GOLDENBORN, by Ama Ofosua Lieb, Scholastic Press, June 2, 2026, Hardcover, $19.99 (young adult)
A girl must choose between saving her father or staying true to her beliefs in Goldenborn, a YA dystopian fantasy by Ama Ofosua Lieb.
Akoma Addo has one rule: don’t get too close to the supernatural.
Ever since a blazing orb of light left her father in a coma, she’s buried herself in her secret job investigating magical crimes in San Francisco’s AfricaTown — just enough to keep her grief at bay. But when a body turns up in a pool of molten gold and ash, Akoma’s pulled into something much bigger — and far more dangerous.
At the center of it all is Anansi, the trickster god of stories, who makes her an impossible offer: help him catch a killer and awaken the ancestral magic buried deep in her blood… and in return, he’ll give her a chance to bring her father back.
To take the deal, Akoma will have to lie to everyone she loves and embrace the very power she’s spent years trying to deny. And as her connection grows with Xander, the new guy in town with secrets of his own, Akoma must decide who she can trust — especially when she’s no longer sure she can even trust herself. —Synopsis provided by Scholastic Press
Inspired by Ghanaian mythology, Goldenborn is unlike the majority of fantasies you may have come across.
Goldenborn is a book that you need to give a chance. The opening chapter of Goldenborn isn’t particularly clear as to what’s going on. There are a lot of details in Goldenborn and a complex magical system to catch on to. And despite all the detail, Lieb could have focused more on some relationships. But if you do stick with it, you’ll be treated to a novel with strong world-building and intricate plots.
Lieb’s writing is smooth and the story moves quickly. The folklore and ancestral magic are compelling and are reason enough to read Goldenborn.
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