Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon

Archita Mittra of Strange Horizons wrote of the novel's themes of anti-capitalism and anti-imperialism. When he is first introduced, Shigidi is a minor god whose work is not valued: "the lion’s share of the profits that accrue from his work are enjoyed by his boss Shango—and Shango’s wives." Despite Shigidi's supernatural powers, he is still "chained to an exploitative system without any hopes or ambitions for the future." Mittra notes that Nneoma's pitch to Shigidi offers "a way to resist capitalism, particularly the corporatized ownership of one’s time and autonomy that a strict 9-to-5 occupation typically involves." The novel also portrays the difficulties of a freelance career, including lack of job security.^[1]

Mittra also critiqued the way that femininity and sexuality are portrayed in the story. In Mittra's view, the "femme fatale trope is sometimes subverted here, [but] the way she weaponizes her nubile looks to control gods and men by sexual coercion—while also being vulnerable enough to settle for Shigidi—seems to me a product of a male power fantasy." The same review further critiques the novel's treatment of beauty standards, writing that Shigidi's physical transformation "sits a little uneasily with me, as such cosmetic procedures seem to uphold the very patriarchal beauty standards that affect all genders, and in which certain bodies (particularly disabled ones) are perceived as being undesirable."^[1]

Publishers Weekly gave the novel a starred review, noting that "Talabi's freshness is in his language, his caustically amusing protagonist ... and his commitment to having more fun that noir usually allows. Readers are in for a rollicking thrill ride."^[2]

Writing for Lightspeed, Chris Kluwe called the novel "a rollicking heist/love story that has much more going on beneath its surface than you might expect." Kluwe notes that the novel explores themes of capitalism and colonialism, stating that "Talabi pulls no punches when addressing how these two forces impact those not lucky enough to be on the benefitting side." Kluwe also notes that while Shigidi is the title character, "the book is just as much Nneoma’s story as it is his. Talabi does masterful work weaving in gender expectations with subversions of the same in order to highlight issues of female bodily autonomy and social perceptions of women who dare desire sexuality the way men do."^[3] Also writing for Lightspeed, Aigner Loren Wilson praised the incorporation of Nigerian mythology, spiritualism, and folklore into the story. Wilson praised the novel's method of telling the story out of chronological order, stating that "some people might be thrown off by the story starting at the end and going back to the beginning, but to me, the structure of the story nailed the heist genre so well that it heightened everything." Wilson concluded that "the book’s themes of revenge, self-discovery, and the power of belief are thought-provoking and timely."^[4] Archita Mittra of Strange Horizons critiqued the novel's portrayal of beauty standards and sexuality, while concluding that the novel "is a memorable one that operates on many levels—a heist thriller, an action-adventure tale, an erotic romance, an examination of the colonial fallout and its insidious transformation to multinational capitalism, and a story of self-improvement and fulfilling one’s true potential."^[1]

Reviewers Kluwe, Mittra, and Gary K. Wolfe of Locus noted that the book will draw comparisons to American Gods by Neil Gaiman.^[3][1][5] Wolfe notes that Talabi is part of "an impressive and growing number of international authors [who] have been exploring the problems faced by gods from a range of cultures." Wolfe compares the novel's Orisha Spirit Company to both a multinational corporation and "a hopeless government bureaucracy". The review also praised the fast pace as well as the relationship between Shigidi and Nneoma. Wolfe concludes his review by stating that "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."

Katherine Sleyko of Library Journal noted that the novel is "partly about a heist, but the theft is secondary to the long histories of the gods and their religious companies." Sleyko felt that "the story sometimes feels like a series of character studies interrupted by an ongoing crime." She concluded her review by calling the novel "interesting new godpunk with some rough edges."^[6]