In The Shadow of Ruin

Toju, the eldest son, travels to the far northern region, beyond the lands of his father. These lands are ruled by a fierce tribe of horse lords, who have for generations been recognised as a rival to the southern tribes. Niran the second son, goes east to the River-lands, the home of two great tribes who are perpetually at war with each other. And Enitan, the youngest, travels west to the lands of their mother, the queen. The gods, who are said to have roamed the earth freely in human form, which is widely considered a myth and no more than an old wives’ tale told around fires, really did so every few generations. The events in the realm have changed that, and now they are constantly amongst man. Enitan, a playful and carefree child, is unknowingly marked by the hand of the god of thunder, Shango, a wrathful god, which will shape his life and set him on a path of fire and blood.

Meanwhile, Jide’s army, malnourished and depleted from the hardships they endured on their journey to Benin City, a wealthy and well provisioned stronghold that Olise has taken for his own, finally meets Olise, and a great battle is fought. Jide discovers that Olise possesses a charm that protects him against any manmade weapon, and he and his allies are defeated and captured. Jide is taken back to the ruins of his city, Ile-Ife, where he is humiliated and imprisoned for a year, while preparations are made for the crowning of Olise. Throughout the now conquered and divided kingdom, there are still handfuls of tribes that refuse to pledge their fealty to Olise, and word begins to spread of a warrior prince in the east. Olise decides to cement his legitimacy by bringing back the ancient tradition of human sacrifice to appease the gods in support of his reign.

This creates more dissent amongst the tribes, but does nothing to lessen Olise’s grip on power, while the princes struggle to convince their new allies to support their cause, amidst intertribal battles and other events that will eventually lead them on different paths. Jide is finally executed just after reuniting with his wife, the queen, who he thought had died in the fires that consumed the city. He goes to the grave not knowing that his sons still live, and will seek vengeance for their father and their kingdom.

About the author.

Tony Debajo was born in Downpatrick, Northern Ireland. Shortly after, his parents moved to London, England, where he lived until he was six years old, then the family relocated to Nigeria. He lived there for 11 years before coming back to England. Tony studied Civil Engineering at the University of East London and has worked in this field for seventeen years.

Tony’s inspiration for his novel comes from his time spent in Nigeria, where he became fascinated with the culture of his heritage. Garnering tales and folklore remembered as a child, some of which would have been passed down through generations and typically told around fires, he began writing his debut novel, In the Shadow of Ruin, which grew as he wrote and will now be a series called The Fractured Kingdom.

Tony hopes to bring to life his characters and set them free into the world.