On the Horizon – abeni’s song (P. Djèlí Clark)

Ahoy there me mateys!  I received this young adult fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  So here be me honest musings . . . .

Title: abeni’s song
Author: P. Djèlí Clark
Publisher: Tor Publishing Group – Starscape
Publication Date: Yesterday!!! (hardcover/e-book)
ISBN: 978-1250825827
Source: NetGalley

This is the start to a new series and I think it is lovely even if it has dark themes.  The world building is wonderful.  Abeni is a fantastic main character.  She loses her family when her village is destroyed and all the people kidnapped.  Abeni is determined to find them.  The interesting part for me is that there is no simple magical fix even if magic is real.  Abeni is continually learning and growing and works hard.  She has to rely on the help of her friends.  She finds new family while never forgetting about her old one.  She has prejudices about others that she has to overcome.  She has to learn that adults don’t always have the answers.  Abeni is certainly someone to root for.  I also loved Asha and the other secondary characters.  I think this is a great book for younger readers and older ones alike.  Highly recommended and look forward to reading more of Abeni’s journey.  Arrr!

Goodreads has this to say about the novel:

On the day of the Harvest Festival, the old woman who lives in the forest appears in Abeni’s village with a terrible message:

You ignored my warnings. It’s too late to run. They are coming.

Warriors with burning blades storm the village. A man with a cursed flute plays an impossibly alluring song. And everyone Abeni has ever known and loved is captured and marched toward far-off ghost ships set for even more distant lands.

But not Abeni.

Abeni is magically whisked away by the old woman. In the forest, Abeni begins her unwanted magical apprenticeship, her journey to escape the witch, and her impossible mission to bring her people home.

Abeni’s Song is the beginning of a timeless, enchanting fantasy adventure about a reluctant apprentice, a team of spirit kids, and the village they set out to save.

To visit the author’s website go to:
P. Djèlí Clark – Author

To buy the book go to:
abeni’s song – Book 1

To add to Goodreads go to:
Yer Ports for Plunder List

Previous Log Entries for this Author
Dead Djinn Universe (Fantasy)
a dead djinn in cairo – book 1 (Captain’s Log)
the haunting of tram car 015 – book 2 (Captain’s Log)
a master of djinn – book 3 (On the Horizon – eArc)

Standalones
the black god’s drums (On the Horizon – Fantasy eArc)
“The Secret Lives of the Nine Negro Teeth of George Washington” (Shiver me Timbers! – Historical Fantasy Short Story)
ring shout (On the Horizon – Historical Fantasy eArc)