Robbie’s Inspiration: Book Blog Tour – Broken Ties, Book 2 in the Reams of the Mist series by Jude Itakali

Picture caption: Cover of Broken Ties featuring a green figure with a mud covered face and holding a carved wooden mask. Includes an avatoon.

Today, I am delighted to introduce author and poet, Jude Itakali, with the second book in his Realms of the Mist series, Broken Ties.

Tradition and gender roles and how these are integrated into the Realms of the Mist series

In many traditions all over the world, there are strong women. Karamajong men in Uganda have to chase and best the women in a physical test of endurance in order to marry them, healers were often only second to the rulers, and that position was exclusively reserved for women in many tribes. In this fantasy trilogy, the role of High Priestess/Priest in some Gifted realms is the very top position. 

As for gender roles, apart from my main protagonist and antagonist whose genders I made a conscious decision on, all the other characters were a random draw where I’d write F and M on pieces of paper, fold them and toss them on a table, picking out which gender a certain character would be. Of course, a few times in book2 I had to overrule that as I needed more males, lol.

I’m very satisfied with the dynamic and it’ll draw some previously unforseen outcomes in the final book3 where I’ve been hard at work learning to include two or three other POVs. I look forward to how the dynamics will play out.

What Amazon saysPicture caption: Book cover of Broken Ties by Jude Itakali

Kamau from a tribe of death, Ninuwe from the lovers of Femi, and Kena, an elemental, are bound by the trials of their recent past, and forced onto a dark and magical quest through the Gifted realms of Africa. They must assemble the God-killer, an ancient weapon that can destroy the Evil One. The problem is; the Evil One has irreversibly merged with Kamau’s once closest and only friend, Irina.

War is brewing. Monsters are slipping into the greater human world. Gods are toying with them. The mission demands sacrifices that seem too costly to pay, yet they must also navigate a desperate love triangle, the personal ambitions of young adults, and tribes with unorthodox customs.
As allies blur with enemies
Will Kamau and his friends find the strength to sacrifice anything,
And do whatever it takes,

Can they give up all that they hold dear, to save people they barely know?

Special excerpt

“Since when did you get so heartless, oh High Priestess of Love! I’d expect something like that from Kamau,” she rounded on him. “No wonder you’re silent. Hadiza and their buddy, Mr. Death!” She glared at him, tears running down her cheeks.

Kamau looked away. He knew grief too well and he hated seeing it in Ninuwe. She was right though, about the Hadiza accepting and even embracing death. It was the way of his people. But Kamau was not sure anymore. The one death that had really mattered, his little sister Kimya’s, was the one death he had never accepted. In fact, pursuing justice for Kimya’s lost soul was the core reason he was on this quest to begin with.

My review

Broken Ties is the second book in the Realms of the Mist series and continues the exciting quest of Kamau, Kena and Ninuwe through the magical realms of Africa inhabited by the Gifted. The trio are tasked with finding the parts of the ancient weapon called God-Killer which is believed to be the only way of destroying the Evil One.

The parts of the weapon lie in different realms and are guarded by different peoples with different Gifts and attitudes. The trio need to learn where each part has been hidden and find a way of negotiating with its defenders to secure its release into their possession. The task of negotiation involves a significant sacrifice by the negotiator and each of the three gets their turn and must be prepared to give up everything and anything in pursuit of success.

To complicate matters, the Evil One has taken over the body of Irina, Kamau oldest and dearest friend. A powerful goddess who has been available to help them with their quest is also no longer available to them.

Kamau is a strong minded and determined young man who is learning to deal with situations and relationships that are outside his experience as a member of the tribe of death. Love, jealousy, and greed are just three of the spectrum of emotions he must learn to identify and cope with and failure to do so has severe repercussions for his mission. I enjoyed the growth in Kamau’s character and the expansion of his thoughts and feelings.

Kena is reliable and well-balanced until she is pushed to hard and her Gift gets the better of her. She has to learn that every action and reaction in life elicits an opposite reaction. Kena does well learning to control her temper and responses.

Ninuwe continues to be light-hearted and full of love and enthusiasm. She is the guiding light for the other two characters. She also has to face her greatest fears and make selfless decisions for the benefit of the group and their mission.

This book is full of mystery and delight with plenty of activity and fast pacing to keep you turning the pages.

Pre-order Broken Ties: https://www.amazon.com/BROKEN-TIES-Book-Realms-Mist-ebook/dp/B0C2HKHDC5

Want to read on Goodreads

Blog tour perks

Pdf/epub copies of Broken Ties to three of the most regular participants in the blog tour comments section, as well as a copy of CROSSROADS for each.

You can get Jude’s tour schedule by visiting his blog: https://judeitakali.wordpress.com

About Jude ItakaliPicture credit: Author photograph of Jude Itakali in a white collared shirt and a checked jacket

Jude Itakali is a poet, writer and fiction author from the suburbs of Kampala, Uganda.

Itakali never liked sharing his books as a child. That has changed, especially since he started writing his own.

A lifelong obsession with ‘the good story’ evoked his personal phrase, “Reality is all around us, but fantasy is a part of us.” Egged on by a conniving appetite to consume works across genres, Itakali crafts the compelling themes and rounded characters in his books.

When not ‘life-ing’ or pursuing infrequent exercise routines, you can find Itakali writing fiction in a small cubicle, or under a tree, furnishing his website, Tales told different, with life epiphanies, ponderous prose, and poetry.

Jude Itakali Amazon Author Page

Picture credit: Promotional banner depicting the cover of Broken Ties on an easel.