Yasuke Vol I: Way of Butterfly by Fidel Namisi, Mandlakayise Dube Illustrated by Loyiso Mkize

Step into the heart of the 16th century African Empire of Mutapa, where an ambitious young warrior must face his greatest challenge to save his people from catastrophe!

The year is 1556. Drought ravages the empire, and its ruler, the Mwene Mutapa, struggles to bring rain by beating the legendary "drum that thunders"—the sacred Ngoma-lungundu. As unrest brews and rebellion looms, Yasuke, a newly initiated knight of the Barwe Tonga Order, is tasked with protecting the drum. But on his first night as a warrior, disaster strikes—the drum is stolen, his fellow knights slaughtered, and Yasuke barely escapes with his life.

Fueled by vengeance and honor, Yasuke embarks on a dangerous quest to recover the sacred drum, restore his order's glory, and prevent the empire from tearing itself apart. But his path is fraught with danger at every turn, as mysterious forces seem to always be one step ahead of him. Among his rivals is Dzugudini, a fierce female warrior and high priestess whose own ambitions are locked with the drum’s fate.

Forced into an uneasy alliance, Yasuke and Dzugudini traverse treacherous savannas and thick jungles, battling sorcerers, confronting high priests, and fending off wild beasts. But it’s not just the enemies they face—their mutual distrust and conflicting beliefs about loyalty, power, and the rightful future of the empire threaten to tear them apart.

As they race towards the ancient ruins of Africa’s most sacred temples, Yasuke must uncover dark truths about his past, the kingdom’s future, and what it really means to be loyal. Will he rise to the challenge and fulfill his destiny—or will the empire fall to ruin?