It’s not easy being a Remarkable in the Unremarkable world. Some things are cool — like getting a pet hellhound for your twelfth birthday. Others, not so much — like not being trusted to learn magic because you might use it to take revenge on an annoying neighbour.
All Nic Blake wants is to be a powerful Manifestor like her dad. 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.
Angie Thomas is an internationally bestselling superstar author. Her YA novels The Hate U Give and The Come Up were both New York Times bestsellers. The Manifestor Prophecy is her middle grade debut, launching a new contemporary fantasy trilogy, Nic Blake and the Remarkables.
Just like Thomas’ books for young adults, The Manifestor Prophecy makes cutting across decades of underrepresentation seem like the most natural thing in the world. Thomas weaves in elements of African American history and folklore into her extraordinary world-building, which is sure to spark much-needed discussion in curious young readers.
These historic and folkloric elements make Thomas’ fabulous world-building all the richer and more nuanced. The magic of the Manifestors’ world – from generational secrets to frightening monsters – unfolds rapidly from the very first pages, keeping pace with Nic Blake’s compelling, high-stakes narration.
Nic is exactly the kind of heroine I wish I’d had growing up. She’s a self-assured twelve-year-old who proves that feeling like an outsider can sometimes be a good thing – and what makes you different might actually be your biggest strength. Sometimes the adults around her underestimate her, and sometimes she underestimates herself, but with a strong moral compass and a realistic bit of a quick temper, she always manages to rise to the occasion.
Nic is smart, quick-witted, rebellious and fierce – but not infallible. And that’s where a charming cast of secondary characters comes in: I loved Nic’s best friend, JP, and his endearing tendency to talk too much when he gets nervous, and the adults who guide and protect her – but who also get it wrong sometimes.
The Manifestor Prophecy ends with a sense that Nic’s greatest challenges may still lie ahead of her… which is great news for us readers! I can’t wait for the next in this series.
Buy a copy of Nic Blake and the Remarkables #1: The Manifestor Prophecy here.
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