Fantasy young adult author J. Elle is marking the end of her Wings of Ebony duology about a Black teen girl from Houston who's on a mission to understand her bloodline in the magical land of Ghizon.

Ashes of Gold, published by Denene Millner Books and Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, came out last month continuing the story of Rue, raised in Houston with her younger sister by their late mother, who must follow her destiny in her father's homeland of Ghizon and save her magic-possessing people from destruction.

Photo credit: Chris Spicks Photography

But readers don't have to wait long to read more of J. Elle's work. Her middle grade fantasy YA duology, A Taste of Magic, will be published by Bloomsbury Children's Books this summer.

The first book in the series will introduce us to 12-year-old Kyana, a Black girl who's recently learned she's a witch and becomes a student at the Park Row Magic Academy hidden behind a beauty shop. Once she realizes redistricting and gentrification will close the shop, she fights to keep it open.

J. Elle talks to she lit about anticipating the debut of her middle grade duology, owning the "inner city fantasy" subgenre in the increasingly diverse fantasy YA genre, and transitioning from a teacher whose book pitch was discovered by literary agents on Twitter to teaching books she's written in the classroom. Check out the conversation below:

she lit: Your YA duology features Rue, a Black girl from Houston’s Third Ward, who travels to the magical land of Ghizon to fulfill her birthright. How did you come up with the subgenre of an “inner-city fantasy” and what inspired you to make this character bicultural struggling to exist between two worlds?

J. Elle: The aesthetic of the story honestly came to me as I tried to make a fantasy world I could see myself in. I wanted to craft a world that felt familiar to me and I grew up in an inner city community. I found when I left my community to attend college, the first in my family to do so, and get a job or move to other parts of the country, I felt like I was in an entirely different world sometimes. I wanted to parallel that dichotomy in this story and explore the many ways Black Americans might feel like they’re forced to live a double life when they’re in spaces that aren’t inclusive. 

she lit: You’ve said Rue’s background has elements of your own. Without giving spoilers, is there a scene in Ashes of Gold that you wrote based on a particular experience?

J. Elle: Most of Ashes of Gold takes place on the magical island of Ghizon, but there is a moment in the book where Rue returns to East Row that is reminiscent of how it felt when I’d come home from college. It was nostalgic and quite special to be able to explore the ways being able to connect with home is an affirming experience. 

she lit: How would you describe Rue’s character development in Ashes of Gold compared to Wings of Ebony?

J. Elle: Rue’s view of herself changes from the start of Ashes to the end. She has a definitive assumption about what she is capable of and the journey she goes on shows her she is capable of—and worthy of—much more than she thinks. It was a challenging book to write because book one, Wings of Ebony, leaves off with Rue seemingly unstoppable. But she had plenty of room to still grow. I just had to dig in to find it.

she lit: In both books, Rue has a longing to protect her Houston family and her fellow Ghizonis. What do young readers usually tell you about how they relate to this balance of supporting family and community?

J. Elle: I’ve had readers tell me the idea of not wanting to let family down really resonated with them. So many of us carry the pressures of supporting those who came before us. I was really glad to hear readers were able to see their lived experiences reflected here.

she lit: How would you describe the transition of being a teacher then becoming an author who is teaching through your books?

J. Elle: It was really interesting! I miss the way I could read kids' faces as I stood in front of them teaching a concept. I loved seeing the light bulb click, hearing their opinions. When I write books, I’m sending my words out in the world for students to consume on their own. And so I miss hearing from them! Seeing their faces as they read! I try to do as many school visits as I can because I just love working with students so much.

she lit: With your passion in creating characters that kids can relate to, what are your concerns about more and more diverse YA books, many by Black authors, being banned from schools and libraries across the country?

J. Elle: Book banning is deeply grieving. When has the government trying to control the narrative of history taught in school ever gone well? Creating freethinkers is the purpose of education. Students who can reason and analyze and interpret with the rich perspective they bring to the table. The beauty of this country is “supposed to be” its freedom of ideas. But that grates against the actual picture of what’s happening with book banning all over the country. I am consoled, however, knowing that books in schools are only one way kids access books. I am hoping to see communities band together to exercise their constitutional right to read whatever they choose. There’s much more I could say here, but I’ll wrap up by offering this small encouragement: I believe in our kids. I believe in the relentless persistence of their curiosity, the connectedness they cling to nowadays via social media, and their spirit, their heart. Tell a kid in school something is forbidden, they’re only going to want it more. The banners will fail. Look at history.

she lit: What’s it like working with accomplished author and editor Denene Millner and having your duology under her imprint?

J. Elle: It was a true privilege to work with Denene. She brought such a needed eye to my story and helped me contextualize the themes I wanted to explore with the nuance I needed. I’ll forever be grateful for her seeing me in her inbox and saying, yes. It changed my life.

she lit: Your book series was discovered through the literary pitch competition #DVPit. What do you think was the secret sauce that made your successful tweet stand out for agents?

J. Elle: Strong comparison titles and a fresh hook help pitches stand out. My comps were The Hate U Give meets Wonder Woman, which aesthetically is incredibly fresh. There’s no guarantee with contests of course and what’s “fresh” is a bit nebulous at times to figure out. But running a pitch by a few people who don’t know what the story about can be a fun way to see if your tweet feels fresh and engaging.

she lit: You’re promoting Ashes of Gold and the end of the Wings of Ebony duology. What can you reveal about your next duology, A Taste of Magic, and how does the Park Row Magic Academy compare to Ghizon?

J. Elle: A Taste of Magic is about 12-year-old Kyana who must cook up some magic to save her magic school from the effects of gentrification. It’s a delightful middle grade story so the biggest difference is the age range and tone. Tonally it’s much more lighthearted and funny than Wings of Ebony. My YA tends to be a bit grittier and dark. A Taste of Magic is for any age, but I’ve tried to target 9-12 year olds with Kyana’s voice and sensibilities. I’m so excited for readers to meet Kyana!

The follow up to Wings of Ebony was amazing. I will be adding this to my bookshelf in my classroom. J. Elle does a fantastic job of continuing the story and grabbing the reader's interest from the very first page.

I am sorry for the inconvenience but I don’t have the time to read this anymore and have lost interest in the concept. I believe that it would benefit your book more if I did not skim your book and write a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience.

This was a really good second book in the series! There were so much discussions that came up in the book. I love how black fantasy novels often portray elements of black realities. My favorite in the book is the discussion about how sometimes we get fearful of being the first because there were no firsts before us.

I couldn't seem to get into this story. I liked the first book well enough, but this one seemed to drag and I kept putting it down. Eventually I realized I was never going to pick it back up.

I read this book twice! I'm just glad this ending to the sequel didn't completely destroy me. While the love triangle didn't payout as I hoped, it was quite unique to end it this way.

I spotlighted Ashes of Gold by J. Elle as book of the day and included it in my weekly and monthly roundups of new releases on my Black Fiction Addiction platforms.

My arc expired before I could finish reading so I can't give a complete review, but I really enjoyed what I read. I'm looking forward to purchasing and jumping back into Rue's world.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I gave this 3.5 stars. I enjoyed getting back into this world but it wasn’t as exciting as the first book.

Thanks so much to the author, Books Forward and the publisher for this eARC!

I can’t believe I have to leave this world now 🥲 It’s been a great adventure over the course of these two books 🥺 It had a lot of great moments and I can’t get over the fact that this book brought together both the real world and a whole entire new fantasy world. I’m super excited to read more from the author 🤩

3 stars

I am really surprised by my own reaction to this novel because I LOVED _Wings of Ebony_ and expected to have a similar response to the conclusion to the duology. Unfortunately, I didn't at all.

For me, this was so slow. I found the beginning somewhat jarring and, though I read the first when it originally released, I had a hard time recalling some of the details that led to the current predicament. In a sequel, I'm hoping for a little more reacclimating than I got here. Rue remains a great character, and it's fun to watch her grow as her position changes and she gets more experienced, but even that wasn't enough for me to feel fully invested all the way to the end.

I really enjoy J. Elle's writing and world building, and while this one was a bit of a bust for me (especially relative to its predecessor), I'm already looking forward to the next books!

Ashes of Gold is the thrilling conclusion to the Wings of Ebony duology! Not only does this story give a nice wrap-up to Rue’s character, but those who are curious about the romance will find out her final choice. Jhamal and Julius are both great love interests where I could see some readers supporting each other. While I had one that I slightly preferred over the other, I was okay if she ended up with either or even neither. Both interests worked well together with her character growth and I love how her strength was the shining star in the story. Rue is a black teenager, who is half-god and half-human who is from East Row in Texas and went to live in the isolated magic-filled island of Ghizon after her mother was killed in the previous story. Rue continued to be a great protagonist and I was thrilled to continue to read her journey. As this story continues where Wings of Ebony leaves off, it is best to read the stories in order to avoid any potential spoilers.

Rue is regrouping to fight the Chancellor of Ghizon, where she may feel like a failure after an initial loss, but there is still lingering hope. As the only one with the residual magic of the ancestors, there are times when she feels like she is alone in this fight. Throughout her journey, there are those that come to her aid where they can fight the oppression together and rise up for a brighter future. Along this quest, there are some familiar secondary characters that return and some new characters that are introduced. With the new and familiar characters working together, there is a shift in the dynamic compared to the first installment. With many secrets and twists and turns, the reader follows along with Rue as she tries to differentiate the lies from the truth and figure out who she can trust.

Overall, I love Rue’s journey in this duology. She makes great progress in the first novel, backtracks slightly at the beginning of this story based on some circumstances, and then grows even more by the time this story ends. I enjoyed that her growth was not linear and there was more back and forth, which gave it a more realistic feel for her character. The realism integrated into the fiction was well done for multiple aspects of the story, including cultures and the issues of poverty and racism. Rue was the perfect protagonist to lead this story as she made mistakes while trying to make good decisions for those around her. This novel did a great job at expanding on the story introduced in the first installment and everything was wrapped up nicely. This duology definitely makes me interested to read more from this author and I cannot wait to try more in the future!

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing, Denene Millner Books/Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, for the opportunity to read this entertaining novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

CONTENT WARNING: violence, blood, murder, torture

I’ve been so excited to read this book, and before I started, I did a quick audiobook reread of the first book in the series. Getting into the story again only made me more excited about reading this one.

I quickly got caught up in Rue’s world(s), and the story starts with her back in Ghizon, readying herself to battle against the Chancellor. But things go disastrously, and she winds up in a cell with no memory of what happened. But, since she’s Rue and known for being stubborn, she doesn’t give up and wait to find out what happens next. She makes something happen.

Once she gets back to Yiyo, things get even more complicated. The people there don’t fully trust her, and she’s still worried about the people she left back home in East Row. As she comes up with even more dangerous plans, she has to figure out who she can trust with her life … and the life of the people she is now responsible for.

I loved Rue’s journey in this book — it’s such an amazing story of self-discovery. She has to figure out where she really belongs, what she truly wants, and most importantly, who she is now and how that fits with both the person that she wants to be and who she needs to become. She is sort of thrust into positions of leadership all throughout the story, and constantly fights against this role. Rue knows what she wants to do, and she knows that she can fight for it, but she doesn’t know if she is capable of leading, or if she even wants to.

Along the way, she also has to let down her walls, and learn how to let other people in. It’s something she hasn’t really been very good at, although she’s ride or die for the people she cares about. And at the end of the last book, Bri, her Ghizon ride or die, was kind of on shaky ground. Bri is struggling with her own issues — everything she grew up believing has turned out to be based on a lie, and while she’s been trying her best to accept and adjust to this, it’s a slow process and Bri makes mistakes. It was interesting to see how her friendship with Rue shifts as a result of this, and I kept hoping that Bri would make the jump from willing to learn and become a true ally to Rue’s people.

There’s probably the weirdest love triangle I’ve ever seen in this book, and I think a lot of that stems from the fact that there isn’t any drama or hurt feelings surrounding it. There’s something developing between Rue and Jhamal, but Julius, her old flame, is still in the picture. I wasn’t sure which way this was going to go, but in the end, I loved how it all worked out.

Overall, this book was really enjoyable. It’s fast-paced, with a lot of action and a good number of plot twists I didn’t see coming, although there were a few that I guessed in advance. It talks about prejudice and greed, learning to accept differences and work together, and the power of friendship, found family, and community. I’m super impressed with J. Elle’s writing, and will definitely be on the lookout for more of her work.

My favorite element of Ashes of Gold has to be the way Elle explores leadership. In the wake of startling discoveries and battle casualties, Rue has to figure out how to live up to what people expect. To take up the mantel of being Chosen. Rue has to navigate not only what it means for her, as a leader, but what it means to those around her. Not only that, but in Ashes of Gold the tensions between various communities and her own upbringing start to clash.

How can we work together as a united front given disappointments and divisions? It feels like Rue is always playing catch up. Trying to get used to this new setting and these tensions, while also struggling with her own memory loss. When we lose our memories, what pieces of us do we retain? In the ashes of what we thought would be our victory, how do we regroup? Ashes of Gold is full of action, but what I loved was the exploration of these themes.

I read this second installment of the Wings of Ebony series right after finishing the first one and the drastic change in tone was jarring. Rue's voice and her vocabulary change left me reeling and thinking that maybe I was reading about a different character. Once I wrapped my head around it, I was able to sink back into the story but I found it a little too unbelievable to truly enjoy it. In the first book, we had a teenager who was trying to save her neighbourhood and her sister while learning to use magic she didn't know she had. I can totally get behind that storyline. But at the beginning of the second book, we suddenly have Rue leading the entire Ghizoni people in battle? And they're listening to her? A literal child with no fighting experience whatsoever? Again, the tone shift was incredibly jarring.

Overall I did appreciate the story and the message it was trying to get across. I wouldn't say that I loved it though because of all the plot holes and characters behaving unnaturally for the sake of plot progression. I did like Rue's character growth though, and I would give this author another shot in the future.

I might not have finished it if I hadn't agreed to write a review about it.

I loved the first book so I was excited to get my hands on Ashes of Gold. Unfortunately, I found this to be dragging on and on and I didn't even really care to finish this book.

Such a disappointing read for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Now, Wings of Ebony by J. Elle was indeed a ride. But when I tell you to hold onto your glasses, blanket, hat, etc or whatever you need when you read a book, I mean hold onto it. Ashes of Gold, the second book in this duology is nonstop action, twists and turns! At one point I thought I might need an antacid, because the twists were getting me all worked up. And I am a woman who loves some action in both books and movies.

I don’t want to giveaway any spoilers but I will say the following:

Learning About Ghizon
In Wings of Ebony, you watch Rue fight for her home in East Row. She spends time in both worlds, but you get to spend time getting to learn about her relationships with her sister Tasha, the neighborhood grandma Ms. Leola (who has me ready to bake a pound cake now) and her ex-boo Julius. In Ashes of Gold, we get to learn more not just about Ghizon, but mostly about Rue’s people. Rue now fights to save her Ghizoni people from the evil Chancellor. During her journey of becoming a leader she is also learning more about her people and their culture and traditions too.

Leadership Skills
As Rue is seen as a leader of her people because of the ancestral magic she has inherited, she must also grow and adjust to what that means for her. She must fight doubt and define for herself what a true leader is to her and what that means for how she treats people. I really enjoyed watching Rue develop as a leader in Ghizon. Her character has so much growth and she learns so much in the process of making mistakes.

Action-Packed
Ashes of Gold is action-packed and heart wrenching. There is betrayal. The love triangle continues. (You will have to let me know which team you are on, Team Julius or Team Jhamal.) Ms Leola still makes a mean Sunday dinner that will get you ready for some butt-kicking on the battlefield.

And just like in any good story that includes betrayal… there are some characters in this book that can go kick rocks. Like big ones. And I would fight them on sight. And I would also block them from Ms. Leola’s cornbread. Okay…I’m good.

The Chancellor has taken Rue captive. She wakes herself confined underground, unable to use her magic and, worse, unable to recall what happened exactly, after losing a war and many of her people. But she does know one thing for certain: her people lost a fight as a result of her inept leadership, and they may all be dead as far as she knows. She was never destined to be queen, and perhaps now everyone realises it. But there's still hope: Rue still has all of the Ancestors' leftover magic, and until they can remove that from her as well, there's still a chance for victory.

Great sequel! Rue has grown so much from the first book. I think this is also a great example of what it’s like to grow as a leader. It doesn’t happen overnight and you have to have confidence in yourself and what you bring to the table first. Also dearest Jahmal and dearest Julius. Good luck picking a ship team, accolades for both.

A fantastic sequel to WINGS OF EBONY, ASHES OF GOLD brings Rue’s journey to a fantastic end. In book 1, we watched Rue wrestle with her life and situation after her mother was murdered, and her subsequent reluctance to accept her heritage and her future as a result of having her life upended. In ASHES OF GOLD, she’s finally come into her own and became a true queen, both literally and figuratively. Rue’s tenacity, strength, and her loyalty to those she cares for was certainly one of the best parts of this book, and I’m so glad she’s finally found a place where she can find some peace. With its strong message of loyalty, family, and fighting for what’s right, this is definitely a book and series I’ll recommend over and over again.


*Many thanks to the publisher and MTMC Tours for providing a copy as part of an Instagram tour.