Ashes of the Talking Drum

Long before the first breath of men, the gods spoke through the earth, the sky, and the drum.
The talking drum, carved from the heartwood of the Ukpuru tree, carried the voice of ancestors—telling tales of creation, warning of danger, and singing songs of love and war.
But when the drum falls silent, the soul of the people falters.
This is the story of a land where spirits whisper in the wind, where thunder chooses a man, and where the ashes of the talking drum will ignite a flame that refuses to die

In the village of Umuala, tradition and change clash amid the looming threat of colonial influence. When the sacred talking drum—symbol of the ancestors and heart of the community—is burned and stolen, Obiora, a young warrior chosen by thunder, becomes both suspect and exile. Betrayal, love, and spiritual awakening shape his journey as he seeks to restore the drum’s voice and the soul of his people. With his childhood love Nkemdilim by his side, Obiora confronts friends turned foes, foreign missionaries, and his own destiny. Through trials of fire and shadow, the ancient drum speaks again, calling the village back from the brink of ruin.