Cameron Battle and the Hidden Kingdoms

A few years ago, Cameron Battle’s parents went missing. Now, his grandmother takes great care of him, though she forbids him from the attic, and the book his parents used to read to him before bed, for reasons she refuses to explain. The Book of Chidani is a wonderful storybook that reminds him of his parents every time he reads it, but he hasn’t seen it since his parents disappeared. So, on the last day of the school year, as Cameron has his friends, Zion and Aliyah, over for a sleepover, they decide to sneak into the attic to find it. As they read the stories, they notice anomalies with the illustrations: they move and shift, seemingly trying to communicate with the trio of kids. Startled, the kids attempt to leave the attic, but the book glows, opens a magical portal to the kingdom it describes, and sucks them in.  

When the kids arrive, supernatural monsters immediately attack them. Running for their lives, the trio stumble into a group of guards who slay the monsters. Noticing the kids’ strange attire, the guards escort them to the palace and present them to Queen Ramala. The queen explains that Cameron is the last descendant of his family’s line—people from the kingdom of Chidani who were forcibly kidnapped and taken to the United States hundreds of years ago during the slave trade. The Igbo gods and the people of Chidani entrusted the Book to his family because it’s a portal home and a lifeline to protect them.   

Now, Chidani is in trouble, and Cameron is the only one who can help. The queen’s jealous sister, Amina, has partnered with the death god Ekwensu, who seeks to destroy the magical barrier between the worlds in an attempt to wreak havoc and gain more power. The guards of Chidani train Cameron, Zion, and Aliyah in an Igbo fighting style, arm them with weapons, and give them gryphons to ride, so they can recover the three magical objects Chidani needs to fight Amina. Cameron, Zion, and Aliyah prove to be brave, intelligent, and kind kids who put their own lives on the line to protect people they don’t know.  

Cameron is a likable, powerful protagonist who grows when challenged, leading by example and standing up to bullies. Cameron, Zion, and Aliyah are incredibly supportive, and they work well as a team. His friends also help him learn how to fight, trust, and stand up for what he believes in. Zion adds humor, where Aliyah adds the heart to the story. They both support Cameron in their own styles, Zion lifts his spirits, and Aliyah helps him work through his problems. Cameron fights an evil enchantress and gods, while also struggling with insecurities and feeling like he is not enough. With strong character development and powerful worldbuilding, the story explores issues of kids’ identity and self-worth, especially for kids of color.  

Cameron Battle and the Hidden Kingdoms’ plot is overcomplicated, with many elements that might be hard for younger readers to track. However, this is a minor flaw in an otherwise very entertaining book. Readers who enjoyed Black Panther, Percy Jackson, and The Jumbies will love the Igbo folklore, the good-versus-evil violence, and the elaborate magic system of Cameron Battle and the Hidden Kingdoms.  

This book is filled with supernatural creatures, from dramatic gods to spooky spirits of the dead and scary enchantresses. Overall, this is an inspiring story with creative twists, action-packed fight scenes, and heart-warming friendships. The book’s message is sweet and teaches kids not to be afraid to ask for help.  

Sexual Content  

• None 

Violence  

• Once in the Chidani, Cameron, Zion, and Aliyah are attacked by frightening monsters called mmo. Cameron describes the fight, “The mmo reached out with what looked like sharp nails made of smoke, just as a second group of them slithered up the trees and launched themselves toward the opening in the sky we had just fallen through. The one closest to me growled deep in its chest and tried to strike me across the face, but I parried the attack with my arm. The force sent me sprawling across the clearing. I wiped my nose and picked up a nearby branch, striking haphazardly, not waiting for the mmo to hit first. It stumbled backward, made a gurgling noise as black blood rushed from its body, and then disappeared in a cloud of smoke, leaving behind the stench of rotten meat.” The fight lasts for three pages. They all make it out with light scratches but no serious injuries.  
• Shortly after the mmo encounter, kingdom guards find Cameron, Zion, and Aliyah. The guards threaten the kids and force the kids to follow them. When the guards take Aliyah, Cameron “ran after her, but the cold pressure of a sword at [his] neck stopped [him]. ‘You follow us, boy,’ a guard said to [Cameron]. [The guard] was tall, with muscles so big, they seemed to bulge out of his heavy armor. His face was striking, as if his features had been carved by the sharpest angles of a knife. His eyes reminded [Cameron] of Zion’s. His skin was dark, like [Cameron’s], and his words were harsh. ‘The queen demands an audience.’”  
• While in the palace, the guards train the trio to fight. The guards have Cameron, Zion, and Aliyah watch a two-paragraph long demonstration between two of the guards, Halifa and Bakari. “Halifa jumped in the air, coming down on Bakari with a slash of her sword. Equally fast, Bakari shifted, kicking at the sand as he moved out of the way of her sword, dirt flying around them like a tornado. He moved, crouched to the ground, and kicked Halifa’s legs. She fell. A second later, she was up again, moving fast as a bullet, slashing her sword, striking his arm, drawing blood. Bakari yelped but moved away from her attack just as quickly.” 
• While training to fight, a sword nicks Cameron’s cheek. “By the time [Cameron] turned to [the guard training him, Makai], [Makai] had thrown his sword at [Cameron]. Once [Cameron] saw it flying, [he] moved [his] head to the side, causing the sword to graze [his] cheek as it passed [him].”  
• Later during the same fight, Cameron gets slammed to the ground. “[Makai] grabbed [Cameron’s] feet, turned [him] around, and threw [him] on the ground. ‘Oof,’ [Cameron] said as blood filled [his] mouth.” Zion and Aliyah experience similar injuries during their own fights. 
• During their retrieval of Queen Ramala’s crown, Cameron, Zion, and Aliyah encounter more mmo. “[Cameron] opened [his] eyes and grabbed [his] sword from the ground, ignoring the pain that racked [his] body from the slash of mmo nails. . . [He] could make out at least ten other creatures stalking [them] inside the cavern, but [he] could also see the crown glistening on a wall behind the dais. [Cameron] moved forward and started to slash, bringing down mmo. [He] turned to see Zion battling four creatures at once. Three more rushed at [him]. [He] fell to the floor and slid underneath their feet, slashing as [he] went. The mmo fell to the ground. . . [He] slammed [his] legs into their chests; [they] all tumbled to the ground. Before they could move, [he] brought [his] sword down and slashed at their faces; their bodies turned to smoke.” Nobody is seriously injured.  
• In a confrontation with the god Agwu, Cameron is tortured for information. “At [Agwu’s] words, [Cameron] felt a pain in [his] chest. [Cameron] kneeled on the ground. Something in [him] reached for the god and the lightning radiating through [Agwu’s] body. [Agwu’s] eyes followed [Cameron] as [he] sank to the dead grass.” 
• During the confrontation with Agwu, Zion is injured. Cameron and Aliyah help hold him down while the goddess Agbala heals him. “[Zion] shifted on the ground and moaned even louder as the bones stitched back together in a sickening crunch. Then suddenly, it was over. [Cameron] watched his breath come back. [Cameron] looked down at [Zion’s] leg again and saw that it was healed.” 
• In a vision, Cameron watches as Amina sells her soul to gain power from a dark god. “[The god, Ekwensu] pulled back the sleeves of his kaftan and snapped his skeletal fingers. A long blade appeared in his right hand, the hilt of it made from shards of bone. With a swift movement, he swiped down both her arms, leaving blood to fall to the rock. [Cameron] cringed as the blood began to boil, releasing a noxious smell as Amina moaned in pain. Ignoring her agony, Ekwensu thrust forward, slicing Amina in the chest, right in her heart. She screamed as she fell to her knees. . . Whoosh. A substance is extracted from her wound, something milky white.” 
• Trying to find Amina, the trio kills more mmo. “[Cameron] moved to the side and sliced down, cutting [the mmo’s] arm off. It screamed as the appendage turned to dust and fell to the floor. Before it could regain its composure, [Cameron] sliced straight through its chest. [He] turned just in time to see Zion killing his mmo, too.” 
• Shortly after Cameron and Zion rescue Aliyah, the two, along with Queen Ramala, battle Amina. “Zion tripped, and when [Amina] slashed at his cheek, he stumbled backward, causing her to advance on him. [Cameron] reached out and kicked her in the back. She turned to me, and the dance began again, Zion, Ramala, and me weaving around one another, striking at her with our swords whenever we could, taking small hits, and retaliating with our own. Amina jumped in the air and twirled in a deadly arc. Ramala jumped after her.” The fight with Amina lasts about three chapters. No one is hurt, except the MMO.  
• Soon after Cameron, Zion, and Aliyah escape the kingdom, they’re attacked by a mmo that followed them. Cameron’s grandmother comes to the rescue. “Grandma reeled back and threw the knife with all her strength. [Cameron and his friends] ducked out of the way, then heard a scream. [Cameron] stood up to see a mmo standing near the attic’s window. The knife was protruding from its chest. It screamed again before falling to the ground and turning to dust.” 

 Drugs and Alcohol  

• As Cameron and Zion try to recover a tool to defeat Amina from the god Agwu, they are drugged. Agwu laces the food he offers Zion and Cameron with a substance that forces them to sleep. Agwu says, “It must have been forever since you last ate anything of substance. You are certainly tired and sleepy after all that food. . .” and Cameron and Zion fall asleep.

Language  

• Words like stupid, idiot, and hell appear frequently.

Supernatural  

• This book is about three kids who are summoned to save a magic kingdom. Therefore, there is magic on nearly every page. There are also supernatural creatures, gods, and humans with magical powers. All characters use a mystical fighting style that gives them enhanced abilities and instincts without casting spells.  
• The supernatural creatures are called mmo. They serve the Queen’s sister, Amina, and the Igbo death god, Ekwensu. The first time Cameron encounters them is near his house, in the real world. Cameron describes the experience, “A dark shadow ran across my vision as I stared at Grandma’s house. The rain shower stopped falling, as if someone had pressed Pause. The apparition took on a monstrous, humanoid shape right next to the old shed in the backyard. It was dark, tall, and obscured by shadows.” He later describes them as “spirits whose deaths were so traumatic that they were stuck in a sort of limbo that kept them from passing to the afterlife. They could either be benevolent spirits or malevolent demons, depending on who controlled them.” 
• When Cameron reminisces about memories of his grandma reading to him, he suddenly realizes that he has seen magic before. Cameron describes the experience, “Grandma read about Queen Ramala, the main character in the Book, and was showing me her picture when suddenly it glowed golden, and I could have sworn the pictures began to move. The queen’s hair, which had been dark brown, started to turn gray before our very eyes.”  
• Cameron remembers when his parents were reading to him and his friend, Zion. “Mama had flipped back to the page of Queen Ramala on her throne, while Amina stood behind her with no expression. As [Cameron and Zion] watched, the image moved, the sisters moved, and Ramala disappeared. Amina sat on her sister’s throne, a sly smile appearing on her face.” 
• During a sleepover, Cameron, Zion, and Aliyah are sucked into the Book, landing in a magical kingdom. “Zion’s entire body lifted off the floor. [Cameron’s] grip was slipping, [his] hands beginning to sweat. [Cameron] could feel [Zion’s] fingers releasing. . . [Cameron] tried with all [his] might, but [his] sweaty hands slipped from the carpet, and [Cameron and Zion] were both lifted into the air. It was almost like time stopped for a moment. And then [they] were flying. . . One second, [they] were frozen in midair, and the next, [Cameron, Zion, and Aliyah] were sucked straight through the hole in the wall.” 
• The palace is coded to use magic in the place of servants if guests choose this option. “Before [Cameron] could respond, the air whipped around [him] and [his] clothes rippled, drowning out Zion’s voice. [Cameron] peeled off [his] soiled clothes and waded deep in the steaming-hot pool, sighing in contentment. Droplets of water lifted from the pool, twirling around [his] head. [Cameron] watched in amazement as they transformed into a comb, a brush, and bars of soap.” 
• The Book can also be used as a magical map. Cameron describes, “The lines on the map moved, and the pictures came to life, lifting off the page as if we were looking at a hologram. The queen moved her hand, and the images in the air shifted until we were looking at the Royal Court. She pointed at the floating picture, the castle turning in diamond light, gryphons flying in the air. ‘This is where we are,’ she said. She curved her hand downward, the Palacia collapsed back into place, and the scene changed until I was looking at a familiar outline of a location surrounded by water at its southern border.” 
• To travel freely throughout the kingdom for their quest, Cameron, Zion, and Aliyah bond with gryphons. Cameron thinks about this process, “Connecting with Ugo almost felt like. . . love. The magic in me attached to Ugo’s, and Mama appeared in my mind, granting me access to her own relationship with the gryphon. It was even more of an emotional feeling, too, because the Book gave me visions, even when I wasn’t expecting it.” 
• Going into the water to recover a magical item, the Book’s magic allows Cameron, Zion, and Aliyah to breathe underwater. Cameron describes this process, “My chest began to glow as soon as we entered the water, and I felt a surge of power. The Book stirred inside me, and I let out a howl of pain, but no water entered my mouth to drown me. Red light spread from my chest and into the arms and bodies of Aliyah and Zion on my right and left. It felt as if my chest was going to burst open, like a weight was dragging us through the water at lightning speed, deeper and deeper into the ocean. I closed my eyes against the excruciating pain.” 
• When Amina appears to battle her sister, she makes an entrance. “In the middle of a cloud, a deep white line appeared, so bright that it almost burned [Cameron’s] eyes. The rip opened farther and farther until a figure, riding on the back of a fearsome gryphon—much bigger than the ones we had ridden—appeared.” 
• During the final battle, Amina has a devastating trick up her sleeve; she changes one of the mmo back to human form briefly. “The figure emerged from the mmo like a butterfly from a chrysalis, its hair blowing in the wind, its brown skin shining in the light that surrounded it, its dark-brown eyes trained on [Cameron]. It was dressed in a flowing gown, almost angelic, but its face was contorted in unbearable and unmistakable pain.”

Spiritual Content  

• While Cameron, Zion, and Aliyah travel to a fictional, magical kingdom, they still encounter elements from the real world, like gods of the Igbo culture. They fight with some gods and work with others to save the kingdom from the queen’s treacherous sister Amina. Given this, the book discusses many creation myths and Igbo religious references. There are also the occasional vague references to Christianity.  
• When the kids first encounter a god, she heals them from their sparring practice. The goddess describes herself as, “The star goddess, daughter and priestess of the Supreme Mother, Ala. I’m Mother’s justice in this world. I dole out punishment when necessary and heal those who have been hurt.”  
• Ala heals Aliyah. “The warmth of the magic radiated from Aliyah’s body as the gash on her forehead healed. It felt like [Cameron’s] father’s last hug; it smelled of the peppermints [his] grandma gave [him] during Sunday service to keep [Cameron] quiet and still as the pastor preached his sermons.” 
• As an example of the creation beliefs, Agbala tells the children about the queen’s history. “Ramala ventured into Igboland, finding the most powerful priests to connect with the gods. With their help, she prayed, telling the gods that she would do anything for their protection. Three gods appeared to her: Ala and two of her sons, Anyanwu and Amadioha. They offered her three gifts—a crown of wisdom, a ring that granted immortal life, and a scepter of thunder and lightning.” It’s those three items that Cameron, Zion, and Aliyah need to find to save the kingdom.  
• The kingdom itself also has a religious history. “[The bargain the gods made with the kingdom’s citizens was] for their eternal prayers. Meaning, the humans would be closed off from the larger world, and they would never age. The gods would always exist because prayers would feed them. Ramala’s parents believed that a barrier between both worlds that would cause immortality was unnatural, so they would not agree to it, [but Ramala did].” 
• There are also gods aligned with the queen’s evil sister, Amina. Ramala explains, “We have gained intelligence from the Onitsha clan to my crown’s whereabouts. It is as I feared. Amina has aligned herself with Ekwensu, the Igbo death god. He controls the mmo. I didn’t think it could be true, but this is the reason she has been able to use the mmo to fight you.” 
• While trying to find one of the magical items, Cameron, Zion, and Aliyah encounter another god. “Welcome to my temple, Nsi said. His mouth didn’t move, but [Cameron] could hear him in [his] thoughts. He wore a long, flowing ivory kaftan, embroidered with rubies. Gold bangles covered his arms, and his hair rolled down his back in waves of green, red, and brown. His dark skin was smooth, in sharp contrast to the flowing water beneath him.” 

by Kate Schuyler