The Gatekeeper's Staff by Antoine Bandele

SPFBO7 Indie Recs Indie

TJ Young has been surrounded by magic his entire life, yet he has never tapped into it… until now. Fourteen-year-old TJ grew up normal in a secret community of gifted diviners in the heart of modern-day Los Angeles. His powerful sister was ordained to lead his people into a new age of prosperity, but her mysterious death in Nigeria threatens to destroy the very foundations of TJ’s world. Desperate to pick up where his sister left off and uncover the secrets behind her questionable death, TJ commits himself to unlocking the magical heritage that has always eluded him. So he enrolls in Camp Olosa—a remedial magic school for the divinely less-than-gifted in the humid swamps of New Orleans. But little does he know, TJ is destined to cross paths with powerful spirits of old thought lost to time: the Orishas. Delve into this young adult fantasy based on the mythology of the West African gods, where TJ will encounter unlikely allies, tough-as-gatorhide instructors, and the ancient secrets of the Orishas.

By Sea & Sky: An Esowon Story (The Sky Pirate Chronicles #1) by Antoine Bandele

SPFBO6

The sickness was severe… …and there was one known potion that could save him. Was piracy the only chance they had? Zala wasn’t skilled with a sword. She wasn’t blessed with magic. But she knew the Sapphire Seas well. Plundering and raiding was an art of its own, and she got by on her wits. Yet she was running out of time. She needed the big score to save her husband. What was her next move? Before she even knew it… …the game changed. High above them, off the coast of the Ibabi Isles, a strange airship was headed their way. Zala had never seen anything like it. The battle was imminent. And she was going to need more than her bag of tricks. You’ll love this adventure inspired by the West Indies, The Swahili Coast, and Arabia, because Zala will encounter ruthless raiders, arrogant aristocrats, and imperial secrets. It will keep you turning the pages.