Masquerade by O.O. Sangoyomi

TL;DR: A deeply immersive and wonderful read, I devoured this.
Source: Thank you to the publisher for an ARC via Netgalley!

Plot: Òdòdó is kidnapped from her life as a blacksmith to wed the king, thrusting her from a life of poverty to political tensions and backstabbing.
Characters: The cast was varied and unique and I came to love almost everyone.
Setting: Beautifully drawn, the characters were more the focus but the setting was well realized.
Magic: There is a tiny hint of magic in the dreams of Òdòdó but outside of that I didn’t pick up on much.

Thoughts:

I loved this one. I’ve sat on a it a few days and it’s just stayed wonderful in retrospection. This follows the daughter of blacksmith, a witch, Òdòdó. She catches the eye of a wandering man, and is abruptly kidnapped and thrust into the position of a bride to be to the king. This comes right before a blacksmith strike, where the guilds are simply disappearing, and other political tensions are simmering. Òdòdó has to learn to navigate her new home and environment and find out where she fits.

This is probably one of the most immersive books I’ve read this year. This had that special spark that once you start reading, you sink in and can’t come out. I didn’t trust anyone in this one, but I loved everyone. It’s one of those books you really have to pay attention because you’re seeing the world through Òdòdó’s eyes and even she is lost. It’s absolutely entrancing.

It’s not an easy read in some aspects so go in checking your content warnings, but it’s so worth the time and the read. The cover is beautiful and so is the contents, how can you miss out on all that? Long live the Queen.

5 out of 5 daffodils