In an effort to start 2025 off on a good start, I’m featuring more of these mini book review posts. I am still catching up after 2024 and wanted to make sure you could all check out these adult fantasy books. Keep reading this book review post for reviews of Masquerade, Toto, and Red Sonja.
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Masquerade by O.O. Sangoyomi
Òdòdó’s hometown of Timbuktu has been conquered by the the warrior king of Yorùbáland. Already shunned as social pariahs, living conditions for Òdòdó and the other women in her blacksmith guild grow even worse under Yorùbá rule.
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, the power that saturates this world of battle and political savvy becomes 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 re-forging the shaky loyalties of the court in her favor, or risk losing everything—including her life.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
In Masquerade is a story about survival. It’s about a reversal of power and perspective. For Òdòdó, her entire life has changed in the blink of a moment. And who will watch out for Òdòdó? Who will make sure she’s safe in the eye of the storm? For Òdòdó, she’s sort of thrown headfirst into the water. She has to figure out these new dynamics, power plays, and power. How can she influence with subtle touches and invisible hands? Masquerade explores both the brutality of warfare, but also one woman’s journey to discovering her own power and survival.
Find Masquerade on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop.org, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.
Toto by A.J. Hackwith
I was mostly a Good Dog until they sold me out to animal control, okay?
But if it’s a choice between Oz, with its creepy little singing dudes, and being behind bars in gray old Kansas, I’ll choose the place where animals talk and run the show for now, thanks.
It’s not my fault that the kid is stuck here too, or that she stumbled into a tug-of-war over a pair of slippers that don’t even taste good. Now one witch in good eyeliner calls her pretty and we’re off on a quest? Teenagers.
I try to tell her she’s falling in with the wrong crowd when she befriends a freaking hedge wizard made of straw, that blue jay with revolutionary aspirations, and the walking tin can. Still, I’m not one to judge when there’s the small matter of a coup in the Forest Kingdom….
Look, something really stinks in Oz, and this Wizard guy and the witches positively reek of it. As usual, it’s going to be up to a sensible little dog to do a big dog’s job and get to the bottom of it.
And trust me: Little dogs can get away with anything.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Immediately when reading Toto I realized I want to read more animal companion retellings. There’s this wry snarky tone to Toto in the things animals, and others, notice that humans don’t. It’s very much a “humans-are-so-silly” tone. So if you like that angle on a classic, then you have to read Toto. Not only that, but Toto gives the story we know added context and scope. It’s a slightly different take on Oz and the story we think we know. While Toto keeps certain lines and scenes readers might be expecting, it walks a good line between honoring the original and departing.
Toto makes sure someone is watching out for Dorothy while also being less biased. I also enjoyed this line throughout of a good versus bad dog. About how Toto doesn’t feel rewarded for being a good dog, so trying to differentiate. It’s rich in character voice as Toto learns how to be a ‘bad dog’. All in all, Toto is super fun and perfect for fans of the original. Find Toto on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop.org, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.
Red Sonja: Consumed by Gail Simone
The gutsy, wild, tortured free spirit, forged in pain yet unafraid of life or death, Red Sonja, the famous, fiery She-Devil and barbarian of Hyrkania has never concerned herself with the consequences of her actions. She’s taken what she wanted, from treasure to drink to the companionship of bedfellows. She’s fought who deserved it (and sometimes those who didn’t). And she’s never looked back.
But when rumors start bubbling up from her homeland—rumors of unknown horrors emerging from the ground and pulling their unsuspecting victims to their deaths—and a strange voice begins whispering to her in her sleep, she realizes she may have to return to the country that abandoned her. And finally do the only thing that has ever scared her: confront her past.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
What I enjoyed the most about Red Sonja: Consumed was the character of Sonja. She’s reckless, a bit brash, and great with a sword. With multiple main characters, Red Sonja: Consumed is a must read for fans of the comics. I’ve never read the comics, so for me this was my first introduction. Throughout the book, we see various characters who are all pursuing and clinging onto power. There’s very much the sense of greatness on the precipice. The noose tightening around our story pressuring us into becoming a legend.
Red Sonja: Consumed is incredibly fast paced. I wish some of the chapters had been a bit longer, but all in all I can sense the comic book influences within this adaptation. If you’re familiar with Sonja, then this is an easy one to pick up! Find Red Sonja: Consumed on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon (US)(UK), Bookshop.org, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.