Blood at the Root

LaDarrion Williams is a Black author, playwright, screenplay writer, and filmmaker living in Los Angeles, California. Blood at the Root is his first novel, and a sequel titled Bones at the Crossroads will be published in July 2025. Williams has also planned a third novel to complete the trilogy. He is the author of several plays, including Boulevard of Bold Dreams, which focuses on Hattie McDaniel, the first Black person to win an Oscar. Much of his career has focused on Black identity and the importance of Black representation—both at the artist’s level and in the art itself. He is a co-founder of The Black Creators Collective, an organization that is “dedicated to the pursuit of bringing artistic knowledge and resources to low-resourced communities in the South Los Angeles area” (“About.” The Black Creators Collective).

Williams stated that his central motivation for writing the Blood at the Root trilogy is that he was “tired of not seeing the Black boys having the fun epic adventures, the cool magical powers, and the love stories” (Dumpleton, Elise. “Q&A: LaDarrion Williams.” The Nerd Daily, 5 May 2024). His work focuses on the fantasy genre, which is largely dominated by white authors and characters. As such, his work brings representation to the fantasy genre, allowing young Black readers to see themselves reflected in the work. The opening line of the text—Malik’s thought that “Black boys like me don’t have magic powers” (3)—reflects this sentiment. Similarly, Caiman University’s status as a historically Black university establishes a world that is filled with Black characters.

Throughout the novel, Williams connects Blackness to magical ability. He emphasizes the fact that the magical power that most of the characters possess comes from their Black ancestry. The members of the primary antagonist group in the novel, the Bokor, lack this ancestral connection; instead, they gain their magic by sacrificing young conjurers. By villainizing these characters, Williams emphasizes the sacredness of Black identity and the importance of their cultural roots.

Malik’s development throughout the novel also serves to emphasize the importance of Black identity. He begins the novel with no family, no knowledge of his ancestry, and a fear of his magical ability. As he meets Mama Aya, attends Caiman, and builds his friendship, he also finds a sense of belonging. By learning about his ancestry—and by extension, his magical ability—he begins to find his place in society. In this way, Williams conveys the importance of Black people understanding their history to create a sense of community and belonging. Young Black readers can find themselves reflected in Malik’s journey, which encourages them to understand their own history and build relationships within their communities.

Williams’s novel centers Black characters in a genre that has historically failed to represent non-white characters, joining authors like Nnedi Okorafor (Akata Witch, Binti) and Tracy Deonn (Legendborn, Bloodmarked) in promoting Black representation in fantasy literature. In doing so, he has given young Black readers the opportunity to see themselves reflected in literature. Magic serves as a metaphor in the novel for Blackness: Just as Malik finds strength in his ancestral magic, he also finds a sense of belonging through his Black history and identity.