Joseph Olabiyi Johnson

From a very early age, he fell in love with the world of sci-fi, fantasy and action adventure, and as young as six years old attempted to create comics.  He began writing short stories at the age of twelve because collaborating with his artistically gifted cousin was too frustrating.  This in turn gave birth to Joseph's action adventure writing style that on paper screams to be made visual.

A strong martial arts background is also evident in his work for since 1998 Johnson has trained as a martial artist and is currently a Wing Chun instructor in the East London area.

Johnson also has a passion for setting up and co-ordinating community projects that give back to society through youth development.  In the last six years, through various projects with numerous organisations, Joseph has focused the minds of young people through martial arts, led motivational workshops providing career counselling for ethnic minority teenagers, co-ordinated a project dedicated to helping 15-16 year olds outside mainstream education, and has helped set up a weekend forum that helps people discover their potential.

His latest community project achievement takes the form of  'Platform of creativity' youth development project that went into full swing January 2005.

Unlike his first two novels that are simply a combination of boyhood fantasies, and a strong interest in the action adventure genre. 'What do you feel?" is a simple taste of Joseph's beliefs and perspectives.

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Legends of Nale

Few stories are as enigmatic and surprising as Joseph Johnson's Legends of Nale.  Set in the imaginary medieval kingdom of Nale, this story of honour and bravery combines fantasy with masterful martial arts.

As the tale unfolds, the reader is introduced to the two main characters.  The first, Nathaniel, is an accomplished knight recognised as one of Nale's finest.  The other, Jacob, is a court jester, for despite his skill and potential and the fact that his father is a knight for the royal court, he would rather dedicate his life to making people happy than fight.  Although Legends of Nale starts out as a traditional knight's tale, we soon realise that all is not well in the kingdom of Nale.  The Hell Knight Sorax has been unleashed by the evil sorcerer Aiden, and the kingdom is in peril.  Nathaniel and Jacob, an unlikely pair, venture forth to fight the evil threat.

The valiant warriors fight to save the kingdom and win the hand of the beautiful princess Lillith, meeting horrors such as demonic beings, morphing creatures and enchanted swords, and travel into different dimensions.  Despite their differences, the two knights find that the only way to win is to work together.  Full of vivid descriptions of imaginary beasts and battles fought with a combination of masterful martial arts, swords and magic, Legends of Nale is a tale that captures the imagination and the heart.

Joseph Johnson displays both his fantastic imagination and his passion for martial arts in this unique and captivating story, which will appeal equally to fantasy aficionados and martial arts enthusiasts.  Legends of Nale is Johnson's second novel.

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Legends of nale - Buy it HERE
 

Path of an Angel

Definitely not for the faint-hearted, Joseph Johnson's new action adventure Path of an Angel exceeds the normal limits of its genre.  About as far-removed from its celestial-sounding title as one could imagine, this story starts with a bang and continues apace, through gory fights with demons to the netherworld and into the near future.

 With numerous fight scenes vividly depicted by martial arts instructor Johnson, this story could be called a gory comic book, but without the pictures.  The hero, a youth called Bankole Williams, is expected to fight off hundreds or even thousands of demons before he is accepted as an angel.  Throughout the book, we are constantly reminded that no one is all good or all evil; in fact people who seem like the good guys may end up being the bad guys.  Johnson relies heavily on the idea of demons possessing humans, which can be a frightening concept.  The switch can happen at any time, and we are treated to some exceptionally dramatic 'possessions'.

The style of this book reflects the authors relatively recent teenage years, and seeks to attract a similar readership.  It will appeal to comic book enthusiasts and those interested in martial arts, especially those aged between 16 and 20 years old.  Path of an Angel is intentionally written in a modern vernacular, strongly peppered with slang and hyperbole.  To the uninitiated, it may seem vulgar or crass, and it will certainly make literary critics cringe.

 As with Johnson's other books, Path of an Angel would make an ideal action movie, as many of the scenes already come to life on paper.  Best enjoyed as an escape from the real world, this book challenges the reader's sense of reality, rather like a corny yet compelling horror film.

click the link below to buy this book.

Path of an angel - Buy it HERE