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Blood, Blades and Bullets: Anatomy of a Glebelands hitman
Mazwi Nxumalo is a naïve school dropout teenager from rural Nongoma who is unwittingly recruited into the dark world of Glebelands hostel hitmen. Coming from a poverty-stricken family, the odds are stacked against him. He is also running away from a mysterious man and his goons that he busted executing a man in a local forest.After getting in tune with the ways of the Durban taxi ranks and industry, he is soon trained in shooting, surprisingly by rogue cop friends of his handler, Zenzele. He returns one more time to Nongoma where, in a rage, kills his friend, former schoolmate and striking partner in the local football team after learning he had impregnated his high school sweetheart. Angry at his protégé and fearing that he would soon be out of control, Zenzele decides it’s time for the traditional cleansing and strengthening ceremony, ukuthwala. Mazwi emerges almost invincible from this rite of passage to become an unstoppable but flawed killing machine.As the bodies pile up, including of those cops investigating his crimes, so is his irrepressible obsession with his doctored bullets and one woman whom his handlers believe will be his Achilles heel.The death of his father reveals more shocks around the young man’s recruitment into contract killing and he would take everyone with him on his menacing rollercoaster ride.
499 pages, Paperback
Published December 16, 2020
1 person is currently reading
55 people want to read
About the author
Nathi Olifant
2 books5 followersNathi Olifant is a seasoned journalist who plied his trade at several South African newspapers for 17 years. His newspaper career saw him dabble in crime writing, feature writing at The Witness and The Mercury daily newspapers as well as working as working as a senior political correspondent for the Sunday Tribune and later the Sunday Times. He holds a National Diploma in Creative Writing and Journalism. Born in a one-horse dorpie of Weenen, he has lived in New Hanover, Estcourt, Pietermaritzburg and Durban, his current location. These days the father of four spends his time as a KwaZulu-Natal government communicator and ministerial spokesperson and occasional truck driver in his spare time. This is his debut novel.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
February 20, 2021
Mazwi Nxumalo, a struggling 19 year old from Nongoma, is offered a way out by a stranger who invites him to work for him in Durban. The young man gets excited at the chance to make a living and assist his poor family. What he doesn't know is that he is getting recruited into the dark world of contract killing.
In Durban he gets initiated into the taxi business while living at the Glebelands hostel, the grooming ground for hitmen. He becomes one of the best in the business yet his childish mistakes costs him repeatedly. True to men of his age, he also gets entangled in a complicated love triangle that almost cost him his life. He keeps discovering secrets about his life that keep him in constant confusion. Guns, snakes, blades are the order of the day for the Glebelands hitman.
The story keeps you on the edge of your seat with its action, thrill and dark humour. I enjoyed it so much and loved how detailed it is. The author did thorough research and I'm a sucker for well-researched stories. I'm scared of giving out too many details 😆 so I'll just advise lovers of crime fiction (and the supernatural) to get this book. It's amazing!
In Durban he gets initiated into the taxi business while living at the Glebelands hostel, the grooming ground for hitmen. He becomes one of the best in the business yet his childish mistakes costs him repeatedly. True to men of his age, he also gets entangled in a complicated love triangle that almost cost him his life. He keeps discovering secrets about his life that keep him in constant confusion. Guns, snakes, blades are the order of the day for the Glebelands hitman.
The story keeps you on the edge of your seat with its action, thrill and dark humour. I enjoyed it so much and loved how detailed it is. The author did thorough research and I'm a sucker for well-researched stories. I'm scared of giving out too many details 😆 so I'll just advise lovers of crime fiction (and the supernatural) to get this book. It's amazing!
April 22, 2021
For days I have been thinking how to review this one, I had to first deal with the after effects. Well, it is as per the title, there is blood, there are blades so as the bullets with vemon.
They recruit them young, by the time they realise what is it all about, it's too late, there is no turning back.
He was 19, a struggling young man from the rural kwaNongoma. He was the only boy in the family, amongst 8 other siblings, his ailing and ageing parents- father and two mothers. He was a promising soccer star and tried to get into different recognized clubs but was never successful. Mazwi Nxumalo had to drop out and help his family, people had to eat and he was their only hope. The pressure mounted as the family was getting into debts daily which was humiliating the Nxumalo family.
When he met the stranger, Zenzele, who promised him work in Durban, he did not know that would be the end of a village boy but the birth of the most skilled contract killer ever. The words, 'May the odds be forever in your favour' did not leave his mind. Indeed, the odds were in his favor almost all the time. But there are rules even in this dark world and you have to keep them to guide you, one mistake you are dead or out of your circle. You trust no one in this world, and the young man had to learn the hard way.
In this book, you could smell the blood, you would see snakes, that belt would tighten every time you turned those pages and your stomach will turn so as your heartbeat rate. Though he turns out to be a killer, he is one protagonist you will favor the most. As a reader, you want nothing bad to happen to him. Your chest tightens and your breathing escalates whenever he has to go and kill. At some point, you will even ask where is Bhomo, the snake, when Mazwi is in trouble, like you want him protected all the time. Glebelands hostel really produced and protected its habitats. It's the hitmen territory, you trust no one.
There were a lot of themes in this 500+ page book, from sex, deception, death, family secretes, poverty, prison life and many more.
If you love the thriller, this is it... I know I don't but I don't know what happened and I enjoyed it.
Nathi, the author, it's a wow from me. Really, you outdone yourself on this one. Getting into subjects like hostel life, ukuthwala, taxi business, contract killing (izinkabi), could not have been an easy research to do. You are brave. We know these things are there, though you made it sound like a fiction but we know they exist. Nothing was like fiction there, we felt everything. Well done my brother.
In prison, zithini iziboshwa kuKhabazela? ..... Zithi umenzeni waze waphalaza? Bathi, mphinde futhi.... 🤣🤣🤣🤣That cracked me up shem.
My own lesson was... Do not go around envying other people's lives, you will never know how they make that money.
They recruit them young, by the time they realise what is it all about, it's too late, there is no turning back.
He was 19, a struggling young man from the rural kwaNongoma. He was the only boy in the family, amongst 8 other siblings, his ailing and ageing parents- father and two mothers. He was a promising soccer star and tried to get into different recognized clubs but was never successful. Mazwi Nxumalo had to drop out and help his family, people had to eat and he was their only hope. The pressure mounted as the family was getting into debts daily which was humiliating the Nxumalo family.
When he met the stranger, Zenzele, who promised him work in Durban, he did not know that would be the end of a village boy but the birth of the most skilled contract killer ever. The words, 'May the odds be forever in your favour' did not leave his mind. Indeed, the odds were in his favor almost all the time. But there are rules even in this dark world and you have to keep them to guide you, one mistake you are dead or out of your circle. You trust no one in this world, and the young man had to learn the hard way.
In this book, you could smell the blood, you would see snakes, that belt would tighten every time you turned those pages and your stomach will turn so as your heartbeat rate. Though he turns out to be a killer, he is one protagonist you will favor the most. As a reader, you want nothing bad to happen to him. Your chest tightens and your breathing escalates whenever he has to go and kill. At some point, you will even ask where is Bhomo, the snake, when Mazwi is in trouble, like you want him protected all the time. Glebelands hostel really produced and protected its habitats. It's the hitmen territory, you trust no one.
There were a lot of themes in this 500+ page book, from sex, deception, death, family secretes, poverty, prison life and many more.
If you love the thriller, this is it... I know I don't but I don't know what happened and I enjoyed it.
Nathi, the author, it's a wow from me. Really, you outdone yourself on this one. Getting into subjects like hostel life, ukuthwala, taxi business, contract killing (izinkabi), could not have been an easy research to do. You are brave. We know these things are there, though you made it sound like a fiction but we know they exist. Nothing was like fiction there, we felt everything. Well done my brother.
In prison, zithini iziboshwa kuKhabazela? ..... Zithi umenzeni waze waphalaza? Bathi, mphinde futhi.... 🤣🤣🤣🤣That cracked me up shem.
My own lesson was... Do not go around envying other people's lives, you will never know how they make that money.
April 17, 2021
I hope the is Book 2
June 1, 2021
Chaii this book🤦🏾♀️🙆🏾♀️🤷🏾♀️. Some real drama going right there before your eyes. The anatomy of a Glebelands hitman was just a pure delish fictional novel, captivating, full of drama so many twists and turns, unexpected discoveries. I didn't know there were such things in Durban, taxi business and beef, contract killings, hostel life with hierarchies yaa nee I was educated in this thriller shem. Zenzele Zenzele Zenzele I hated how he used Mazwi, Zikhona, Sma and turned them into his schemes, a world of killing. No cop is clean somehow they are intertwined into this business, you don't know who to trust and believe.
This is a good read for this winter weather! We are left in suspense though in the end, can't wait for the second offering to see what became of them.
This is a good read for this winter weather! We are left in suspense though in the end, can't wait for the second offering to see what became of them.
April 17, 2021
Wow what a thriller
I found this book so thrilling and authentic.
I thoroughly enjoyed the Writing style, the sense of humour. The fact that it references places I know is a bonus.
Truly people like us can exist in books, because here we are existing in this book.
I found this book so thrilling and authentic.
I thoroughly enjoyed the Writing style, the sense of humour. The fact that it references places I know is a bonus.
Truly people like us can exist in books, because here we are existing in this book.
April 1, 2022
Best book I have ever read💕
November 3, 2021
it's been atleast 2 months since i read this book and i still have no words to describe what it took me through...but one thing i know is that it shook me lol
At times i felt like the author is holding back and not giving us meat but just something to nibble on lol nonetheless i still enjoyed it. After how the book ended i can only hope for continuation...:)
At times i felt like the author is holding back and not giving us meat but just something to nibble on lol nonetheless i still enjoyed it. After how the book ended i can only hope for continuation...:)
May 31, 2021
Brilliant piece of writing
What a gripping novel. I could not put it down. The writer is a brilliant narrator who is able to transport you to places he is writing about. His description of people makes you feel like you know all of them. I was mesmerized by his ability to narrate stories and was hooked from page one. Highly recommended. I cannot wait for the sequel. You have outdone yourself Nathi Olifant. Just wow.
What a gripping novel. I could not put it down. The writer is a brilliant narrator who is able to transport you to places he is writing about. His description of people makes you feel like you know all of them. I was mesmerized by his ability to narrate stories and was hooked from page one. Highly recommended. I cannot wait for the sequel. You have outdone yourself Nathi Olifant. Just wow.
August 25, 2024
I was initially hesitant to dive into "Blood, Blades, and Bullets" by Nathi Olifant, given its size and unfamiliar author. However, I'm thrilled to have taken the plunge! This gripping narrative is told solely from the main character's perspective, and Olifant masterfully delivers a compelling story that never left me yearning for additional viewpoints.
The writing style is impeccable, with vividly detailed scenes that had me fully immersed (I even dreamed about the snake Bhomo!). The plot expertly thickens, revealing shocking twists like Mbatha's true relationship to Mazwi and MaYezi's hidden role in Mbatha's demise.
While I appreciated the exploration of loyalty and family values, I did encounter some drawbacks. The numerous errors throughout the book were disappointing, especially given the author's journalism background. Additionally, the introduction of the first two chapters felt unnecessary, as they were repeated later on.
Despite these issues, I found myself invested in Mazwi's journey, rooting for him to leave the hitman life behind and reunite with his first love. Zenzele remains a character I just can't bring myself to like.
Overall, "Blood, Blades, and Bullets" is a thrilling page-turner with chapters that will leave you seething at certain characters. With thorough proofreading to iron out the mistakes, Olifant's work has immense potential. I'm still pondering the correct pronunciation of Glebelands, but that's a minor quibble!
The writing style is impeccable, with vividly detailed scenes that had me fully immersed (I even dreamed about the snake Bhomo!). The plot expertly thickens, revealing shocking twists like Mbatha's true relationship to Mazwi and MaYezi's hidden role in Mbatha's demise.
While I appreciated the exploration of loyalty and family values, I did encounter some drawbacks. The numerous errors throughout the book were disappointing, especially given the author's journalism background. Additionally, the introduction of the first two chapters felt unnecessary, as they were repeated later on.
Despite these issues, I found myself invested in Mazwi's journey, rooting for him to leave the hitman life behind and reunite with his first love. Zenzele remains a character I just can't bring myself to like.
Overall, "Blood, Blades, and Bullets" is a thrilling page-turner with chapters that will leave you seething at certain characters. With thorough proofreading to iron out the mistakes, Olifant's work has immense potential. I'm still pondering the correct pronunciation of Glebelands, but that's a minor quibble!
July 18, 2022
The book is about a young man called Mazwi Nxumalo who is the most stupid, naive, easily manipulated person I have ever met. Angikhathali, he is the worst. Ngiyema lapho about him.
I just love how Zizwe embraced him, took the role of being the big brother he never had and a human guardian angel. overall, I love him.
Full disclosure, I hate Zethu and I will never trust her even when she proves herself. unganya.
I just love how Zizwe embraced him, took the role of being the big brother he never had and a human guardian angel. overall, I love him.
Full disclosure, I hate Zethu and I will never trust her even when she proves herself. unganya.
January 14, 2024
What a page turner,this book will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat There is a lot going on ,a lot of unanswered questions,I hope there is book 2
April 2, 2025
I am not ready to talk about this book. I read the IsiZulu version, and I am still digesting the whole plot and brilliant delivery.
Salute to Nathi Olifant!
Salute to Nathi Olifant!
April 20, 2025
I read this book in IsiZulu. It’s my second time reading it, I cannot imagine it in English. 🤔
Ibhalwe ngobuchwepheshe nobunono! 💯
Ngifunde okuningi ngempilo yezinkabi!
Ibhalwe ngobuchwepheshe nobunono! 💯
Ngifunde okuningi ngempilo yezinkabi!
July 15, 2022
Am amazing book, the descriptive manner makes you visualise what is happening and you experience the fear, when Mazwi feels it, the coldness of Bhomo on his skin.
It's said that a youn man did not the chance of happiness, all he has experienced is the cruelty of the world. From poverty to becoming a killer and experiencing betrayal at such a young age is not a way to experience life. I hope that he doesn't become an animal though and that the woman in his life will be able to keep that humanity inside of him as he grows
It is an amzing book
It's said that a youn man did not the chance of happiness, all he has experienced is the cruelty of the world. From poverty to becoming a killer and experiencing betrayal at such a young age is not a way to experience life. I hope that he doesn't become an animal though and that the woman in his life will be able to keep that humanity inside of him as he grows
It is an amzing book
March 5, 2022
I'm so blown away I have no words like, his pen game is crazy, I read this Bible in 3 days and it is everything and more, the hype about it was true, great book. What I loved more was that I knew all the places mentioned in the book, how beautifully written it was I felt every characters emotion. A 5 star book
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews