Classification: Novel
Genre: Portal Fantasy, Afrofantasy
Release Date: 28.January.2022
Review category: Non-spoiler
Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ – 8/10
It’s been more than two years since the novel was published, and a sequel has since been put out. Yet even then, we won’t offer any spoilers that are intricately linked to the firsthand experience of getting immersed in it all. That’s because, as stated in the precursor piece to this review, we have plans of incorporating Jude’s work into the first phase of our unique literary programs, centered around reimagining the consumption of narrative fiction in Uganda’s context.
Vital to note, this review isn’t in any way biased by our choice to have Jude’s work as the first in our upcoming groundbreaking initiatives. In fact, it’s the opposite, it’s because of his unique talent, that we found while evaluating his work, that we decided to have him featured in our forthcoming programs.
Back to the work in discussion, “Realms of the Mist” is a rather promising entry from Jude. Storywise, without giving away much plot, the book centers on Kamau, an East African-esque young man who belongs to a gifted group of folks called the Hadiza. This bunch have special powers like the ability to transform into beasts, and are tasked with preventing evil from making its way into the world; hence being known as Guardians of the Veil. The twist is, to do this appropriately, they’re required to suppress their emotions. The plot’s fueled by Kamau finding it hard to do the latter, especially made worse by the demise of his sister Kimia. Aided by his best friend Irina, Kamau has to embark on a vital journey to learn more concerning his sister’s death & other realities.
[Alternative Cover Art above]
Jude’s worldbuilding shines throughout the book. The settings sound lived or even otherwise, as respectively intended. The same goes for the characters. There’s a layeredness & unforced growth to them, most exemplified by Kamau, the protagonist. You witness him learn and change as the events of the book unfold.
Speaking of unfolding, a slight shortcoming is that Jude’s storytelling at some points is at the risk of being weighed down by his choice of POV’s. There’s some prominent head hopping now & then. But we’re of the view that such stylistic renderings are to be dependent on the story, as opposed to the story obstinately bending to them. Given the relative clarity with which the story comes off, his creative choice is justified for the most part in those instances. A similar sentiment goes for some info dumps within the story. Jude’s world is complex and specifically interactive, in that he gets into told & scantily shown details prior to some plots unfolding. It strips away some flair from it all. Then again, there’s a big part of it that he does interestingly enough to warrant a pass. Some of these choices are adjusted in the sequel, but that’s a matter for another day.
We plan to have another feature about “Realms of the Mist”. But it won’t be a review. It’ll be a more interactive session, in which Jude himself will be involved. Until then, we’re quite impressed by his ambition, given the context around which he put out this entry. We’ll be very intentional about following his journey, along with y’all, as we roll out some uniquely effective ways to support East African fiction authors. ’Til then, we encourage y’all to check out Jude Itakali’s work via his handle on our X post & on online book platforms like Amazon & the like. On our part, we’ll delve more into his work, both in this format & through other literary initiatives we have coming up soon!
