Adia Kelbara and the High Queen's Tomb

by Isi Hendrix

Overview

The second book in a fast-paced, witty, and bighearted debut Afrofantasy trilogy about a twelve-year-old apprentice in the kitchens at the prestigious Academy of Shamans who must ally with a snarky goddess and a knife-wielding warrior to save her kingdom.

Perfect for fans of Amari and the Night Brothers and The School for Good and Evil!

Adia Kelbara may have defeated the power-hungry god Olark and saved Zaria, but now she must face something even more terrifying: her first semester as a student at the Academy of Shamans. As her abilities are tested during orientation, a mysterious affliction causes everyone except for Adia and Thyme to pass out—and a reanimated corpse appears, with a horrifying message.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, Emperor Darian sends news that the same phenomenon is happening across the kingdom and that someone is siphoning energy from the living to resurrect corpses, creating cracks between the realms of the living and the dead.

Now it will be up to Adia to push her powers to their limit and journey to the tomb of the ancient High Queen in search of answers and a cure for the sleeping sickness besieging Zaria. But rising corpses aren’t the only threats that stand in her way—a new enemy looms, and if Adia can’t defeat them, Zaria may soon become another realm of the dead.  

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780063266407
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	06/03/2025
Series:	Adia Kelbara and the Circle of Shamans
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	352
File size:	4 MB
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Isi Hendrix is a children’s book author who has been lucky enough to live and work all over the world, from the Himalayas to the Amazon rainforest, during her past life as an anthropologist. Now she’s based in her hometown of Brooklyn, New York, where she lives with a rotating roster of foster kittens and a stubborn refusal to accept that she is highly allergic to cats. Her debut novel, Adia Kelbara and the Circle of Shamans, received a starred review from ALA Booklist and was nominated for an NAACP Image Award.

Editorial Reviews

PRAISE FOR ADIA KELBARA AND THE HIGH QUEEN'S TOMB: Hendrix, using captivating prose and engaging plot lines, reintroduces readers to a protagonist who feels realistically drawn and relatable even though she’s dealing with both the physical and magical realms. A fitting sequel that will keep readers invested in its West African–inspired world and characters. — Kirkus Reviews

PRAISE FOR ADIA KELBARA AND THE HIGH QUEEN'S TOMB: “Readers will be kept in suspense over who is behind the chaos in Zaria until the very last page. This thrilling sequel to Adia Kelbara and the Circle of Shamans (2023) will have readers excitedly awaiting the final book in Hendrix's Afrofantasy trilogy.” — Booklist

PRAISE FOR ADIA KELBARA AND THE CIRCLE OF SHAMANS: “This book is incredible! With a dazzling cast of characters wrapped up in a rich, imaginative afrofantasy world, Adia’s thrilling journey will have you eager to turn the next page!” — B.B. Alston, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Amari and the Night Brothers

PRAISE FOR ADIA KELBARA AND THE CIRCLE OF SHAMANS: “Deep, piercing, and urgent, Adia Kelbara and the Circle of Shamans marries historic heft with the soaring possibilities of magic to tell a spellbinding story of empowerment and liberation. Author Isi Hendrix makes a passion-packed entrance onto the middle grade stage, and readers of all ages will do well to pick up this first entry in a powerful new fantasy series.” — Soman Chainani, New York Times bestselling author of the School for Good and Evil series.  

PRAISE FOR ADIA KELBARA AND THE CIRCLE OF SHAMANS: “With heart and humor, Adia Kelbara is a tale of victory for anyone who’s been made to feel ashamed of who they are. Not only does Adia prove that our power can be reclaimed, she takes us on a rollicking fun adventure along the way.” — Graci Kim, New York Times bestselling author of the Gifted Clans trilogy

PRAISE FOR ADIA KELBARA AND THE CIRCLE OF SHAMANS: “An immersive, funny, clever fantasy with real emotional depth. I couldn’t put it down!” — A.F. Steadman, New York Times bestselling author of Skandar and the Unicorn Thief

PRAISE FOR ADIA KELBARA AND THE CIRCLE OF SHAMANS: “By turns immersive, thrilling, funny, and powerful, Adia Kelbara and the Circle of Shamans will grab readers from the first lines to the breathtaking finale. Readers will fall in love with Adia and root for her fierce quest to right the wrongs done against her people.” — Sylvia Liu, award-winning author of Hana Hsu and the Ghost Crab Nation

PRAISE FOR ADIA KELBARA AND THE CIRCLE OF SHAMANS: "Adrenaline-fueled action and inventive worldbuilding personify this captivating Afrofantasy, which teems with smartly rendered twists and oodles of hope and heart." — Publishers Weekly

PRAISE FOR ADIA KELBARA AND THE CIRCLE OF SHAMANS:  “A truly masterful addition to the afrofantasy genre. This immersive fantasy deserves to be on every shelf.”  — Booklist (starred review)

From the Publisher

2025-03-22
An orphan girl is tested more than ever before by the magnitude of her magical abilities.

Adia Kelbara’s life looks much different than it did a year ago. Now she’s a student at the Academy of Shamans and hailed as a hero who saved her kingdom’s boy emperor, Darian, from the demon Olark. Adia has to navigate new lessons, challenges, mysteries—and enemies. And she must do all this while learning about and developing the full extent of her powers. When most of the school falls unconscious, and then a terrifying reanimated corpse appears and speaks to Adia, she realizes she may once again be the target of a malevolent power. To make things worse, Darian sends word that he needs Adia’s help to resolve an affliction that seems to be taking over the kingdom. Traversing the realms of the living and the dead, Adia must once again try to save her people, all while discovering more about her ancestry and powers. Hendrix, using captivating prose and engaging plot lines, reintroduces readers to a protagonist who feels realistically drawn and relatable even though she’s dealing with both the physical and magical realms. This second volume in the trilogy touches on themes of friendship, loss, identity, growth, and power and its consequences.

A fitting sequel that will keep readers invested in its West African–inspired world and characters. (map)(Fantasy. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews