Never Too Young To Be a Hero: Twinja Book Reviews Top Ten List of YA Black main characters in Speculative Ficition #BSFM

Been a little distracted over the past few days, so we're revealing five lists in one day to conclude our month long event for Black Speculative Fiction!  

It's kind of no secret that we have an insane preference for Young Adult. Young Adult is just about one of the most versatile categories a writer can write in and while all the haters out there who think YA is just for teens, Libertad and myself pride ourselves in our love of YA titles!

There's something about reliving your Young Adult stage through a book. We all remember what it was like to be 15, awkward and going through things for the first time. It's always interesting to see teens have to go through these things WHILE having to save the world too.

 Twinja Book Reviews presents our Top Ten List of books highlighting Black teens in Spec Fic!

Promise of Shadows by Justina Ireland

This title features a blue haired, dread-locked heroine who discovers she just might be The NYX, a dark goddess who has the ability to change the fate of the world. If you're a fan of the Percy Jackson series, this Spec Fic title shows Aphrodite in a fierce new light!

Peculiar, Inc by C.S.R. Calloway

Peculiar, Inc. is not only insanely diverse, it has a Black girl as the main character! And even though there is a white main character, of five main characters, four of them are of color(One Latino,most likely mestizo, one Asian, a Black girl and a kid of mixed ancestry). And all of their powers are awesome. This is especially fun for readers whom are Christian, but don't want to sacrifice their beliefs for SFF.

Delta Legend by Kelan O' Connell

A long time supporter of this book, Delta Legend features a black teenage boy, who after a stint with the law, is shipped all the way across the country to live with his uncle in Locke,Sacramento, California. It appears to be the most boring town in the world....Or is it? Chinese lore, a diverse set of friends, a bunch of dead bodies, and a small town band together to stop a confused water dragon from killing people.

Orleans by Sherri L. Smith

Very few people haven't heard about this book, we know, but it's worth mentioning! Orleans features a black heroine in a post apocalyptic world where blood type determines everything under the sun, which also leads to a new way to segregate the community, whom all fear the deadly Delta Fever. The cover alone should convince anyone to pick it up! Definitely looks worth it.

Niko by Kayti Nika Raet

Not goina lie. Im a total "The Walking Dead" fan, but I cant actually watch it, unless I can watch an entire season within two days time. My grown ass gets way too many nightmares, and my eyes wont force shut, even when Im tired! Kayti's series "The Outsider Chronicles" features a studded, bat wielding heroine, in a dystopian setting, where the rain is acid(making food scarce) and the land is savaged by "Slithers", a type of cannibalistic beast that feeds on humans. I read the first four chapters, and I kid you not, I couldn't sleep!

Slice Of Cherry by Dia Reeves

Definitely for "I Hunt Killers" fans like myself! This book may be twisted, but the unique combination of horror and paranormal make it a to-read. Both the main characters happen to be the sisters, and the daughters of a notorious serial killer. Do they share their father's sick and twisted mind? Aint too many sistas getting these story lines! XD

Devil's Wake by Tananarive Due/Steve Barnes

There's nothing cooler than literary fiction royalty coming together to pen a book together! Married couple Tananarive Due and Steve Barnes are no strangers to Speculative Fiction, so Im sure it was a no brainer to pen this book together. If you are a lover of zombie, post apocalyptic horror stories, "Devil's Wake" is definitely for you! Also good for "The Walking Dead" fans!

The Keys by Balogun Ojetade

We've had Balogun Ojetade on our blog several times. While he's known for his Steampunk Harriet Tubman series "Chronicles of Harriet" I bet you didn't know he penned a YA novel! "The Keys" features two heroes/sheroes that become the avatars for a god of the Oyo Empire(West Africa, most likely Western and Northern Nigeria) and one of an Aztec Empire(Nueva Guatemala de la Ascuncion, now known as Guatemala City).

Shadow Speaker by Nnedi Okorafor

You cant go far without mentioning Nnedi Okorafor when you're talking about speculative fiction. When searching for more main characters in spec fic, whom are Muslim, this title came up. Im curious to see how the Islamic faith is presented in a spec fic setting, as I'm always looking for religious diversity, most of all with my speculative fiction. Proud to say she was the very second author we'd met, and she was super awesome!

Ship of Souls by Zetta Elliot

Another party goer, you cant start a party without.Maybe we're biased, because we recently met Zetta Elliot. But her book "Ship of Souls" features three young main characters, with all different walks of life(including a jock, who's also Muslim, which is what I've personally been looking for more in fantasy, sci-fi and spec fic). Libby is currently reading it, and she's joining us for our 2nd Annual Diversity Month, so this wont be the last we see of Zetta on Twinja Book Reviews!

Bonus:

For comic lovers! Here's a really good one. David Alleyne, or better known as "Prodigy."

What makes David so awesome, was that while he'd originally been an X-Men, and the only mutant able to absorb knowledge and abilities from other mutants within range, he happened to lose his abilities, but remained a New X-Men, relying on his high level intelligence to help his teammates.

Who you know, that could lose their ability to to only become more useful with outthem?

David is a prodigy indeed. He's inspiration to any black child who dares to excel.