Nic Blake and the Remarkables: The Manifestor Prophecy

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You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice. Those readers will inhale Nic Blake and the Remarkables—and then begin counting down the days to its sequel. I've seen that most people absolutely love this book, so I hope that most young readers really enjoy it as well. It’s a fantastic independent book seller that will actually be responsive and select appropriate books for you.

Nic Blake and The Remarkables: The Manifestor Prophecy is the first book to a start of a new middle-grade fantasy series. As you could expect, Angie Thomas is another one of those authors who couldn't be bothered to give some explanations on her inspirations.All the brilliance you'd expect from Angie Thomas: a page-turning plot, pitch-perfect characters, heart and substance, and real stakes that real kids will care about--plus magic! Angie is already working on the second story with a deeper exploration of the twist that we read about towards the end of this book.

However, before she gets the chance to convince her dad to teach her about the Gift, a series of terrifying events and shocking revelations launch Nic and her friends on a quest to find a powerful magical item.I think I've always felt that way about her writing capabilities and it continues to show in this book. I’m used to being immersed in Thomas’s works - I think I’ve given 5 stars to everything else she’s written. Interspersed throughout were discussions of race and racism and what it means in the regular, or “unremarkable” world versus those in the magical/“remarkable” world who don’t experience the same prejudice. It’s a story that feels familiar (we’ve got the chosen one, missing parents, kids saving the day etc. And the story-within-a-story also worked very well and could be useful to the characters in forthcoming books.

But before she has a chance to convince him to teach her the gift, a series of shocking revelations and terrifying events launch Nic and two friends on a hunt for a powerful magic tool she’s never heard of…to save her father from imprisonment for a crime she refuses to believe he committed. I enjoyed learning more about Black history/historical events, but I wish that she would have used the information in a way that built a stronger connection between it and this fantastical world. At times the book strays off the path of the fantasy novel, and feels a little like a PBS or history channel special. There was just the right amount of choice to suit everyone without being overwhelming and I received comments from parents and staff about the quality of books offered compared to previous sales which have always been based around current crazes and well known celebrity authors. She also spent a great portion of the book creating parallels between this fantastical world and Black history as well as the Black experience.Thomas creates a new Afro-future world that feels steeped in history and lived in by generations of real flesh-and-blood families. Nic Blake is entering the Black fantasy scene with all the confidence and energy of its main character, and we're so glad it's here. I love the sense of representation in this book as pretty much all characters are people of colour, as well as the history behind the type of magic Remarkables/Manifestors can do and how a lot of it tied into African-American history, and also just worldwide Black history as well.