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A Poor Man's Prose
A brilliant crossover YA/NA novel that’s Legendborn as if written by Jason Reynolds, from social media star and one of the most compelling new voices in fantasy, Jahid Wilson, Jr., about a young man who learns his words have the power to conjure things into existence, but this power comes at a terrible cost...
Seventeen-year-old Kaldur’s heart has always beat in two on the page, and in the community he holds dear. Those precious to him keep him afloat in a world dedicated on seeing him drown. But when he accidentally unleashes soul magic that kills four boys, that love is tested. Kaldur’s closest friends rise to the occasion and do what is necessary to protect him. When all is said and done, the bodies disposed of, they swear a blood promise to carry the weight of this secret like they do all together.
But together does not mean forever, and one year later Kaldur and his friends are still grieving the tragic car accident that turned their infamous quintet into a quartet. Worst of all, suspicion and scrutiny around the case of the missing boys has forced Kaldur’s family to relocate to Georgia. Blaming himself, Kaldur attempts to use magic to resurrect their lost companion. His efforts backfire in the worst way, leading to a dangerous pact with a write fifty magic-infused poems and he will undo his friend’s death. As Kaldur and his friends strategize to complete the pact, he discovers his powers connect him to a mysterious woman in his dreams, one who is aware of the deaths he has caused and sends her monstrous emissary to hunt him down.
Even as he faces supernatural conflict in the waking world and dreaming one, Kaldur’s new life in Georgia is filled with the messy vibrancy of being a teenager—forming bonds in his first writing community, meeting a woman who shows him it’s not about who he was, but who he can be, and leaning on the friends who still stand by his side, hundreds of miles away.
Through laughter, healing, and a love with the deepest roots, Kaldur and his loved ones—both chosen and given—push back against the forces trying to unravel them, proving that even in the face of grief, there’s a reason for love, hope, and joy.
Seventeen-year-old Kaldur’s heart has always beat in two on the page, and in the community he holds dear. Those precious to him keep him afloat in a world dedicated on seeing him drown. But when he accidentally unleashes soul magic that kills four boys, that love is tested. Kaldur’s closest friends rise to the occasion and do what is necessary to protect him. When all is said and done, the bodies disposed of, they swear a blood promise to carry the weight of this secret like they do all together.
But together does not mean forever, and one year later Kaldur and his friends are still grieving the tragic car accident that turned their infamous quintet into a quartet. Worst of all, suspicion and scrutiny around the case of the missing boys has forced Kaldur’s family to relocate to Georgia. Blaming himself, Kaldur attempts to use magic to resurrect their lost companion. His efforts backfire in the worst way, leading to a dangerous pact with a write fifty magic-infused poems and he will undo his friend’s death. As Kaldur and his friends strategize to complete the pact, he discovers his powers connect him to a mysterious woman in his dreams, one who is aware of the deaths he has caused and sends her monstrous emissary to hunt him down.
Even as he faces supernatural conflict in the waking world and dreaming one, Kaldur’s new life in Georgia is filled with the messy vibrancy of being a teenager—forming bonds in his first writing community, meeting a woman who shows him it’s not about who he was, but who he can be, and leaning on the friends who still stand by his side, hundreds of miles away.
Through laughter, healing, and a love with the deepest roots, Kaldur and his loved ones—both chosen and given—push back against the forces trying to unravel them, proving that even in the face of grief, there’s a reason for love, hope, and joy.
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Published July 15, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 17, 2025
I listened to the audiobook so I didn't have the pages in my hands to tell me that the book was almost over. I was so absorbed in the story that it felt like it took a piece of my soul when it ended so abruptly, shoving me back into reality. I love seeing lyrical prose in fantasy writing and this was the most impressive version of that I have ever seen. There is so much emotion wrapped up in this book and it's done incredibly well. I'm hoping to see much more writing from Jahid in the future.
March 12, 2025
Where do I even start? Jahid is my best friend but after bullying him over the course of a year and half while he took on my edits in stride, he knows I wouldn't dare lie about this damn novel.
A Poor Man's Prose is incredible. Seeing this novel go from bones to flesh to tendons to a whole person, I am in awe of this final product. Genuinely, there is nothing more satisfying than seeing these characters on page with the fullest potential of themselves.
Small summary: Kaldur has magic often locked behind words secretly written in a journal but when four boys go missing at his hand, and magic, it shakes up the town and catches the attention of ancient beings who want to use the magic for themselves. Now, Kaldur must cope with the loss of his life as he knows it; his freedom to his magic, his best friend, and himself.
Kaldur? He's so severely internal and Jahid balances Kaldur's internalization of his character with the grief and friends who pull him to a safe space to feel his grief in perfect harmony. I genuinely just want to give Kaldur a hug for the things he holds in his heart, not only because he's scared of what they might do or react, but because he's scared how HE might react to the knowledge no longer being under his control. I love Kaldur's character and development so much. I hold him so close to my heart.
Egypt? Initially, we're lead to believe she might be some kind of Mary Sue because HOW can someone be so genuine and strong? But she is, unapologetically so. Egypt is the friend you want, need, and fear because she forces you to bare your soul with just a glance. She screams a level of spirituality that you can't summon. A breakfast with her on a cool sunday in the park would genuinely solve all of my problems.
Calvin? I;ve never met a more frustratingly endearing character in my life. I simultaneously want to smack him with a fly swatter and give a noogie. He's the brother you never wanted but could tolerate if you don't share a room.
Then, there's the backyardigans. The shared grief they all hold is like a rubber band being stretched unevenly. They take eachother's pain when it becomes too hard to deal with. The dynamic of Slim, Bolt, AD, Old School, and Kaldur has the ultimate sibling energy. Name a stronger quintet.
In lieu of not spoiling anything before the book releases, I'll hold off naming anyone else.
But I'm not gonna shut up. Jahid has the incredible talent of weaving this life of Kaldur's where each character feels so singular yet can't exist without those around them. The family dynamic is what often brough tears to my eyes. A stunning, beautiful, and loving family working through their flaws and accepting eachother despite them. Nothing is a punishment, anything is solvable. Despite such an adoring family, Jahid really captures the teen mindset of Kaldur, who rejects himself before giving anyone else the opportunity to do it first, even his family.
It has been the highest honor of all time to work on this novel and no amount of words will separate myself from the text. I cannot wait for the incredible trio of narrators to take on the essence of these characters and weave the poem with their audible magic.
Thank you, Hidi, for letting me be part of this journey. It's been the greatest pleasure.
I will absolutely be updating this review the moment I am allowed to include any specifics!!!!
A Poor Man's Prose is incredible. Seeing this novel go from bones to flesh to tendons to a whole person, I am in awe of this final product. Genuinely, there is nothing more satisfying than seeing these characters on page with the fullest potential of themselves.
Small summary: Kaldur has magic often locked behind words secretly written in a journal but when four boys go missing at his hand, and magic, it shakes up the town and catches the attention of ancient beings who want to use the magic for themselves. Now, Kaldur must cope with the loss of his life as he knows it; his freedom to his magic, his best friend, and himself.
Kaldur? He's so severely internal and Jahid balances Kaldur's internalization of his character with the grief and friends who pull him to a safe space to feel his grief in perfect harmony. I genuinely just want to give Kaldur a hug for the things he holds in his heart, not only because he's scared of what they might do or react, but because he's scared how HE might react to the knowledge no longer being under his control. I love Kaldur's character and development so much. I hold him so close to my heart.
Egypt? Initially, we're lead to believe she might be some kind of Mary Sue because HOW can someone be so genuine and strong? But she is, unapologetically so. Egypt is the friend you want, need, and fear because she forces you to bare your soul with just a glance. She screams a level of spirituality that you can't summon. A breakfast with her on a cool sunday in the park would genuinely solve all of my problems.
Calvin? I;ve never met a more frustratingly endearing character in my life. I simultaneously want to smack him with a fly swatter and give a noogie. He's the brother you never wanted but could tolerate if you don't share a room.
Then, there's the backyardigans. The shared grief they all hold is like a rubber band being stretched unevenly. They take eachother's pain when it becomes too hard to deal with. The dynamic of Slim, Bolt, AD, Old School, and Kaldur has the ultimate sibling energy. Name a stronger quintet.
In lieu of not spoiling anything before the book releases, I'll hold off naming anyone else.
But I'm not gonna shut up. Jahid has the incredible talent of weaving this life of Kaldur's where each character feels so singular yet can't exist without those around them. The family dynamic is what often brough tears to my eyes. A stunning, beautiful, and loving family working through their flaws and accepting eachother despite them. Nothing is a punishment, anything is solvable. Despite such an adoring family, Jahid really captures the teen mindset of Kaldur, who rejects himself before giving anyone else the opportunity to do it first, even his family.
It has been the highest honor of all time to work on this novel and no amount of words will separate myself from the text. I cannot wait for the incredible trio of narrators to take on the essence of these characters and weave the poem with their audible magic.
Thank you, Hidi, for letting me be part of this journey. It's been the greatest pleasure.
I will absolutely be updating this review the moment I am allowed to include any specifics!!!!
August 3, 2025
I wanted to love this more than I did. I did not particularly like the AAVE writing style. Once I was able to push past that and focus more on the story being told, I loved it more. But it was hard. I really believe AAVE is really based off regional speaking. And no matter how much research you do, we all speak differently in different parts of the US. There were parts that I had to really push through. And a few days I went without really needing to know the rest of the story. The overall story though was very intriguing though! I will say it felt like too many metaphors and other literary elements thrown in there. Everything had to be compared to something. Oh and a lot of what I like to call millennial references thrown in there. It felt like it was just for the story to be as relatable as possible. But for me it was just too much. The overall story though… absolutely loved and wanted to know how it was going to end.
September 15, 2025
I originally had the e-ARC for this, but I held off until the audiobook dropped so I could do immersive reading... and honestly, I highly recommend doing the immersive/Tandem read. The way the MC was performed in audio really brought the story to life.
The plot overall kept me interested, though I’ll admit it slows down around the halfway point. Once the MC does the ritual to awaken his dead friend, I thought the pace would pick up and stay focused on his magic and the deal with the Reaper. That scene was one of my favorites. It gave me the same kind of predatory vibe as the movie Sinners, where the Irish vampire seeks to exploit the kid who plays the guitar. I wanted more of THAT energy right away, but it took a while to circle back to it.
What I really appreciated was how the book leans into community, friendship, and chosen family. It shows how those connections can hold people up when everything else is falling apart. I also loved the Spanish woven into the dialogue, I think it added authenticity and depth to the characters, though I wish it had tied in more clearly to the magic world itself.
On the audio side, the narrator for the MC and the goddess was great, but two of the voices didn’t quite land for me. The Reaper’s voice had a nice deep tone, but the breathiness made it hard to understand unless I slowed the playback speed. The woman narrator had a good tone too, but her delivery felt a little choppy. Not deal-breaking, but noticeable.
All that said, it didn’t take away from the heart of the story. At its core, this book is about community, acceptance, and finding the magic within yourself. It’s about grief, yes, but also about love, hope, and holding onto joy even when things get dark.
The plot overall kept me interested, though I’ll admit it slows down around the halfway point. Once the MC does the ritual to awaken his dead friend, I thought the pace would pick up and stay focused on his magic and the deal with the Reaper. That scene was one of my favorites. It gave me the same kind of predatory vibe as the movie Sinners, where the Irish vampire seeks to exploit the kid who plays the guitar. I wanted more of THAT energy right away, but it took a while to circle back to it.
What I really appreciated was how the book leans into community, friendship, and chosen family. It shows how those connections can hold people up when everything else is falling apart. I also loved the Spanish woven into the dialogue, I think it added authenticity and depth to the characters, though I wish it had tied in more clearly to the magic world itself.
On the audio side, the narrator for the MC and the goddess was great, but two of the voices didn’t quite land for me. The Reaper’s voice had a nice deep tone, but the breathiness made it hard to understand unless I slowed the playback speed. The woman narrator had a good tone too, but her delivery felt a little choppy. Not deal-breaking, but noticeable.
All that said, it didn’t take away from the heart of the story. At its core, this book is about community, acceptance, and finding the magic within yourself. It’s about grief, yes, but also about love, hope, and holding onto joy even when things get dark.
July 16, 2025
Oh I love this so so much!!! The voice of the protagonist Kaldur is so strong and it bounces off the page, not to mention the plot. 😭 I hope it goes to print very very soon and I hope people rally behind this book because my GOD!! Excellent shit
August 2, 2025
Real rating - 4.5
Some of the slang was hard to read for me, but otherwise a very good story.
Some of the slang was hard to read for me, but otherwise a very good story.
August 19, 2025
I read the eARC (see review below) and couldn't wait for the audiobook to be released.
And the audiobook made me love the book even more. The emotion the narrators brought to the story was amazing. The imagry and poetry just hit different when read aloud. No notes
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4.5⭐️ (ebook)
This book had me hooked from the first page. Amazing imagry/description. I loved the unique magic system and the diverse cast of characters. I can't wait for the audiobook to be released and I'm dying for there to be a sequel.
And the audiobook made me love the book even more. The emotion the narrators brought to the story was amazing. The imagry and poetry just hit different when read aloud. No notes
-------
4.5⭐️ (ebook)
This book had me hooked from the first page. Amazing imagry/description. I loved the unique magic system and the diverse cast of characters. I can't wait for the audiobook to be released and I'm dying for there to be a sequel.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews