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 HCBU for the young, Black, and magical. Enroll in this fresh fantasy debut with the emotional power of Legendborn and the redefined ancestral magic of Lovecraft Country.

BLOOD AT THE ROOT (Book 1)
by LaDarrion Williams
Labyrinth Road/PRH, May 2024
(via Park & Fine Literary and Media)

At just seven years old, Malik’s life changed forever the night his mother mysteriously vanished, and he discovered he had uncontrollable powers. For ten years, he kept his abilities hidden, looking out for himself and his younger foster brother, Taye. However, a daring act to safeguard them both 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.

« [An] exuberant contemporary fantasy series opener… Williams delivers a serpentine, high-intensity celebration of Black culture, history, and power. » – Publishers Weekly

« The extensive worldbuilding incorporates West African, Caribbean, and Black American history and cultures to explain a magical reality hidden from view and relevant to the Black diaspora and Malik’s family history… A well-thought-out magical world that provocatively centers Black experiences. » – Kirkus Reviews

A genre-shattering amalgamation of culture, heritage, and magic. Williams’s debut is bold, gripping and utterly refreshing. » – J. Elle, NYT bestselling author of Wings of Ebony and House of Marionne

LaDarrion Williams is a Los Angeles based-playwright, filmmaker, author, and screenwriter whose goal is to cultivate a new era of Black fantasy, providing space and agency for Black characters and stories in a new, fresh, and fantastical way. LaDarrion is currently a resident playwright/co-creator of The Black Creators Collective.