Adia Kelbara and the Circle of Shamans

By: Isi Hendrix

Narrated by: Caroline Sorunke

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 she’s an ogbanje, a demon-possessed child that brings misfortune wherever they go, and Adia can’t disagree—especially when she suddenly manifests mysterious powers that she can’t 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 her—and fix it. But just as she's settling in, Adia stumbles upon a shocking secret: Unlike her, the kingdom's emperor really is possessed—by a demon more wicked than any other. And he’s 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 her….

The fate of the world hangs in the balance.

Shamanic powers oh my!

I truly enjoyed this adventure story and the elements of discovering who you are, the true meaning of power, and a family can be found in the craziest of places. The thing I enjoyed the most was how the MC fully transformed from where she started to where she has ended up. Honestly I can’t wait for the next installment in this series!

Power in Being Who You Are

I love stories that remind us how powerful we really are despite what the would would have us believe. Adia's journey to self discovery is a reminder to every woman of color both great and small that we have always been powerful beyond measure. We must stop accepting the projections of others who are not Us. Thank You for such an amazing story!

Incredible story and very mysterious

It feels like I am reading Princess Academy, Mulan and Keeper Of The Lost Cities. Adia Kelbara is like Miri, Mulan and more like Sophie Foster especially with the mysterious powers inside her and the way she is much like Mulan is with her being a warrior woman. The Academy Of Shamans feels like Adia attending a prestigious school and trying to embrace the feeling to fit in exactly like Miri from the Princess Academy books. I really love this book and I am falling in love with it. I would love to explore more of Adia's adventures to come