I am continuing today with Rose of Numen but actually want to share the official review of
the book as rendered by the chairman Association of Nigerian Authors.
A
REVIEW OF BIOLA OLATUNDE’S ROSE OF NUMEN
Rose
of Numen is a 188 page fascinating novel published by IFNG
Publishing Inc. Melbourne, Australia, 2015 by Biola Olatunde.
Rose
of Numen is a sequel to Numen
Yeye. It therefore continues Ife’s
tale. Ife channels still the spirit of
Numen Yeye, a princess from the kingdom of Light. Her mission, her purpose in life is now
crystal clear and the extra-ordinary in her is still intact.
Rose
of Numen begins in the prologue.
The reader is afforded a glimpse into the past and into the metaphysical
world of Rose of Numen, Ife herself. Princess Numen is prepared to embark once
again on a journey to another world, the earth, which, however, is inextricably
linked to hers. Her purpose, her mission
is enunciated, and then the reader is jolted into the present.
Ife gets a scholarship from
her old principal to study medicine at the University teaching hospital in a
Nigerian city, Ibadan, and her life becomes “professionally fulfilling”
afterwards, to borrow a phrase from the blurb, but that is not the end
point. She must act out her predestined
role on the planet earth.
Ife plunges headlong into
her purpose, her mission, releasing the extra-ordinary locked up in her and
effectively using the knowledge of her extra-terrestrial connection in the
process. She begins with a gathering of
a mini festival held at certain periods of the year for women of childbearing
age by Yeye, the priestess. She focuses
her lens on the culture and tradition of her people, wounding and healing at
the same time. But she is not the only
one in Rose of Numen whose fate has
been predetermined. Babatunde her soul
mate, has also been saddled with the responsibility of ruling and protecting
his people, not as the chief medicine man nor as part of the inner circle of
Ifa, but as a king. Not until towards
the end, both the reader and Babatunde remain obvious of this truth. Just as Rose of Numen, Ife, immerses herself
in her mission to humanity, stripping people of superstitious beliefs, pointing
iconoclastic finger at the practice of human sacrifice, reuniting broken homes
and restoring to them the cocoon of family love and care, opening the key to
the riddle that dribbles many, with regards to whether reincarnation is a myth
or fact, exhorting the woman to see themselves as carrying “a secret flame the
man needs to grope his way through life, so also does Babatunde, the young lion
preoccupies himself with the kinship issue.
Babatunde is a necessary
part of the inner circle of Ifa priests.
Based on this knowledge, Adewumi, one of the princes, and whose status
is in doubt, approaches Babatunde, with the intent of bribing his way onto the
throne, but he is disappointed.
Following the latest in a spate of prince Adewumi’s futile efforts to
bribe his way through; Ifa’s declaration of a missing prince and Babatunde’s
firm refusal to be dissuaded, Babatunde is framed, accused of fraud and thereby
suspended. A lawyer and close friend of
Ife, Yomi, however shows up like a knight in shining armor and consequently,
Babatunde is rescued.
Ifa, in the first attempt at
selecting a king, declares that a prince is missing. The tale of the missing prince and potential
king resounds around the village, even rending its air. Consequent upon this, prince Adejare, on the one
hand, who had shown sign of promise decides and backs out of the kinship
tussle. Prince Adewumi, on the other
hand, seeks redress in a law court. The
selection procedure is called to question.
Babatunde, the young lion and an upholder of tradition however becomes
victorious in the long run, but that is also not the end. The State Ministry of Chieftaincy Affairs
requests for a fresh nomination and instructs that a representative of the
ministry shall be asked to witness the selection process in order to give
fairness a chance. At this point, the
reader sees tradition and sacred secrecy coming face to face, clashing with
civilization and openness. While still
puzzled by the mystery of the missing prince, Babatunde dramatically encounters
an old man through which he gains a fascinating insight into the tale of the
first king and his missing son, and the two women who, before they could do
anything were warded off by the roar of a lion.
The day comes. The ceremony
begins for the selection of the king.
The procedure is simple: each prince is to step forward, mention his
lineage and the spirit of the king his forbear will be called forth. Adewumi is the first to be called forth. He is asked probing questions. Answers fail him. The mask falls and it becomes patently
obvious that his claim is false. He
turns out to be a product of his mother’s shameless and senseless escapade with
a farmer.
However, to the utter dismay
of everyone, Babatunde turns out to be the missing prince during his first
earthly journey. He has reincarnated as
Babatunde. He has the symbol of
kingship, a pointer to the identity of the sought-after prince and king.
While dissociating herself
from the crops of feminists, who believe that the woman has been long
conditioned in the environment of masculine dominance, hence the need to
liberate her from the shackles and hands of male dominance, Olatune in Rose of Numen gives the woman a new
focus. The woman carries a secret flame that she must light in man. Among
others, she revisits culture contact, bribery and corruption, predestination,
the link between the spiritual and the physical world (a theme which the
farmland of African writers have ploughed appreciably), and dwell more on
incarnation and reincarnation. She
presents us in this work of fiction, with two interconnected and interrelated
world, and with the characters we go many a time on foray from this earthly
plain into the world beyond.
Numen Yeye is an intriguing
and captivating novel that is laced in flowery language, garnished with local
idioms. Biola Olatunde indeed rises to
the challenges of originality and creativity.
Like a meandering gentle
rivulet, the well-etched words flow smoothly as it takes on issues of global
concern that borders on emotions: pains, loss, joy and love, with a force. Also, we hear the resonance of love as it
permeates through the thickest of hearts to produce a relationship that cannot
be forgotten in time.
Book
Reviewer:
Sola Owonibi, PhD: Chair,
Department of English Studies, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko,
Nigeria. An award-winning poet and play-wright, he is the Chairman, Association
of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Ondo State Branch.
I am really grateful for
that review because for me , writing at the international level has been a
learning process and I am sure I have not scratched the surface yet. I look
forward to your comments and suggestions.
You can always get a copy of
any of my books from ifwgpublishing.com as well as on amazon.com
Chat soon.
