Amari and the Great Game: The magical sequel to the New York Times bestseller AMARI AND THE NIGHT BROTHERS, new for 2022!

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The story doesn’t quite end with a happily-ever-after. However, it does set things up nicely for a dramatic third (and final?) book in the Supernatural Investigations series. Alongside recent middle-grade books like Marti Dumas’ Wildseed Witch and Dhonielle Clayton’s The Marvellers, Amari and the Great Game is a great addition to the newest round of magical school books. Since most of this story takes place in and around the supernatural world, we don’t see much of Amari’s mom. But the scenes we do see—including one with Amari’s brother, Quinton—point to them being a loving family. We also see how Quinton’s past encouragement of a young friend named Jayden has not only encouraged the teen to better things but helped draw out Jayden’s own special supernatural skills. I love the cast of characters, and their development in this book, especially the relationships between Amari and Elsie/Lara/Jayden/Dylan - essentially Amari’s relationship with anyone. A 13-year-old magician must face her fears and learn to control her magic in hopes of preventing a supernatural war in this follow-up to 2021’s Amari and the Night Brothers.

The friendship in this book is ELITE. UGH! I wanted to cry reading about how amazing of a friend Amari is. She put her friendships above all else. Which I know is easier to do as a child than it is when boyfriends and such become a factor. But I really don't think Amari will grow out of her loyalty for her friends. I think she depicts such an amazing girls-supporting-girls energy and I'm here for it. OK, it was really cool for Amari to discover that she had, like, hidden-away magical powers last summer. Just the fact that there was this equally hidden-away supernatural world, right in the midst of her hometown, was a completely mind-blowing experience. And it was also awesome to somehow use her powers to beat a bad guy named Dylan Van Helsing and save her beloved brother, Quinton. One issue that I really did not like was how the author stereotyped certain characters. For example, the four (4) witches he described had green skin, long noses, and were gap-teethed. It would have been nice to see Alston using alternate descriptions rather than playing along with stereotypes. There are several magical relics, one a powerful crown and the other a magic-imbued stone, that directly impact and shape the struggles at the core of this story. In addition, magical rings transport people around, and a magical vow connected to them keeps someone from revealing a secret. It was pretty enjoyable, but not quite as good as I was expecting 😒😒 Probably my fault for going in with such high expectations....Sharp, funny and brightly imaginative -- a big adventure filled with magic and heart.” — Jessica Townsend, New York Times bestselling author of the Nevermoor series But my disappointment with Amari and the Great Game can’t entirely be blamed on the book itself. I definitely went in with very high expectations, which were a bit TOO high, in retrospect. I also just think I read it at the wrong time- at the moment, I have to be in a very specific mood to enjoy middle grade. And I just wasn’t when I read this. I had just finished Empire of Storms, was suffering a MAJOR book hangover and just was in more of a YA mood. So maybe if I’d read this book at a better time, I would’ve enjoyed it more. Of course, everybody blames magicians. They’re the only ones with enough magic to even attempt such a feat. And Amari happens to be one of the few magicians that people know about. So that means a lot of the supernatural residents are looking at her with scared or angry looks in their eyes. She didn’t do anything! But they’ve gotta blame someone. despite being titled "The Great Game," this plotline was the most inconsequential part of the story, and during the scenes actually featuring the Great Game, I felt none of the suspense or tension I was expecting considering the characters and stakes involved Amari Peters is everything. She is President. CEO. The speaker of the house. I'm obsessed with her.

Sure signs that the creative wells are running dry at last, the Captain’s ninth, overstuffed outing both recycles a villain (see Book 4) and offers trendy anti-bullying wish fulfillment. There's a lot going on in this book! Sometimes there wasn't enough balance between The Great Game challenges and the time freeze mystery, and regular training at school. So the middle did lag a little bit. But then that ending came and gave the much needed jolt that has me anticipating book 3! After finding her brother and saving the entire supernatural world, Amari Peters is convinced her first full summer as a Junior Agent will be a breeze. With an evil magican threatening the whole supernatural world, and her own classmates thinking she is an enemy, Amari has never felt more alone. But if she doesn’t pass the three tryouts, she may never find out what happened to Quinton.

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Amari and the Great Game is a sequel we need to be talking about. It stands out for me because it’s so different than so many other sequels. I thought I knew what to expect going in and B.B. Alston said, “Nope, I’ve got something else in mind” and I LOVED that! Most of Amari’s teen friends are upright and kind. And even her former foes, such as Lara Van Helsing, stand up to do the right thing. Amari and Lara actually become Supernatural Investigations junior agent partners who work together to uncover and foil an evil scheme. But her refusal allows someone else to step forward, a magician with dangerous plans for the League. This challenge sparks the start of the Great Game, a competition to decide who will become the Night Brothers’ successor and determine the future of magiciankind.

And all throughout the adventure you get moments like this?! “I don’t say anything else in class. I just sit there, my whole body, tense with irritation. It’s so easy for some people to dismiss others’ experiences because they don’t have the same problems.”— 👏👏👏 An enchanting fantasy adventure filled with heart and soul. Amari is magical!” — Angie Thomas, #1 New York Times bestselling author of THE HATE U GIVE while by no means a bad read, this sequel far pales in comparison to the original, and that has disappointed me greatlyWe learn of a secret league of magicians (many being famous politicians, celebrities and social media stars in Amari’s world) who approach Amari because of the huge amount of untapped power she wields. Unfortunately, their desire isn’t to use that power for everyone’s betterment, but to start a war with the rest of the supernatural world. And Dylan Van Helsing is very much in favor of grabbing the proffered power and pursuing that outcome. Amari hat mir als Prota wieder sehr gut gefallen. Sie ist selbstsicherer geworden und steht mehr für sich ein, obwohl sie aufgrund ihrer Fähigkeiten diskriminiert und schikaniert wird. Robot Roz undertakes an unusual ocean journey to save her adopted island home in this third series entry. Have you thought about what the Bible says about supernatural things? Take a look at Leviticus 19:31, Ephesians 6:12 and Psalms 91:11. What do you think these verses are telling us about the supernatural things in our world?