By Marissa Wells
Contributing Writer
After being caught by pro heroes for vigilante activity, Jordan Harris must go undercover to a school for superheroes to discover who amongst the student body is a supervillain in disguise. Along his journey, Jordan learns powerful lessons about trust, teamwork, healing and more.
So goes, “StarLion: Thieves of the Red Night” by Leon Langford.
It was inspired by Langford’s desire to write a superhero story where the protagonist was a Black boy.
“I wanted to write the book that I wanted as a kid,” Langford said. “It’s so rare to see Black boys as the main character or dealing with issues outside of the usual stereotypes.”
The book is filled with main characters that identify as persons of color and there is also a character that has a physical disability.
“I wanted to take a lot of people that we usually don’t see and put them on the cover and in the leads,” Langford said.
Langford wrote the book during the pandemic and said it was important for him to write something that not only entertained readers, but also includes life lessons.
“While the book is about superheroes on the surface, the major theme of the book is healing from trauma,” he said. “After years of uncertainty and loss, we’re finally back to normal, but still dealing with the issues of the past.”
“StarLion” is intended for younger audiences, like upper middle grade readers through young adults, who enjoy Marvel, anime and comic books. Readers will no doubt experience a thrilling ride, filled with action and twists.
“I hope my readers gain insight on how to deal with their own problems, physical and mental,” Langford said. “Jordan’s slogan throughout the book is, ‘Be your own hero,’ and I hope this book inspires people to be their own hero in their lives.”
“StarLion” is the first book in a series that will follow Jordan and his teammates. Langston will host a book signing at noon May 11 at Barnes & Noble Bookstore in The Grove, 189 The Grove Drive.
In addition to being an author, Langford is a screenwriter based in Burbank. For more information about the author and to connect, visit him on social via X @masonlll.
“StarLion: Thieves of the Red Night” is available for $20 (print), $9.99 (eBook), and $25 (audiobook) via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and all other online book selling outlets.
