Griqualand

by Oliver Strong

“On the eastern cape of southern Africa a land existed for but a brief moment in time, formed by a group of cultural castaways, strengthened via European investment and terrorised by dark forces. Amid this searing slice of savannah, male ambition, feminine yearning and the hunger of an ancient evil clash … with catastrophic results.”

234 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 8, 2023

Reviews

[Book Morphine · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

“On the eastern cape of southern Africa a land existed for but a brief moment in time, formed by a group of cultural castaways, strengthened via European investment and terrorised by dark forces.
 
Amid this searing slice of savannah, male ambition, feminine yearning and the hunger of an ancient evil clash … with catastrophic results.”

This book is part 1 of the trilogy called Zululand

As a newcomer to this particular literary genre, I was initially unsure of what to expect. However, as I delved deeper into the pages of the book, I was struck by the level of detail and depth that the author had infused into the narrative. The book is situated in the South African region during the 1800s. It provides an in-depth account of the historical events that occurred in that particular area, shedding light on the people, culture, and customs of that time. It was evident that the author had invested a significant amount of time and effort into researching and crafting the story.

I was completely engrossed in the plot, eagerly turning each page to uncover the next twist or turn. The intelligent writing style and terminology descriptions made it enjoyable. Overall, I was thoroughly impressed by the author's skilful storytelling and attention to detail, and I look forward to exploring more of this genre in the future. From the settings to the characters, everything felt carefully crafted and well-researched. I learned so much while reading this book, and it left me wanting to explore more stories like it.

[Hadia Zeb · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all, I would like to thank Oliver strong, for deeming me worthy of reading his words and giving my honest opinion about it. I'm a huge fan of Historical Fictions so I really enjoyed my time with this book. ❤️

On the eastern cape of Southern Africa a land existed for but a brief moment in time, formed by a group of cultural castaways, strengthened via European investment and terrorised by dark forces.
———————————————————

If it wasn't for this book, I never would have known that a place and tribes like these ever existed. The book is truly well researched and explains the culture and lifestyle of people of different tribes that existed back then. The protagonist in the Novel, George, is a character that I found to be fascinating and complex. The struggle that went on inside him between loyalty to homeland and his morals was very descriptive. One thing that I thought was missing in the book was a proper map with indications of tribes. That would have made understanding the tribes and area a little more easy.
The writing style is more concept driven rather than character driven. I personally don't like this type of writing, it feels like reading a documentary. But for people who are interested in reading history with a touch a fictional characters, it would be best for them.
For anyone, who loves Historical Fictions, this book is a really good read. 🌸

[Emaan Tanveer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow—this book completely blew me away.

Griqualand is one of those rare historical fiction novels that grips you from the first page and doesn’t let go. It’s raw, emotional, and unapologetically honest in its portrayal of 19th-century South Africa. I’ll admit I went in not knowing much about Griqualand East or the Griqua people, but Oliver Strong brings this overlooked corner of history to life with stunning detail.

The story revolves around Bastijn Klein Soepenberg, a white Boer farmer who is honestly one of the most complex and infuriating characters I’ve ever read. His brutality, especially toward the enslaved people on his farm, is horrifying, but the pain and desperation he carries over his wife Hannah’s illness is also deeply human. It's uncomfortable—but in the best way. The author doesn’t sugarcoat anything, and that’s what makes it so powerful.

But it’s not just Soepenberg's story. Characters like Arnou, a proud San woman forced into servitude, absolutely stole my heart. Her strength and quiet defiance lingered with me long after I finished reading. The book doesn’t shy away from the horrors of colonialism, racial hierarchies, or the political tensions of the time—but somehow, it still finds space to explore love, grief, resilience, and the impossible choices people had to make.

Strong’s writing is rich, vivid, and immersive. He weaves in languages, cultural details, even food like bobotie and bunny chow, creating a world that feels heartbreakingly real. It’s the kind of book that teaches you without ever feeling like a history lesson.

This was not an easy read—emotionally speaking—but it was absolutely worth it. If you love thought-provoking, character-driven historical fiction that doesn't flinch from the ugly parts of history, Griqualand is a must-read.

Highly recommend—this is going to stay with me for a long time.

[ScarlettAnomalyReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a 3 but should be more like a 3.5

I received this in exchange for a honest review, and this isn't one that I would have stumbled onto myself. I am not a huge historical like fiction type, but this was pretty good.
I actually want to read more from Oliver, because well done.

I felt like, for someone that did not know the actual subject as far as the details and time period, it explained enough to where, that did not bother me, Oliver created the picture you needed with words. And the story came across very well.
I like it when its evident the author has put in some research.

This apparently part of a series or trilogy i should say and I will be checking out the second one when i have some spare time.


There is something about a story that just isnt just a evil entity, but about those around you and the horror that humans ourselves can create, sometimes men go too far ..

[Aricka Shively · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strong’s novel Griqualand was absolutely fascinating! I love historical fiction books and this one was so in depth and built full of great research to build the plot upon. I will say that my only note is to hold out for the first couple of chapters. This is important for his story building and setting to be explicit for the reader. The way he tells this story is almost reminiscent of an oral narration that brings out such a special quality to this historical fiction novel that I have yet to see in any other one I’ve read. The care that Strong but into this book is admirable and he obviously has a lot of love in this trilogy. I am excited to see what he has in store next for his readers!

[Adeana Libman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Oliver Strong for giving me access to your novel in exchange for a fair review!

What stood out to be about Strong's writing is his attention to detail. You can tell immediately that a lot of research was put in to this novel which he does share with the reader as well. His passion is very visible in his words, he wants the reader to feel as strongly about the subject matter as he does, this is very evident in his choice of words and his description of every last detail in the novel.

Overall though, this book did not resonate deeply with me for a few reasons. As I said, his attention to detail is amazing. However, sometimes he explained an idea far too in depth and it took over the actual plot of the novel. The plot itself was very interesting, I would have enjoyed it more if there was a glossary of terms afterwards rather than explanations within the text. I also did not like any of the characters. At first, I did enjoy Arnou but her extreme changes in character traits had me second guessing that like throughout reading.

This was a 3/5 for me but I would be interested to see more from Strong as I believe he has the passion it takes to succeed.

[Sarah Essex · Rating 3 out of 5]

This took me a while to get through. I much just put it out there that historical fiction is not usually my genre. However this book was hugely well written and well researched and i would most definitely recommend it to anybody that loves historical fiction. I picked up new facts and it was thoroughly researched as you could tell the amount that went into creating this book.

[Bevin · Rating 2 out of 5]

{2.5/5}

CW: attempted assault, depictions of slavery, racism, sex, murder, dubCon, some others

Thank you to the author for reaching out with a copy of this book.

In Griqualand East, Africa, 1875, something evil lurks near the town. A man will do anything to keep his property—his slaves— and one of those slaves will do anything to make that man love her, It’s a setting ripe for malicious manipulation, and something wicked is waiting for the right opportunity.

If the tiny blurb above didn’t give you some indication that this one’s a doozy, then let me tell you very clearly right now: I had a hard time with this story, and the content made up 70% of those reasons. Let’s discuss.

First of all, historical fiction is not a genre I read frequently unless there’s some fantasy element associated with it, but I thought I’d give it a shot. If you’re really into history, and you like your stories to have a lot of real-world informational depth to them, then this book would fit that bill. There’s a ton of information about what was going on in that part of the world around that time frame, and from what I can tell it’s a factual, real depiction of those events with a fictional story added in for flavor. It took a lot of time and research to pull all of that together, and it’s been done so with a generous time frame of extra information on either side of the story’s setting.

Unfortunately, this is where I run out of things to praise about the book. On the more relaxed end of things, I personally prefer my historical fiction to be mostly fiction with just a smidgen of history thrown in for flavor. This particular story is solidly 80% history with the fictional story taking up significantly less space in the overall book. The added context does give a lot of extra depth to the setting, but it’s not my favorite. Beyond the strong preference for historical information, we get into the narrative style and structure. There’s a lot of repetition of historical facts, which can become very redundant. The narrative also has a tendency to interrupt the little storyline we do have to go on at length about the historical backdrop of one or more characters or cultures. It became very disruptive, especially when there was so little ‘story’ to start. At times the information dumping even went into more modern tangents, and sometimes we encountered a variation of whatever one might call the literary equivalent of a fourth wall break. It’s a distinct style, to be sure, but not one that works well for me.

Stylistic choices aside, my biggest issue with the book came in the content itself. Obviously, a story about slavery and evil spirits is going to have a lot of stuff that’s less than savory. It’s a reasonable enough expectation that certain characters (especially flawed, ‘not supposed to be good’ characters) are going to have opinions or even say things that would never be acceptable today. What I struggled with, though, was the narrator. The book is written in 3rd person, so the narrator is not one of the characters. Narrator also breaks that fourth wall a lot, as I mentioned before, and sets the narrator position firmly in the present, and yet the narrator frequently says things that feel more in line with the attitudes I’d expect from 1870’s slavers. There are also rampant depictions of the ‘weakness’ of women compared to men, what feels like blatant fetishization of women of color, and undertones of Christian superiority compared to the spiritualism of the different peoples living there. The whole thing just left a general feeling of ‘ick’ and made it extremely hard to get through the book. The whole premise of the slave falling in love with the master, to the extent that it’s one of the main motivating factors behind the entire story, felt off, and the scene where the two actually copulate felt incredibly wrong on a lot of hard to explain levels.

Maybe my struggles with the earlier historical text in the book set me up to be overly sensitive about the rest of the content, but the whole thing was a rough read, and I cannot, in good conscience, recommend it. If you do choose to read it, I’d be interested to see if I was reading too much into some of the situations. All in all, not a series I’m going to be continuing.

[Emma Minazza · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like how much research went into this book, it's a new to me topic and it enlightened me to Africa in the 1800's. I never knew it was like that although it's sad that people can treat other humans like that. It mentions slave labour, the segregation, the "good and evil" of the world at that time that has sadly carried onto current times.

We learn of Hannah and her husband, she is sick with cholera, it eats away at her and you can see her getting weaker each time she is mentioned. She has an African maid that changes her bed sheets, pillows, airs the room etc and Hannah's husband has to leave them to it due to his line of work.

I was engrossed in the story and it's book one in a series, it's a quick read as it sucks you in and doesn't let go until the end! I will look out for the other books in the series as I didn't want it to end. A very informative read.

[Silvia RoMa · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5 stars
This book is part 1 of the trilogy called Zululand. I think for a first novel in a series this one is a pretty good entrance, it's interesting and compelling, and sets well the basis for the trilogy.

I don't usually read historical fiction so take this with a pinch of salt. I was unsure if I'd like this novel but I must say this book was quite interesting. I really didn't read as historical fiction, even if it was. Maybe it was the historical clarifications that were made here and there, that made it feel a bit different. There was a high level of detail put into this novel to make it feel more real, and that shows.

The book is set in Africa during the 1800s. It provides account of the historical events that occurred in that particular area, shedding light on the people, culture, and customs of that time.

I really liked the setting, it was quite unique, the fact that it reads really easily and fast and the group of cultural castaways that made the book different from others. The characters were interesting and being that different, enriched the story. They all were trying to survive, and restart their lives.

I overall enjoyed the novel, the plot was interesting and the characters well developed. What I liked most was the in-depth descriptions of the life in that time and the attention to detail.

Thank you so much to the author for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the eastern cape of southern Africa a land existed for but a brief moment in time, formed by a group of cultural castaways, strengthened via European investment and terrorised by dark forces.

Amid this searing slice of savannah, male ambition, feminine yearning and the hunger of an ancient evil clash … with catastrophic results.”

This book is part 1 in the Zululand trilogy that I have recently reviewed! This book took me sometime to get into but when I did it really did not take me long to finish at all! It is already a small book but you don’t realise how quickly you’re reading until it’s over 🥲🤣

As always, you can tell the amount of time and effort that this author takes when it comes to research and trying to convey that within his writing which I believe he does incredibly well. It’s inspiring to read. I learn a lot from stories like this and they keep me both engaged and well informed. As ever, another amazing story and I can’t wait for the next one that I hope to also be a part of! 🫶🏻💗

[Chasity Trimble · Rating 3 out of 5]

A historical fiction love triangle taken over by dark forces

This book is the first of the Zululand Trilogy and takes an in depth dive into historical events of the Griqua tribe and European settlers in late 1800s in southern Africa. The plot is revolves around a slave who wants her Master for herself and gets pulled into dark forces to take care of her Master’s disease stricken wife so that she can take her place.

I don’t usually read historical fictions and this book was a slow start for me since it was so engrossed with the historical and geographical elements that at times I had trouble following the plot. However, I have to commend the Author for doing his research and being able to provide so much detail on the culture and customs during that time period. I was impressed with Oliver Strongs storytelling ability but would have enjoyed it more if there wasn’t as much repetition with the historical facts and more added to the story itself. I did enjoy reading Griqualand and reading a genre I normally wouldn’t pick for myself. I want to thank Oliver Strong for reaching out and giving me the opportunity to expand my reading.

[Khushi Singh · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐.5
Thank you Oliver Strong for giving me the copy of this book in exchange for honest review!

"Griqualand" by Oliver Strong is a historical fiction novel set in 19th-century South Africa, focusing on the Griqua people, a mixed-race community caught in the crossfire between the expanding British Empire and the powerful Zulu nation.

I finally completed this book. I must say it was a heavy read. It was hard to get into it as the couple of chapters in the start were slow but that is the case with any historical fiction/ fantasy book I feel. However, once the narrative gained momentum, it became incredibly engaging.

It was obvious how much work had been put into this book. The author did intensive research on the history of the tribes, their cultural nuances, their sayings, etc. and it shows.

One thing I'd add is that while it's categorized as historical fiction, I think it's more than just that. It's got a bit of a magical realism vibe to it too, as it includes witches/Tokoloshe?

Anyway, if you're interested in South African history, I'd recommend giving it a try. Also, do check out TWs before getting into it.

[Fatguyreading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical fiction is one of my favourite genres, so I couldn't wait to get into this read, and let me tell you, it certainly did not disappoint.

Before I read this, I didn't know a great deal about 19th century South Africa, and I hadn't heard of Griqualand or the Griqua people, or the European settlers at all, so it really was an informative, interesting read.

The author really brings this often overlooked period of history to brilliant life with quite obviously incredibly indepth research, and intricate details.

For me, this is more of a plot/ detail driven type of read, rather than character driven, but that's no to say that's a negative. Some novels suit that style, and this one certainly does.

I really enjoyed learning of the culture, customs, people and places of this period of history, and the author has done such a great job of capturing the atmosphere in this snapshot of South African history.

I found the story to flow well, with a pace that bobs along nicely.

If you're a fan of historical fiction, and are looking for something a little out of the ordinary, you must give this a go.

I look forward to part 2.

4 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 's from me.

[Falena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Griqualand is the first book of the Zululand Trilogy. I haven't read historical fiction before, so I was super sceptical about it in the beginning, but the author has done a great job with his detailed narration. The story is set in the 1800, in Southern Africa where slavery and human abuse was prevalent. Soepenberg is the main character in this book and he was a very cruel man who abused his slaves. But despite all this Arnou was in love with her master and their life changed completely. 

My note: It took me some time to get this story but then once I was on track it was impossible to put down. The story was really interesting and the author has done a fantastic job with his research. Oliver Strong has made me fall in love with this genre and I'm looking forward to reading the other books in this Trilogy. Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful book with me. It was both entertaining and informative.

[The Reading Room · Rating 5 out of 5]

GRIQUALAND
Written by: Oliver Strong
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

STOP what you’re doing! I just finished Griqualand by Oliver Strong, and let me tell you, this book is an absolute gem!✨
Think adventure, history, and pure thrill! This story dives into the heart of South Africa’s diamond rush in the 1800s. It’s not just a story-it’s an experience!
The writing? Absolutely captivating. Strong takes you on a journey through greed, betrayal, and ambition. And the characters? So real you’ll love some and absolutely despise others.
This book made me feel everything excitement, heartbreak, and even a little bit of rage. And the ending? OMG, it will wreck you in the best way possible!

If you love historical fiction with a gripping plot and unforgettable characters, you NEED to pick this up. Seriously, go add Griqualand to your TBR now!

“Oliver Strong… you’ve got a fan for life. This one’s a 5/5 for me!📚🔥”

#BookTok #Griqualand #HistoricalFiction #OliverStrong #TBRAlert

[bibliophile.blissful · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this novel and I appreciate the author's meticulous approach to introducing each new term or event, offering a thorough exploration with detailed references from the past. This enriches the reading experience, creating a perfect fusion of history and storytelling. The author's deep dive into research is not only inspiring but also serves to keep me thoroughly engaged, providing a delightful balance between inspiration and information.

[Aniqa Chaudary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the writing style and diction in this novel, which is becoming rare in today's authors. It should be noted that Its not the story but its historically accurat connections which are important.
Although sometimes you get bored with a little extra but not unnecessary details but I think the writer did a wonderful job. I hope to read the sequel.

[Hannah Nichelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book, I don’t usually dive into this genre but the story hidden behind the metaphors was a ride worth taking for a spin.

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always been fascinated by South African history from Apartheid to the Zulus and jumped at the chance to read this historical fiction novel set in South Africa during the 1800s. Meticulously researched, with beautiful descriptions, I could picture the landscape and I really got a feel for the events, people and culture of the time.

The storyline focuses on European settlers and their interactions with the Griqua tribes. I was quite taken by the interactions between farmer Bastijin Soepenberg, his wife Hannah, who is dying of cholera and slave Arnou who is in love with her master. The first book in a trilogy, I look forward to more by Oliver.

[Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all i want to thank the author for gifting me this book🫶
I have never read a book from this genre, which is historical fiction. I had no clue what to expect. I was so confused like 85% of the book because of the details and tribes names and map layout etc. So i bow to author for this immense research. I had no idea that such tribes or cultures ever existed. This novel was very complex for me. Sometimes the author explained things in such depth it was overwhelming. In fact it kind of took away my attention from the story itself. The book have potential but it is not for me i guess. It took me a while to finish because i had to a)translate a lot of words to fully understand it and b) it was more history than fiction, which is fine. The story itself was interesting. It has African demon, evil spirits and religion- those were my interests. Main topic is slavery. I would have liked if the tale was more esoteric and explained more about African witchcraft. But again i understood that it is more of a historical side, not fiction. I guess if you like this kind of genre then this is a good read.

[Simarbir Kaur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Griqualand is Book number 1 in a trilogy. It is a prequel of Zululand (released earlier in 2023), which was one of the historical fiction books I had read and reviewed sometime back. It was in my Top 5 fav historical fiction books of 2023.

Griqualand is a unique, one of a kind historical fiction novel that is set in late 1800s. It starts with the history of this piece of land in South Africa, that is not much talked about in the chronicles of history or in the modern world. This land earlier known as "Nomansland" became home to Griqua tribe who started inhabiting the area and some of them traded their allotted piece of land with white farmers (European descendants). This land had lush landscape with fertile, rich soil and the White farmers found a profitable prospect of farming in this land with slave laborers as slavey had been abolished in Cape Colony.

This book centers around one of those white farmers, a character we met in Zululand, as well, Soepenberg. He managed to buy a land in Griqualand and started tobacco farming in this land . Despite Britishers abolishing slavery, He used his geographical advantage, and bought slaves to make them work as farm laborers. This action packed story is about his time in Griqualand, the cultural richness of the place due to different tribes , and the clash of different forces, deciding the future of Griqualand and Soepenberg.

It definitely is one of the most researched books. You get insight into the geographical details of the place. The cultural intricacies of the place, food, tribes, traditions, spiritual beliefs. The historical world is built with relevant details at all necessary plot points. What makes this historical fiction unique is the different multidimensional elements to the story. The gripping narrative explores the characterization of Soepenberg which is mostly grey and dark, but we see a soft side of him, when we find out about his ailing wife. There is a significant role of the African traditional and spiritual healer, the Sangoma. And then what adds to the texture to this historical fiction is the clash of dark forces, evil spirits and a feminine authority with her own sense of purpose.

Despite being fast paced, this book is loaded with historical facts, action, plot twists and just like his previous book, in this series, extensive research is done by the author and each event is meticulously explained in detail. I love how the author explains each new term or an event with so many prequisite details and references from the past, to enrich the reading experience. A perfect amalgamation of history and story telling.

The author maintains his writing style which is absolutely fantastic, highly descriptive and at many times it gets proverbial, and metaphorical. Even if this book is a prequel, it can be read stand alone as well, or before Zululand. But highly recommend reading both the books , Griqualand and Zululand. This book paves the right trajectory for Zululand, making it eager for the reader to know what is next.

Highly recommended !!

Prequel to :
Zululand

Oliver Strong

[Theenrichmentoffiction1 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book review 📚: Griqualand

Genre BWWM historical fiction

The writing was beautiful and I can see a lot of research and time was taken to write this beauty, with accurate history.

I did have a hard time getting into not really because of the story changes but really just the words,

I call this intelligent writing so if you enjoy history with a story check this one out.

Soepenberg is a cruel man to his slaves and anyone else besides his wife who has a deadly disease and there is only one way to heal her, Arnou the high spirited slave made a deal with the devil, to change her life from slave to woman of the household but nothing goes to plan.
Temptation to Pleasure and sometimes at the end... Death.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This genre isn’t usually a choice that I make, but I was asked to give it a read and see how I liked it. The author did a very nice job researching for his character development and was able to touch base on racial separation historically that is always a sad but necessary reminder of our past. In this story we seemed to teeter between those who believed African Americans deserved to be treated fairly and as though they were also human beings, and those that still believe their Caucasian heritage makes them superior to other races. It made it hard to feel for one of the characters that went through the loss of a spouse, but at the same time those storyline was also moving as well.

I’d recommend giving it a go to see if it’s your cup of tea!

[Kat Šprem · Rating 3 out of 5]

Firstly, I must thank the author for the gifted copy. This genre isn't what I usually read, but I wanted to try it. Writing style is a bit different, but it was easy to read it. My main issue about this book is too many descriptions, metaphors and facts, and too little plot. At the times it felt more like documentary rather then fiction book,and mixing the Greek gods with Africans was, I don't know, didn't sit well with me. Another thing was an attidute towards women, and animal metaphors. Too much of that.

[Jazmyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this did a very good job with telling a part of history but keeping the reader on their toes. I wasn’t particularly familiar with this part of history so it was all new to me but I still enjoyed it. The ending caught me off guard. Love when that happens! Some of the story does change a lot so it was a lot for me to keep up with at times. But I enjoyed it, and it was an easy read!

[Kelsey Taylor (Bunnell) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book kept me on my toes and I read it in one sitting! It’s the perfect length and kept me entertained the entire time. I am a sucker for historical fiction and absolutely loved this one! This author does an excellent job at describing things and explaining words that I did not know. I will say though I went into this with an open mind and was very surprised with how much I enjoyed it.

[Cozy Reader Lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

a lot of history plus a bit of a fictional story

Oliver Strong did a great job going into the history behind "Grinqualand (Zululand Book 1)." I'm typically a cozy mystery fan but was given the opportunity to read this and figured I'd give it a read. It's a bit rougher than my cozies and not really my cup of tea. However, it is well researched and good majority of the book shows that research worked in with the story created to tell about what South Africa was like in the late 1800's.

[Book Ecke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Today's coffee was served with the book "Griqualand" by Oliver Strong, which is the compelling first book in the Zululand trilogy, delving into the complex history of South Africa in the late 1800s. This historical fiction novel expertly intertwines the story of the Griqua tribe and European settlers, capturing the essence of a land marked by cultural clashes and dark, unseen forces. Strong revisits the intriguing character of Soepenberg from his earlier work, "Zululand," portraying a character rich in moral ambiguity and deep complexities.

Strong's extensive research is evident as he meticulously paints a vivid picture of the geographical and cultural landscape. The narrative, rich in historical accuracy, remains engaging and fast-paced. It skilfully incorporates themes of colonialism, cultural identity, and spiritual beliefs, brought to life through detailed descriptions and immersive storytelling.

"Griqualand" stands out for its fusion of historical depth and compelling narrative. Though a prequel, the book can be enjoyed independently, setting a solid foundation for the trilogy. A must-read, it is an exemplary work of historical fiction, perfect for those intrigued by Africa's diverse history.

[Parinati Deshmukh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very different book from what I am used to reading but was fun nonetheless.
The story of how things worked in ancient time in Africa and how various incidents lead to fall of a man.