Book Review: “Amari and The Night Brothers” by B.B. Alston

“Amari and The Night Brothers” by B.B. Alston (2021)

Genre: Middle Grade, Fiction, Fantasy

Page Length: 416 pages (paperback review edition)

Synopsis:

Quinton Peters was the golden boy of the Rosewood low-income housing projects, receiving full scholarship offers to two different Ivy League schools. When he mysteriously goes missing, his little sister, 13-year-old Amari Peters, can’t understand why it’s not a bigger deal. Why isn’t his story all over the news? And why do the police automatically assume he was into something illegal?

Then Amari discovers a ticking briefcase in her brother’s old closet. A briefcase meant for her eyes only. There was far more to Quinton, it seems, than she ever knew. He’s left her a nomination for a summer tryout at the secretive Bureau of Supernatural Affairs. Amari is certain the answer to finding out what happened to him lies somewhere inside, if only she can get her head around the idea of mermaids, dwarves, yetis and magicians all being real things, something she has to instantly confront when she is given a weredragon as a roommate.

Amari must compete against some of the nation’s wealthiest kids—who’ve known about the supernatural world their whole lives and are able to easily answer questions like which two Great Beasts reside in the Atlantic Ocean and how old is Merlin? Just getting around the Bureau is a lesson alone for Amari with signs like ‘Department of Hidden Places this way, or is it?’ If that all wasn’t enough, every Bureau trainee has a talent enhanced to supernatural levels to help them do their jobs – but Amari is given an illegal ability. As if she needed something else to make her stand out.

With an evil magician 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. (description from Goodreads)

Review:

What a breathtaking fantasy debut to kick off 2021! B.B. Alston takes many familiar elements of the Fantasy genre and blends them to make a story of his own. The first novel in the series takes readers on a whirlwind as we discover a supernatural world hidden in plain sight.

Amari is stunned, frightened, and feels like an outsider but she musters up her courage in this new place in order to find her brother Quinton. She’s thrown into harrowing situations, tries to navigate her new magic abilities, and is homesick. But she never gives up hope. I admired her tenacious spirit and courage on her journey. Most importantly she never gives up on finding the truth. She has a caring heart and makes such a loyal friend.

What blew me away with this novel was the magic and fantasy elements. Alston adds the most intricate details to make this such a immersive reading experience. There were tons of mythical creatures, magical talking elevators, and secret spell books. It was so fun to uncover the mysteries within the agency and the plot twists were exciting!

What I loved most about this book is that it is infused with Black Girl Magic and a cast of diverse characters. I wish there were more stories like this growing up and I think Amari’s representation of going on a fantasy adventure is so important for young readers. I also appreciated that the novel also tackles real world issues such as classism, bullying, and prejudice.

I can’t wait to see how Amari’s adventure will continue in this trilogy! I highly recommend this entertaining Middle Grade fantasy!

Final Verdict:

FTC Disclaimer: I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.