Book Review: Your Next Non-Western Historical Fiction Fantasy Read Should be ‘Masquerade’ by O.O. Sangoyomi

If you’ve been looking to expand your reads to settings outside the western world and culture, Masquerade by O.O. Sangoyomi is a great place to start. Set in an imagined Western Africa location in the 15th century, it’s the story of an outcast blacksmith who is raised to the upper echelons of society by a chance encounter. Supposedly it’s based loosely on the Hades and Persephone myth, but I would emphasize ‘loosely’ here. If political intrigue, historical fiction, and impossible choices is your cup of tea, you might love this read. On the fantasy elements: to me these were lacking and this didn’t really feel like a fantasy novel. There are a few interactions and mentions of gods, but it’s not really the focus of the story. It’s very much a character driven story and reads way more like historical fiction. So if that’s more your vibe, and you aren’t squeamish about super descriptive battle scenes, this might be a new favorite read. It’s not perfect—there’s a few little things that I’ll get into below, but first…

Can we get a little commotion for this gorgeous cover?!

Things to Know:

• Standalone

• African Fantasy

• Reads like historical fiction

• Political intrigue

• TW: SA, death, slavery, and animal abuse

I won’t lie, the beautiful cover got me interested in this one at first. Plus, it’s a standalone, and Lord knows we need more of those in our lives. Òdòdó is a young blacksmith working with her mother and ‘aunties’ in a smithy. As outcasts of society, she’s lived a pretty sheltered, controlling life, and like any young girl, dreams of bigger things. A chance encounter with whom she thinks is a beggar man, turns into an abduction by the King of Yorubaland, who fell in love with her at first sight. There’s definitely a bit of Stockholm Syndrome here. And did I mention he’s already married? But don’t worry (insert eye roll), it’s strictly a political marriage, and Òdòdó rapidly becomes friends with wife #1. Is that a good idea? Well, no spoilers here…

I really enjoyed the narration of the audiobook, which absolutely lended a lush picture of the story in my mind. The moody elephants were also pretty amazing, as well as the twins (two adorable children who help our main character). Òdòdó herself was a bit of a conundrum for me. On the one hand, she’s super naive at times, and I just wanted to shake her and say, “Wake up girl, don’t be stupid!” But then at other times, she shows this crazy confidence and strength. I do think this was a bit on purpose, but it was frustrating as a reader because she was so inconsistent.

There were also a couple things that I thought were going to be big plot points that conveniently got resolved by someone else, so that was unexpected. And towards the end you can really tell where it’s going to end up, but I didn’t mind that too much, although it did feel a bit rushed considering the meandering style of the first 3/4 of the book. And like I mention, I definitely felt a bit of whiplash from Òdòdó’s character.

If you don’t like political intrigue, or you’re expecting a strong fantasy element, you’re going to be sorely disappointed by this read. I was a little disappointed it didn’t have more fantasy, but I’m a big fan of historical fiction, so once I adjusted my expectations, I still enjoyed the story. It’s also an impressive debut novel.

I would absolutely recommend this book to readers who love historical fiction, and non-western settings. While the quotes below might make you think otherwise, this is not really a romance. Many thanks to Macmillan Audio for the early audiobook to listen to. 3.75 stars.

Fave Quotes:

“She had worked with far too many precious metals to be impressed by the silver of the stranger’s tongue.”

“If a person requires another to be whole, then it is you who I want to complete me, Alale Ododo.”

“Our largest crime being, not just women, but women without a man to belong to.”

“Would you like me to capture the southern winds and bottle them in a crystal vial? Would you like me to pluck the stars out of the sky, one by one, so that you may adorn your braids with them? Say it, and it is yours.”

“Men call us witches, they thought us demons, and yet, it was them who wished to possess us.”

—

P.S. If you end up getting a copy of any books through an Amazon affiliate link above, you’ll be helping me support this site and newsletter. Thanks in advance for supporting a fellow bookworm! BTW, I will always disclose affiliate links when they’re present. :) Happy reading!