Audiobooks by R.J. Young

The Desert of Death

"“You have no conception of how labyrinthine my mind is. But you’ll learn in time. Everyone will see in the future…The chieftain is always correct." The Itiwana tribe prepare to defend their village and the Tree of Life, but the elusive Chieftain Pahana cannot evoke the trust and love his people had for his predecessor,Tawa. Even armed with knowledge of the future, Pahana cannot hope to win both his private battle with the tar demon Sanopi as well as face Hayoka’s army without his people behind him. Still, he toils in solitude while his son Gluskap takes up the family’s mantle, vowing to fulfill Tawa’s legacy. While Pahana has a powerful shaman, his sister Kia, at his disposal, many enemies are vying for the Tree of Life, including a rival shaman in Hayoka's daughter Skadega-Muth, who may even best Kia in a fight. Will the Itiwana be victorious? That may depend on the chieftain’s next steps."

R.J. Young (Author), Chas Mandala (Narrator)

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The Valley of the Blue Mists

"Tawa, leader of the Itiwana, is lost and dying. Far away, his son Pahana is settling into his leadership role but has trust issues due to Hayoka's scheming. Pahana faces a dangerous new threat when the Itiwana tribe encounter enigmatic shaman from the Valley of the Blue Mists. Kia, Tawa's daughter, is a young shaman whose power is growing at a fantastic rate. Can a 14-year-old control such incredible power, especially when she's being manipulated by outside forces? Pahana fights to protect his people from the latest threat sent by the Winter Elders, including the monster Spear-Finger, only to get word that his father is near death. Pahana must take it upon himself to continue his father's quest. But can he succeed where even the great Tawa failed?"

R.J. Young (Author), Chas Mandala (Narrator)

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The Witch of the Whirlwind

"Even the Wind can kill when the Gods are angry. It’s been two decades since the Sky Elders returned to the mortal realm, entrusting the Itiwana tribe with protecting the Tree of Life. Tawa, chieftain of the Itiwana, is now an experienced warrior, beloved by his people. After the village is attacked by the Witch of the Whirlwind, Tawa learns he must fulfill an old promise and go on a quest. Tawa’s quest takes him far from home, where he must fight his foes alone. Meanwhile, Tawa’s children must honor their own promises. Young Pahana is appointed as interim ruler while his father is away, and he struggles with the burden of defending his people and protecting the sacred tree. The disruptive influence of the newcomer Hayoka blurs the line between friendship and duty. Tawa’s daughter Kia is one of the most powerful Shamans in the world. She finds herself tempted by outside forces who want to use the young prodigy’s formidable abilities for their own agenda. Unbeknownst to them all, the Witch of the Whirlwind is preparing to unleash the greatest threat that the Itiwana have ever faced."

R.J. Young (Author), Chas Mandela (Narrator)

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Challenges of Tawa

"Young Tawa is the impetuous son of the tribal chieftain. While out hunting, he encounters a flying monster, but no one believes him when he shares what he has witnessed. The Itiwana tribe soon learn they have more than just a monster to worry about. Ancient powerful Sky Elders have returned after three hundred years, and they’re still angry. The Summer Sky Elders are pursuing their perpetual war with the Winter Sky Elders, and the mortal realm is once more caught in the middle of their titanic struggle. After his father sacrifices himself, Tawa must assume his role as chieftain. Mentored by the shape-shifting Manabazo, Tawa trains to become a leader and a warrior. He must find the sacred Tree of Life and protect his people from the never-ending waves of monsters, witches, and Vikings sent by the Winter Elders to destroy them. If he fails, an endless winter will cover the Earth and all life will cease. Will he be able to find what has been hidden even from the gods themselves?"

R.J. Young (Author), Chas Mandala (Narrator)

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Requiem for the Massacre: A Black History on the Conflict, Hope and Fallout of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre

"With journalistic skill, heart, and hope, Requiem for the Massacre reckons with the tension in Tulsa, Oklahoma, one hundred years after the most infamous act of racial violence in American history More than one hundred years ago, the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, perpetrated a massacre against its Black residents. For generations, the true story was ignored, covered up, and diminished by those in power and in a position to preserve the status quo. Blending memoir and immersive journalism, RJ Young shows how, today, Tulsa combats its racist past while remaining all too tolerant of racial injustice. Requiem for the Massacre is a cultural excavation of Tulsa one hundred years after one of the worst acts of domestic terrorism in U.S. history. Young focuses on unearthing the narrative surrounding previously all-Black Greenwood District while challenging an apocryphal narrative that includes so-called Black Wall Street, Booker T. Washington, and Black exceptionalism. Young provides a firsthand account of the centennial events commemorating Tulsa’s darkest day as the city attempts to reckon with its self-image, commercialization of its atrocity, and the aftermath of the massacre that shows how things have changed and how they have stayed woefully the same. As Tulsa and the United States head into the next one hundred years, Young’s own reflections thread together the stories of a community and a nation trying to heal and trying to hope."

R.J. Young (Author), R.J. Young (Narrator)

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