Masquerade
by O.O. SangoyomiSetting: Nigeria
Genres: Fiction / African American & Black / Historical
Length: 13:39
Published on July 29, 2025
Pages: 368
Format: Audiobook Source: Library
Òdòdó’s hometown of Timbuktu has been conquered by the warrior king of Yorùbáland, and living conditions for the women in her blacksmith guild, who were already shunned as social pariahs, grow even worse.
Then Òdòdó is abducted. She is whisked across the Sahara to the capital city of Sàngóte where she is shocked to discover that her kidnapper is none other than the vagrant who had visited her guild just days prior. But now that he is swathed in riches rather than rags, Òdòdó realizes he is not a vagrant at all; he is the warrior king, and he has chosen her to be his wife.
In a sudden change of fortune, Òdòdó soars to the very heights of society. But after a lifetime of subjugation, she finds the power that saturates this world of battle and political savvy too enticing to resist. As tensions with rival states grow, revealing elaborate schemes and enemies hidden in plain sight, Òdòdó must defy the cruel king she has been forced to wed by reforging the shaky loyalties of the court in her favor, or risk losing everything—including her life.
There comes a time when I’m reading any historical fiction book when I start to wonder why I’m putting myself through this.
If the book is at all rooted in the past, then women were not treated well. Why do I want to relive that? I had that thought several times while reading this book.
Women who were shunned by society for any number of reasons could become blacksmiths. They were the lowest of the low, even though they performed a vital function. People referred to them as witches both because they were women outside the control of men who needed to be reminded of their place and because they transformed metals into useful objects. Òdòdó was born into this life because her mother was a blacksmith. She longs to find a better life but there is no way open to her.
She is seen making a decorative flower and singing by a man. After a brief conversation, he decides to marry her. Of course, he doesn’t ask her opinion on that or even inform her or her mother. He has her kidnapped and brought to him in another part of the kingdom. She is not happy about the kidnapping but this easy life is much better than being a blacksmith so she decides to embrace it.
Then I got irritated because why do the women in this society who have so little power have to use it to fight against each other? I understand that they can’t better themselves any other way but seriously, fight the power, not each other. There were a few times in the middle of this book that I was tempted to walk away. It seemed fairly cliché. I’m glad I didn’t.
The last hour or so of the book was beautiful. I loved this ending. It was ultimately a girl power fantasy ending but after listening to her being belittled for being a woman with thoughts in her head for the last 11 hours of the book, I was thrilled to see it.
Yes, it seemed a bit abrupt to have her go from an igornant girl to a great strategist with minimal training. Would she has been able to do what she did in a society structured that way? Not at all. That’s what I meant about a girl power fantasy. It wasn’t realistic at all but it was satisfying.
I haven’t read historical fiction set in West Africa before. I’d love to see more.
