I was captivated by this short story from start to finish! We follow two perspectives, both our protagonist, who is trying to find her place in the world, and our antagonist, who will, of course, disrupt that.
Ashâke was supposed to ascend to priesthood years ago, but has been overlooked by the gods yet again. In her disappointment and frustration she is unaware that she is in the middle of a cosmic war between the gods, and the secrets the high priests keep will determine her fate.
The use of dual perspectives really heightened the tension. In the first scene with our antagonist we see the immense power he has as he takes over the body of a pickpocket. Knowing that he can disguise himself as anyone makes it easy for him to pop up in unexpected places - which he continually does throughout the story.
There is a lot of world building packed into this little book! We see very few places in this world, but the world still feels immense. We learn about the gods and their histories, as well as getting glimpses into the lives of different people groups. The world feels vast and alive and lived in. It feels very real.
Ashâke goes on an emotional journey as she starts to question everything she has been taught. The world in this story pulls from African mythology and the journey Ashâke goes on is very much a religious one, using religious language. She has to figure out what is true, and she is, at times, asked to believe things without evidence. Readers will probably view the story differently depending on their own experience with religion.
While much of this story is driven by inner turmoil, it moves at a fast pace as Ashâke leaves everything she has known and encounters dangers outside the safety of the temple. While she doesn’t know who she can trust, she is able to open up to the kindness of the griots.
I loved seeing the griots and how welcoming they are to outsiders. Their magic in storytelling was also fascinating and beautiful to read. I would have been happy to spend more time with them and explore their way of life.
The ending was beautiful and devastating! Readers get the satisfaction of answers to the main questions presented in the story, but are also left with the knowledge that a bigger threat is to come.
I’m looking forward to reading the conclusion to this story with cosmic level stakes in the next installment!
I received a copy of this book via Netgalley.
What a fantastic story! This book has skyrocketed onto my list of best books I’ve read and is in contention for my best book of the year. I knew from chapter one that I was going to love the story, and the rest of the book didn’t disappoint. It’s perfection.
The short chapters really set the pace, and build the tension as our characters realize they are not alone in the tower, and a vengeful water demon is hiding in the shadows. Not only that, but the higher ups think they are overreacting. Everything in this story felt so real. So painfully, beautifully human.
We follow three very different characters on the day that their lives are completely upended and changed forever. We learn about their hopes, dreams, and fears as they try to navigate the chaos. They don’t like each other, and never come to like each other, but they agree to work together to survive.
A major theme throughout the story is the human capacity for working together for good, and for turning on each other and hurting other humans, especially those who are a little different. There are no easy answers here, and the story mostly asks questions, all while providing a trilling, suspenseful tale.
The climax of the story was truly beautiful. I’m getting chills just thinking about it again. It’s an open ending, and I absolutely love it.
It’s been several days since I read this book, and I can’t stop thinking about it. I will definitely be rereading it, and I have a feeling it will stick with me for a long time.
Originally posted at youtu.be.