In a post-apocalyptic setting inspired by the folklore of West Africa, Ba relates the epic journey of Mansour, the disgraced prince from a destroyed kingdom, and his companion, the djeli Awa, a keeper of oral histories who shares her knowledge in music. They're on a quest to dethrone the wizard Mbam, who's pillaging their region for ever more power, but this is no straightforward tale; Ba artfully fills in backstory, establishes worldbuilding with entertaining tangents, and eventually subverts the tropes of the quest genre in a satisfying twist. His pages are dense with thrilling artwork, combining West African folk imagery, street art, and hints of manga, and complex page layouts that engagingly convey narrative and high-flying action scenes alike. Occasionally those pages are a touch overcrowded and require careful attention, but that attention is rewarded with a thoughtful story that raises important questions about who gets to wield power, the long shadow of collective trauma, and how we remember and record history, all in a bold, dynamic visual style refreshingly unlike anything else out there. Grades 9-12. Copyright 2021 Booklist Reviews.