TBB’s July Lit List – Fantasy & Mythology Special

Discover the Best Black British Fantasy Books Inspired by African and Caribbean Mythology for Every Age

Fantasy is one of the biggest genres in entertainment, but when conversations turn to dragons, magic and mythology, Black stories are still rarely part of the mainstream discussion. The good news? They’re out there.

While Black British authors are well known for contemporary fiction, crime and literary novels, there’s also a growing collection of fantasy that draws on African and Caribbean mythology, folklore, spirituality and history. The challenge isn’t a lack of books. It’s that too many of them aren’t reaching the readers who would love them.

Over the years we’ve found more than 30 fantasy and mythology-inspired books by Black British authors, from picture books, young adult and adult fiction. Some, like Femi Fadugba’s The Upper World, A. Bello’s Emily Knight series and Saara El-Arifi’s The Ending Fire Trilogy, have built dedicated audiences, while many others remain hidden gems waiting to be discovered.

Whether you’re looking for your next epic fantasy, a magical adventure for children or a fresh take on mythology, these are the Black British books proving that our imagination has always been limitless.

And we threw in are from the diaspora for good measure.

Firstborn of the Sun by Marvellous Michael Anson

In Oru L’ore is the only one without agbára – the ability to harness power from the sun. And must conceal it from everyone. Including her best friend, Alawani.

But when the gods declare Alawani an Àlùfáà, he must be stripped of his power in a brutal trial likely to kill him. Unwilling to bear his death, Lóre vows to rescue him.

But in a desperate attempt to channel agbára an icy magic pours from her hands; a power she learns originated from a forbidden, secret land beyond the walls of Oru.

One where she and Alawani must now seek sanctuary and discover a secret that could bring the Kingdom to its knees . . .

Secrets of Valhalla by Jasmine Richards

It’s not every day that you find a famous weatherwoman bound by magic to a tree deep in the woods. Or discover that the weatherwoman is in fact Sunna, the Norse Goddess of the Sun, and one of the seven day guardians who keep time in order. But that’s just what happens to new friends Buzz and Mary and it’s only the start of their adventure.

Now, as the people of Earth are forced to repeat the same Saturday over and over again, Buzz and Mary must journey to collect the Runes of Valhalla and awaken the other day guardians, before vengeful god Loki can get to them first.

The Book of Wonders by Jasmine Richards

Magic, Djinn, Ogres, and Sorcerers. Thirteen-year-old Zardi loves to hear stories about fantastical beings, long banned from the kingdom of Arribitha. But anyone caught whispering of their powers will feel the rage of the sultan—a terrifying usurper who, even with his eyes closed, can see all.

When her own beloved sister is captured by the evil ruler, Zardi knows that she must go to any lengths to rescue her. Along with her best friend, Ridhan—a silver-haired, violet-eyed boy of mysterious origins—and an unlikely crew of sailors led by the infamous Captain Sinbad, Zardi ventures forth into strange and wondrous territory with a seemingly impossible mission: to bring magic back to Arribitha and defeat the sultan once and for all.

The Unmorrow Curse

It’s not every day that you find a famous weather woman bound by magic to a tree deep in the woods. Or discover that the weatherwoman is in fact Sunna, the Norse Goddess of the Sun, and one of the seven day guardians who keep time in order. But that’s just what happens to new friends Buzz and Mari—and it’s only the start of their adventure.

Now, as humanity is forced into a lockdown called the Unmorrow Curse and is forced to repeat the same Saturday over and over again, Buzz and Mari must journey to collect the Runes of Valhalla and awaken the other day guardians, before vengeful god Loki can get to them first.

This One Sky Day (Popisho) by Leone Ross

Somewhere far away– or maybe right nearby– lies an archipelago called Popisho. A place of stunning beauty and incorrigible mischief, destiny and mystery, it is also a place in need of change.

Xavier Redchoose is the macaenus of his generation, anointed by the gods to make each resident one perfect meal when the time is right. Anise, his long lost love, is on a march toward reckoning with her healing powers. The governor’s daughter, Sonteine, is getting married, her father demanding a feast out of turn. And graffiti messages from an unknown source are asking hard questions. A storm is brewing. Before it comes, before the end of the day, this wildly imaginative narrative will take us across the islands, their history, and into the lives of unforgettable characters.

A River Called Time by Courttia Newland

The Ark was built to save the lives of the many, but rapidly became a refuge for the elite, the entrance closed without warning.

Years after the Ark was cut off from the world–a world much like our own, but in which slavery has never existed–a chance of survival within the Ark’s confines is granted to a select few who can prove their worth. Among their number is Markriss Denny, whose path to future excellence is marred only by a closely guarded secret: without warning, his spirit leaves his body, allowing him to see and experience a world far beyond his physical limitations.

Once inside the Ark, Denny learns of another with the same power, whose existence could spell catastrophe for humanity. He is forced into a desperate race to understand his abilities, and in doing so uncovers the truth about the Ark, himself, and the people he thought he once knew.

Nudibranch by Irenosen Okojie

In this collection of short stories, offbeat characters are caught up in extraordinary situations that test the boundaries of reality . . .

A love-hungry goddess of the sea arrives on an island inhabited by eunuchs.

A girl from Martinique moonlights as a Grace Jones impersonator.

Dimension-hopping monks sworn to silence must face a bloody reckoning.

And a homeless man goes right back, to the very beginning, through a gap in time.

Curandera by Irenosen Okojie

In the mountainous town of Gethsemane, 17th-century Cape Verde, a mysterious woman’s arrival sparks a series of strange events that will leave the town’s inhabitants changed: men sporadically blind in the afternoons, children disappearing and reappearing without warning and infertile women pregnant with the memories of past births.

In present-day London, a quartet are brought together by their fascination with ritual, miracles and a life beyond the mundane. Botanist Therese lives with Azacca, a soulful Haitian musician, Peruvian drifter Emilien, who is haunted by the past, and adventurous Finn, who is increasingly drawn to living life on the edge.

With the past and present beginning to blur into one

Spirit Warriors by Ashley Thorpe

Ancient magic and all-new heroes in a battle between the living and the dead – an epic story of chaos, myth and adventure for fans of Percy Jackson, from the author of The Boy to Beat the Gods.

When her island home is overrun by evil spirits, Evie is saved only by the powerful gemstone her parents entrusted to her. Her best friend Arthur is not so lucky – caught in the magical crossfire, he finds himself in the body of a cat.

On a mission to return him to his body and defeat the ghouls, Evie and Arthur team up with Cai, a trainee shaman, who helps them discover the truth. The terrifying Blackheart Man is plotting to steal the island’s four magical gemstones and use their power to destroy the barrier between the worlds of the living and the dead. It will take all of Evie’s magic, Cai’s bravery and Arthur’s talent for thievery to stop him.

Yomi and the Fury of Ninki Nanka by Davina Tijani

Yomi, aged 10 and her younger brother Kay are spending the summer with their Uncle Olu who is a Nkara (dragon) researcher travelling the world lecturing on African studies.

They are in The Gambia’s capital city Banjul when Yomi sees Ninki Nanka, the famous and ferocious water dragon and realises it is in trouble. Uncle Olu doesn’t believe her at first. Slowly Yomi finds out about the true nature of her uncle’s work which goes far deeper than academic research but is actually more about fighting against Beast Hunters who want to wipe the Nkara out all together – which would have catastrophic results in The Gambia and beyond.

Can they save Ninki Nanka and all dragons?

Onyeka and The Academy of the Sun by Tola Okogwu

Follows 12-year-old British-Nigerian girl Onyeka who discovers that her hair has psychokinetic powers when trying to save her friend from drowning in a pool. Her mother reveals that she is a Solari, part of a secretive group of mutants unique to Nigeria.

Onyeka is taken from London to a futuristic Nigeria, where she can train at the Academy of the Sun—a school where the Solari are taught to harness their powers and use them to protect their country.

White Is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi

In a vast, mysterious house on the cliffs near Dover, the Silver family is reeling from the hole punched into its heart. Lily is gone and her twins, Miranda and Eliot, and her husband, the gentle Luc, mourn her absence with unspoken intensity. All is not well with the house, either, which creaks and grumbles and malignly confuses visitors in its mazy rooms, forcing winter apples in the garden when the branches should be bare. Generations of women inhabit its walls. And Miranda, with her new appetite for chalk and her keen sense for spirits, is more attuned to them than she is to her brother and father. She is leaving them slowly –

Slipping away from them – and when one dark night she vanishes entirely, the survivors are left to tell her story.

Mayowa and the Sea of Words by Chibundu Onuzo

Have you ever jumped on a book? Perhaps not. Most people would think it was a rather unusual thing to do.

Ten-year-old Mayowa has always thought that her Grandpa Edward, who dyes his beard emerald green and jumps on books in private, is rather unusual too. Until one day she jumps on a book for herself, and uncovers a huge family secret …

Mayowa can book jump.

By jumping on a book, she can harness the emotions inside it and channel them directly into other people. And when the opportunity to use her power to save the lives of countless refugees presents itself, Mayowa wants to jump in with both feet.

But Mayowa and her grandpa aren’t the only book jumpers in existence. And not everybody wants to use this power for good …

Awakened by Kelechi Okafor

A hidden power. A sinister force. A mystery she can’t ignore.

In a near-future London where technology affects everything from our bodies to our politics, journalist Pels Badmus wants to make a real difference. She’s desperate to solve a spate of disappearances of young Black kids-including her friend’s brother. But her boss doesn’t want to hear it.

Instead, he assigns her to cover the “unreasonable” protests thousands of miles away in Benin, against culturally oblivious tourists travelling to partake in sacred Spirit Vine rituals. Pels soon finds herself in West Africa, ignoring her boss’s motives in assigning her to this piece and hoping to use it as leverage later. She’s also trying to ignore the strange, ethereal dreams she’s been having…

However, when Pels takes the Spirit Vine herself, she experiences something mind-boggling. Something that points to an unfulfilled destiny that could change the course of her life. But first she must return home and confront an otherworldly conspiracy related to the missing children.

The Reaper by Jackson P. Brown

Amy is an empath, able to sense the auras of the supernatural creatures that stalk London at night. But sorely lacking in knowledge, she spends night after night searching for answers.

Gerald is a Reaper – a weapon for hire – on the verge of his Awakening. Of coming into his power and becoming the man his family need him to be. The man they demand he be.

When Amy stumbles across Gerald one night, she notices his strange aura, unlike anything she has felt before. Afraid, but desperate to know more, she follows, and he makes her an offer she can’t refuse. If she becomes his partner, he will introduce her to a world she has only ever felt the shallow surface of:the secret underground city

And their first mission together: Find a girl who murdered her own parents

Madame Sosostris & the Festival for the Broken-Hearted by Ben Okri

What do you do when your heart has been made a wasteland by love?

Viv, who’s in the House of Lords, had the idea for the festival on the twentieth anniversary of the day her first husband left her. Six months later, crowds descend on the grounds of a dreamlike chateau in the South of France, avidly awaiting the experience of a lifetime, Viv’s inaugural Festival for the Broken-Hearted.

Everyone is in fancy dress. No one knows who anyone is. They wander the beautiful woods with just one night to change everything. And to crown it all, a very special guest is expected: world-renowned clairvoyant and fortune-teller Madame Sosostris, known as the wisest woman in Europe, and not seen since the pages of T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land. She will attend for one night only.

But will she actually appear at all, or will Viv’s carefully orchestrated festival fall to pieces? Will Viv and her husband make it through the night? Will anyone else?

Hearts will be healed, and hearts broken, but nobody will leave this festival exactly as they arrived.

The Principle of Moments by Esme Jikiemi-Pearson

6066: In Emperor Thracin’s brave new galaxy, humans are not citizens but indentured labourers, working to repay the debt they unwittingly incurred when they settled on Gahraan – a desert planet already owned by the emperor himself. Asha Akindele knows she’s just another voiceless cog working the assembly lines that fuel his vast imperial war machine. Her only rebellion: studying stolen aeronautics manuals in the dead of night. But then a cloaked stranger arrives to deliver an impossible message, and her life changes in an instant.

1812: Obi Amadi is done with time-travelling. Never mind the fact he doesn’t know how to cure himself of the temporal sickness he caught whilst anchoring his soul to Regency London, the one that unmakes him further with every jump. Or if the prince he loves will ever love him back. Or why his father disappeared. He is done. Until he hears about the ghost of a girl in the British Museum. A girl from another time.

When Obi’s path tangles with Asha’s and a prophecy awakens in the cold darkness of space, they must voyage through the stars, racing against time, tyranny, and the legacy of three heroes from an ancient religion who may be awakening, reincarnated in ways beyond comprehension.

Ghostroots by Pemi Aguda

The supernatural looms over the grime and sweat of everyday life in Lagos in this debut collection of stories from a prize-winning young Nigerian writer.

A woman sees the ghost of her abusive mother in her daughter’s face. A mysterious virus wipes out all the boys on one street. A young architect turns up to measure a house, only to find that her drawings make no sense, and the house seems to resist her…

The Lagos of these twelve sinister and beguiling stories is multi-faceted, peopled by Pentecostal Christians and exasperated atheists; by tight-knit extended families and struggling single fathers. Here are characters cursed by guilt, bound by the ties of ancestors and community; or enchanted by the allure of mysticism and would-be prophets. There are gossips and party girls – and a schoolboy followed home by a group of tribal masquerades, cloaked in feathers and twinkling beads. Yes, his mother has warned him not to bring strangers home, but he is sure she will understand …

The Battle Drum: A Novel by Saara El-Arifi

Murder. Secrets. Sacrifice.

Anoor is the first blue-blooded ruler of the Wardens’ Empire. But when she is accused of a murder she didn’t commit, her reign is thrown into turmoil. She must solve the mystery and clear her name without the support of her beloved, Sylah.

Sylah braves new lands to find a solution for the hurricane that threatens to destroy her home. But in finding answers, she must make a decision, does she sacrifice her old life in order to raise up her sword once more?

Hassa’s web of secrets grows ever thicker as she finds herself on a trail of crimes in the city. Her searching uncovers the extent of the atrocities of the empire’s past and present. Now, she must guard both her heart and her land. The three women find their answers, but they’re not the answers they wanted.

The drumbeat of change thrums throughout the world. And it sings a song of war.

Faebound by Saara El-Arifi

Yeeran is a warrior in the elven army and has known nothing but violence her whole life. Her sister, Lettle, is trying to make a living as a diviner, seeking prophecies of a better future.

When a fatal mistake leads to Yeeran’s exile from the Elven lands, they are both forced into the terrifying wilderness beyond their borders. There they encounter the impossible: the fae court.

The fae haven’t been seen for a millennium. But now Yeeran and Lettle are thrust into their seductive world – torn between their loyalty to each other, their elven homeland, and their hearts. . .

The Ending Fire by Saara El-Arifi

The Wardens’ Empire is falling. A vigilante known only as the Truthsayer is raising an army against the wardens. Sylah and Hassa must navigate the politics of this new world, all the while searching for Anoor.

Across the sea, the Blood Forged prepare for war, requesting aid from other governments. Jond’s role as major general sees him training their soldiers for combat, but matters of the heart will prove to be the hardest battlefield.

The Zalaam celebrate the arrival of the Child of Fire, heralding the start of the final battle. Anoor’s doubts are eclipsed by the powers of her new god. Soon the Zalaam set off on their last voyage – and few expect to return.

The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi

Red is the blood of the elite, of magic, of control.
Blue is the blood of the poor, of workers, of the resistance.
Clear is the blood of the slaves, of the crushed, of the invisible.

Sylah dreams of days growing up in the resistance, being told she would spark a revolution that would free the empire from the red-blooded ruling classes’ tyranny. That spark was extinguished the day she watched her family murdered before her eyes.

Anoor has been told she’s nothing, no one, a disappointment, by the only person who matters: her mother, the most powerful ruler in the empire. But when Sylah and Anoor meet, a fire burns between them that could consume the kingdom—and their hearts.

Hassa moves through the world unseen by upper classes, so she knows what it means to be invisible. But invisibility has its uses: It can hide the most dangerous of secrets, secrets that can reignite a revolution. And when she joins forces with Sylah and Anoor, together these grains of sand will become a storm.

As the empire begins a set of trials of combat and skill designed to find its new leaders, the stage is set for blood to flow, power to shift, and cities to burn.

Fablehouse Series by E. L. Norry

When Heather moves to Fablehouse children’s home she finds a safe haven and real friends for the first time in her life. As they roam the ancient woodlands together in 1950s Britain they meet Palamedes, a Black Knight from way back in time: King Arthur’s court. They find it particularly inspiring to meet a man who looks a bit like them as most of the children who live in Fablehouse are the babies of Black soldiers and white mums who met in the second world war and then their mums, for various reasons, couldn’t look after them anymore.

Something very mysterious is going on beyond meeting a Knight from a mythical past, the other children and staff in the children’s home start behaving oddly as if they are possessed.

It’s up to Heather and her best friends (nicknamed The Roamers) to defeat the powers of darkness living in the world beneath their feet, and save Fablehouse and all who call it home.

Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James

In the first novel in Marlon James’s Dark Star trilogy, myth, fantasy, and history come together to explore what happens when a mercenary is hired to find a missing child.

Tracker is known far and wide for his skills as a hunter: “He has a nose,” people say. Engaged to track down a mysterious boy who disappeared three years earlier, Tracker breaks his own rule of always working alone when he finds himself part of a group that comes together to search for the boy. The band is a hodgepodge, full of unusual characters with secrets of their own, including a shape-shifting man-animal known as Leopard.

The Half-God of Rainfall by Inua Ellams

There is something about Demi. When this boy is angry, rain clouds gather. When he cries, rivers burst their banks and the first time he takes a shot on a basketball court, the deities of the land take note.

His mother, Modupe, looks on with a mixture of pride and worry. From close encounters, she knows Gods often act like men: the same fragile egos, the same unpredictable fury and the same sense of entitlement to the bodies of mortals.

She will sacrifice everything to protect her son, but she knows the Gods will one day tire of sports fans, their fickle allegiances and misdirected prayers. When that moment comes, it won’t matter how special he is. Only the women in Demi’s life, the mothers, daughters and Goddesses, will stand between him and a lightning bolt.

David Mogo, Godhunter by Suyi Davies Okungbowa

Since the Orisha War that rained thousands of deities down on the streets of Lagos, David Mogo, demigod, scours Eko’s dank underbelly for a living wage as a freelance Godhunter. Despite pulling his biggest feat yet by capturing a high god for a renowned Eko wizard, David knows his job’s bad luck.

He’s proved right when the wizard conjures a legion of Taboos—feral godling-child hybrids—to seize Lagos for himself. To fix his mistake and keep Lagos standing, David teams up with his foster wizard, the high god’s twin sister and a speech-impaired Muslim teenage girl to defeat the wizard.

Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor

Born in New York, but living in Aba, Nigeria, twelve-year old Sunny is understandably a little lost. She is albino and thus, incredibly sensitive to the sun. All Sunny wants to do is be able to play football and get through another day of school without being bullied. But once she befriends Orlu and Chichi, Sunny is plunged in to the world of the Leopard People, where your worst defect becomes your greatest asset.

Together, Sunny, Orlu, Chichi and Sasha form the youngest ever Oha Coven. Their mission is to track down Black Hat Otokoto, the man responsible for kidnapping and maiming children.

Will Sunny be able to overcome the killer with powers stronger than her own, or will the future she saw in the flames become reality?

Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen

This is the story of a great love – a love that will threaten worlds and anger Gods.

This is a story that will change history.

Simidele is one of the Mami Wata, mermaids duty-bound to collect the souls of those who die at sea and bless their journeys back home to the Supreme Creator.

But when a living boy is thrown overboard a slave ship, Simi saves his life, going against an ancient decree and bringing terrible danger to the mami wata.

Now Simi must journey to the Supreme Creator to make amends – a journey of vengeful gods, treacherous lands and legendary creatures. If she fails, she ri

Redemption in Indigo by Karen Lord

Paama’s husband is a fool and a glutton. Bad enough that he followed her to her parents’ home in the village of Makendha, but now he’s disgraced himself by murdering livestock and stealing corn.

When Paama leaves him for good, she attracts the attention of the undying ones – the djombi – who present her with a gift: the Chaos Stick, which allows her to manipulate the subtle forces of the world.

Unfortunately, not all the djombi are happy about this gift. The Indigo Lord believes this power should be his and his alone, and he will do anything to get it back. Chaos is about to reign supreme . . .

Daughters of Nri by Reni K. Amayo

Strong-willed Naala grows up seeking adventure in her quiet and small village. While the more reserved Sinai resides in the cold and political palace of Nri. Though miles apart, both girls share an indestructible bond: they share the same blood, the same face, and possess the same unspoken magic, thought to have vanished with the lost gods.

The twin girls were separated at birth, a price paid to ensure their survival from Eze Ochichiri, the man who rules the Kingdom of Nri. Both girls are tested in ways that awaken a mystical, formidable power deep within themselves. Eventually, their paths both lead back to the mighty Eze.

But can they defeat the man who brought the gods themselves to their knees?

Glimpse: An Anthology of Black British Speculative Fiction edited by Leone Ross

This anthology creates a dichotomy between the comfortable and the mysterious, providing a glimpse into hidden worlds and human nature; tantalizing in its mystique and refreshing in its insight into the minds of these exceptional Black British writers. It provides us with the opportunity to see what was previously unknown and to learn from what we see; to grow from what begins as a partial view but quickly transforms into the larger perspective. Secrets are uncovered; creatures are found; bodies buckle, whisper, float. In these stories we glimpse the dark and the light.

The contributors include award winning and internationally renowned fiction writers, poets and visual artists: Patience Agbabi, Muli Amaye, Alinah Azadeh, Judith Bryan, Patricia Cumper, Joshuah Idehen, Melissa Jackson-Wagner, Peter Kalu, Ronnie McGrath, Katy Massey, Claudia Monteith, Chantal Oakes, Irenosen Okojie, Koye Oyedeji, Nii Ayikwei Parkes, Jeda Pearl, Aisha Phoenix, Akila Richards, Ioney Smallhorne and Gemma Weekes.

Love in Colour by Bolu Babalola

A high-born Nigerian goddess, who has been beaten down and unappreciated by her gregarious lover, longs to be truly seen.

A young businesswoman attempts a great leap in her company, and an even greater one in her love life.

A powerful Ghanaian spokeswoman is forced to decide whether she should uphold her family’s politics or be true to her heart.

The Upper World by Femi Fadugba

Fifteen-year-old Esso discovers the Upper World, a mysterious dimension where moments from the past and future can be seen at once. As gang violence threatens his life in South London, he realises one tragic event will shape countless futures.

Years later, Rhia, a brilliant scientist searching for answers, joins forces with an older Esso to challenge fate, exploring time, family, loss and whether the future can truly be rewritten.

The Mirror World by Femi Fadugba

Rhia arrives at Oxford determined to move beyond the events of The Upper World, but a secret society with extraordinary influence draws her into a dangerous new mystery. As hidden truths about the Upper World begin to emerge, she uncovers forces capable of manipulating time, power and reality itself.

Expanding the series’ mythology, the novel explores ambition, identity, privilege and the cost of controlling the future.

Emily Knight series by A. Bello (Abiola Bello)

Follows the coming-of-age journey of Emily Knight, a young girl who discovers she belongs to a legendary family of warriors sworn to protect humanity from dark supernatural forces. Enrolling at the Osaki Training School, Emily learns to master extraordinary abilities while forging lifelong friendships and uncovering the truth about her family’s legacy. Across four books, the stakes grow as she faces the ruthless Neci, battles powerful enemies and navigates betrayal, loss and the pressures of leadership.

As Emily’s powers evolve, so does her understanding of courage, responsibility and sacrifice. Blending action, fantasy, martial arts, mythology and humour, the series explores themes of identity, belonging, resilience and the importance of choosing compassion over fear.

From discovering who she is to embracing the leader she is destined to become, Emily’s story is one of growth, hope and finding strength in both family and friendship against impossible odds.

With many more across the diaspora