I truly wanted to like this book. I was excited for an own voices book about a POC. And for it to be fantasy, which is one of my favorite genres. I love dark academia, as well. Unfortunately, it just did not settle well with me. I felt the language was forced more than authentic. Like it was being used because it had to be used to make a point, rather than used because that is truly how the characters spoke. I felt the book was hitting on all the stereotypes people want to get away from. The world building wasn't there at all; super important when you're writing fantasy. I feel like the author didn't do his research at all when it came to magical systems and how they might be perceived or used in a modern world. And, the elements that were used were almost directly from Harry Potter. It was unoriginal. The characters were poorly developed, as well. I had zero connection to them. I could not find empathy for them. And, most of all, it felt like it was being written by a white person who was trying their hardest to write as a Black person. What a shame as this book, having been done right, could have really been special for young Black boys and for those wanting to learn more about POC. Finally, this book could have gone through a lot more editing. I feel if it had, the above surely would have been realized and changes could have been made to make it feel more genuine. I see it slated to be a trilogy and I hope the publisher and author can see the constructive criticism in the reviews that are posted and use them to their advantage.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin RandomHouse for providing me with a copy of this book to read and give my honest review.

I applaud this book 👏🏿👏🏿 I have never read a story like this before from a male perspective and I loved every minute of Malik’s journey to discovering his true potential and finally healing from that hurt that happened 7 years ago. I can’t wait for more of this story.

Marketing this as “trauma-free” is not only inaccurate, it’s harmful. The prologue begins with Malik seeing his mother seemingly murdered in their home. Once he arrives at Caiman, he learns about a slew of kidnappings of Black girls, which leads to a disturbing flashback scene of one girl’s capture, assault, and subsequent murder. This might be a story where Black boys “just get to be the hero for once”, but for Black girls and women, it’s gruesome.

One fateful night changed the course of Malik Baron’s life, when magic became the dividing force between Malik and his mother. Ever since he was seven years old, Malik has been shuffled from one foster home to another, trying his best to make it in the world without any family to guide him. Now that Malik is seventeen, he is prepared to find a better life with his foster brother Taye. What he does not expect is to discover a grandmother he never knew he had and the chance to attend a college for people with magic just like his. Despite his initial reluctance, Malik agrees to attend Caiman Univesity, because it is perhaps the only place that will have all the answers he seeks.

This contemporary fiction novel takes readers on a journey through the childhood of a boy who had to survive in a world that never truly made sense. Instead of being exciting, Malik’s magic is frightening and ultimately distances him from most of the people he encounters. However, attending a college with thousands of other students with similar abilities helps Malik to process some of the trauma of his childhood and feel as though he is a part of something larger than himself. While the writing and development of the story are not the strongest, the premise of the novel is engaging enough for readers to continue through to the end.

Because the narrative is told in the first person from Malik’s perspective, readers are only able to experience the world through his eyes and voice. Malik has a clear and memorable speaking style that has a strong Southern cadence and rhythm. Additionally, it is filled with frequent slang and profanity, which may not suit all readers. Though the vocabulary can be jarring at times, its incorporation makes Malik feel like a real person and not just a character in a book. Poised for a sequel, this novel is a good fit for readers who enjoy African magic, language, and culture, especially within the context of a boy who was largely ignored by society for much of his youth. It is a unique addition to library collections for mature readers.

This was such a fantastic first book in the series, and I cannot believe I must wait for the next one. Characters you will easily root for, exciting twists and turns, and fun story/world-building!

I found this world to be fresh and utterly thrilling and so different from what I'm used to seeing in the best way. The shocks at the end held my attention and I am excited to dive into book two!

Did not end up finishing, but what I read was strong, just sadly not my favorite. The world building was solid, and the author has a strong voice that really shines. My issues lie in the pacing; I read 40% and felt that the plot lacked a strong narrative line to move it forward. There were hints at where we were going, but the characters were not strong enough to lead this as a character study. I could see myself enjoying this physically or as an audiobook, and would attempt again later. I still will recommend this to patrons, because I appreciate the work and goal of the author, and hope it finds its way to readers who need it.

Did not finish this book. I could not buy into the magic and characters--it may be a good choice for some but not for our library.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children's for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.

A very fun, fast-paced magical story set in a Black college separated from the non-magical world. Malik is a hothead with lots of love for his brother, Taye, and will protect him at all costs.

Admittedly, it got a bit confusing to me toward the end with the plot twists every 5 seconds like a soap opera, but I can understand why since publishers are reluctant to give series a chance to grow anymore and demand everything to be condensed in 1 book. I wish this book was spread out across 4 books--there was certainly enough content in it for that much.

Unlike some reviewers, I did enjoy the pop culture references, Everyone has their preferences, though.

Still, an enjoyable read and a much-needed addition to the slowly growing Black magic book collection!

This is a book takes place in a magic university (not high school!) for Black students and faculty. That said, the two weakest points in the story, for me, were the magic system and the school setting. As far as magic goes, there appear to be no rules. Most of the magic seems to consist of flipping cars over or using the powers of your mind to break someone else's bones and twist them up like a pretzel. But anybody could do it: first-years, seniors, teachers. Main character Malik can call down a storm, his uncle has death magic, and his grandmother can turn shadows into fierce animals that attack at her command, but everybody else does the same things: flip cars, choke people from a distance, break bones with their minds, and just shoot magical energy at each other. I don't know that I've seen a magical system so underdeveloped. I guess the sky was the limit, but it was just chaos to me.

There were some things about the school that were really well done. My favorite part is when the main character steals something from a special collection at the library, which has special wards in place. The dorms are described in great detail. I feel like I have actually sat in the chancellor's office. The students all share an app, which wasn't a thing back when I was in college but probably actually is now, and that's a good idea for sharing news. But other than that, I believe we only attend two classes with Malik, when he is brand new at the school and doesn't know anything about anything. I feel like the reader missed out on a lot of the college experience that we could have been shown. There are some "magic duels" on campus but again, the magic system is so random, it was just people throwing magic energy at each other and I wasn't really invested in the outcomes of those battles. At least when the bad guys attacked, they flung cars. lol

Okay, those are my only real complaints. As for the rest, the plot of this book was really cool! There were a lot of twists at the end I didn't see coming. (And one that was a little too obvious, but it's fine. You still feel the impact.) It was complex without being convoluted.

Main character Malik rescues his adopted brother Taye from abusive foster parents using his powers, then they go on the run. Their escape plan is complicated when Taye has a diabetic episode, having forgotten his medication at the foster home, then a stranger appears (favorite character alert!!!) to show Malik that he has the power to heal, not just harm. And he guides the boys on their journey to Malik's long-lost grandmother and the secret college for conjurers.

Malik has plenty of challenges ahead of him. He's met family he didn't know he had, navigating a new school, trying to figure out if his childhood crush still feels the same. There's a faction of evil spellcasters kidnapping and killing students from the university, and he's finding out more about the mother he never knew than bargained for.

There are a lot of characters in this book and they're very entertaining. Uncle Samedi is my favorite. To me he was just so unique and interesting. He's more of a necromancer than the general run-of-the-mill mages in the book. He didn't seem quite human. I liked the students and faculty at the school a lot. They gave the book some flavor and sometimes even comic relief. I felt like there was a good balance of queer content, too. And it keeps you guessing the way some characters seem to walk a fine line between "good guy" and "bad guy," like the school chancellor, another of my faves.

I'd be glad to read more in this series, but hope some of the kinks will be worked out in the future.

4.5 stars
I was super interested in this after the authors video about the book came up on my FYP. This was such a cool, interesting read. I can’t wait for it to come out so I can talk to customers about it!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this book.

The book was very deep. I enjoyed the storyline, character and plot. The book was often hard to follow due to the language and at times disturbing.

It is nor a book I would recommend for younger teens. Perhaps older more mature teens and adults.

Four stars for me with content warning.

I wanted to give the authors a benefit of the doubt because when I started reading this, I knew people were going to struggle with the vernacular but ultimately that isn’t why I haven’t been able to finish it. I’m just not sure the storytelling is at the level it needs to be.

DNF at 11%. I really need authors to do just a tiny bit of research about diabetes before throwing a type one diabetic character into your book to raise the stakes. Insulin lowers blood sugar. If someone forgot their insulin, their blood sugar would be high. The fact that Malik doesn't know the basics of his brothers diabetes and then almost lets him die is just too much. Just pick something else, please. Misinformation about diabetes causes real harm in the world. The fact that the publisher let this get to print this way is a huge red flag.

An amazing story for the culture! A Black boy lead, a magical world, New Orleans and the ancestral magic!! This book kept me on the edge of my seat and kept me guessing until the end. I enjoyed the insight into the inner workings of the school and daily life which can sometimes be missing from academia fantasy books. The worldbuilding was thoughtful and intentional and I'm looking forward to the continuation of the story. Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the e-arc.

It took a bit to get into the voice (but I’m glad it’s written as it is!) and I still don’t totally understand the magic system, but I’ll still read the sequel that this book was basically a big setup for (definitely didn’t guess the twists)

From the moment I saw the captivating cover and read the intriguing synopsis, I knew I had to get my hands on this book. And while the beginning was a bit rough and sometimes hard to follow, I stuck with it and I'm glad I did.

Despite some predictable parts, there were a couple of twists that kept me engaged and eager to see what would happen next. I hope in the next installment we get to see more growth from Malik, and I am definitely looking forward to seeing more of Taye. While this book didn't completely meet all of my expectations, I'm grateful that I saw it through to the end. Overall, a good read that left me wanting more.

Thanks to Random House Children's | Labyrinth Road for the ARC and opportunity to provide an honest review.

This was one of my most anticipated releases cuz the world needs more stories centered on Black boy joy and that cover? A masterpiece! Everything I saw made me think this book would be a new favorite, and I couldn’t wait to read it. Sadly, it is a DNF (at 11%) for me. It was hard to get into at first so I let it sit for a few days to recalibrate my brain and restarted it, and as I got into the rhythm of the writing it had potential, but for a book that purports to be about joy, it’s a really rough start. Maybe I’ll give this another chance when the final edition releases, but for now this book just is not for me.

I was eager to read this book after seeing the author on tiktok promoting it. I received an ARC and this is my review:

I really wanted to love, but I think it needed some more...detail/oomph? Something. I feel like the world building was lacking. As for the magical aspects, I think there could have been more work done fleshing out how it works and tying it to real world beliefs to help blend the magical/non-magical worlds. Loved that we were given a magical HBCU. but wish it was fleshed out a little better as well.

That being said, I loved the voice of the narrator and the concept of the novel.

I really liked the concept of this book and was excited to receive an ARC. I found parts of the book though confusing and some of the phrasing hard to understand. There was a lot to keep track of in this book but in the end I found it action packed and the element of fantasy and magic at a HBCU unique. Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.