In the Shadow of the Fall
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- Pre-Order
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- Expected Jul 23, 2024
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- $11.99
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- Pre-Order
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
A cosmic war reignites and the fate of the orisha lie in the hands of an untried acolyte in this first entry of a new epic fantasy novella duology by Tobi Ogundiran, for fans of N. K. Jemisin and Tomi Adeyemi.
"The novella of the year has arrived!"—Mark Oshiro, #1 New York Times bestselling author
Ashâke is an acolyte in the temple of Ifa, yearning for the day she is made a priestess and sent out into the world to serve the orisha. But of all the acolytes, she is the only one the orisha refuse to speak to. For years she has watched from the sidelines as peer after peer passes her by and ascends to full priesthood.
Desperate, Ashâke attempts to summon and trap an orisha—any orisha. Instead, she experiences a vision so terrible it draws the attention of a powerful enemy sect and thrusts Ashâke into the center of a centuries-old war that will shatter the very foundations of her world.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Ogundiran's thrilling novella (after the collection Jackal, Jackal) draws on Yoruba mythology to set up a cosmic battle. Acolyte Ashâke has watched all of her peers hear the voice of an orisha and move on to being priests, but the otherworldly spirits remain silent to her. Desperate, she secretly builds an effigy to bind an orisha to her—resulting in a terrible fire. She wakes in the care of Ba Fatai, a witch doctor, and must face the wrath of the leading priests, who sentence her to a fortnight of isolation in the cellars. There, Ba Fatai's bird familiar brings a message that, thanks to Ba Fatai's undesired gift of prophecy, he knows Ashâke will never advance to priesthood. Ashâke runs away and finds a spot among the griots, nomadic memory keepers who share with her a shocking truth about why the orisha have not spoken to her. Before Ashâke can act on this new knowledge, High Priestess Iyalawo tracks her down, urging her to return to the protective temple grounds, which are warded against a dangerous foe who also seeks Ashâke. Ogundiran keeps the action humming while still managing to probe impressive emotional depths, and a cliffhanger ending sets things up nicely for a sequel. Fans of mythic fantasy drawing from non-Western traditions will want to snap this up.
