the sequel!

I feel really bad reviewing this book because there was nothing wrong with it, but I just couldn't get into the story. I guess this one just wasn't for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Opinions are my own.

This was one I was really hoping to get to but did not have the chance. I have since started reading and omg this is such a good read! It pulls you in and moves quickly. Absolutely recommend

3.5
I enjoyed parts of this book and I liked the way in which it was written. I really liked the setting and the parts I understood. However, the story started out confusing for me. It was like we were just dropped in the story with no lore or context. I wanted to know more about where I was and what was going on and how the character journied for got there. I had a hard time following it. I was interested though just wanted more to it. I will be following the authors writing to find more I like.

My thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC of this book available to me.

Interesting and very readable, this first book in a projected duology tells the story of a young woman training to become a priestess and what happens when she attempts to push beyond the training that she has been given. Packed with lots of mythology and backstory, it definitely leaves me wanting to read the next book as soon as it is published.

Thanks to NetGalley & Tor Publishing Group for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a pretty fun novella, I love the lack of details and just letting my imagination fill in the blanks. Tobi does a great job in setting up the world and using recognizable tropes to create the story, but his flawed protagonist really carries the story. She's flawed but very sympathetic. Enjoyable story all around and I'm excited for the next one!

Super cute read! If you are a fan of the Legacy of Orïsha series by Tomi Adeyemi, then you will definitely like this. I loved reading more about African folklore!

Ashâke is a young acolyte in the temple of Ifa, and she is struggling to make a connection with the orisha. They won't speak to her, and she is getting increasingly frustrated with their silence. She attempts a ritual to trap an orisha and force them to talk to her, but instead she witnesses a harrowing vision. She is punished by the priestesses for performing such a dangerous ritual, and fed up with the orisha's refusal to speak to her, she runs away from the temple. She is then thrust onto an adventure in which she learns the history of her people and of the orisha - and right smack dab in the middle of their war.

I enjoyed this story, so much so that I wish it was a full length novel. I think by making this a novella, it constricts the amount of action and therefore limiting the story. I really enjoyed Ashâke's adventure, and I think this has the potential to be a full length novel. It felt like right as we were settling into a scene, we had to keep moving forward since there wasn't enough time to fit in more details. Not that the story felt rushed, but I wish there was more. Other than that, I enjoyed the pacing and all of the other characters Ashâke met. I will definitely be reading the sequel!

Thank you to NetGalley, Tobi Ogundiran, & to Tor Publishing Group for the e-Arc!

I'm giving this book 3.5 stars but rounding up to 4
With books this short I am always left wanting more and not always in the best way.
My complaint is that for such a short book it also didn't hook me straight from the beginning, it was a slow burn for sure. But once it got going it was great. I want more but in the best way. I will definitely continue to read the series.
The characters and twists were great. I also really enjoyed the African mythology that played a huge part in the story.

For such a short novel, the writing, character development, and (in particular) world-building was exquisite. Truly, my biggest issue with this novella is that I just wanted more (yay for it being a duology)! I’ve read many authors who have done way less with way more (pages, locations, characters, etc), so I do feel that the writing of this one was masterful. This was one of my first stand-alone novellas, and I do think that maybe novellas just aren’t my thing, but what a phenomenal entry point for them! I’m definitely invested and want to see where this goes.

Thank you so much to Tordotcom for the free physical and e-book of this one!

This a solid debut novella, with good ideas. I enjoyed the African mythological influences and the setup with a cosmic war between gods. The story delivers a lot within around 160 pages, both plot and world building wise, and the cast of characters felt well-realized. Would recommend if you’re interested in a quick, but impactful fantasy read.

I was very excited to find a fantasy novella to read, as I enjoy them quite a bit. Unfortunately for this one I was confused most of the read. Without a glossary or understanding in the lore to begin with, I was reaching for dictionary and googling every step of the way. While this would have been a fun exercise in learning in high school and college, I know find myself reading for escapism and entertainment and if it becomes alot of mental load I will not complete. If there had been, minimally, a glossary I probably would have found this story much more enjoyable.

When @tordotcom asked me if I wanted to review this book I jumped at the chance! @Tor novellas never miss and In The Shadow of The Fall by Tobi Ogundiran is no exception. The pacing, the characters, and the world building are all on point. Some of my favorite scenes involved chillingly creepy body-snatcher type villains 👀

• African mythology
• cosmic war
• beautifully descriptive