Eden Royce leans into settings as well, whether it’s the Lowcountry of her middle-grade debut, Root Magic, or the mansions of New Charleston’s elite in her adult fiction debut, Psychopomp and Circumstance (out in October). The historical fantasy leans into a Southern Gothic atmosphere, as Phee, a woman who wants nothing more than to live her own life by aging out of the marriage market, takes on the role of pomp for her outcast aunt’s funeral. That means traveling to her aunt’s home and discovering the secrets that linger between life and death. “I often write about mystery and magic interacting in a real-world setting without exact and definitive explanation as to why it’s occurring,” she told Paste. “That may come from my love of folklore, fairy tales, and my people’s storytelling traditions, and doesn’t change from adult to kids.”


Though her adult work uses more literary devices, Royce is also very conscious of never dumbing down her work for middle graders. “Kids are pretty savvy about a lot of topics that adults don’t always give them credit for,” she says.

She went to bat for young readers with Root Magic after being told that the publisher didn’t use dialect in middle-grade novels. “I said that the book didn’t work without the Gullah and Geechee language and speech patterns,” Royce explained. “Thankfully, my editor took it upon himself to read up on the history of creolized languages and told me that he would trust me on this aspect of the book, and I’m glad he did. The reception for Root Magic broke down a lot of barriers to creolized language use in books for younger readers, and I’m delighted to see that.”

This book has kind of a mystical vibe, and I love that. Phee, the FMC, performs a labor of love by agreeing to perform the homegoing or pomp for her recently deceased aunt that has long been estranged from her family. For everything this book was trying to do, I felt it was too short. I wish there had been more world building and more magic system background.
3.5 stars

This book started a little slow for me but picked up half way through. It focuses on self discovery. Phee’s mother is focused on her daughter getting married which is different from what Phee wants for her own life. Phee wants to work and not be told what to do, when her aunt dies, Phee decides she will plan the funeral. Partly because her mother refused and then partly because she wants to get away. While planning, Phee is able to determine what makes her happy and what path is best for her. Overall the book was okay. I give it 3.5