Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc of this book.

I love how unapologetically Black this book was! I really appreciated the nods to larger Black diaspora through references to Nigeria, African Americans (New York, New Orleans etc) and the Caribbean. I also found it interesting to have some parallels drawn with other mythological realms like Norse mythology for example. TJ was an interesting character and his friends were fun to follow. I very much liked seeing those friendships develop over the course of the book. I liked the idea of a magical summer camp. It was very reminiscent of Amari and the Night Brothers which I loved. The storyline of Gatekeeper's Staff itself was at times underwhelming for me however. While the unprepared/struggling mc was an interesting take, I found the big twists to the plot very predictable. I thought the writing was believable for the teen characters however that same use of language and expressions was sometimes inappropriate and not believable coming from adults and ageless gods. I found it took me out of the story to have ancient gods casually using contemporary English/AAVE. I got the sense that a lot of work was done to include some humour into the story and I enjoyed it most of the time though not all of it landed for me. I found that there were many moments where things were explained by people having conversations - a lot of telling rather than showing - it made the story feel repetitive and produced some pacing issues for me as sometimes the action would stop altogether to make space for these exposition-style/info-dumpy conversations between characters. Lastly, this is more of a technical thing but I listened to this via audio and I found the narrator amazing but there was an odd echo/reverb to the entire book. It sounded distorted which made the listening experience less pleasant. All that being said I liked the story and I’m looking forward to seeing where TJ’s story goes next!

Can’t wait for the second book!

I really enjoyed this storyline and the narrator did an excellent job bringing it to life.

I requested this for my son and I to listen to together.

I really enjoyed hearing the Yoruba language and the magic possessed by the Yoruba people.

A great read for young and old!

Wow, this was truly interesting! I wish this would have come out when I was younger, then I would have probably obsessed over it like the Percy Jackson or the Harry Potter books. Because that's exactly what it reminded me of. A PJ/HP mix, because basically this story follows a young magic-user who goes to camp to learn how to use his magic. And then there are the evil villains who try and wage their personal vendetta and of course only the young teens have the wits to face off against them.

All in all, this was a great and very enthralling story! The narrator, Nekia Renee did a great job and I really enjoyed listening to her storytelling. She has a great voice and can easily navigate between the different characters and the plot. Listening to her made the story even better, in my opinion! But of course Antoine Bandele's writing made all this possible and I admire his fantasy and imagination for coming up with this new world setting.

TJ is a fun, but also a bit naive main character. Not surprising, as he's still a child. I am definitely not used to reading middle-grade books anymore. Nonetheless, the story never got boring or "oversimplified" such that an adult reader couldn't enjoy this book as well. All characters have their own personalities and great development as they embark on this adventure together.

Since I do not have any knowledge of the Yoruba people in Nigeria, this was an entirely new background setting for me. I've learned a bit about Ifa, and the divination religion, but I cannot say that I fully understand it as this story only touches on it partially. However, I am very interested in learning more! Listening to the audiobook also helped realising how to pronounce the words, as I'm sure I would have struggled with this a lot if I'd read the book in paper form.

I am very invested in TJ and his story now and can't wait to read how his journey to learning about his powers continues!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bandele Books for providing this advanced reader's copy!

First of all, let me acknowledge that I am not anywhere close to the recommended age range for this book, but I had so much fun reading it!
The book follows TJ who has always felt like an outsider in his magical family. It combines the well-beloved boarding school trope with the complexities of being a legacy kid as well as an outsider.
The book highlight the experiences of many children who feel that they should be performing better in an academic setting. TJ shows us why not being good at something that you're supposed to, means very little in the grand scheme of things. Throughout the book, he makes friends and experiences unimaginable losses, and it is by being who he is that he comes into his true self.
I especially appreciated the care and detail put into highlighting and appreciating the lore of Orishas and the Yoruba peoples of West Africa.
The impeccable audio narration in combination with the sound effects made this a truly memorable experience.
This book is perfect for fans of Percy Jackson and Amari and the Night Brothers.

I really enjoyed this book, and it was nice to see a book with adults present. My copy of the audiobook would not let me finish so I had to hop into kindle unlimited to finish it. I would recomend this to fans of the Percy Jackson series.

This is a wonderful middle-grade fantasy based around the mythology of the West African Orishas.

The plot was interesting and had a mystery that kept me intrigued during the whole book. The main cast of characters are lovable, making it easy to root for them. The setting was mostly at a summer camp, which is a trope I enjoy. The ending also did a good job of setting up the next book!

I listened to the audiobook for this story and it was really great. There are sound effects at the beginning of each chapter that helps place the setting and the voice acting is really enjoyable to listen to. It really increased the reading experience.

If you enjoyed the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, then I would recommend giving this book a shot!

I believe fans of Percy Jackson will really enjoy this book.

I personally know absolutely nothing about the mythology of the West African Orishas, but this book makes me want to dive right in and find out about them.

Following TJ Young he gives off the vibes of the middle kid. His older sister is always praised for her powers and his younger brother is so smart he's skipped 2 grades. While TJ is struggling not to be picked last on the basketball team.

Then the news comes that his sister is dead and his powers seem to awaken and he is sent to camp to learn about his powers (very camp half blood). Where he is just drowning in the rankings but something else is going on there.

I don't have a single bad thing to say about this book.

I really wanted to like this book, I love the narrator on the audio and the story itself was enjoyable. The problem was more with how long winded it was, it didn’t need to be as long as it was and I think the long start to the story let it down because it made it uninteresting and took away from the action.
3.5 stars
I received an arc of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Gatekeeper’s Staff did not reinvent the wheel when it comes to young adult fantasy, it it was fantastic!

Ultimately, this is an epic adventure story with endearing characters and questionable villains. It is the story of a chosen child, TJ Young, who has no idea just how special he is. Against all odds and against his own feeling of inadequacy, TJ and his small group of friends, battle a secret society, ancient Orishas who haven’t been seen in generations, and their own pasts. In the end TJ saves himself and humanity, but , he may have made a deal that he can’t uphold.

One of my favorite things about the book series is that it introduces the masses to the African religious deities and icons. I believe this series can do for the Orishas, what the Percy Jackson series did for the gods of Greek mythology.

In addiction to bringing the history and mythology of the Orishas into the public consciousness, The Gatekeeper’s Staff also has several positive life lessons to impart. A few of those lessons include; embracing your differences, not comparing yourself to others, believing in the power of friendship and the importance of having mentors.

I read this book via audiobook and I think it was a really great way to consume it. Because the story is based in an African religion and mythology, Yoruba is spoken quite a bit. If you are not familiar with the language, it may be difficult to read in certain parts, so being able to listen to the words being spoken is a great option. The narrator did a really good job of giving each character a distinct voice and personality. One of the things that took a little getting use to was the fact that the narrator is female and the main character is a teenage boy. Once I got over that, I throughly enjoyed the narration.

I would recommend this book to everyone…young and old. It has something to teach us all.

This audio book had all of the great components I love when listening to a book. The narrator was engaging, the accents authentic, and they added just enough sound effects to enhance the reading. I would highly recommend this title to be listened to. I loved learning about the West African Orisha mythology. The novel is beautifully written but I believe I enjoyed the book so much more listening to the lyrical voices of the West African people.

I was listening to too many serious books that I decided to try one YA or middle-grade fantasy book. It was then I came across "The Gatekeeper's Staff" on Netgalley. I liked the cover and description, on top of that I have listened to one more book by the author, so I applied for the review copy. I got it in exchange for an honest review.

The story is written around boy TJ who belonged to a magician family. Magician in the book is known as diviners. TJ's sister was a child prodigy and was working on a secret project. Though he was from a strong line of magicians, his skill as a magician was nothing but a lucky charm and tingling on the top of his fingers. But the demise of her sister changed everything. He was selected for a camp where wizard kids go for training. Read the book to know more.

When I started the book and heard words like Orisha, Diviner, Ashe I thought the author has taken ideas from Tomi Adeyemi. But later on, I searched on the internet and found that Orisha is mythology and no one has their claim on it. The book is a good mixture of fantasy, mythology, a mystery to give you good company. I will wait for the sequel.

The book deserves a good 4.25 out of 5.

I very much enjoyed this one!
Perfect for fans of books with complex magic systems.

A great tale of a young boy struggling to find his place within a magical family. Following TJ’s journey to become a diviner was a very enjoyable one with lots of twists.

Can’t wait for the second part!

Beautifully woven story based on Nigerian mythology and magic! TJ is the perfect coming of age character and his needing to live up to his sister's legacy?! Priceless!

Narrator was wonderful and gave the story life and made it so entertaining!

TJ Young feels like a failure. His older sister is one of the most famous and gifted diviners in the world, his younger brother is basically a genius, and his mom's powers have continued in strength. Comparatively, TJ is normal, his powers are virtually non-existent. Unfortunately, after his sister dies, TJ is lost. He decides the only way he can properly honor his sister is to uncover what really happened to her. This leads him to Camp Olosa in New Orleans. The camp is meant for people like TJ, those with little to no magical powers. He has no idea that this camp will lead him on a journey to secrets much bigger and darker than himself as well as a path to encounter the Orishas (West African gods).

Antoine Bandele's book, The Gatekeeper's Staff (Book 1 in the TJ Young and The Orishas series), is seriously attention-grabbing. Critics recommend it for readers who love books like Percy Jackson, Heroes of Olympus, and the Harry Potter series. I've always been fascinated by world mythologies, so getting a chance to listen to a book based on the West African Orishas sounded perfect to me. I was not disappointed. Bandele presented a world that is completely engrossing and I wanted more immediately. At first, I was originally thrown off by the world-building, but it eventually all ties together really well. The audiobook was really wonderfully narrated. I loved the moments of ambient noise to show the different locations and the beginnings of the chapter titles. I am so excited to see more of TJ's adventures and see where Bandele takes him. This summer camp-based read was absolutely delightful and I highly recommend it for anyone who has even the slightest interest in mythology.

Overall rating: 3.5/5 (rounded up to 4)

The Gatekeeper's Staff is available for purchase now. Be sure to add it to your Goodreads shelf and see where it's available for purchase. Also, be sure to check out Antoine Bandele's website!

I was lucky enough to be able to listen to this Advanced Reader's Copy through my partnership with NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The narrator was great, and the story was good. My Favorite part was the very unique and inclusive magic system based on the mythology of the West African Orishas.

TJ Young and the Orishas, Book 1, The Gatekeepers Staff by Antoine Bandele.


The opening chapter was captivating, and I wanted to read more to see what happened. This was a book that took us on a mysterious magical journey with TJ after the sudden mysterious death of his sister. Everyone in his family can use magic while TJ struggles to find his own power and Orisha guide.

I love that we get to learn some things about Nigerian culture. What makes this book stand out is that we dive into the world of Orishas and West African Magic. TJ is sent to magical summer camp (in NOLA) and the journey begins there. TJ was such a relatable character, and it was nice to see him learn and grow into his abilities. There are growing pains as TJ learns how to use his magical abilities and works to discover the truth about his sister’s death.

This book was reminiscent of the Percy Jackson series. I like that we can read a story that is familiar, unique and fun. TJ is a character that you compelled to root for. The characters emotions leapt off the pages. I loved the audiobook chapter sound transitions. The narration was so engaging.

I can’t wait to read the next book in the series and some more books by the author. I recommend this book! Fans of Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, Amari and the Night Brothers will love this book!

I was granted the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy via the author and listen to the audiobook via NetGalley. Thank you so much.

This was a very well written book, one I’m glad I read, it was a very good assembly of characters and quite an intricate plot. The main character was a strong one in spite of me being annoyed in the beginning about the main character having been week and alone and bullied and then turning out to be super special and all. I loved that it was taken from Nigerian original myths and legends, and I was super intrigued by those legends. I will definitely be reading more from the author and this series, more coming on my YouTube channel soon.

TJ's sister has died. She held magic but TJ cannot find any in himself until after her death. Then he finds it sparingly. He cannot even find his guiding Orisha. He is quite surprised to be sent to a magical camp to help hone his magic. There he gets into all sorts of trouble while learning to find his magic and hoping to find his Orisha.
Opinion
This book takes is reminiscent of the Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and Divergent series. A young magical (?) boy goes to a camp and is ranked based on ability. Being a fan of all three series, I absolutely loved this book. This series has great potential and could be the next great series. I can see the children reading this today reading it with their own children. I cannot say enough about the greatness of this book.
I did listen to the audiobook and was completely enchanted. Not only does the narrator capture your attention with the quality of the reading but the sound effects added so much depth to the story. There was a short musical interlude between chapters and sound effects were applied to enhance the story. (For example, wind sounds when TJ was outside on a windy day.)
Many thanks to Net Galley and Bandele Books for providing me with an ARC of this audiobook.

The Gatekeeper’s Staff is the first in the TJ Young & The Orishas series by Antoine Bandele, out in July from Bandele Books. I got to listen to an audio ARC (which, best thing ever!) – the audio was really well done with sound effects and transitions, one of the best audio adaptations I’ve listened to recently. In its basic concept, it is reminiscent of the Percy Jackson series – boy realises that he is special and goes to magic summer camp where he defeats a major threat. But that’s where the similarities end. This is based on the West African mythology of the Orisha – I loved learning more about them and Nigerian culture, as The Gatekeeper’s Staff is deeply rooted in Black American and Nigerian spaces. TJ has always considered himself the dud of a family where everyone but him has powers, and his older sister is the golden child. When she dies unexpectedly, and they are attacked by the Keepers at her funeral, he discovers that he is not as powerless as he thought and is invited to a magical summer camp. He jumps at the chance to discover his magic and find out what truly happened to his sister. This is a fun story, which also fits nicely into the teen space between middle grade and YA, which is often neglected. TJ is fourteen, and while there is a very soft romance, it is slow and blossoming rather than the full on kind that often shows in true YA. I really recommend this to anyone who is growing out of the age range of middle grade and is looking for their next adventure.

I received this as an ARC on NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review

Actual rate: 5

Good:
- Fun, new and exciting
- Real and fresh characters who jumped off the page
- Fast and twisty plot
Bad:
- Pretty similar to Percy Jackson

This roaring adventure which spins us through other worlds, camps, friends and magics is new and fresh, and incredibly exciting. I couldn't put this down, and listened to it very fast in a few days, and loved every minute. I'm pretty sure my fellow train riders thought I was insane, but I gasped and punched the air with TJ as he went on his adventures. This is an incredible book!!

However, this book is quite similar to Percy Jackson. While I personally enjoyed this element, as I love those books too. It was not too much and only really the camp magic element, and it had a new spin with Orishas and the ashe as the source of power.

I cannot wait for the next book!

Fun, new and exciting!

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy (especially Percy Jackson), children aged 9-13, and anyone who loves a good escapism story.

Overall: 5/5