Nic Blake and the Remarkables: The Manifestor Prophecy

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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.

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! Eto, pan maen nhw’n cyfarfod eu hoff awdur, mae popeth y mae Nic yn meddwl ei bod yn gwybod yn troi ben i waered, ac mae’n rhaid i’r ffrindiau frwydro i achub tad Nic. 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. If you want a fun adventure full of magic and self-discovery, but also with some important topics being touched on, then I think you might really enjoy this one. I'm excited to see where Thomas takes this story!

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The Manifestor Prophecy ends with a sense that Nic’s greatest challenges may still lie ahead of her… which is great news for us readers! I can’t wait for the next in this series. 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. 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." 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.

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. 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. But today is also the day she get to go with JP (her best friend and neighbour) to meet TJ Retro their favourite author,. He writes stories about three children who live in a magical world, and fight evil. Only something happens when she holds Ms Lena's hands and her Dad gets freaked out and says she can't go. After a fight Dad goes to get pizza, and Nic sneaks out. She and JP see the author as he arrives, he has an aura - he's a Manifestor too! Dad arrives at the bookshop, he's not happy! It's then that TJ Retro greets her father, turns out they were best friends as children and TJ Retro (or Tyran J Porter) is her Godfather. However, Dad doesn't seem all that happy to see him. 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.

Mae Nic Blake yn un o’r grŵp Manifestor – pobl Ddu sydd â’r Ddawn o’u mewn – ac sy’n gallu gweld fampirod, bleidd-ddynion a phob math o fodau hynod. Mae ei ffrind gorau anhynod JP yn byw drws nesaf – ond mae e yn hynod oherwydd ei frwdfrydedd dros lyfrau ffantasi TJ Retro a thros gadw cwmni i Nic. While this was all a lot of fun, I was hoping for a stronger emotional tie to Nic. I think it's because she would tell us how much her best friend meant to her, rather than show us how much he meant to her. There were many parts of the story that happened in Nic's head, and I just didn't feel as much of it. But I think this is something that can definitely change in future books. We are only just getting to know who Nic is, and it's more than just the 'Chosen One'. I'm hoping to see her relationship with her mom and brother develop, as well as have her father become an important person not just in her life, but in the rest of her family. And yes, I want her best friend to remain part of her life! 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. Fiction editorial director Annalie Grainger acquired UK and Commonwealth rights to the Nic Blake and the Remarkables series from Molly Ker Hawn at The Bent Agency, with the first publishing in April 2023. As a white person who is not that informed about US history, I learned details I didn't know about, which is always welcome.