Blood at the Root

De: LaDarrion Williams

Narrado por: Jalyn Hall, LaDarrion Williams

Duración: 14 h y 54 m

Resumen del Editor

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A 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 this fresh fantasy debut unlike anything you've seen before.

Ten 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.

©2024 LaDarrion Williams (P)2024 Listening Library

Reseñas de la Crítica

“A buzzy debut about the adventures of a runaway teen who finds himself at an HBCU for the young, Black, and magical, Blood at the Root is a story of community and legacy that’s clearly aiming to do something very different in this genre space.”—Paste Magazine

“This story offers a fresh take on familiar YA fantasy tropes, like a secret magical school and a long-lost grandmother.”—BuzzFeed

“Exuberant contemporary fantasy series opener....a serpentine, high-intensity celebration of Black culture, history, and power."—Publishers Weekly

Harry Who??? Is all I gotta say. No shade. no tea.

Loved the influence of historical reference, the embrace of black culture in so many facets, and the subtle challenge to do your own research. Digging into the complicated relationships sons have with their moms, wow. I hate to wait 5 years for the sequel. so I hope you're already writing.

Outstanding Performance by Narrator

Gratitude for this amazing work of art with heroes that look and sound like me. Thank you to the author, and thank you to the narrator for understanding the assignment and putting your whole heart into it.

This isn't just entertaining, in "low-key / high-key" inspiring.

The whole concept

stolen innocence and they way u put in the things black boys don’t here a lot is really healing to hear and to experience the the things I’ve thought and daydream reading as kid is great. Please continue I haven’t stop talking about this book since I started it

Speechless

I’m so happy that I decided to purchase the audio version rather than the actual book. In which I will still purchase the actual book to add to my book collection. This book was more than I anticipated. The narrator did a great job with reading this book. I’m from Alabama and have been waiting for this book to come out for months and it was worth the wait. In the first 6 chapters the author took me back to my childhood. A lot of the things he described in his neighborhood growing up were some of the exact same things I experienced. Those chapters brought back so many memories good and bad, but it also helped me heal some of those memories. Im not a big book reader, so I’ve never understood when people would say that they’ve cried while reading a book. Well the child in me cried tears of happiness and healing while reading this book. I know some people may read my review and say this woman got some issues or something crying over this book. But if you grew up in Alabama you would understand. A lot of those town mentioned in the book were apart of my childhood memories. I cannot wait for the next series to come out! Well done Author!👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿

Amazing story!

First off I preordered a physical copy of this book for my son. YA right up his alley…. Lots of cussing. So nope not for him. But what little I read before had me getting the audiobook so I could read while at work and see this world that Williams wrote and omg what a ride! This book is so real and painted this magnificent picture in my mind. I look forward to seeing how this characters grow and 10/10 would read anything Williams writes in the future!

Finally a black male protagonist

I love this book .. I liked the way family was a common thread as in most African American families with the grandmother as the root.
I enjoyed the familiar linguistic twist of Ebonics and creole culture. The education of voodoo and hoodu roots. Excellent!!

Wow

I can't describe how much I love this!!! In the word of Keith Kee “ Fo Sho ya right on.. 10”!!

Excellent!

Emotional, intriguing and irresistible magical world.
A beautiful story that I hope is an epic saga!

The Magical HBCU with Potential

I've eagerly awaited this book, especially since a Magical HBCU is something many of us have been looking forward to. Overall, I enjoyed it, and all of my criticisms come from wanting more from the series. Williams spent so much time building the magical world, but he’s inconsistent in the magical rules.

Fans of the genre know that magic is supposed to have balance and limitations; however, the author often uses magic as a get-out-of-jail-free card for the plot. It's unrealistic to see the main character, Malik, who we’re told is a magical novice, consistently outsmart characters and institutions that have stood for centuries. You can’t say “magic has a price” and only have that payoff at the climax. Magic should constantly reinforce its rules. Do the colors of different magics have meaning? Do students have to buy magical ingredients? Is it all hands, incantations, what’s the stance on wands? All of these aspects are important to world-building. Willams may benefit from creating a book that explains how the he thinks the magic in this world works, not just what they can do, but how they tie into each other.

Also, while I appreciate the attempt to paint a vivid picture, some of the cultural references feel forced and unnatural. The use of slang is clunky and lacks fluency. I'm not saying his references aren’t good, but there's room to work on writing dialogue.

Despite these criticisms, the story is great, and the stakes feel high. I understand Malik, and he’s both flawed and a character worth rooting for; he’s relatable and endearing. The latter half of the book brings everything together in a satisfying way.

In conclusion, while this book has its flaws, it is a promising start to what could be an exceptional series. I hope the author learns from this book and grows because the series has a lot of potential. With some adjustments, the author could create a truly immersive and captivating world that readers will eagerly return to, offering us a modern take on black magic that so many of us readers have been praying for.

what I didn't know I Needed

I Loved this book. Thank you so much for this book. when I say I need book two We Need Book two. 💜💜💜