Okay this was darker than I expected and I have conflicted feelings about it. Masquerade is an interesting portrayal of a 19 year old trying to survive in a patriarchal society. She's a complex MC who makes decisions that serve her own interests which was difficult to see when it involved decisions that hurt other women to get ahead. I wish the author had chosen a more clear direction with their take on the Hades and Persephone myth. Many takes romanticize the relationship (a choice I've enjoyed many times before). Other takes subvert the story and point out the problems with that dynamic. The author confused me because she did both - she had our main character deeply in love with this guy while also showing us how toxic their relationship was. It was very uncomfortable to read. Many parts of this book were difficult to get through. I was waiting for a reason for the grittiness, for the suffering. I really wanted to see our MC triumph in the end or learn something as a result of everything that had happened to her. The ending felt a bit rushed and didn’t give me as much closure as I would have liked about where our MC is now and who she will be going forward. I'm struggling with my feelings with the book because I want female MCs to have the room to make decisions that are self-serving/be more morally gray but for some reason I found myself struggling with her more controversial choices. I still had a good time with the story and really loved how rich the world felt. I was very immersed in the story and I think that's part of what made the difficult subject matter hard to read about. This book is like nothing I've ever read before and I'm very glad I picked it up. It was an unusual reading experience but definitely worth the read.

Ododo is a blacksmith, a group of women shunned as witches. When the warriors of Yorubaland conquer her hometown, no one is sure what will happen next. After being abducted, Ododo is taken across the Sahara to be the wife of the Yoruba king. Excited about her change in station, Ododo must learn to balance her fiancé's affection with her own desires.

This book was a story in contrast. The contrast between the lives of blacksmiths and royalty. The poverty of the people and the opulence of the court. The contrast between Odobo’s desires and her obligation to her mother and fellow blacksmiths. At times the book felt predictable and moved slowly. Overall, 3 out of 5 stars.

This was so good! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. We love an African mythology and a beautiful word built into the story.

This is how historical fiction should be told!! I seem to be obsessed with Hades and his obsessions, this is perhaps the 6th book about him I have read this year and this one is by far my favorite! West African retelling and the FMC is badass. Loved it!

“Masquerade” is an adult historical fantasy novel written by a O.O. Sangoyomi. A captivating, intriguing and engaging book, embellished by highly lyrical and evocative prose. A bewitching and intricate story full of court intrigue, power plays, deceptions, subterfuges, lies, secrets, alliances and betrayals. A tale developed against the backdrop of West Africa, described in an extremely vivid way. I loved this setting, I was completely absorbed in the events narrated, but in contrast the characters left me lukewarm. I don't know, they seemed a bit superficial and this unfortunately prevented me from fully connecting with them. However, despite the characters, I really enjoyed the novel!

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

In Masquerade, Òdòdó is abducted from her home of Timbuktu to the capital Ṣàngótẹ̀. She realizes her kidnapper is the king himself and she is now his queen. Òdòdó must adjust to royal life and navigate the political factions at court. Can Òdòdó win over the court, and her husband before her country, and herself, are destroyed?

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for an advance e-copy of the book. I was not paid to write this review and all thoughts are my own.

I absolutely love the West African themes throughout this book. The story was fantastic and kept me on my toes, and that ending!! I love a morally grey character and that’s certainly what the main character is. The writing is gorgeous as well.

I’m always in the search for a Hades and Persephone retelling to love but I fear Masquerade, though perfectly adequate will fade in with the rest of the bunch in my mind. The world seemed wildly interesting with a West African perspective to immerse you into the world but ultimately I found the character development, intention and personalities to be slightly lacking, not allowing me to fully connect with any of the characters. Most plot points were easily guessed and ultimately missed any kind of surprise.

This West African epic was such an interesting mix of African historical fiction and the myth of Persephone and Hades. I went into this expecting there to be more magic, but aside from the inspirational source work of Persephone and Hades, this reads much more like a historical fiction. That being said, it's a fascinating historical fiction about a woman who refuses to accept her lot in life and takes her destiny into her own hands.

The plot was a little slow to get off the ground for me, but Òdòdó’s journey hooked me eventually. I do think that the plot suffered a bit from info dumping about the court at the beginning. That being said, Òdòdó is a strong woman who is not afraid to take risks to ensure her safety and position. There's action, betrayal, LOTS of court politics. A slow start did not diminish the ultimate triumph of Òdòdó's story, and I was very glad of the resolution. I don't know how it could have ended another way and still have been satisfying!

Thank you for an early copy of "Masquerade" by OO Sangoyomi. I enjoyed this retelling of Persephone and love the character development of the plot. I also learned a lot about African mythology, which made me study more about African folk tales. Thank You again to Tor Publishing Group and NetGalley.

stunning, beautiful, i love it !! I could feel the heat and the desperation, and I was swept along in the story many women in history share: to be seen as more than accessories to men’s ambitions. i'm excited to witness sangoyomi's literary career

This book. My goodness this book! Readers, may I present debut novel from O.O Sangoyomi, Masquerade. This book was on my 2024 highly anticipated list and it doesn’t disappoint. This was easily a 5/5 read (this the second time I’m bestowing a 5 star review), it's rare for me to give a perfect score, but believe me this book is amazing. Also, the cover art! An instant classic and I’m running to my bookstore this summer to get a physical copy!

In Masquerade, we follow Òdòdó a blacksmith swept into the royal world and the inner trappings of a royal court as the prospective new bride of the mighty and powerful King of Yorubaland, Aremo. While Òdòdó is finding her place in a palace with its own set of customs and tensions, she becomes aware of a set of growing discontentment amongst the people. I really enjoyed how the author explored the crisis of elephant, poaching and the ivory black market.

Òdòdó's a strong character and her path of self discovery and also political personal rise was page-turning! Filled with political scheming, this novel shines light on female empowerment. O.O. Sangoyomi also takes the time to share with readers the technicality and arduous labour of blacksmiths creating pieces of weaponry, and art that is still widely admired to this day. From the clothing, food, and scents. I felt the authors passion as she used such descriptive writing. I could feel the sweltering heat of the aunties by the fires welding a weapon or the cooling relief of the rain. I always appreciate when an author just takes their time to pull a reader into their novel.

I’ve seen many refer to the novel as a retelling of Hades and Persephone. However, this is novel is original. It’s steeped in a rich culture, in its own mythology, exploring widening themes, and pays homage to pre-colonial Sub-Saharan African. I read that O.O Sangoyomi wanted to breathe new life into the culture. My goodness, she has exceed that and this novel will open readers, to a wider story and conversation,

Whatever, O.O Sangoyomi writes next I’ll be sitting down to read it.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts and review. This book is a special gem and I can’t wait for the world to discover it.

With compelling and beautiful writing, Oo sangoyomi narrates the story of Ododo, a pretty interesting character, settled in an even more interesting worldbuilding.
This book literally has everything for me to like it.
Unfortunately, I had to pause it at the 30% mark. Don't get me wrong, I was liking it, but I felt it was a bit dense for the moment I was reading it.
It is not a dnf, simply a pause because I surely want to keep reading Ododo' story.

I wasn't fully sure what to expect from this as I began it, but the more I read the more I was impressed by the characterization, setting, and slow build of tension.

This is a story set in 15th century Africa that focuses on the rise of Òdòdó from blacksmith to wife of the Aláàfin of Yorùbáland. There are some elements that could be considered magical but for the most part the plot focused on political and military machinations with detailed world building.

The story begins fairly simply: a tale of a woman trying to grasp the comforts that come with wealth and status, but that slowly grows more complicated as she realizes that what she wants cannot be given to her by someone else. I was impressed by how much tension is infused into the story, it was hard to step away from watching Òdòdó grow in confidence and power. Her struggles and frustrations carried through the page so clearly. It was almost cinematic in how easily I could picture each scene.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. The writing style seems very direct at first but the complexity grows with the story. The world was immersive and character of Òdòdó compelling.

Òdòdó, the main character in Masquerade, goes through a stunning transformation during the course of the book - not so much physically, although she does go from peasant to queen, but as her power grows, she becomes someone else entirely. That's how I felt at the end of Masquerade, because this is very much a case of the main character also being a villain. Very, very loosely based on the Hades and Persephone myth - which honestly, how many retellings of this myth are there? I would much rather have had the basis be African lore, but I digress - because Òdòdó’s choices put her firmly in the morally grey category. I am all for a person embracing the darkness inside them, and by the end of the book she certainly does. The worldbuilding is excellent and I look forward to reading more from O.O. Sangoyomi in the future

Masquerade was a great story. I loved the mythological aspects combined with a lush, beautiful rich thriving African world. I loved the women’s empowerment theme, also combined with a love story. As this is labeled adult fiction, I think Aremo behaved like a love sick young puppy and Ododo was naive at times. Overall, I loved this story and how it ended.

O.O Sangoyomi’s Masquerade is a remarkable story of power, betrayal, love and revenge as seen through the eyes of the FMC, Òdòdó.

Òdòdó is vulnerable and fierce as she learns to navigate the complexities of the king’s court and the mother/daughter relationship. The characters are wonderfully written and the story pulls you in with vivid imagery. The West African history, culture and beliefs are beautifully described and create a book you won’t want to put down.

I read this book in one day, unable to put it down and wanting more once I finished reading.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and Forge books for this advanced reader digital edition. All opinions are mine and given of my own accord.

I really liked this book, and I think the world-building and character creation worked great together. I found them to be dynamic and very entertaining to read. I was looking forward to this book and it did not disappoint, I can't wait for it to come out so that I can have a physical copy of it

This is a re-telling done RIGHT! Now everyone can't do the Greek myth legend of Hades and Persephone right, but this one did it perfectly! I really enjoyed the main characters as well as the minor ones. And the African mythology was just icing on the cake for me. I can tell that Ms. Sangoyomi did her research and you can tell as you read through the book. I can't wait to get a copy of this, and I will be requesting it for my library as well!

What. A. Book!

@oosangoyomi you are such a powerful writer! I'd been looking for a book that delved emotionally deeper than a plot led by tropes and this book absolutely delivered! (For reference, you can still find tropes in there like corruption arcs and whatnot, but in no way did that aid me in knowing what to expect).

This book really did feel like an unapologetic step into the brutal and beautiful world of 15th century West Africa. The main character felt human and therefore understandable, but at other times she could feel almost unattainable for a reader, if that makes sense. She undergoes experiences most of us can't relate to and her journey felt like that which is told in mythology, so she came to feel almost god-like as she embraced her own identity. I am aware that there are elements of mythology woven into the book, which would have aided this as well.

And another thing, for it to be her debut? I love debuts and for this one to be especially thought provoking and powerful (am I using that word too much?), I am just amazed. It was exactly what I needed.

Thankyou so much for the e-ARC!