Yuuup, I’m still working my way through posting about books I read months ago, because life has just been like that. ANYWAY.
I was fascinated overall by Blood at the Root by LaDarrion Williams–for one thing, the story takes place at a MAGICAL HBCU. Talk about taking the “magical school” trope in a cool new direction! Also, it encompasses magic systems that go beyond traditional Western fantasy, particularly Haitian lore and how it filtered down into the traditions followed by main character Malik’s family in Louisiana.
Malik, at 17, has kept his uncontrollable magic powers hidden for the past ten years–ever since his mother vanished, setting off a chain of events that put him into foster care. Now, he and his younger foster brother Taye are on a journey to meet with Malik’s long-lost grandmother, who informs him of a magical legacy and heritage that he never knew about and is (understandably) wary of. But once he starts classes at Caiman University, where his mother studied, his life begins to change. He meets a cute girl, Alexis, and makes friends. But the headmaster seems to have it out for him, and what’s more, an ancient evil magic is reawakening, putting his family and friends in danger.
I appreciated the portrayal of found/chosen family in this story. Malik shows a lot of character growth, from being closed in and afraid of his own power to having the courage to do what’s right, protect loved ones, and make hard moral choices. It was really neat to see a story set at a historically black college of magic, and I enjoyed the variety of characters from different socioeconomic backgrounds and gender identities. At times the pacing seemed a little slow to me–it bogged down in a couple of places–but I thought it was interesting that the author is a screenwriter, and this is his first foray into novel writing. I could see his screenwriting chops in the facility with which he handled Malik’s narrative voice, and the story’s speech and dialogue as a whole, though there was a lot of slang (a LOT), which might not be to everyone’s taste. But Malik was a very relatable main character, and it’s nice to see a Black boy as the hero of a fantasy novel. His voice was vivid, and the premise was intriguing. I was left with a few questions about how the magic worked, but it was an enjoyable read overall, and definitely stands out for its originality.
