Review – David Mogo, Godhunter by Suyi Davies Okungbowa
I received a free copy from NetGalley in return for an honest review. This in no way impacts my opinions.
The gods have fallen from the skies, and taken up residence in Lagos, where they sometimes make a nuisance of themselves. This is where David comes in. David is a demigod, and uses his enhanced abilities to take out the godlings and keep his city as safe as he can. However, when he gets a job offer from a somewhat dastardly wizard, it sets him on a path that will change him, and Lagos forever.
Worldbuilding
Let’s be honest here, unless you live in Nigeria, you probably don’t tend to read a lot of books set there. So, this is some original worldbuilding, What I know of Lagos (sadly not a lot), is that it is a bustling city built in part on a series of islands. In Godhunter, that has all changed. With the descent of the gods, the world has changed. In Lagos, those who could afford to, have left Those who can’t, huddle in safety of numbers (theoretically). The cops can’t be trusted, crime is rife and the agency founded to deal with god problems has been rendered almost impotent by lack of funding. The different gods range along the usual human gamut – good, bad and indifferent. The city is no longer a bustling metropolis, but a mausoleum with empty buildings, and the occasional slum.
Score – 4/5
Characters
David Mogo, the titular character, narrates the story, and his tale is an interesting one. As a demigod, he is a mix of both god and human, and never truly feels like he belongs to either group.Despite this, he is compelled to do the right thing, and uses his powers – enhanced strength and speed, ability to find gods – to keep humanity safe. He’s no warrior though, more often than not he just removes trickster gods from buildings and deposits them somewhere else. However, when he takes on the job offer that changes his life, he starts to question why he needs to be involved in the war, He is constantly at odds with his supporting cast, particularly those of the heavenly variety, He has never known either parent, although he dreams of his mother (who is a god). His adoptive father Papa Udi is also his sidekick, a respected wizard who makes anti-god weapons, useful in David’s line of work. The other characters are standard, but still likeable, but the bad guys, while worthy of the odd “boo-hiss,” believe they are doing what is right for their kind, and it is easy to understand their point of view. If I had one real issue with this book, it’s probably the unwillingness of the author to kill off characters. There are plenty of deaths, but not really among the main cast.
Score – 4.5/5
Plot
The plot is expounded in an interesting fashion. Instead of just banging out the story in A to B fashion, this is more akin to a quartet of short stories based in the same setting, but don’t necessarily follow seamlessly. Still, by the end of the book, all decisions are linked, and one can see that David had a major hand in all events, whether intended or not. Oh yeah, and I quite liked that style.
Score – 3.5/5
Writing
Here’s the area that might turn off some readers. The book is written by a Nigerian, set in Nigeria, so in the interests of regional accuracy, the author uses the Nigerian dialect of English for some of his characters, such as Papa Udi, who has one of the major speaking rioles. David, for the most part, speaks “standard” English (if there really is such a thing), and does comment at times about how he wishes other members of his group would. While having to reread sentences and make assumptions from context may be distracting for some readers, it was nice to see it in a book, while not being treated as a gimmick or insult. Also it’s told from a first person perspective, which I know upsets some readers. Not sure why though.
Score – 4/5
Personal Enjoyment
I enjoyed this one. While the plot wasn’t particularly mindblowing, and the pacing was somewhat sedate, the story, setting and characters were engaging. I can say the one thing I enjoyed most about this book is that it often made me fondly remember the many Nigerian people I have had the pleasure of knowing over the years.
Score – 4/5
Verdict
Urban fantasy. Nigerian Godpunk. Whatever you want to call it, it’s worth your time. Quite a quick read too, despite the pacing.
Total Score – 20/25
