Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 02/01/2025 Kwame Powell has power buried inside him that his grandmother used to tell stories about. When the goddess Asase Yaa died, she sent her sunsum (spirit) into the children born to all the guardians of her beloved creation, Earth. When Kwame’s dashiki is stolen by a strange-looking monkey, he jumps into the river after it—after all, the dashiki was the only thing he had left of his grandmother, and the glowing of his birthmark only gave him more questions. He surfaces in the underworld of Asamando, home to not only the spirits of the Ghanian deceased but also demons and gods still very much alive and troubling the world above. He soon learns that his essence is a means for the gods to create a new Mother goddess that they can control, and as such, he was called to the underworld. As the last living child of the guardians, Kwame is compelled to enter the dark depths of the underworld's Eloko Forest to face the gods. Infused with Ghanian folklore and lush settings, Farmer’s debut brings a hopeful twist to traditional tales of grief. Young fans of the Tristan Strong series will find this story equally appealing. - Copyright 2025 Booklist.