I had begged for book one to have been longer, and I am very thankful my prayers were answered with getting book two. Getting a chance to explore more of the character, of the world, of why the war became, it was absolutely amazing. I truly enjoyed every moment of this.

3.5 stars.

This would've been a 4-star read for me if the first half wasn't so focused on random characters who were wronged by the orisha. It made it a bit of a drag to read, even though this is a novella and not a full-length novel. Truth be told, my mind was starting to wander and I kept putting this book off in favor of other reads.

The second half delivered on the action and high stakes that I wanted a lot more of. I was seated and ready for Ashâke's story and her fate ever since book 1 ended. While her hero's journey in the first half of this book felt meandering, the story really tightened up by the halfway mark and brought my interest back.

I really liked how the orishas reminded me of the stories of the Norse gods (the mythological version and the Marvel version). They're fickle and petty and funny, and I'd like to read a spin-off with their stories.

Overall, this duology was a quick and entertaining read. I'd definitely recommend if you're interested in Yoruba mythology and don't mind adult reads that read more YA.

Thank you to Tordotcom and NetGalley for this arc.

What a beautiful and empowering conclusion to this duology. This sequel is seamlessly woven together and incredibly well-paced. The orishas' presence and personalities are really felt on the page, and I absolutely enjoyed the character dynamics. At the start, I found myself wanting more from Ashâke's perspective, but, by the end, each of the characters' storylines proved necessary. Thank you NetGalley and Tor/Forge for this ARC!! 4.5 / 5.0 ⭐️

Continuing where In the Shadow of the Fall left off, At the Fount of Creation is a fantastic conclusion to this duology that delivers on the series commitment to nuanced characters, and their motivations and machinations. Ogundiran delivers the right combination of direct prose with the right inflections of magic to draw the reader in and make such an intricate story feel justified in such a small page count. I recommend this to readers seeking a fast-paced, character-focused, moral journey navigating the influence of gods and higher-powers.

I am incredibly interesting in seeing what Ogundiran can do in a full length novel, or a series of novels.

4.75 stars

I have been waiting for the sequel to be available and it did not disappoint. There was more action in this novella with some more world building; this is truly a novella duology meant for fans of N. K. Jemisin as it feels familiar to her Inheritance Trilogy. Ashake remains as a fresh take on "The Chosen One" trope, the only draw back I would give this novella is that it seems Ashake's regressed, if only slightly, in the beginning from the strong woman she presented herself at the end of the first novella.

it took me a bit to get into the story, but i unfortunately did not like this as much as i did the first one, it really could have been wrapped up in one book if i'm being honest like a standalone epic fantasy. I enjoyed all the characters tho and the world building around it and history.

4.5 stars rounded up

A strong conclusion to this duology! At the Fount of Creation continues Ashâke's story, drawing on West African mythology. She is caught up in an epic battle between powerful beings- the Orisha and the godkillers. I don't want to say too much because of spoilers, but this installment was action packed and included some interesting twists and revelations, leading up to a very satisfying conclusion. Definitely recommend both books and would read more from this author in the future! I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

Thanks to Net Galley and Tordotcom for the ARC. I really enjoyed the first book and was excited to read the second, but unfortunately it was not as interesting as the first.

3.5 ☆
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At the Fount of Creation is the conclusion to the duology "Guardians of the Gods." Let me say, this cover art is beautiful and definitely caught my attention! At the Fount of Creation is a super quick novella that finishes up where the first book left off. I was a little behind, so I will have to go back and read book 1.
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Thank you, Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group for the ebook in exchange for my honest review.

This was a great conclusion to the duology! I really liked the expansion of the world in this one, as well as how Ashake's character continued to develop. She grew and matured from a somewhat sullen acolyte while still keeping her quick-witted personality.

I didn't personally find this novella stood alone (so it isn't the right fit for our libraries). For such a short work, the worldbuilding was heavy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for the ARC.

With the end of «In the Shadow of the Fall» I could not wait to get my hands on the sequel and see what happens next for Ashâke and the Orisha who resided within her. This is such a satisfying ending to the duology and I really loved the interspersion of what events that led to the creation of the Teacher. This is such a great exploration of choices and consequences and how feeling exploited and used can lead to dismantlement of systems. I really loved this and hope there might be more in this world, though the ending is definitely solid and ties up Ashâke’s story very neatly.

The first novella in this duology was one of my favourite fantasy reads of the year, so it’s easy to say I was extremely excited for this finale to the story. In many ways, this installment feels a lot different from the first, where it’s a story of discovery, this novella is a lot more about following through, and it manifests in a very different way. The action starts immediately, but not exactly where the last book left off, as seasons have passed and the tension between the Orisha and the Godkillers is stronger than ever. And while Ashâke is still the protagonist, the story has a lot more narrators, and dives more into the lore of the Orisha in this world, and that of the Teacher. I think it’s a look at grief and motivation, as well as an exercise of power from many different angles. The story does have an ending, but it also felt like it wasn’t truly over because I don’t think there’s a singular answer for the questions that Ogundiran brings up in this series. While I found the first novella to be more compelling, I do think this is a fantasy duology that’s definitely worth reading.

I really enjoyed the conclusion to this unique series! The pace was quick and I admire the author's concision. He included just enough background to get me invested in the characters but not so much that it slowed down the pace of the story. It was the perfect balance. I love books that make me think and this was definitely one of those. The story kept me gripped and I flew through it but I'm still thinking about what this book had to say about power, faith and the power of individual choices. This series is a quick read but a worthwhile one! I'm so glad I got the chance to check out this author and I'll definitely be keeping an eye on his future releases.

This was great. A quick read that continued the world-building that I loved so much from the last one. Really loved that we got to see Ashâke become her own person.

This was absolutely amazing!! I’m so sad it’s over lol. I need more! The plot twist I was not expecting, and it even made you feel bad for the villain. Such a great read

I had to play catch up and read the first one, but I really enjoyed this book. The African mythology was extremely interesting to read and the stories premise was amazing.

At The Fount of Creation by Tobi Ogundiran is a Nigerian fantasy novella and the second book of the Guardians of the Gods duology. Just like the first book - In The Shadow of the Fall, it is vivid, fast-paced and interesting with twists. However, as a Yoruba person, I struggle to understand the symbolism in this book. Thank you, Net Galley and Tor Publishing for giving me the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.