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Bringing His Story to Life
Yasuke: Dead Man Walking follows two men shaped by power and survival as destiny draws them toward a collision that will change history. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The inspiration came unexpectedly one day while I was scrolling the internet. I came across an image of a Black man dressed in full samurai armor, standing beside an Asian woman and their mixed-race child. I stopped immediately and asked myself, “Who is this?” That question led me down a research rabbit hole that changed everything.
I discovered his name was Yasuke, and I became completely intrigued. How could a Black man wear samurai armor in feudal Japan? As I dug deeper into his history, I uncovered this incredible connection to one of my secret obsessions—Asian culture and feudal Japan specifically. The more I researched, the more I realized there were significant gaps in Yasuke’s documented history. Entire periods of his life remain a mystery. I felt a responsibility to honor what we do know while using fictional prose to fill in those missing pieces and bring his full story to life. That’s how Yasuke: Dead Man Walking was born.
Why did you choose to frame the novel around both Yasuke and Oda Nobunaga instead of centering on one figure alone?
Framing the story around both Yasuke and Oda Nobunaga was absolutely critical to the type of narrative I wanted to tell. At its core, Yasuke’s story is a “fish out of water” tale, but I also wanted to explore this fascinating “odd couple” dynamic between two men from completely different worlds. After all, it was Lord Nobunaga who elevated Yasuke to the unprecedented position of samurai within his military ranks—there’s no telling Yasuke’s story without telling Nobunaga’s.
Interestingly, I chose to open the novel with the first three chapters dedicated entirely to Lord Nobunaga. At first, I questioned that decision—it felt bold, maybe even risky—but ultimately, I realized it was necessary. I needed to establish the world of feudal Japan, educate readers on the political landscape and cultural dynamics of that era, and introduce Nobunaga as a young man destined to inherit his father’s lordship and transform Japan forever.
In my mind, there was no way to authentically portray feudal Japan—its economy, its people, its brutal beauty—without giving Nobunaga the rich backstory he deserved. By the time he reached the peak of his power, the Oda clan’s dominance was undeniable, and readers needed to understand how he got there. When Yasuke finally appears in Chapter 6, both characters have been so thoroughly developed that their meeting feels genuine and weighted with significance. Even though their true working relationship doesn’t develop until many chapters later, that foundation made their bond feel earned and authentic.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The central theme, as I mentioned, is the “fish out of water” journey. You take Yasuke—a man enslaved from the Sudan—and place him in feudal Japan, where he knows nothing: not the land, the people, the religion, the commerce, the politics, the warfare tactics, or even the language. It’s the ultimate setup for a hero’s journey, and it fit beautifully within the three-act structure I used to craft his arc.
But beyond that, I was deeply interested in exploring the “odd couple” dynamic between Yasuke and Lord Nobunaga. Here are two men who don’t even speak the same language, yet they share core qualities: natural-born leadership, a desire to inspire strength in those around them, and an unshakable presence that commands respect. Watching that relationship develop—slowly, authentically, through mutual respect rather than words—felt natural and right. It became one of the most rewarding aspects of writing this novel.
I also wanted to explore themes of identity, belonging, and what it means to find your place in a world that sees you as fundamentally “other.” Yasuke’s journey isn’t just about survival—it’s about transformation and legacy.
Will there be a follow-up to this story? If so, what aspects will the next installment cover?
Absolutely. There’s already a graphic novel that picks up exactly where Yasuke: Dead Man Walking ends. It’s called Yasuke: Resurrection, and it takes the story in a direction I don’t think anyone expects—into full fantasy territory.
Resurrection is a “what if” story that extends Yasuke’s journey beyond death itself, exploring his legacy through a fantastical lens. It pays homage to incredible works like Afro Samurai and classic Japanese and Chinese tales where samurai and warriors battle deities, demons, and otherworldly forces. This allowed me to flex my creative muscles in a completely different way—moving from grounded historical fiction into epic fantasy while still maintaining the authenticity and emotional core of Yasuke’s character.
The graphic novel format was perfect for this evolution. Visual storytelling brought a new dimension to the mythology I was building, allowing readers to experience Yasuke’s world in vivid, dynamic ways that prose alone couldn’t capture.
And to answer your question fully: even beyond the duology—the novel and graphic novel—there will be many more comics to come. The ending of Resurrection contains subtle hints about what’s next, and I’m excited to continue expanding Yasuke’s universe across multiple stories and timelines.
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From the slave markets of India to the battlefields of feudal Japan, Yasuke: Dead Man Walking tells the extraordinary historical fiction story of history’s first African samurai. Torn from his family and sold into bondage, Majok endures unimaginable hardships until fate delivers him to Oda Nobunaga, the most powerful warlord in 16th-century Japan. Through courage, honor, and an unbreakable spirit, he transforms from nameless slave Majok to legendary warrior Yasuke, earning the respect of emperors and the hatred of those who refuse to see beyond the color of his skin. But when betrayal strikes at the heart of the empire, Yasuke must face his greatest enemy in a final battle that will determine not only his own fate but also the future of Japan itself. A gripping tale of transformation, brotherhood, and the timeless truth that a man’s worth is measured not by his origins, but by his choices.
Yasuke: Dead Man Walking
Yasuke: Dead Man Walking opens as a sweeping historical fantasy that follows two rising forces whose lives move toward eventual collision: a young Oda Nobunaga shaking off immaturity to claim power in a fractured Japan, and Majok, an enslaved African warrior whose journey through loss, love, survival, and purpose slowly shapes him into the man history will one day call Yasuke. The book blends political intrigue, action, and character-driven storytelling, shifting between Nobunaga’s ruthless ascent and Majok’s transformation with a pace that feels cinematic.
I was pulled into the grounded emotional beats first rather than the sword clashes. Nobunaga’s early chapters surprised me, especially the way they trace his shift from reckless youth to cold, decisive leader. His world is painted with detail: the scent of incense in Kyoto, the tense quiet after battle, the heavy expectations of lineage. The writing keeps these moments vivid without slowing things down. When the betrayals start hitting him from every direction, the story sharpens. The tone grows darker, hungrier. I noticed how the author lets Nobunaga learn painful lessons through blows rather than lectures, which makes the moments that change him feel earned. Majok’s chapters carry a different emotional weight. They’re quieter but more intimate, and they made me pause more often. His memories of home, the tenderness with Amara, and his love for his daughter create a softer countercurrent that keeps the book from drowning in war and ambition.
I also appreciated how the author plays with contrast. Nobunaga’s path is all fire and force while Majok’s is rooted in endurance and the slow rebuilding of self. Their stories feel like two storms forming on opposite horizons. The fantasy elements appear with restraint at first, which I liked, because it keeps the genre grounded in history while still promising something larger. The pacing sometimes jumps quickly between timelines or tones, but the shifts feel intentional, like the book wants you to stay just a bit off balance as these characters become who they must become. The action scenes hit hard, while the emotional ones are slow and thoughtful. And when brutality appears, it’s not glamorized; it’s presented as the cost of survival in a world shaped by war, pride, and fear.
By the end, I felt like I’d traveled through two very different lives carried by a single thematic spine: what a person becomes when the world refuses to let them remain who they were. The story sits firmly in the historical fantasy genre, but its emotional centers feel close enough to real history to make you think about the people behind the legends. If you enjoy tales of rising power, morally complex leaders, richly built worlds, and characters shaped by both tenderness and violence, this book will speak to you. It’s especially fitting for readers who like their fantasy threaded with cultural depth, political tension, and personal transformation.
ASIN : B0G4NSDKC2
A World Turned Upside Down
Broken follows a young woman in a dystopian future who finds fate placing her on a dangerous path toward freedom. What were some sources that informed the development of this novel?
I watched a lot of films that covered dystopian fiction as inspiration for world-building. These include Mad Max, Terminator, Bladerunner, a little touch of The Walking Dead, and Divergent. My fascination with dystopian fiction started with Farhenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury. The idea of a world turned upside down, and the separation for survival by the main characters really thrilled me and piqued my interest.
What scene in the book did you have the most fun writing?
The escape from the Horder village. it occurs right toward the end, and the weight of the escape and the things the stakes that were raised by the time Kessa and her friends reach this critical moment of the story was so heavy. I wanted to capture the sense of urgency in the narrative and hopefully keep the readers on the edge of their seats, guessing what will happen next or who might make it out alive.
Was there anything from your own life that you put into Keesa’s character?
The absence of both parents in her life was something I wanted to pull from my own experience of living in a one-parent home. How that experience shaped her character and what pieces or components of her personality could’ve or should’ve been different because it was a focal point.
What can readers expect in book two in The Young Hellions series?
The comic is a blast and was very exhilarating to script out because it allowed me to finally introduce more of the Ashers into the story-telling. So yes, readers will see zombies front and center here.
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It is 2035, and the path of Earth’s inevitable destruction has finally been realized. Efforts to perfect weapons of mass destruction and subsequently destroy one another have come to a head as the most powerful countries engage in an all-out nuclear assault—the time of The Big Drop—that nearly banishes everyone to death in a wake of destructive Fallout. Humanity devolves back to its carnal heritage of slavery to re-establish currency through the slave trade. Nobody knows who started it, but the devastation ravages every organic life form, both plant and animal. 90% of human life is wiped out, and of the 10% that survive, radiation poisoning has varying effects on the human genome, creating both mindless beasts called Ashers and beings with special gifts – Alphas. As humanity struggles to survive, migrating to the safety of continental coastlines in search of fresh water, the planet scurries to salvage some kind of economic stability. Enter16-year-old Keesa Donovan and her younger brother Kiran. They live out their lives in a slave pod run by The Establishment, just outside Savannah, Georgia. Losing everything she loved after the Fallout, she desperately seeks freedom while navigating the trials of teenhood, sifting through emerging feelings for her best friend Wynn, and realizing the growing attraction for newcomer Dobbs. Confounded by her gift of ESP, she is haunted by unexplainable visions of mysterious days to come, holding onto a sliver of hope that one day she and her brother will be freed. But on the fateful day of the annual Reckoning, Keesa’s life takes a turn as fate steps in and forces her onto the narrow road of her destiny.
Broken: The Young Hellions Series
Broken follows the adventures of Keesa Donovan, a woman of an Establishment settlement outside of Savannah in a post-apocalyptic world. In the aftermath of the Great Drop, when nuclear bombs were dropped all over the world, survivors are forced to create a new world. One of the big players is the Establishment, who have enslaved many people of the world, among them Keesa, her brother Kiran, and their Uncle, who live with meager hope for escape. Keesa has accepted, and welcomes, the fact that she’s going to die, especially after failing to make the yearly sacrifice for the third time, but fate intervenes in the form of a new friend who brings new hope. Dobbs Saunders, a fellow slave, who has managed the impossible and escaped on numerous occasions. He speaks of the Resistance, who are liberating people and spreading their anti-Establishment message. With Dobbs’ know-how, the gang of friends band together to hatch a plan to escape.
The author creates a dreary setting in this gritty post-apocalyptic story. I could really feel the despair and hopelessness of the characters’ lives. I find this emotional depth often lacking in other young adult books, but I really enjoyed how this story embraces that darkness and colors the world in austere shades that make the story feel authentic, if bleak. This is a dark and disturbing dystopian world that is enthralling. There were several intriguing details that made my skin crawl. The author does an excellent job of conveying this in the writing, and I enjoyed every bit of it.
Although dark, the story shows how love and perseverance can be used to push through any obstacle. This creates moments of great humanity in a world that feels as if its lost theirs. I really liked the fantastic contrast within the story and I found it compelling, but I wish there was more light to balance out the dark. The book also contains tender moments as well that I would have liked to have seen expanded on further.
Broken shows readers a dark vision of what the world could be after a nuclear fallout. This is an enthralling cautionary tale that will inspire readers to choose love and use determination to push through the darkness. This is a thought-provoking and entertaining post-apocalyptic adventure novel that will appeal to fans looking for a story that, while dark, provides great lessons in finding strength in dark times.
Pages: 369 | ASIN: B0B2MZDKBQ
