Goldenborn

3.7

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Author(s)

Ama Ofosua Lieb

Publisher

Scholastic Press

Genre(s)

Age Range

12+

Release Date

June 02, 2026

ISBN

‎ 978-1546147497

A girl with a mission. A god with a deal. A story that could change everything.

When 17-year-old Akoma Addo stumbles into a world of ancient gods and modern magic, she'll have to choose between saving her father... or staying true to everything she's ever believed.

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. Rooted in Ghanaian mythology and packed with mystery, danger, and slow-burning romance, Goldenborn is a gripping fantasy about legacy, lies, and what it really means to rewrite your story.

Editor review

1 review

A YA Afrofuturist Fantasy Adventure

June 15, 2026 (Updated: July 12, 2026)

Overall rating

3.7

Plot

3.0

Characters

4.0

Writing Style

4.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

Goldenborn is a YA fantasy debut that promises an adventure seeped in Ghanaian mythology and culture. Readers are taken on a wild ride as they follow Akoma’s journey to discovering the secrets behind her dad’s mysterious coma, solving cases of powerful artifacts all while trying to live a semi-normal life. Because of the secrecy of her job, she struggles to not blur the lines between her professional and social life, which causes her to be on edge.

What makes this novel stand out is its blending of Afrofuturism and fantasy elements to create a futuristic setting. I found the technology fascinating and the tools used within Afoma’s agency to be interesting. This especially gets highlighted in the action scenes which are intense, and often full of magic. The way that Lieb infuses mythology in the story gives it some added depth and added to the overall worldbuilding.

The only downside to the mixture of genres (dystopian, fantasy, supernatural, etc.) and elements in the story are that parts of the story feel a bit overwhelming. There were parts throughout the story where I wasn’t sure what was going on and I feel like many of the aspects were told to the reader without further explanation. There was a bit too much packed into one book and I think it would have benefitted from being spread into two books instead.

I was left feeling that there were too many loose ends at the ending of the novel and am hoping for a second novel. I loved the main character Akoma’s story and her journey so far along with her friends and sidekicks at the agency. Lieb does a great job of fleshing out all these characters to pull the reader into the story.

If you enjoy stories about culture, mythology, and worlds that feel a bit dystopian, Goldenborn is for you!