Blood at the Root

By: LaDarrion Williams

Narrated by: Jalyn Hall, LaDarrion Williams

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A teenager on the run from his past finds the family he never knew existed and the community he never knew he needed at an HBCU for the young, Black, and magical. Enroll in this fresh fantasy debut unlike anything you've seen before.

Ten years ago, Malik's life changed forever the night his mother mysteriously vanished and he discovered he had uncontrollable powers. Since then, he has kept his abilities hidden, looking out for himself and his younger foster brother, Taye. Now, at 17, Malik is finally ready to start a new life for both of them, far from the trauma of his past. However, a daring act to rescue Taye reveals an unexpected connection with his long-lost grandmother: a legendary conjurer with ties to a hidden magical university that Malik’s mother attended.

At Caiman University, Malik’s eyes are opened to a future he never could have envisioned for himself—one that includes the reappearance of his first love, Alexis. His search for answers about his heritage, his powers, and what really happened to his mother exposes the cracks in their magical community as it faces a reawakened evil dating back to the Haitian Revolution. Together with Alexis, Malik discovers a lot beneath the surface at Caiman: feuding covens and magical politics, forbidden knowledge and buried mysteries.

In a wholly unique saga of family, history and community, Malik must embrace his legacy to save what's left of his old family as well as his new one. Exploring the roots and secrets that connect us in an unforgettable contemporary setting, this heart-pounding fantasy series opener is a rich tapestry of atmosphere, intrigue, and emotion.

©2024 LaDarrion Williams (P)2024 Listening Library

Critic reviews

“A buzzy debut about the adventures of a runaway teen who finds himself at an HBCU for the young, Black, and magical, Blood at the Root is a story of community and legacy that’s clearly aiming to do something very different in this genre space.”—Paste Magazine

“This story offers a fresh take on familiar YA fantasy tropes, like a secret magical school and a long-lost grandmother.”—BuzzFeed

“Exuberant contemporary fantasy series opener....a serpentine, high-intensity celebration of Black culture, history, and power."—Publishers Weekly

Harry Who??? Is all I gotta say. No shade. no tea.

Loved the influence of historical reference, the embrace of black culture in so many facets, and the subtle challenge to do your own research. Digging into the complicated relationships sons have with their moms, wow. I hate to wait 5 years for the sequel. so I hope you're already writing.

SOOO GOOOOD!!!!

I have NEVER read a book like this. After reading all the Harry Potters and 2 Riordan series’ (Cane Chronicles and Percy Jackson)….. This!!!
And the voice actor is superb. I could see him. Feel him.

Amazing.
I hope there’s a part 2.

The only negative would be the Kréyol accents and pronunciations. But you wouldn’t notice it if you don’t speak Haitian Kréyol or Louisiana’s Creole.

5 stars!!!

Outstanding Performance by Narrator

Gratitude for this amazing work of art with heroes that look and sound like me. Thank you to the author, and thank you to the narrator for understanding the assignment and putting your whole heart into it.

This isn't just entertaining, in "low-key / high-key" inspiring.

Absolutely amazing

Love the imagination and descriptive world building. the command of words to paint a picture and tell a story is perfect. hope to see where this series go.

So goooood!

I loved the story and the voice of the performer. it was exciting and it had a fresh outlook on ancestral practices

fantastic and well worth the listen!

sooooo glad i took the time to enjoy this creative work. Really took me to another place that I long forgot about. Well done!

Great storyteller- really amazing performance

Such an interesting weaving of the storyline from past to present . So many twists in the plot ! The performance of this audio production was icing on the cake- I hope we get more of this author and of this storyline.

A great read/listen

It was everything I expected it to be!!! Can't wait for the next book hopefully its already in the works

Majestic Black Boy Magic

This book had me in a choke hold! Malik’s journey was filled with all of the emotions. This action and history packed world wind experience will ignite your own magical spark!
I can’t wait for the next book!!!!

A story from home

I loved how relatable this story was! The dialogue, the description of Alabama and Louisiana, and the southern ways included in the story were so genuine. I will be on lookout for more- hopefully this is the start of a series.