I love that there were multiple narrators. The production was wonderful. The stories themselves were well done. They give you insights to the other stories that the author has done in this world. I like the use of the West African mythology. It felt immersive for the reader.

This was such a fun listen—I genuinely enjoyed it! Orishas Among Mortals feels like a welcome addition to the TJ Young universe, especially if you’re already familiar with the other books. But honestly, even if you’re new to the series, these stories are a great way to dive into the world. There are two shorter tales and one longer one, all packed with creative world-building and magic that really bring the setting to life.
I loved how much West African mythology shines through; it feels rich and vibrant, yet still super easy to follow (or listen to). The narrators? Amazing across the board. Each one brought their characters to life with their voices, and the little sound effects and music between chapters added a nice layer of atmosphere that made it easy to get totally immersed. The emotion and character embodiment through each narrator really helped me connect with the stories.
Honestly, I was most hooked by the first two stories. They’ve got that quick, adventurous vibe that’s reminiscent of other YA myth-based books I love, but still managed to feel fresh and rooted in this universe. The third story was a bit more serious and a little choppier in flow, but it was crucial for deepening the lore and tying things together from the main series.
One thing I really appreciated was how the author clearly shows where these stories fit into the larger TJ Young series—super helpful for newcomers and longtime fans alike. Overall, I’d definitely recommend this to anyone into YA fantasy with a rich mythos, great characters, and a world you’ll want to keep exploring.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5

You definitely need to read the other books in the Orishas Among Mortals universe to fully appreciate this collection. As a standalone, it was okay—interesting enough, but it didn’t quite hit as hard without the context. Still, a nice glimpse into the Orisha mythos and a solid introduction if you plan to continue the series.

This was a fun listen and I really enjoyed it! Orishas Among Mortals is a cool addition to the TJ Young universe and I think it adds a lot, especially if you've read the other books. But even if you haven’t, these stories are a solid way into the world. There’s two shorter stories and one longer one build on the magic and the world building in a really creative way.

I liked how much of the West African mythology came through—it felt rich but still super readable (or in this case, listenable). The narrators were great across the board. Each voice brought the characters to life and the little sound effects and music in between chapters were a nice touch. Really helped the atmosphere and made it easy to get pulled in. I think each of the narrators for each story did a great job with embodying the characters and the emotion that was be conveyed through scenes.

Honestly, I liked the first two stories the most. They had that fast-paced, adventurous vibe that reminds me of other YA myth-based books I’ve loved, but still felt fresh and grounded in this world. The third story was more serious and a bit choppier in flow, but it did deepen the overall lore and helped connect a lot of things from the main series.

Also, I appreciated how the author lets you know where this fits if you’re reading through the whole TJ Young series. That’s super helpful for any new listeners. Overall, I’d definitely recommend this to anyone into YA fantasy with a rich mythos and strong characters.

Thanks to Bandele Books and NetGalley for the audio ARC

Work of art. This book was so immersive and it felt like a broadway show. From the music to the narrators brought to life the whole story.

This is a creative and engaging collection that blends West African mythology with both modern and fantasy settings. It includes three main stories, plus a few short vignettes. Whether you’re already into the series or new to it, there’s a lot to enjoy.

The focus here is more on myth and world-building than action, but it’s still really entertaining.
I listened to this thanks to NetGalley and was pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t too long...just over 5 hours. I really liked the music in the background, and the dual narration helped bring most of the story to life.

That said, I did struggle a bit with the male narrator. His voice didn’t quite match the tone of the stories, and the audio sometimes sounded muffled, like there may have been mic issues. It didn’t ruin the experience, but it did make it a little harder to stay fully immersed. I then got the book on kindle and tandem read, and it was much better to do both at the same time.

Overall, this is a solid and interesting listen!

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the audio!

Now I was unaware that this was part of a series (Novellas for each book in the series) but the narration was so good that i didn’t care. In each story the narration changes and each person did such a great job with the characters. There is music that also caught me off guard at first but honestly i love it. And the sound effects for each chapter was a nice idea. This audiobook makes me want to listen to the original series even more. The second novella was my favorite bc the story was good and the narrator really did well.

These were great intro novellas for folks interested in learning more about the Orishas. I’ve never seen stories about them set modern day (with things like social media), so I loved that! I also loved that in the third novella, other deities from other cultures show up, like Thor. It was a cool blending of cultures.

The author jumps in between narration of the novellas to encourage you to read the full stories for each diety, and those longer stories are supposed to connect the novellas together. I’ll note that I was able to follow the novellas without reading the larger stories, but it’s great to have the option. I thought the stories were interesting and easy to follow and generally enjoyed reading them.

Audiobook fantasy for teens and YA, based around West African mythology. Two short and one longer interludes/additional vignettes which intertwine between, and add to our interactions with the characters in the TJ Young series books.
I’ve listened to the first two audiobooks in this series, they are fun fantasy adventure stories.
These additional stories work if you’ve already read the books, but equally will add to your enjoyment if you are a newbie to this series. The author tells you the best place to listen if you are going through the books in turn.
If I’m honest I probably enjoyed the first two shorter stories more. I think they have more of the fun found in the books. But the third story does bring extra understanding of the bigger story to the listener.
Thank you to Bandele Books and NetGalley for the audio ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

Solid collection, promising young adult series. I wish there was a little more backstory or description of the various gods’ powers, but I havent read the main book series so I’m probably missing a lot of the context there.

I really wanted to like this one. Stories that include ancient gods, especially Orishas, are always interesting to me, but the audiobook just didn’t hit the way I hoped it would. The narrator’s voice didn’t match the tone or energy I expected, and it made it hard for me to stay engaged. I might try reading it instead because I do feel like I’d connect with the story better that way.

This book is a collection on novellas that are each a prequel to Book 1, Book 2, and Book 3 of the TJ Young and the Orishas series.

I was given an ARC by NetGalley! Thank you!

The first Prequel was very interesting to me, it follows along with a character named Manny and caught my attention fast.

Having not read the entire series, the next two prequels didn’t make any sense to me. So my rating is solely based upon the first 30 pages or so. The series as a whole sounds very interesting as there are a mixture of different gods from different religions and I’m always intrigued by those things. The author is a BIPOC which I love being able to support when I can. I will be recommending the series to my friends that are teachers as I feel it would be good for kids to learn about other cultures beliefs and theologies, especially since it feels like I knew nothing about them at the age of 30+

This audiobook is a whirlwind of mythology, magic, and adventure. The narrators, John Joseph Rogers and Nekia Renee Martin, bring the story to life with their dynamic performances. The world-building is rich, and the characters are compelling. If you're into stories that blend folklore with modern twists, this one's for you!! 🌟🌟🌟🌟

I was gifted an advanced reader copy of this work in audiobook format via Netgalley in return for an honest review.

The narration is excellent, the music included between stories is atmospheric and beautiful.
I have loved getting to know TJ and learning about Yurba and the Orishas mythology. These stories fill in time before, between and after the events of the third book. I really enjoyed them alot.

A perfect read or listen for a lazy Saturday afternoon.

This was an interesting… Prequel Novella? I thought it was all 3 books, but it seems like this is… A prequel novella for all 3 lol? Either way, the premise was interesting. The jump def surprised me. I thought it was just Orisha’s & then all kinds of Mythology entered the chat lmfao.

The narration was cool though, I loved all the added effects. Nekia Renee Martin did an amazing job, their range is crazy lol!! Overall, listening to this def tempts me to read the main series.