This is such an interesting idea, a story I didn't know, told in a clever way. An essential part of our school Library collection.

An absolutely fantastic book that I recommend to everyone! It had charm, wit, the representation that is so desperately needed and a general feel of homeliness.

I wanted to like this more than I did. I found the historical setting with the modern day language really jarring and couldn't get beyond the first couple of chapters. I bought it for our school library and the students have been enjoying it more than I did!

Beautifully done and really evocative historical fiction. You get a real sense of place and time when reading it which I liked

I wasn't as overly impressed and taken with this book as I thought I would be. This probably stems from an existing expectation of the type of book Akala usally writes; deep, meaningful and reflective of some part of society.

While this did somewhat adhere to that due to the idea of a boy being perceived as different because of his skin colour in medievel ages, so it did take some current societal issues and put them in another time period. In this sense, I enjoyed the book. But in terms of the actual narrative, it didn't interest me as much as I'd hoped it would.

The Dark Lady is a beautiful introduction to historical fiction for those who may never have read the genre. While aimed at a younger audience, it;s a book that reader of all ages can read and appreciate the beauty of.

This is such an accessible way to access historical fiction for all ages. From the way it ended I hope that this is only the beginning of Henry's story, I feel quite invested in his future.
Akala doesn't pull punches, there is violence, it is not gratuitous, but it serves to give an indication of how tough life was in the Elizabethan period, especially for those on the margins of society. He makes it clear that he has used some license with events in the historical timeline to compress his story into a more exciting time frame but there is strong evidence of historical research running throughout this beautifully realised novel. The elements of magic chime well with the historical beliefs of the period and give the novel a mystical flavour that encourages imagination and curiosity in the reader.
Henry is definitely a flawed hero but he is endearing and likeable. I look forward to finding out more about the mystery of his origins as well as joining him for more adventures through 16th Century Europe.

The Dark Lady is an intriguing, mesmerising and electrifying YA debut from acclaimed rapper, writer, poet and activist Akala. This introduces Henry, a teenage orphan of mysterious origins with extraordinary abilities with words. Henry can understand and translate texts in any language, and constantly composes sonnets. By day, Henry does what he can to survive on the mean and pungent streets of Shakespeare’s London. By night, his dreams are haunted by an enigmatic dark lady – could this be his mother, and does this mean she is still alive?

Although he was born and raised in London, Henry’s dark skin means he is seen as a foreigner, and a threat, by many. The slur “Moor” is frequently flung at him with contempt. Henry lives in extreme poverty with two witches who took him in as a baby. There are two other youths the same age as him, with whom Henry gets along, but he never feels he truly belongs. Henry can’t stop thinking about the mother who seemingly abandoned him at birth.

Starved and beaten his whole life, Henry occasionally steals to survive, despite the risk of being hung as punishment. When a burglary doesn’t quite go to plan, Henry’s life suddenly moves in a different and surprising direction. This causes Henry to question who he really is, and who - if anyone - he can trust.

Henry is a brilliant protagonist; he’s streetwise and strong, but sensitive to the suffering of those around him, even strangers. He's generous even when he has very little himself. I loved seeing Elizabethan London through Henry’s eyes, in all its squalor, brutality and intoxicating beauty – you really feel as though you’re there! I love Mary too and the other characters are just as fully fleshed out and fascinating. I’m dying to know more about all of them – even the villains.

It’s clear that an enormous amount of research has gone into creating such a convincing work of historical fiction. Included is a list of suggested reading which features books the author found useful, for anyone who might like to further explore the Elizabethan world. Akala uses real slang from this era, and the authentic language makes this an even more immersive experience. Readers get to see Hamlet performed for the first time, as well as Romeo and Juliet, and bask in the atmosphere of the Globe. The bard himself even makes more than one appearance!

I was hooked from the first page and found The Dark Lady so compelling, I finished it in a few hours. The ending leaves lots of questions unanswered and plenty of room for a sequel. I am desperate to discover what happens to Henry next, and hope this is just the first of many more thrilling accounts of his exploits.

The Dark Lady is a Dickensesque escapade following the lives of three street pickpockets as they navigate the backstreets of London. Henry is many things; a thief; an orphan; literate and distinguished by his race. The three characters expose the reader to the 'charms' of London - from dog fighting to the Globe. Akala intersperses the vividly imagined streets with Shakespeare's sonnets as the cultural world surrounding Henry is revealed magically behind his eyes. None of the characters are as straightforward as they first appear as they struggle to negotiate the everyday necessity of survival, but when a robbery goes wrong, Henry is given a a glimpse into a world that was previously cut off from him. But will the choices he makes and the trust that he places be the correct ones?
This book will draw you in and speed you along to a remarkable conclusion....here's hoping there will be more.

Release Date: 22nd April 2021

Genre: Young Adult | Fiction | Historical Fiction



Who is Henry? An orphan, a theif, an outcast. And a boy with extraordinary gifts.

Living in a quasi-elizabethan London, Henry lives with his cousins Mary and Matthew in the slums after being abandoned by his Mother who could be anywhere. Haunted by the dreams of a mysterious dark lady, Henry has to navigate his newfound gifts, his power over words and language while still trying to navigate the racial and societal prejudices threatening to erase him.

Henrys story started off as a slow-moving, leisuirely stroll through days long in the past, gaining momentum with every turned page until I was thrown into a new world. The narration was full of slang and shakespearean dialogue which may confuse some readers but only pulled me in deeper.

I had high expectations opening up this book, Akala is a master wordsmith and I wasn't disappointed at his first foray into the written world. The Dark Lady was beautifully poetic and enchanting - each voice unique and spell-binding.

I expected a full fantasy going on here but instead found a magical historical tale that was realistic and other-worldy at the same time.

This book may be for children on the cover (which is just stunning!) but this is definitely not just for teenagers - I can't wait to learn more about the world of The Dark Lady with Henry.



RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐



Thank you to Akala and Hachette Childrens Group for an ARC in return for an honest review.

A well written novel and an overall excellent YA debut from the author. Henry is a fabulous protagonist and will appeal to many readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the access to this story.

This would be a great introduction to historical fiction for any middle grade reader. I loved the main protagonist Henry.

Read the first couple of chapters and then skimmed the rest because I don't like reading long texts on screen. So not going to review, but liked what I read enough to buy the book.

This is a good debut novel that is written very well, with a strong lead character and a well drawn setting that is let down by weaker secondary characters, an unexplored magic system and a rather muddled narrative that doesn’t really go anywhere. It’s one of those books that you enjoy whilst your reading it, but have to wonder what the point was. I also didn’t really get the point of the poetry verses interspersed between chapters, I suspect that they are intended to build on Henry’s abilities or his fascination with Shakespeare and to give a little background to his mother perhaps, but it isn’t made clear even by the end of the novel.

In terms of what the novel does well, it is very readable and Akala writes well. Henry as a character is well developed and I appreciated how Akala used the racial prejudice of the time to build his character and the setting. The descriptions of Elizabethan London are well done, and there is a clear juxtaposition between the haves and have-nots. And despite the plot not really going anywhere, I was interested in what was going on particularly at the moments where the pace moved a little more quickly.

The problem is that generally the pace of the novel is undeniably slow, and it doesn’t really seem to go anywhere. This isn’t helped by the fact that the novel ends on a cliff hanger without really managing to resolve any of the main narrative threads properly. The secondary characters are incidental rather than important, with very few of them bringing anything crucial to the story. Whether noble of thief, they are all just background characters. And then you have the magic system. Another reviewer has described it as window dressing and I can see why. It isn’t explored and aside from Henry’s gift of reading any language by closing his eyes being what makes him ‘valuable’, it doesn’t add anything to the narrative.

So there’s a lot of potential here, but it didn’t quite work for me. More work needed to go into building up the secondary characters and the magic system so that they didn’t feel like incidental add-ins. More importantly though, there needs to be a main narrative hook and I suspect that won’t materialise until the sequel, as this is certainly not a stand alone. It’s almost like it’s a prequel to the action really starting rather than a full novel in and of its own right.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my free review copy of this title.

An intriguing story with plenty of elements that I was glad to see in a book of this genre, encompassing themes of family and race in a great and entertaining story. with so many interesting character it was a fast and thouroughly enjoyable read that I will be recommending others to read.

Akala really brings his brilliant lyricism to this story. A historically-informative and just wonderful adventure. Can’t wait for book two!

I first came across Akala two years ago when I read his fabulous and thought-provoking book on race and class in modern Britain. The folk at the Bradford Literature Festival that year agreed with me and it was our fastest selling book of the festival. This book, on first glance, looks to be a different kettle of fish – a historical adventure story for teens/young adults – but, I’m glad to see, Akala has been able to wind the themes of race, class and power into the book without detracting from the storytelling. Not that I ever doubted...

Henry is an orphan, fifteen years old and living in Elizabethan London with a rag-tag group of other street children. (Incidentally, one of the online courses I’ve been doing in lockdown was on Tudor and Elizabethan history – it covered the role of a black population in that period so there is no element of jarring in the fact that Henry is, also, black). He is intelligent, brave and street-smart but also has a skill, a power, which sets him apart: he can not only read but also translate any language he reads. At the beginning he uses this skill to help his group of friends to steal a living but later, once his powers are discovered, they are put to use for the gain of others. To discover who he could become. Henry must find out who he is and what made him that way.

An interesting book which shows a different view of young black boys. They can be adventurous and self-reliant, sure, but also intelligent, cultured, caring and vulnerable. And if they want to be part of Shakespeare’s world? That’s fine too…

I was surprised to discover an historical fiction when I was expecting a fantasy novel. (I'm not sure why... But the cover is so beautiful.)

There's too much slang for my taste - it even needs a glossary to help us understand - so it sometimes interrupt the reading and breaks the suspense. But I loved the writing, especially the poetry parts: Akala has a way with words!

The begining is a bit slow and I wondered where the author was getting at, but things pick up halfway through the book. Henry is an interesting character and you'll definitely want to know what happens to him.

I wanted to read this book as I admire Akala as a musical artist and an activist, and was confident in his ability to be a good fiction author. I was not disappointed!
This book was nothing like I expected - we open with three young people, one black and two white, in Elizabethan London. The language they use is quasi-Elizabethan and it works to anchor the reader to the time period, while still being believable and understandable dialogue.
Henry is a disillusioned teenager living in the London slums with his extended family as his mother who is from Benin has seemingly abandoned him as a young child, and is possibly dead.
Henry and his cousins Mary and Matthew pass the time and earn some precious money by robbing more well to do houses in London. One night Matthew tells of a commission he's had for them to steal a particular item of jewellery from a Duke's house. They get disturbed, Matthew gets away but Mary and Henry get caught and their lives change forever. Henry has a 'gift' that the Duke exploits, but will he conform to the high life at the expense of his heritage and true family?
This book was well written and well paced - I very much enjoyed it and will look forward to more of Akala's fiction.

#TheDarkLady is great. Exciting story, wonderful language, fabulous scene setting - historical magical realism - @akalamusic's debut #UKYA is well worth adding to your pre-order list. Thanks @HCGFictionTeam for sending me a proof copy! Reading is a true super-power! https://t.co/JvJS2pdGJr