When twins Afya and Aftab, along with their adopted brother Khaled, leave the shelter of a hidden valley, they are astonished by the bustle and noise of the outside world. But beneath this chaos is an order more threatening than bedlam. An army of shadows gathers, looking to break free from the navel of the world, where they have been subdued for hundreds of years. The Keepers of Truth are scattered; the once-powerful Empire is fragmented, its twelve territories now controlled by seven warlords, one of whom has taken control of the region once protected by the Keepers. Surrounded by bright, new discoveries, our innocents are lost in fascination, unprepared for the trials they will encounter, trials that will redefine who they are and what they believe. Blessing Musariri is a stunning new voice, and has created a rich universe, rooted in African landscapes, that recasts the realism of our world in an uncannily resonant new light.

Blessing Musariri is a Zimbabwean writer who has honed her craft across genres. She has published short stories, poems, and a collaborative YA novel. Blessing has worked as a freelance editing and proofreading consultant and an English teacher. Only This Once Are You Immaculate is her debut novel.