In the Shadow of the Fall

I went into this book already excited just by the description alone. I however wasn’t expecting such a rich and varied storytelling from a novella. The world was impeccably established, the characters given a richness and life that is tangible and heart wrenching. Ashâke is a dynamic character from the first page, the cast of characters you meet including the mythological and religious ones are so vivid it’s unbelievable. No matter how briefly you meet them, each leaves an impact.

I feel as if I’ve read an entire series and not merely an introduction. I am dying for more and I cannot wait to see the rest of the story!

A masterful tapestry of culture, mythology, religion, and character development.

Thank you NetGalley and Tordotcom for offering me an Arc of this spellbinding series beginning!

This is a great way to start off 2024! I thoroughly enjoyed this novella, and my hope is that the author is hard at work on more stories set in this world. The setting seems to be West Africa, most likely Nigeria, and we learn a lot about the mythology/folklore of the region, which is quite fascinating. Ogundiran effortlessly makes us care about the main character, who is lost both figuratively and literally. The ending is particularly well-executed, leaving the reader wanting more while still being satisfied by what has been revealed thus far.

I encourage everyone to check this out—it’s a quick read and well worth your time.

My sincere thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for an advance copy in exchange for my honest feedback!

This novella was nothing short of phenomenal. Easy and smooth worldbuilding coupled with unique and exciting POV characters made this one of my fastest reads in a long time. While I was initially concerned about the amount of worldbuilding that would need to happen in a 160-page novella to fit the hook, it was done in a masterful way that never once took me out of the story. The characters were fully fleshed out and realized, as were their world and the roles they played within it. Each character gets a spotlight that shines more on their history, role, shortcomings, and struggles.

My only "negative" was that some plot points felt a smidge rushed or that they could have been foreshadowed more, but I believe that has more to do with my drive in mysteries to figure out the reveals before we learn them as less to do with the quality of the work. I wish I had more foreshadowing around the big reveal, but I was pleased with it and loved the complexity it brought to the story. The setting was lush and full of danger and secrets, and I loved it!

Cheers to my first novella of 2024! 🎉

I will read more of Tobi Ogundiran's writing and look forward to future reviews! Thank you to NetGalley for this advanced copy of IN THE SHADOW OF THE FALL by Tobi Ogundiran.