It actually reminded me of a story I'd been writing in my head for while, and I was almost upset that Ellams got there first.
However, I think Ellams did a better job than I ever could; it was compelling, lyrical, and mythic.
Give this book a go!

Sometimes, not as often as I would like, but sometimes I do steer away from my usually preferred genres and try something new. This one was just something new and I am so glad that I chose this one to try out because it’s such a fresh and new experience for me that I was just left really satisfied at the end of it.

For a book with a page count of under hundred, this one manages to pack quite a punch. It tells a tale of Yorùbá and Greek deities, spanning a number of years. A story told in verse with all the epic scope it can reach with powerful words and addressing the way women have been treated in many of the myths across the globe. I didn’t quite know what to expect going in and I think that was the best way to read this one. It managed to surprise me in the best way possible.

It is the story of Demi, a child born out of a rape, his mother was raped by Zeus and of Modupe, the Nigerian woman faced the atrocities committed by Zeus and raised Demi. Modupe is such a strong women, with raw power of her own and we see that near the end of the book, it was such a satisfying to read about it too. Demi is a successful basketball player, his talent and his power shines through without shadowing his mother’s tale.

There’s such an engaging use of language here and with the story itself moving at a great pace, this was a phenomenal experience. It’s short but it’s powerful in leaving its impact on you with its deep and lyrical writing. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for Ellams’ more works.

My thanks to Harper Collins/4th Estate for an eARC via NetGalley of Inua Ellams’ ‘The Half-God of Rainfall’ in exchange for an honest review. I have since purchased it as an ebook.

In this prose poem Ellams skilfully blends Yoruba and Greek mythology in a story about a gifted young Nigerian basketball player and his mother, who has to protect him from the whims of the Gods.

I am not really someone who reads much poetry though often feel that I should try to incorporate more. However, I am always drawn to fiction that incorporates mythological themes and characters and this sounded quite intriguing.

After a couple of attempts I opted to read this aloud to myself as I find this is really what I need to appreciate poetry. I didn’t feel that I was able to fully understand its story and themes though recognised the power and lyrical beauty of the text. However, this is my failing as someone who struggles with poetry.

This was an interesting collection of work. I was not entirely sure of this was prose or a verse piece. The language used was really good and this helped make the characters stand out more. The story overall was good and I liked how it progressed and had a particular focus when on Demi and Modupe. This was constructed really well and helped sell the story.

This is a strange and yet wonderful book at the same time. It's a mix of mythology and modern told in a poetry style. The book tells the story of the abuses women face and there is a lot in this book. It's a short book with a powerful story that I think everyone should take a chance on.

I found this altogether quite strange. It is a mix of Greek and Nigerian mythology which although very colourful is quite confusing. I know my basic Greek mythology but have no knowledge of Nigerian.
I found the language in this book quite difficult and hard to follow. However on reading other people's reviews I see that this is actually supposed to be in poetry form. However the formatting on the Kindle ap was such that this read like a short story.
In all I just didn''t get on with this. I liked the idea but couldn't find my way through the language and unknown references to understand the story fully.
I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley.

Thanks to NetGalley and The Publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Half-God of Rainfall is an unique mix of the modern and the mythological, wonderfully combining the Greek and Yoruba traditions to tell a heart-breaking but all too common story of the abuses women face at the hands of powerful men the world over. For such a short story, so much is covered.

Having heard about the play before the book I was eager to read this as I have really enjoyed Ellams previous work. However, I had no idea what this was about or what to expect

Personally I would have liked a little more detail and exploration with the characters and themes but overall an enjoyable quick read.

Not my cup of tea at all, wouldn't have requested it if I'd realised it was a novel in verse.

Also the formatting on the kindle version makes it unreadable, so I didn't actually realise it was in verse till I downloaded the pdf.

From the award-winning poet and playwright behind Barber Shop Chronicles, The Half-God of Rainfall is an epic story and a lyrical exploration of pride, power and female revenge.

When I read this book was about Gods, I knew I had to give this a look and how Ellams uses Gods, I find completely brilliant in this book. Creating a story where different Gods from different cultures are in a feud against one another, in this case the Greek and African Gods, makes for a book that keeps you reading. The behaviour of Zeus is used here in a uncomfortable and uncompromising way but the end makes up for it.

Madupe is such a strong character, full of emotion and raw with power - she makes for such a phenomenal heroine in this book especially in the final scenes where we see that revenge come to fruition, that last line of the book making for such a fantastic finish to the tale. Demi of course grows up and his story is just as potent, where we find a tale of talent, power and what you do with it.

A short but powerful book, The Half God Of Rainfall is a great read that keeps you hooked until the end - it reminded me in moments of a more lyrical and deep American Gods, especially with the story of Demi, and it won’t disappoint you.

An interesting fusion of modern and ancient, Greek and African mythology tales.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

*Disclaimer: I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Going into this I knew nothing about it. I am trying to familiarise myself with poetry more and more so I thought that this would be an interesting read, however I found that the story may have benefited from being a novella rather than narrative poetry. Some sections had more rhythm and felt poetic but on the whole The Half-God of Rainfall could have more suited being told in prose instead of as a poem.

I enjoyed the mix of Greek mythology and Nigerian culture but found that it wasn't well explained so I became lost at several points.

Overall I feel that this was just a little too far out of my comfort zone to the point where I was quite confused. I did enjoy parts and would recommend to a reader more versed in poetry or Greek myth but unfortunately this wasn't for me.

A prose-poem about the birth and life of a half-god; Ellams' writing style is poignant and the imagery harrowing, it makes for an exceptional albeit disturbing work of art.