It is 1997, and Samson Xandi, the president of Our Republic in Africa (ORA), must confront the greatest threat yet to his fifteen-year reign. Rumors have begun to spread that a group of disgruntled young men from the Binku tribe intend to assassinate him. Fearing a possible coup d'etat, Samson and Kofi Ahjap, his best friend and head of the ORA military, take action to neutralize the threat.

Thereafter, Samson falls ill and installs Zuri, his wife and Kofi's former protege, as acting head of state. Samson's decision upsets Kofi, who grows resentful of Samson and Zuri, whom he rescued from the slums of ORA. Soon, Zuri begins to see Kofi as an obstacle to her plan to remain a member of ORA's premier family.

In better health and determined to grow ORA into the most developed African nation, Samson is oblivious to the schemes happening within his circle. Just when he thinks he has gotten the best of his enemies, his world comes crashing down after his son is kidnapped. Instead of working together to find their son, Zuri and Samson find themselves in a bitter dispute as distrust grows between them. Desperate to bring his son home and protect his reign, Samson is unaware that his enemies have already infiltrated his palace. With each passing day, the threat to his life grows.

The Crowned Ones is a story of rags to riches, betrayal and revenge, infused with reflections on the legacy of colonialism that continues to haunt many African nations today.