Black Girl Sorciere

by Aaliyah Deana

Speculative/Paranormal novella set in 1880s New Orleans

Cover & Blurb coming soon!

Genres: Horror, Gothic, Short Stories

35 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 2025

About the author

IG, Threads, and TikTok

@aaliyahdeanawrites

Reviews

[Sadie Hartmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll be back with a full review
-35 pages/kindle unlimited
-Black indie author/woman (support!)
-New Orleans
-1880
-historical paranormal romance
-"Mindwork" the ability to move objects with the mind
-Spirit writing
-grimoires and sorcery
-Vampires
-romance
-ancestral powers
-vengeance & retribution
*Off-the-page SA

[TheReaderVert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enraptured

Only word to describe this Historical Gothic Folklore. A story about vengeance and ancestors, magic, and strength found in dark corners.

This was...this left me speechless. It captivated me from go. The bare bones storytelling was crafted beautifully and the words hummed off the pages. Some tropes

🧹 Afro-Spiritualism
🧹Latent powers
🧹Coming-of-age: magical edition
🧹The meek shall inherit the earth
🧹Dark and Dangerous men

[Katie O’Reilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked this one! Darkly tragic and raw, but also uplifting. Who doesn’t love seeing disgusting predators get magical retribution? That’s the holiday spirit fr 🖤🪄🎃

[Aaliyah Deana]

My first foray into paranormal fiction! I had a great time writing and researching for this story.

[LaTosha Webber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Needed More

This was a ok quick read. It just had some things that could have had a little more detail to make it more cohesive. It’s sort of exactly the story you would expect for a paranormal fiction set in this particular time period.

[BookItWithKali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Black Girl Sorciere by Aaliyah Dean captured me from the first page with its vibrant depiction of 1880s New Orleans. The story follows Victoria, a young Black woman with magical abilities that she keeps secret even from her best friend Estelle. Victoria and Estelle work as maids at an estate, and when Estelle goes missing, Victoria vows to find out what happened to her friend, even if it means using her spiritual gifts.

Ms. Dean packs a lot into the 35 pages of Black Girl Sorciere, and I found the story thoroughly engaging. It has a Sinner-esque feel to it that I loved. I won’t say more to ruin the story, but I will say that I would love to find out what Victoria gets up to after the ending, as she is a compelling and intriguing character.

Thank you to Aaliyah Dean and Booksprout for the gifted eARC.

[Nenia Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

BLACK GIRL SORCIERE was an impulse read and I'm so, so glad I picked it up. I'd say it's like a cross between Sinners and WHEN THE RECKONING COMES, in the sense that it's got that Southern gothic imagery we all love, with a bit of Black girl revenge thrown in. And who doesn't love seeing a girl burning it all down?? Exactly.

Victoria is a maid in the post-slavery South, and while slavery may be over, racism is still alive and well, and she and her best friend are continually disrespected and even despised by the employers that they work for. Unbeknownst to anyone else, Victoria also has magical, Matilda-esque abilities, but her mother has warned her to keep them a secret. Until she happens upon a spell book and a potion, given to her as a random gift, and then she sees a warning appear on a page: keep this book, you will need it for your revenge!!!! AAAAAAHHH.

The topics in this book are heavy but a lot of the violence is off-page, and I absolutely loved the themes. I read the author's note in the back, and Aaliyah Deana wrote that she was inspired by Black Girl Magic and Beverly Jenkins's historical romances, and a Black dance called the "carabine." If you're looking for a short, and slightly creepy Halloween read with a punch of feminine rage, you'll really enjoy this book, I think. I know I did.

4 stars

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s amazing how much magic, emotion, romance, tragedy, friendship, and history Aaliyah Deana worked through these 35 pages!

When that pen started moving, I didn’t know what to think! 😳

What I liked
🔮 historical fiction with a paranormal twist
🔮 very quick read
🔮 feminine rage & vengeance
🔮 witchy vibes

Why not 5 ⭐️?
📖 instalove
I know it was a short story so there was some rushing, but I think he could have been a romantic interest without throwing love into it yet!
📖 some of the magic was more implied than explained

Overall, a great debut and I’d love to read more from this author in this setting/genre!!

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aaliyah Deana does a fantastic job in writing this fantasy adventure environment and how the characters were used in this universe. I really enjoyed the use of 1880s New Orleans and was invested in the time-period and characters. I was invested in what was going on and was engaged with how the fantasy genre worked well overall and glad it worked well.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mylene Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

An historical short story. Darkness in the deep South. Never a good sign for those around or in it. There is a mystery to be solved, but at what price? Good read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jessa Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was beautiful! I love that Victoria discovered her powers & served justice!

[IV · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting, dark and short read about a Black woman with magical powers in a historical setting. I found it a little slow in the beginning but it was entirely worth it for that glorious ending!