Broken Ties By Jude Itakali
If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you must know Jude Itakali. I’ve reviewed multiple books of his and collaborated on a number of posts with him. Through blogging, we were able to build a friendship. And I was honoured when he asked me to share my thoughts on his latest book, Broken Ties, which is a sequel to Realms Of The Mist which I thoroughly enjoyed. In the hopes to share more about Broken Ties by Jude Itakali, we sat down (virtually) for a Q&A where we talked more about this latest sequel.
Q&A
Hey Pooja. Thank you for having me. So, Broken Ties is the middle book in the Realms of the mist trilogy. It’s hard to squeeze so much into a few sentences but I’ll give it a go.
Broken Ties, while shining a light on all the story’s main characters, continues to follow the protagonist, Kamau, a young man, who is forced to seek the hidden magical realms of Africa and assemble a weapon to destroy the evil that has irreversibly merged with his closest friend.
The inspiration for this middle book includes so many things. If I’m to pick one, I’d go with the main inspiration for the whole series; to tell an epic fantasy adventure that happens on the backdrop of the African continent. There are many character-based inspirations but yeah, that’s the major one.
2. Since this is a sequel, I wanted to ask how you felt about people reading this one without reading the last one. Do you think they should read the first book or this a book you can read on its own too?
During the editing process, I’ve tried to ensure that someone can read this book2 and enjoy it, without having to read the first. But it’s a single story arc and a diverse world so to appreciate where the main characters are coming from, both physically and emotionally, you may want to check out the 1st book. (However, I do include some brief backstory in this book to help a little bit with that.) Generally, I’d recommend starting with the first book where possible.
3. What were some difficulties you faced while writing this book?
Oh mehn! Difficulties. Lemme see…the major ones are work and a university course that has gone on without any holidays, with only one week breaks between semesters. I’ve struggled a lot with the work-study-write dynamic and my personal and social life has taken the brunt of it. I’m only now just trying to schedule it all. I just want to finish the course then I’ll have more time for everything else and more. Studying really takes a lot especially when you’re part-time.
4. Was it harder or easier to write a sequel?
Harder or easier? It was just as difficult, but more enjoyable because I was returning to a world I’d already built and was getting to know characters even better. I think it would have been easier if it weren’t for the studying on top of work because I wasn’t studying when I wrote book1. But I came to realize that even if I get done with one thing, another thing can replace it. When uni is done, I may begin dating, or do the little farm in the village, or begin an online business, so I pushed through this year, knowing it will acclimatise me to writing in busy conditions.
5. What was your favourite chapter to write in ‘Broken Ties’?
I had a lot of fun in every chapter. I struggled at times to get writing time but when I sat down to actually write, it was all so fun. However, if I were to choose, I’d go with the Letters from Ninuwe chapter. I was smiling and laughing the whole time I wrote and edited that one, but it only just comes ahead of a number of others, I enjoyed the finale a bit too much and had to be careful not to kill off the entire cast for book 3, but that’s like a lump of 4 chapters. Also, the character interactions for me were really fun, and the different worlds.. okay I think I better stop there because I may mention everything.
6. Finally, I wanted to ask you to talk to my readers and tell them why they should read ‘Broken Ties.’
Why should you read broken Ties? If you love fantasy, it will be refreshing to delve into a fantasy world from an African perspective. And if fantasy is not your preference, just like you, Pooja, the core themes of sacrifice and friendship should make for some engaging reading, I hope.
Broken Ties By Jude Itakali Review
I loved Realms Of The Mist so I was quite excited to read Broken Ties. And Jude certainly did not disappoint with this one. The book was exciting, had plenty of twists and action but also had tender moments that tugged at the heartstrings. I’m generally not a fan of fantasy or anything like that. But this book and its predecessor has really hit the spot for me. I also really enjoyed how the characters have evolved from this book compared to the last one. It’s always interesting to see characters grow, change and evolve. It’s well written, fun to follow and the setting reminds me so much of home (Africa) which I love since not many fantasy books do that.
I would really recommend giving this book a read. And if you haven’t already read the first book, Realms Of The Mist, I would recommend starting out with that one.
To pre-order Broken Ties by Jude Itakali please click here.
To read Realms Of The Mist, the first book of the series, please click here.
For more book reviews please click here.
If you enjoyed this post don’t forget to like, follow, share and comment!
Enjoyed this post? Then follow me on social media:
Twitter Instagram Pinterest LinkedIn HubPages
Email me on(guest posts welcome!): insomniacwithanaccent@gmail.com
Leave a Reply