MARCH 2023 - AudioFile
Magic flows as Joniece Abbott-Pratt brings to life Nic Blake's 12th birthday. It's the day her father promised to instruct her in using her Manifestor gift. Abbott-Pratt's rich narration shows Nic's frustration at having to hide her magical ability in a world of Unremarkables. Abbott-Pratt expresses Nic's spirited brilliance, the closeness and humor she shares with her father, and the loneliness even her new hellhound can't relieve. Surprising events launch Nic, her brother, and her friend on a quest to recapture a stolen artifact to prove her father's innocence for a crime she's certain he didn't commit. Abbott-Pratt skillfully portrays real and supernatural characters throughout. She enhances descriptive passages, along with the folklore that grounds this outstanding start to a new series. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
★ 03/06/2023
In Jackson, Miss., homeschooled Nichole Blake is hoping that her single father will finally train her in her Gift as a Manifestor—the most powerful tier of the supernaturally gifted Remarkables, whose innate abilities originate with Africa’s Wallinzi tribe. After another Remarkable summons a vision for Nic’s 12th birthday—one that turns quickly terrifying—Nic’s deeply wary dad forbids her from attending a high-profile book signing. But when Nic goes against his wishes, she discovers something extraordinary: world-famous children’s book author TJ Retro is not only also a Manifestor, he’s her godfather, and the books she’s obsessed with are based in truth. As Nic’s developing Gift begins to wreak havoc, and the family secrets her father has kept catch up with them, Nic encounters a prophecy that promises the destruction of the Remarkable world unless a Chosen One can intervene. Thomas (Concrete Rose) brings her trademark voice to an action-packed series kickoff rooted in a mixture of African diasporic myth, biblical references, and U.S. history. Imbuing characters both brave and sweetly vulnerable with unflappable senses of humor amid harrowing circumstances, Thomas creates an elaborate supernatural mythology that boldly confronts fantasy tropes and questions of forgiveness. B&w art by Fiadzigbey (Bunheads) appears throughout. Protagonists are Black. Ages 8–12. Agent: Molly Ker Hawn, Bent Agency. (Apr.)
From the Publisher
"Thomas (Concrete Rose) brings her trademark voice to an action-packed series kickoff rooted in a mixture of African diasporic myth, biblical references, and U.S. history. Imbuing characters both brave and sweetly vulnerable with unflappable senses of humor amid harrowing circumstances, Thomas creates an elaborate supernatural mythology that boldly confronts fantasy tropes and questions of forgiveness." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"In a set of gleefully ingenious riffs on African and African American folklore, from “The People Could Fly” to Wakanda, Thomas pitches 12-year-old Nic into a whirl of stunning discoveries about her background as she struggles to understand her own magical gifts…. Sober references…give further historical and emotional depth to this rousing quest tale’s already richly articulated cultural context." — Booklist (starred review)
“Thomas has been a force on the young adult scene, and her first middle grade novel proves her range extends across genre and age groups; she weaves complex fantasy stories as deftly as realistic ones. [T]he freshness of the story and characters, along with Thomas’s control of a multilayered, nuanced plot, makes everything feel brand new. A book that will delight young readers and adults alike. 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." — School Library Journal (starred review)
"Magnificent, hilarious and captivating. It can be challenging to satiate the appetites of readers who devour beloved middle grade fantasy series. Those readers will inhale Nic Blake and the Remarkables—and then begin counting down the days to its sequel." — BookPage (starred review)
"The Manifestor mythology combines African and African American folklore and Biblical stories, and the book explores Black Americans’ historical and present-day traumas alongside a fast-paced adventure and inventive worldbuilding. Readers will eagerly await the unearthing of more secrets in the next installment." — Kirkus Reviews
"Thomas skillfully incorporates folktales from the African Diaspora and infuses her story with the energy and emotional nuance of a pre-teen in this tale of intrigue, loyalty, identity, and courage—the first book in a projected trilogy." — Horn Book
"Thomas brings her considerable talents to this first volume of an anticipated trilogy—her characters are well-developed, the world’s framework is creative and satisfying, and powerful undercurrents of struggles against injustice add a memorable additional layer lacking in other similar series." — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
"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! This is one of those rare books that will instantly become the best friend you didn’t know you needed. Nic Blake and the Remarkables is nothing short of a triumph. When’s the next installment, please?" — Rick Riordan, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series
“Packed with humor and bursting with heart and imagination, Nic's story will enchant readers of all ages!” — B.B. Alston, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Amari and the Night Brothers
"Thomas creates a new Afro-future world that feels steeped in history and lived in by generations of real flesh-and-blood families. The gravity of Thomas’s world never weighs down the story, which zips along with wit, humor, and sparkling dialogue. The Manifestor Prophecy is a tantalizing first installment in what is sure to be a blockbuster series, and a remarkable achievement for a master author in a thrilling new arena." — Soman Chainani, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The School for Good and Evil series
“Exploding with heart, humor, and all things Black Girl Magic, Nic Blake and the Remarkables is a triumph of friendship and Black Southern folklore and history." — Dhonielle Clayton, New York Times bestselling author of The Marvellers
“This book is no-holds-barred, fly by the seat of your pants (and other methods) trip to the corner of Thrill Street and Wonder Avenue. Nic Blake is amazing!” — Kwame Mbalia, author of the Tristan Strong series
School Library Journal
★ 04/21/2023
Gr 5 Up—Nic Blake is a Remarkable, but she and her dad Calvin live in the Unremarkable world, never staying in one place long. Calvin is stalling on teaching Nic to use her powers—apparently she's not mature enough for the immense responsibility. Then, a surprise encounter with someone from Calvin's past reveals that her entire life is much more complicated than she knew; her dad has been accused of kidnapping her and stealing a powerful magical object. Nic sets off on a quest with her Unremarkable best friend, her new brother, and a pet hellhound. Their goal: to clear Calvin's name, to find the Msaidizi, the magical object, and to keep it out of the hands of the Manowari, the person destined to destroy the Remarkable world. Thomas has been a force on the young adult scene, and her first middle grade novel proves her range extends across genre and age groups; she weaves complex fantasy stories as deftly as realistic ones. This novel in some ways feels like an homage to some of the best works in the genre, both modern and mythical, but the freshness of the story and characters, along with Thomas's control of a multilayered, nuanced plot, makes everything feel brand new. VERDICT A book that will delight young readers and adults alike. 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.—Kristin Brynsvold
MARCH 2023 - AudioFile
Magic flows as Joniece Abbott-Pratt brings to life Nic Blake's 12th birthday. It's the day her father promised to instruct her in using her Manifestor gift. Abbott-Pratt's rich narration shows Nic's frustration at having to hide her magical ability in a world of Unremarkables. Abbott-Pratt expresses Nic's spirited brilliance, the closeness and humor she shares with her father, and the loneliness even her new hellhound can't relieve. Surprising events launch Nic, her brother, and her friend on a quest to recapture a stolen artifact to prove her father's innocence for a crime she's certain he didn't commit. Abbott-Pratt skillfully portrays real and supernatural characters throughout. She enhances descriptive passages, along with the folklore that grounds this outstanding start to a new series. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2023-01-12
A girl discovers the truth behind her favorite book series—and her destiny.
On her 12th birthday, Nichole Blake’s disappointed that her father still won’t teach her how to use the Gift. They are Manifestors, the most powerful of the supernatural Remarkables, and they keep their powers secret from the Unremarkables they live among in Jackson, Mississippi. But TJ Retro, Nic’s favorite fantasy author, is in town for a book signing—where she learns that not only is he a Manifestor, too, but that he knows her father. Mr. Retro reveals that his books are a fictionalized version of their childhood war against an evil villain. Before Nic can get answers, her father’s secrets catch up to him. To prove his innocence, Nic—with the help of a long-lost twin brother and her Unremarkable best friend—must navigate the fantastical secret world of the Remarkables to find a powerful stolen artifact. The first act relies on the narrator’s humor and charm to carry the heavy amounts of exposition and to set up familiar fantasy tropes so that stock concepts (like the chosen one) can later be subverted and interrogated in entertaining, thoughtful ways. The Manifestor mythology combines African and African American folklore and Biblical stories, and the book explores Black Americans’ historical and present-day traumas alongside a fast-paced adventure and inventive worldbuilding. The ending teases more threats to come. All major characters are Black.
Readers will eagerly await the unearthing of more secrets in the next installment. (Fantasy. 8-12)
