From a debut Nigerian author: a spectacular young adult fantasy rooted in West African mythology and brimming with adventure. In this mesmerizing fantasy rooted in Urhobo and West African folklore, sixteen-year-old Naborhi longs for a life away from her small, traditional clan in Kokori. But as her rite of passage approaches and she is betrothed to an arrogant young man, Naborhi feels her dreams slipping away from her. Then Naborhi becomes bonded to a mysterious animal and begins having harrowing visions of a kidnapped boy. She soon meets Atai, the son of an Oracle from a rival queendom, and learns that she is being guided by the gods. She and Atai, along with Naborhi’s eager-for-adventure cousin, Tamunor, set off across the continent to rescue the mysterious boy. But when they find him—and find out his true identity—Naborhi realizes there is more than just her freedom at stake: she must stop a war that has already been set in motion. With lush, unique worldbuilding and a dynamic cast of characters, The Smoke That Thunders is a gripping story of political intrigue, fierce love, and what it means to be free.

Chikankata is a Salvation Army mission in the middle of the barren Zambian bush. While the missions volunteers enjoy some basic comforts provided by the Armys reservoir and utilities, life for the villagers in the surrounding regions is harsh beyond imagination. Its a life where children go without education and basic medical care, where women live at the mercy of men, and where men perpetrate violent acts against each other. At the heart of this story is Dr. Nicky Carter, a woman who has clawed her way out of a Pittsburg ghetto to become a physician and volunteered her services to the Army for six months. Observing the villagers through the scrutinizing eyes of a doctor, she becomes horrified by what she sees, by the brutality of Africas poverty, and is too distressed to notice the natural beauties of the country. Nicky endeavors to find understanding and turns to the three men around her, each from different worlds. Little does she know of the futility of her search and the tragic betrayals and misunderstandings that await her. The only man from her world is an older medical student from Canada, Samuel, who has a romantic vision of the African bush and only compounds Nickys suffering. The two other men, who see the realities that she does, come from vastly different worlds: a local schoolteacher, Musamba, who betrays Nickys trust, and a blue-collar handyman, Mick, whose misplaced humility keeps him from fully reaching out to Nicky. Writing with a relentless and lyrical rhythm that brings home the realities of life in the Zambian bush, the author conveys this world with a precision that could only come from someone with first hand experience and insight.

Chikankata is a Salvation Army mission in the middle of the barren Zambian bush. While the mission's volunteers enjoy some basic comforts provided by the Army's reservoir and utilities, life for the villages in the surrounding regions is harsh and beyond imagination. It's a life where children go without education and basic medical care, where women live at the mercy of men and where men perpetrate violent acts against each other. At the heart of this story is Dr. Nicky Carter, a woman who has clawed her way out of a Pittsburg ghetto to become a physician and volunteer her services to the army. She becomes horrified by what she sees, by the brutality of Africa's poverty, and is too distressed to notice the natural beauties of the country. Writing with a relentless and lyrical rhythm that brings home the realities of life in the Zambian bush, the author conveys this world with a precision that could only come from someone with first hand experience and insight.