Geography & Cultures
![Angie Thomas - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B01LXYCVWA.jpg)
Nic Blake and the Remarkables: The Manifestor Prophecy
Internationally bestselling superstar author Angie Thomas makes her middle grade debut with the launch of an inventive, hilarious, and suspenseful new contemporary fantasy trilogy inspired by African American history and folklore.
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 neighbor.
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.
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 neighbor.
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.
Editorial Reviews
"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)
"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)
"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
"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 Bro...
"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)
"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)
"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
"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 Bro...
Readers Top Reviews
KC 667
Wow! Angie Thomas's middle grade series is off to a great start! Nic Blake is a powerhouse of a tween. She's moved from town to town her whole life with her single dad, but they've settled in now, and she has a BFF who lives nextdoor. The two of them are stans of an author whose book series stars 3 BFFs who battle enemies for control of a magical world. Little does she know, she's part of that world IRL! Angie Thomas manages to combine tween friendship issues, family dynamics, magical world-building, Black history and current issues, and So Much Humor into a fast-paced, dynamic story. Cannot wait to read the next stories!
Amanda ShepardKC
Being a Remarkable when you live in the Unremarkable world definitely has its downsides. At least, that’s what Nic Blake thinks. At least her dad got her a hellhound for her twelfth birthday. That, admittedly, was pretty cool. But actually learning magic would be even cooler. However, before Nic can convince her dad to start teaching her magic, a series of events launch Nic and her friends on a dangerous quest. A quest to find a dangerous magical tool to save her dad from imprisonment. And hopefully to prove he didn’t commit the crime that everyone says that he did. But what really happened to land him there in the first place? It’s Angie Thomas’s first middle grade, so I obviously had to see what it was all about. This book is funny, full of heart and magic, but isn’t afraid to still tackle tough issues. Middle grade readers are going to eat it up! There’s a lot about this book that reminded me of Percy Jackson, from the tone to the kids having to go on an epic quest. Fans of those books will definitely enjoy this one. The world that Thomas creates is a fun one; the concept of Remarkables was a fun way to introduce magic. There’s also a bit of a twist on the classic chosen one trope, and I can’t wait to see how it gets played out in future books. Even though Thomas is known for her YA books, it’s clear she knows how to also write for a middle grade audience. The action keeps the story moving quickly, and there’s a lot of humor throughout. Plus, the characters are just overall fun and relatable. Not only is Nic well-developed, but there is a colorful cast of side characters that just makes the book great. For Thomas’s first middle grade, I’d classify this as a huge success!
