Kingdom of Souls

July 1, 2019
A teenage girl ashamed of her lack of magic must step up when she discovers evil at work in her kingdom. Privileged Arrah has never wanted for anything--except magic. Though she comes from powerful magical lineages on both her parents' sides, when she turns 16 without developing any gifts, she must finally admit she won't be blessed with magic. Heartbroken, Arrah throws herself into discovering who's behind the recent child abductions in her kingdom. The magic needed to accomplish such a task has a high cost, and her discovery of the culprit proves to be a devastating revelation. In Arrah's West African-based world, there are orishas as well as other gods and demons, and orishas are able to converse directly with humans. Arrah, aided by her friends (including love interest Rudjek), must mine hitherto unknown depths in herself in order to stop the ascension of the Demon King, who supposedly was vanquished by the orishas long ago. Though the pace is sometimes slow and the page count perhaps higher than needed, Arrah's a compelling heroine, relatable in her fallibility, and her story is intriguing. Most characters are black; Rudjek is biracial (his light-skinned mother and a handful of other characters hail from the north). An imperfect but promising series opener. (Fantasy. 12-18)

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July 15, 2019
Every year, Arrah, the unexceptional 16-year-old daughter of two potent witch doctors, travels with her father from the city of Tamar to the kingdom’s tribal lands for the ceremonial summoning of Heka, the orisha who gives magic to mortals. Nobody older than 16 has ever come into magical gifts, so after this year’s sacrament fails to trigger a change in Arrah, she loses hope. There is a rite that allows an ordinary individual to trade years of his or her life for enough magic to execute a single spell, but Arrah has never been sufficiently desperate to try it, until someone starts stealing Tamar’s children. After performing the ritual, she learns the terrible truth about the kidnapper’s identity and uncovers a plan to free the soul-devouring Demon King—one that she has no clue how to stop. First in a planned trilogy, Barron’s West Africa–inspired fantasy debut is a slow-burning, character-driven tale of vengeance, greed, sacrifice, and star-crossed romance. Organic worldbuilding and a rich central mythology featuring a vibrant pantheon of fallible gods ground Barron’s intricate, if occasionally convoluted, story, which thoughtfully examines issues of faith and free will. Ages 13–up. Agent: Suzie Townsend, New Leaf Literary.

Starred review from August 1, 2019

Gr 9 Up-Legend has it that the orisha destroyed all of the demons in the Almighty Kingdom, but when children begin to disappear from the Kingdom and a great evil looms, it seems that perhaps the orisha were wrong. And if they were wrong about this, where else have they failed? Sixteen-year-old Arrah is the daughter of two powerful witch doctors in a long lineage of magic. For as long as she can remember, she has waited to come into magic of her own, and though she has the ability to see magic, she cannot touch it. Magic in the Kingdom, however, can be acquired at a cost. Will Arrah be willing to give up years of her life in exchange for the magic that might be able to save the people she loves? In this epic West African-inspired debut, Barron weaves a story filled with blood magic, political intrigue, epic world-building, and a brilliant cast of characters. VERDICT Fans of folklore-inspired fantasy and Laini Taylor's Strange the Dreamer will relish in this masterful tale. From start to finish, this magical debut is not to be missed.-India Winslow, Cary Memorial Library, Lexington, MA

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2019
Grades 8-12 Arrah hails from a family of powerful witch doctors, but much to her mother's disappointment, the tribal god Heka has yet to grant Arrah her own magic. After her sixteenth birthday passes without incident, her window for coming into magic closes. Ashamed and desperate, Arrah performs a dangerous ritual, trading years off her life in exchange for magical abilities, and as she uses them to save her missing friend, she learns a shocking truth behind the recent string of kidnappings in the kingdom. This discovery thrusts her into the middle of a deadly plot to unleash the ancient Demon King, and unless Arrah can put a stop to it, her entire world could be over. Here Barron introduces a fascinating pantheon of orishas set in a West African-inspired culture. Arrah is a tough-as-nails protagonist who overcomes odds stacked heavily against her, and riveting action and deeply emotional scenes make up for the occasionally slow pacing. Readers will delight in the possibility of more adventures in the fantasy world established in this captivating debut.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)