Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon by Wole Talabi

Pages: 294 

Publisher: Gollancz

Released: 8th of February 2024 

Shigidi is a disgruntled nightmare god in the Orisha spirit company, reluctantly answering the prayers of his few remaining believers to survive long enough to buy his next drink. When he meets Nneoma, a sort-of succubus with a long and secretive past, everything changes.

Together, they attempt to break free of the obligations and 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 have other plans for Shigidi, and they are not all aligned - or good.

From the boisterous streets of Lagos to the rooftop bars of Singapore and the secret spaces of London, Shigidi and Nneoma will encounter strange creatures, rival gods and manipulative magicians as they are drawn into a spectacular heist that spans two realms . . . and could turn their own worlds upside down . . .

What I Have to Say 

I'll be honest here, I really was only interested in this book for the heist and the introduction to the Yoruba gods. The latter was done really well. I enjoyed getting to know about the gods and the culture and I thought the idea of a spirit company was really interesting. But the heist, which was the main draw, only took up about 20% of the book. Most of the book was flashbacks to introduce characters or set up certain things and I just wanted the writer to get on with it and get to the actual heist! 

As I said, the gods were really interesting and I found the different descriptions of the characters interesting as well. I love how they melded different religions into it and made a space where everyone's gods could exist together. 

I really wish I could have been less bored by this. It was such a great idea and had real potential for excitement. It just didn't hit the mark for me. 

2 stars 

My thanks goes to Netgalley and Gollancz for providing me with this copy for review.