Haughty Boys of Ngoroke by Imali J. Abala

The Naked Shadow is a story of political competition and machinations that underline the thirst and search for power. It is an exposé of the many dark forces of political intrigues and their devastating impact on the protagonists, the society and many innocent bystanders. In the fictitious country of its setting, The Naked Shadow exposes the play between political power, drug dealing and love affairs where see-saw-like swings in alignments seal the fate of many. Here mayors hold office at the pleasure of drug cartels as opponents hatch schemes (many of them evil) to win political authority. There is blackmail and murder. Amidst all this, there is suffering and no one is spared: family, children, and innocent lovers. Sadly the electorate remains a pawn in the ever-evolving chase board of ‘planned wickedness’. What Others Say “The uniqueness of this novel lies in postmodernist thought that the world is pervaded by confusion and humankind’s attempt to bring order in chaos remains an exercise in futility. The law, the state, and the police are just ‘organized immorality’ as Nietzsche claims and even the modernist insistence on reward for the ‘good’ and punishment for the ‘evil’ sometimes does not happen. In the novel, punishment and suffering also pursue the upright and noble given the muddled attributes of life.” – Andrew Nyongesa, PhD, author and scholar of literature “The Naked Shadow exposes a gangster state (not unlike many in the world) that thrives on drug dealing, prostitution and murder through orchestrated eliminations in planned ‘see-saw’ revenge episodes among protagonists with collusions and making love in the mix. ” – Matunda Nyanchama, PhD, Publisher and IT Consultant.