The Gatekeeper's Staff

TJ Young & The Orishas, Book 1

By: Antoine Bandele

Narrated by: Nekia Renee Martin

Length: 16 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

TJ Young has been surrounded by magic his entire life, yet he has never tapped into it...until now.

Fourteen-year-old TJ grew up normal in a secret community of gifted diviners in the heart of modern-day Los Angeles. His powerful sister was ordained to lead his people into a new age of prosperity, but her mysterious death in Nigeria threatens to destroy the very foundations of TJ’s world.

Desperate to pick up where his sister left off and uncover the secrets behind her questionable death, TJ commits himself to unlocking the magical heritage that has always eluded him. So he enrolls in Camp Olosa—a remedial magic school for the divinely less-than-gifted in the humid swamps of New Orleans.

But little does he know, TJ is destined to cross paths with powerful spirits of old thought lost to time: The Orishas.

Delve into this young adult fantasy based on the mythology of the West African gods, where TJ will encounter unlikely allies, tough-as-gatorhide instructors, and the ancient secrets of the Orishas.

©2021 Antoine Bandele (P)2021 Antoine Bandele

loved it!

this book gave me every "feel" that Tristan Strong left me short of. It is an amazing middle-grade novel for young african american males. I loved every second of it. I love the newness of it. I loved the contrast of it. great read!!

Amazing Story, can't wait to hear more!!! YES!!!

I truly loved hearing a story about the Orishas. This is a great book! Ase!!!

where is book 2

I loved this book. I look forward to the next one. I need answers

Awesome narration and story!

I enjoyed the story so much. The main character TJ is likable. He is Young but emanates are certain strength. This is a great story for adults and for children.

Love IT

I think this is a very good book introducing the Orishas and understanding our true power inside ourselves, I am patiently waiting for more of the series,

Great book!

The book and narration are great. This is a good introduction to Orishas and their powers. I am going to listen to book 2 now.

Engaging and fun!

TJ is the middle child in a family of diviners. His older sister is powerful and considered a chosen one, and his younger brother is quickly picking up the early basics. But TJ can't do anything. Every time he tries a spell, even the simplest ones, he fails. He has no magic in him, but he's okay with that - even if no one else in his family (largely his mother) can accept that. The one thing TJ has going for him is his nickname - Lucky Charm - though he dislikes it.

But TJ and his family suddenly receive word of his older sister's death, under mysterious circumstances, and TJ is determined to find out what happened. After something odd happens concerning his sister's staff at the funeral, something has changed in TJ. He was able to complete a spell, though his success is intermittent at best. To help TJ catch up, and possibly earn a position in the prestigious diviner school that his sister attended, TJ is enrolled in a summer camp near New Orleans.

While there, TJ will learn about himself, his sister, and the Orishas that have not been seen for generations.

First, I have to say that I am absolutely grateful for listening to the audiobook. Though the author included a pronunciation guide for the ebook to help with the names, there are still sections of the Yoruba language that I know I would have butchered in my head if I'd tried to read it. Listening to it provided an authenticity that I really liked.

As for the story, I loved it. Rather than the typical trope of the main character being the chosen one, TJ is the antithesis of that. He can't do magic, and he is largely okay with that. He knows his limitations, and that's nice to see. Indeed, one of the characters who is really good with the magic - and has the ego to go along with it - is actually rather annoying in the beginning. TJ might want to get into the same school his sister attended, but he accepts that he is just not talented enough, and that isn't something we see very often in these types of stories.

And yet, when TJ's circumstances change somewhat, he still struggles with seeing his own self-worth. Seeing him learn to use his particular type of magic, learn what makes him unique, is a great part of this story. Intertwined with that is the development of his friendships, which I thought were very realistic. Even the one character that I found really annoying in the beginning ended up earning my grudging respect by the end. I don't know that I can say I like him yet, but he might by the end of the next book - which I absolutely intend to read (well, listen to if I can get a copy of the audiobook).

I also really enjoyed the worldbuilding of this book. The introduction of magic and gods that aren't European is great to see, and I love that more books with African lore are being published. The magics in this book, as well as the troubles of the magic world - like the Keepers - were so interesting, and I found myself wishing I wasn't just some clouded non-magic user.

In addition, the writing style of the author was very engaging, making it really easy to connect with the characters and want to keep reading. If I could have, I would have listened to the book in a single sitting. Unfortunately, one must sleep at some point, so that wasn't possible. As it was, I did finish it in two listening sessions, and I already want to start the next book of the series.

I mentioned listening to the audiobook at the beginning of this review, and I absolutely recommend listening to this book if you listen to audiobooks. Narrated by Nekia Renee Martin, it is a wonderful listen. Martin's narration pulls you right into the story, and her speaking the Yoruba language when it was used and using the Nigerian accents of the various characters elevated the experience above what I would have had if I had read the book myself.

Fantasy Fiction Masterpiece!

I was hooked from the beginning, til the end. If you are a lover of the Harry Potter series and Percy Jackson and are looking for a novel that can match their epicness, then look no further. TJ Young and the Orishas brings action, excitement, and West African culture and folklore. The amazing richness of the story was accented by an amazing narrator. She has to be my absolute favorite fiction narrator I've heard thus far from Audible. Her ability to individualize each characters voice/dialog was inspiring. When the narrator was delivering a characters dialog, I was able to tell exactly who was speaking based solely on how the narrator delivered the lines. I was blown away. Antoine Bandele, I look forward to reading book 2 of the series. And Nekia Renee, I hope you will continue to bring your masterful narrations to more of Antonie beautifully written works.

Amazing

I’m so glad a purchased the audio instead of the paperback. This production feels like a theatrical experience. I want everyone, I know, to hear this book.

Very Middle Grade

I loved all the new myths and lore brought to life in this story but I did struggle to finish. I don’t think I will continue on. I guessed the bad guys and that the perfect sister was far from it.