LAST GATE OF THE EMPEROR

A boy must fight to save his world in this Ethiopian-inspired adventure by noted children’s author Mbalia and Makonnen, the great-grandson of Haile Selassie.

Twelve-year old lone wolf Yared is used to relying only on himself, his Uncle Moti, and his best friend and bionic lioness companion, Besa. Yared hides his loneliness behind bravado and quippy comebacks, using his razor-sharp wit to help him mask his true feelings and survive his family’s many moves. Through his technological acumen, Yared finds comfort and renown in the community of an illegal augmented reality scavenger hunt game, where he shares top ranking with his rival, the Ibis. When their game is interrupted by a giant robotic beast—a creature out of one of his uncle’s stories come to life—Yared and the Ibis must go on the run. The duo soon realizes they must uncover the truth—including the truth of Yared’s past—in order to save their homeland from certain ruin. The themes of teamwork and family are woven throughout as Yared comes to understand the value of working with others as well as the fact that blood and chosen family are both valuable. While a couple of elements strain credulity, and the particularly astute may guess the book’s big reveal, this won’t spoil full enjoyment of this fast-paced, Afro-futurist space romp that will grip both avid and reluctant readers. Main characters are Black.

Entertaining and action-packed.