Blood at the Root (Blood at the Root, #1)

by Ladarrion Williams

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A COSMOPOLITAN BEST YA BOOK OF THE YEAR

A teenager on the run from his past finds the family he never knew existed and the community he never knew he needed at an HBCU for the young, Black, and magical. Enroll in the debut of a fresh fantasy series unlike anything you've seen before.

“Brings magical living to an HBCU in an unforgettable young adult adventure.”—People

Ten years ago, Malik's life changed forever the night his mother mysteriously vanished and he discovered he had uncontrollable powers. Since then, he has kept his abilities hidden, looking out for himself and his younger foster brother, Taye. Now, at 17, Malik is finally ready to start a new life for both of them, far from the trauma of his past. However, a daring act to rescue Taye reveals an unexpected connection with his long-lost grandmother: a legendary conjurer with ties to a hidden magical university that Malik’s mother attended.

At Caiman University, Malik’s eyes are opened to a future he never could have envisioned for himself—one that includes the reappearance of his first love, Alexis. His search for answers about his heritage, his powers, and what really happened to his mother exposes the cracks in their magical community as it faces a reawakened evil dating back to the Haitian Revolution. Together with Alexis, Malik discovers a lot beneath the surface at Caiman: feuding covens and magical politics, forbidden knowledge and buried mysteries. 

In a wholly unique saga of family, history and community, Malik must embrace his legacy to save what's left of his old family as well as his new one. Exploring the roots and secrets that connect us in an unforgettable contemporary setting, this heart-pounding fantasy series opener is a rich tapestry of atmosphere, intrigue, and emotion.

• ISBN10: 0593711920
• ISBN13: 9780593711927
• Publish Date: 7 May 2024
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Random House Children's Books
• Imprint: Labyrinth Road
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 432
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780593711927

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Blood at the Root is the first volume of a YA fantasy/wizardy series by LaDarrion Williams. Released 7th May 2024 by Penguin Random House on their Labyrinth Road imprint (YA/Children's), it's 432 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback format due out in second quarter 2025 from the same publisher. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links throughout. 

There are so few books written with a strong, well rounded, positively rendered, three dimensional person of color in the MC role that it's refreshing, (and sadly often remarkable) when it happens. It's especially notable when YA novels feature young men in a not-primarily-romantic role, and this one has both, and is quite readable and engaging in addition. 

There's a thread of unresolved mystery from the past, a solid setup, an appealing MC, a HBCU school setting (for magical types), however, the book has been marketed as racial trauma free, and that's not accurate, there is a fair bit of open reality-driven racist commentary/judgement (well deserved) on the foster care system as it's implemented in the USA (sadly). There's also a *lot* of racist(ish?) misogynoir which made me wince (women are represented as either oversexed or elderly, and there's a lot of twerking going on).

Other readers have commented on the jargon/Creole language. Although not competent to comment on the accuracy, it's certainly noticeable and prevalent. 

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 14 hours and 54 minutes and is capably read by Jalyn Hall. He has a well rounded pleasantly modulated voice and is easy to listen to. Sound and production quality are high throughout the read.

Three and a half stars. It would make a good choice for fans of dark academia, YA fantasy, or a good buddy read. It's potentially a bit edgy for public school library acquisition (given the challenges happening across the USA), but should be fine for public library acquisition. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.