Kingdom of Dust is a middle-grade fantasy novel about Amara, a young West-African girl in the barren land of Kun, who is being raised by her foster mother, Zirachi. Amara does not know any details about her origin, but she suspects that it is somehow linked to her broken kingdom, which is currently ruled a powerful and unkind king, Eze Udo. The Kingdom of Kun used to be lush and verdant before a band of magical musicians, the Griots, vanished. Now, the dusty sands of the Zare dessert keep encroaching.  Following an attack from the king’s guard, Amara flees Kun and embarks on a quest find the griots and bring justice to her people. Amara brings a few enchanted items, gifted to her by a woman named Ebele who rescued Amara from a fall in the Eke River, to assist her along her way.  Amara’s journey leads her to discover her sister, Chizoba, in a tower in a temple in the Stone Hills. Amara also discovers the secret of her past in the process.

Many words in this novel are based on the tonal language of the Igbo people of southern Nigeria. The similarity of the words may be confusing to young readers. For example, the following proper nouns can be found within the same page: Nduka, Nkume, Nweke. The book felt a little lacking in character development of the numerous supporting but integral characters, but overall it is refreshing and inclusive novel with a young girl of color as the heroine in her own fairy tale.

This book is for ages 8-12.

3 stars.