Winner of the Ilube Award for Best Speculative Fiction Novel 2024. Nominated for the World Fantasy Award.

A Washington Post top 10 best science fiction and fantasy book of 2023

“A heist caper with sex, violence, and superpowers popping off every technicolor page.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Defiantly ambitious…an action-packed thrill ride.” —The Washington Post

A mythic tale of disgruntled gods, revenge, and a heist across two worlds, perfect for fans of Nnedi Okorafor, Marlon James, and Karen Lord

Shigidi is a disgruntled and demotivated nightmare god in the Orisha spirit company, reluctantly answering prayers of his few remaining believers to maintain his existence long enough to find his next drink. When he meets Nneoma, a sort-of succubus with a long and secretive past, everything changes for him.

Together, they attempt to break free of his obligations and the restrictions that have bound him to his godhood and navigate the parameters of their new relationship in the shadow of her past. But the elder gods that run the Orisha spirit company have other plans for Shigidi, and they are not all aligned—or good.

From the boisterous streets of Lagos to the swanky rooftop bars of Singapore and the secret spaces of London, Shigidi and Nneoma will encounter old acquaintances, rival gods, strange creatures, and manipulative magicians as they are drawn into a web of revenge, spirit business, and a spectacular heist across two worlds that will change Shigidi’s understanding of himself forever and determine the fate of the Orisha spirit company.

BIO

Wole Talabi is an engineer, writer, and editor from Nigeria. His stories have appeared in Asimov's, F&SF, Lightspeed, and several other publications. He has been a finalist for the Hugo, Nebula, Locus and Nommo awards, as well as the Caine Prize for African Writing.

REVIEWS

“Readers of Neil Gaiman and Harry Turtledove will have encountered similar takes on the spirit realm; Talabi’s freshness is in his language, his caustically amusing protagonist, and his commitment to having more fun than noir usually allows. Readers are in for a rollicking thrill ride.“ -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Defiantly ambitious…an action-packed thrill ride…. Talabi’s snarky narration keeps the tone light, while leaving room for a sweet love story.” --The Washington Post

“A vivid, entertaining tale of love, power and revenge.” -- The Guardian

“Talabi keeps in balance his kinetic mix of noir heist fiction, erotic romance, political intrigue, and supernatural fireworks without distracting too much from the genuinely affecting relationship between Nneoma and Shigidi, who are a pair we wouldn’t mind seeing again, and won’t forget anytime soon.” -- Locus

[H]  Daw Books  /  August 08, 2023

1.2" H x 8.7" L x 5.8" W (1.05 lbs) 320 pages

[P]  Daw Books  /  November 04, 2025

1.1" H x 8.1" L x 5.5" W (0.75 lbs) 352 pages