Book review: Masquerade by O.O. Sangoyomi
![Cover of Masquerade by O.O. Sangoyomi, featuring a Black woman wearing a headdress/crown, golden necklace, and red-and-gold dress, with an elephant standing behind her, wrapping its trunk around her; they are surrounded by large golden daffodils.](https://i0.wp.com/skiffyandfanty.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Masquerade-scaled.jpg?fit=663%2C1024&ssl=1)
It’s an interesting work of alternate history in which a naive young girl has to grow up fast when she is abducted and installed in a foreign court as the intended bride of a warrior king. Ignorant at first, Òdòdó learns fast that kindness can conceal cruelty, and tenderness can be a distraction from tyranny; eventually, she learns how to make allies and take control of her own life, and more.