David Mogo, Godhunter

Lore & Background

David Mogo, Godhunter is set in Lagos, Nigeria, after The Falling, an event that caused thousands of orishas to descend upon the city. The protagonist, a demigod who also works as a god hunter, navigates this transformed urban landscape. The novel is structured in three parts, which some critics described as akin to a collection of novellas; F(r)iction's Giancarlo Riccobon called it 'three books for the price of one.'

The novel received good reception. WIRED commented that 'a number of books have been termed "godpunk," but Suyi Davies Okungbowa's novel may be the subgenre's platonic deific ideal.' Publishers Weekly noted that 'this story is captivating, and readers who enjoy non-Western fantasy, mythpunk, and tales of found family will find it delightful.' However, there were critical mentions of the story structure and the treatment of some minor characters. Overall, the consensus was that the authorial voice was fresh and welcome, especially in a white-dominated sub-genre.

In October 2020, David Mogo, Godhunter won the 2020 Nommo Award for Best Speculative Novel by an African (the Ilube Award).

Reader's Guide

David Mogo, Godhunter is significant as the debut novel of Nigerian writer Suyi Davies Okungbowa and as a winner of the 2020 Nommo Award for Best Speculative Novel by an African. The novel is notable for its setting in Lagos, Nigeria, and its use of Yoruba orishas within a godpunk framework, a subgenre that blends mythology with urban fantasy. Critics highlighted the novel's fresh authorial voice in a white-dominated sub-genre, with L.E.H Light of BlackNerdProblems stating in a favorable review that 'American urban fantasy, like any established genre, can get predictable. David Mogo, Godhunter is anything but.' The novel's three-part structure drew both praise and criticism, with some viewing it as innovative and others as disjointed. Its legacy includes expanding the representation of African speculative fiction and demonstrating the viability of non-Western mythologies in contemporary fantasy.

Did You Know?

• The story is set after an event called The Falling, in which thousands of orishas fell to Lagos.
• F(r)iction's Giancarlo Riccobon described the novel as 'three books for the price of one.'

Publication & Origins

David Mogo, Godhunter marks the literary debut of Nigerian author Suyi Davies Okungbowa, arriving on the speculative fiction scene in the summer of 2019. The novel was published by Abaddon Books, a dedicated imprint of Rebellion Publishing, which operates out of Oxford, England. The US edition hit shelves on July 9, 2019, while readers in the UK and across Europe received their copies just two days later on July 11. As a first novel, the book carried the weight of introducing a new voice to a genre that has long been dominated by Western perspectives. Okungbowa's entry into the field was not a quiet one; the book's immediate critical attention and subsequent award recognition signaled that the speculative fiction landscape was about to gain a distinctly African perspective. The choice of Abaddon Books as the publishing home placed the novel within a tradition of independent, genre-focused publishing, giving it a foothold in both the UK and American markets simultaneously. For a debut author writing from Lagos, the near-simultaneous dual-release strategy underscored the book's ambition to speak to a global readership from day one.

Plot & Setting

At the heart of the novel is David Mogo, a demigod who has taken on the role of god hunter. His world is not some distant fantasy realm but the very streets of Lagos, Nigeria—the city where author Suyi Davies Okungbowa herself was born and raised. The narrative unfolds in the aftermath of a cataclysmic event called The Falling, during which thousands of orishas, deities from the Yoruba pantheon, plummeted from the sky into the city below. What follows is a story of survival and purpose in a metropolis now littered with divine wreckage. Mogo prowls the urban landscape, tracking and confronting these fallen gods in a world where the sacred and the mundane have violently collided. By anchoring a demigod's quest in a real African city rather than a generic fantasy kingdom, Okungbowa reclaims the urban fantasy and mythpunk genres for a geography that had been largely absent from those shelves. The orishas are not abstract symbols; they are fallen entities whose presence reshapes the social fabric of the city around them.

Critical Reception & Genre Impact

The critical response to David Mogo, Godhunter was broadly enthusiastic, with reviewers highlighting the novelty of its voice within a genre long dominated by white authors. WIRED singled out the novel as potentially the "platonic deific ideal" of the so-called godpunk subgenre, a designation that placed Okungbowa's work at the pinnacle of a relatively young category. Publishers Weekly praised the book as captivating, specifically recommending it to readers who gravitate toward non-Western fantasy, mythpunk, and stories centered on found family. L.E.H Light of BlackNerdProblems offered a particularly pointed observation: while American urban fantasy risks predictability, this novel defies that trap entirely. However, not all feedback was uniformly positive. The book's three-part structure, which reads almost like a collection of linked novellas, drew criticism. F(r)iction's Giancarlo Riccobon quipped that it felt like "three books for the price of one," and several reviewers noted that some minor characters received thinner treatment than the narrative warranted. Still, the prevailing consensus was that Okungbowa's authorial voice was a fresh and long-welcome addition to the speculative fiction landscape.

Awards & Recognition

In October 2020, David Mogo, Godhunter was announced as the winner of the 2020 Nommo Award for Best Speculative Novel by an African, a prize also known as the Ilube Award. This recognition arrived roughly fifteen months after the novel's initial release and served as a formal validation of what reviewers had already been celebrating: that Okungbowa had delivered something genuinely distinctive within the speculative fiction canon. The Nommo Award specifically honors works by African authors, making the win a double affirmation—both of the novel's quality and of the importance of centering African voices in genres that have historically marginalized them. For a debut novel, the trajectory from a summer 2019 release to a major genre award within a year and a half was a remarkable arc. It positioned Suyi Davies Okungbowa not merely as a new name on the shelf but as an author whose arrival had shifted the conversation about who gets to tell mythic, god-hunting stories and from which geographies. The award cemented the book's place in the broader discourse around African speculative fiction and the growing godpunk movement.