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Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon
The debut fantasy novel from an award-winning Nigerian author presents a mythic tale of disgruntled gods, revenge, and a heist across two worlds
Shigidi is a disgruntled and demotivated nightmare god in the Orisha spirit company, reluctantly answering prayers of his few remaining believers to maintain his existence long enough to find his next drink. When he meets Nneoma, a sort-of succubus with a long and secretive past, everything changes for him.
Together, they attempt to break free of his obligations and the restrictions that have bound him to his godhood and navigate the parameters of their new relationship in the shadow of her past. But the elder gods that run the Orisha spirit company have other plans for Shigidi, and they are not all aligned--or good.
From the boisterous streets of Lagos to the swanky rooftop bars of Singapore and the secret spaces of London, Shigidi and Nneoma will encounter old acquaintances, rival gods, strange creatures, and manipulative magicians as they are drawn into a web of revenge, spirit business, and a spectacular heist across two worlds that will change Shigidi's understanding of himself forever and determine the fate of the Orisha spirit company.
Shigidi is a disgruntled and demotivated nightmare god in the Orisha spirit company, reluctantly answering prayers of his few remaining believers to maintain his existence long enough to find his next drink. When he meets Nneoma, a sort-of succubus with a long and secretive past, everything changes for him.
Together, they attempt to break free of his obligations and the restrictions that have bound him to his godhood and navigate the parameters of their new relationship in the shadow of her past. But the elder gods that run the Orisha spirit company have other plans for Shigidi, and they are not all aligned--or good.
From the boisterous streets of Lagos to the swanky rooftop bars of Singapore and the secret spaces of London, Shigidi and Nneoma will encounter old acquaintances, rival gods, strange creatures, and manipulative magicians as they are drawn into a web of revenge, spirit business, and a spectacular heist across two worlds that will change Shigidi's understanding of himself forever and determine the fate of the Orisha spirit company.
352 pages, Paperback
First published August 8, 2023
199 people are currently reading
7643 people want to read
About the author
Wole Talabi
56 books195 followersWOLE TALABI is an engineer, writer, and editor from Nigeria. He is the author of the novel SHIGIDI AND THE BRASS HEAD OF OBALUFON (DAW books/Gollancz, 2023). His short fiction has appeared in places like Asimov’s Science Fiction, Lightspeed Magazine, Tor.com and is collected in CONVERGENCE PROBLEMS (DAW books, 2024) and INCOMPLETE SOLUTIONS (Luna Press, 2019). He has been a finalist for the Hugo, Nebula, Locus and Nommo awards, as well as the Caine Prize for African Writing. He has edited five anthologies including a 2-volume translation anthology in Bengali, AFRICANFUTURISM (Brittlepaper, 2020) and the forthcoming MOTHERSOUND: THE SAUÚTIVERSE ANTHOLOGY (Android Press, 2023). He likes scuba diving, elegant equations, and oddly shaped things. He currently lives and works in Malaysia. Find him at wtalabi.wordpress.com and at @wtalabi on Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky and Tiktok.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 369 reviews
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November 9, 2023A Nigerian story of a breakaway orisha (once a little god of nightmares, now kind of freelance) who teams up with a succubus, and then gets forced into doing a heist on the British Museum to steal back an ancient African artefact I do not know how anyone could resist this summary.
It's a bit of a chaotic book. Partly because the actual heist takes place over a very short time, so we do a lot of jumping back and forth in the timeline and between backstories. It's very much about capitalism (the various pantheons are basically predatory and selfishly run companies) and colonialism, and about defining and having faith in yourself. Plus, massive spectacular fights involving lightning bolts, and Aleister Crowley. I thoroughly enjoyed hanging on for the ride, but it is definitely chaotic.
I wasn't a million per cent sure about the succubus ("woman uses sex to drain men's souls" is not a myth I find easy to separate from the associated misogyny) but Talabi makes a pretty good stab at pulling it off, giving her her own strong character and feelings, and not demonising her worse than the other soul-stealing gods because she does it through sex.
Exuberant writing and ebullient imagination made this a lot of fun. It needed a better line editor, but so many books do now. Gorgeous cover.
It's a bit of a chaotic book. Partly because the actual heist takes place over a very short time, so we do a lot of jumping back and forth in the timeline and between backstories. It's very much about capitalism (the various pantheons are basically predatory and selfishly run companies) and colonialism, and about defining and having faith in yourself. Plus, massive spectacular fights involving lightning bolts, and Aleister Crowley. I thoroughly enjoyed hanging on for the ride, but it is definitely chaotic.
I wasn't a million per cent sure about the succubus ("woman uses sex to drain men's souls" is not a myth I find easy to separate from the associated misogyny) but Talabi makes a pretty good stab at pulling it off, giving her her own strong character and feelings, and not demonising her worse than the other soul-stealing gods because she does it through sex.
Exuberant writing and ebullient imagination made this a lot of fun. It needed a better line editor, but so many books do now. Gorgeous cover.
September 5, 2024
I listened to this one on audiobook and I loved the narrator. So dang talented! The voices and accents were perfect and added so much to the story. Highly recommend the audiobook.
I also very much enjoyed the story. Gods living in our world is my jam. Make them African gods and I'm all that much more interested. Add a heist in and you have my full attention... and I did not see that coming but I was delighted and a bit gobsmacked at the audacity. Very clever. These characters are not perfect, and no one is a hero, but they are all struggling to self-actualize in the best way they know how despite being messy and flawed. I do love that, and while I wouldn't want to know any of these demons and gods IRL, I was delighted to go on this journey with them.
I do see some other reviews saying the timeline was confusing - it is not linear. But perhaps because of the audiobook, the non-chronological timeline didn't bother me. I also see some reviews bothered by the succubus character's portrayal and the questionable sex scenes. I think that's fair. I wouldn't say the characters in this book hold progressive views of gender roles. Your YMMV.
Overall, though, I loved it. I definitely recommend if you love a mythic fantasy a la American Gods but make it African and add in some lovely writing, a fascinating take on our world, and an exciting adventure. Well done!
I also very much enjoyed the story. Gods living in our world is my jam. Make them African gods and I'm all that much more interested. Add a heist in and you have my full attention... and I did not see that coming but I was delighted and a bit gobsmacked at the audacity. Very clever. These characters are not perfect, and no one is a hero, but they are all struggling to self-actualize in the best way they know how despite being messy and flawed. I do love that, and while I wouldn't want to know any of these demons and gods IRL, I was delighted to go on this journey with them.
I do see some other reviews saying the timeline was confusing - it is not linear. But perhaps because of the audiobook, the non-chronological timeline didn't bother me. I also see some reviews bothered by the succubus character's portrayal and the questionable sex scenes. I think that's fair. I wouldn't say the characters in this book hold progressive views of gender roles. Your YMMV.
Overall, though, I loved it. I definitely recommend if you love a mythic fantasy a la American Gods but make it African and add in some lovely writing, a fascinating take on our world, and an exciting adventure. Well done!
Read
September 12, 2023American Gods by way of the Orisha pantheon. Really clever!
August 15, 2024
It made me work too much but with zero payoff. Convoluted writing of something that should be cool and fast paced. And the portrayal of the succubus character, the male gaziness level is beyond my tolerance level and it went on and on and on, I think the author might be writing his own fantasy. It was uncomfortable to read. Too bad because there were sparks of interesting stories or subplot or worldbuilding that could be expanded.
April 13, 2023
4.5/5
Have you ever dreamed of being a god? Almighty and without worries? Well, things aren’t as rosy as you might think. With faith being in short supply, gods had to take a corporate route (trading in belief and supplications). Shigidi, the god of nightmares and a demotivated employee of the Orisha Spirit Company, lives mainly for the next drink. He hates his existence and his appearance but has no plan to change anything. Then he meets Nneoma, a succubus, and falls in love with her. They go freelance, but life as freelancers is hard; soon they find themselves in debt to a powerful and scheming deity.
But there is a way to pay off all the debts. A heist. Across two worlds and two planes of existence. The story follows Shigidi and Nneoma as they journey through the vibrant streets of Lagos, the rooftop bars of Singapore, and the hidden enclaves of London. Mayhem ensues, but that’s a given. I loved the deep dive into occult lore and African mythology. A risky heist mixed with a unique love story was also fun.
The story jumps in time and geography and builds toward an exciting ending. It spans centuries and continents and there is hardly a dull moment. Although the title suggests Shigidi is the main character, that’s not entirely true. Nneoma gets a lot of attention and while I enjoyed my time with both of them and their perspectives, Nneoma is much more interesting and complex than Shigidi.
I’m not a romance reader, but I loved their complex relationship. It struck the perfect balance between alien and relatable (they’re immortal, after all) and offered no cheap thrills. I found it clever and realistic (given their supernatural circumstances :)).
While I liked the novel's structure and the frequent time jumps, I must mention that they might be confusing for some readers. However, if you pay attention to the places and dates mentioned at the beginning of each chapter, you’ll be fine.
Overall, Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon is an exciting and imaginative supernatural thriller with strong twists and excellent pacing. Highly recommended.
ARC through NetGalley
Have you ever dreamed of being a god? Almighty and without worries? Well, things aren’t as rosy as you might think. With faith being in short supply, gods had to take a corporate route (trading in belief and supplications). Shigidi, the god of nightmares and a demotivated employee of the Orisha Spirit Company, lives mainly for the next drink. He hates his existence and his appearance but has no plan to change anything. Then he meets Nneoma, a succubus, and falls in love with her. They go freelance, but life as freelancers is hard; soon they find themselves in debt to a powerful and scheming deity.
But there is a way to pay off all the debts. A heist. Across two worlds and two planes of existence. The story follows Shigidi and Nneoma as they journey through the vibrant streets of Lagos, the rooftop bars of Singapore, and the hidden enclaves of London. Mayhem ensues, but that’s a given. I loved the deep dive into occult lore and African mythology. A risky heist mixed with a unique love story was also fun.
The story jumps in time and geography and builds toward an exciting ending. It spans centuries and continents and there is hardly a dull moment. Although the title suggests Shigidi is the main character, that’s not entirely true. Nneoma gets a lot of attention and while I enjoyed my time with both of them and their perspectives, Nneoma is much more interesting and complex than Shigidi.
I’m not a romance reader, but I loved their complex relationship. It struck the perfect balance between alien and relatable (they’re immortal, after all) and offered no cheap thrills. I found it clever and realistic (given their supernatural circumstances :)).
While I liked the novel's structure and the frequent time jumps, I must mention that they might be confusing for some readers. However, if you pay attention to the places and dates mentioned at the beginning of each chapter, you’ll be fine.
Overall, Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon is an exciting and imaginative supernatural thriller with strong twists and excellent pacing. Highly recommended.
ARC through NetGalley
September 17, 2023
2.5 Stars
I picked up this novel in my continued pursuit for unique and diverse fantasy narratives. I am pleased to say that it avoided many classic tropes. Yet I also did not love this one quite as much as I hoped.
While it's set in an urban setting, I had incorrectly expected it to be a touch more fantastical. Instead it reads more mythical, which is fine but not my personal preference. It walked the line between mythical and contemporary in a way I didn't find particularly interesting. There was a considerable focus on sexual activities, which I didn't mind but could be too explicit for other readers.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
I picked up this novel in my continued pursuit for unique and diverse fantasy narratives. I am pleased to say that it avoided many classic tropes. Yet I also did not love this one quite as much as I hoped.
While it's set in an urban setting, I had incorrectly expected it to be a touch more fantastical. Instead it reads more mythical, which is fine but not my personal preference. It walked the line between mythical and contemporary in a way I didn't find particularly interesting. There was a considerable focus on sexual activities, which I didn't mind but could be too explicit for other readers.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
August 8, 2023
A lot of things I liked and a lot of things I didn't. Ultimately it'll average to a three. Review to come.
Shigidi is a retired nightmare god (think, the god you pray to when you want your enemies to have a horrible night's sleep), who used to work for the Orisha Spirit Company. Every religion in the world is its own company, and each god an employee of the larger corporation. They operate off of pray-pay. The more you pray to a god or a religion, the more important the god and the more successful the company.
The Orisha Spirit Company has not been very successful lately and, within this company, Shigidi is treated as a sort of dead-end, unimportant deity. He's very low on the corporate hierarchy and kind of hates his job. But, his departure from the company serves as a cautionary tale, so he is exiled from the spirit side of the world and forced to live amongst humans.
This story kicks off when he and his girlfriend, Nneoma, are on a vacation in Malaysia and his old boss' boss' boss shows up to proposition him into heisting the British Museum. There's a totem (the brass head of obalufon), that he needs and he needs someone outside of the company to break into the museum and rob them. In exchange for completing this heist, Shigidi will no longer be exiled from the spirit side of the world.
If that summary sounds a little robotic, it's because this is a hard book to describe. A lot of things worked for me. I think the way religions are represented by companies was super interesting. It made parts of the plot feel like comedic office politics. I liked the characters a lot, and I was super interested in the idea of them heisting the British Museum.
I guess my big problems with this book had to do with the pacing, which was slow (the heist takes place over the course of three days in the present, but you spend the first 65% of the book largely in flashbacks). I also struggled with the amount of flashing back the author did. In theory every flashback had a vital role in establishing Shigidi's and Nneoma's stories, and how they were going to execute the heist. In actuality, you jump in time so often, from the spirit side of the world to the human side, from POV to POV, from century to century. It felt chaotic and hard to stay interested in the heist plot.
A lot of potential, and I didn't have a bad time reading it. But by the end I sort of was waiting for the story to wrap — which is an unfortunate feeling to get from a book you're anticipating highly.
Shigidi is a retired nightmare god (think, the god you pray to when you want your enemies to have a horrible night's sleep), who used to work for the Orisha Spirit Company. Every religion in the world is its own company, and each god an employee of the larger corporation. They operate off of pray-pay. The more you pray to a god or a religion, the more important the god and the more successful the company.
The Orisha Spirit Company has not been very successful lately and, within this company, Shigidi is treated as a sort of dead-end, unimportant deity. He's very low on the corporate hierarchy and kind of hates his job. But, his departure from the company serves as a cautionary tale, so he is exiled from the spirit side of the world and forced to live amongst humans.
This story kicks off when he and his girlfriend, Nneoma, are on a vacation in Malaysia and his old boss' boss' boss shows up to proposition him into heisting the British Museum. There's a totem (the brass head of obalufon), that he needs and he needs someone outside of the company to break into the museum and rob them. In exchange for completing this heist, Shigidi will no longer be exiled from the spirit side of the world.
If that summary sounds a little robotic, it's because this is a hard book to describe. A lot of things worked for me. I think the way religions are represented by companies was super interesting. It made parts of the plot feel like comedic office politics. I liked the characters a lot, and I was super interested in the idea of them heisting the British Museum.
I guess my big problems with this book had to do with the pacing, which was slow (the heist takes place over the course of three days in the present, but you spend the first 65% of the book largely in flashbacks). I also struggled with the amount of flashing back the author did. In theory every flashback had a vital role in establishing Shigidi's and Nneoma's stories, and how they were going to execute the heist. In actuality, you jump in time so often, from the spirit side of the world to the human side, from POV to POV, from century to century. It felt chaotic and hard to stay interested in the heist plot.
A lot of potential, and I didn't have a bad time reading it. But by the end I sort of was waiting for the story to wrap — which is an unfortunate feeling to get from a book you're anticipating highly.
dnf
January 5, 2025She shouted at the driver as she pressed her hand into Shigidi's and pulled his head into her bloody bosom.
Eeeeh, okay?
DNFing this one at 12% because I couldn't care less about the plot or the characters and some of the choices are making me upset.
This book gets compared to Max Gladstone's Craft Sequence quite a lot and I can see why - it's the gods obviously and the way they form a firm or whatever BUT once you look at the details the books are really nothing alike. I had mixed reactions to Craft Sequence too, okay, especially to the but what can't be denied is that Gladstone is incredibly considerate when writing his female characters and he writes them well. On top of that he clearly thinks about the language he uses and works with it in a way I rarely see - especially male - authors do. His writing is very feminist in ways that are quite subtle and although I love reading campy books, I think this subtle way has a great value too.
So yeah, how does that connect to Shigidi? Well, there is just none of that... the male gaze is strong in this one. The bosoms, the leather skirts and sex descriptions that made my skin crawl for some reason. I can't really pinpoint all the specific problems I have with all this, but it doesn't work as a whole to me. I think that Talabi makes significant effort to make Nneoma a three-dimensional character that is complex, but she comes across as sex object and emotionally unreachable femme fatal. It's one of those things where you feel like the author is seeing her from the outside but doesn't actually understand what it feels to be like her? I mean, if you are succubus it probably makes sense to wear leather skirts and people objectifying you is something you are going for, but if this was Talabi's intent it just isn't working out.
I didn't get very far into the book, so I might not getting all of it correctly, but... the romance is... I just hated it. Shigidi used to be ugly as a nightmare god and now he's hot because Nneoma got a new body for him - meaning he can finally get some. He falls in love with Nneoma and he tells her he loves her and pesters her to give him the answer if she loves him too or not. And she doesn't want to. And you know what, that's fair, if you love her, give her a break, it's pretty obvious she has some issues she has to work through! Shigidi is just giving me a masive incel vibes* and I don't think Talabi made that decision on purpose.
* To be clear, incels are also victims of the way our society functions, this isn't black and white situation, I'm just saying that Wole Talabi included very actual and sensitive topic without realising he did that and it's just not working out for me.
So yeah, I was so distracted by all of this that I wasn't even capable of paying attention to the plot which lowered my motivation to continue to zero. The audio is narrated quite pleasantly, so I'm sorry to drop it, but... yeah. Not a book for me. At this point I would probably give this two stars, but I feel I dropped this too early on to actually rate it.
BRed at WBtM: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
July 25, 2025
Heist of the Gods
Most of the characters of Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon are gods or godlike. They are diminished gods -- they have corporations and board meetings and quarterly targets, and some of them are wage slaves. Shigidi, when our story begins, is a minor god in the Orisha spirit company. He brings nightmares and death to those whose enemies pray to him, for which service he receives inadequate compensation from the company. On one such assignment he finds himself in conflict with succubus Nneoma, who has a prior claim on the man he is about to kill. Nneoma corrupts or uplifts (depending on ones point of view) Shigidi, and they become partners. Despite not being named in the title, Nnemoa is as much a protagonist of the novel as Shigidi.
Shigidi amd Nneoma are hired by Olorun, chairman of the board of the Orisha Spirit Company, to retrieve an artifact that was that was stolen from Africa by the English and is now on exhibit in the British Museum. Olorun needs the brass head of Obalufon for his corporate power plays.
There are two main stories here: the heist, and the story of Shigidi and Nneoma. The heist story is the most fun. Near the end of the book one of the characters aptly sums up it up
Although the narrative wanders all over the world, it takes place mostly in London and Lagos. I enjoyed the exposure to Nigerian culture. Stylistically, I was taken aback by Wole Talabi's many detailed technical descriptions of apparel. Almost every time he described what someone was wearing, I found myself compelled to do a web search for the terms he used. For instance, I had never before heard the term "pocket square" -- I had to look that one up. In the circles in which I move pens are de rigueur in men's breast pockets. (In days of yore my father used to carry a slide rule there. It is, alas, no longer practical to accessorize with a slide rule.)
Advice to readers: the story jumps around a lot. Each chapter begins with a location and date. Pay attention to these, especially the dates. Knowing when you are will make the story easier to follow.
Thank you to NetGalley and DAW for an advance reader copy of Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon. This review expresses my honest opinions.
Blog review.
Most of the characters of Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon are gods or godlike. They are diminished gods -- they have corporations and board meetings and quarterly targets, and some of them are wage slaves. Shigidi, when our story begins, is a minor god in the Orisha spirit company. He brings nightmares and death to those whose enemies pray to him, for which service he receives inadequate compensation from the company. On one such assignment he finds himself in conflict with succubus Nneoma, who has a prior claim on the man he is about to kill. Nneoma corrupts or uplifts (depending on ones point of view) Shigidi, and they become partners. Despite not being named in the title, Nnemoa is as much a protagonist of the novel as Shigidi.
Shigidi amd Nneoma are hired by Olorun, chairman of the board of the Orisha Spirit Company, to retrieve an artifact that was that was stolen from Africa by the English and is now on exhibit in the British Museum. Olorun needs the brass head of Obalufon for his corporate power plays.
There are two main stories here: the heist, and the story of Shigidi and Nneoma. The heist story is the most fun. Near the end of the book one of the characters aptly sums up it up
I’m not sure I even understand what happened tonight. Weirdest heist I’ve ever seen or heard of.But Shigidi and Nneoma's love story is the one that will remain with you after you finish the book.
Although the narrative wanders all over the world, it takes place mostly in London and Lagos. I enjoyed the exposure to Nigerian culture. Stylistically, I was taken aback by Wole Talabi's many detailed technical descriptions of apparel. Almost every time he described what someone was wearing, I found myself compelled to do a web search for the terms he used. For instance, I had never before heard the term "pocket square" -- I had to look that one up. In the circles in which I move pens are de rigueur in men's breast pockets. (In days of yore my father used to carry a slide rule there. It is, alas, no longer practical to accessorize with a slide rule.)
Advice to readers: the story jumps around a lot. Each chapter begins with a location and date. Pay attention to these, especially the dates. Knowing when you are will make the story easier to follow.
Thank you to NetGalley and DAW for an advance reader copy of Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon. This review expresses my honest opinions.
Blog review.
January 15, 2024
ALERT: NEW AUTO-BUY AUTHOR FOUND!!!
I don't care if anyone else doesn't like this because this book was CLEARLY written for me.
"His vision was not yet blurry enough from the booze to not immediately realize how stunningly beautiful she was. She had radiant ebony skin like polished midnight, and the edges of her frizzy afro refined the stray bits of light from the array of hanging bulbs to an eldritch fringe, like a halo. She seemed, in his mind, to be Africa made flesh—dark, mysterious, and just a little bit dangerous."
This was OH SO SULTRY. There's poly rep with so much African Mythology featuring a Nightmare god and Succubus in a way that very vaguely reminds me of an adult version of Strange the Dreamer. This is a debut contemporary fantasy by Nebula-nominated Nigerian author tells a mythic tale of disgruntled gods, revenge, and a heist across two worlds, while taking a journey around the world we are familiar with.
This is magnificent. An absolutely immaculate masterpiece. I co-read the ALC with the ebook I purchased cause I wanted to highlight passages - that's how much I enjoyed this book.
As for the narrator, Ben Arogundade's voice and delivery was just as impeccable as the narrator who presented Evan Winter's Rage of Dragon books. I will admit that there were times the rustle of clothing and breathing did take away a little from the reading experience but overall such a stunning performance.
This book is extremely character based and the "heist" of a plot takes a massive back burner to the way these characters meet and develop, what influences their choices, and how they grow as people and in their relationship. We are met instead with amazingly complex main characters who live in a world layered with the intrigue of gods and their political shenanigans. I truly enjoyed Shigidi's origin story and the way we truly see through him.
Did I mention yet how much I like Wole Talabi's writing style? The magic this author weaves through words left me spellbound. How do I even describe this? It’s not lyrical. It’s not visceral. Each word has a purpose. Perfectly balanced descriptions with emotions and intentions. There’s such a strong authorial tone in his writing that I really don't have much to compare it to. There was a certain dreamlike quality to Talabi's writing that truly added to this Shigidi's voice as the Nightmare god. You could feel his hopelessness and desperation, his passion and his love, and ultimately the realization that while he and his world may not be perfect, it was perfect enough for him.
What a PHENOMENAL breath of fresh air. I will be singing this book's praises to everyone who will listen and hope that they would love it as much as I do.
Thank you to Netgalley, RB Media, Recorded Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I don't care if anyone else doesn't like this because this book was CLEARLY written for me.
"His vision was not yet blurry enough from the booze to not immediately realize how stunningly beautiful she was. She had radiant ebony skin like polished midnight, and the edges of her frizzy afro refined the stray bits of light from the array of hanging bulbs to an eldritch fringe, like a halo. She seemed, in his mind, to be Africa made flesh—dark, mysterious, and just a little bit dangerous."
This was OH SO SULTRY. There's poly rep with so much African Mythology featuring a Nightmare god and Succubus in a way that very vaguely reminds me of an adult version of Strange the Dreamer. This is a debut contemporary fantasy by Nebula-nominated Nigerian author tells a mythic tale of disgruntled gods, revenge, and a heist across two worlds, while taking a journey around the world we are familiar with.
This is magnificent. An absolutely immaculate masterpiece. I co-read the ALC with the ebook I purchased cause I wanted to highlight passages - that's how much I enjoyed this book.
As for the narrator, Ben Arogundade's voice and delivery was just as impeccable as the narrator who presented Evan Winter's Rage of Dragon books. I will admit that there were times the rustle of clothing and breathing did take away a little from the reading experience but overall such a stunning performance.
This book is extremely character based and the "heist" of a plot takes a massive back burner to the way these characters meet and develop, what influences their choices, and how they grow as people and in their relationship. We are met instead with amazingly complex main characters who live in a world layered with the intrigue of gods and their political shenanigans. I truly enjoyed Shigidi's origin story and the way we truly see through him.
Did I mention yet how much I like Wole Talabi's writing style? The magic this author weaves through words left me spellbound. How do I even describe this? It’s not lyrical. It’s not visceral. Each word has a purpose. Perfectly balanced descriptions with emotions and intentions. There’s such a strong authorial tone in his writing that I really don't have much to compare it to. There was a certain dreamlike quality to Talabi's writing that truly added to this Shigidi's voice as the Nightmare god. You could feel his hopelessness and desperation, his passion and his love, and ultimately the realization that while he and his world may not be perfect, it was perfect enough for him.
What a PHENOMENAL breath of fresh air. I will be singing this book's praises to everyone who will listen and hope that they would love it as much as I do.
Thank you to Netgalley, RB Media, Recorded Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 1, 2024
3.82 rounded up (inside joke) I always appreciate different and this Nigerian leaning fantasy was just that. Godhood turned into a corporation run by greedy gods is the backdrop of a heist story. Some good action, some good world building, definitely a worthy entry for the major sci-fi/fantasy awards.
August 8, 2023
3.5 stars.
Two partners, Shigidi and Nneoma, one a minor, former nightmares god and the other a powerful succubus unaffiliated with any other entities, are forced by an old, formidable god, Olurun, to steal an artifact for him, back from the British, who stole it years earlier, for him. Olurun’s plan is risky in the extreme, but the pair have the abilities, skills, connections, and frankly, disposability, to possibly succeed.
Wole Talabi’s gods are dangerous, controlling and petty beings. They head up spirit companies, staffed by less powerful and minor gods, who harvest human souls for the continuance of the Company and their food, and dispense punishments, among other things. The spirit company is a corporation, with a Board, employee code of conduct, and other trappings.
Each faith has its own spirit company, with treaties and rules codifying behaviours and permissible actions of other gods when they visit other gods’ territories.
Shigidi hated his former life of using nightmares to terrify and kill to collect souls. Shigidi was a very minor god in Olurun’s company, and only received a small number of souls for sustenance. After an unexpected and violent confrontation with Nneoma years earlier, he defected to her side, in exchange for better opportunities. When almost killed by some members of his former company, he and Nneoma are granted safety by Olurun, in exchange for a task to be performed by them some time in the future.
Oluron finally decides to call in his favour, forcing the pair to retrieve an important object located at the British Museum.
Talabi shows us Nneoma’s life in different centuries, and how she collected favours from certain beings, whom she and Shigidi must call on for help to perform their heist.
Talabi’s story is fun, imaginative, violent, full of sex, and danger. I liked seeing Nneoma’s life, and what drives her and keeps her separate. We also see how implacable she can be. Shigidi follows her, and is fascinated by her; I found that he was not as interesting as her.
The story felt a little slow in parts, but I was still intrigued by the world of gods, demons and spirits Talabi created.
Thank you to Netgalley and to DAW for this ARC in exchange for my review.
Two partners, Shigidi and Nneoma, one a minor, former nightmares god and the other a powerful succubus unaffiliated with any other entities, are forced by an old, formidable god, Olurun, to steal an artifact for him, back from the British, who stole it years earlier, for him. Olurun’s plan is risky in the extreme, but the pair have the abilities, skills, connections, and frankly, disposability, to possibly succeed.
Wole Talabi’s gods are dangerous, controlling and petty beings. They head up spirit companies, staffed by less powerful and minor gods, who harvest human souls for the continuance of the Company and their food, and dispense punishments, among other things. The spirit company is a corporation, with a Board, employee code of conduct, and other trappings.
Each faith has its own spirit company, with treaties and rules codifying behaviours and permissible actions of other gods when they visit other gods’ territories.
Shigidi hated his former life of using nightmares to terrify and kill to collect souls. Shigidi was a very minor god in Olurun’s company, and only received a small number of souls for sustenance. After an unexpected and violent confrontation with Nneoma years earlier, he defected to her side, in exchange for better opportunities. When almost killed by some members of his former company, he and Nneoma are granted safety by Olurun, in exchange for a task to be performed by them some time in the future.
Oluron finally decides to call in his favour, forcing the pair to retrieve an important object located at the British Museum.
Talabi shows us Nneoma’s life in different centuries, and how she collected favours from certain beings, whom she and Shigidi must call on for help to perform their heist.
Talabi’s story is fun, imaginative, violent, full of sex, and danger. I liked seeing Nneoma’s life, and what drives her and keeps her separate. We also see how implacable she can be. Shigidi follows her, and is fascinated by her; I found that he was not as interesting as her.
The story felt a little slow in parts, but I was still intrigued by the world of gods, demons and spirits Talabi created.
Thank you to Netgalley and to DAW for this ARC in exchange for my review.
August 8, 2023
I feel this book would have done better in attracting the right audience if the disclaimers were laid out straight. From the looks and blurb of it felt it would be a fantasy novel with God elements. However, it reminded me of 2 of Paulo Coelho's books (Eleven Minutes and Aleph), with those borrowed elements in a different setting being used to create an environment of escaping for freedom.
I started with an audiobook, but the narrator's voice did not work for me so I switched to ebook, which was still better. Had I not read the aforementioned book, my outlook on the story here would be different. I guess for someone who has never read anything like this before it would work better.
So let me take the opportunity to create disclaimers I felt were missing:
* It's not necessarily for the fans of Neil Gaiman, contrary to what's mentioned in the description.
* It has explicitly adult scenes. In fact, half of the book talks about the process of intercourse and it's climax
* It's not Sci-Fi, it's a mythical fantasy tale
Now on the basis of this, I want my fellow readers to make an informed choice, if this may or may not work for them.
Genre: #fantasy #africanmythology
Rating: 2/5 ⭐️
I started with an audiobook, but the narrator's voice did not work for me so I switched to ebook, which was still better. Had I not read the aforementioned book, my outlook on the story here would be different. I guess for someone who has never read anything like this before it would work better.
So let me take the opportunity to create disclaimers I felt were missing:
* It's not necessarily for the fans of Neil Gaiman, contrary to what's mentioned in the description.
* It has explicitly adult scenes. In fact, half of the book talks about the process of intercourse and it's climax
* It's not Sci-Fi, it's a mythical fantasy tale
Now on the basis of this, I want my fellow readers to make an informed choice, if this may or may not work for them.
Genre: #fantasy #africanmythology
Rating: 2/5 ⭐️
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June 21, 2024Hi. Author here. Just dropping a comment to thank you all for reading the book and to let you know that if you enjoyed it, there is a playlist that goes with it.
Link is in this page: https://wtalabi.wordpress.com/2024/02...
Those who know me know that at some point I wanted to be a movie director. That dream is on hold but when I write I still visualize things like movie scenes, including a soundtrack. So, it should be no surprise that I made a playlist for the novel. Some of the songs are mentioned in the book. Some are songs I wrote a specific scene to. And some are songs I imagine playing during some of the action. Its got afrobeats, power metal, pop, rock, Malaysian rap, R&B and more. I hope you enjoy the playlist.
Link is in this page: https://wtalabi.wordpress.com/2024/02...
Those who know me know that at some point I wanted to be a movie director. That dream is on hold but when I write I still visualize things like movie scenes, including a soundtrack. So, it should be no surprise that I made a playlist for the novel. Some of the songs are mentioned in the book. Some are songs I wrote a specific scene to. And some are songs I imagine playing during some of the action. Its got afrobeats, power metal, pop, rock, Malaysian rap, R&B and more. I hope you enjoy the playlist.
January 14, 2025
What...on earth...was that?!
I picked up this book on the suggestion of some author friends who are connected with Wole Talabi, and I also thought that expanding to new authors and genres is a good thing. But man...this book missed the mark in literally every way.
The book jumps around from timeframe to timeframe in every chapter, and its rhyme or reason is only loosely connected.
When the main plot of the book took place in 2017, it just wasn't interesting. It seemed to be sold by some reviewers as a heist book, but the heist is a tiny part of the book, and most of it was not exciting until a few pages near the end, at which point the book was not being salvaged.
The magic system, particularly for Nneoma, is ridiculously vulgar and horrifying and graphic and unecessary. I understand why Talabi wrote it this way, but it grossed me out to no end and made the whole reading experience uncomfortable.
And so much of the story hinges on Nneoma's abilities and personality, and thus the majority of the book is just gross and ridiculous.
Shigidi himself was not very relatable, and he seems to have a problem with Nneoma's various personality traits, which he knew going in what she was like.
The book just also has really bad themes that do not resonate and are not themes that should be promoted in literature.
I usually try to say something, anything that I liked about the book, but unfortunately I just don't have anything nice to say at all.
1 out of 10.
I picked up this book on the suggestion of some author friends who are connected with Wole Talabi, and I also thought that expanding to new authors and genres is a good thing. But man...this book missed the mark in literally every way.
The book jumps around from timeframe to timeframe in every chapter, and its rhyme or reason is only loosely connected.
When the main plot of the book took place in 2017, it just wasn't interesting. It seemed to be sold by some reviewers as a heist book, but the heist is a tiny part of the book, and most of it was not exciting until a few pages near the end, at which point the book was not being salvaged.
The magic system, particularly for Nneoma, is ridiculously vulgar and horrifying and graphic and unecessary. I understand why Talabi wrote it this way, but it grossed me out to no end and made the whole reading experience uncomfortable.
And so much of the story hinges on Nneoma's abilities and personality, and thus the majority of the book is just gross and ridiculous.
Shigidi himself was not very relatable, and he seems to have a problem with Nneoma's various personality traits, which he knew going in what she was like.
The book just also has really bad themes that do not resonate and are not themes that should be promoted in literature.
I usually try to say something, anything that I liked about the book, but unfortunately I just don't have anything nice to say at all.
1 out of 10.
April 27, 2024
This mythologically-infused, magical artefact heist by an African minor orisha and a succubus hit all the right spots and pulled all the correct levers for me. I had lots of fun reading this, and I kept sneaking back to read this even as I was supposed to be concentrating on something else. The blending of different mythologies here - the Yoruba orisha pantheon with Christianity's fallen angels and ancient Britain's giants Gog and Magog - worked for me in wonderous ways. The added element that these immortal beings have been diminished by humanity's declining faith, and that they have banded together into orisha prayer companies with corporate rules and bosses who dole out the prayer chips like currency - this reminded me of Max Gladstone's Craft Sequence, with elements of the blending of different mythologies by other fantasy authors.
There's the added plus - for me, at any rate - that at the heart of this heist story is a love story, between a minor orisha, Shigidi, lacking in confidence but not in will, and his succubus partner, Nneoma, who is afraid to fall in love.
This debut fantasy novel has been nominated for the Nebula. My fingers and toes are crossed that it wins!
There's the added plus - for me, at any rate - that at the heart of this heist story is a love story, between a minor orisha, Shigidi, lacking in confidence but not in will, and his succubus partner, Nneoma, who is afraid to fall in love.
This debut fantasy novel has been nominated for the Nebula. My fingers and toes are crossed that it wins!
June 18, 2023
My thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
“Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon” is a contemporary fantasy heist that takes place in a world where the realms of the gods is run like a corporation, with individual gods as the grunt workers answering prayers. Shigidi, a nightmare god, has few followers remaining. When he has the opportunity to be remade, he takes it. Along with his partner Nneoma, a succubus, he is assigned to take on a heist to reclaim the Brass Head of Obalufon from the British Museum on behalf of his employer. Sounds amazing, right? I was excited too.
There are a lot of great things in this book. It contains some of the most beautiful descriptive writing I’ve ever read. It meditates on the nature of godhood and immortality. The worldbuilding is some of most creative I’ve ever read. However, I just can’t get past how the nature of Nneoma’s powers make the sex scenes extremely uncomfortable to read; this is especially a problem because of the sheer number of them. About every other chapter, there’s a sex scene that’s used in place of actual character or relationship building moments, and more often than not they feature Nneoma coercing someone who doesn’t actually want to sleep with her. I find this particularly troubling because she’s the only female character of any importance. It’s a shame because there is so much other good stuff to be had in this book. Additionally, the other points of view that are not Shigidi and Nneoma also feel very halfheartedly written; it feels like the author spent so much time and effort developing really clear and well-developed narration styles for the two main characters and pretty much neglected to make anyone else remotely interesting.
“Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon” is a contemporary fantasy heist that takes place in a world where the realms of the gods is run like a corporation, with individual gods as the grunt workers answering prayers. Shigidi, a nightmare god, has few followers remaining. When he has the opportunity to be remade, he takes it. Along with his partner Nneoma, a succubus, he is assigned to take on a heist to reclaim the Brass Head of Obalufon from the British Museum on behalf of his employer. Sounds amazing, right? I was excited too.
There are a lot of great things in this book. It contains some of the most beautiful descriptive writing I’ve ever read. It meditates on the nature of godhood and immortality. The worldbuilding is some of most creative I’ve ever read. However, I just can’t get past how the nature of Nneoma’s powers make the sex scenes extremely uncomfortable to read; this is especially a problem because of the sheer number of them. About every other chapter, there’s a sex scene that’s used in place of actual character or relationship building moments, and more often than not they feature Nneoma coercing someone who doesn’t actually want to sleep with her. I find this particularly troubling because she’s the only female character of any importance. It’s a shame because there is so much other good stuff to be had in this book. Additionally, the other points of view that are not Shigidi and Nneoma also feel very halfheartedly written; it feels like the author spent so much time and effort developing really clear and well-developed narration styles for the two main characters and pretty much neglected to make anyone else remotely interesting.
August 10, 2023
A generous 3 stars.
This was fine. It read super fast and I (mostly) enjoyed the writing style and the interesting lore I got to learn about. The nigerian slang peppered in did a great job of making it even more immersive.
Religion is a corporate system in this novel and while an interesting concept, I feel like more could’ve been done with it. The way it worked made Shigidi’s background pretty bland for what he is, and I struggled to think of him as the main, titular character of this book for most of the time. I found his character arc, motivations, emotions… unconvincing and some nonexistent until maybe the last 10%. In contrast, Nneoma’s past is thoroughly explored and narrated for big chunks of the book, and she was so much more of a personality that just completely overshadowed Shigidi in my eyes. As much as it drove the story, it rubbed me the wrong way because his name is the one in the title.
Nneoma is also a succubus, and there’s a plethora of sex scenes ranging from dub con to straight up rape, so be aware.
My expectations of this before reading were way off, but all in all I had an alright time.
Thank you to DAW and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
This was fine. It read super fast and I (mostly) enjoyed the writing style and the interesting lore I got to learn about. The nigerian slang peppered in did a great job of making it even more immersive.
Religion is a corporate system in this novel and while an interesting concept, I feel like more could’ve been done with it. The way it worked made Shigidi’s background pretty bland for what he is, and I struggled to think of him as the main, titular character of this book for most of the time. I found his character arc, motivations, emotions… unconvincing and some nonexistent until maybe the last 10%. In contrast, Nneoma’s past is thoroughly explored and narrated for big chunks of the book, and she was so much more of a personality that just completely overshadowed Shigidi in my eyes. As much as it drove the story, it rubbed me the wrong way because his name is the one in the title.
Nneoma is also a succubus, and there’s a plethora of sex scenes ranging from dub con to straight up rape, so be aware.
My expectations of this before reading were way off, but all in all I had an alright time.
Thank you to DAW and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
October 2, 2024
I think this is a 3.5 for me, but I'll round up. I wasn't sure what to make of this book at first, but I ultimately had a good time with it.
The initial parallel to American Gods made me skeptical, because I didn't really like AG. But I think this is really just a shortcut way of saying "old gods in the modern day whose powers wane due to lack of belief". I think Talabi's approach with pantheons becoming spirit companies was really clever. Like the movie Office Space, I found the approach humorous and a little bit of a bummer, but in a very relatable way.
I liked each of the smaller flashbacks leading up to the heist, and the heist itself, but I did find myself losing momentum having to switch between some of the past/present, especially in the beginning half. I would be getting invested in one aspect of the story, only to have to forcefully switch to something else.
I enjoyed the magic and mythology woven into this, but I'm greedy and could always do with more information on the various pantheons and presentations within this kind of world setup.
Some of the writing I found a little clunky or exposition heavy at times, and I would have liked more time in Shigidi and Nneoma's heads, but I had fun with this one. I'd like to see Talabi's future (and past) works for sure!
The initial parallel to American Gods made me skeptical, because I didn't really like AG. But I think this is really just a shortcut way of saying "old gods in the modern day whose powers wane due to lack of belief". I think Talabi's approach with pantheons becoming spirit companies was really clever. Like the movie Office Space, I found the approach humorous and a little bit of a bummer, but in a very relatable way.
I liked each of the smaller flashbacks leading up to the heist, and the heist itself, but I did find myself losing momentum having to switch between some of the past/present, especially in the beginning half. I would be getting invested in one aspect of the story, only to have to forcefully switch to something else.
I enjoyed the magic and mythology woven into this, but I'm greedy and could always do with more information on the various pantheons and presentations within this kind of world setup.
Some of the writing I found a little clunky or exposition heavy at times, and I would have liked more time in Shigidi and Nneoma's heads, but I had fun with this one. I'd like to see Talabi's future (and past) works for sure!
February 12, 2024
Absolutely loved this one. It’s an anti-colonialist, anti-corporate Nigerian mythology-inspired heist novel about a pair of demigod freelance mercenaries in a world where godhood has been corporatized—pantheons are spirit companies, belief is measured in market share, and pay is rendered in prayer—who are contracted to break into the British Museum to steal a Nigerian artifact.
God, but do I absolutely love the core conceit of this book. I love a good heist as well as corporate backroom politics, and this novel does both extremely well, in addition to kinetic action sequences, great writing, and excellent, full-bodied characters.
This book does feel like it’s set up for a sequel (and I really hope Talabi returns to this world), but its conclusion is absolutely satisfying on its own. I can already tell this book is going to be in the running for my favorite fantasy of the year.
If you’re reading this and thinking, “Hey, this sounds just like American Gods,” you’re on the right track—but, y’know, if American Gods was actually good (I did not like American Gods).
God, but do I absolutely love the core conceit of this book. I love a good heist as well as corporate backroom politics, and this novel does both extremely well, in addition to kinetic action sequences, great writing, and excellent, full-bodied characters.
This book does feel like it’s set up for a sequel (and I really hope Talabi returns to this world), but its conclusion is absolutely satisfying on its own. I can already tell this book is going to be in the running for my favorite fantasy of the year.
If you’re reading this and thinking, “Hey, this sounds just like American Gods,” you’re on the right track—but, y’know, if American Gods was actually good (I did not like American Gods).
dnf
April 3, 2024DNF @11%
I don't like this, I don't know who the audience is, I don't know why it's categorized as Fantasy or up for SFF awards like the Hugo's.
I DNF'd somewhere through chapter 5 after listening to the audiobook for a little less than a half hour. Chapter 3 had an uncomfortable sex scene which made me wish we could ban male authors from writing sex scenes... and then chapter 4 had a sex scene with a totally different couple that was also uncomfortable (and felt like it bought into the trope that men only think about sex and women can control them with their sensuality).
Idk, man. This wasn't it. And it didn't feel like anything more than a contemporary novel. They were just normal-ass people doing normal-ass things, partially because at least some of the POV characters are gods who kinda gave up on being gods. I'm not a Contemporary Fiction reader. and I get pretty grumpy about Contemporary Fiction getting categorized in my Fantasy.
I don't like this, I don't know who the audience is, I don't know why it's categorized as Fantasy or up for SFF awards like the Hugo's.
I DNF'd somewhere through chapter 5 after listening to the audiobook for a little less than a half hour. Chapter 3 had an uncomfortable sex scene which made me wish we could ban male authors from writing sex scenes... and then chapter 4 had a sex scene with a totally different couple that was also uncomfortable (and felt like it bought into the trope that men only think about sex and women can control them with their sensuality).
Idk, man. This wasn't it. And it didn't feel like anything more than a contemporary novel. They were just normal-ass people doing normal-ass things, partially because at least some of the POV characters are gods who kinda gave up on being gods. I'm not a Contemporary Fiction reader. and I get pretty grumpy about Contemporary Fiction getting categorized in my Fantasy.
March 26, 2024
I read this to catch up on the 2024 Nebula nominees; got lucky that my library had it available immediately.
A disgruntled minor African god is forced into the heist of an enchanted object. My initial thought before reading was that it was a heist movie under a veneer of a god system. And there are aspects of that. However, the story of the key characters, Shigidi, former god of nightmares, & his succubus mate, is told through in the central part of the book in vignettes that bounce through time and place (pay attention to the dates at the beginning of each chapter!). Their stories are interesting and keep it from being just another tricky heist tale. There are a few nits, particularly the world-building. Most of it takes place in our earthly world, and the gods have human concerns and are run like a corporation. That just seemed kind of lazy to me. But overall, it was decent & not just focused on the heist that we've all seen before. 3-1/2 stars.
A disgruntled minor African god is forced into the heist of an enchanted object. My initial thought before reading was that it was a heist movie under a veneer of a god system. And there are aspects of that. However, the story of the key characters, Shigidi, former god of nightmares, & his succubus mate, is told through in the central part of the book in vignettes that bounce through time and place (pay attention to the dates at the beginning of each chapter!). Their stories are interesting and keep it from being just another tricky heist tale. There are a few nits, particularly the world-building. Most of it takes place in our earthly world, and the gods have human concerns and are run like a corporation. That just seemed kind of lazy to me. But overall, it was decent & not just focused on the heist that we've all seen before. 3-1/2 stars.
January 26, 2023
I loved this book, could not stop reading it and at the same time I didnt want to finish it! I am not familiar with african religious deities and learned a lot reading this book (also had to google some) which to me makes the book soo much more interesting!
June 7, 2025
Individual parts of this were really interesting, but overall it felt like it couldn't decide what it wanted to be. There's far too little actual heist-ing for a heist book, too few scenes with the main couple to be a romance, and not half as much detail in some areas as I'd expect from a fantasy epic. I found Nneoma a very interesting character, especially in her flashbacks, but I don't buy the love between her and Shigidi at all. She's been around since before the Fall and she falls madly in love with some guy in one year?? That's like 12 seconds in her time. Also Shigidi felt really flat as a main character. He basically punches things and moons after Nneoma for 300 pages.
That said, the worldbuilding in this book was fascinating. Easily the best part of the book for me. I love the idea of every people's pantheons existing simultaneously, and the spirit-company idea is a great way to modernize that concept. The magicians, spirit space, aspects of gods, spirit particle magic, and international spirit politics kept me in this book - there were so many little details put together to paint a really intriguing vision of a world shaped by ongoing spiritual politics. I wish this whole book had been about Olorun's takeover tbh. He was a much more compelling character than Shigidi.
That said, the worldbuilding in this book was fascinating. Easily the best part of the book for me. I love the idea of every people's pantheons existing simultaneously, and the spirit-company idea is a great way to modernize that concept. The magicians, spirit space, aspects of gods, spirit particle magic, and international spirit politics kept me in this book - there were so many little details put together to paint a really intriguing vision of a world shaped by ongoing spiritual politics. I wish this whole book had been about Olorun's takeover tbh. He was a much more compelling character than Shigidi.
October 31, 2025
(3,5/5)
Tot i que ha trigat una mica en atrapar-me, vull que això continui.
Tot i que ha trigat una mica en atrapar-me, vull que això continui.
February 3, 2024
Phenomenal. It’s like if American gods was actually good. I loved this book.
January 16, 2024
Inventive, fun, frenetic and a great read this books starts a new series exploring a rogue nightmare god and a succubus navigating a world where gods rule magical corporations. For this one the freelancers need to stage a heist - I’m ready for more!
Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
April 4, 2024
A rollicking debut novel from Nigerian author Wole Talabi, spinning a daring heist of the titular magical artifact from the high-security British Museum. The genre is urban fantasy noir by way of American Gods, where pantheons of deities from all world religions coexist and gain relative power based on the beliefs and prayers of their respective adherents. In the modern age, that's led to a hardscrabble existence for some of the older and more obscure spirits like our hero, one of the original Yoruba orishas, who finds himself scraping by in a capitalistic drudgery not so unlike our own. When he partners up with a friendly succubus for a chance to flee that life, the two beings swiftly wind up over their heads and in debt to a powerful god, tasked with carrying out the raid to regain his lost treasure.
The actual mission isn't too complex, but the book is fleshed out by the narrative hopping around in time a bit to provide the relevant backstory of the various players involved. (When the couple realizes they need the help of a mortal magician, for instance, a flashback depicts her meeting the real-life occultist Aleister Crowley, whose fictionalized self apparently used the demon woman's powers to live on into the 21st century. Back in the present, she and Shigidi then go cash in that favor and recruit him to join the team.) The plot tropes are familiar but excellently rendered -- I laughed in delight when the shady benefactor tells the protagonists they have to strike that very night, and even more so at the inevitable betrayal later on -- with all the ludicrous joy of an episode of Leverage, just in a rather different sort of heightened reality.
It all resolves well enough in the end, and although this volume has been marketed as a standalone adventure, I'd say there's definitely potential for a longer series here. Personally, I'd be happy to return for a sequel with these folks.
[Content warning for body horror, gore, fatphobia, racism, and rape.]
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The actual mission isn't too complex, but the book is fleshed out by the narrative hopping around in time a bit to provide the relevant backstory of the various players involved. (When the couple realizes they need the help of a mortal magician, for instance, a flashback depicts her meeting the real-life occultist Aleister Crowley, whose fictionalized self apparently used the demon woman's powers to live on into the 21st century. Back in the present, she and Shigidi then go cash in that favor and recruit him to join the team.) The plot tropes are familiar but excellently rendered -- I laughed in delight when the shady benefactor tells the protagonists they have to strike that very night, and even more so at the inevitable betrayal later on -- with all the ludicrous joy of an episode of Leverage, just in a rather different sort of heightened reality.
It all resolves well enough in the end, and although this volume has been marketed as a standalone adventure, I'd say there's definitely potential for a longer series here. Personally, I'd be happy to return for a sequel with these folks.
[Content warning for body horror, gore, fatphobia, racism, and rape.]
Like this review?
--Throw me a quick one-time donation here!
https://ko-fi.com/lesserjoke
--Subscribe here to support my writing and weigh in on what I read next!
https://patreon.com/lesserjoke
--Follow along on Goodreads here!
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6...
--Or click here to browse through all my reviews!
https://lesserjoke.home.blog
August 19, 2025
'Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obafulon' is a heist novel, a fantasy novel, and a romance novel, all wrapped up in Yoruba mythology and rooted in the real world of the British Museum's actual Brass Head of Obafulon.
The heist aspect is easy to grasp: the British Museum actually displays the Brass Head of Obafulon. It's a real artifact of the Yoruba people, and one of many exhibits that made this museum-goer feel like he was in the warehouse of the world's most sophisticated theft ring. Obafulon, an actual god, wants it back. He enlists Shigidi (a Yoruba nightmare god) and his girlfriend (a succubus) to retrieve it for him. To succeed, they must circumvent protections both physical and supernatural. And, of course, they must flex when things inevitably go wrong.
The fantasy novel aspect is a bit tougher on the Western reader. I lacked preexisting knowledge of Yoruba mythology, and I had difficulty remembering who was the god of what at any given moment. Fortunately, author Wole Talabi provides plenty of context clues to help keep readers like me oriented. By the time the book got to its climax, I felt I had a handle on things.
The romance novel aspect depends on a given reader's level of sympathy for a soul-eating succubus and her boyfriend / accomplice. I had a real problem with this at first. However, I decided to roll with it. Spiders eat flies. Succubi eat souls. Move along.
Taken as a whole, I found 'Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obafulon' entertaining and educational: I know more about Yoruba mythology than I had before! I you find this milieu intriguing, I bet you'll like this book.
The heist aspect is easy to grasp: the British Museum actually displays the Brass Head of Obafulon. It's a real artifact of the Yoruba people, and one of many exhibits that made this museum-goer feel like he was in the warehouse of the world's most sophisticated theft ring. Obafulon, an actual god, wants it back. He enlists Shigidi (a Yoruba nightmare god) and his girlfriend (a succubus) to retrieve it for him. To succeed, they must circumvent protections both physical and supernatural. And, of course, they must flex when things inevitably go wrong.
The fantasy novel aspect is a bit tougher on the Western reader. I lacked preexisting knowledge of Yoruba mythology, and I had difficulty remembering who was the god of what at any given moment. Fortunately, author Wole Talabi provides plenty of context clues to help keep readers like me oriented. By the time the book got to its climax, I felt I had a handle on things.
The romance novel aspect depends on a given reader's level of sympathy for a soul-eating succubus and her boyfriend / accomplice. I had a real problem with this at first. However, I decided to roll with it. Spiders eat flies. Succubi eat souls. Move along.
Taken as a whole, I found 'Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obafulon' entertaining and educational: I know more about Yoruba mythology than I had before! I you find this milieu intriguing, I bet you'll like this book.
October 18, 2024
Nebula Award Nominee, Novel (2023)
“Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon” is the debut fantasy novel by Nigerian writer Wole Talabi. It was nominated for the Nebula Award (novel), so I had high hopes.
The concept: the old mythologies (specifically the mythology of Nigeria) are struggling due to lack of faith and have organized themselves into capitalistic corporations (with CEOs and board meetings!). If this sounds like “American Gods” to you, you’re right, it does. The emphasis on the corporations is what makes this one different.
One of the minor gods, Shigidi, god of nightmares, grows frustrated with the way the corporation treats him. He decides to strike out as a freelancer with a succubus named Nneoma. Through a confusing web of events, the two of them are recruited for a heist. They are to steal a totem (a brass head) from the British Museum.
“American Gods” meets “Ocean’s 11”? Sounds great. Except it’s not. It’s a great concept with a poor execution. The story is very convoluted and is told in an unnecessary nonlinear format. The actual heist is only a small part of the novel. The rest of the novel jumps back and forth through time to tell parts of Shigidi’s and Nneoma’s lives. Also, for some reason Alister Crowley shows up as a major character . . . odd choice. I feel like this novel could have been a lot better with some heavy editing.
“Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon” is the debut fantasy novel by Nigerian writer Wole Talabi. It was nominated for the Nebula Award (novel), so I had high hopes.
The concept: the old mythologies (specifically the mythology of Nigeria) are struggling due to lack of faith and have organized themselves into capitalistic corporations (with CEOs and board meetings!). If this sounds like “American Gods” to you, you’re right, it does. The emphasis on the corporations is what makes this one different.
One of the minor gods, Shigidi, god of nightmares, grows frustrated with the way the corporation treats him. He decides to strike out as a freelancer with a succubus named Nneoma. Through a confusing web of events, the two of them are recruited for a heist. They are to steal a totem (a brass head) from the British Museum.
“American Gods” meets “Ocean’s 11”? Sounds great. Except it’s not. It’s a great concept with a poor execution. The story is very convoluted and is told in an unnecessary nonlinear format. The actual heist is only a small part of the novel. The rest of the novel jumps back and forth through time to tell parts of Shigidi’s and Nneoma’s lives. Also, for some reason Alister Crowley shows up as a major character . . . odd choice. I feel like this novel could have been a lot better with some heavy editing.
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