May 18, 2020
At 13, Princess Shuri has already accomplished so much as a scientist that she’s on the path to becoming Wakanda’s minister of technology and advancement. Even with all of her achievements, though, her mother and T’Challa—her brother, king of Wakanda and the current Black Panther—still treat Shuri like a child who doesn’t truly understand the propriety required of her. When the heart-shaped herb that ignites the Black Panther’s powers begins rapidly dying, Shuri is appalled at her family’s surprising lack of urgency regarding the problem. Frustrated, she and K’Marah, a protector in training, set off on a secret mission to find what’s killing the plants and how to stop it before the last herb dies out forever. Girl power reigns supreme in this novel companion to the Black Panther universe, and Stone (Clean Getaway) engagingly portrays the mind of a genius, teenage princess (complete with mission log–esque journal entries). In Stone’s handling, Shuri takes center stage and exhibits her intelligence, wit, and unique strengths while showing that a princess is more than enough to save a nation. Ages 9–12.