The Civilization

by K.M Mckenzie

Overview

At 17, Kadsa is weary of traveling with her grandpa in search of their lost mystical home world. She yearns for a normal life—a chance to go to college, have friends, and a stable home. However, a web of lies about her identity leads her to a startling discovery and a quest to save her kidnapped grandfather. In a realm of dark forces and ancient deities, Kadsa must find the courage to prevent the world’s annihilation. This adventure is a transformative odyssey, offering insights into resilience, truth-seeking, and the power of youth.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781957810225
Publisher:	Iskanchi Press
Publication date:	10/30/2024
Pages:	376
Product dimensions:	5.25(w) x 8.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

K. M. McKenzie writes stories about other worlds, reluctant women, and the noumena of existence that have been published in CosmicHorror.net, Toronto Fringe’s Next Stage Audio series, Polar Borealis, Scare Street, Shoreline of Infinity, and Strange Economics. When not dreaming up worlds of imagination, she’s struggling with her kitchen witch skills. She also self-publishes contemporary stories (pseudonym Kebra McKenzie). She is Caribbean-Canadian, and lives just outside the city of Toronto.

Editorial Reviews

"The World Building is lush and robust… a riveting fantasy novel, The Civilization incorporates African mythology into its story of a whip-smart heroine who learns to claim her destiny and newfound ancestry with pride." — Foreword Reviews

"An original blend of African-inspired mysticism and adventure." — Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

2024-08-17
A 17-year-old Black Canadian girl with roots in an African country “not located on any maps” attempts to find her grandfather and is drawn into another world, where a battle rages against darkness.

Kadsa Abasi’s Grandpa Edoje wants her to care as much as he does about finding his homeland; he’s searched across the continent of Africa for a way back. During their exploration of a cave in Chad, he at last finds a portal that will allow him to return to Marut. Grandpa Edoje, who’s said “she’d make a good godtalker,” gives Kadsa a large crystal. But Kadsa, whose father is dead, starts researching her mother—and she discovers troubling information that implicates her grandfather in the events that led to their separation. Before they can be reunited, however, Kadsa spies something frightening as she gazes into the crystal: Grandpa Edoje appears to be fighting with a shaman they met in the cave. She returns to the site of the portal, where the shaman tries to take the crystal from her. In the subsequent struggle, Kadsa ends up in Marut, a world that’s struggling under the Dark Enchantment of Akwanshi, a power-hungry priestess—and some see Kadsa as their long-awaited source of salvation. The story’s worldbuilding and action sequences are engaging, although the uneven character development detracts from the narrative. Nevertheless, genre fans will find much to enjoy.

An original blend of African-inspired mysticism and adventure.(Fantasy. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews