Title: Of gods and their claytoys
Author: Olatunji Ololade
Year of Publication: 2025
Number of Pages: 326
Category: Fiction
The moment you start reading Of Gods and Their Claytoys, it pulls you in and refuses to let go. Fast, urgent, and electric, it demands your full attention. Olatunji Ololade, a seasoned journalist with ink in his veins, writes like a man who’s seen too much and is finally ready to spill. There’s no warm-up here; he throws you straight into the fire.
And yet, for a book so alive, the cover doesn’t quite match the heat within. It’s the kind you might overlook on a shelf until you open it. Then it grips you tight.
Spanning decades and cities, Abeokuta, Lagos, Enugu. The story moves like a film, shifting between past and present with seamless flow. The descriptions are vivid sometimes almost too vivid. Ololade crafts his scenes with such care and force that you may feel swept up in it all. But if you stick with it, you’ll find that every subplot, every side story, eventually connects to something important.
At the center is Remi, the relentless investigative journalist who could either be your hero or your headache. He’s bold and impossible to ignore. He digs too deep, questions too much, and doesn’t know when to quit. One moment you admire his fire, the next you’re frustrated by his recklessness. But you’re hooked either way. As the tension mounts, so does your anxiety: will he make it out alive? Will he ever stop pushing?
Remi swaggers through the pages with charm and confidence, but Ololade gradually reveals his depth. Beneath the surface lies pain, fear, and a past that never quite let go. As the plot deepens, you begin to understand what fuels him. Ololade skillfully connects personal trauma to public choices, offering insight into how pain can birth purpose.
The storytelling is unpredictable. At times, it reads like a memoir; at others, like a gripping novel. The switches might unsettle some readers but to others, they’ll feel refreshing.
And then there’s Ololade’s take on the industry. Journalists will either laugh knowingly or shift uncomfortably in their seats because he doesn’t hold back. He lays bare the profession with honesty and if you know the terrain, you’ll know he’s not exaggerating.
The cast is large, yet memorable. You’ll marvel at how the author keeps track of them all and somehow, so do you. These characters don’t just fill space; they enrich it. Their voices and distinct traits bring flavour to the story.
And the humour! Ololade’s wit is sharp and effortless. From a character who “eats like a newly released convict” to a slum princess, the jokes land without feeling forced. The laughter offers welcome relief from the chaos and there is plenty of chaos.
Love? It’s in there, but not the tidy, storybook kind. The main character drifts in and out of it, never quite sure if it’s love, desire, loneliness, or something in between. It’s the kind that can’t be defined. Complicated, sometimes frustrating, the kind that makes characters feel painfully real.
And yes, betrayal waits around every corner. The book doesn’t shy away from the dark: trauma, secrets, rejection, corruption, politics, greed. It’s all there.
By the end, you’re a little breathless, maybe a little overwhelmed but also strangely hopeful. Remi may be reckless, but his pursuit of truth feels pure. You see his scars, understand his fire, and root for his cause. When you finally close the book, it’s with a sigh of satisfaction, admiration, and deep empathy.
Of Gods and Their Claytoys is chaotic and deeply honest.
About the reviewer
Titilade Oyemade is a business executive in a leading organisation and holds a degree in Russian Language. She’s the convener of the Hangoutwithtee Ladies Event and the Publisher of Hangoutwithtee magazine. She spends her weekends attending women conferences, events and book readings. She loves to have fun and to help other women have the same in their lives. Email: titi.oyemade@gmail.com Social: @tiipreeofficial
