Nic Blake and the Remarkables: The Manifestor Prophecy

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Het is een verhaal over dapper en moedig zijn. Over familie en vriendschap. En belangrijke thema's, zoals racisme en slavernij, worden aangehaald. With a literal Underground Railroad, haints, vampires, ghosts, a dragon, and tons of magic, Nic Blake and the Remarkables takes readers on a wild ride through a world that looks like, but isn't quite, our own, making for an inventive, suspenseful (and funny!) ride in this new trilogy. The plot of Nic Blake and the Remarkables: The Manifestor Prophecy follows the story of Nic Blake, a young boy who discovers that he has magical powers and is destined to become a powerful wizard. Nic is a relatable and endearing protagonist who finds himself at the center of a prophecy that could save the world from evil forces.

Twelve-year-old Nic Blake, is a Remarkable living with her Remarkable dad in an Unremarkable world. A Remarkable is someone with powers and an Unremarkable is someone without. (Think HPs wizards and muggles). Though there are lots of different types of Remarkables. 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.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? Review: Nic Blake and the Remarkables Reflecting on the presents that her peers have received for their twelfth birthdays, Nic Blake’s anticipated gift tops the lot, for she is expecting to be taught how to use the Gift by her father so that she can finally become a Manifestor, a type of Remarkable. Ahead of this though, home-educated Nic firstly has to catch a hellhound puppy, another gift, which she swiftly names Cocoa. After a couple of hours of learning on topics other than the Gift, Nic’s father takes to her juke joint Ms Lena’s – a place for Remarkables to hang out together. Receiving a warm welcome and many birthday wishes, Nic is surprised when owner and Visionary Ms Lena offers to fetch a vision for her as a gift. 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. 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.

I cannot speak for any other reader, but for me one of the most important things in any story is that the protagonist must be entirely credible – even in a book such as this where the story is entirely fantastical. Nic’s reactions to the trials and tribulations she experiences are wholly believable, whether that is being grounded or discovering the true history of her immediate family. She is an astonishing heroine – brave and smart as we would expect, but also one who is prone to jealousy and temper and is all the more human as a result. Surely for the children for whom Angie Thomas has created this masterpiece, there can be no greater gift than to see themselves reflected in Nic Blake. I read this book as an audiobook from the library, but I also have an ARC from the publisher (full disclosure), which didn't affect my review in any way. Also, I do recommend listening to the audiobook whilst reading as well. The audiobook was so well-done (like all Angie Thomas’s books) and it gives the story more depth. 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.

It is finally time: Nic Blake is twelve years old, and her father promised he'd be teaching her to use her gift then. The day starts promising with a hellhound puppy who'll join the family. I am glad that this is the first in a series - supposedly a trilogy but I read too much fantasy to believe what is said at the beginning of a series, so often they aim for trilogy and realise they need more space - as it means there will be more.