Queen of Urban Prophecy is urban lit by Aya de León.

What she considers to be a coincidence leaves rapper Deza Starling branded the Queen of Urban Prophecy by the media. When she embarks on a tour of female artists, is she embarking on the path to her success or the road to ruin?

Aya de León continues her successful writing career with another beautifully written novel. Her characters here are well-rounded and believable. The plot is compelling. Both the narrative and dialogue flow smoothly. Her subject matter is well-researched. The touch of romance adds just the right amount of depth. I have read other works by this author and continue to be impressed by her mastery of urban lit. Queen of Urban Prophecy is a 5 out of 5 star read that I highly recommend to readers who enjoy multicultural interest fiction with a romantic bent.

My thanks to Kensington Books, Dafina, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. However, the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine and mine alone.

I was really surprised by this one. It was a good listen to get through the day. I thought it would be bored but the characters, their relationships, conversations and topics important to them to incorporate into their art was entertaining and refreshing. Hollywood is so fake, artists say anything to appeal to the masses, it was nice reading about characters who haven’t been jaded by the industry and are concerned with what’s happening in their communities.
I liked the following they on tour and seeing Damian and Deza have so many cute moments. I think if you enjoyed this authors book A Spy in the Struggle or Muted or other music related titles you’ll enjoy this

This book shows how much mysogyny is in music, especially among rap artists. At the beginning, it felt like it was going to be another "this is why women can't come together and colaborate without drama", but it eventually grew from that. This was a nice, quick and easy read that I was able to get through in one sitting. It also had just the right amout of romance with a friends to loves troupe. I especially loved how the main character was a down to earth social activist in her own way.

I walked into this book with an open mind and ready to be entertained and this book delivered. I absolutely love the friends-to-lovers trope and this one truly fed my appetite. The characters were substantial and likable and I truly connected to them. This is the second book I've read by the author and I loved her style and her writing immensely.

3.5 stars

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

Queen of Urban Prophecy is, by Aya de Leon’s own admission, a departure from her other work, in that it’s pure contemporary focused on social justice issues and romance, without the thriller elements of her past work. Given I had read only one of those books prior, I had little to compare to, so I can only praise de Leon’s versatility as a writer, crossing genres with relative ease.

I really enjoyed the insights I got into the rap side of the music world, particularly the misogynoir a young Black female rapper like Deza faces. She’s questioned for her inexperience and the need to prove her worth, and while I’m hardly well-versed in this industry, I could empathize with Deza as she was met with so much opposition. I also appreciate her using her voice to discuss not just that issue, but the broader one of systemic racism at the heart of the Black Lives Matter movement.

I did find the romance to be the weakest element of the story overall, but I suppose it was more in comparison to how well developed Deza was in her own right. It is very much a secondary, and I’ve often stated how secondary romances can be hit-or-miss for me. I did appreciate that their relationship had a solid foundation to it, with them having a history as friends.

This is an enjoyable, fast paced read, and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a book focused on the contemporary music industry.

I walked into this book expecting to be entertained, expecting to be educated. And honestly, I truly was. But I didn’t bank on the MC, Deza, being one of the most heartwarming protagonists who just made me root from her time and again.

This book, which relies more upon dialogue and action than on internal monologue, showcased the MC time and time again showing her genuineness, showing how she wanted to make good choices to make an impact on her followers, showing that she is someone worthy of love.

And Damian, what a swoon-worthy male lead. I love the friends to lovers trope, and this did not disappoint.

One of the best aspects of the book is how the author was able to make a statement about mysogynoir, the music industry, climate change, child labor and sweet shop corporations, politics, and toxic/abusive relationships in such a seamless way through Deza.

I binged this entire story in about a day.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this eARC.

This is my first time reading De León and I didn't know what to expect. The premise is what pulled me in. This novel is very entertaining, and I enjoyed the fly on the wall feeling I experienced as I read about about this young female rapper.

Hip-hop is about storytelling. It is a creation of a new style of self-expression. This is the reason why this book has caught my attention. It is a rare opportunity to satisfy my desire for music-literary entertainment and inspiration.

The story begins when a female rapper’s label records promotion turns out to be a headliner on a first-ever all female national tour.

Deza Darling is a young female hip-hop superstar from Brooklyn. Her career progression as a rapper strikes when one of her song has made a surprising impact to the African-American community. Her stardom crashed like an avalanche when her first single album rocketed to the top of the billboard charts.

When fame and success has manifested in her, Deza fights for what she deserves. She has embraced her power to promote justice by supporting an international social movement – Black Lives Matter. Now that she feels she can face anything that comes her way until her label prepares to undermine under an all-female line up in the name of mega-profits.

Can she learn how to use her platform effectively for activism in behalf of the Black Lives and climate justice?

An author who is new to me - Aya de Leon, has beautifully written real issues faced by African-American community. Through the eyes of Deza and as a reader, I see a glimpse of creative and extraordinary minds of music artists (in general) and an activist who advocates for social change. She has provided a great insight about this kind of community.

I love this book in a way how it weaves a page-flipping story about a character’s relationship with the community, family, friends, colleagues and producing her own art in hip-hop. On the other hand, the romance part is secondary. The crafting of the main characters’ love story has kept me rooting for them until the very end. The connection of Deza with her Puerto Rican guy love interest feels wondrous as I follow their love story through their work dynamics as professionals in music entertainment industry.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for this opportunity to read an ARC in exchange of unbiased review.