Adia Kelbara and the Circle of Shamans (Adia Kelbara and the Circle of Shamans #1)

Adrenaline-fueled action and inventive worldbuilding personify this captivating Afrofantasy, a series-starting debut by Hendrix. Orphan Adia Kelbara lives with her neglectful aunt and uncle, who publicly claim that she is an Ogbanje—a child possessed by a demon said to cause misfortune—which leads to her becoming locally ostracized. She starts to believe them, though, when she suddenly develops mysterious abilities, as when an intense emotional reaction results in tremors erupting across her hamlet. Witnessing the destruction wrought by her burgeoning powers, Adia determines to find help in harnessing—or removing—her perceived curse. When she is selected to spend her Year of Practicality, during which youths train in a trade, as a kitchen apprentice at the famed Academy of Shamans, she hopes that a resident can extract the Ogbanje. But nothing is as it should be upon her arrival: the school has fallen into disarray and an ancient evil has returned to wreak havoc. Fully fleshed out characters—including a snarky goddess and several effervescent allies—populate this clever adventure, which teems with smartly rendered twists and oodles of hope and heart. Ages 8–12. (Sept.)