Review: Masquerade by O.O. Sangoyomi

Masquerade by O.O. Sangoyomi
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an audio ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This follows Òdòdó, a young blacksmith who strives for more than the life she and the other women of her guild have been granted.  As blacksmith's they are shunned and called witches, yet they are expected to work themselves to the bone for their kingdom.  Òdòdó quickly learns that the world is not a kind place, and enemies lurk around every corner.  She is kidnapped and taken to be the bride of the king and she quickly has to learn the games that those in power play.

This was very well written and the audiobook was very well done.  The narrator did an excellent job with the performance of all of the various characters that Òdòdó interacts with as she navigates court life and court politics.  I was expecting more of a fantasy element to the story, but this is definitely more of a historical fiction and retelling.  The magical elements I was expecting, and perhaps that was my own misunderstanding of the synopsis, were missing but I still enjoyed the book.  I feel this would be good for older YA readers as there are some more mature topics, but nothing overly graphic.  Òdòdó really comes into herself and grows quite a bit as she truly discovers her inner strength and the motivations of those around her.

Overall I think this is a solid debut, and I'm looking forward to seeing more from the author in the future.

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