Blood at the Root
Books | Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy / General
5
LaDarrion Williams
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A COSMOPOLITAN BEST YOUNG ADULT BOOK OF THE YEARA teenager on the run from his past finds the family he never knew existed and the community he never knew he needed at an HBCU for the young, Black, and magical. Enroll in the debut of a fresh fantasy series unlike anything you've seen before. “Brings magical living to an HBCU in an unforgettable young adult adventure.”—PeopleTen years ago, Malik's life changed forever the night his mother mysteriously vanished and he discovered he had uncontrollable powers. Since then, he has kept his abilities hidden, looking out for himself and his younger foster brother, Taye. Now, at 17, Malik is finally ready to start a new life for both of them, far from the trauma of his past. However, a daring act to rescue Taye reveals an unexpected connection with his long-lost grandmother: a legendary conjurer with ties to a hidden magical university that Malik’s mother attended.At Caiman University, Malik’s eyes are opened to a future he never could have envisioned for himself—one that includes the reappearance of his first love, Alexis. His search for answers about his heritage, his powers, and what really happened to his mother exposes the cracks in their magical community as it faces a reawakened evil dating back to the Haitian Revolution. Together with Alexis, Malik discovers a lot beneath the surface at Caiman: feuding covens and magical politics, forbidden knowledge and buried mysteries. In a wholly unique saga of family, history and community, Malik must embrace his legacy to save what's left of his old family as well as his new one. Exploring the roots and secrets that connect us in an unforgettable contemporary setting, this heart-pounding fantasy series opener is a rich tapestry of atmosphere, intrigue, and emotion.
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Author
LaDarrion Williams
Pages
432
Publisher
Random House Children's Books
Published Date
2024-05-07
ISBN
0593711947 9780593711941
Community ReviewsSee all
"A great fast paced magic story that everyone should read, different from other one's that I've read/seen. Can't wait for the 2nd book to come out!"
Kaitlyn Kendall
"Amazing! Dialog was perfect! Story got a bit slow in the middle but THAT ENDING!?!? A must read"
C
Chelle
"I loved reading this! The story is deeply rooted in its setting, in Helena, Alabama, providing a vivid and authentic backdrop. This made the reading experience particularly enjoyable for me, living so close to Helena myself. Listening to this, I could clearly imagine the areas he described.
While immersing readers in a world of magic and danger, the book also offers a realistic portrayal of Malik as he navigates tough, often unimaginable real world challenges, including the foster system, loss, found family, abandonment and abuse, grounding the story in controversial issues desperately needing to be discussed. The fact that the characters' obstacles feel authentic rather than over-dramatized or clichéd adds depth and relatability.
My only critique... the female characters feel one-dimensional—portrayed as either a “pick-me,” traitorous, or outright evil—it detracted me from the richness of the story itself. The lack of nuance in their portrayal made the journey feel unbalanced, especially when the grandmother, Mama Aya, is the only character who stands out in a complex and positive light. Granted, I loved Mama Aya's character, but even she could've had more ya know? A broader spectrum of female representation could have added even more depth and complexity to the story. Though with it being the first book, perhaps future stories will further explore female characters with more depth and variety, complementing the already strong elements of the storytelling.
Despite my reservations, I still devoured this book. Its relatable setting and the authenticity of the characters' challenges will resonate with many readers. While some aspects fell short for me, I still highly recommend it and am eagerly anticipating the next installment—I’ve already preordered the audiobook for book two!"
Kate
"The first part of this book felt very honest, but the second it needed to start world building its magic system and locations, everything started to fall apart. The narrative was never allowed to just sit with a characters emotions or allow them to explore either themselves or their surroundings. The magic felt more like "hey wouldn't it be cool if-" and a series of already dated cultural references rather than something rooted, to reference the title.
This could have been a very good story, but as it stands, it reads more like an inexperienced high schooler's first attempt at writing fantasy after consuming mostly college AU fanfiction. In fanfiction, you don't necessarily have to delve deep into the world building, but that's only because the audience already has a background understanding. This book doesn't ever develop that enough for the audience.
The final straw for me was when misogyny started oozing out of the narrative in the treatment of the girls on campus and the creepy, possessive way the main character interacted with the girl he had known for a couple of months 10 years ago. "
Tev Linsey
