Set on an island off the eastern coast of North Africa, the tale is of a young and smart yet impoverished girl who seeks to transcend her destitute class by showcasing her prowess to the regal establishment. After a run of raucous adventures, she finds herself among the daunting elite. However, having gone from the ignorant bliss of simple peasant life to the sobering misery of the base evils of power-hungry men, Samiyah faces a series of terrible personal trials liable to determine the outcome of an imminent, bloody revolution.
Rife with passionate dialog, edgy suspense, and epic conflict, this Dark Fairy Tale follows our heroine as she journeys to heal a nation broken by the internal prejudices of class warfare, armed with nothing but stark determination.
"A mesmerizing feast of a book" --Examiner.com
"M. Lachi exhibits the uncanny gift of bringing back the old art of common sense into storytelling." --Readers Favorite
"A song for our times" -Midwest Book Review
"A thoroughly enjoyable read" -New Books Nigeria
"The prose is sharp and ebullient, even in the detailed descriptions of dismal and sinister situations; the conflict builds up through every page, and the plot is flowered with subplots and compelling characters that readers will definitely fall in love with. M. Lachi exhibits the uncanny gift of bringing back the old art of common sense into storytelling, and it is this aspect of the story that creates the striking realism that permeates its every page."
In this brief review it is quite difficult to convey the full flavor of this mesmerizing feast of a book...However, best of all we must not forget Lachi's distinctive, unique and sometimes even chilling voice as she crafts a stunning, sprawling novel where enormous risks are taken, not least that of demanding our understanding for the monstrous and unthinkable. In addition, her development of plot is perfectly calibrated as she maintains all of the elements of the yarn in suspension.
The Ivory Staff is a song for our times...It holds the ability to reach beyond the usual fantasy reader into circles that appreciate complex novels, protagonists, and most of all, political intrigue - and, yes, fantasy settings, and is highly recommended for an audience that appreciates multi-faceted and satisfyingly complex stories.
New York NY, October 6, 2015 — Grammy nominated songwriter, successful entrepreneur, speaker and a cappella guru M. Lachi will debut her Socio-Fantasy novel, “The Ivory Staff” published under Library Tales Publishing, on October 23, 2015. Lachi will host an accompanying book launch party on October 17 at the Shrine World Music and Arts Venue on the Upper West Side, to include musical guest performances and a special acoustic performance by Lachi herself.
M. Lachi, an acclaimed recording and performing artist and president of the distinguished Federal Toastmasters club in New York City, had been working towards the completion and publication of “The Ivory Staff” for several years while traveling to Africa and Europe, subsequently working on her Master’s degree at NYU and touring with her sundry musical projects. In addition to being the founder of the successful a cappella group, the UNC Cadence, and the emerging a cappella group Mezzo, Lachi is the founder of Music Scribes, a music transcription outfit specializing in arranging and custom scoring. Along with Enchanted Book Promotions, Lachi will embark on a virtual blog and radio tour from mid October to mid November, where various blogs and radio outlets will review, interview and feature “The Ivory Staff.”
