Trigger Warnings: Family death, foster care system, mentions of assault

Ten years ago, Malik’s life changed forever when his mother mysteriously vanished into green smoke and he discovered he had uncontrollable powers. Now at seventeen, Malik’s kept his powers hidden, focusing on looking out for himself and his younger foster brother, Taye. However, after a daring act to rescue Taye, Malik’s found an unexpected connection to his magical ties and to a hidden magical university his mother attended.

At Caiman University, a door opens for a future Malik never could have envisioned for himself - one with magic, and one that includes Alexis, his first love. His search for answers about his heritage, his powers, and what really happened to his mother exposes cracks in the magical community - feuding covens, magical politics, forbidden knowledge, and buried mysteries. While digging, Malik also discovers the reawakened evil dating back to the Haitian Revolution.

I actually found this book through LaDarrion Willam’s TikTok, right as he was getting ready to publish it - I’ve only just now been able to read and review it. I knew I was going to like this novel, but I didn’t think I would love it as much as I did. This book is action packed and will keep readers turning page after page with anticipation as to what’s to come.

I both read and listened to the audiobook and I would highly recommend giving the audiobook a listen to, because Jalyn Hall does a phenomenal job at the dictation and appropriate inflections needed for the dialogue to feel genuine. There were also a few sound effects and music that played along with it and gave it a nice atmosphere.

Overall, a wonderful POC magical YA novel written in a world that Malik is still learning about (so readers can too). I’m definitely keeping my eyes out for the second book in the series.

*Thank you Labyrinth Road and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Williams' fantasy novel is a wonderful read! I loved the world building and character development. He has set up an amazing series and I am looking forward to the next book already.

Ladarrion Williams crafts a breathtaking story with Blood at the Root, blending magic, history, and a pulse-pounding mystery. When we meet Malik, he’s not your typical teenager. Haunted by his mother’s disappearance and hiding powers he barely understands, he’s just trying to survive with his younger foster brother, Taye. But a single act of courage shatters his quiet life, revealing a lost heritage and a powerful connection to his grandmother, a legendary conjurer.

I LOVED this book so much. I saw it compared to Legend born quite a bit and I think that's a fair comparison. I really enjoyed it and I am really looking forward to more from this author. I always love seeing Black storytellers tell stories in which we are the main characters and the chosen ones for once and that was definitely the case here. I loved this book and I'm so happy it exists

I was intrigued by the concept of Black boys having magic in a world that tells them they're just the supporting character, but ultimately I was disappointed by this book. I love diverse fantasy and I pretty much grab most fantasy with a diverse cast but this book was a little too derivative of Harry Potter for me, complete with a Chosen One who grew up as an orphan who learns his magical powers late.

It basically read like Harry Potter centering Blackness at a magical HBCU. And the magic was built on generational trauma in a story that starts with the main character, Malik, abandoned by his magical family for the last 10 years, bouncing through the foster system after his mother dies in a horrific accident when he was seven and everyone believes he killed her. He kidnaps his little foster brother to run away from abuse when the story opens. The story is sold as the usual Black boys don't die at the end tale, but there was a ton of trauma and death in this story, even though the MC stays with us.

Then he finds out he has a famous magical grandmother and enrolls at Caiman University, where he's reunited with another magical Black girl whom he knew for six months when they were seven at an orphanage. He hopes to find answers about his mother at college, who may still be alive and went down a dark path in her youth.

I enjoyed the academic, magical school portions of the world; it does a good job of showing college life, parties and attending classes, and I appreciated the clever CaimanTea social media app. The magic system rooted in ancestral power was intriguing.

And I could forgive Malik for some of his shallowness and rudeness because he is a 17-year-old boy who's been through a lot and has no reason to trust anyone and the audience for this book is 17-year-old Black boys. I may be in a phase of being off YA for awhile, some of the themes are just too young for me. I appreciate YA when the themes are universal.

There was a bit of biphobia when a bi boy was referred to as being "sexually fluid" and there was a nod to including queer characters, but these characters often seemed one-dimensional and only men and amabs were queer; women were all straight and sexually objectified "baddies". Alexis, the love interest, had an uneven character development and I didn't feel the chemistry between the two; Malik acted like he owned her because they had a special connection when they were seven and didn't speak for 10 years. It felt like Alexis was just stringing him along and Malik didn't know her as an adult or respect her activism.

The writing style was also hard to read because a lot of the book was written in AAVE and not just in dialogue; for me I think it would have worked better as an audio book. It was also just too long and I ended up speed-reading the last half.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I cried. Malik’s heartbreak in the end over his mother had me in tears. I loved the setting of this, incredibly immersive.

Thank you for the chance to read and review but after further consideration, I don’t think that this is the right book for me at this time.

This book fills a much-needed gap in the literature. Magical stories have existed in all religions, and I found this take on the "Magical School" refreshing. Making the school and HBCU provided the perfect vehicle for making magic non-Eurocentrically-American, and it gives all the Black traditions a place in the conversation. Not every spell has to be cast in Latin, and wands aren't serious.

Malik's journey is scary and fun. His love for his brother transcends blood ties, and his stumbles at making friends, and at romance feel authentic. I wonder at the YA rating for a college-age character, but I have my suspicions about how that happened.

There are some clunky scenes with some of the young people, but overall, I love the representation. This generations gets it! Not all of the characters feel real, and I will need to see more of Malik's mother's backstory to truly understand her motivations. I look forward to the next installment!

Absolutely loved this cover! And a heard this is a series so I have more to look forward to. Had to buy a physical copy to add to my library.

This was a fresh new book about a young man who finds out there is a whole magical world he knows nothing about. Malik spent most of the book unravelling the secrets of his life. This book kept me on the edge of my seat and I really loved it.

🌟🌟🌟🌟½

*Blood at the Root* by LaDarrion Williams is a powerful and thought-provoking novel that delves deep into themes of identity, community, and the impact of systemic injustice. Williams’ writing is both lyrical and incisive, drawing readers into a world that is rich with emotion and urgency.

The characters are vividly portrayed, each navigating their own struggles and triumphs in a society that often feels unforgiving. Williams captures their complexities beautifully, making it easy to empathize with their journeys. The narrative is filled with moments of raw honesty, prompting readers to reflect on their own perceptions and biases.

The pacing is generally strong, though there are moments where the narrative could have benefitted from a bit more focus on certain subplots. However, the overall impact of the story more than compensates for this, as Williams masterfully weaves together personal and political narratives.

The book’s exploration of heritage and resilience is both timely and timeless, making it a must-read for anyone interested in social justice and the power of storytelling. *Blood at the Root* is an unforgettable debut that will resonate with readers long after they turn the last page.

Highly recommended!

fun fantasy with cool ideas and strong motifs. would recommend this wry and insightful take on fantasy academia

First let me say, I've been looking forward to this book. I've heard so much about it and the author has been on my FYP for months. In addition, The premise of the book was also very interesting, an HBCU for magic practitioners! A black Harry Potter, a book about black boy joy! No racial trauma! I couldn't wait. You can't imagine my disappointment.

There were so many things that pulled me out of the story that I don't know where to start. I guess we can start with the book being marketed as "no trauma", and black boy joy," There is nothing joyful about Malik. The book literally starts with trauma.

Let's deal with the language. This book read like a white person wrote it. A white person who thought they were speaking "black". I expected to read "jive turkey" at some point. It was that bad. So many "ain't, finna, fasho!" etc it was ridiculous! The way words were continually being dragged out "cuuute, gooood, dayuuuum" I HAAAATED it. No one talks like that. Then Mama Aya would say "baybeh" in one place, then back to saying "baby" which is it?

Now let's talk about the kreyol. I am a native speaker and my feelings were hurt. The way the language was spoken in the book, it was clear the author didn't check with a native speaker. The words were translated word for word, and any linguist will tell you that is not always the best way. I was so disappointed.

Here's the thing, this story has potential. I LOVE the premise and I BELIEVE in the author's talent. This story could be so good, a rewrite and a better editor will save it. An editor who takes more time to research the culture that is being represented. Someone who respects the culture. Because it felt like cosplay to me. The author did not display a love or respect for the folklore he is borrowing from. I hate the fact that I couldn't love the book, but I felt so insulted, I simply couldn't go on. If a re-write is done, I would absolutely love to read the final version, but I'm sure at this point, it wouldn't be possible. Sadly this book will not have done much to provide the diaspora with a story that I think they are ready and asking for.

This was an interesting story and I appreciate it for what it is and for what the author was trying to do with it. There were sone things I didn’t like but overall it was a good read and I’m looking forward to continuing on in the series to see what comes next for Malik.

This was a great read with a magical school that still teaches math and English. The main focus is on the POC characters and their deep connection to their ancestors. I definitely enjoyed it and found it to be informative as well.

I’m not understanding the hype surrounding this book. It was written as a manual for non-poc people into our culture as presented by media. The writing was elementary at best. I won’t be picking up another thing by this author and shocked it was even published.

I was so excited to read Blood at the Root, billed as a “Black Harry Potter” . At times, it was difficult to read because of all the slang, I used to speak slang when I was a teen, but reading it was not the same. I love the idea of the book, but it's just not for me.

This was my first venture into a book that features a Black main character that goes to a magical HBCU. I was drawn to it for the unique approach to storytelling and opportunity to be exposed to a new world on ancestral magic. What I got was a bit of a mess that it took me way too long to sort through. Ultimately, I did finish the book because I thought in the final moments some light would be shed on what was going on. When you're writing a book that lays out a complicated magical history, the key for me is to make it clear the timeframes for events, people involved, and how those people are related to/interact with other people. Malik, the main character, is really just beginning to uncover his family legacy and I honestly at times was so lost on the different magical characters, their powers, who hates/loves who, who is allied with who, etc. that I almost had to start writing things down and making connections. The beginning of the book wasn't bad because it set a good baseline, but things just got complicated. I got the impression that there is a rich family history of magic that I think provides great material for future books. I just recommend the author consider laying things out a bit better and sticking with a certain timeframe and characters.

This book was spectacular! I really enjoyed the magical system rooted in African/Haitian culture. This all black cast of characters are beautiful and diverse. The mystery, secrets, and revelations kept me hooked throughout the book. The found family and romantic subplot were beautifully written. Most importantly the black MC was allowed to feel a full range of emotions, he was allowed to be vulnerable, scared and brave. I highly recommend this book!

As a fan of books like Legendborn, I thought this was a great book. I can see many of my students enjoying the fantasy and plot of this story. There are some stereotypical sections that could be concerning like where Malik hijacks a car but it was still a overall great book.