Relic Hamilton, Genie Hunter (Relic Hamilton #1)

In this energetic series opener, former U.K. children’s laureate Coelho (The Boy Lost in the Maze) presents a lively adventure about belonging and the power of wishful thinking. Twelve-year-old Jamaican Londoner Relic Hamilton lives with his grandfather and helps him run Anasi Antiques, which their family has owned for generations. When Relic discovers a mysterious box containing seven ornate lamps hidden under the basement floor, rubbing one of the lamps inadvertently releases Ravenna, an ancient genie king who feeds on the hope energy that human wishes generate. Following Ravenna’s destructive escape, which results in Relic’s grandfather falling into a coma, the tween is recruited by the Hermitic Sodality of Genie Hunters, a secret group that monitors and contains rogue genies. Tasked with recapturing Ravenna before he can regain his full power, Relic must use the six remaining lamps—and the powers of the benevolent sprites who inhabit them—if he wants to succeed. Though pacing can be uneven, this captivating, high-octane adventure boasts cinematic action sequences and fantastical worldbuilding conveyed via Relic’s cool-as-a-cucumber first-person POV. Chapter openers featuring playful, rhythmic poetry winkingly foreshadow narrative twists. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 9–12. Author’s agent: Claire Wilson, RCW Literary. (Feb.)