Thrilling adventure especially via audiobook. From the stark imagery to the dips and twists of the story, it did not disappoint.

Immersive and detail rich historical fiction with a memorable, morally grey heroine, MASQUERADE is a loose Persephone retelling set in 15th century Yorùbáland. Highly recommended for fans of court intrigue, rise to power tales, GRRM, and THE WOMAN KING. Hopefully the first of many books from Nigerian American O.O. Sangoyomi.

Òdòdó is a blacksmith in Timbuktu. Blacksmiths in this world are shunned as witches despite their valuable skill, as they are primarily single women and mothers who reject or have been rejected by men (it's sort of unclear which). A mysterious stranger buys one of Òdòdó's signature metal flowers, and it's not long before she finds herself drugged and abducted, whisked to Yorùbáland, and her whole world is turned upside down. She quickly accepts that her fortune has changed dramatically, and she must learn how to adjust to a host of new dangers.

This book had a lot of potential. The writing was enjoyable, and the world was incredibly vibrant and interesting, set in what would be a modern day Nigeria. However, the plot and characters fell flat to be point of frustration. There were moments that were unclear and needed more explanation, and some of Òdòdó's decisions were really hard to understand, which made it challenging to connect with her journey. She simply didn't have any qualities that I appreciate in a protagonist, and I wasn't really given a reason to believe that she basically a savant at court politics, strategy, etc. while being simultaneously so uneducated and naive in regards to court life. It just didn't make sense.

Lastly, if you're going to be on the wrong side of a slave revolt without any reflection or growth, I'm going to root against you. The only thing that kept this from being a 1 star read for me was the end, but even that was pretty unbelievable.

The narrator Ariel Blake was fantastic, and I would definitely listen to more of her work.

15th century west Africa, Òdòdó’ is a blacksmith in Timbuktu. Blacksmiths are all women, and are shamed as witches. She has an interesting encounter with a vagrant and afterwords is kidnapped and taken to the capital city of Yorùbáland, Ṣàngótẹ̀. Here she discovers that the vagrant is actually the warrior king, and his encounter with her has left him smitten and he wants to take her as his second wife. After her life as a social outcast with poor conditions, she is beguiled by her new lifestyle as a powerful member of high society. She begins to have feelings for him as they get further into the relationship, even as she realizes how cruel and heartless he can be. Learning to navigate her new world, she begins scheming to satisfy her hunger for even more power.


I highly recommend the audiobook because the narrator is an amazing story teller.

It’s fun, engaging, and I will recommend it to anyone who enjoys a little historical fiction mixed with mythology. I was a little nervous about the kidnapping-turned-lovers vibe but it all worked out in the end (tee hee).

I do have a couple bones to pick with the story though. Òdòdó’s questionable decision making skills were frustrating, but I guess that’s part of her character. The pacing is weird, the story stagnates a little in the middle and the end feels super rushed. Those these two things were minor issues though because the storytelling was so good and I still had a great time reading it.

Ododo is a complex, compelling, relatable heroine that will stick with me for a long time. I finished this book several weeks ago and keep thinking about its imagery, plot, and character arcs! I'm telling everyone I know about this book.

This was gorgeous! What an impressive debut!! I really enjoyed this "Hades and Persephone retelling" set in 15th century West Africa.

When I saw I was going to be on a panel at ALA with O.O. Sangoyomi, I sneaked onto Netgalley and requested an audio ARC (thank you Netgalley and the publisher for approving me). I'm so glad I did. I was blown away by the beautiful writing and the strong female characters. The main character has definite GoT Sansa vibes, and I loved that.

The story follows Òdòdó, who works as a blacksmith with her mother. She's kidnapped by the king of Yorùbáland to become his second wife. The love story is complicated (as it should be, given the circumstances) - this is not a romantasy, but historical fiction with a hint of fable. Òdòdó learns to find her strength and come into her own power as a woman, and it's thrilling to watch. MASQUERADE is a deftly told tale with rich characters and setting.

Sangoyomi is going to be a big name in fiction. Five stars from me!

I was looking forward to this book and really wanted to like it, but was unfortunately disappointed.

Things I liked:
- The imagery was BEAUTIFUL, from the fictionalized settings to the clothing and riches of Ṣàngótẹ̀!
- The elephants!
- The concept was really strong - a young working woman gets kidnapped by the warrior king to be his new wife, and must navigate the sudden plunge into high society, political scheming, and her growing relationship with her future husband.
- The narrator Ariel Blake was excellent and really brought the characters and imagery to life.

Things I didn’t like:
- It felt like there were too many plot lines going on here, and it was hard to both keep them straight and get invested in them.
- The pacing wasn’t great, and it felt like some of the plot was filler and could have been shortened to keep the story moving along.
- The chemistry was not there between Òdòdó and the king
- I did not identify with or like the main character Òdòdó. She started out ok, but her personality and naivety started to drive me crazy, and her thought process/decision making didn’t make sense to me at all 😂

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC.

In a reimagined 15th century west Africa, this is a spellbinding tale about young Ododo, the main character, who is abducted from her blacksmith guild in Timbuktu and forced to marry the warrior king of Yorubaland. But Ododo learns fast and she swiftly begins to navigate the political environment of her husband’s court. A fierce and strong personality, Ododo gets involved in intrigue, rivalry and warfare. I loved the setting - so richly described that it visually comes alive. There’s tension, suspense and surprises and I loved the ending. I enjoyed the audiobook and narrator Ariel Blake did a great job. The book gets a 3.5 rating rounded up to 4. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Now this is a historical fiction/myth! The beautiful cover drew me in, but the story itself was what kept me there. The action starts on the first page and does not stop until the last - there are no slow parts, but nothing feels rushed. The characters are realistically complex - people do dumb things, but this isn't like so many other stories where the heroine is unbelievably oblivious to things around her to put herself in peril and advance the story. Sure, Ododo's choices and reactions (or lack thereof, sometimes) reflect her limited life experience prior to the events of the book - but as the story progresses and she gets to know the players and politics of the royal city, she learns from her mistakes. The slice of 15th century Africa we see through Odobo's eyes is wonderfully described in all of its diversity of terrain, wildlife, cultures, etc. without the European framing common to too many African stories. The audiobook is a special treat - the narrator's voice is lovely, and it is the kind of tale that should be told aloud (of course not by a griot - they're not storytellers, you know!) and savored.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I enjoyed Masquerade, especially the second half of the book when things started to become more exciting. I do think it was a little on the long side and the first half dragged a bit. This book is a very loose retelling of Hades and Persephone, set in 15th century West Africa. Òdòdó is likeable enough as a main character and narrator, but she is sometimes incredibly naïve and honestly, unbelievably stupid. At times, she is quite clever and inventive and brave, but then will fail to see how she is being lied to or deceived or just doesn't put two and two together. While she sheds some of her naivete as the story progresses, she still has these moments of being dumb later in the novel. It takes most of the story for her to fully realize whom she can truly trust and how far.

The details and descriptions of her life, the royal city of Ṣàngótẹ̀, and the action scenes are good, and boy, is that ending compelling! Overall, Masquerade is worth the read, even if Òdòdó is sometimes really stupid. The narration by Ariel Blake is quote enjoyable.

Thanks NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy of this book.

MASQUERADE by O.O. Sangoyomi is gorgeously narrated by Ariel Blake and graciously provided to me by @macmillan.audio via @netgalley. Published on July 2nd, this was a stunningly immersive tale into the 15th century world of West Africa.

I loved following Òdòdó and her journey from a social outcast, to kidnap victim, to future bride of the King of Yorùbáland. I found myself lost in the deeper struggles she has while discovering her strengths and slowly imparting her voice. As all great tales seem to have, a betrayal surprised me while her somewhat impossible choices forged the hardness she needed to survive.

I was ready for a change of scene in my usual reading and this story took me away. The subversive strengths of women are themes I always love, and laugh to see how witches are the name for strong women everywhere, and this audio was gorgeous. I loved being able to hear these beautiful names pronounced in the smooth and correct way that I might stumble over. Blake captured all the characters well and I was transported.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A recommended audio choice for all who want a fresh take on strong African women in a rich, historical setting with mythological tendrils.

I don't read historical fiction much but I enjoyed this book very much. I'm glad I read the synopsis before starting it and didn't expect a bunch of fantasy and magic. I also really enjoyed the narration as well. This book is great for people who love historical fiction set in west Africa.

Going into Masquerade, I wasn’t sure whether to expect realistic historical fiction or something more in the realm of fantasy. With that stunning cover, it looks like a fantasy novel, right? I’ll warn you now: This is historical fiction, with a few elements that feel surreal, but it’s not fantasy. It draws from the myth of Persephone as well as Nigerian mythology, setting it all in a reimagined 15th century West African empire. Òdòdó is a blacksmith in Timbuktu when she meets a charming vagrant. But he’s actually Àrẹ̀mọ, the Aláàfin (warrior king) of Yorùbáland, and he intends to make Òdòdó his wife. So he has her kidnapped. Before she’ll agree to marry him, Òdòdó wants him to find her mother to gain her blessing. In the meantime, Òdòdó becomes more and more involved with the politics and secrets of her new home.

Òdòdó is an interesting character; she doesn’t always see things the way I would, but she’s true to herself throughout the novel. At first she seems surprisingly okay with the fact that Àrẹ̀mọ had her kidnapped so he could marry her. Is this some kind of “dark romance” situation? But for Òdòdó, despite the problematic methods, she views this as an opportunity to improve her life. Instead of a poor blacksmith, distrusted because people see her as a witch, she’ll now have luxury and influence as his queen. And right away, Òdòdó wants to wield that power.

Masquerade becomes quite political, and we get to see Òdòdó relying more and more on her acumen. She may be naive at first, but she quickly learns who she can and can’t trust, how to gather information, and how to manipulate others accordingly. She must prove herself to Àrẹ̀mọ, and in so doing, hopes to achieve more power as his queen than most woman in her world ever could. There are numerous side plots and missions that she gets involved with and works to unravel—the blacksmith strike, a situation with elephants’ ivory, a rescue mission or two. Òdòdó is ready to take on real control, alongside her (soon-to-be) husband or not.

Readers might think Òdòdó is totally naive and has some Stockholm Syndrome. How can she trust, let alone love, the man that kidnapped her? This youthful innocence may be part of it for a while, but it largely reads as her making a choice. As bad as this option may be, she sees it as a huge step up from her life as a blacksmith. She wants the power and the relative ease of life, and she’s willing to sacrifice a lot to attain it.

I love the discussion of how much power a woman can have, even as queen. Òdòdómo is always in danger, with others trying to harm or even kill her. Despite his flowery language, Àrẹ̀mọ might never respect Òdòdómo or any woman, seeing them as inferior in some way. To have all she wants, Òdòdómo may need to choose a different path. Is Òdòdómo a likable character? Does she make the right choices? Hard to say. She, like most of the characters here, is morally gray. But the book is intriguing from start to finish!

Audio
Ariel Blake does an incredible job of narrating Masquerade. The accent she gives Òdòdómo makes it feel much more immersive, whisking me into 15th-century West Africa and the mind of a young woman whose life is drastically changing. Her narration keeps the book engaging throughout, both in the slower portions and in the more high-action sections. The audiobook elevates the book and makes Masquerade that much more enjoyable.

Final Thoughts
Masquerade is a captivating novel for anyone who likes historical fiction, different mythologies, politics, and a richly drawn West African setting. It’s about a woman seizing power in her life through unusual opportunities and a mind for politics. I loved this book and hope to read more from O.O. Sangoyomi.

I really wanted to like this book. I did not reread the synopsis before going into it, which I feel was a mistake. I expected magic and more fantasy elements that were not there. Which is more on me than the book, but I feel like that contributed to my overall feelings.

The choices that Ododo made throughout the story, especially in regards to the people she blindly trusted kind of floored me, and after people showed their true colors she didn't really seem to learn from the past and protect herself, which frustrated me. I was practically yelling at her at some points because she was being so naive. And for what happens towards the end of the book, I just wish there had been more gradual nods to the character development throughout the story. I feel like this would have made me root for her more.

The imagery of this story was beautiful, and I really felt like I could picture all of the settings. I also loved the narrator, she had such a lovely voice to listen to and did well with the pacing. I felt like the second half of the book I was more engaged in than the first half, and the end of the book was relatively satisfying. I would give this author another try at some point.

In a sea of highly promoted white male authors, my journey to finding enjoyable fantasy written by BIPOC women continues. This one, loosely based on Persephone, starts off well but Òdòdó and company began to annoy me before the end. If you have the chance to listen to this on audio, I found the West African narration quite pleasing. The narrator, Ariel Blake, is Black and Guyanese, but has a background in acting.

In this tale of capture, and pseudo-love, Òdòdó is brought to Ṣàngótẹ̀ to marry the king. He already has one wife he mostly ignores. I never truly trust a romance based on Stockholm syndrome. Don't call it enemies to lovers. Don't call it dark romance. He kidnapped her. He has more power than her. She has no choice.

While this had all the puzzle pieces to being a story I could truly enjoy, the stupid decisions Òdòdó ends up making make this hard for me. I had to double check that this was an adult fantasy, because her character reads very young adult. Perhaps you've come here from my other reviews. Perhaps this sounds similar.

However, unlike those other reviews, I did enjoy this for the most part. I am rather unfamiliar with African mythology, and even more ignorant to West African mythology. I'd love to learn more. I think we'll be seeing some exciting things from this author in time. I plan to read them.

📚 Buddy read with Ekene

🎧 Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio

Thank you to @NetGalley for letting me listen to the advanced audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

This book was alright, the beginning and middle were a bit slow and most characters were not very likeable, but the end was fantastic. Some parts of the book didn't add to the story it just left a lot of loose ends and plot holes. For example, the whole idea of her mom being such an important figure to her but, also never mentioned a single good thing about her. The chemistry/romance was not there between the FL and ML.

I liked the story message and the overall theme but the story had too many plots and things going on that didnt add anything, however the ending saved it from being a 2.5/3 star.

This is a complicated book for me to review. There were elements that I really liked, and elements that I found confusing and frustrating.

The prose itself was stunning, and the world was lush and clear without having any infodumping sections.

But as a reader, I really like to feel like I’m living inside a character’s head as I am reading, and I found myself really unclear about the main character, Òdòdó, her motivations, decision-making, and actions. The romance element was extremely flat, I didn’t know if I was supposed to be rooting for them to be together or not. The basis for their relationship was instantaneous, and although they spent time together, I didn’t feel like I saw their relationship grow.

While the main character was unclear, the rest of the characters and plot felt predictable, which made the book frustrating to read. It’s one thing if you know a character is walking into a trap, but also why they believe they have to or trust the other character, it’s another thing to watch a character just be oblivious to everyone around them.

I think this book is more for the political fantasy / historical fiction crowd than it is for the high fantasy or Romantasy crowds. What Òdòdó seemed to care most about was gaining power, and rising from a lowly position to that of a Queen. If you love books about feminine rage with a lot of morally gray characters, I think you will really love this one!

I think if there had been a little more emotional intimacy between the characters, I would have absolutely loved this book. I look forward to reading more from this author!

🎧 I loved Ariel Blake’s performance so much! Her accent was so beautiful, it made the audiobook really immersive.

Dnf’d at 37%
The writing was good and the storyline wasn’t bad, but I just couldn’t get passed the fact that the male lead had the female lead drugged and kidnapped and she was perfectly fine with this fact and was more than willing to marry him because he was rich and pretty.
I really don’t like to dnf a book, and really tried to push through it. But it just really bothered me and I couldn’t get passed it.

While wildly different from what I usually read I found Masquerade to be enchanting and loved following Òdòdó's journey from blacksmith to queen. I loved the loose mythology retelling and didn't realize the inspiration at first, but looking back it's so well done. The narration was well done and I highly recommend the audiobook. Plus that cover is absolutely stunning!

3.5 ⭐️Started off strong but then the pace dropped off. It’s a retelling of the Persephone myth, which I had a vague knowledge of. The author’s prose is gorgeous which I loved. The story picked up again near the end. Overall I did enjoy it.