The Warlock of Eremare - The Eremare Chronicles, #2

Several weeks after Akogun and his companions vanish beyond the eastern hills, the city of Eremare is left uneasy, divided, and uncertain of its own future. Hatiba, once the nameless boy brought into the city by strangers, has grown into a watchful young guardian under the guidance of the wise Iragbeje. But the peace of Eremare is fragile, and beneath its familiar markets, halls, and ancient institutions, something old and dangerous has begun to stir.

Into this uncertainty comes Atanpako, a quiet foreign adviser whose words seem reasonable, whose solutions seem merciful, and whose patience is more frightening than open violence. He does not seize power with armies or spells. Instead, he teaches the city to doubt itself. He convinces the Circle that argument is weakness, memory is burden, and certainty is the only path to survival.

As Oba Rojude grows increasingly isolated and the newly formed House of Order extends its reach across the city, Eremare begins to change. Old records are revised. Teachers disappear. The House of Learning is threatened. Citizens lower their voices. The past itself becomes dangerous to remember.

Hatiba, Tialara, Mato, and a growing band of ordinary citizens known as the Children of the River must decide whether a kingdom can be saved after it has willingly surrendered its own judgment. Their struggle is not merely against a warlock, but against fear, exhaustion, and the seductive promise of order without freedom.