9 Afrocentric fantasy books to read right now

By day, Alice balances a fragile GPA, an overprotective mother and the feuds and friendships of high school. By night, she protects Atlanta from the Nightmares, monstrous creatures who slip into reality from the shadowy world of Wonderland.

She just about has her two lives locked down when her handsome but secretive mentor Addison Hatta is poisoned. Alice is desperate to find an antidote, but doing so means venturing deeper into Wonderland than she's ever dared.

Debut author L.L. McKinney transforms the classic fairy-tale into a contemporary fantasy rich with intrigue, populated with a diverse cast of characters and served with a dash of dark magic. The story continues in "A Dream So Dark" and "A Crown So Cursed."

Yaba Badoe's lyrical fairy-tale tells the story of Sante, the sole survivor of the terrible sinking of a migrant ship. Sante was a baby when the tide carried her ashore in a sea-chest filled with gold dust, diamonds, and a bamboo flute. Now fourteen, and part of Mama Rosa's wondrous travelling circus, she takes her treasures and sets out to unravel her past and avenge her people.

Told in poetic prose, "A Jigsaw of Fire and Stars" masterfully balances the myths and mysteries of Sante's story with a powerful probe into the horrors of the refugee crisis. Melding African folklore with a graceful coming-of-age tale, the pieces of this enchanting story come together as Sante learns to forge her own identity.

12-year-old Sunny Nwazue has always struggled to find her place in the world. She lives in Nigeria, but she grew up in New York. Her features are West African, but she's albino.

She loves to play football, but she can't go out in the sun to practice. Her life seems to be an endless jumble of contradictions – until she discovers her latent talent for magic, and a shadow world of wonders overlapping normal society.

Sunny joins a team of trainee witches and wizards, but just as she's figuring out how to master her skills, her crew is put to the test. There's a killer on the loose, hunting children – and he knows magic too.

Author Nnedi Okorafor builds a beautifully original fantasy world in this heart-warming tale of friendship, family and of course, magic. Sunny's adventures continue in "Akata Warrior."

Tochi Onyebuchi takes readers to the sprawling cityscape of Kos, where corrupt sorcerers draw sin from the guilty rich to take shape in the form of ravenous monsters. The beasts are lethal to all except the aki, children with the power to swallow sins.

Taj is the strongest of the aki, but his work comes at a price. His kills are forever inked on his skin, while the guilt of others eats at the corners of his mind. But Taj is determined to provide for his family, so when the opportunity comes to slay the sin from a member of the royal family, he takes the job. But the mission comes with unexpected dangers, and draws him into the heart of a conspiracy that threatens the city itself.

"Beasts Made of Night" combines high-stakes action with rich world-building and a brave, hopeful hero you can't help but root for. Taj's story continues in "Crown of Thunder."

Author Marlon James won the Booker Prize in 2015 for "A Brief History of Seven Killings." Now he spins fantasy's next great saga in one hunter's quest for a lost child that spans 13 kingdoms and introduces readers to a strange and wondrous cast of characters.

There's a giant, a witch and a man who can shapeshift into a leopard. Each has their own motives for seeking the missing boy. The crew weather rivalries and forge friendships as they traverse a rich tapestry of enchanted darklands and stunning citadels on their quest to unravel the truth about their prey.

James fuses the ancient and the modern to create a highly original, beautifully realised world that melds pan-African cultures, religions and histories in a story of power, loyalty and ambition.

West African-inspired epic fantasy "Children of Blood and Bone" follows secret sorceress Zélie, whose people have the power to ignite flames, calm the tides and reap souls from the dead.

Wonder once reigned in Orïsha, until a ruthless new king vowed to scourge magic from the land. The magi were hunted without mercy. Zélie lost her mother, and her people lost their freedom. Now with the help of a rebel princess, she must learn to harness her skills and bring the crooked monarchy to its knees. But the crown prince is searching for them, honour-bound to destroy magic forever.

Debut author Tomi Adeyemi weaves a vivid tale that melds sharp plotting and star-crossed romance with themes of injustice, oppression and bittersweet hope. The series continues with the spellbinding sequel "Children of Virtue and Vengeance."

Urban fantasy "Shadowshaper" is set in New York, and the novel's Puerto-Rican protagonist Sierra Santiago is the last in a legendary line of Shadowshapers, who protect their city by painting murals that channel the power of ancestral spirits. But when the pictures start to fade and shadows stalk Brooklyn after dark, Sierra must unravel her family's past to defend her city's future.

Daniel José Older's lush prose is rich with the simmering tension of summer in New York, and sweeps the reader into a tale of family, history and wonder.

The magic is compelling and complex, but what makes this story so good is the way the author grounds the adventure in a wholly believable Brooklyn, capturing the spirit of the community Sierra is determined to defend. The story continues in "Shadowhouse Fall" and "Shadowshaper Legacy."

Winner of the 1991 Booker Prize for fiction, "The Famished Road" is a poignant fable inspired by Yoruba tradition. Azaro is an abiku, a spirit child destined to exist eternally between life and death. He is born into a world of hardship, injustice and suffering, yet he wakes with a smile full of hope.

His story unfolds against a backdrop of political unrest reminiscent of the Nigerian Civil War, and Okri contrasts this stark reality with the peace of the spirit realm. Fated to spend only a short time in the world, Azaro almost passes on, but his loving parents fight to save him. I

t is this love that drives Azaro's decision to endure life, and his haunting tale is both intimate and epic in its exploration of what it means to be human. His journey continues in "Songs of Enchantment" and "Infinite Riches."

In the ancient city-state of Gujaareh, peace is preserved by the Gatherers. Priests of the dream goddess, each night they stand witness to the mysteries of the city's sleeping populace. Their role is to soothe, heal – and kill those whose dreams they deem corrupt.

Ehiru is the most famed of all the Gatherers, and he has never questioned his duty. Until he learns of a killer carrying out crooked justice and murdering innocent dreamers in the goddess' name. Now Ehiru must turn traitor and protect the woman he was sent to kill, and fight to save his city from the threat of dark magic and the promise of war.

Hugo award-winning author N. K. Jemisin interweaves a twisting political conspiracy with a vivid dreamscape in this epic adventure. The tale continues in "The Shadowed Sun."

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