The first book in a fast-paced, witty, and bighearted debut Afrofantasy trilogy about a twelve-year-old apprenticing in the kitchens at the prestigious Academy of Shamans who must ally with a snarky goddess and a knife-wielding warrior to save her kingdom.
Perfect for fans of Amari and the Night Brothers and The School for Good and Evil.
Life is tough for twelve-year-old orphan Adia. Her aunt and uncle believe sheās an ogbanje, a demon-possessed child that brings misfortune wherever they go, and Adia canāt disagreeāespecially when she suddenly manifests mysterious powers that she canāt control, causing an earthquake in her village.
So when Adia is offered a kitchen apprenticeship at the faraway Academy of Shamans, she flees with nothing but a pouch of change, her cat Bubbles, and the hope that someone there can figure out what's wrong with herāand fix it. But just as she's settling in, Adia stumbles upon a shocking secret: Unlike her, the kingdom's emperor really is possessedāby a demon more wicked than any other. And heās on his way to the Academy for a visit.
Joining forces with a snarky goddess, a five-hundred-year-old warrior girl, and an annoying soldier-in-training, Adia must travel through hidden realms to exorcise the emperor and save her kingdom. But to succeed, she first must come to understand the powers inside herā¦.
The fate of the world hangs in the balance.