An American teen finds out he is destined to be a wizard in a fantasy kingdom in this debut YA novel.

Book-smart Tauzuri Jones just skipped eighth grade, meaning that the 13-year-old boy is about to enter high school. The first day proves to be strange: Zuri moves a pen with his mind, scares a bully by rattling an entire hallway of lockers, and sees a monstrous snake man on his walk home. The teen soon finds out the reason from his new principal, who turns out to be a wizard in disguise: Zuri isn’t from this world. He was brought to St. Louis as a baby from Kambia, a fantastic world in another dimension where magic is real. Kambia is currently under threat from a dark power known as the Overlord, who intends to eventually destroy Earth as well. Zuri must now return to Kambia to complete his wizard training and help fulfill a prophecy to defeat the Overlord and save the universe. It sounds like a tall order for Zuri, who’s still just learning how to talk to girls, but luckily, he won’t have to face the Overlord alone. There are other “Chosen” teens like him: Phenyo, the strong-willed daughter of an ambassador; Ra, the combat-trained heir to a desert kingdom; and Evrik, a skilled bandit who likes to redistribute wealth from the rich to the poor. In this series opener, Price’s buoyant prose captures the fun and magic of Zuri’s experiences and friends in this strange, new world. Here, the teens train at the archery range: “The corner of Evrik’s fine mouth tipped with a smile. He cleared his throat, drew his mini crossbow, and took a firing stance at the shooting line. He aimed down the sight; a moment later, he sent a bolt whizzing down the range.” The author is by no means reinventing the wheel with the book, and readers will recognize many of the plot’s elements from previous YA fantasies. But fans of the genre will enjoy this offering and the richly drawn world in which it is set.

A vivid and pleasing, if sometimes familiar, fantasy series opener.