Maya and the Rising Dark

This is an action-packed, fast-paced story about magic, family, and friendship, and it has lots of twists and turns.

Strange things are happening in Maya’s hometown of Chicago, as dark shadows appear in her neighborhood and her dreams are filled with the Lord of the Shadows. Twelve-year-old Maya is half Orisha. She is also caring, funny, and loving, and she is on a mission to save her missing father, who is a powerful Orisha. As she and her friends embark on their mission to rescue Papa, they encounter exciting adventures and learn a great deal about themselves.

Maya and her friends, Eli and Frankie, are engaging, diverse characters. They, along with all the side characters, are realistic, likable, and multi-dimensional. This story incorporates West African culture in a fun and informative way. It also has a caring family that is supportive of one another, which is a refreshing change from the usual orphan-or-child-with-terrible-parents theme that is more common in books for kids.

This story has lots of adventure and magic, and it has a hero you will love everything about and want to see in more stories. It’s a great book for anyone over the age of ten.