Lagos 1834

The royals maintain a stranglehold on the city’s lucrative slave trade, and battle foes with vested interests in its affairs—until now . . .

Prince Kosoko’s life as a spare who would never sit on the throne as the Oba of Lagos comes with undeniable perks. Like boatloads of slaves docking on the busiest trading coast on the West African shoreline and the baskets laden with cowries, gold, trinkets and the finest of fabrics. Like the thrill of seducing a beautiful, forbidden woman betrothed to a powerful man.

In Badagry, Adele, an exiled king and Kosoko’s uncle, is plotting with his newly married wife, Iyaoba Efunroye and the embittered kingmaker Eletu Odibo to disrupt the kingship of Idewu Ojulari, Kosoko’s brother, the unpopular king whose reign has been marred by an economic downturn. With the British eyeing ownership of Lagos, and pressure mounting from the Benin Kingdom, Idewu’s throne is sitting on a powder keg; and a single spark could lead to a cascade of events that would bring it all tumbling down.

Inspired by true events, Fireflies on the Lagoon is a tale of ambition and betrayal, where the destinies of a princess, a prince, an exiled king and an embittered kingmaker collide in a struggle for the soul of Lagos. Their lives intertwine and unravel as the city is smothered by colonial interference, culminating in a climax that would forever alter the course of history.

Author: Tunde Leye