The Legend of Tarik

An enthralling adventure story in the style of Sword and Sorcery classics but with an African protagonist. (As a kid I didn't even notice the upended convention, I just loved the story.) A boy survives the massacre of his tribe and must find the battle skills, magic, and courage to avenge his family. Pretty sure this book laid the foundation for my love of Sword and Sorcery in the 80s and 90s (and there was a lot of it, mostly dominated by a well-known musclebound Austrian). I wore out my copy well into my tweens. I don't think I'd dare read it as an adult for fear of tarnishing fond childhood memories, but I wouldn't hesitate to hand a reading copy to adventure-loving young warriors-in-training.