Masquerade

By: O.O. Sangoyomi

Narrated by: Ariel Blake

Set in a wonderfully reimagined 15th century West Africa, Masquerade is a dazzling, lyrical tale exploring the true cost of one woman’s fight for freedom and self-discovery, and the lengths she’ll go to secure her future.

“[Ariel] Blake is adept at describing romantic moments, sumptuous palace finery, and bloody battles. Her characters have depth and personalities, and speakers are easily identified. Òdòdó is an original character, and Blake invests her with gravitas and dignity.”—LitHub

“A bewitching, thrilling and vibrant novel that had me enthralled with every twist and turn.”—Jennifer Saint, New York Times bestselling author

"This splendid romantic adventure, loosely based on the Persephone myth, receives a sterling performance by Ariel Blake"—AudioFile

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 Ṣàngótẹ̀, 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.

Loosely based on the myth of Persephone, O.O. Sangoyomi’s Masquerade takes you on a journey of epic power struggles and political intrigue which turn an entire region on its head.

A Macmillan Audio production from Tor Forge.

©2024 O.O. Sangoyomi (P)2024 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“A bewitching, thrilling and vibrant novel that had me enthralled with every twist and turn.”—Jennifer Saint, New York Times bestselling author

“With sweeping romance, an incredible setting, and a heroine who will stop at nothing to have the life she deserves, Masquerade is a triumphant blend of history and folklore that will keep you glued to the page.”—Hannah Whitten, New York Times bestselling author

“Mixing political intrigue and slow corruption with a captivating heroine and gorgeously rendered setting, Sangoyomi delivers an incisive examination of gender, temptation, and the lengths people will go to hold power—a magnificent debut!”—Vaishnavi Patel, New York Times bestselling author

Wow, my first audiobook.

This was so well done. I felt immersed in the book and couldn’t stop listening. Ariel’s voice and accent were perfect and I felt like I was in Western Africa, just different than the voice I use in my head when reading by myself. The intro and ending music was divine and set the tone. The story was amazing, and it kept me guessing and intrigued done e tire time. The growth and change in the characters was well developed and believable. This is my first historical fiction and now I need more with this setting!

Never expecting the next outcome.

I love how this books shows you the true thought process of a woman that loves and loves hard. And the crazy down spiral of it all. And how she found herself within the chaos. Definitely can see myself as the main character. Very good for a group discussion.

I couldn't stop Listening!

There are very few books that keep me on the edge of my seat, waiting to see what happens next. This book is a beautifully written story of mystery, love, triumph, betrayals and power!! If you are thinking about reading this book... think no more. Just do it!!!

Amazing narration!

3.5⭐️ 0🌶️ 4🎧

First of all the cover was stunning! I knew I wanted to read this book as soon as I saw it and then when I saw it was a Persephone inspired story set in 15th century West Africa, I couldn’t start it fast enough!

This book was beautifully descriptive. I could picture everything so vividly. I was fascinated by Òdòdó’s journey through this book from penniless blacksmith to bride of the Aláàfin and revered warrior witch.

I admired her ruthless determination to acquire power in a world where women were virtually powerless. The journey of self discovery that Òdòdó went on during this book was remarkable. But I did find myself getting frustrated by how naive she was at times. She was so frustrated that men wouldn’t see her as anything more than the Aláàfin’s bride despite her strategic prowess and yet she too was oblivious to the machinations of the other women around her.

This book wasn’t at all what I expected and while I’m not mad about it I do feel a bit misled. I was expecting a Persephone inspired fantasy set in West Africa. But this book was not fantasy, it was closer to historical fiction. It was also so loosely based on Persephone that I don’t know if I would have picked up on it had I not been told. I’ve also seen it marketed as a romance and I really don’t think I would consider it a romance despite the whole book being set in motion by Àrẹ̀mọ falling in love with Òdòdó at first sight and kidnapping her hoping to convince her to marry him.

Ariel Blake did a wonderful job narrating! I was fully immersed in her story telling.

Mythology lovers MUST read! BRILLIANT and EPIC - easily in my top 5 favorites ever.

This book has made me feel EVERY single emotion that is possible to feel. I have long awaited a book that could make me feel SO deeply. I can not begin to even explain how much I love this story. I've finished this book in less than 24 hours because I couldn't stop! This book will be forever in my top 5. I am in love and will read ANYTHING written by this author. I'm so ecstatic that I found this book. I rarely, rarely feel so in love with a book, but this one has my heart forever. I recommend it to anyone who loves mythology, learning about other cultures, deep deeeep family sagas and stories, and the woman who is an underdog. The details in this story are unforgettable. 5 STARS x INFINITY. I wish this book would never end! If they do not make a movie based on this book, I'm going to be devastated. To the author, please never stop writing. You paint such beautiful pictures with words.

Hardly a Persephone Retelling

Well-written and well-performed YA feminist fairytale with a few too many overly telegraphed plot twists.

Phenomenal

What an amazing book. There is so much that could be said about how great this book is but, you just need to listen. I am going to pick up a hardback copy to keep around the house because it was so good.

Simply Amazing

As a debut, this was well thought out and came together in way that seemed effortless. I will be looking for more to come from this author. Great job and execution. The storyline flowed so well. I’m typically not speechless but here…I am.

Excellent read!

4.6 stars out of 5 stars if I was to give it a true number rating! The narrator knocked it out of the park and not one minutes of the author's research was wasted. Maybe I'm naive - the ending surprised me...

From the forge to the throne!

While the premise was great and the audio was pretty good,this one wasn't for me. While the word "fantasy" came up regarding this work, it is not a fantasy. The only thing remotely close to the Persephone/Hades story is her kidnapping and the fact that he was referred to as the "Commader of Death".

The FMC was an unreliable narrator due to her naivete and the fact that she turned out to be a liar, ergo the tittle of the book. There was no real romance, though it is implied in the marketing. All in all, I would stay it's a political historical fiction with a morally gray and unlikable MC (at least to me). There is a niche for it, but it wasn't for me.