Black

Being Black is more than a skin color -- it's a shared history of the African-American experience in America, Afrocentric roots, culture, music, art, family, faith and now, in these featured sci-fi and fantasy books, it's the future! More than the standard issue science fiction, some novels are rooted in Africa as she was, could have been, or can become in the distant and not-so-distant future. Other novels of the sword and sorcerer genre have an African-based background and influences instead of using the American/European, becoming a new experience known as "sword and soul".

If you have great suggestion for other books or would like to submit a book review, please go to the "Contact" page and send it to me.

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Ben Aaronovitch

The UK Front cover

Midnight Riot (US) / Rivers of London (UK) (Ages 15+)
"My name is Peter Grant and until January I was just probationary constable in that mighty army for justice known to all right-thinking people as the Metropolitan Police Service (and as the Filth to everybody else). My only concerns in life were how to avoid a transfer to the Case Progression Unit - we do paperwork so real coppers don't have to - and finding a way to climb into the panties of the outrageously perky WPC Leslie May. Then one night, in pursuance of a murder inquiry, I tried to take a witness statement from someone who was dead but disturbingly voluable, and that brought me to the attention of Inspector Nightingale, the last wizard in England. Now I'm a Detective Constable and a trainee wizard, the first apprentice in fifty years, and my world has become somewhat more complicated: nests of vampires in Purley, negotiating a truce between the warring god and goddess of the Thames, and digging up graves in Covent Garden ...and there's something festering at the heart of the city I love, a malicious vengeful spirit that takes ordinary Londoners and twists them into grotesque mannequins to act out its drama of violence and despair. The spirit of riot and rebellion has awakened in the city, and it's falling to me to bring order out of chaos - or die trying." Some sexual innuendos and language (an F-bomb is on the first page in a quote from the protagonist's father) may be disturbing to young teens and parents, however, I think that any older teen or young adult will thoroughly enjoy this murder mystery/fantasy romp through London.

From Fangs For The Fantasy: "...The protagonist is a mixed race man and many of the side-characters are POC as well. Not only POC but they are POC that both lack stereotypes and carry a full sense of their own culture. Peter doesn’t just avoid being a stereotypical black man, but he also carries his culture with him – from his parents cooking to his family – his race isn’t just a descriptor that’s included in the beginning then forgotten and the same applies to Beverly Brook, she’s more than just a racial descriptor. And I absolutely loved that Mama Thames (feuding with Old Father Thames) is a Nigerian woman. Who is awesome. In fact, in every scene we are reminded that London is a multi-cultural, worldwide city, there is a global feel that London has – too many books show London made up of a universal white, British population when it so clearly isn’t true..." To read the rest of the review, please click here.

From The Book Smugglers: "... Plot-wise, Rivers of London is a mix of whodunit and politics placing its protagonist in a position of having to play detective and diplomat. The first part takes place as he deals with the horrible crimes that are happening all over London – and the answer to this mystery and who is behind the killer is AWESOME and I can’t really say more about that to avoid spoiling the fun. But it is certainly very theatrical and I loved that part. But not as much as observing Peter having to deal with the embodiment of the Rivers of London – Mother Thames, Father Thames and their daughters and sons (smaller rivers and minor estuaries) – and the mythology created around them. Both arcs are quite clever and expertly handled by the author.

"Equally clever is how the setting, the city of London is incorporated into the story: not only its rivers and its history come to life (literally. No, seriously) but Peter makes his way all over the place. Living in England and having visited London countless times, it is great to see a place that I love on paper and with such vivid colours too. And if there is one word that I would like to use to describe the book it would be: britishness (Microsoft Office, I do NOT mean brutishness). Rivers of London is filled to brim with it: it permeates the setting, the writing, the humour and above all, its main character, Peter. ..." To read the rest of the review, please click here.

Moon Over Soho (Ages 15+)
"BODY AND SOUL

"The song. That’s what London constable and sorcerer’s apprentice Peter Grant first notices when he examines the corpse of Cyrus Wilkins, part-time jazz drummer and full-time accountant, who dropped dead of a heart attack while playing a gig at Soho’s 606 Club. The notes of the old jazz standard are rising from the body — a sure sign that something about the man’s death was not at all natural but instead supernatural.

"Body and soul — they’re also what Peter will risk as he investigates a pattern of similar deaths in and around Soho. With the help of his superior officer, Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale, the last registered wizard in England, and the assistance of beautiful jazz aficionado Simone Fitzwilliam, Peter will uncover a deadly magical menace — one that leads right to his own doorstep and to the squandered promise of a young jazz musician: a talented trumpet player named Richard 'Lord' Grant — otherwise known as Peter’s dear old dad."

Whispers Underground (Ages 15+)
"A WHOLE NEW REASON TO MIND THE GAP

"It begins with a dead body at the far end of Baker Street tube station, all that remains of American exchange student James Gallagher — and the victim’s wealthy, politically powerful family is understandably eager to get to the bottom of the gruesome murder. The trouble is, the bottom — if it exists at all — is deeper and more unnatural than anyone suspects . . . except, that is, for London constable and sorcerer’s apprentice Peter Grant. With Inspector Nightingale, the last registered wizard in England, tied up in the hunt for the rogue magician known as 'the Faceless Man,' it’s up to Peter to plumb the haunted depths of the oldest, largest, and — as of now — deadliest subway system in the world.

"At least he won’t be alone. No, the FBI has sent over a crack agent to help. She’s young, ambitious, beautiful . . . and a born-again Christian apt to view any magic as the work of the devil. Oh yeah — that’s going to go well."

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Elizabeth Amisu
Sacerdos (The Sacerdos Mysteries) (Ages 13+)
"The Mysteries tell the story of Caelara, a young girl whose difficult existence with her alcoholic father is turned upside down when she discovers she has the power to manipulate the elements. Before she knows it she is enrolled into the Sacerdos Institution, a school for gifted youths, where she meets pupils with different talents from a world that she never knew existed. Caelara’s special skills place her in the order of Alatius, the order of sky and sea, and soon she and the other astute members of the Elite are drafted into republican war to defend the life of people that Caelara is growing to love.

"Elizabeth has created a new language and painted the world of Terra Magna with vivid clarity, a world where workers are replaced with golems, elements are there to be manipulated and being gifted means you are in the heart of danger." Violence, death, and description of the father's alcoholism may be disturbing to young teens.

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Julianna Baggott
The Prince of Fenway Park (Grades 5+ / Ages 11+)
"Twelve-year-old Oscar Egg believes he is cursed, just like the Red Sox. His real parents didn't want him, and now his adopted mom has dumped him off to live with his strange, sickly dad.

"But there's something Oscar doesn't know. The Boston Red Sox really are cursed, and not just because they sold Babe Ruth in 1919. Someone deliberately jinxed the team, and the secret to breaking the Curse lies deep below Fenway Park, with Oscar's dad and the Cursed Creatures, a group that has been doomed to live out their miserable lives below Fenway until the Curse is broken.

"Oscar knows he can be the one to break the Curse, allowing the Red Sox to finally win the World Series and setting the Cursed Creatures free. But some of the creatures are angry. Some don't want the Curse broken. Some want Oscar, and the Red Sox, to fail and remain cursed forever." Note that racial issues are addressed and the N-word is used in the historical context of the Red Sox and baseball.

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Balogun
MOSES: The Chronicles of Harriet Tubman (Book 1: Kings) (Ages 18+)
“I’m gon’ drive the evil out and send it back to Hell, where it belong!” – Harriet Tubman: Freedom fighter. Psychic. Soldier. Spy. Something…more. Much more.

"In MOSES: The Chronicles of Harriet Tubman (Book 1: Kings), Balogun masterfully transports you to a world of wonder…of horror…of amazing inventions, captivating locales and extraordinary people. In this novel of dark fantasy (with a touch of Steampunk), Harriet Tubman must match wits and power with the sardonic John Wilkes Booth and a team of hunters with powers beyond this world in order to save herself, her teenaged nephew, Ben and a little girl in her care – Margaret. But is anyone who, or what, they seem?" Dark themes, graphic violence and some sexual references.

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Once Upon A Time In Afrika (Ages 13+)
"An exciting Sword and Soul tale by Balogun Ojetade, Once Upon a Time in Afrika tells the story of a beautiful princess and her eager suitors. Desperate to marry off his beautiful but 'tomboyish' daughter, Esuseeke, the Emperor of Oyo consults the Oracle. The Oracle tells the Emperor that Esuseeke must marry the greatest warrior in all Onile (Afrika). To determine who is the greatest warrior, the Emperor hosts a grand martial arts tournament inviting warriors from all over the continent. Unknown to the warriors and spectators of the tournament a powerful evil is headed their way. Will the warriors band together against this evil?" Author Milton Davis evaluated this exciting tale as "G" rated. Thank you Milton for your kind assistance! RDJ

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L.A. Banks
The Vampire Huntress series: Minion, The Awakening, The Hunted, The Bitten, The Forbidden, The Damned, The Forsaken, The Wicked, The Cursed, The Darkness, The Shadows, The Thirteenth (Ages 18+)

Minion
Urban fantasy series featuring Damali Richards, a young Black woman, a rising star in the hip-hop music business who is a vampire hunter.

“…unfortunately for the inexperienced young huntress, the vampires and demons have both discovered her existence. An age-old war escalates to unprecedented heights of violence as the dark forces strive to slay Damali before she comes of age and gains her full powers.” Vampires, horror and violence mixed with romance. May not be appropriate for younger teens.

Black Science Fiction Society
Genesis: An Anthology of Black Science Fiction (Ages 15+)
(Edited by Milton J. Davis and Jervis Sheffield)
"Genesis, a name that evokes a sense of beginning is the start of a new age of black science fiction that will contribute to the ever growing, ever changing mythos of black literature. Within its pages you will delve into the worlds of science fiction, speculative fiction, horror and fantasy. Writers that are both seasoned and up and coming contributed 25 pieces of the most entertaining, eclectic and enthralling stories that will capture your imaginations like never before. Featured authors include: Linda Addison, Charles Saunders, Edward Uzzle, Milton Davis, B. Sharise Moore, Carole McDonnell, Valjeanne Jeffers and many more."

F.M. Busby
Zelde M'Tana (Ages 18+)
This book features a Black female protagonist of African heritage. A Wild Child, she’s captured and sent off world as a slave, destined as a pleasure woman on another planet. The ship’s crew rebels and heads off into distant space. Zelde, a resourceful and extremely intelligent young woman, participates in the rebellion and works her way up the ship’s ranks. This story is the prequel to the Rissa Kerguelen trilogy. Not suitable for young teens, there are very mature scenes of sex and violence in the book. (RDJ)

The Rissa Kerguelen Trilogy – See the "Everybody Else" page

Octavia Butler
Kindred (Ages 15+)
"Dana, a modern black woman, is celebrating her twenty-sixth birthday with her new husband when she is snatched abruptly from her home in California and transported to the antebellum South. Rufus, the white son of a plantation owner, is drowning, and Dana has been summoned to save him. Dana is drawn back repeatedly through time to the slave quarters, and each time the stay grows longer, more arduous, and more dangerous until it is uncertain whether or not Dana's life will end, long before it has a chance to begin."

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The Parable of the Sower (Age 15+)
"God is change. That is the central truth of the Earthseed movement, whose unlikely prophet is 18-year-old Lauren Olamina. The young woman's diary entries tell the story of her life amid a violent 21st-century hell of walled neighborhoods and drug-crazed pyromaniacs - and reveal her evolving Earthseed philosophy. Against a backdrop of horror emerges a message of hope: if we are willing to embrace divine change, we will survive to fulfill our destiny among the stars."

The Parable of the Talents (Age 15+)
The Parable of the Talents continues Lauren's story. "Lauren Olamina's love is divided among her young daughter, her community, and the revelation that led Lauren to found a new faith that teaches "God Is Change". But in the wake of environmental and economic chaos, the U.S. government turns a blind eye to violent bigots who consider the mere existence of a black female leader a threat. And soon Lauren must either sacrifice her child and her followers -- or forsake the religion that can transform human destiny."

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Xenogenesis series - Dawn, Adulthood Rites, and Imago (Ages 15+)

Dawn
"Lilith lyapo awoke from a centuries-long sleep to find herself aboard the vast spaceship of the Oankali. Creatures covered in writhing tentacles, the Oankali had saved every surviving human from a dying, ruined Earth. They healed the planet, cured cancer, increased strength, and were now ready to help Lilith lead her people back to Earth--but for a price." Contains mature themes not suitable for young teens.

Adulthood Rites
"As humans and Oankali struggle to live together, the future of both species rests in the hands of Lilith’s hybrid son.

"Nuclear war had nearly destroyed mankind when the Oankali came to the rescue, saving humanity—but at a price. The Oankali survive by mixing their DNA with that of other species, and now on Earth they have permitted no child to be born without an Oankali parent. The first true hybrid is a boy named Akin—son of Lilith Iyapo—and to the naked eye he looks human, for now. He is born with extraordinary sensory powers, understanding speech at birth, speaking in sentences at two months old, and soon developing the ability to see at the molecular level. More powerful than any human or Oankali, he will be the architect of both races’ intergalactic future. But before he can carry this new species into the stars, Akin must decide which unlucky souls will stay behind."

Imago
"Child of two species, but part of neither, a new being must find his way.

"Human and Oankali have been mating since the aliens first came to Earth to rescue the few survivors of an annihilating nuclear war. The Oankali began a massive breeding project, guided by the ooloi, a sexless subspecies capable of manipulating DNA, in the hope of eventually creating a perfect starfaring race. Jodahs is supposed to be just another hybrid of human and Oankali, but as he begins his transformation to adulthood he finds himself becoming ooloi—the first ever born to a human mother. As his body changes, Jodahs develops the ability to shapeshift, manipulate matter, and cure or create disease at will. If this frightened young man is able to master his new identity, Jodahs could prove the savior of what’s left of mankind. Or, if he is not careful, he could become a plague that will destroy this new race once and for all.

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All three Xenogenesis novels in one book

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Elizabeth Camali
Trash (Ages 15+)
This up-and-coming young author kindly shared her debut novel with me. I devoured it and found myself wanting to read more about this tough teen, Alem.

A hot-tempered young man with no patience for bullies, Alem's just been kicked out of his fifth high school for fighting -- and he wasn't even at school at the time! Nobdy wants him at their schools, public or private. To continue: "...he is invited to attend a secretive but exclusive new school - The Institution of Harmony. However, when it's a school that is filled with nightmarish fantasy creatures found in every ancient myth (who also view humans as delicious snacks or to-be-destroyed insects), Alem is going to need every fight skill, dirty trick, and fast-talking skill he's got if he is going to survive his senior year of high school."

Trash is a well-written and interesting story. Written from Alem's point of view, he's smart, tough, a bit brash with a lot of bravado. Camali has completely captured the character of an intelligent young man who's been in survival mode for a long time, fighting his way through a poverty-stricken and difficult life with his hard-working, widower father. Little by little, as the story unfolds, it reveals that under his tough exterior Alem truly has a heart of gold. Thrust into a new and dangerous world of mythological creatures, he's more than the token human at the Institution of Harmony, he has to learn how to become a hero.

I'm really looking forward to the next episode in Alem's journey. I highly recommend this book, especially for the struggling teenage boy who hates to read. Contains fighting, underage cigarette smoking and some strong language, but nothing a teenage boy hasn't heard already. (RDJ)

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Troy CLE
The Marvelous Effect (Grades 5+ / Ages 11+)
"He loves listening to hip-hop, racing radio-controlled cars, and hanging out with his best friend, Brandon. Then a mysterious letter invites him to visit the local junkyard. There he finds a secret, underground amusement park like no other in existence. This is the best day of Louis's life. The park even has the most amazing race course for radio-controlled cars. Louis starts racing right away. It's a close contest; he's about to activate his nitro boost to take the lead, when...

"This is the worst day of Louis's life. Without warning or reason, thirteen-year-old Louis Proof falls into a coma due to a virus of a mysterious, celestial origin. When he awakens three months later, the world that he once knew and loved is totally out of control. He will learn that his illness is connected to everything that is wrong, and that it's not only his responsibility but his destiny to set things right. This story is a megadramatic, remarkably true, super action fantasy. Get ready!"

Olivion's Favorites (Grades 5+ / Ages 11+)
"When Louis Proof collapsed in pain in front of his uncle's store, he thought he was going to die. Instead he awoke in Midlandia, a place of the impossible. Almost as soon as he arrives, three eNoli -- people who look human but are otherworldly -- try to kill him. In fact, it seems as if everyone in Midlandia is trying to kill Louis and the other two human teens, Cyndi Victoria Chase and Devon Alexander. The three are Favorites. If they survive Midlandia, they will have great powers. That's a big "if," though. Louis must find Cyndi and Devon, who've been flung to different parts of Midlandia. Only when the three are together will Olivion's Gate appear. Then they will be able to cross the Gate, meet the Olivion, and return home. The three teens must also pay attention to everything on their journey. It is not enough to be a Favorite; they need to learn how to use their newfound abilities. Tremendous challenges await them at home. But as they're about to learn, those challenges are only the beginning. A threat is coming that is greater than anyone -- human or eNoli or iLone -- can imagine...."

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Jane Louise Curry
The Black Canary (Grades 4+ / Ages 10+)
"Twelve-year-old biracial James has grown up in a musical family. Not only are both of his parents musicians, but his four grandparents are as well. Everyone assumes that James will pursue music, yet he would rather become a newspaper reporter...or an astronomer...or a cook...anything that will let him leave music behind and be his own self.

"Everything changes when, on a family visit to London, James discovers a portal that leads to London in the year 1600, then finds himself unable to return to the point in time he had left behind. James is forced to join the Children of the Chapel Royal, a group that performs for the queen of England, and the musical talents he denied are now put to the test and pushed to their limits. In this alternate world

"James comes to realize that he cannot survive and get back to the twenty-first century without recognizing, understanding, and making the most of his musical gifts. Jane Louise Curry brings Elizabethan London to life in this remarkable story about music, family, and finding one's place in the world."

Bruce Davis
Glowgems for Profit (Ages 13+)
The first in the new science fiction series, The Profit Logbook, by award winning author, Bruce Davis. This is the action adventure sci-fi that harkens back to an earlier era, when science fiction was a rip-roaring, wild ride through the universe. There's not a bit of magic in this book to muck up the science, nor are there long boring explanations of how futuristic gadgets work -- a sci-fi fan's dream of the perfect science fiction novel! (RDJ)

"Zack Mbele, captain of the independent freighter Profit, needs cash fast. There’s a loan payment due on the ship, not to mention a bogus Customs duty imposed by a crooked official. They’ll seize his ship if he doesn't pay up and he has few prospects. So, when an old friend calls with a lead on a job, Zack isn’t too picky about obeying the letter of the law. All he has to do is smuggle someone out of Highpoint, a huge space station orbiting between the Earth and the Moon.

"But it's not all that easy, as a beautiful assassin and the Red Dragons gang complicate things.

"Suddenly Zack is involved in a maze of double-cross and murder as he races the Dragons and a shadowy paramilitary army for the greatest prize of all." Rated "PG-13" by the publisher, AKW Books. Some action-packed violence and non-graphic sex.

Thieves Profit (Ages 13+)
The next book in the Profit Logbook series -- Coming Soon

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L.M. Davis
Interlopers: A Shifters Novel (Grades 4+ / Ages 10+)
"At almost 13, Nate Pantera has this whole shifter-in-a-world-full-of-humans thing all figured out. Move like a human: Check. Hide super strength and other powers: Check. Check. Do math homework: Um...Check? He's even gotten used to the idea that he and his family may be the only shape-shifters in the whole, wide world. Then, finally, he meets another shifter. And that's when all the trouble begins. Interlopers: A Shifters Novel is the coming of age story of a young man trying to find his place in multiple worlds. Fans of Harry Potter and Percy Jackson will love this adventure series about the Pantera twins who are about to discover that everything they thought they knew is only the beginning of the truth."

From BlackSci-Fi.com: "... With the introduction of two intelligent and capable African American teens who are leading the fight, the inclusion of the were-panther Shifter mythos, and the far flung land of Panteria, readers are provided with a welcome breath of fresh air onto the teen fantasy novel market..." To read the rest of the review, please click here.

Having read the preview for Interlopers, not only am I anxious to read this teen/young adult book, but I see that there's a second book, Posers. I'm hoping that there are more books in the works! Oh, and lest I forget, as a book designer from back in the day, NICE COVER!! RDJ

Posers: A Shifters Novel (Grades 4+ / Ages 10+)
"After the strangest summer of their lives, Nate and Larissa prepare to face their biggest challenge yet: High school. With jocks that seem intent on making Nate’s life miserable, the reappearance of the mysterious green-haired monster (now with new and improved blue hair), and Charlie, the new girl, who affects Nate in the weirdest way, it’s shaping up to be a doozy! Greendale High isn't the only place in turmoil; Panteria is dying and only the Pantera twins can save it. Will Nate to return to the world that he has sworn to hate before it’s too late?"

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Milton J. Davis
Changa's Safari and Changa's Safari Volume 2 (Ages 13+)
From MVmedia: "In the fifteenth century a young merchant set sail on a safari across the seas determined to build the wealth necessary to save his people from the evil sorcerer Usenge. From the Swahili merchant cities of Sofala and Mombassa, to the Malaccan straits and the magnificent Middle Kingdom, Changa and his talented crew experience adventures beyond the imagination."

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Meji Book One and Meji Book Two (Ages 13+)
From MVmedia: "On the continent of Uhuru, in the grasslands of the Sesu, Inkosi Dingane is granted his wish. His Great Wife Shani bears him a son, an heir to his growing empire. But the ancestors have plans of their own. Shani bears him twin boys, meji, an abomination among the Sesu, but a blessing to Shani’s people, the Mawena. Thus begins the story of two brothers destined to transform their world. One brother, Ndoro, fights for his place among the Sesu, hoping to shed the stigma of abomination. The other, Obaseki, grows to a man among the people of his mother, struggling with a gift that alienates him from his family and eventually leads to his exile. Both brothers set out to find his destiny, traveling through teeming savannah, mysterious forests, haunted ocean cliffs and infernal deserts, fulfilling a prophecy that would change them and their world forever."

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Griots Anthology (Edited by Milton J. Davis and Charles R. Saunders)
"Magic. Myth. Warfare. Wonder. Beauty. Bravery. Glamour. Gore. Sorcery. Sensuality. These and many more elements of fantasy await you in the pages of Griots, which brings you the latest stories of the new genre called Sword and Soul. The tales told in Griots are the annals of the Africa that was, as well as Africas that never were, may have been, or should have been. They are the legends of a continent and people emerging from shadows thrust upon them in the past. They are the sagas sung by the modern heirs of the African story-tellers known by many names - including griots. Here, you will meet mighty warriors, seductive sorceresses, ambitious monarchs, and cunning courtesans. Here, you will journey through the vast variety of settings Africa offers, and inspires. Here, you will savor what the writings of the modern-day griots have to offer: journeys through limitless vistas of the imagination, with a touch of color and a taste of soul."

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The Possession (The Sivad Chronicles) (Ages 15+)
This 57-page story introduces the Sivad Chronicles, the Sword and Soul adventures of a magical alternate history of the Sivad clan of Africa (the Motherland) and their lives in North America. (RDJ)

"Samoht Sivad, sorcerer and warrior, goes missing after a garrison tour. Naheem, his cousin and acting patriarch of the Sivad clan, sets out to find him. His journey puts him on the path of a man who has found a way to seek revenge from beyond his grave.

"The Possession introduces the alternate world of the Sivads, a North America whose present is entirely unique from the world in which we live, a land of beauty, diversity...and magic." Author Milton Davis rates the Sivad Chronicles as PG-13 due to some suggestive but non-graphic sexual content.

A Debt to Pay: A Sivad Chronicle (Ages 15+)
The second Sivad Chronicles story is an estimated 195 pages of fast-paced Sword and Soul fantasy. (RDJ)

"In the second Sivad Chronicle adventure, brothers Samoht and Vel find themselves exiled from the Nations by their cousin Naheem for different reasons. They embark on a journey to the Motherland to seek the secrets of their clan and their mysterious power. Naheem sets out to right his cousins' wrongs while they are away and finds himself in his own adventure, one that will be as dangerous as it is enlightening." Author Milton Davis rates the Sivad Chronicles as PG-13 due to some suggestive but non-graphic sexual content.

Added 12-17-2012 (Black)

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Zetta Elliott
A Wish After Midnight (Age 13+)
Genna wants to escape her life of living in a one bedroom apartment with her hard-working single mother and three siblings. Her wish goes awry and she is transported back to 1863 Brooklyn. The book is a combination of sci-fi and historical fiction with some young love interests. A sequel is in the works.

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Elizabeth Evans
So Bite Me (Ages 16+)
"LA seamstress for a major Hollywood studio finds herself caught in a conflict between a dysfunctional werewolf pack and a pack of wimpy, young werewolves and on the way to a resolution of the conflict falls in mad lust with a man of indeterminate heritage." While the sample was a quick and fun read, I didn't like the use of "retard" (one time) and "gaydar" (numerous times). I realize that teens and young adults use these words a lot, but I'm personally uncomfortable with them, especially retard, which is insulting to people with Down Syndrome and other mental and/or developmental delays. It's just not nice. Otherwise, I really liked what I read and I think a teen/young adult reader will enjoy this paranormal romance/urban fantasy. I've added it to my growing list of "I've GOT to get this" books. (RDJ)

The next book will be available in August/September 2013.

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Deva Fagan
The Magical Misadventures of Prunella Bogthistle (Grades 5+ / Ages 10+)
"All Prunella wants is to be a proper bog-witch. Unfortunately, her curses tend to do more good than harm. When her mixed-up magic allows a sneaky thief to escape her grandmother’s garden, Prunella is cast out until she can prove herself.

"It’s hard enough being exiled to the unmagical Uplands, but traveling with the smug young thief Barnaby is even worse. He’s determined to gain fame and fortune by recovering the missing Mirable Chalice. And to get what she wants, Prunella must help him, like it or not."

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Margaret Fieland
Relocated (Ages 10+)
"When fourteen-year-old Keth's dad is transferred to planet Aleyne, he doesn't know what to expect. Certainly not to discover Dad grew up here, and studied with Ardaval, a noted Aleyni scholar. On Aleyne, Keth’s psi ability develops. However, psi is illegal in the Terran Federation. After a dangerous encounter with two Terran teenagers conflict erupts between Keth and his father. Keth seeks sanctuary with Ardaval. Studying with the Aleyne scholar Keth learns the truth about his own heritage. After Keth's friend's father, Mazos, is kidnapped, Keth ignores the risks and attempts to free him. Little does he realize who will pay the cost as he becomes involved with terrorists."

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Constance Gillam
The 5th Realm (New Orleans Voodoo Chronicles) (Ages 15+)
"Lisette Beaulieu’s private school classmates have always made the 15-year-old Creole orphan feel like a freak. But Lisette never believed them until she accidentally raised the dead in a cemetery late one night. When she discovers that her mother’s family is alive and practicing Voodoo in the bayou, her world spins farther out of control. Her best friend Scooter is about to make his own deal with the devil to keep his brother out of jail; and her classmate, Eric, has a talent with swords and saving her life. That talent will be needed when Lisette learns that an ancestor promised her to a demon overlord in exchange for greater Voodoo power."

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Virginia Hamilton
Her Stories: African American Folktales, Fairy Tales, and True Tales
(Grades 4+ / Ages 10+)
"A collection of twenty-five African-American folktales focuses on strong female characters and includes 'Little Girl and Bruh Rabby,' 'Catskinella,' and 'Annie Christmas.'"

From Publishers Weekly: "The distinguished creators of The People Could Fly and Many Thousand Gone return for this striking collection of 17 tales, each featuring an African American woman or girl as the main character. True stories, ghost stories, folk legends, classic fairy tales, tall tales and more indicate the breadth of African American cultural traditions. Retold from a variety of sources, the stories flow smoothly in Hamilton's expertly measured prose. The full-color illustrations, one per story, are lush and detailed, like the Dillons' work in Pish, Posh, Said Hieronymus Bosch. In a handsome oversize format, the book itself reflects unusually high production values. Text and art are laid against a buff background in a sophisticated but uncrowded page design, and the volume is bound with an unusually heavy casing. It will need that sturdiness, for these are tales to be read over and over again."

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Justice Trilogy - Justice and Her Brothers, Dustland, and The Gathering (Ages 15+)

Justice and Her Brothers
"Justice’s brother Thomas can control people with his mind. But does Justice have special powers, too? For Justice and her identical twin brothers Levi and Thomas, the summer begins like any other. But as the slow days pass, Justice begins to notice a strange energy between her brothers, beyond their normal twin connection. Thomas becomes increasingly bossy and irritable, while Levi seems weak and absentminded. And there are changes happening within Justice, as well. Soon she discovers that she possesses a mysterious, extraordinary ability. Will Justice and her brothers uncover the secret behind their newfound powers?"

Dustland
"Their psychic power brought them to Dustland together. But will that same power tear them apart? Using their psychic abilities, Justice, the Watcher, Dorian, the healer, Thomas, the magician, and Levi, the sufferer, have formed their unit. Together, they mind-travel to a strange future world called Dustland. Together, they can survive anything. But when tensions run high between Thomas and Justice, will Thomas leave them stranded in this desolate land? With the future of their unit uncertain, the children are threatened by an even greater danger: Mal, the evil entity that controls Dustland. Will the unit be restored in time to fight against this new threat?"

The Gathering
"Justice and the First Unit travel to Dustland once again. Can they destroy evil and save the future world? Knowing they have unfinished business in the future, Justice, the Watcher, Thomas, the magician, Levi, the sufferer, and Dorian, the healer, again combine to form their unit and time-travel to Dustland. The unit hopes to guide the beings of Dustland out of the dangerous, barren place in the hopes of finding a safer home. But neither the unit nor the inhabitants of Dustland are truly safe as long as the sinister Mal remains in power. Will the unit be able to overcome Mal once and for all?"

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The Magical Adventures of Pretty Pearl (Grades 4+ / Ages 10+)
"One long time ago, Pretty Pearl god child lived high on a mountaintop in Africa with all other gods. Curious about mankind and itching to show off her powers, she came down off the mountain with her brother, know-all best god John de Conquer, and sailed on a slave ship for America. There she saw the suffering of the black people, and felt their sorrow right behind her eyes . Pretty Pearl knew 'now' was her time to act.Brother John gave her a magical necklace, a set of rules to follow, and a warning to be careful. 'Them human bein's be awful tricky,' he said, 'they has most winnin' ways.' Drawing upon her fabulous storehouse of black legend, myth, and folklore, Virginia Hamilton has ventured into new ways of exploring the human spirit in this extrodinary fantasy filled with mysteries, beauty, and hope." Sadly, this is available as a used book only.

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The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales (Grades 4+ / Ages 10+)
From the School Library Journal: "The well-known author retells 24 black American folk tales in sure storytelling voice: animal tales, supernatural tales, fanciful and cautionary tales, and slave tales of freedom. All are beautifully readable. With the added attraction of 40 wonderfully expressive paintings by the Dillons, this collection should be snapped up."

The People Could Fly - Picture Book and CD edition
From the New York Times Book Rreview: "Leo and Diane Dillon's award-winning picture book interpretation of Newbery Medalist Virginia Hamilton's beloved tale now includes an unforgettable word-for-word CD narration by James Earl Jones and Virginia Hamilton. This tale of slaves who could fly to freedom offered hope in the darkly brutal times of slavery. "That is what Virginia Hamilton set out to show, what the Dillons have so astutely expounded on and what ultimately makes this version of 'People' so powerful. Think of it as a triad of words, pictures, and storytelling."

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Picture book
and audio CD

Kindle edition
Text-to-Speech enabled

A.J. Harper
The Night Biters Trilogy: Night Biters, Smoke & Demons, and Were Wolves - The Mix Tape (Ages 15+)

Night Biters
After 16-year-old Jamilah and her 14-year old brother Omari arrive in Oakland, CA to stay with their aunt and uncle, a mysterious stranger gives Omari a magical compact disc and crucifix. "Fasten your seat belts, you're going to a place bustling with taggers, skaters, gangs, girls that literally kick butt, hip hop and vampires.”

Were Wolves - The Mix Tape
"Just when they were sure that the strangest thing that could happen in the Bay Area was a vampire war, Omari and Jamilah find themselves faced with a new threat: a werewolf, in the form of their recently bit friend Dragonbrush. As the full moon fatefully approaches, the siblings wonder what will happen to their Filipino friend when he fully transforms, and more importantly what will happen to them? Brace yourself; you're going back to Oakland, CA, a place filled with bullies, gay hipsters, illegal parties, and drug dealing DJ's, escaped convicts, vampires and now, werewolves."

Smoke & Demons
"Omari's dreams are plagued by visions of demons seeking to kill him. His sister Jamilah and best friend Dragonbrush attribute the nightmares to his growing weed habit. When Jamilah and Dragonbrush also start to have nightmares, Omari wonders if its the weed or are the demons real? Strap yourself in; you’re going to Oakland, Berkeley and Compton California. Cities that house drug lords, mad scientists, telepaths, vampires, werewolves and even demons."

William Hayashi

Close up detail of the Discovery cover (at right).

Discovery - Volume 1 of the Darkside Trilogy (Ages 15+)
"Discovery is the first installment of the Darkside Trilogy. The Darkside Universe is a speculative world which tells the tale of what happens in the United Sates of America when the country discovers that African Americans have been secretly living on the backside of the moon since before Neil Armstrong arrived.

"The story combines politics, intrigue, science and romance into a compelling, character-driven tale that both men and women are praising. The action begins in a science lab at the University of Chicago and takes the reader through the power corridors of Washington, D.C., an all Black women's college in the Atlanta suburbs, outside Iraq's no-fly zone, and in a secret underground government installation in a remote region of Utah.

"The characters are varied and three-dimensional, the kinds of people readers have more than likely met in their own lives, who provide the action that drives a plot that's never been read before."

Conception - Volume 2 of the Darkside Trilogy (Ages 15+)
UPDATE! The next installment of the Darkside Trilogy, Conception, is going to be available in just a few weeks. I'll add it as soon as it's published. (RDJ)
A brief synopsis from the author: "Conception tells the forty year story of a quartet of Black high school friends who, against all conventional wisdom, manage to visit, and eventually, build a home on Earth's neighbor, the moon.

"Their inventions, and recruited friends along the way, enable them to build a secret home on the far side of the moon, eventually becoming a full-on community of several thousand folks, African American folks only.

"They're living a life separate from their birth planet, minding their own business, healthier and longer lived than those they left behind until one day, Earth discovers their presence."

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Robert A. Heinlein
Tunnel in the Sky (Ages 14+)
Rod and his classmates are set down on an alien planet in a test to complete a college level survival course. It's only supposed to last 10 days but something goes terribly wrong... Nowhere in this book does it actually state that the main character, Rod, is Black. However, it's obvious if you read the story carefully and consider it in the context of the 1950s. (RDJ)

Justine Larbalestier
Magic or Madness (Grades 7+ / Ages 12+)
"For fifteen years, Reason Cansino has lived on the run. Together with her mother, Sarafina, she has moved from one place to another in the Australian countryside, desperate not to be found by Reason’s grandmother Esmeralda, a dangerous woman who believes in magic. But the moment Reason walks through Esmeralda’s back door and finds herself on a New York City street, she’s confronted by an unavoidable truth—magic is real."

Magic Lessons (Grades 7+ / Ages 12+)
"Fifteen-year-old Reason Cansino has learned the painful truth that she—like her mother, grandmother, and new friends Tom and Jay-Tee—must face a choice between using the magic that lives in her blood and dying young, or refusing to use the magic and losing her mind. Now a new threat leaves Reason stranded alone in New York City, struggling to control a power she barely understands. But could the danger she faces also hold the key to saving her life?" Note that this book includes teen sex ending in a pregnancy.

Magic's Child (Grades 7+ / Ages 12+)
"In the third installment in the Magic or Madness trilogy, the people Reason Cansino loves most are all in danger. Reason’s mother, Sarafina, has disappeared from the mental hospital in Sydney with Reason’s evil grandfather, Jason Blake. Jay-Tee, the closest thing Reason has to a best friend, has used all of her magic and faces death at any moment. Only Reason can find the answers within her family’s magic to save everyone who matters most to her. Magic’s Child is a satisfying and thrilling conclusion to a breakout trilogy that launched to multiple starred reviews and earned spots on the 2006 BBYA final list, as well as the Locus 2005 Recommended Reading List." Note that the story contains some mature themes, including Reason's pregnancy and rejection by the baby's father.

Kindle edition

Alicia McCalla
Breaking Free (Ages 16+)
"What if your mom was abducted? What if the people who held her hostage wanted to erase her mind? Seventeen year old XJ Patterson is genetically enhanced. So is her revolutionary mother, Dorothy. CAGE, the Coalition to Assimilate Genetically Enhanced Persons, abducts Dorothy because she crossed the wrong person. XJ wants to rescue her mother, but she won't join the revolution to do it. If she becomes a revolutionary, she can't live a normal life. And all she wants is to be normal. Brandon Miller wants XJ to be his girlfriend. He doesn't care that she's poor and he's rich. He doesn't care that she's Black and he's White. But right now, his priority is convincing her to tell her story on Revolution TV. Can he convince XJ in time to help her rescue Dorothy from the CAGE mind sweep? Breaking Free is the first book in the Genetic Revolution series. Three young cousins, XJ, Amber, and Whitney, must reunite to become the ultimate weapon to destroy CAGE."

Kindle edition
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Patricia McKillip
Moon-Flash (Grades 4+ / Ages 10+)
"Kyreol's small world begins at the Face, a high rock cliff, and ends at Fourteen Falls, a series of rapids. Each year, her people celebrate Moon-Flash-a spark of light that seems to come from and go into the moon, a symbol of life and joy. When a mysterious stranger arrives, Kyreol wants to know more about him, as well as the Moon-Flash, and soon she and her childhood friend Terje leave their home to look for answers. Those answers will pluck Kyreol from Riverworld and transform her life forever-by fast-forwarding her into a future she can barely comprehend. This omnibus edition combines the acclaimed Patricia A. McKillip's two science-fiction novels, Moon-Flash and The Moon and the Face-at the request of Firebird readers."

Wendy Raven McNair
Asleep Trilogy - Asleep and Awake (Ages 13+)
The first two books of this planned trilogy were highly recommended to me by another author, Milton J. Davis. I read the sample pages provided on the webpage and I'm very impressed with the clean, clear prose. I can see why McNair's work is increasingly popular among teens and adults alike.

Asleep
"Adisa Summers doesn't know her boyfriend, Micah Alexander, can fly. Micah's odd emotionless behavior, rigid posture, and vacant eyes are mysteries sending mixed messages to Adisa. When a flash of lightning sends a tree crashing down on her, Adisa is shocked to see Micah actually flying to her rescue!"

Super heroes, teen romance, and plenty of adventure. Available in paperback and on Kindle.

Kindle edition
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Walter Dean Myers
The Legend of Tarik
Based on the history of medival Spain, this fantasy tale of a young Black hero is difficult to find.

"After witnessing the annihilation of his people by El Muerte's legions, young Tarik undergoes the training which will enable him to destroy this fierce leader."

Howard Night
The Serpent Cult (Ages 18+)
I'm excited to present another new and up-and-coming author! Night has a way with words that pulls you right into the story and keeps you reading with every heart-pounding moment of danger. I love the city-within-a-city concept, where you just never know what's coming around the next corner. For mature readers, violence and strong language makes this novel inappropriate for young teens.

"The Serpent Cult is an Action Urban Fantasy that takes place in Mountairy Rock; an old city within a modern city where goliath trees dwarf the skyscrapers, hidden packs of werewolves roam the rooftops, modern day witches practice covertly and a leviathan of a Demon secretly builds its own army of crazed worshipers... Life had finally started to come together for Max Madigan. This was going to be the year that would see him finally earn his Doctorate, start his career and hopefully kick his long dormant love life back into gear. But just as the New Year starts there’s a grisly massacre at Haley University Museum, where Max works as a researcher..."

NEW! Now in paperback!
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Kindle edition
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Nook edition

Shana Norris
Surfacing (Ages 13+)
I read the sample chapter and while I don't even like romance novels (none, nada, not in any form!), I was already caught up in the story. It's very well written. This paranormal romance is available in Kindle and Nook editions. If you don't have either device, you can download the FREE applications to your computer or other electronic devices. The reviews on this book were very good, don't miss out because you don't have a Kindle or Nook! (RDJ)

"Sixteen-year-old Mara Westray has just lost her mother, and now, being shipped off to live with the father she doesn’t know is not how she imagined grieving. She’s already counting down the days until she turns eighteen and can leave the tiny island of Swans Landing. But from the moment she steps off the ferry, nothing is as ordinary as it looks. Whispers of a haunting song on the wind make her see impossible things, and she isn’t sure she can trust her judgment about what is real and what isn’t anymore. Maybe she can’t even trust her judgment about quiet Josh Canavan, whose way of speaking in riddles and half-truths only confuses her more, luring her deeper into the secrets hidden beneath the ocean’s surface. As she tries to unravel the events that led to her mom fleeing the island sixteen years ago, Mara finds that the biggest secret of all is only the beginning."

Kindle edition
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Nook edition

Andre Norton
Android at Arms (Ages 13+)
Set in an unknown future, Andas and Yolyos, a cat-like Salariki, are held prisoner. Escaping, they and their companions believe that they've been replaced by perfectly replicated androids. They manage to take the supply ship to Andas' home world, where they're betrayed by their fellow prisoners. While hiding deep within the palace, Andas is called to a "gate" in an abandoned garden and Yolyos follows, trying to stop him. Pulled into an alternate reality by Andas' dying counterpart and his bride, they must fight against powers that are only a legend in their own timeline. But the question lingers, is Andas the man or the android? Sadly, Android at Arms is currently available only as a used book.

I wish Norton had written more books in this particular segment of her universe. Andas proudly explained that his planet was settled in the first outspread from Earth, the Afro outspread. Hmmm, is that the same wave of peoples that fled Earth in Voodoo Planet (the Solar Queen series, see the Everybody Else page)? I would love to see more books based on this first wave from Earth. Publishers, Norton estate, are you listening??? (RDJ)

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Gods and Androids
A hardcover bind-up of The Wraiths of Time (see below) and Android at Arms, available in used copies only. I have the paperback version, which doesn't appear to be available anywhere. I have to complain again about the reasoning behind the cover -- does anyone actually read even the book description? The publisher put these two books, with Black protagonists together, and then (on my book's cover anyway) the art shows the Salariki from Android at Arms with a White guy a bit behind him, holding the ankh -- which is featured in the Wraiths of Time with a Black female protagonist! Come on now!!

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Forerunner (Ages 13+)
When Simsa's mentor dies, she's left alone, an alien on an alien world. Her black skin and silver hair set her apart from the other Burrowers living on the discards of the past. She is forced to flee into the hills with Thom an off-worlder of Asian heritage. They enter and explore unknown forerunner ruins as they seek answers to his brother's disappearance and Simsa's links to a distant past. (RDJ)

Forerunner: The Second Venture (Ages 13+)
Simsa's adventures and voyage of self-discovery continues as she finds herself trapped on a desert planet. Pursued by Thom's associates and Thom himself, she is faced with the difficult choice: Does she trust Thom or not? (RDJ)

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Lavendar-Green Magic (Grades 4+ / Ages 10+)
"A mysterious maze

"Eleven-year-old Holly Wade and her twin siblings, Judy and Crockett, are sent to live with their grandparents in the small town of Dimsdale, Massachusetts when their father is declared missing in action in Vietnam. Dimsdale is nothing like Boston; there are only two other African-American children in the entire school. Even worse, Grandpa and Grandma Wade live in an old junkyard! While exploring one day, Holly, Judy, and Crockett wander into an overgrown hedge maze--and find themselves transported back in time to Dimsdale's past. Can they right an ancient wrong and free the town of Dimsdale from a witch's curse?"

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Storm Over Warlock (Ages 13+)
"The Throg task force struck the Terran survey camp a few minutes after dawn, without warning, and with a deadly precision which argued that the aliens had fully reconnoitered and prepared that attack. Eye-searing lances of energy lashed back and forth across the base with methodical accuracy. And a single cowering witness, flattened on a ledge in the heights above, knew that when the last of those yellow-red bolts fell, nothing human would be left alive down there. And so Shann Lantee, most menial of the Terrans attached to the camp on the planet Warlock, was left alone and weaponless in the strange, hostile world, the human prey of the aliens from space and the aliens on the ground alike."

Well, Shann isn't exactly alone, he's with two wolverines and another Terran who lands after the attack. Told from Shann's viewpoint, the story takes us into an alien world, where the native people are governed by the telepathic females and the males are little more than servants. Shann, although Terran, came from the lowest levels of a mining world's society and fought his way up into Service and onto a Team, landing on the planet Warlock. The two Terrans, the wolverines, and the Wyverns (natives) defeat the alien Throgs in a fast-paced story leading to a satisfying end -- and a new beginning for Shann. While it's never really stated that Shann is Black, on page 83 of my 1973 paperback (second printing, the book's copyright is 1960), he's described as warm brown with tight black curls. (RDJ)

Ordeal in Otherwhere (Ages 13+)
"When an outlaw seized conrtol of the colonial planet Demeter, Charis Nordholm decided that it could no longer be her home. So she contracted herself into the service of an off-world trader, who assigned her to buying cloth from the mysterious Wyverns. At first she was attracted to these shimmering dream-rulers of Warlock, and yearned to learn their secrets. But by the time she finally began to understand the menace of Warlock, it was alomost too late."

Do you ever wonder if the person who writes the copy on the back of a paperback actually read the book? This is one of those cases. Charis is one of the survivors, mostly women and young children, of a plague on a frontier world, Demeter. The daughter of the education officer assigned to the new colony, Charis flees the fanatics who've taken control of the settlement. Captured, she has little choice, the leaders don't want her and the trader is offering an indefinite contract, virtually slavery, so she ships off-world. Upon her arrival on Warlock, she begins to dream. The story continues with the mystery of the Wyvern females and their slipping domination of the males of their species. Charis, Shann, a native curl cat, and the wolverines battle against the illegal trade outpost and the antiquated beliefs of the Wyvern rulers to find a new accord on Warlock.

Charis is one of the first female protagonists in science fiction, and while the publishers weren't certain about her, the women of sci-fi fandom embraced this female protagonist. In addition, Charis is clearly described as White while Shann is obviously Black, with warm brown skin and tight black curls. By the end of the book, it's clear that they have a deep relationship. Norton slid the first interracial romance of modern sci-fi right past the editors and nobody seemed to notice! (RDJ)

Forerunner Foray (Ages 13+)
Loosely linked to the previous two Warlock novels, Forerunner Foray focuses upon Ziantha, a telepathic sneak thief indebted to the Thieves Guild. While stealing information for her employer, she's drawn to an ancient artifact. Using the power of an alien, bird-like creature and her own mental powers, she teleports the artifact into her room. By this action, she stumbles upon a mystery that leads her to the Forerunners' unknown planet and into the past. This book also ended nicely, but left a door open for more adventures. Unfortunately, as far as I know, the series ends here. While some reviewers think that Forerunner and Forerunner: The Second Venture are part of the Warlock series, they are mistaken. These are an entirely separate stories. (RDJ)

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Star Ka'at (Grades 4+ / Ages 10+)
"Two intriguing stray cats communicate with Jim and Elly Mae, convincing them that the cats are aliens from another planet."

Star Ka'at World (Grades 4+ / Ages 10+)
"Two human orphans expand their relationship with a super race of cats and travel to their world where they soon feel more like prisoners than guests."

Star Ka'at and the Plant People Written with Dorothy Madlee (Grades 4+ / Ages 10+)
"Follows the adventures of two children and a super race of cats as they rescue a group of plant people."

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Warlock (Ages 13+)
This is the hardcover bind-up of the three Warlock novels. It contains Storm Over Warlock, Ordeal in Otherwhere and Forerunner Foray in one volume.

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The Wraiths of Time (Ages 13+)
Book description taken from the back cover of Gods and Androids: "Was Tallahassee Mitford a modern archaeologist suffering from strange delusions, or has an ancient Egyption artifact somehow hurtled her personality far back into the mists of time to a Nubian kingdom where she is now a warrior princess named Ashake, caught up in a struggle between the gods of Egypt?"

Once again, I wonder if we were reading the same book? Tallahassee is a modern archaeologist who is transported to an alternate time and space, where the people and culture of Meroё, the ancient kingdom of the Nubians, still exist. Taking the place of her dead counterpart, Tallahassee must navigate the customs and politics of this strange and different world.

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Hardcover bind-up of the three Warlock books
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Kindle edition
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FREE
Kindle edition
Text-to-Speech enabled

Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu
Akata Witch (Ages 12+)
"Twelve-year-old Sunny lives in Nigeria, but she was born American. Her features are African, but she's albino. She's a terrific athlete, but can't go out into the sun to play soccer. There seems to be no place where she fits. And then she discovers something amazing--she is a 'free agent,' with latent magical power. Soon she's part of a quartet of magic students, studying the visible and invisible, learning to change reality. But will it be enough to help them when they are asked to catch a career criminal who knows magic too?"

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The Shadow Speaker (Ages 13+)
"Driven by vengeance. Destined for peace. Niger, West Africa, 2070: After fifteen-year old Ejii witnesses her father's beheading, her world shatters. In an era of mind-blowing technology and seductive magic, Ejii embarks on a mystical journey to track down her father's killer. With a newfound friend by her side, Ejii comes face to face with an earth turned inside out--and with her own magical powers. But Ejii soon discovers that her travels across the sands of the Sahara have a greater purpose. Her people need to be protected from a force seeking to annihilate them. And Ejii may be just the hero to do it. This futuristic, fantastical adventure heralds a bright new talent on the YA fantasy scene."

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Zahrah The Windseeker (Ages 13+)
"In the Ooni Kingdom, children born dada—with vines growing in their hair—are rumored to have special powers. Zahrah Tsami doesn’t know anything about that. She feels normal. Others think she’s different—they fear her. Only Dari, her best friend, isn’t afraid of her. But then something begins to happen—something that definitely marks Zahrah as different—and the only person she can tell is Dari. He pushes her to investigate, edging them both closer and closer to danger. Until Dari’s life is on the line. Only Zahrah can save him, but to do so she’ll have to face her worst fears alone, including the very thing that makes her different."

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Kindle edition
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Dia Reeves
Bleeding Violet (Ages 16+)
"Hanna simply wants to be loved. With a head plagued by hallucinations, a medicine cabinet full of pills, and a closet stuffed with frilly, violet dresses, Hanna’s tired of being the outcast, the weird girl, the freak. So she runs away to Portero, Texas, in search of a new home. But Portero is a stranger town than Hanna expects. As she tries to make a place for herself, she discovers dark secrets that would terrify any normal soul. Good thing for Hanna, she’s far from normal. And when a crazy girl meets an even crazier town, only two things are certain: Anything can happen and no one is safe."

From VOYA April 2010 - "This teen novel is not for the faint of heart. There is plenty of blood, gore, violence, sex and bad decisions. The main character would make many parents cringe. Teens who crave all those things and a dose of the dark arts will love this novel. Although Hannah is not a character to emulate, she is interesting. The plot can be a bit confusing at times, and some situations just do not make sense. For instance, Hannah suffers no consequences for violently assaulting her aunt. Nevertheless it is a fantasy, so some suspension of disbelief is required when reading this interesting debut from an author to watch." Not recommended for younger teens due to violence and teen sex.

Added 10/12/2012 (Black)

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Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens
The Fall of Terok Nor (Star Trek Deep Space Nine, Millennium Book 1 of 3)
"Bajor is in flames. The corridors of Terok Nor echo with the sounds of battle. It is the end of the Cardassian Occupation -- and the beginning of the greatest epic adventure in the saga of Deep Space 9.

"Six years later, with the Federation losing ground in its war against the Dominion, the galaxy's greatest smugglers -- including the beautiful and enigmatic Vash -- rendezvous on Deep Space 9. Their objective: a fabled lost Orb of the Prophets unlike any other, rumored to be the key to unlocking a second wormhole in Bajoran space -- a second Celestial Temple. Almost immediately, mysterious events plague the station: Odo arrests Quark for murder; Jake and Nog lead Chief O'Brien to an eerie holosuite in a section of the station that's not on any schematic; and a Cardassian scientist whom even the Obsidian Order once feared makes an unexpected appearance. With all those events tied to a never-before-told story of the Cardassian withdrawal, Captain Benjamin Sisko faces the most dangerous challenge of his career. Unless he can uncover the secret of the lost Orb, what began with the fall of Terok Nor will end with the destruction of Deep Space 9...or worse."

The War of the Prophets (Star Trek Deep Space Nine, Millennium Book 2 of 3)
"The crew of the Starship Defiant is trapped in a future in which the Pah-wraiths have triumphed-as the greatest epic adventure in the saga of Deep Space 9 continues....

"In the last days of the twenty-fourth century, caught in the crossfire of the apocalyptic confrontation between the Bajoran Prophets and the Pah-wraiths, Captain Benjamin Sisko, and his crew face what might be the final millennium. On one side, the Pah-wraiths' new Emissary -- Kai Weyoun -- promises his followers that when Bajor's two Celestial -Temples are restored as one, all beings in the universe will ascend to a new and glorious existence with the True Prophets. On the other side, the scientists of Starfleet predict that when the two Bajoran wormholes merge, they will create a Warp 10 shock wave of infinite destructive power." With the Federation on the brink of collapse, and Starfleet consumed by Admiral Jean-Luc Picard's obsessive quest to build the largest starship ever conceived, Sisko enters the ultimate race against time for the biggest stakes of all -- the survival of the universe itself."

Inferno (Star Trek Deep Space Nine, Millennium Book 3 of 3)
"Now begins the final battle of the Prophets and the Pah-wraiths within the nightmarish realm of nonlinear time -- as the greatest epic adventure in the saga of Deep Space 9 -- reaches its staggering conclusion.... As predicted in ancient Bajoran texts, the Celestial Temple has been restored, ending normal space-time existence for all except Captain Benjamin Sisko and those trapped on the Starship Defiant and the Klingon warship Boreth. But as apocalyptic war rages between the Prophets and the Pah-wraiths, one last chance for survival beckons -- a return to Deep Space 9. Yet, in the realm of nonlinear time, it appears that there are two possible times at which Sisko and his allies can turn to the station: on the day of the Cardassian Withdrawal, or on the day six years later when DS9 Was destroyed. But which choice will lead to the triumph of the Prophets? And which to eternal victory for the Pah-wraiths? With time literally running out and the fate of the universe in his hands, Sisko now must confront his own personal inferno - in order to change the past and restore the present, he must be ready to make the ultimate sacrifice ... his future....."

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Millennium Omnibus
All three volumes bound up into one book. Includes The Fall of Terok Nor, The War of the Prophets, and Inferno.

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Kindle edition
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Kindle edition

Adam Rex
The True Meaning of Smekday (Grades 3+ / Ages 8+)
"It all starts with a school essay.

"When twelve-year-old Gratuity (“Tip”) Tucci is assigned to write five pages on 'The True Meaning of Smekday' for the National Time Capsule contest, she’s not sure where to begin. When her mom started telling everyone about the messages aliens were sending through a mole on the back of her neck? Maybe on Christmas Eve, when huge, bizarre spaceships descended on the Earth and the aliens – called Boov – abducted her mother? Or when the Boov declared Earth a colony, renamed it 'Smekland' (in honor of glorious Captain Smek), and forced all Americans to relocate to Florida via rocketpod?

"In any case, Gratuity’s story is much, much bigger than the assignment. It involves her unlikely friendship with a renegade Boov mechanic named J.Lo.; a futile journey south to find Gratuity’s mother at the Happy Mouse Kingdom; a cross-country road trip in a hovercar called Slushious; and an outrageous plan to save the Earth from yet another alien invasion.

"Fully illustrated with 'photos,' drawings, newspaper clippings, and comics sequences, this is a hilarious, perceptive, genre-bending novel by a remarkable new talent."

Kindle edition
Text-to-Speech enabled

Jewell Parker Rhodes
Ninth Ward (Grades 5+ / Ages 11+)
"Twelve-year-old Lanesha lives in a tight-knit community in New Orleans' Ninth Ward. She doesn't have a fancy house like her uptown family or lots of friends like the other kids on her street. But what she does have is Mama Ya-Ya, her fiercely loving caretaker, wise in the ways of the world and able to predict the future. So when Mama Ya-Ya's visions show a powerful hurricane--Katrina--fast approaching, it's up to Lanesha to call upon the hope and strength Mama Ya-Ya has given her to help them both survive the storm.

"Ninth Ward is a deeply emotional story about transformation and a celebration of resilience, friendship, and family--as only love can define it." Note that Lanesha sees ghosts and Mama Ya-Ya sees into the future.

Kindle edition
Text-to-Speech enabled

Rick Riordan
The Red Pyramid (The Kane Chronicles, Book 1) (Grades 5+ / Ages 10+)
"Since their mother’s death, Carter and Sadie have become near strangers. While Sadie has lived with her grandparents in London, her brother has traveled the world with their father, the brilliant Egyptologist, Dr. Julius Kane.

"One night, Dr. Kane brings the siblings together for a 'research experiment' at the British Museum, where he hopes to set things right for his family. Instead, he unleashes the Egyptian god Set, who banishes him to oblivion and forces the children to flee for their lives.

"Soon, Sadie and Carter discover that the gods of Egypt are waking, and the worst of them--Set–has his sights on the Kanes. To stop him, the siblings embark on a dangerous journey across the globe -- a quest that brings them ever closer to the truth about their family, and their links to a secret order that has existed since the time of the pharaohs."

The Throne of Fire (The Kane Chronicles, Book 2) (Grades 5+ / Ages 10+)
"In this exciting second installment of the three-book series, Carter and Sadie, offspring of the brilliant Egyptologist Dr. Julius Kane, embark on a worldwide search for the Book of Ra, but the House of Life and the gods of chaos are determined to stop them."

The Serpent of Shadows (The Kane Chronicles, Book 3) (Grades 5+ / Ages 10+)
"He's b-a-a-ack! Despite their best efforts, Carter and Sadie Kane can't seem to keep Apophis, the chaos snake, down. Now Apophis is threatening to plunge the world into eternal darkness, and the Kanes are faced with the impossible task of having to destroy him once and for all. Unfortunately, the magicians of the House of Life are on the brink of civil war, the gods are divided, and the young initiates of Brooklyn House stand almost alone against the forces of chaos. The Kanes' only hope is an ancient spell that might turn the serpent's own shadow into a weapon, but the magic has been lost for a millennia. To find the answer they need, the Kanes must rely on the murderous ghost of a powerful magician who might be able to lead them to the serpent's shadow . . . or might lead them to their deaths in the depths of the underworld.

"Nothing less than the mortal world is at stake when the Kane family fulfills its destiny in this thrilling conclusion to the Kane Chronicles."

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The Kane Chronicles
All three hardcover books in a boxed set

Kindle edition Text-to-Speech enabled

Charles R. Saunders
The original three books of the Imaro series were the beginnings of the genre "Sword and Soul". Set in the history, legends, and mythology of Africa, Charles Saunders' novels are well-written, rip-roaring tales that any fan of sword and sorcery, Burroughs, Howard, or action adventure fantasy will enjoy.

Imaro (Ages 15+)
"Saunders' novel fuses the narrative style of fantasy fiction with a pre-colonial, alternate Africa. Inspired by and directly addresses the alienation of growing up an African American fan of Science Fiction and Fantasy, which to this day remains a very ethnically homogonous genre. It addresses this both structurally (via its unique setting) and thematically (via its alienated, tribeless hero-protagonist). The tribal tensions and histories presented in this fantasy novel reflect actual African tribal histories and tensions, and provide a unique perspective to current and recent conflicts in Africa, particularly the Rwandan genocide and the ongoing conflict in The Sudan."

Imaro 2: The Quest for Cush (Ages 15+)
"It begins with the reunion of Imaro and his kidnapped lover Tanisha, who has been taken to the ruined City of Madness. With the help of their new found friend Pomphis, a Pygmay from the eastern forests of Nyumbani, they learn of the sorcerous forces that may have been behind the dark wizard that destroyed Imaro's youth. The trio goes to Mavindi, the port capital of the Eastern Coastal kingdom of Azania, in search of the legendary Kingdom of Cush, where Imaro hopes to find answers to the questions that have plagued his life. Who is he? Who was his father, and why was he seemingly cursed, and hounded from birth by forces beyond his control."

Imaro 3: The Trail of Bohu (Ages 15+)
"Imaro, warrior of the Ilyassai, has settled into life as a husband and father in the fabled kingdom of Cush. Amid his growing restlessness, unspeakable tragedy strikes, sending Imaro on a grim mission of vengeance. His adversary has no face, but he does have a name: Bohu, the Bringer of Sorrow – a sorcerer of immense power and cruelty. As Imaro seeks a confrontation with his most formidable foe yet, the continent of Nyumbani is wracked with turmoil. The balance between the forces of good, represented by Cush, and evil, represented by the pariah land of Naama, has been disrupted. The gods themselves may have to go to war before that balance is restored. In the midst of the coming cataclysm, Imaro travels the length of Nyumbani in search of Bohu. Along the way, the warrior finally discovers his own identity – but will that knowledge help him as he battles a formidable array of enemies bent not only on his destruction, but that of Nyumbani itself?"

Imaro 4: The Naama War (Ages 15+)
"Warfare on a cataclysmic scale is convulsing the continent of Nyumbani from north to south. Soldiers fall. Cities burn. Blood reddens the sea. Sorcery sears the land. Deities gather in opposite dimensions, poised to unleash unimaginable cosmic power on a land already battered by the conflict between the Cushites of the north and the Naamans of the south. In the midst of this massive struggle, Imaro, warrior of the Ilyassai, wages a personal war against his nemesis, the sorcerer Bohu of Naama. This individual vendetta mirrors the larger clash between the forces of good and evil – a confrontation that threatens to tear Nyumbani apart. The destiny for which Imaro has been honed like a living weapon now lies directly before him. Imaro vs. Bohu. Cush vs. Naama. War. Magic. Blood. Fire. The losers in this wide-ranging battle for the fate of a continent face oblivion. But the winners will not emerge unscathed."

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Dossouye (Ages 15+)
"Charles R. Saunders, critically acclaimed author of the cult classic Imaro novels, has created yet another heroic-fantasy icon in an Africa of a different place and time. Orphaned at a young age, Dossouye becomes a soldier in the women’s army of the kingdom of Abomey. In a war against the rival kingdom of Abanti, Dossouye saves her people from certain destruction; but a cruel twist of fate compels her to go into exile. Mounted on her mighty war-bull, Gbo, Dossouye enters the vast rain forest beyond the borders of her homeland, seeking a place to call her own. The forest is where Dossouye will either find a new purpose in life… or find her life cut short by the many menaces she encounters."

Dossouye: The Dancers of Mulukau (Ages 15+)
"The Dancers of Mulukau make benign magic with the elegant movements of their feet. From healing to entertaining, from ending droughts to mending walls, the Dancers bring peace and harmony wherever they go. Yet a mysterious, veiled people called the Walaq consider the very existence of the Dancers to be an abomination that must be eliminated. Dossouye, having wandered far from her native kingdom of Abomey, is hired to help protect the Dancers as they engage in their vital responsibilities. Along with her formidable war-bull, Gbo, the woman-warrior battles human and demonic foes that work in league with the Walaq against the Dancers."

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Lulu edition

Lulu edition
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Lulu edition

Sheree Renée Thomas
Dark Matter: A Century of Speculative Fiction from the African Diaspora (Ages 15+)
The Amazon.com review: "Dark matter: the nonluminous matter, not yet detected, that nonetheless has detectable gravitational effects on the universe. Dark matter: the Afro-American presence and influences unseen or unacknowledged by Euro-American culture. Dark Matter: the first anthology to illuminate the presence and influence of black writers in speculative fiction, with 25 stories, three novel excerpts, and five essays.

This anthology's critical and historical importance is indisputable. But that's not why it will prove to be the best anthology of 2000 in both the speculative and the literary fiction fields. It's because the stories are great: entertaining, imaginative, insightful, sharply characterized, and beautifully written. The earliest story in Dark Matter is acclaimed literary author Charles W. Chesnutt's "The Goophered Grapevine" (1887), in which an aging ex-slave tells a chilling tale of cursed land to a white Northerner buying a Southern plantation. In "The Comet" (1920), W.E.B. Du Bois portrays the rich white woman and the poor black man who may be the only survivors of an astronomical near-miss. In George S. Schuyler's "Black No More" (1931), an excerpt from the satirical novel of the same name, an African American scientist invents a machine that can turn blacks white.

More recent reprints include science fiction master Samuel R. Delany's Nebula Award-winning "Aye, and Gomorrah..." (1967), which delineates the socio-sexual effects of asexual astronauts; Charles R. Saunders's heroic fantasy "Gimmile's Songs" (1984), in which a woman warrior encounters a singer with a frightening, compelling magic in ancient West Africa; MacArthur Genius Grant recipient Octavia E. Butler's powerful "The Evening and the Morning and the Night" (1987), in which the cure for cancer creates a terrifying new disease of compulsive self-mutilation; and Derrick Bell's angry, riveting "The Space Traders" (1992), in which aliens offer to trade their advanced technology to the U.S. in exchange for its black population. Other reprints include "Ark of Bones" (1974) by author-poet-folklorist Henry Dumas; "Future Christmas" (1982) by master satirist Ishmael Reed; "Rhythm Travel" (1996) by playwright-poet-critic Amiri Baraka (who has also written as LeRoi Jones and Imamu Amiri Baraka); and "The African Origins of UFOs" (2000) by London-based West Indian author Anthony Joseph.

Most of the stories in Dark Matter are original; these range even more widely in their concerns and themes. In the generation ship of Linda Addison's "Twice, at Once, Separated," a Yanomami Indian tribe preserves its culture in coexistence with technology, while visions tear a young woman from her own wedding. Bestselling novelist Steven Barnes examines degrees of privilege and deprivation when an African American woman artist is trapped in an African concentration camp in his unflinching contribution, "The Woman in the Wall." In John W. Campbell Award winner Nalo Hopkinson's sexy, scary "Ganger (Ball Lightning)," two lovers drifting apart try to reconnect through the separation of virtual sex. A mystic power awakens in the devastated future of Ama Patterson's gorgeous and tough "Hussy Strutt." An artist's infidelity changes two generations in Leone Ross's astute, magic-realist "Tasting Songs." In Nisi Shawl's sharp, witty mythic fantasy "At the Huts of Ajala," the spirit of a modern woman must outwit a god before she is even born.

Others contributing new stories are Tananarive Due, Robert Fleming, Jewelle Gomez, Akua Lezli Hope, Honorée Fanonne Jeffers, Kalamu ya Salaam, Kiini Ibura Salaam, Evie Shockley, and Darryl A. Smith. --Cynthia Ward" Some themes may be disturbing to young teens and their parents.

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Dark Matter: Reading the Bones (Ages 15+)
"In the tradition of The Norton Anthology of Black Literature, DARK MATTER: READING THE BONES, like its ground-breaking predecessor, will introduce black SF, fantasy, and speculative fiction writers to those who have not yet realized the depth and breadth of their work-or even, in some cases, that it exists. Including original short fiction and nonfiction as well as previously published works and essays, DARK MATTER will contain approximately 30 stories from the early part of the century through the most cutting-edge work of today.

Contributors to this new volume include Charles Johnson, National Book Award-winning author of Middle Passage; Tananarive Due; Walter Mosley, W.E.B. Du Bois; Samuel R. Delany; Nalo Hopkinson; and many more." Some themes may be disturbing to young teens and their parents.

I can only ask myself, "Why aren't these books on my shelves?" I've added them to my own wish list because these are must-have collections for anyone seeking stories and books based on cultures outside of the traditional American/European sci-fi experience. (RDJ)

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Edward C. Uzzle
RETRO-KM: Lord of the Landlords
"Set in what used to be the Americas; now a dystopic and balkanized litter of Nation-States. A surreal glimpse into the spiritual growth of a warrior-soldier from an emerging Black nation. It is a startling vision of ethnic conflict, voudon technologies, and soul bending revelations. Retro-KM is novel that embodies a brand new genre of speculative fiction; cifer-RA (High-Science-Entertainment), brought to you by Daathrekh Publishing."

Vernor Vinge
The Peace War (Ages 15+)
The Peace Authority has taken over the planet, enforcing their rule with "bobbles". Dissidents, scientists, biologists, inventors and anyone else who may defy the Peacers are enclosed in an impenderable bubble called a bobble. They're believed to be dead. However, 50 years after the coup, the genius Paul Naismith and his student Wili Wachendon set out to overthrow the tyrants of Peace. (RDJ)

Marooned in Realtime (Ages 15+)
The story of bobbles resumes a half a million years in the future, with former cop Wil Brierson and a group of survivors of the Singularity. No one knows what happened to all of humanity, each has traveled into the future via a bobble -- some voluntarily and some, like Wil, shanghaied by a criminal and kidnapped by time. There is no hope of a return to their former lives. Then, their leader is marooned in realtime, the new version of murder, and Wil must find a murderer that is hiding among the members this new community. (RDJ)

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Across Realtime - The Peace War and Marooned in Realtime
This is a book club edition that binds up the two volumes, The Peace War and Marooned in Realtime.

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Brian Williams - Raven Hammer Comics
Black Superhero Comic Books (Ages 13+)
The Generals: Brian Williams, Christian Colbert, and Derik King
While the focus of this website is primarily on books, some of our reluctant readers simply will not read books. However, a comic book or a graphic novel may reach a teen that refuses to read. I've asked Raven Hammer Comics if I can include these positive images of Black Superheroes on Alien Star Books. If we can get just one teen to crack open a book, thanks to these great comics, then it's worth it to me! Now, Brian let me know that they're in the middle of some printer changes, so print copies may take a few weeks, but the online versions are available via the Raven Hammer Comics' store. FYI: I'm planning on ordering the comics as soon as print copies are available for my own reluctant reader! (RDJ)

Lucius Hammer
From the Raven Hammer Comics website: "Lucius Hammer is the explosive tale of a Black superhero born from the pages of American Myth and forged in the fires of our country’s civil rights struggle! In a world where Black paranormals have longer life expectancies than their Caucasian counterparts, Lucius is a man searching for his place in the world. His amazing powers have enabled him to become America’s most visible and controversial superhero. But just when Lucius thinks he’s found his calling in life, certain 'powers that be' join forces in a campaign to smear his good name, changing his status to Public Enemy Number One. This sets the stage for the greatest Black superhero story ever told. You must read I, HAMMER. This is where it all begins!!!"

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The Harlem Shadow - Birth of the Cool
From the Raven Hammer Comics website: "Born at the tail end of the Harlem Renaissance, The Harlem Shadow is the first official Black paranormal crime-fighter that hit the streets of New York around 1929-1930. He was known for his scary appearance, his vicious hand to hand combat skills and his mastery of two lethal revolvers, used to maim and disarm his enemies but never kill. In 1950 as a result of the Black Mask Act…Harlem Shadow was hunted down by New York City Police, lynch mob style, and unmasked. His name was Linden Somerset, a school teacher and librarian, and he served a twenty year jail sentence at Alcatraz Island. This is his story."

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Click on the images to go to Raven Hammer Comics. Previews are available on the "SHOP" page of the website.

Maiya Williams
The Golden Hour trilogy: The Golden Hour, Hour of the Cobra, The Hour of the Outlaw (Grades 5 to 8)

The Golden Hour
Rowan and Nina Popplewell and their new friends, Black twins Xavier and Xanthe Alexander discover a portal to travel back in time. They travel to France during the French Revolution because Nina travelled there to meet Mozart. The teenagers take on racial and gender roles appropriate to the era during their search for Nina.

The Hour of the Cobra
The adventures continue, with the quartet travelling to ancient Egypt. Sibling rivalry complicates the trip, especially when Xanthe is mistaken for a goddess by Cleopatra.

The Hour of the Outlaw
The quartet travel to the 1849 California Gold Rush for more adventures.

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