maya and the lord of shadows rena barron

She could love comic books, save the world, and still have to do math tutoring the next day. With Maya’s characterization, I wanted to show a Black girl living her best life. I remember thinking, I wish people could see the other side of the story. It’s a neighborhood that usually makes the news for the wrong reasons. I modeled her neighborhood after a neighborhood I lived in for several years.

When I got the idea for the story, I knew that I wanted Maya to live on the south side of Chicago. Readers can expect a heroine who isn’t afraid to face her fears as she discovers her own celestial powers. When the sinister Lord of Shadows kidnaps her father, Maya will have to fight a horde of spooky creatures to get him back. The story centers on twelve-year-old Maya Abeola from the south side of Chicago who discovers that her father is the guardian between our world and the mysterious Dark world. I’m so excited to share Maya and the Rising Dark with readers. Hello! Happy to be back on The Nerd Daily.

We recently had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with Rena and she talks about her inspiration behind the series, her favourite things about writing Maya’s story, her upcoming projects, and a lot more! Hello Rena! Thank you so much for joining us! Your very first MG novel, Maya and the Rising Dark, is coming out on September 22! What can readers expect? Her latest book Maya and the Rising Dark comes out on September 22nd, which is the beginning of a brand new middle-grade series rooted in West African mythology. With her friends-Eli, Frankie, Zeran, and Eleni-by her side, Maya leads the charge in an epic showdown that takes her across worlds and to the edge of the universe.Readers know Rena Barron as the author of the Kingdom of Souls series. She must face the Lord of Shadows or risk losing everything. But when an attack hits close to home, Maya doesn't have any more time to prepare. She's honing her guardian powers, with the help of two new allies-her long lost guardian sister and a mysterious darkbringer (who might be a double agent). Maya and her friends aren't going down without a fight.

And it's only a matter of time before he breaks through the veil and destroys Maya's neighborhood and the rest of the world. The Lord of Shadows has raised an army powerful enough to challenge the orishas. Despite everything Maya and her father have done, the veil that protects the human world is failing.

Click here to purchase from Rakuten Kobo In the thrilling third and final book in the acclaimed Maya and the Rising Dark trilogy that Kirkus calls 'truly #BlackGirlMagic,' Maya must face off with the Lord of Shadows to save the human world from impending war with the Dark.

Maya and the lord of shadows rena barron