It’s time to say goodbye to one of the most beloved characters in African literature today – Ropa Moyo from T.L. Huchu’s Edinburgh Nights series. The fifth and final installment, Secrets of the First School, will be published by Tor UK, along with two more upcoming novels from Huchu that have yet to be announced.

Secrets of the First School marks the end of Ropa Moyo’s journey, following the events of the fourth book, The Legacy of Arniston House. Readers first met Ropa in 2021 with the release of The Library of the Dead, where she began as a ghost-talking teenager navigating a dystopian Edinburgh.

Ropa’s abilities are tied to the mbira, a traditional Zimbabwean musical instrument she uses to communicate with the dead, essentially running errands between their world and the living. In the first book, she’s hired to track down a missing girl, but things become complicated pretty quickly. Over the years, T. L. Huchu has brought together Zimbabwean magic and Scottish gothic mystery to create one of the most unique fantasy series today.

It’s bittersweet to see Ropa’s story come to an end, but kudos to T.L. Huchu for crafting such a cool African female character.

When the initial two-book deal was announced in 2019, Huchu described The Library of the Dead as “a labor of love,” adding, “I hope readers will enjoy meeting Ropa Moyo and her upside-down version of Edinburgh.” Five years and five books later, it’s safe to say readers did exactly that.

Huchu shared his thoughts on the final book:

“Here we are at the end of Ropa Moyo’s journey – it’s been wild! I confess, I’m going to miss her, all the delightful characters in the series, and the fantastical Edinburgh I’ve been working in for so long. I am really grateful to the wonderful readers who’ve stuck with the series and my publisher Tor who’ve seen it through. All the various threads built up in the pentalogy are tied together in this last installment. Make sure your seatbelts are fastened, and that your seat backs and tray tables are in an upright position – we are going out with a bang.”

Also kudos to Tor UK supporting the series from the very beginning. Editor Michael Beale expressed his enthusiasm for Huchu’s work:

“Tendai’s Edinburgh Nights series is a marvel – a page-turning romp through a unique world of ghosts and magic. Not only is it huge fun, it’s devastatingly intelligent, and backed by the most lovable, witty protagonist. I’m so pleased to be publishing this conclusion to the Edinburgh Nights series and giving Ropa the send-off she deserves.”

Secrets of the First School will be released on October 16th, 2025, but it is available for preorder (here).

Stay tuned for more details on Huchu’s upcoming projects.

Congratulations to Huchu on this exciting milestone!