A 24-year old Nigerian accountant, Tobenna Uruakpa, has unveiled his maiden book, a fantasy fiction novel titled “The Guardian of the Locket'”
Tobenna, who currently resides in Maryland, USA, described the fictional novel as a literary work which started in 2017 and was inspired by the many different pieces of fantasy media products like; Game of Thrones and the Falling Kingdom book series by Morgan Rhodes.
‘The Guardian of the Locket’, which is currently available on Amazon, is Tobenna’s first ever published novel, but he posits that two other publications will follow shortly as the storyline is expected to lead into two additional books.
Although the author graduated from the University of Maryland, where he studied Finance and Accounting, from a young age he nurtured his talent for writing and began to cultivate it during his teenage years.
“I developed the idea of the Guardian of the Locket in 2017. It was inspired by the many different pieces of fantasy media I have consumed like Game of Thrones and the Falling Kingdom book series by Morgan Rhodes. It stands as my first ever published novel.
“The title the Guardian of the Locket was one of the first parts of the novel that I crafted. In the kingdom of Aurenia, where the novel is set, the locket is the symbol of power. It holds the souls of all the previous rulers of Aurenia and determines who the next ruler should be. The person chosen becomes not just the king/queen of Aurenia, but also the Guardian of the Locket. Zac is chosen by the Locket as the next ruler of Aurenia after the death of his father at the hands of Adil. As the next Guardian of the Locket, he now has to fight to claim his rightful throne. Hence the title, Guardian of the Locket,” he said.
According to the author, the new book centres on two themes – war and responsibility.
“On war, the story sends the message that war never ends well for anyone. There is always a sacrifice even if you end up victorious. Zac himself said as much in the novel. He said “In was there are no winners. Only survivors and the dead.” That rings true both in the story and in real life. War is a devastating affair for everyone involved.
“As for responsibility, Zac is called upon to be king of a foreign kingdom at the young age of 18. He is hesitant as anyone would be but decides to answer the call and continue his family’s legacy. In our own lives, we are often called to some sort of responsibility. Be it in our families, at work, at church, in out communities etc. I hope that readers can learn from Zac and answer that call with courage,” Tobenna explained.
The new author, who is also the son of a former Director at the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Ruth Uruakpa, encouraged young writers to take the initiative to idea and not allow their literary ideas die.
“Having an idea is one thing but putting it to paper is another task entirely. As I said previously, the idea of the Guardian of the Locket was in my head since 2017 but I didn’t actually start writing the book until 2023. I just didn’t have the motivation or commitment to write for all those years. But once I finally found it in 2023, I haven’t stopped. So to aspiring writers, find your motivation and never let go. Just write and watch your ideas turn into reality,” he added.
