Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon

A year ago, Shigidi was partially freed from his dead-end position as a minor nightmare god in the Orisha spirit company. His rescuer was Nneoma, an ancient freelance succubus who remade him into a bodyguard for protection from her haunted past. Now the former CEO god of Orisha needs help stealing back an artifact from the British Museum and offers to completely free Shigidi and Nneoma from their debts if they do it. The only problem is that it’s almost impossible, and as freelancers, they’re expendable. This godpunk debut is partly about a heist, but the theft is secondary to the long histories of the gods and their religious companies. However, these parts don’t quite add up to an exciting heist caper; the story sometimes feels like a series of character studies interrupted by an ongoing crime. Having a succubus use sex to solve every problem feels less like a resolution and more like a narrative pothole Talabi can’t drive out of. Narrator Ben Arogundade offers precise accents for each character, and his breathy delivery enhances the feeling of gods racing against the clock.