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Rena Barron

Goodreads Author

Website

http://www.renabarron.com/

Twitter

renathedreamer

Genre

Young Adult, Children's, Fantasy

Member Since

April 2018

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Rena Barron grew up in small-town Alabama where stories of magic and adventure sparked her imagination. After penning her first awful poem in middle school, she graduated to writing short stories and novels by high school. Rena loves all things science fiction, ghosts, and superheroes. She’s a self-proclaimed space nerd. When she’s not writing, she can be found reading or brushing up on her French.

Rena is the author of the YA fantasy series, KINGDOM OF SOULS and the contemporary fantasy middle grade series, MAYA AND THE RISING DARK.

Check out the World Map and World Guide for KINGDOM OF SOULS at http://kingdomofsoulsbook.com/

Check out the activity guide for MAYA AND THE RISING DARK at http://renabarron.com/maya-and-the-ri...

Rena prefers not ...more

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Popular Answered Questions

How important is black representation in YA and fantasy to you?

Rena Barron Black representation in YA and fantasy is hugely important. Something that was very disappointing to me when I was a teen is that I never saw any book…moreBlack representation in YA and fantasy is hugely important. Something that was very disappointing to me when I was a teen is that I never saw any books with people who looked like me. I still remember specific moments in reading in which I felt empty from never seeing myself represented in the science fiction and fantasy stories that I loved reading so much. I kept asking myself "why isn't there a person like me in any of these books?"

Every single child or teen should be able to see themselves at the center of their stories, be heroes, save the world, go on fantastical adventures, be the chosen one, and so many other roles. Stories help us dream and imagine endless possibilities for ourselves--and it's especially important for teens to have those opportunities.

On a personal note, when I was very young, I wanted to be a writer AND an archaeologist. I was told that "black people don't do that." I still wonder to this day had I seen someone like me in a book or media of any kind in archaeology, if I would have pursued that dream.

When I wrote KINGDOM OF SOULS, I wanted to create the kind of magical world that I loved growing up so that black teens could see themselves in fantastical tales too. (less)

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What's your favorite time of day, or night, to write?

Rena Barron Hi Justin!

I love writing in the mornings. That's usually because the night before I work out tricky plot points and revisions in my head when I should…moreHi Justin!

I love writing in the mornings. That's usually because the night before I work out tricky plot points and revisions in my head when I should be sleeping. :-) (less)

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Rena Barron’s books

Average rating: 3.83 · 9,957 ratings · 2,153 reviews · 7 distinct works • Similar authors

	Kingdom of Souls (Kingdom of Souls, #1) 3.72 avg rating — 5,830 ratings — published 2019 — 27 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Maya and the Rising Dark (Maya and the Rising Dark, #1) 3.91 avg rating — 2,042 ratings — published 2020 — 10 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Reaper of Souls (Kingdom of Souls, #2) 4.01 avg rating — 1,158 ratings — published 2021 — 17 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Maya and the Return of the Godlings (Maya and the Rising Dark, #2) 4.23 avg rating — 376 ratings — published 2021 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Master of Souls (Kingdom of Souls, #3) 3.98 avg rating — 350 ratings — published 2023 — 12 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Maya and the Lord of Shadows (Maya and the Rising Dark, #3) 4.26 avg rating — 201 ratings — published 2022 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Maya and the Lord of Shadows: Library Edition by Rena Barron (Goodreads Author), Soneela Nankani (Narrator) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Series by Rena Barron

Kingdom of Souls (3 books)
by

Rena Barron (Goodreads Author)

3.78 avg rating — 7,338 ratings

Maya and the Rising Dark (3 books)
by

Rena Barron (Goodreads Author)

3.98 avg rating — 2,618 ratings

Kim Johnson's upcoming YA debut This Is My America explores racial injustice against innocent black men who are criminally sentenced and the...

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Rena’s Recent Updates

Rena Barron answered Renner's question: Will there be a fourth book of the kingdom of souls series (please say yes) ? Alas, the Kingdom of Souls series is complete. It was always intended to be a trilogy.
Jan 12, 2025 03:01AM · 2 likes · like
Rena Barron voted for An Academy for Liars as Readers' Favorite Fantasy in the Opening Round of the 2024 Goodreads Choice Awards. Cast Your Vote
Nov 12, 2024 05:15AM · like

More of Rena's books…

Quotes by Rena Barron (?)

“Hope is daunting in the face of desperation, yet I cling to it, no matter how withered and how small.”
― Rena Barron, Kingdom of Souls

7 likes

“I bite the inside of my cheek, letting my doubts curl up next to my hope. One gives me the strength to keep pushing, and the other reminds me never give up.”
― Rena Barron, Kingdom of Souls

2 likes

“I couldn't tell her that things would be okay, or that she'd get better. Sometimes people just needed you to listen to them---not try to solve their problems. I could do that, even if I couldn't do anything else.”
― Rena Barron, Maya and the Return of the Godlings

1 likes

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Topics Mentioning This Author

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A Million More Pages: Counting Cards ~ Team 8	244	29	Dec 14, 2019 06:19AM
A Million More Pages: Las Vegas Spell Out	78	119	Dec 30, 2019 08:39PM
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The Sword and Laser: Blackout Tuesday	11	79	Jun 05, 2020 04:30PM
The Sword and Laser: BLRW: If you lemmed, here is another challenge	26	170	Jul 10, 2020 10:23AM
The Sword and Laser: What else are you reading - July 2020	141	152	Jul 31, 2020 10:20PM
The Sword and Laser: BLRW: How was your alt-read?	2	66	Aug 03, 2020 09:54PM
Challenge Corner: New Author Challenge 2020	9	77	Oct 21, 2020 08:40PM

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