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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.

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.