"This book is incredible! With a dazzling cast of characters wrapped up in a rich, imaginative afrofantasy world, Adia's thrilling journey will have you eager to turn the next page!" - B.B. Alston, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Amari and the Night Brothers
"Deep, piercing, and urgent, Adia Kelbara and the Circle of Shamans marries historic heft with the soaring possibilities of magic to tell a spellbinding story of empowerment and liberation. Author Isi Hendrix makes a passion-packed entrance onto the middle grade stage, and readers of all ages will do well to pick up this first entry in a powerful new fantasy series." - Soman Chainani, New York Times bestselling author of the School for Good and Evil series.
"With heart and humor, Adia Kelbara is a tale of victory for anyone who's been made to feel ashamed of who they are. Not only does Adia prove that our power can be reclaimed, she takes us on a rollicking fun adventure along the way." - Graci Kim, New York Times bestselling author of the Gifted Clans trilogy
"By turns immersive, thrilling, funny, and powerful, Adia Kelbara and the Circle of Shamans will grab readers from the first lines to the breathtaking finale. Readers will fall in love with Adia and root for her fierce quest to right the wrongs done against her people." - Sylvia Liu, award-winning author of Hana Hsu and the Ghost Crab Nation
"An immersive, funny, clever fantasy with real emotional depth. I couldn't put it down!" - A.F. Steadman, New York Times bestselling author of Skandar and the Unicorn Thief
"A truly masterful addition to the afrofantasy genre. This immersive fantasy deserves to be on every shelf." - Booklist (starred review)
"Adrenaline-fueled action and inventive worldbuilding personify this captivating Afrofantasy, which teems with smartly rendered twists and oodles of hope and heart." - Publishers Weekly
"Igbo cosmology forms the basis of this engaging fantasy, and Hendrix not only uses the surviving mythology but also depicts some of the ways Western hegemonists have contributed to its loss. Adia's emotional growth remains central to the narrative, which lays out intriguing tidbits that build over the course of the novel to support the satisfying reveal at book's end." - Horn Book Magazine
Isi Hendrix is a children's book author who has been lucky enough to live and work all over the world, from the Himalayas to the Amazon rainforest, during her past life as an anthropologist. Now she's based in her hometown of Brooklyn, New York, where she lives with a rotating roster of foster kittens and a stubborn refusal to accept that she is highly allergic to cats. Adia Kelbara and the Circle of Shamans is her debut novel.