Adia Kelbara and the High Queen's Tomb: A Fast-Paced Middle Grade West African Fantasy for Children (Ages 8-12)

Adia Kelbara #2

by Isi Hendrix

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 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 magical abilities to the 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.  

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Fiction

347 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 3, 2025

About the author

Isi Hendrix is an NAACP Image Award-nominated 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, NY, where she lives with a rotating roster of foster kittens and a stubborn refusal to accept that she is highly allergic to cats.

You can find her at www.isihendrix.com.

Reviews

[Brandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh. My. Gosh. This was EPIC!!! I love Adia and her journey, through doubt and fear into her own power and discovery, and learning to let her friends be there for her. This was brilliant!! I loved Thyme and Darian and Gini. Sabo was such a fascinating character, I would love a prequel for her! Pretty much love everything about this world and series!!

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second installment in the Adia Kelbara series. Hendrix has created a multi-layered fantasy world with a complex history and rules that will challenge readers who've not read the first book in the series. Despite having defeated the evil Olark in the first installment, Adia finds no peace as Zaria is gripped by a mysterious sleeping sickness and reanimated corpses keep appearing and trying to steal her eyes. At The Academy of Shamans Adia is supposed to be learning to control her powers, but there's little time for training as she must figure out who, or what, is responsible for the latest upheaval. Adia questions the motives of the characters around her as she tries to figure out who to trust, especially as she embarks on a journey to find the High Queen's Tomb and free Zaria from the control of the evil forces at play. The plot moves quickly and fantasy fans will find a lot to enjoy about this adventure. The epilogue makes it clear that a third novel is forthcoming. Adia's exploits will be right at home with other magical school fantasies.

Recommended for readers in grades 4-7, especially where the first installment is popular.

[The Page Ladies Book Club · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adia and her friends are back and there is another mystery and adventure for them! A strange illness knocks everyone out cold, and only Adia and her warrior friend Thyme are left standing. When a creepy reanimated corpse drops a dire message, they’re off on a quest to an ancient tomb to save the kingdom.

This book is fast-paced, imaginative, and packed with heart. Hendrix mixes West African mythology with a fun, fresh take on magic school tropes. Adia is brave, smart, and just the kind of heroine middle-grade readers will love rooting for.

If you enjoyed the first book, this one raises the stakes in all the right ways. The story has a nice blend of magic, mystery, and personal growth and would be a great read for fans of magical adventures, strong friendships, and stories that celebrate courage and culture. Thank you StoryGram Kids and Isi Hendrix for sharing this book with me!

[Breana · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my most anticipated sequels of 2025 was Isi Hendrix’s Adia Kelbara and the High Queen’s Tomb, the second entry of the Afrofantasy series. I was more than ready to dive back into the world and see what the author had in-store for the characters.

The tone of this second outing felt far bleaker than the previous entry in the series, which made sense. The danger wasn’t at an end, and the High Queen’s Tomb presented another magical—albeit dark and challenging—journey for the burgeoning shaman. I mean, the dead were literally rising. However, it wasn’t a typical take on zombies. I appreciated how the author developed the situation too, because it was more complex than it first appeared. The consequences made the story into a race against time, and the stakes were considerably raised because of it. But, the prospective danger wasn’t only to the world but also in a personal sense too.

After all, Adia had a lot on her plate. She was dealing with the aftermath (and trauma) left by her experiences fighting against Orlark as well as her complicated feelings over the loss of a friendship. Adia had to learn some VERY hard lessons in the High Queen’s Tomb. With her powers: she needed to understand the responsibility that came with them. With the friendships she’d forged (with Thyme and the emperor, Darian): to better value (and rely) on the people who had her back. And, at the same time, she also had to navigate the changes to the Academy of Shamans.

As far as secondary characters, there were new and familiar faces; unexpected allies, and even shocking betrayals. (Bubbles, the cat, was still adorable.)

Adia Kelbara and the High Queen’s Tomb was an excellent follow-up to the first.

Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Storytide) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you!

This review is also posted on my blog, Our Thoughts Precisely

[Bozhena Levine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you HarperAudio Children’s, Storytide, and NetGalley for the advanced electronic audio review copy of this great book. This is the second book in a fast-paced, fantastic adventure with great characters, same wonderful world-building, and interesting plot. Great middle-grade series. Looking forward to the next instalment.

[ISRA · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing style really elevates this from the standard middle grade fiction making the story feel more refined and or complex. Especially with Asia’s voice. Yet, the plot was a tad predictable for me in terms of who the villain was although the plot twist(s) were good. I enjoy the character development and personal growth of each character in every book. I look forward to the next one.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this better than the first one. Adia has to figure out how to free the empress from her crown. Oh, and save the world from the newest version of drops. Can she do it? I thought that this one made me understand the first one better as well as give a better story in the second book. There’s at least one more book coming in this series, and I’ll be reading it.

[Sylvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Isi Hendrix's sequel to her amazing first book is just as transporting and immersive. A more detailed review to come!

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I loved being back in this world with some of their funny quips.

[Aliza Gans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good! Did not expect that twist at the end!