Root Magic
#1944.20 adjusted 4.14 for sample size in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 1 book Status Complete 2021 Reading commitment Low Eden Royce Last reviewed 2026-11-01
Overview
Root Magic is a middle-grade fantasy novel by Eden Royce, published by Walden Pond Press in 2021. It is set in 1963 on the South Carolina coast, where eleven-year-old twins Jezebel and Jay Turner lose their grandmother, a Gullah rootworker, and begin learning rootwork from their uncle Doc. The magic they inherit is tied to their family's heritage and sits alongside school integration and a deputy who targets rootwork families. The book stands alone. Royce later published Conjure Island (2023), a separate middle-grade story with different characters, and no sequel to Root Magic has been announced.
Historical fantasy · For Middle grade
Core Canon: Reading Order (1 work) counts toward ranking
Root Magic Eden Royce
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Root Magic | 2021 | 1 | core | 4.20 (3,618 ratings) |
A standalone middle-grade novel about twins learning Gullah rootwork in 1963 South Carolina.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Root Magic? Root Magic's Core Canon is 1 book.
- Is Root Magic finished? Complete (2021).
- How much reading does Root Magic take? Low reading commitment (estimated from 1 Core Canon book).
- How is Root Magic ranked? #194 in this site's official ranking, based on 3,618 reader ratings across 1 Core Canon book. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #194?
Ranked #194 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 4.20 across 1 core book.
- A smaller readership (3,618 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Less than 0.01 behind #193, El Ciclo de la Luna Roja (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.46.
Why explore this universe?
Highly rated · 1 book · Complete · 4k ratings · Ranks #194 overall
Good choice if you want a quick, low-commitment historical fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
A single Core Canon work: no sequencing question to resolve.
Awards (verified)
- Mythopoeic Award (Children's Literature), 2022: won: Root Magic
You might also like
Suggestions computed from what Root Magic and each of these worlds have in common on record (subgenre, audience, shape, reading commitment and score), not a documented narrative connection.
- The Inquisitor's Tale Historical fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 4.14
- Black Bird, Blue Road Historical fantasy / Mythic fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 4.13
- The Night Gardener Dark fantasy / Historical fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 4.05
- The Little White Horse Historical fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 4.08
Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 4.20 across 3,618 ratings on 1 Core Canon book. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Canon Extension: 27 universes; 5 candidates ruled out; older open items closed accepted 2026-11-01
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- Kirkus Reviews Tier 2
- Wikipedia: Root Magic Tier 2
- Apple Books Tier 2
Last reviewed: 2026-11-01
Rule: Core Canon = Root Magic (2021).