The Fantastical World of the Sky Sage
The Sky Sage novel
In the process of Zoowee earning the title of D’uzo, he is visited by a powerful spirit, and his encounter with the deity leaves him with supernatural abilities, making him one of four powerful sages. Zoowee and other sages are now called upon to keep the world from falling apart, only this time, their interests are not all aligned
The Sky Sage, book one of the Sage Chronicles is a story of adventure so you’re in for a fantastical world where so much is possible and your imagination comes to life. But it’s also more than that - the story and characters are intertwined and inspired by culture with undertones of pretty serious issues such as identity, ethnicity, equality, pollution…issues that have always been topical but seem even more so today given all that’s happening around the world.
The story though, is a celebration of Afrocentric and Afrofuturistic worlds. Powerful Black heroes and heroines fight side by side in this chronicle, and they do so for ideals of freedom for both individuals and ethnicities, the restoration of societies and the Earth, and the equality for all cultures.
Co-author, Obinna Ofor, shared his deep inspiration for Sky Sage, again reinforcing how this fantasy world was born out of something much deeper.
“The sky sage really started when I began studying pan-black issues, particularly in respect to black subjugation” said Obinna.
“You look at apartheid in South Africa, the Biafran war in Nigeria, police brutality in the United States. And then you start to look at how we as Blacks subjugate ourselves. Biafra was supposed to be the first truly independent black nation for instance, with a severed link from the colonials. But other Africans killed that dream. I believe the dream of a truly independent Africa died in Biafra... but that's a story for another day.
“You also look at how we vilify our beliefs and culture, while glorifying everything Western. You put all these things together in your head and a story starts to form. What if Nigeria was a confederacy where different regions were allowed to move at their pace, and where differences were respected. Toss that all up into a pot and add a little bit of madness and you'll get the Sky Sage.”
African culture is a clear and recurring theme in Sky Sage. And rightly so because Obinna’s own culture was a core part of the book.
“I am Igbo, so naturally the Igbo culture played a great role in the book. The books’ old tongue, for instance, is a bastardized version of Igbo. Most names in the book are Igbo-based. However like most Nigerians, the culture of our tribe has become secondary. Our primary culture is ‘Naija' and the madness it comes with... and Naija played a huge role in the book. There is no better place in the book that captures the Naija spirit like Raiders Bay and Fivetown.”
Given the complex real-life undertones that the chronicles deals with underneath all the adventure, it’s no surprise that as you read, you’ll find different perspectives that add richness to the story. So when asked what part of the Sky Sage speaks to him the most, Obinna responded - “I love how readers can't really identify any main villain. I tried my best to paint the perspective of all sides well enough so that readers understood where the opposing forces in the book were coming from. I think I achieved that...and I am proud of that”.
The Sky Sage is the first book in the Chronicles, and is also Obinna’s first published fiction. He achieved this through collaboration with co-author William Ifeanyi Moore. Collaboration is a theme that players in the creative industry have increasingly advocated for because it brings such beautiful synergies and knowledge sharing. It also helps African creatives reach greater heights faster in a time when we’re slowly but finally starting to make grounds breaking into the global creative space. Obinna puts the benefits of this collaboration beautifully.
“My professional background is management consulting and data analysis so I am very used to critical thinking and making sure things make sense. I am good at seeing five steps ahead and anticipating readers’ expectations, plot holes, character inconsistencies, etc. I think I helped William with that.
“William was the creative and he helped in beautifying the idea. I drew from his strength as an artist, and he drew from mine as a problem solver. It was a collaboration made in heaven. After about a year of working together I started writing a lot better and William started structuring a lot better. I'd say we both came out on top.”
Obinna and William are currently wrapping up the second book in the Sageland chronicles, titled The Osu Confluence. But in the meantime, you’ve got to read Sky Sage. You can purchase the digital and physical copies of this African fantasy from Amazon (worldwide delivery). You can also buy the book online from Roving Heights, Barnes & Noble, and in many physical stores in Nigeria such as Bakangizo and Celebrations.
Happy reading!
Find out more, and see some behind the scenes on Instagram