Bones and Runes
Three friends have their loyalty, beliefs and ancestral magic pushed to the limit.
Mlilo, a young isangoma, is forced to call on his friend Dan, a Druid apprentice, to help him retrieve his sacred amathambo (bones) from the clutches of evil. Taking us on an unprecedented journey through the magical realms of his ancestry and traditional beliefs, Mlilo's emerging skills are tested in life or death encounters with beings from the realm of Abaphansi. Amira, a close friend of Dan's, has her own independent path to forge but will soon find that her personal quests are inextricably linked to the two men.
The solitary isangoma, self-reliant to the extreme, will learn the importance of friendships, alliances and the meaning of living life in the real.
Stephen Embleton
Stephen was born in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and is now a resident in Oxford, United Kingdom, since his 2022 James Currey Fellowship at the African Studies Centre, University of Oxford. His background is Graphic Design, Creative Direction and Film.
His first short story was published in 2015 in the "Imagine Africa 500" speculative fiction anthology, followed by more in the “Beneath This Skin” 2016 Edition of Aké Review, “The Short Story is Dead, Long Live the Short Story! Vol.2”, the debut edition of Enkare Review 2017, The Bloody Parchment, AfroSFv3, The Kalahari Review, Burning House Press, Omenana Magazine, and The Shallow Tales Review. He was featured in Part 11 of the 100 African Writers of SFF on Strange Horizons.
Bones and Runes
Bones and Runes consists of one book. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
