Travis interviews author Suyi Davies Okungbowa about Son of the Storm, the first book in his new Nameless Republic trilogy from Orbit Books. This epic fantasy is a sweeping tale of violent conquest and forgotten magic set in a world inspired by the pre-colonial empires of West Africa.
Suyi and Travis discuss how writers can apply strategic project culture to their work, how distinct story engines power our favorite stories, and researching 15th century African empires.
This episode was sponsored by Campfire Technology. Campfire creates story design software that helps writers develop their stories. Its software includes tools for character development, story timelines, worldbuilding, and more, allowing storytellers to write better stories, faster.
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About Suyi Davies Okungbowa
Suyi Davies Okungbowa is the author of Son of the Storm (Orbit, May 2021), first in The Nameless Republic epic fantasy trilogy, and the godpunk novel, David Mogo, Godhunter (Abaddon, 2019). His shorter works have appeared internationally in periodicals like _Tor.com, Lightspeed, Nightmare, Strange Horizons, Fireside, _and anthologies like Black Panther: Tales of Wakanda and Year’s _Best Science Fiction and Fantasy. _He earned his MFA at the University of Arizona.
He tweets at @IAmSuyiDavies and is @suyidavies on Instagram. Learn more at suyidavies.com.
Son of the Storm
In the ancient city of Bassa, Danso is a clever scholar on the cusp of achieving greatness—only he doesn’t want it. Instead, he prefers to chase forbidden stories about what lies outside the city walls. The Bassai elite claim there is nothing of interest. The city’s immigrants are sworn to secrecy.
But when Danso stumbles across a warrior wielding magic that shouldn’t exist, he’s put on a collision course with Bassa’s darkest secrets. Drawn into the city’s hidden history, he sets out on a journey beyond its borders. And the chaos left in the wake of his discovery threatens to destroy the empire.
Transcript:
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