Rumi and his family are Odu, stricken with poverty and disparaged by the other tribes. When ruthless agents of the Palmaine - the colonising nation that dominates the continent of Basmine - threaten to destroy the village market, Rumi takes it upon himself to liberate his family. Taking a place in the prestigious Golden Room, where earnings from his music offer a chance at freedom, he shoulders his pride and resentment in a bid to make it to the top.

On what should be Rumi's greatest night at the Golden Room, his life is turned upside down. A terrifying individual known as the Priest of Vultures attacks Rumi and his family. Before her death, Rumi's mother, Adunola, solicits the help of a dying god and saves Rumi, setting him on the path to become a Shadowwielder: warriors with the ability to use their shadow as a weapon. But Rumi's need for vengeance may be more important to him than the future of his people...

"An engrossing saga of magic and music, which painfully illustrates how someone's true purpose in life can be knocked off course by oppression and war" - Eddie Robson, author of Drunk on All Your Strange New Words

"with this very entertaining debut, joins the likes of Nnedi Okorafor and Tade Thompson in bringing a refreshing Afrocentric perspective to genre tropes" - Financial Times

"A rich, detailed and (be warned) visceral take on high fantasy that leaves you impatient for sequels" - SFX