Obishang, a fisherman from Mbube, catches a humongous fish in Bansari during the annual fishing festival on the day Ben Clark, a white man, arrives in Bansari village, eclipsing his fame and fortune. Ben’s missionary program and economic endeavours bring discord between him and some eco-centric elders, which forces him to move to Ogboja, where Obishang had moved to earlier.
Ben’s move brings trouble for Obishang, especially when he is accused of stealing Ben’s spectacles and is then excommunicated from Ogboja. Forced to return home to Mbube, he faces even more problems when the spirit of Alenkintem demands that he begins his assignment as his chosen vessel for the destruction of the descendants of their enemies.
Obishang journeys to the evil forest where he meets the Princess of the caves and finds the lost crystal ball of the Mfam Deity. Obishang then returns home with the Princess of the caves, which leads to spiritual warfare that ends when Ben Clark’s light manages to banish the spirit Princess but not before she leaves behind a baby for Obishang.
Ben’s help solidifies his relationship with Obishang, his one-time arch enemy. They work together to unite the people of the ancient Ogboja nation (the present-day people of Ogoja) with the God of the skies and his church in a new style of worship.
The Lost Crystal Ball is an insightful historical novel that shows the surreal world of how spirits and humans interact and how ultimately, the God of the sky triumphs over all.
