Today I’m delighted to introduce Jude Itakali and his latest book. I know Jude more for his gorgeous poetry and was excited to read his fantasy fiction. Broken Ties is the second book in his Realms of the Mist series. And what a beautiful cover! My review is below, but first, here’s Jude:

DARKNESS, LIGHT, AND LIFE CHOICES

PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS: There is often a line between good and evil. This is very important because it forms the basis for the laws which protect us. But we must avoid becoming zealots, uncompromising and unempathetic. Unfortunately, the world is filled with too many this or that choices with no third option. Personally, when I come across these I’m frustrated, but we cannot avoid them.

It is, for this reason, I have a protagonist from a tribe of death, or a villain with complicated intentions. I throw, or at times ease, most of…

Mejan wondered if she’d made the right decision in caving to her son’s desire to visit the zoo. It was a place she didn’t approve of. On the one hand, it bred endangered animals for future release into the new wild zones. That part she liked. But it also preserved certain native species too dangerous for freedom, creatures forced to endure long lives in cages, denied their natural habitat and the opportunity to breed.

“I want to see them,” Benzi said, his heart set on viewing the latter in their high-security enclosures. “I need to write a report about an animal for a school project.”

Mejan’s nose wrinkled at the thought. “Why not pick a different one? An elephant or tiger? Something less scary.”

“I’m not a little kid.” Benzi huffed a challenge to say otherwise. “My teacher said the government is thinking…