CONJURE ISLAND

A family emergency sends a tween to live with a relative she didn’t know existed and who holds the secret to her beloved grandmother’s past.

Eleven-year-old Delphinia Baker is used to being uprooted. Her dad’s in the military, and changing duty stations means Del and her grandmother must pack up and move too. However, when Gramma suddenly falls ill, Del’s world changes unimaginably. With her father deployed, she’s sent to stay with Nana Rose, Gramma’s mother, on one of South Carolina’s Sea Islands. Nana Rose runs a boarding school dedicated to keeping the lore and traditions of the Gullah people alive, including conjure magic. Del is skeptical about magic, and her worries about Gramma plus the island’s isolation weigh on her mind. The school, the teachers, and even the other students feel strange. Eva, Del’s roommate, is friendly, but Del is reluctant to open up to her. Soon it becomes clear that the magic is real, and Del is determined to discover why Gramma kept this part of her life hidden. Her struggles to work magic cause her to worry whether she will ever understand her family’s past—and land her in some precarious situations. Following her acclaimed debut, Root Magic (2021), Royce offers readers another strong fantasy steeped in Gullah culture, featuring mythic creatures, ghosts, and brooms that facilitate spells. Del is a fully realized protagonist who convincingly changes from a wary observer to a young person embracing her heritage.

A rich window into a unique cultural community.