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| image copied from bookshop.org |
Goldenborn by Ama Ofosua Lieb is a rich and vibrant YA urban fantasy that is an interesting blend of the fantastic and sci-fi. It takes place in a near future world where magic and technology co-exist. The fantasy aspects offer readers a glimpse into Ghanian folklore and mythology. The immersive setting and compelling narrative centers on storytelling traditions and personal identity while exploring themes of culture and appropriation of cultural artifacts.
The story is set in a near future version of San Fransisco and centers most of the story around the San Fran district of AfricaTown. In this world, Ghanian magic, gods, and modern life have been woven together. The FMC, Akoma, works for a clandestine organization that has integrated itself into a special division of the SFPD as part of its cover. The real intent behind InterMag is to investigate magical or supernatural crimes. As such, we are introduced to a setting where magic is acknowledged while also being introduced to the state-of-the-art technology that Akoma has access to as an InterMag agent. Add to this the Ghanian gods, centering the most around trickster god Anansi, and other supernatural beings that are running amok in the city and you have a seamless weaving of magic and cutting-edge science wrapped up in one intriguing YA story.
After her father suffers a magical attack, Akoma is recruited to InterMag and hopes their resources will help her get to the bottom of what happened. Now a year later, the soon to be eighteen-year-old is balancing her career with trying to be a normal teen, and trying to provide good care to her dad who is still in a coma after his attack. She is also, understandably, not a fan of magic. But this is part of what drives her as an investigator and how she ends up becoming entwined in a series of dangerous magical crimes, one involving thefts and the other involving a couple of perplexing, gruesome murders. Her journey into the dark, complex web of the magical world brings her face-to-face with some startling truths about herself and her family. Akoma's investigation also magnifies her struggles both internally and externally with grief, familial expectations, and with retaining her own personal agency over her own story and identity.
As a character Akoma is an emotionally grounded one and the conflicts she faces, while being mostly fantastic in nature, still manage to feel realistic and relatable. Her development and growth as she comes into her own is one of the strongest aspects of this novel. While young, Akoma is also keenly observant and clever. The mysteries she sets out to solve are twisty and complex with many layers she has to wade through to get to the bottom of things. But the emphasis on helping her family at the same time and balancing her connections with her friends and a new possible love interest give her and her story additional depth and heart.
The novel takes place over a very short time line. One leading up to Akoma's birthday, and we are introduced to a ticking clock around that event fairly early on, which keeps the pacing fast and the tension high. But I never felt overwhelmed or like Lieb neglected to give me enough information to follow along as events unfold. The romantic subplot of the story that is introduced was charming and sweet, but was incorporated in such a way that is doesn't overshadow the central plot of the novel. Instead, it is a fun addition to the action.
The world-building in Goldenborn is also topnotch. Elements of the culture and of this setting are introduced through food, clothing, music, community traditions and as well as through storytelling as we learn about alternate realms tied to Ghanian mythology. The exploration of questions surrounding identity, cultural appropriation, narrative and who controls it, and how this shapes our society deepens the fantasy framework of the book as well. Not to mention the gods, shapeshifters, and even vampires mixed with technology such as glasers, AI droids and self-driving ubers, make this a dynamic world to get lost in.
Goldenborn is a rich and imaginative YA fantasy that combines thrilling adventure, with vivid storytelling and meaningful themes. It celebrates Ghanian mythology in a fun inventive way, features a well-developed, smart main character, and is set in a fully realized, immersive world. Overall, this novel was a refreshing take on the urban fantasy genre and I look forward to reading more in this world that Lieb has created. If you enjoy diverse storytelling mixed with resonant characters and inventive world-building then grab a copy of this book! It is a truly amazing debut novel.
For June my next review will be the dark, fast-paced YA mystery suspense In Case I Go Missing. Then two weeks after that I'll be talking about the YA queer fantasy romance The Boy With the Heart of Sea Glass that has some lovely elements of Cornish folklore woven into the plot. The covers and blurbs for both books are copied from bookshop.org.
Seventeen-year-old Fenny Allen has been Sarah Vincenty's sidekick for as long as she can remember. Over the years, Sarah has built a reputation in their small town as an amateur detective and a vigilante who has dispensed her own form of justice.
Now Sarah is missing. The police have written her off as yet another teen runaway, but Fenny is convinced there’s foul play. And when she discovers a binder Sarah left behind, entitled In Case I Go Missing, Fenny realizes that Sarah disappeared while investigating her biggest case yet.
With Sarah gone, it's up to Fenny and her other best friend, Sam, to finish her investigation. As they piece together the clues, they find themselves up against a decades-old mystery that links to the town's dark history. But is this binder a guide to finding Sarah—or are Fenny and Sam already too late?
The more the pair uncover, the clearer it becomes that those involved will go to great lengths to keep their secrets. And when everyone has something to hide, there are more than a few reasons to want Fenny and Sam out of the picture. Permanently.
"An impressive debut with moments of brilliance." -Richard Hall, author of I'm Fine
Eighteen-year-old Sam returns to the tiny Cornish island where he was born hoping to mend his broken heart and learn more about the father he never knew. Instead of finding answers, Sam's life becomes even more complicated when he begins to dream of the sea every night.
Falling for the first boy he meets also doesn't make Sam's life any easier. But Tryste is the perfect distraction. His thunderstorm eyes and their instant chemistry make Sam wish he still believed in happy endings. But Sam's wounds run deep, and he's worried about having his heart broken again.
As Sam's dreams intensify into eerie visions, he suspects there's so much more to his family, and his new boyfriend, than meets the eye. Embracing the truth will blur the line between reality and fairytale forever.
Will Sam choose to stay on dry land or follow his heart to the bottom of the ocean?
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