Absolutely excellent start of a new series under the "Rick Riordan Presents" banner. Tristan Strong, a native of Chicago, has been sent to his grandparent's Alabama farm following the death of his best friend and a failed first boxing bout (a sport that has legacy connections among the men of the Strong line). His summer visit is almost immediately interrupted by the arrival of folklore hero Gum Baby, who Tristan accidentally follows into a world where folklore heroes of both African and African American cultures are real and engaged in battle with monstrous manacles, slave ships, and the malevolent power known as "Mafaa."Favorite folk heroes John Henry, Brer Rabbit (and Fox and Bear), Anansi, and Nyame intersect with adinkra symbols and a universe where storytelling has the power to make or unmake the world itself.

I can't wait for the second volume to arrive and strongly recommend the first. I also dearly hope Kwame Mbalia is able to option this novel for film -- this first volume would make an epic and very badly needed all-black summer blockbuster for young people. Come on movie studios, pick up this gem of a book!

Having grown up in the south, I was familiar with many of these African-American stories, but there were a few new ones included here. I like how the author weaves everything together with elements of fantasy, but brings it all back in the end. Tristan is suffering from "being a seventh grader," (my words) and also coping with the loss of his best friend. Through his adventures in MidPass and Alke, he develops confidence and begins to heal. Fans of Riordan will enjoy this one.