Confessions of a Junior Spy will be released on June 10, 2025. 

Some kids want to become doctors. Others set their sights on firefighting, or dancing, or photography. 

But Bea can’t imagine becoming anything other than a spy. Raised in the Pangaen hotel—a center for a global network of spies dedicated to world peace—she’s grown up idolizing her superspy mom and dreaming of developing a Knack that’ll make her a prime candidate for the job. So why is her mom so insistent that Bea go to school, like any non-Pangean kid? 

In the midst of applying to boarding schools, Chantal and her Normal family move into the hotel. And Chantal is clearly running from something…

It’s up to Bea to protect her new friend from whoever’s chasing her and her family. That’s definitely within the skill set for a not-quite-spy-in-training…right? 

I arrived on the first page of Confessions of a Junior Spy knowing only that I had loved Rosaria Munda’s previous books, and even though those were very different (this book holds none of the revolutionary commentary and mid-air dragon battles of the Fireborne trilogy), I was willing to read whatever she chose to write next. I wasn’t disappointed! 

Confessions of a Junior Spy is a fun, fast-paced mystery/spy novel that was an absolute delight to read. The characters here are so much fun—everyone around the Pangean hotel has an eccentric and brilliant personality, and though I definitely have a soft spot for Chantal and Bea, these supporting characters did so much to bring the story to life. The intersecting plots of applying to boarding school and being a spy were fantastic—I can’t wait for the sequel! I also love how Munda balances a ‘Normal’ world with more eccentric aspects such as Knacks or the very presence of the Pangean, giving it a sense of fantasy-type worldbuilding despite barely straying into speculative territory. 

I highly recommend Confessions of a Junior Spy to readers ages nine and up who love fast-paced books in the tradition of Mrs. Smith’s Spy School for Girls and The Misfits—an incredibly fun read! 

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own. 

ages 9+ / ARC / family / fiction / friends / middle grade / mystery / series

By Nico

The land hovers in an uneasy truce. The powerful giants live in lush gardens spun from magic woven from human lips. And every day, the world becomes a little colder…

On her own in the frigid winter, Lyriana is determined to get her younger brother Zave to Orphan’s Garden, a half-myth oasis beyond the reach of the giant’s powers. If she fails for too much longer, they might not survive.

Brob is a giant, but he’s no longer welcome among his people, either—he and his family are exiles from the lifesaving gardens, sentenced to a soon-to-be-fatal existence in the cold. Luckily, he has a plan: the garden he built years ago from the frost and pooled magic, an impossibility he’s certain no one else knows about. He certainly doesn’t expect—or want—humans among its trees.

But though Lyriana and Brob are at odds, they may need each other to save the garden that has become both of their home.

Within the opening pages of The Song of Orphan’s Garden, I found myself wondering: where have all the other fantasy novels in verse been? This lush, thoughtful book has the feel of a fairytale while being wholly original, and I truly enjoyed it. I love the way Hewitt uses verse in this book—to convey alternate points of view, to create lyricism, and perhaps most of all to separate the perspectives of Lyriana and Brob that was distinct without becoming jarring. Plus, the entire setting is just cool (no pun intended), the sense of an uneasy peace as palpable through the pages as the unique take on something as set as the seasons. I’ll definitely be looking to read more of Hewitt’s books in the future! I highly recommend The Song of Orphan’s Garden to fans of lyrical middle-grade fantasy books and stories where the setting feels as though it has a character of its own.

Thank you to Feiwel and Friends for the gifted copy! All opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

adventure / ​ages 9+ / fairy tales / fantasy / fiction / friends / in verse / middle grade /
standalone / siblings

By Nico

When Greta, a blacksmith’s apprentice, stumbles across a lost Tea Dragon, she has no idea how much her life is about to change. With the help of the owners of the local tea shop, alongside a quiet, isolated girl named Minette, Greta discovers that caring for Tea Dragons is not just a challenge, but an art, and one that’s slowly vanishing as the speed of the world outpaces the long lives and copious needs of the small, shy creatures.

Alongside her new friends, Greta discovers the magic of tea dragons—and how much, without ever knowing it, she’s needed them in her life.

The Tea Dragon Society has been on my TBR for quite literally years—in part because it’s usually the first book mentioned when someone mentions ‘cozy fantasy,’ the subgenre where magical elements are combined with thoughtful, character-driven stories rather than apocalyptic stakes and prophecies. With simple but gorgeous illustrations and an atmospheric storyline, The Tea Dragon Society absolutely lived up to my expectations. It’s a rare story that possesses all the whimsical magic of a fairytale, but this one unapologetically does, and I truly loved it. It’s a pretty quick read but one I wanted to immediately reread upon its conclusion, so I’m so happy that there are more books in this series to enjoy! I highly recommend The Tea Dragon Society to readers ages nine and up, particularly readers who like graphic novels or who long for a cozy fantasy story that recalls (or perhaps helped inspire) stories like The Baker and the Bard. 

​adventure / ages 9+ / fantasy / fiction / friends / graphic novel / lgbtq+ / magic / middle grade / series

A Copycat Conundrum will be released on January 7, 2025. It is the second book in the Misfits series and is preceded by A Royal Conundrum.

Olive and her fellow mystery-solving Misfits have solved their first case and cemented their home at RASCH, the quirky arts academy that acts as cover for a top-secret group of crime fighters solving the most mysterious misdeeds.

But now new oddities are springing up throughout San Fransisco. Olive’s classmate Zeke has started receiving threatening notes as he digs into his family history. A series of unexplained earthquakes have spread across the city. And expensive art pieces are going missing…

It’s up to the Misfits to track down the perpetrator of this new, bigger crime—and put the pieces together before whoever’s responsible gets away for good.

A Copycat Conundrum was such a fun read! I loved the madcap wit and adventure of the first book in the series, and though second books often struggle to live up to that momentum, this one never does. Olive and the other Misfits crack this second mystery with the same humor, heart, and brilliant character relationships that made A Royal Conundrum so much fun. Even more so than book 1, A Copycat Conundrum has a fabulously quirky supporting cast, with a bevy of new characters whose oddities and surprises made the mystery all the more entertaining, and getting to know the Misfits themselves better was so much fun. I’ll definitely want to get my hands on a finished copy once this one comes out to admire all the final illustrations! I highly recommend A Copycat Conundrum who are looking for a fun series in the tradition of Mrs. Smith’s Spy School for Girls and The Mysterious Benedict Society.

​adventure / ages 9+ / ARC / fiction / friends / humorous / illustrated / middle grade / mystery / sequels / series

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own. 

Like a Curse will be released on October 22, 2024. It is the sequel to Like a Charm, and closes the Like a Charm duology.

Now that Ramya Knox has discovered that there’s a whole world of Hidden Folk existing under her nose in Edinburgh—and that she’s a witch—she’s determined to defeat the sirens and learn what her newly discovered family is like without their looming threat. And, with the siren Portia’s influence rapidly spreading over the human and magical worlds, Ramya knows she has to act fast. The only problem is that she has to master her magical abilities first…and that turns out to be much harder than she’s bargained for.

Alongside old and new friends alike, Ramya must rally her magic and her determination if she wants to defeat Portia before she suffers a defeat she won’t be able to recover from.

I’ve rarely read an incredibly satisfying, self-contained book followed by an equally brilliant sequel. Like a Curse, though, is exactly that. I truly loved Like a Charm, blending fantasy and realism into something I couldn’t help but adore, and the sequel fully lived up to my expectations.

Once more, I unabashedly adore Ramya. Her determination, anxiety, and struggle to prove herself made it difficult to put down her story, and her relationships (especially with Opal) truly gave the book shine with new depth. Although I don’t want to spoil the book, I will say that I particularly loved the ending. McNicoll manages to bring together this duology’s many threads—friendship, magic, neurodiversity, forgiveness, understanding, secrets—and create an incredibly satisfying conclusion that put a spin on fantasy unlike anything I’ve ever read.

I highly recommend Like a Curse (and the Like a Charm duology) to readers ages nine and up who enjoy middle-grade fantasy and are looking for a book that puts a twist on the genre.

An e-ARC of this book was provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

By Nico

Pia has been raised on Dantessa’s thousands of games: strategic queekers, fast-paced slaptrap, and even noctis, where competitors must play against Lady Death herself. She’s always dreamed of the day when she’ll turn twelve and become a Player herself, able to participate in the magical Great Game that determines standing and wealth in Dantessa and measures your worth at the games you play.

But when Pia’s gramps is forced to leave after his standing drops too low, she goes against all his advice and joins the competition at the center of the Great Game: greater noctis, where teams compete every year to secure the city’s future, win ultimate glory, and gain a prize sizable enough to rescue her gramps.

Winning against wealthier, better trained, highly competitive teams is hard enough. But alongside her new teammates, the Seafoxes, Pia soon realizes that to get what she wants, they can’t just win—they’ll have to defy everything the Great Game, and Dantessa, stands for.

I've loved some of Deva Fagan's previous novels, most notably The Mirrorwood, so I was thrilled to read A Game of Noctis. Hands-down, this is my new favorite book by her.

I often hesitate to call stories original, given the vast dialogue of books over time, but I fail to think of another way to describe the setting of this story. The use of games as the primary driving force/determinant of social standing in this world immediately grabbed my attention and refused to let it wane throughout. The idea of a world based on games at first glance seems both outrageous and idyllic, but A Game of Noctis manages to make it neither, creating a fresh and interesting setting.

I also loved how Fagan executed the flaws of this world. She manages to create a society that is clearly flawed, and whose flaws are examined and dissected, without falling prey to common dystopian tropes that might make the world feel flat. Certainly, all the characters are not objectively ‘good’, but I do truly believe that nearly all of them are doing their best to make things better, which made me enjoy the entire story so much more than I would have had it presented a binary, us-versus-them worldview.

The characters were also excellent. Getting to know the Seafoxes over the course of this story was one of my favorite parts of A Game of Noctis; my evolving understanding of them, particularly of Serafina and Pasquale, made me keep turning the pages. But Pia definitely stood among them all; tenacious and clever, I fell in love with her from page one. I highly recommend A Game of Noctis to readers ages nine and up who are looking for a fast-paced adventure that they won’t be able to resist falling in love with!


Thank you so much to Deva Fagan for sending a copy of A Game of Noctis in exchange for an honest review! All opinions here are my own. 

​Thank you to Caroline Huntoon and NetGalley for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review! This book comes out on May 7, 2024. 

Etta is Doolittle Middle School’s resident anti-everything girl—fiery, cynical, and green-haired, she’s far more likely to be watching her favorite horror movies or working on her application for Nova, the alternative high school she’s determined to get into next year, than reaching out to the new kid. Plus, after her longtime best friend, Marigold, stopped hanging out with her over the summer, Etta’s plan for eighth grade is basically to keep to herself.

But that’s before she meets Linus, who’s new to Doolittle after coming out as trans last year. He doesn’t want to stand out. Running for student council? That’s out of the question, particularly while Linus is trying to deal with his grandmother, who constantly messes up his name and pronouns.

Then Marigold makes a secret bet with Etta. To prove that Marigold isn’t as great as everyone thinks she is—and to improve her Nova application—Etta will get Linus elected to student council president. Sure, Etta has no campaigning experience, and Linus doesn’t know about the bet. But what could go wrong?

As Etta and Linus’s friendship develops and the bet’s stakes get even higher, Etta has to decide if beating Marigold is worth manipulating her new best friend—and if their friendship will survive the strain if she tells the truth.

I truly loved Linus and Etta Could Use a Win. Fast-paced, quirky, and unique, I will hands-down be rereading and recommending this book widely. Linus, Etta, and even Marigold could all easily have fallen into stereotypical, tropey characters, but instead they all quite literally shine; I particularly love Linus, whose relationships and struggles gave the story such dimensionality. The tension within his family over his grandmother rang so true, and the development of that plotline was one of my favorite parts of this book! I couldn’t stop reading this book, and I certainly didn’t want to—when it ended, I truly wished there were another hundred pages to go. I highly recommend Linus and Etta Could Use a Win to readers ages nine and up, particularly those who love queer middle grade books, friendship stories, and incredibly relatable characters.

By Nico

Ramya’s grandfather was the only person who ever believed she was special. He was also the only person who believed her about the odd things she sees that no one else does. But it’s been years now since he was estranged from Ramya’s family, and she’s resigned to a life surrounded by teachers and other adults who write her off as lesser and stick her in remedial classes, never understanding that her neurodiversity doesn’t mean anything is wrong with her.

But everything changes when her grandfather leaves a book to her in his will—a book that introduces Ramya to the world only she can see, where mythical creatures and magic-users walk the streets of Edenborough beside her, disguised from human eyes.

It should be a fairytale come true. But everyone in the Hidden World is afraid of something—the sirens, whose love of sewing discord makes them a threat to everyone, magical and human alike. Ramya is the only one who can resist their powers, which means she’s the only one who has even a chance at stopping them. But the sirens have more than one way to dispose of their opponents, and Ramya will need all her courage, wit, and newfound friends to defeat them before they steal away everyone dear to her forever.

​Ramya is the kind of protagonist far too many would write off as unlikable, but on the contrary, she was exactly what I needed. The same qualities that some would deem unfortunate pulled me immediately into the story: her stubbornness, her uncompromising attitude, and most of all her firm conviction to be herself, to accept herself, no matter what everyone around her believes about her. The quiet anger that runs through this book, about the assumptions we make about others and the way society views people who don’t conform to the norm made what could’ve been a straightforward fantasy novel something I utterly adored. In particular, the seamless way magic and the modern day were intertwined grounded this book through all its twists and turns. And I absolutely loved the intertwined threads of neurodiversity and magic that ran through this book—I didn’t even know that was something I needed until I found it here. I highly recommend Like a Charm to readers ages nine and up. 

By Nico
​
Kayla is expecting today to be normal. After all, she goes to the state fair with her mom and younger brother every year—what’s going to be different today? But that’s before a mysterious, peculiar man slips them into another world filled with danger and magic.

All Kayla and her family wants is to go home as soon as possible—but that may be far trickier than she’s bargained for. Because Kayla was been brought to this strange world for a reason: her late father was a powerful Dark Lord. And everyone expects her to be his successor—a position that might hold Kayla’s only shot at getting home.

As Kayla navigates a castle full of secretive relatives with dubious loyalties and a bevy of nasty Dark Lord Traditions—including frequent beheadings, waging wars, and absolutely atrocious clothing—she must decide: can she be a new kind of Dark Lady? And if she can’t, will they ever make it home?

Patricia C. Wrede (also the author of one of my all-time favorite books, Dealing with Dragons) crafts a clever, lighthearted, and quirky spoof on classic fantasy stories perfect for fans of other quirky twists on tropes like Saving Fable and The Tough Guide to Fantasyland. I really like the reimagining of all the classic Dark Lord tropes from the point of view of someone expected to live up to them—Kayla’s utter confusion in the initial scenes when people keep asking her if she’s going to behead them made me truly connect with her character. The worldbuilding was excellent, a mix of classic fantasy and unique details that brought it to life, and Kayla’s slow discovery of its various aspects never felt forced or contrived. I highly recommend The Dark Lord’s Daughter to readers ages nine and up who like fantasy books with lots of twists and humor. 

By Nico

Amari and the Great Game is the sequel to Amari and the Night Brothers, and the second book in B. B. Alston’s ongoing Supernatural Investigations series.

[Look out – there are spoilers for book 1 in our review!]

Last summer, Amari Peters did everything she set out to do. She joined the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs and made friends. She saved her brother, Quinton. She even saved the world.

But she also got betrayed by one of her friends in the process. And now, with the entire supernatural world still unsure if they can trust magicians, the last thing Amari needs is an attack on the leaders of their world. An attack which was clearly carried out by a magician—and Amari is sure that all the signs point to her fellow magician and ex-friend, Dylan, being the culprit.

Between a new Head Minister determined to blame magicians for the attack and waning support for Amari as she heads into her second summer at the Bureau, when Amari is approached by the head of the mysterious League of Magicians with a request for her to be their new leader, she turns him down. The last thing she needs is to become even more deeply embroiled in an organization which isn’t even supposed to exist.

But when Amari realizes who he’ll ask next, she realizes that the alternative is far worse—and that if she wants to maintain peace in the supernatural world, she’ll have to enter herself into the Great Game, a set of dangerous trials she might not survive.

​Amari and the Great Game completely lived up to the high expectations book 1 set, if not surpassing them altogether. Amari’s world is utterly absorbing, not the least because of Amari herself. She is so utterly relatable and real, with all her actions and decisions feeling so believable; her relationships, with Quinton and with her friends, power so many of her decisions and desires, which felt so beautifully refreshing after so many books where the characters shun or constantly mistrust their friends. The whole world feels so vivid and believable, and the twists were always unexpected! I highly recommend Amari and the Great Game (and the whole series) to readers ages nine and up.

By Nico

Maya and the Lord of Shadows is the third and final book in the Maya and the Rising Dark trilogy; it is preceded by Maya and the Rising Dark and Maya and the Return of the Godlings.

[Look out—there are spoilers ahead for books 1 and 2!]

The veil is breaking. The war with the Lord of Shadows has arrived. And though the celestials think they know what his plans are, Maya isn’t so sure—he’s been one step ahead of them the whole time, and she doesn’t think that’ll change now. Not when underestimating him is the whole reason the Lord of Shadows was able to break through the veil in the first place, something Maya’s still sure is her fault.

With her friends Eli, Frankie, Eleni, and Zeran by her side, Maya sets off to learn the truth about the Lord of Shadows’ plans—and stop him before he destroys the human world. But his deceptions go deeper than she knows, and stopping him may not be possible. Particularly since he’s willing to do whatever it takes.

​Maya and the Lord of Shadows was a fun, fast-paced series closer that left me fully satisfied. I really love all the characters in this series; Barron has mastered the art of quirky character interactions, and they helped this story truly shine. I particularly love the plotting in this series. I don’t usually struggle to figure out where stories are going to go next, but the twists and turns of Maya and the Lord of Shadows often left me without a clue, which made Maya’s consternation about the Lord of Shadows’ plans feel much more convincing. I also really liked the worldbuilding—as in previous installments, Barron creates a palpable contrast between Earth and the celestial’s homes, adding to the feeling of magic in the narrative. I recommend the Maya and the Rising Dark trilogy to readers ages nine and up who like fantasy adventures and satisfying series. 

By Nico

​After fleeing Vietnam during the war, Hà couldn’t believe that a country as strange and foreign as America could ever become her home. Still, slowly but surely, exactly that has happened, and now Hà can’t imagine leaving her new friends and school.

But exactly that happens when Hà’s mother relocates them to Texas, a place whose name Hà can’t even pronounce. The last thing she wants is to start over again, and again, and again—not when she’s only just gotten used to America itself. But as Hà grows up in her new home, alongside unexpected friends and experiences, she finally begins to find her place in the world.

When Clouds Touch Us is a quiet but beautiful verse novel that serves as a sequel/companion book to Inside Out & Back Again. Once more, I enjoyed Lai’s thoughtful, lyrical free verse, which carried the story along at a quick yet meditative pace that never felt slow but was willing to linger on small yet impactful moments, something particularly important for an atmospheric historical novel like this one. I also really loved Hà—her determination, perseverance, and bravery propelled the story forward, and particularly in a thoughtful novel which easily could’ve felt slow or stagnant, her character was crucial in keeping me swept up in the story, something she did flawlessly. Although you don’t need to have read Inside Out & Back Again to enjoy When Clouds Touch Us (it’s been years since I read the first book, and didn’t actually realize at first that they were related), I think recalling more vividly Hà’s experiences from Inside Out & Back Again would help you understand more deeply who she is entering this story, and make you more familiar with some of the minor characters. I recommend When Clouds Touch Us to readers ages nine and up, particularly those who enjoy novels in verse. 

By Nico

For as long as she can remember, Cordelia and her fellow triplets have been hidden deep in the enchanted forest, protected by their mom from the dangers she insists are beyond its walls--dangers she's too secretive to tell them the truth about. But Cordelia has always found her own ways to escape, because she can turn into any animal she chooses, and flying over the wall in bird-shape to explore the forest is one of her favorite pastimes. 

All that changes when unfamiliar soldiers encroach on Cordelia's home, kidnapping her mom and older brother and leaving the triplets fleeing deep into the forest. It turns out that one of them is the heir to the throne of the kingdom beyond the forest--but no one knows which of them is eldest, and their mom refuges to divulge the truth. And with good reason: ever since the magical Raven Crown broke, battle after battle has broken out over who holds the throne, and no ruler has survived more than a few years. 

Fleeing is the only way for Cordelia and her siblings to survive, but she swiftly realizes that their mom was keeping other secrets, too--and that ending the kingdom's constant conflict might be the only way to ensure her family's safety. Can Cordelia transform not just into animals, but into a hero? 

​I've loved some of Stephanie Burgis's earlier middle-grade fantasy novels, including The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart, and so I was excited to read this one! I wasn't disappointed. The magic system managed to be both familiar and unique, with Burgis's strong descriptions and very practical day-to-day applications making it feel distinct and creative. I particularly liked Cordelia's ability to transform--the way her abilities were altered and limited by the different shapes she took, and the fluidity of her transformations, were especially intriguing. She and her siblings were all strong characters, and the way they played off one another was delightful; although they easily could've felt like classic 'very different' siblings, their dynamic was so realistic it brought them to life. I recommend The Raven Heir to readers ages nine and up, particularly those who like sibling relationships and fantasy quests. 

By Nico

Lark Mairen knows that Fae magic is dangerous. In fact, she's far better acquainted with it than most--for generations, her family has raised the Shadowbred horses ridden by humans and Fae alike in the twice-yearly Wild Hunt, a ritual that chases stray magic from the border between their worlds and maintains their long-held peace. 

But when her beloved older brother, Galin, disappears in the wake of the Wild Hunt, trusting a Fae boy called Rook is Lark's only hope of saving him. Yes, Fae bargains are dangerous, but Lark is willing to do anything to get Galin back, even fixing a mysterious, shattered clock which everyone seems to be searching for. 

Except as unrest grows between the worlds and Lark begins to realize not all is well in the Fae world, she might be the only one who's brave enough to stop it--particularly when she understands the real reason Galin disappeared. 

Perfect for lovers of middle-grade fantasy which is both familiar and unique, Lark and the Wild Hunt was a fantastic read. The worldbuilding was detailed and interesting; from the Shadowbred horses to the clock Lark repairs, the setting was engrossing and fully imagined. I particularly loved the Fae and their world, which was whimsical and mysterious and never predictable in the best possible way. Lark's love for Galin and determination propel the story forward, and she and the other characters--especially Galin and Rook--kept surprising me, creating twists when I least expected them. Adam's awesome twist on the lost family trope was definitely one of the story's highlights! I highly recommend Lark and the Wild Hunt ​to readers ages nine and up. 

By Nico

Nic Blake is a Manifestor—which, up until now, hasn’t meant a whole lot other than always needing to move when Unremarkable, non-magical humans figure out that there’s something weird about her and her dad. But today is Nic’s twelfth birthday, and she’s hoping that the hellhound pup her dad gives her isn’t the only present he’s planning. She’s been asking him to teach her how to use her magic for years, and maybe now he’ll deem her old enough.

But before she can start pestering her dad again, Nic’s life is utterly upended when her favorite author and a mysterious women crash into her life—and bring the Remarkable police not far behind them. With her dad imprisoned for a crime Nic’s certain he couldn’t have committed and no idea who to go to, Nic teams up with her Unremarkable best friend and a twin brother she never knew she had to clear her dad’s name the only way she knows how—by finding the weapon the Remarkables think he stole before he's sentenced to a terrible fate.

Pursued by the Remarkable police, Nic and her friends must uncover the truth about everyone from a resentful ex-Chosen One to a group of dangerous, magic-wielding Unremarkables if she wants to save her dad in time—but that might mean learning truths about herself she’d have rather stayed hidden.

​Witty, fast-paced, and exciting, Nic Blake and the Remarkables: The Manifestor Prophecy was utterly awesome. Nic is a fiery, fierce, adventurous heroine who I couldn’t help but love; her determination and passion drive the story through all its twists, and I’m so glad I get to follow her through more books in the series! The supporting cast particularly shone as well, especially the adults like Nic’s parents and the ex-Chosen One (one of my personal favorites!), who felt in some ways as fleshed out and vivid as the story’s protagonists. From the first few chapters there was clearly so much depth to their history and stories, and I can’t wait to get to know all of them better in the sequel. As someone who loves subverted tropes, I particularly enjoyed Thomas’s reimagining of the classic Chosen One into something unique and far more interesting, bringing extra depth to a tale that raised interesting questions about the way we tell stories. Indeed, the unexpected depth to what easily could’ve been a straightforward story was part of why I loved it so much; as in Thomas’s other books, she doesn’t shy away from the reality of being a Black kid in America, an honesty seen too rarely in contemporary fantasy novels that only became more powerful through Nic’s indignance that that the Remarkables didn’t use their magic to help Unremarkables in the larger world. Although very different from Angie Thomas’s other books, it shares their self-awareness, powerfully realistic characters, and engrossing writing—all the hallmarks of what make Thomas’s books so amazing. Action-packed and clever, I highly recommend The Manifestor Prophecy to readers ages nine and up. ​