Durban award-winning independent film-maker, Dayakar Padayachee, has penned his first novel.
Titled “The Ancient Scrolls of Lukutona: The Bleeding Anchors”, the novel invites readers into a fantasy world filled with elven warriors, ancient dragons and epic adventures.
According to the new author, it tells the story of Naa’ril, an elf warrior from the city of Tarasina, who stumbles upon a mysterious woman in a burning forest alongside her brother.
As they uncover her secrets, they learn she is a hybrid of dragon blood, linked to an ancient dragon adversary banished to another dimension. This foe now awaits his imminent return to Lukutona, threatening the world and its inhabitants.
Padayachee has nurtured the world of Lukutona since he was just 13 years old, initially doodling these characters in his school books.
“Initially, my vision was pretty raw … Over time, my friend Edgar Roshev became deeply invested in the lore I had built and together we refined it by drawing inspiration from various ancient civilisations,” he shared.
“This collaboration not only enhanced the world but also infused it with a unique appeal. My cultural heritage and favourite influences, such as the ‘Mahabharata’, ‘Ramayana’, ‘Lord of the Rings’ and ‘Game of Thrones’, further enriched the narrative. By 2018, my vision for Lukutona had matured enough to start writing it as a novel,” he shared.
Steeped in a deep and engaging narrative, the novel delves into themes of religion, blind faith, culture, identity, heritage and love.
“A lot of the novel explores finding purpose. Characters like Naa’ril, who started out as a militant warrior, to a woman who would protect the person she loves, transcend her arc and journey. Characters like Baroof the Dwarf, who appears to be a megalomaniac tyrant to a man dealing with his past traumas or princes with ‘Magnificoes’ turmoil.”
He said the novel is intended to captivate young adult fantasy fans and features a strong female protagonist.
Being first and foremost a scriptwriter, Padayachee said creating this novel presented its fair share of challenges.
“Writing a book is far different from writing a script for a movie. But working on this novel has been a lesson learned, and I knew writing it would help me have my own IP. Who knows, one day, I can adapt this into screenplays for a live-action series.”
Bringing the book to life began in 2018. Each element was finely polished with the help of an editor, Natasha France, alongside feedback from Padayachee’s friends, like activist Ashwin Desai and comic book writer Luke Molver.
“I also had the privilege of having art done by Luke, 15-year-old illustrator Evangeline Lilith and Abhay Maharaj, a 12-year-old illustrator who featured some of their drawings in the book.”
Padayachee’s exciting plans for the novel include an official launch at Eduvos University in Umhlanga on August 17, followed by an appearance at Comic Con Africa on August 27.
At Comic Con Africa, he will be engaging with audiences in discussions about decolonising fantasy and exploring Lukutona’s cultural roots in Southeast Asian and Middle-Eastern traditions.
With the sequel already on his mind, Padayachee is gearing up for a prequel and a lore history book that dives deeper into the story’s rich background.
“I have a history of novels in the works which highlight the lore of the world of Lukutona, a sequel trilogy and a prequel. Hopefully, a live-action series in the future. Also, a song will be released to market the book and get some backing for me to do a professional audiobook.
“I am teaming up with editor, actress and singer Shannon Newton and guitarist and vocalist from The Kickstands, Gary Nixon,” he ended.
