Illustrated by Simone Douglas.

Published by Orion Children’s Books, 2023.

Kòkú Àkànbí and the Heart of Midnight is an exciting fantasy adventure and coming-of-age story. It’s a tale rich with West African mythology, powerful gods and goddesses and ancient tribes. I loved being transported to this brilliantly depicted world which was full of danger and magic.

After 13 year-old orphan Koku accidentally releases a demon on a trip to the British Museum, his uncle sends him to Olori, the West African land of origins, for the summer. Cursed with a weird name and an illness to match, Koku thinks life can’t get any worse. His sickle cell anaemia has always left him feeling alone and powerless, and now he’s being parcelled off to a country he barely remembers.

When Koku arrives in Olori, he finds himself in a land of endless sun and powerful magical tribes – and on the wrong side of a war. The ruling Ogún tribe is trying to destroy the night, and the magical creatures who need it, forever. As the last living descendent of the darkness-controlling Olókun tribe, Koku is the only one who can stop them.

Accompanied by Moremi, a martial artist with an anger problem, and Osoosi, a shapeshifter who spends half of her time as a hyena, Koku must venture into the dangerous jungle of Jujuland to master his powers, find the powerful talisman called the Heart of Midnight and restore Night to Olori. But he’ll have to move fast, because a teenage assassin with a soul-swallowing sword is on his tail… and if the night disappears, then so will he.

I loved the blend of modern day life and ancient tradition. There’s also a real authenticity to the book. What struck me immediately was Koku’s distinctive narrative voice. It’s bursting with slang and he comes alive on the page as a typical smart-mouthed streetwise teenager. When we arrive in Olori, the vivid descriptions of the landscape, the food and the traditions made the place very real for me as a reader. The West African dialect added another layer of authenticity and was something I really enjoyed reading and hearing.

The three main teenage characters are brilliant. Koku is a reluctant hero, quick with a takedown or a smart-Alec retort. Fierce Moremi is queen of the eye roll and side-eye and wields quite some power from just her braids alone. Shapeshifter Osoosi is remarkable: one minute human, the next minute hyena.

Kòkú Àkànbí and the Heart of Midnight powerfully explores themes of identity and belonging. Koku has never known his parents nor much about his heritage and place of birth. His illness and his name (which nobody can be bothered to pronounce correctly) make him an outsider in London, and when he arrives in Olori he’s regarded as an outsider there too. The quest for the Heart of Midnight also becomes a journey of self-discovery.

The comic-book style illustrations are terrific and add to the book’s superhero vibe. There are lots more adventures to come, as this is the first book in a new series. I can’t wait for the next instalment!

Rating: 💙💙💙💙💙

Suitable for children aged 9+

Thank you to Orion Children’s Books for sending me this book to review.