Twelve-year-old orphan Adia leads a lonely life in the Swamplands, despised by the aunt and uncle who raised her because they believe she is a demon. Adia applies for an apprenticeship for her Year of Practicality far from home, in the kitchens of the realm’s magic school, hoping someone there will help remove her curse. But when she arrives, she realizes that none of the students have real magic; they are just the wealthy offspring of the ruling class. Worse still, the emperor himself is possessed by the worst demon of them all – a demon who it was said had been vanquished centuries before but is now on the brink of regaining enough strength to once again rule. Slowly Adia begins to realize it is up to her to save the realm, along with the friends she has met along the way: a flippant goddess, a girl warrior lost to time, and a sometimes-suspicious boy warrior in training.

Adia is a fun adventure that balances tension, humor, magic and excitement alongside a subtle dose of social commentary. There is a strong theme of empowerment and liberation, as Adia takes her fate into her own hands despite the odds, and self-belief provides the final ingredient in her making positive change in her world.

This is the first book in a Afrofantasy trilogy, and will be easy to recommend to middle grade readers who have enjoyed other fantasy series’.

Reviewed by: Jenny Martinez Nocito, Maine State Library, Augusta