Donovan & the Secret City

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Synopsis

A Bronx teen uncovers a legacy of ancestral magic, family secrets, and mystical destiny in this powerful YA fantasy inspired by West African spirituality and Black cultural mythology. In Donovan & the Secret City, Ron Baxter launches The Brethren Chronicles with a heart-pounding, magical coming-of-age tale rooted in African diasporic traditions and urban realism. Donovan Richards is just trying to survive high school in the Bronx when tragedy strikes: his mother dies under mysterious circumstances. Grieving and adrift, he is taken in by Mama Seetu-a powerful elder who reveals herself as his great-grandmother and guides him into a secret world pulsing with ancestral magic, hidden history, and long-lost family. The Esikiri, a mystical clan blessed by the Orisha, welcomes Donovan into their fold. At the center of it all is the "Motherhouse," a place of power and refuge where Donovan begins to awaken strange new abilities. Haunted by dreams and stalked by spirits, he must confront a dark legacy-and a destiny that ties him to a secret history hidden in plain sight. As he trains under Seetu's wisdom and forms deep bonds with other gifted youth-including the fiercely loyal Bianca-Donovan must decide who he is and who he's willing to become. What begins as a personal search for identity soon turns into a battle for survival and truth. A potent blend of magic, heritage, and heart, Donovan & the Secret City is a gripping fantasy that speaks to the power of chosen family, cultural legacy, and the strength found in embracing who you are meant to be.