The Boy to Beat the Gods

The Boy to Beat the Gods is a new middle grade fantasy adventure, which draws on a rich seam of storytelling culture from West African Yoruba beliefs and folklore.
I was hooked in by the setting and the intricacies of the traditional belief system of Yorubaland and my interest was sustained by the god-killing quest the young protagonists must pursue!

Kayode, the young goatherd, lives with his iya (mum) and sister, Temitope in the village of Ikire. Despite the elders’ beatings for his disobedience, & risk of angering the gods, Kayode feels compelled to climb the ancient baobab tree which bears the fruits of the gods. If a mortal consumes the fruit and does not die, they are said to receive the powers of the gods. The Orishas, powerful gods descended from the creator of everything, return to the land every five or so years looking for tributes. They feast on the souls of human sacrifices and believe they are helping to keep humankind in check through their reign of terror.

When the gods pay their latest visit to Kayode’s village, chaos erupts. Kayode’s destiny is quick to present itself when his little sister is among those snatched by the Orishas and a fruit belonging to the gods is left behind.
Despite his new god-like powers, which are still to be tried and honed, the odds are still stacked against Kayode and when help turns up in the form of a trickster god, Kayode must take another gamble. When they join up with Tiwa, a vengeful princess from a neighbouring village, the trio to take on the gods is complete.

The Boy to Beat the Gods evokes both the wisdom of ancient fables and the epic quality of Marvel adventures. It is well paced and the author has managed to give enough life to his world and characters to connect readers and make them care, without overwhelming them with detail- this must be a challenge with such a rich source of inspiration.

For fans of Rick Riordan, Louie Stowell and Tọlá Okogwu. Readers 9-12 will love this adventure, which sees kids being the heroes and which features some laughs amongst the peril- some of which were unexpected and quite…explosive!

I read this on @netgalley thanks to the author, Ashley Thorpe and the publisher, Usborne.

To have their power, would you eat the fruit of the Gods?

The Boy to Beat the Gods is the debut novel from Ashley Thorpe, released on 4th July, that ponders that very question. From Usborne, this middle grade fantasy fiction opens a whole new world of Gods that many of us will never have entered before.

A young goatherd from Ikire, Kayode’s dream has forever been to eat the fruit of the Gods, become an Orisha himself, and live their life. However, his attempts are always thwarted by the Elders, who demand the fruit be left. When the Orishas descend on the village, they take the fruit, and any humans they desire, as a sacrifice.

Interrupted in the middle of the night, Kayode watches as Princess Tiwa is captured trying to steal the fruit for her own village. Helping her escape, Kayode’s caught by the Elders and offered as a sacrifice when the Orishas invasion commences. However, his little sister Temitope can’t sit back and watch this happen, intervening, and being taken by the Orishas herself.

Distraught, Kayode vows to do whatever he can to get Temitope back, agreeing to take on the Orishas, and end their reign of terror over their world. Left one of the pieces of fruit by the trickster Orisha, Eko, Kayode is imbued with the power of the Gods. Discovering Eko is fed up with Orisha life and rule, the duo team up with Princess Tiwa, and the best fisherman in the world, Bami, to destoy the Gods, release the souls of all those they’ve taken (and eaten!), and restore peace.

However, Kayode soon uncovers that the fruit of the Gods provides him with five days and five days ONLY of power. Can he save Temitope, unite the divided villages and defeat the Orishas in time, or will the world he knows fall victim to the Gods?!

The first thing I have to say about this novel is Ashley Thorpe’s world is beautiful. Like any realistic world, it is flawed and contentious, yet the scenery, landscapes, history and characters are breathtaking. I can hands-down say this is one book where I had zero issue visualising the scenes, the characters, the settings, and even the feelings. I found myself lost in the world and sad when I had to depart at the end of The Boy to Beat the Gods.

Conceptually, the idea of preteen/teen with newly Godlike power vs Gods is something that we’ve all come to see released year after year and regurgitated to various points of unrecognition (From a family heavily embedded in Greek culture, I’ve said Zeus’ name more than I’ve said some of my friends’ names in my lifetime). However, Thorpe has found an ingenious, historically and culturally charged innovation in the heavily saturated genre and I ADORED it! I was immediately pulled back to my childhood and could tell young me would have consumed this book as quickly as adult me just has!

Kayode, Eko, Tiwa, and Bami are a foursome that I think everyone can relate to also. They’re written in a way that we can all find those characteristics of ourselves at 11-13 in. Kayode’s determination but question of his sense of self, Tiwa’s drive and battle between strength and vulnerability, Bami’s insecurity around who he is being enough, and even Eko’s storyline of standing up for what’s right even if you’re on your own, they’re all meticulous.

The Orishas were the right level of ‘the unknown’ in the novel with their unpredictability and higher power omnipresence striking the right adrenaline rush of fear and anticipation within. Additionally, the guidebook at the end of the novel to the Orishas, their origin and their real history gives the story that extra cherry on top to make this a most enjoyable read.

Kayode and his friends’ stories are so rich, vibrant, and full of potential that I hope this isn't the last we see of Kayode in literature! The Boy to Beat the Gods will make the perfect summer read for middle grade, and older, readers! Join Kayode on his adventure on 4th July, and I’ll see you all at the Baobab tree!