A sorcerer’s magic wants to be wielded, and it has a tendency to spill out in unpredictable ways if it isn’t called on. Sorcerer’s often set of on adventures to understand the nature of their magic or try and understand it’s origin, while some sorcerers see their magic as a gift others see it as a curse from from draconic ancestors. With this list I’m focusing on character with a bloodline of magic, that is unpredictable or outside forces that cause them to use their magic.

Wings of Ebony

Making something out of nothing is just a way of life for Rue. But her changes for she and her younger sister when their mother is shot dead on their doorstep. Suddenly Rue is taken from her neighborhood by a father she never knew forced to leave her little sister behind. Her father wisks her away to Ghizon-a hidden island of magic wielders.

Rue is the odd girl out, being half god/half human. Leaders on the island protect their magical power at all cost and thrive on human suffering. Rue is miserable and desperate to see her sister again. So on the anniversery of her mother’s death she breaks Ghizon’s sacred Do Not Leave Law and returns to Houston only to discover that Black kids are being foreced into crime and violence. Worse yet her sister Tasha is in danger of falling sway to the forces that claimed their mother’s life.

But evidence is pointing to the fact that the evil on East Row is also in Ghizon, and it will stop at nothing until it takes everything and everyone Rue loves from her. To beat it Rue must embrace her true power to save her neighborhood before the gods destory it. .

J. Elle is fromTexas but currently lives in Southern California, she enjoys reading, writing and cooking. She also love elevating fearless, unapologetic Black heroines.

Amazon: Wings of Ebony

The Epic Crush of Genie Lo

Genie is a perfectionist feeling the struggle to get into a top-tier college. It consume her every waking though, until she discovers she’s a celestial spirit powerful enough to bash through the gates of heaven with her fist. Then college, well it’s not exactly at the top of the list, maybe like number two though.

Then there is Quentin a transfer student from China. He’s tone-deaf assertiveness intruges Genie, yet it also annoys her to the point of madness. Quentin helps with Genie’s outrageous transfromation sometimes gently sometimes agressively as their sleepy suburb in the Bay Area comes under threat from hell-spawn.

Drawing from Chinese folklore Yee perfectly balences a larger than life heroine’s high school life, with the supernatural world she finds herself commanding.

F. C. Yee grew up in New Jersey and went to school in New England, but has called the San Francisco Bay Area home.

MUTI Creative Studio designed the cover for The Epic Crush of Genie Lo.

Amazon: The Epic Crush of Genie Lo.

The Twelve

Usagi was born in the year of the wood rabbit, she can hear a squirrel’s heartbeat a mile away and soar over treetops in a giant leap. The year of her birth gave her extraordinary zodiac gifts.

But she can never use them not with the mysterious and vious Dragonload in charge, he hunts down all those in her land with zodiac powers. Instead she must keep her powers and her rambunctious sister Uma’s powers a secert.

But after Uma is captured by the Dragonlord. Usagi can’t ignore her powers anymore, She must journey to Mount Jade with the fabled Heirs of Twele, a mystical group of warriors who once protected the land.

But as new mysteries unfold Usagi must decide who she’s willing to stand with and trust, as she goes after deadly foe after deadly foe in her path to the elusive and dangerous Dragonlord.

A former award winning journalist Cindy Lin love reading, yoga and has recently taken up archery and kendo.

Amazon: The Twelve

Life was perfect for Maren Partridge before her sister’s accident. Now her sister is in a coma and her parent are talking about the hospital bills, and putting her sister Hallie in a long term care facility. Maren knows what this is code for, Hallie never getting better.

While Maren isn’t worried about Hallie she works in her family’s dream shop, with her Gran Gran Lishta where she can hand craft any dream imaginable. The shop only has one rule. Dreams cannot be given without the person consent.

Maren has never had a problem with this until Hallie got sick, if dream can help people with other problems then maybe they can help heal her sister. Maren’s certain she can cure Hallie with a few well-chosen dreams. And when no one is watching, she slips her a flying dream.

But someone is watching, a strange new customer, Ms. Malo to the shop has been watching Maren, and she knows what she’s been up to with trying to heal Hallie. Now she’s planning to blackmail Maren into creating custom nightmares’ for a dark and terrible purpose. Now she must make a choice protect her family or the town she loves?

Nicole Lesrpance is a young adult and middle grade author, and she lives near Boston with her husband, two kids, and two black cats. Her debut MG novel, THE NIGHTMARE THIEF, was published by Sourcebooks Kids. Her debut YA novel, THE WIDE STARLIGHT, was published this month.

Federica Frenna, was the illustrator, and Jordan Kost was the designer for THE NIGHTMARE THIEF

Amazon: The Nightmare Thief

Root Magic

A wonderful book about the Gullah people who I’ve never seen in a middle grade book before (please correct me if I’m wrong!)

Set during 1963 when things are changing for Jezbel Turner. Her beloved grandmother has just passed away. Her family is the target of harassment from the local police deputy. And with school integration beginning in South Carolina Jez and her twin brother are going to start school with a bunch of new kids.

But the biggest change comes from their Uncle Doc who tells them he’s going to train them in rootwork. Jez and her brother Jay have alway been intrested in the African American folk magic, that has been in their family for generations.

They are especially curious about the potions and powers Doc and Gran would make for the people on their island. But Jez soon finds out her family’s power is much bigger than she ever could have imagined, and not a moment too soon. Because her family will have to deal with both natural and supernatural evil as it comes to town and it’s going to take every bit of Jez’s magic to see this problem through.

Eden Royce is from Charleston, South Carolina and is a member of the Gullah-Geechee nation.When she’s not writing or reading, she’s probably roller-skating, watching quiz shows.

Amazon: Root Magic

Photo by Rodion Kutsaev on Unsplash