"There is going to be blood Achy'ou, and I need them to possess hope to get them to fight."
Chief Kirama
From The Enslaved by Joshua C. Olmstead
The Enslaved
Across oceans and empires, destiny is forged in fire and rebellion.
Assad Nassar: Moroccan Empire, 1727
In the Moroccan Empire, Moulay Ismail Ibn Sharif, "The Bloodthirsty", has died. Assad Nassar is a captain in the mercenary guard. His future is torn between being loyal to the guard or his conscience.
Alain Gravois: Nantes, France, 1747
Alain Gravois, son of Bernard Gravois, works for his father, a fisherman, in the town of Nantes, France. Alain falls into gambling debt and fears for his life. His only option is to flee, He agrees to a plan that will forever change the course of his life.
Osawe: Village outside of the Dahomey Kingdom, 1747
Osawe is the son of the chief of his village. The shaman Achy'ou uses great magic to keep the village safe but when he leans of the powerful witchcraft of Gbeto, another shaman, the fate of the village is at stake. Each of the shaman use their skill and sorcery to shape the events that will come.
Middle Passage: onboard The Calypso, 1747
Captain Banville commands the vessel known as The Calypso. A life of drinking and philandering forced him into the slave trade. The slaves threaten the voyage and Osawe must overcome visions of Achy'ou and Gbeto.
Saint-Domingue: 1747
Plantation life is full of jealous enemies. Osawe struggles to hold onto who he loves. Alain makes a significant sum of money but is introduced a mulatto woman named Celeste who has no qualms about her love of men and money.
Rebellion
Assad Nassar is now the leader of a maroon band and regularly visits the mulatto woman Celeste. There is talk of a slave prophet named Makandal who is uniting the different maroon bands. The flames of revolt threaten the entire island.
The Enslaved
Across oceans and empires, destiny is forged in fire and rebellion.
Assad Nassar: Moroccan Empire, 1727
In the Moroccan Empire, Moulay Ismail Ibn Sharif, "The Bloodthirsty", has died. Assad Nassar is a captain in the mercenary guard. His future is torn between being loyal to the guard or his conscience.
Alain Gravois: Nantes, France, 1747
Alain Gravois, son of Bernard Gravois, works for his father, a fisherman, in the town of Nantes, France. Alain falls into gambling debt and fears for his life. His only option is to flee, He agrees to a plan that will forever change the course of his life.
Osawe: Village outside of the Dahomey Kingdom, 1747
Osawe is the son of the chief of his village. The shaman Achy'ou uses great magic to keep the village safe but when he leans of the powerful witchcraft of Gbeto, another shaman, the fate of the village is at stake. Each of the shaman use their skill and sorcery to shape the events that will come.
Middle Passage: onboard The Calypso, 1747
Captain Banville commands the vessel known as The Calypso. A life of drinking and philandering forced him into the slave trade. The slaves threaten the voyage and Osawe must overcome visions of Achy'ou and Gbeto.
Saint-Domingue: 1747
Plantation life is full of jealous enemies. Osawe struggles to hold onto who he loves. Alain makes a significant sum of money but is introduced a mulatto woman named Celeste who has no qualms about her love of men and money.
Rebellion
Assad Nassar is now the leader of a maroon band and regularly visits the mulatto woman Celeste. There is talk of a slave prophet named Makandal who is uniting the different maroon bands. The flames of revolt threaten the entire island.
"There is going to be blood Achy'ou, and I need them to possess hope to get them to fight."
Chief Kirama
From The Enslaved by Joshua C. Olmstead
"It seems more and more snakes inhabit this kingdom."
Assad Nassar
The Enslaved by Joshua C. Olmstead
Joshua Clay Olmstead
Author of Historical Fiction
Hi, I’m Joshua Clay Olmstead—a writer and lawyer living in New York City, originally from the small lakeshore town of Ludington, Michigan. I studied English and history in college, which fueled my lifelong love of stories, especially those rooted in the past. When I’m not working or writing, I enjoy practicing martial arts, traveling to new places (or old ones with rich history), reading widely, and trying not to lose too many golf balls on the course.
"I wouldn't give the fin of a sardine to write, Work, not writing, put the food on the table."
Bernard Gravois
From The Enslaved by Joshua C. Olmstead