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.

I absolutely Loved this book! it was a joy to read and the modern southern dialect used throughout this book was so good and refreshing because I am from the south. I would recommend this book to everyone! It was also refreshing to read a fantasy written by an African American man from the south.

I just finished the audiobook of Blood at the Root by LaDarrion Williams, and I have to say, it was fantastic. The production was top-notch and really pulled me into the story's world. I love it when audiobooks go all out like this—it makes a huge difference!

I did struggle a bit with the magic system, but that’s usually a challenge for me with fantasy audiobooks, so it’s not a knock against the book itself. Even with that hiccup, I had a great time with this story.

Overall, Blood at the Root was a really enjoyable listen. If you’re into fantasy and enjoy a well-produced audiobook, definitely give this one a try!

Malik has never known how to control his powers--the first time they manifested, he was 7 years old, and his mother vanished the same night. Since then, he's been bouncing around the foster care system, desperately missing the family he once had. After he runs away with his foster brother, he discovers an extended family he never knew he had, living deep in the Louisiana Bayou. NOt only in Malik reunited with his family, he learns that his mother also had magical abilities and was once of the most talented students at Caiman University, the oldest HBCU in the United States--but here, students study magic. As Malik is reunited with people from his past, and learns about life on campus, students begin to go missing. Malik is also looking for any clues about what may have happened to his mother.

This book centers on family, love, community, history and family with beautiful world building, richly imagined lore, and complex characters. Add in the mystery and the magical school and you-like me-will be itching for the sequel.

DNFED @25%

Thank you Netgalley for the E-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book came to my attention thanks to Tiktok during the height of HAMU Tittok last year. HAMU was created by black titokers who loved Harry Potter and wanted to create a HBCU Hogwarts using the black experience and culture. Since around the same time, the video game, Hogwarts Legacy, was popular with a lot of people playing it.

For context, HBCU means Historically Black College and Universities since I am going to be saying that phrase a lot during this review.

So I started really seeing the author promoting this book calling it the Black Harry Potter with a Magical HBCU which for the most part sounded interesting. So when the arc came out I decided to request for it and got approved. I tried reading it three times and for some reason could get past the first few pages until I got the audiobook.

Let me tell you I should have listened to my subconscious and not even tried.

Why am I DNFing this book?

The author has been saying on their twitter and titkok pages as they heavily promoted this Black Magical HBCU as no black trauma which is further from the truth.

In the prologue and the first couple chapters this is what happens.

1. The prologue has the death of a parent and the first chapter has that character in the foster care system meaning they were in a single parent home to begin with. Meaning the absence of a father figure.

2. Honestly no mention of a father or father figure at all so far in the MMC life..

3. The community that the MMC was in didn’t step up for him and thought he killed his mom.

4. The potential Main Female Character was abandoned by her parents for doing magic.....

5. The MMC foster brother was abused by his foster parents.

6. The MMC pretty much didn’t even know he had a grandmother or relatives on his mama side of the family for ten years.

This is all in the first six chapters of the book. Like did he understand what black trauma actually means before saying it’s no black trauma in it?

I have been reading a lot of books with black authors with black characters and not once did these authors say that the book is not going through some kind of trauma. Hell, one of my favorite reads this year has the main two characters trying to figure out who framed their grandmother which led to her death and who killed their father. Those two characters go through a lot of shit in two books but don’t hear that author saying “Oh there is no trauma in it,”

The author is promoting this book to black boys so they can finally see themselves but have the main character hijack and steal a car in the first chapter. Something that most deniably get a black boy arrested and possibly killed for.

This book is trying so hard to appeal to blacks and the culture while still missing the mark. It doesn’t feel authentic because of it due to the fact Black Culture is not how many freaking black pop culture references you can make. You don’t need Temptations, Black Panther, Fast and the Fury or Drumline movie references for it to be black. Black Culture is using the experiences that black people can relate to. It's pretty using your own experience (not a caricature of an experience) to shape the story that people of that culture will understand.  It is just too much and it comes off as being cringe instead of something you can enjoy.

Also instead of embracing the black culture it just feels like it’s mocking it especially when it comes to how the elders laugh and do things. Also how the black church is run as well.

The author is promoting this book as a Magical HBCU but not once did the author “shout out” the HBCUs in Alabama or in general but did shout the two most popular PWI schools in Alabama. Since the book takes place in Helena, Al before it goes to Louisiana.

It’s a line in particular where the MMC is learning the name of Magical HBCU.

“I know,” I hear Mama Aya tell him. “I need you ta let him into Caiman.”Hearing that word, my mind goes back to last night, finding my mama’s college hoodie. The way they’re talking about it makes it seem like it’s University of Alabama or Auburn University.

I'm not trying to be picky but if this supposed to have a HBCU like magic school why are mentioning the two PWI "muggle" schools ( Alabama and Auburn) instead of mentioning the "muggle" HBCU's?

You know like Selma University, Tuskegee, Miles, Stillman, Alabama State University, Alabama A&M and Concordia to name a few ? It would make more sense to mention those HBCU's since you are supposed to be basing the college off of them. Granted the MMC worldview can be stunted and him not knowing about the HBCUs. You know what?  Let me take that back. Unless he went to a majority white elementary, middle and high school, he should have known about the HBCU’s because he may have had teachers that went there. 

I want to DNF faster but I wanted to wait until he got to school before I made my decision. Once I got there my mind was made up that I was not going to continue.

How the hell the dean of the school is going to show up the whole campus where we see students walking around doing magic duels, playing basketball, riding bikes and other student activities. Show murals of Kobe Bryant and Chiswick Bosman, say 15,000 students that attend, have a student exchange program show pics of past students shaking Martin Luther King.Jr. 's hand but not once mention where the hell the dorms are? 

The reason why I say this is because if you have that many students on your campus and the fact you have to teleport to the campus since it's hidden from the outside world, where the hell are that many students going to sleep? Especially the ones who come from different countries. I bring this up because the world building of this book so far is so nonexistent. How the magical system works in this book is not there either. This book needs to be better researched instead of throwing a black pop culture reference every five seconds and the MMC saying the n-word with the a on the end all the time.

So this book is not for me at all.

4.5 ⭐️

As a fantasy lover, I have always been enchanted by tales of quests and magic. The intricate world-building and the promise of escapism never fail to excite me. However, despite my love for these stories, I often found myself missing from the narratives. “Blood at the Root” by LaDarion Williams changed that for me in the most profound way.

From the very beginning, the world Williams creates is nothing short of mesmerizing. The attention to detail, the cultural richness, and the authenticity of the characters made this book an instant favorite. Being able to see my younger self in the characters was an incredible experience. The jokes, the banter, and the cultural nuances are unmatched, bringing a sense of familiarity and warmth to the story.

The main character, Malik, witnessed something unthinkable when he was 17 years old. This traumatic event haunts him for a decade, and even as a young man, he is still grieving the loss of his mother from that fateful night. Malik’s journey takes a turn when he discovers he has a grandmother, Mama Aya, who is the matriarch of magic. Enrolled at Caiman U, an HBCU for magical students, Malik begins to hone his magical abilities, learn about his ancestors, and uncover the truth about what happened that tragic night.

“Blood at the Root” is more than just a fantasy novel; it’s a coming-of-age story filled with themes of friendship, self-acceptance, betrayal, and coping with grief. The twists and turns in the plot kept me on the edge of my seat, making for an incredibly enjoyable reading experience.

LaDarion Williams has crafted a story that is both enchanting and deeply personal. I cannot wait to see what he pens next. If you’re a fan of fantasy with rich cultural elements and relatable characters, “Blood at the Root” is a must-read.

I received a digital advance copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I think I was hoping for a bit more from this book. It wasn’t bad, but I’m not 100% convinced I will pick up the next book in the series. I liked the fact that the magic system in the book was connected to Haiti, but the overall plot itself felt a little disconnected to me. I know it’s only the first book so the questions I have will probably be answered later on, but I think I was left a little too confused in this book. Also, I was able to predict the person to betray Malik pretty much as soon as the character was introduced, so there was no suspense for me there.

Thank you net galley for this amazing ARC!!!!! This blew EVERY fantasy book I’ve ever read out of the water!!!! The dialogue, the black boy joy, THE BLACK BOY MAGIC!!!!! Malik was a black YA male from Alabama whose mother was taken from him at a young age which put him into an orphanage. There is where he met 2 people who would become his lifelong family. It never sat right with him how his mother was taken- everyone said she died, but he felt it in his spirit that she was alive! He follows his gut and his magic to a MAGICAL HBCU to uncover the truth about his entire bloodline.

This book had me hooked from start to finish! Such an amazing, inspiring, BLACK EXCELLENT novel. The audio version also will make you love it a million times more. Truly a master piece!

I just can’t get over the way characters speak in this book. I am African American and it seems borderline stereotypical. I could not get past it and it made the story not enjoyable for me.

At Tome Student Literacy Society, we have a list of language and content criteria for the books we select for our annual book award list, the Tome Society Book Award. Upon a language search in this book, we discovered that it did not meet our specific criteria for language. Due to this, we elected not to finish this book for review purposes for our organization. We would like to thank the publisher for the opportunity to review an e-book of this title.

If you are looking for a book that centers on a Black teen who discovers magic at a university, then this book is for you. Malik is a emancipated teen who decided to get his brother from a toxic household. But when go sideways, he is thrust in a world full of Hoodoo and ancestral magic.

This book does not read like a debut novel! Going into it I was expecting a more teen feeling story and that is absolutely not what it was. This story follows 17 year old Malik on the run with his foster brother when he suddenly finds a family that he never knew existed. Malik has been in the foster system since he was 7 years old and the world thinks he killed him mom along with a room full of people. Now finding himself with a grandmother who does not have all the answers she promised, he is thrust into magic school where he begins to unravel the mysteries of his mom's past and what really happened that night 10 years ago. I enjoyed how mature Malik was in his actions but at the same time you saw his child self who was holding on to feelings of hurt and abandonment. Malik's protectiveness over his brother had me all the way in my feels. This story gave me similar vibes of a mix between Children of Blood and Bone and the Percy Jackson series, the later making sense since the author speaks about it in his author's note. I just love reading about books that have black main characters with magic. What made this story stand out to me was that it was not just about black trauma as we know it today but a story about Malik's life and his heritage while also touching on what non-magical black people go through in the everyday world. It was a perfect blend of the two. The ending while slightly predictable on who would reveal themselves in the end (I am a cynical reader I have learned never to trust anyone especially in fantasies 😂) was immensely entertaining and has me excited for book two. Will definitely be tuning in to see what's next for Malik.

For fans of Legendborn, you’ll absolutely eat this book up too. I loved being able to learn about different cultural practices while also being in a fantasy setting! The pacing was a little bit slow which is to be expected with all the world building so that didn’t bother me at all.

This book was like a breath of fresh air. I enjoyed this book because of the cast diversity, writing style, and fantasy elements. This author is surely on his way and I look forward to reading what he creates next!