Nic Blake and the Remarkables: The Manifestor Prophecy

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Nic Blake and the Remarkables is the first children’s fantasy book from renowned YA author Angie Thomas. The book is aimed at middle-grade readers and follows Nic, her best friend JP, and Alex (no spoilers here for who he is) as they set out to help Nic’s dad and two others who have been captured by Lore – the Remarkable’s police force, by finding a precious and powerful item and return it to the Lore to prove Nic’s dad is innocent of stealing it.

Antur ffantasïol gyflym, ddiddorol, llawn hiwmor a chalon, gyda digonedd yn digwydd ac adegau dyfeisgar i gadw darllenwyr yn rhuthro drwy’r tudalennau. Mae llais naratif Nic yn taro i’r dim, ac mae JP yn gymeriad doniol tu hwnt. In “The Manifestor Prophecy,” Nic’s origin story, Thomas uses her narrative mojo to connect with adolescents. As the trilogy progresses, it’s sure to light the way toward the multifaceted worlds of adult speculative fiction — from Octavia Butler to Neil Gaiman to N.K. Jemisin — that await this next generation of fantasy readers. This does not go to plan when Ms Lena reaches for Nic’s hands and is badly affected by what she unexpectedly experiences. Hurrying her from the establishment, it is clear that Nic’s dad has been shaken up by what has happened and he forbids Nic from going to a book signing later that day with best friend JP. Determined not to have her special day ruined, Nic sneaks out to join JP and the two of them head to the bookstore where Nic is amazed to recognise author Mr Retro as a Manifestor and then further astonished when her furious father appears as she reaches the top of the signing queue. This pales into insignificance though when it is clear that Retro knows who she and her father are and after revealing to Nic that he is her godfather, Retro tells Mr Blake he will visit him later. There is a little too much exposition at times, though this of course is necessary to understand this Remarkable world. But Nic, her best friend JP and later addition Alex are a threesome with strengths, foibles, great interaction and both history and a future together as the plot moves towards the first of many denouements that spell 'coming soon' for future chapters. So, it’s perfectly normal for her to receive a hellhound for her twelfth birthday; what’s less normal is for her to discover that there is a deadly prophecy surrounding her birth," the synopsis reads. "Now, Nic must find the missing artefact that will reveal the truth about her past—and save her dad, who has been arrested for stealing it. All in a day’s work for a young Remarkable."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. The characters in Nic Blake and the Remarkables: The Manifestor Prophecy are well-developed and interesting. Nic is a likable and relatable protagonist who readers will root for. His journey of self-discovery and growth is inspiring and heartwarming. Nichole lives in the Unremarkable world, the Muggle world for Potter fans. Her father hasn't yet taught her how to use her Gift, but she's aware of the Remarkable world, creatures, traditions and is desperate to start using her powers. But even on her 12th birthday, her single dad is refusing. Well, at least she got given a Hellhound! Nic Blake and the Remarkables is one of those books that hooked me from the very start, and I was excited about it because it was written by Angie Thomas and it definitely didn’t disappoint. I would say her first middle-grade fantasy debut is a success on its own and I love how she puts her own flair towards it.

The story is adventurous and the plot is easy to follow as most things occur in the Unremarkable’s world. The world-building was a bit of a let down though as I wanted to know so much more, however, with this being the first in a planned series hopefully those answers will come in further books. mention of slavery, racism, mention of cancer, grief, mention of child death, kidnapping, mention of memory loss The dialogue is also well-done and helps to bring the characters to life. The author has a talent for writing believable and relatable dialogue that adds depth to the story.Overall, this is another take on the middle-grade magical fantasy genre that has exploded over the last twenty years. Though it has more in common with the likes of Shadow Hunters than HP. I am now looking forward to the next instalment of Nic Blake.