Book Review: Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon by Wole Talabi

• Title: Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon
• Author: Wole Talabi
• Year: 2023

I’d seen this one mentioned on a few sites, so when it appeared at my library I jumped at the chance to give it a try.

It was…fine. The pacing was weird. The jumping back and forth between timelines was confusing for a while. This also contributed to a lack of plot clarity for me. And while I acknowledge that one of the main characters is a succubus, there was more sex than I’d care for. I don’t want to see the word turgid again for a very long time, thankyouverymuch.

I picked it up hoping to get a story that would immerse me in the mythos of an African-based cosmology. That was there, but it wasn’t as strong as I wanted. It’s not the author’s fault that the book wasn’t laser-targeted at my vague literary desires.

In general I don’t feel reading this was time lost, but I’m not likely to chase down other works by Talabi.