12 year old Darnell thought this would be another normal summer spent at Martin Luther King JR. Library, but instead he is thrust into a magical world like no other! With the help of the King's librarians, Darnell must discover his hidden talents and learn the magical secrets of the peoples of Africa in order to survive the journey through the underworld Kuzimu (koo-zee-moo) and rescue his mother from the clutches of an evil sorcerer.
12 year old Darnell thought this would be another normal summer spent at Martin Luther King JR. Library, but instead he is thrust into a magical world like no other! With the help of the King's librarians, Darnell must discover his hidden talents and learn the magical secrets of the peoples of Africa in order to survive the journey through the underworld Kuzimu (koo-zee-moo) and rescue his mother from the clutches of an evil sorcerer.
The stars and moon shone down on a small neighborhood library in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Crickets chirped in the overgrown grass around the library. Birds nestled quietly in the grooves of the sign that read “The King’s Library.” It was the beginning of a peaceful night until noise from inside the library violently intruded. Running footsteps could be heard coming from within, then a man burst through the automated doors, shattering the glass.
The man stumbled from the library into the parking lot, where only one streetlight still worked. He headed for the light, illuminating his dark, handsome face. He clutched at his chest and gasped for breath; an oddly shaped blood-red dagger protruded from his chest. He frantically looked behind him at the library, and his breathing became heavier when a man appeared and followed him at a steady, confident pace.
The librarian was afraid and exhausted, but he still needed to lure his pursuer far enough away from the library so that Mr. Burton and the two trainees could shore up their defenses. If he failed to give them time, it would be the end of the King’s Library. He limped away, but collapsed after just a few feet. He fell to the ground, the dagger pushing in deeper as he hit the pavement. He looked up at the sky, where the stars continued sparkling above the violence in the library parking lot. The librarian, too weak to lift his head, slowly turned toward the sound of his attacker’s steps.
His attacker’s dark, handsome face was marred by engorged blood-red veins and skin that was beginning to turn an ashen gray. Keeping pace with the attacker was a small baboon that appeared to be made entirely of black, dripping tar. Its yellow fangs and red eyes stared gleefully at the librarian. The menacing figures should have been terrifying, but the librarian’s senses were fading. The sounds of the crickets were becoming less piercing, the stars less bright. The librarian sighed, resigned to his fate; there was nothing more he could do.
As the darkness edged his vision, the librarian could make out a new sound coming from the direction of the library. With one last surge of energy, he focused on the sound: footsteps! The sound was people running towards them. He felt dread rain down from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet, but not for his sake; he knew his fate, but anyone who came upon them would be in great danger.
“No!” He managed to groan, and the last sound the librarian made was a gasp of horror as two young people burst into his line of vision as they struck his attacker from behind. They must have sprinted from the library and charged the man. One wielded a sledgehammer, the other a wand. The librarian’s life slipped away before he could learn their fate.
Darnell’s life as a good boy to his mother and a frequent reader at the king’s library is interrupted. It begins the day Mr. Burton hands him a note meant for his mama. As he tries to find the meaning behind the disturbing note, Daniel discovers that the library has a deep-seated history and secrets, and its librarians all have a hidden role. In no time at all, Darnell finds himself on a journey, a path less travelled. With the librarians, including a talking human skull, Darnell goes to the land of the dead to get the living out of there.
Darnell and the Librarians: Journey through Kuzimu by JD Bennet begins innocently, effortlessly immersing the readers in the lives of a boy, his mother, and the local library whose librarians are too friendly. The mood changes soon enough, with a murder revelation. Darkness that has been dealt with in the past is returning. As Keisha grapples with whether to prepare Darnell for what’s coming, fate has already decided.
This book, only 172 pages long, tells a classic hero’s journey positively impacted by strong characters, evocative prose, and a plot that builds up fast and culminates in a satisfying ending. Contributing to the book’s success is the use of folklore and mythology. A hare is known for its cunningness, and it doesn’t surprise that even in the dead land, the saying still holds true. In addition, the book features Africa and its people.
World-building is also remarkably done. Kuzimu comes out believable. The people there have a life, much as they’re the dead. Events there are as they’d occur in the living land. Interestingly, Ms. Colby even points out that the food she’s about to offer her guests is appropriate for the living.
Characters here come off the page. Obu, the talking skull, is helpful enough; one time agrees to sneak up on a village with Darnell, perhaps aware of the latter’s need to help out. For his crime against Mohete, Obu accepts his fate. Then there’s Jack. She’s good with a sledgehammer. Darnell knows no magic, at least in the beginning, but he learns the ropes quickly enough, and in the end is capable of protecting himself against the darkness by using magic.
Who should read this book? The cover gives the impression it’s meant for a young audience, and whereas that’s true, the adult readers will also enjoy it, especially those into magic and stories about rescue missions orchestrated by a bunch of underdogs facing indomitable odds.