Though life goes on for the ancient Itabayiti with farmers continuing to farm and fishermen fishing, wicked forces longing for a return to their feared lost traditions conspire in secret to murder Itabacan's ruler and destabilize the established order. Unluckily for them, two young boys, who constantly seem to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, appear to thwart their devious plan. Or have they?
Add to this a strange object spotted in the night sky and a mysterious figure who moves in the shadows, suggesting something grander and more ominous is on the horizon, and "The Dawn of the Sacred: The Mawoakin Conspiracy" becomes more than a mythic genre entry. Matched with its strong emphasis on family, community, and the all-too-familiar growing pains that accompany a young boy's transition to manhood, Morrison Fuller's debut novel appeals far beyond the expected audience.
The Dawn of the Sacred: The Mawoakin Conspiracy centers on the Itabayiti civilization and its memorable, expertly realized characters as they tackle life's challenges in the face of a conspiracy to overthrow their ruler and destabilize their advanced civilization. In the prologue, Tiam regales her son Atura with the story of their people's origin, focusing on their ancestors' mighty acts of heroism and introducing significant mythological figures that profoundly impact their lives. Mawoi, the Great Light, battled the wicked spirit Sikulka in the faraway Itabayiti homeland, where Tiam tells her son the Itabayiti were river navigators with skills attributed to Kanu, the Great Serpent. These skills helped the Itabayiti escape from the Amunti - a rival warrior tribe, who is said to have murdered Kanu. After fleeing across the Great Sea, the Itabayiti discovered the archipelago that became Itabacan. Tension builds as Tiam's tale is disrupted by a powerful storm, as well as her turmoil over the Ancient One's vision regarding her yet-unborn second son. A number of years later, Tiam's two sons, Atu (short for Atura) and Anki, are living on the island of Conaca with their father Abensu. Tiam died giving birth to Anki, and he is regarded as a "yaduka," or one who has stolen his mother's spirit. For the Itabayiti, spirits are a major element of their lives and often influence or outright determine their fates. The boys' father is the Chief of Wares and sits on Yaya Amnu's, the ruler of Itabacan's council, which affords Anki and Atu certain privileges. The story follows the brothers and their friends throughout Itabacan's landscape with its ceremonial centers, temples, and training docks. The geography is as important a character as the Itabayiti themselves and is expertly woven into the narrative. As their fates overlap with those of their many friends and a mysterious character called Ennu, a hasty expedition is sent far across the Great Sea to save the Yaya, raids root out the conspirators from the islands, and intrigue builds as the Itabayiti prepare to hold their Day of Biyaya festival.
