Deborah Falaye grew up in Lagos, where evenings often carried the sound of stories, tales of Yoruba gods and spirits told by her grandmother, echoing alongside the books of African and diasporic writers she devoured as a child. Those early influences, at once mythic and deeply human, became the foundation of her own storytelling voice.

At twelve she moved to Canada, a shift that sharpened her awareness of identity, heritage, and belonging. These themes linger at the heart of her writing. In her debut novel, Blood Scion, she brought them to life through Sloane Folashadé, a teenager descended from Orisha gods and forced into a brutal army that mirrors real-world violence. The novel blends Yoruba mythology with the haunting reality of child soldiers, drawing inspiration from both her cultural roots and the tragic news that shaped her adolescence.

Blood Scion

In a land scarred by conquest, power is not a gift but a curse. The Blood Scion series follows Sloane Folashadé, a girl born with the forbidden blood of the ancient Orisha running through her veins. To the empire that rules her homeland, she is both weapon and threat, destined to serve in an army that thrives on fear. Yet beneath the weight of obedience lies fire, one that could burn away everything her oppressors built.