Abeni and the Kingdom of Gold

by P. Djèlí Clark

Overview

Return to the world of Abeni's Song in Abeni and the Kingdom of Gold, the action packed sequel by P. Djèlí Clark.

“Lush and magical.” —KWAME MBALIA • “Astonishing.” —MARK OSHIRO • "Abeni's story will sweep you away." —AMANDA FOODY

The Children of the Night are free.

Abeni and her spirit friends rescued them from a terrible fate in the Witch Priest’s army of monsters. But when Abeni is asked to return home to rebuild her village, she refuses. She must carry on with her mission until all of her people are safe.

When Abeni is captured and imprisoned by the legendary Kingdom of Gold Weavers, she must win her freedom by retrieving the mystical Golden Throne—or risk becoming a living statue of gold forever! Legend says the throne is guarded by a dragon who can only be defeated by a magic sword.

But stories are not always what they seem. And the truth can change everything.

To reclaim the throne, Abeni and her spirit companions must travel to a city of light high in the mountains and a lost kingdom beneath the sands, fight frightening monsters and a golden army, all while evading the Witch Priest’s daughter, who hunts them at every turn.

Without courage and strength, even a kingdom of gold will fall to darkness. Will Abeni and her song be enough to save them all?

Abeni and the Kingdom of Gold is the second epic adventure in Abeni’s tale of magic, monsters, friendship, and courage.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250825858
Publisher:	Tor Publishing Group
Publication date:	04/29/2025
Series:	Abeni's Song , #2
Pages:	368
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.30(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Born in New York and raised mostly in Houston, P. DJÈLÍ CLARK (he/him) spent part of his childhood in Trinidad and Tobago, the homeland of his parents. He is the author of the novel A Master of Djinn and the novellas Ring Shout, The Black God’s Drums, and The Haunting of Tram Car 015. He has won the Nebula, Locus, and Alex Awards and been nominated for the Hugo, World Fantasy, and Sturgeon Awards. His stories have appeared in online venues such as Tor.com, Daily Science Fiction, Heroic Fantasy Quarterly, Apex, Lightspeed, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, and in print anthologies, including Griots, Hidden Youth, and Clockwork Cairo. He is also a founding member of FIYAH Magazine of Black Speculative Fiction and an infrequent reviewer at Strange Horizons.

Editorial Reviews

2024-12-28
In this sequel toAbeni’s Song (2023), two teen girls’ paths cross: one who’s bound to the work of a spirit of destruction and one who’s dedicated to protecting a spirit of creation.

Fulan is the 16-year-old adopted daughter of the Witch Priest, who’s amassing a massive, unrelenting army to remake the world. Fulan has the shape of a teardrop on her forehead—her father’s mark, which connects her to his power and his voice. She wants to lead one of his armies, but the Witch Priest instead sends her off, accompanied by a man called the Huntsman, to capture reborn spirit Asha and her guardian, Abeni. Thirteen-year-old Abeni, whom readers met in the series opener, is looking for both the Storm Women who ravaged her village and the elder spirits who can protect Asha, who was her village’s local witch and now, in the form of a little girl, must relearn her powers. Asha and Abeni are accompanied by flutist Songu, a traumatized nonspeaking boy, Zaneeya, a shape-shifting panther girl, and Nyomi, a porcupine spirit. A dramatic encounter with the Gold Weavers forces them to change their plans, and their original quest is made even more complicated by detours and complicated bargains. Clark’s worldbuilding connects readers even more deeply to this mythical African-inspired world. The strong character development combined with the humorous elements will resonate with a broad range of readers.

Strong storytelling unfolds in a vivid fantasy world.(Fantasy. 9-13)

Kirkus Reviews

"Clark’s worldbuilding connects readers even more deeply to this mythical African-inspired world. The strong character development combined with the humorous elements will resonate with a broad range of readers." —Kirkus

"Fans of Abeni’s Song (2023) will enjoy this next adventure and anxiously await the third installment in the series." —Booklist

Praise for Abeni's Song

An Indie Next Pick!

A Junior Library Guild Selection!

A Common Sense Media Selection!

★"A rich story of love, loss, and friendship steeped in West African lore. Readers will thrill to the fantastic plot points as well as the genuine relationships between magical and mortal characters, and the fast-paced plot will keep them fully immersed in the story from beginning to end." —Horn Book, starred review

"[Abeni's Song is a] coming-of-age fantasy adventure novel takes place in an intricately-imagined fictional West African setting." —Common Sense Media (selection)

"Abeni’s Song does a fantastic job building a world full of deep lore." —BookPage

"Vibrant and utterly immersive, Abeni's story will sweep you away with its depth of fantastical wonder, tragedy, and coming-of-age adventure." —Amanda Foody, New York Times bestselling author of the Wilderlore Series

"A whimsical tale of found family and hope that brilliantly weaves lush worldbuilding with witches, magic, and an incredibly brave protagonist who learns to believe in herself while on a quest to save her village. This story will live in readers' hearts and minds long after turning the last page." —Rena Barron, Author of the Maya and the Rising Dark Series

"This sweeping epic fantasy takes beloved West African folklore and spins it into a tale of whimsy, horror, and adventure. Clark masterfully builds beautiful, authentic worlds and fills them with characters that are both endearing and flawed. This has the feel of a classic fantasy, something that will be passed down for generations to come." —Booklist

"Enchanting first installment...intricately detailed, riotously fun adventure that explores themes of loyalty, friendship, courage, and the power of belief in oneself." —Publishers Weekly

"A lush and magical fantasy that will leave readers craving more of Abeni's adventure."—Kwame Mbalia, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Tristan Strong series

"An original, enjoyable coming-of-age story.” —Kirkus Review

"Abeni’s Song is simply unlike anything else in the field. An astonishing adventure that managed to thrill, scare, and delight, all while telling a story that is beautifully complicated and moving. Middle grade readers, meet your new favorite author." —Mark Oshiro, #1 New York Times bestseller co-author of The Sun and the Star (From the World of Percy Jackson)

"Anyone can read P. Djèlí Clark’s Abeni’s Song and get something out of it, but Black children are especially going to be drawn to it. It would make a great book for children who love fantasy, adventure, and found family stories." —Locus

From the Publisher