African Folklore with a Gaiman Twist - Anansi Boys

Fat Charlie Nancy's normal life ended the moment his father dropped dead on a Florida karaoke stage. Charlie didn't know his dad was a god. And he never knew he had a brother.

Now brother Spider's on his doorstep -- about to make Fat Charlie's life more interesting... and a lot more dangerous.

I’ve been going sort of Gaiman crazy recently, and have been reading up on all his stuff! Anansi Boys is based on African folklore on Lord Anansi, a mischievous trickster.

Sticking with his theme of magical realism, Anansi lives amongst humans, a jovial and charismatic man. His son, who is the main character of this story, leaves his father at a young age to move to Britain when his parents get divorced. A shy and mediocre man, he grows up in the shadow of his father, constantly embarrassed of a flamboyant figure that outshines him constantly.

Now a grown up, on the brink of marrying the love of his life, he finds out that his father has died. Travelling to Florida to bury him, he finds out the reality about his father and that he had a brother, Spider, who apparently inherited all of Anansi’s powers. He returns to London, and half jokingly calls on his brother - who actually turns up. Spider now goes about replacing him, taking over his life - falls for his fiance, and threatens his employer.

As our main man recovers from this blow, invisible threads are being woven together - with stories from folklore recounted within the chapters, enemies of Anansi are coming together to destroy his bloodline. His boss implicates him in a crime, his fiance doesn’t realise she is about to marry his brother - Charlie is on the brink. But this just might be the one thing that sets him free.

As he sets about trying to get rid of his trickster brother, he unleashes a power that he cannot control - one that he must now destroy to save everyone he loves.

If you like a wittier Rick Riordan, this is the book for you. A relatively short novel, it’s quite appropriate for the pandemic!