Ehigbor Okosun

The spellbinding conclusion to the international bestseller Forged by Blood delves deeper into Nigerian mythology as the Oluso uprising comes to a head…and the young woman caught in between comes to her breaking point. The King is dead. The Oluso rebel. War is here. With the end of Alistair Sorenson’s tyrannical reign, Demi has accepted Jonas’s proposal to rule as his Queen with hopes to finally free her people, the magical Oluso. Yet social prejudice, corrupt council members, and the continued distrust of the nonmagical Ajes throughout the kingdom prove seemingly implacable obstacles. To make matters worse, Demi struggles to control her newly awakened iron blood magic. As Ekwensi’s rebel army – led in part by Colin, her best friend and one-time lover – become more triumphant in their mission, war seems inevitable. Before long, a new evil appears that hunts Oluso and Aje alike, promising desolation on a larger level than ever before. When the failed assassination puts the life of Demi’s loved one in danger as well as the future of the Oluso into question, Demi embarks on a treacherous journey to find an ancestral spirit whose aid could tip the scales in her favor. Whether her new powers will destroy the kingdom or heal the blood-soaked rifts that have pulled it apart, she does not know. Beyond the battles of swords and magic, there is the battle for Demi’s heart. Jonas – the former enemy prince – has divided loyalties despite his love for Demi. And Ekwensi and Colin have every intention of winning her to their side, while a past pledge hangs over Demi’s head. Demi is caught between the kingdom, her people, and the spirits, and must decide what sacrifices she is willing to make for peace, and whether she can outrun the greatest danger that constantly puts her in peril – her own heart. Only one thing is for certain… There will be blood.

The first book in an action-packed, poignant duology inspired by Nigerian mythology Demi just wants to survive: to avoid the suspicion of the nonmagical Ajes who occupy her ancestral homeland of Ife; to escape the King’s brutal genocide of her people – the darker skinned, magic wielding Oluso; and to live peacefully with her secretive mother while learning to control the terrifying blood magic that is her birthright. But when Demi’s misplaced trust costs her mother’s life, survival gives way to vengeance. She bides her time until the devious Lord Ekwensi grants her the perfect opportunity – kidnap the Aje prince, Jonas, and bargain with his life to save the remaining Oluso. With the help of her reckless childhood friend Colin, Demi succeeds, but discovers that she and Jonas share more than deadly secrets; every moment tangles them further into a forbidden, unmistakable attraction, much to Colin’s – and Demi’s – distress. The kidnapping is now a joint mission: to return to the king, help get Lord Ekwensi on the council, and bolster the voice of the Oluso in a system designed to silence them. But the way is dangerous, Demi’s magic is growing yet uncertain, and it’s not clear if she can trust the two men at her side. A tale of rebellion and redemption, race and class, love and betrayal, FORGED BY BLOOD is epic fantasy at its finest, from an enthusiastic, emerging voice.