Wings of Ebony

Instant New York Times bestseller! "A remarkable, breathtaking, earthshaking, poetic thrillride." -Daniel José Older, New York Times bestselling author of Shadowshaper ​In this riveting, keenly emotional debut fantasy, a Black teen from Houston has her world upended when she learns about her godly ancestry and must save both the human and god worlds. Perfect for fans of Angie Thomas, Tomi Adeyemi, and The Hunger Games! "Make a way out of no way" is just the way of life for Rue. But when her mother is shot dead on her doorstep, life for her and her younger sister changes forever. Rue's taken from her neighborhood by the father she never knew, forced to leave her little sister behind, and whisked away to Ghizon-a hidden island of magic wielders. Rue is the only half-god, half-human there, where leaders protect their magical powers at all costs and thrive on human suffering. Miserable and desperate to see her sister on the anniversary of their mother's death, Rue breaks Ghizon's sacred Do Not Leave Law and returns to Houston, only to discover that Black kids are being forced into crime and violence. And her sister, Tasha, is in danger of falling sway to the very forces that claimed their mother's life. Worse still, evidence mounts that the evil plaguing East Row is the same one that lurks in Ghizon-an evil that will stop at nothing until it has stolen everything from her and everyone she loves. Rue must embrace her true identity and wield the full magnitude of her ancestors' power to save her neighborhood before the gods burn it to the ground. J. Elle is the author of the instant New York Times and Indie bestseller Wings of Ebony, a YA novel about a Black teen who must lean into her ancestor's magic to protect her inner-city community from drugs, violence, and crime. Ms. magazine calls it "the debut fantasy we need right now." She also wrote its sequel, Ashes of Gold. Elle is a former educator and first-generation college student with a bachelor's degree in journalism and a master's in educational administration and human development. When she's not writing, Elle can be found mentoring aspiring writers, binging reality TV, loving on her three littles, or cooking up something true to her Louisiana roots. "Narrator Bahni Turpin nails her portrayal of Rue, a Black teenager who, upon her mother's tragic death, discovers that her long-absent father is a god, that she herself is a godling, and that she must leave her human half sister to travel to the magical island of Ghizon. Turpin brings a convincing emotional range to the story as she depicts Rue's parental resentment, grief and love toward her surviving half sister, suspicion toward her white Ghizonian peers, and rage toward the white gang members who are terrorizing what had been, until recently, her Black neighborhood. Throughout, Turpin also demonstrates a talent for making the great one-liners in this novel sing for the listener. Add this to your audiobook list!"

In the "thrilling…masterful" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) conclusion to the Wings of Ebony duology, which #1 New York Times bestselling author Nicole Yoon calls "bold, inventive, big-hearted, and deeply perceptive," Rue makes her final stand to reclaim her people's stolen magic. Rue has no memory of how she ended up locked in a basement prison without her magic or her allies. But she's a girl from East Row. And girls from East Row don't give up. Girls from East Row pick themselves back up when they fall. Girls from East Row break themselves out. But getting free and finding her friends is only half the battle. Rue vows that when she reunites with them, she will find a way to return the magic that the Chancellor has stolen from her father's people. Yet even on Yiyo Peak, Rue is a misfit; with half a foot back in Houston and a heart that is half human, half god, she's not sure she's the right person to lead the fight to reclaim a glorious past. When a betrayal sends her into a tailspin, Rue must decide who to trust and how to be the leader that her people deserve, because if she doesn't, it isn't just Yiyo that will be destroyed-it will be Rue herself. J. Elle is the author of the instant New York Times and Indie bestseller Wings of Ebony, a YA novel about a Black teen who must lean into her ancestor's magic to protect her inner-city community from drugs, violence, and crime. Ms. magazine calls it "the debut fantasy we need right now." She also wrote its sequel, Ashes of Gold. Elle is a former educator and first-generation college student with a bachelor's degree in journalism and a master's in educational administration and human development. When she's not writing, Elle can be found mentoring aspiring writers, binging reality TV, loving on her three littles, or cooking up something true to her Louisiana roots. "In the closing of this duology, Bahni Turpin brings this story to life by embodying specific characters and masterfully representing the cultural spaces with great precision through characters who are from vastly different worlds. This YA fantasy is the story of Rue, a powerful teen who escapes imprisonment and fights to return magic to her kinfolk, the Ghizoni people. Turpin brings out Rue's American accent while simultaneously connecting her to people from a faraway land - Ghizon. The tone of the story is dramatic, with nonstop adventure. There are numerous moments of warmth, especially when Turpin narrates the love triangle in Rue's life or moments of loss. But the high energy in Turpin's voice is unmistakably exciting."