Amari and the Great Game (Supernatural Investigations #2)
Published August 30th 2022 by Balzer + Bray, Hardcover 400 pages
Sequel to the New York Times bestseller Amari and the Night Brothers!
Artemis Fowl meets Men in Black in this magical second book in the New York Times and Indie bestselling Supernatural Investigations trilogy—perfect for fans of Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, the Percy Jackson series, and Nevermoor.
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.
But between the fearsome new Head Minister’s strict anti-magician agenda, fierce Junior Agent rivalries, and her brother Quinton’s curse steadily worsening, Amari’s plate is full. So when the secretive League of Magicians offers her a chance to stand up for magiciankind as its new leader, she declines. She’s got enough to worry about!
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.
The Great Game is both mysterious and deadly, but among the winner’s magical rewards is Quinton’s last hope—so how can Amari refuse?
User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
Oooooohhhh, hello...
It's beautiful. I love the blend of colors. I'm so excited for this release. If you haven't picked up Amari and the Night Brothers yet, now would be a great time to do so!
Rating: really liked it
I'm just going to go ahead and say it, B.B. Alston is a genius and the Supernatural Investigations series is truly one of the best written, creative and immersive children's books of all time. It's a big statement, I know but one I stand behind with my entire being.
Amari and the Great Game was my most anticipated release of 2022. I was equally excited and terrified to read it because of how incredible The Night Brothers was but I can say with a huge amount of relief and joy that The Great Game did not disappoint. Just as magical, imaginative, exciting, well written and emotive as book one, The Great Game was impossible to put down is was once again a story I could easily dive straight back into in a heartbeat. I am continuously wowed by Alston's creativity, sensitivity and ability to create characters, relationships and situations I whole heartedly believe in and care for. I will never stop shouting about how utterly brilliant this series is in every single way.
Rating: really liked it
Amari and the Great Game was highly anticipated and it didn't disappoint! Amari is back for another summer session and the stakes are higher than ever. She's still dealing with the fallout of Dylan's betrayal and trying to figure out how to break the curse on Quinton. This year her friend Jayden is going to be at the school and she promised to help him get settled.
Before Amari can even get to another summer session, she must deal with blame being placed on her for a time freeze that has left the Supernatural Congress frozen. Luckily she has people like Elsie in her corner to fight for her. But as things go from bad to worse she finds herself locked in a battle against Dylan to see who will be crowned the head magician.
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!
Blog review
https://womenofcolorreadtoo.blogspot....
Rating: really liked it
I rarely look forward a book release any ore as I've got a bunch already to keep my mind occupied with. But I have wanted to get to this one as soon as I finished the first book and the wait was well worth it. Really like the series and the twist had me shocked.
Rating: really liked it
AHHHHHHHHH 😍😍😍
Rating: really liked it
The ending of this book makes you want to have more of the story, it made me very excited for the next installment. This series keeps on getting better.
Rating: really liked it
This has a lottt of elements that are similar to Harry Potter in a way that I think some readers might call out as derivative but like JKR didn't invent them either and also it's great to have those tropes/elements in a book about a cool Black girl that wasn't written by a TERF so hell yeah Amari keep on keepin on
Rating: really liked it
Loved the first one! EVERYONE READ AMARI AND THE NIGHT BROTHERS ✋
Rating: really liked it
This cover is just 😍😍😍
Rating: really liked it
Thank you to #Edelweiss and #Balzer&Bray for an eARC of AMARI AND THE GREAT GAME by B.B. Alston (Release Date: Aug 30/22).
The first book in this series, AMARI AND THE NIGHT BROTHERS was one of my favourite reads of 2021, and it’s my number one recommendation for patrons looking for books like Harry Potter. I’m always nervous about picking up a sequel because they often don’t meet my expectation, but this was certainly not the case with AMARI AND THE GREAT GAME. A growing hatred toward magicians overshadows Amari’s first summer as a Junior Agent. When she turns down the offer to head the League of Magicians to stand up against the animosity, she sets in motion a series of events that result in a deadly game for power and control. It was hard to put down this story with its fast-paced action, clever twists, and excellent writing. This series is a must-read for middle-grade fantasy lovers.
Rating: really liked it
#1) Amari and the Night Brothers ★★★★★
Blog • Trigger Warning Database • StoryGraph
Rating: really liked it
B.B. Alston has done it again. If you were a fan of the first book, you will love this one. It is hard for me to compare but... Dare I say this one might even be better? I was once again plunged into the magical world of Amari and her friends as they learn to master their magical abilities all the while learning from and working with each other. Amari's friendship with Elsie (a weredragon) was especially heartwarming as they go through some trying times together. Elsie is considering enrolling at a different academy where she and Amari won't get to room together or see each other as often. At the same time, Jayden, a minor character in the first book, really starts to come into his own in this sequel. It was truly a delight to see him and Amari on page together utilizing some of what they had to navigate in the real world to solve problems in the magical world. Books like this really give a voice to inner city kids while not making it seem like growing up in poorer urban neighborhoods is something to be avoided or ashamed of.
If I have any real critique, it is only to question once again why Alston's editors allowed the inclusion of Agent Fiona's Scottish accent which is truly appalling. There is absolutely no need reason or purpose to it and the inclusion adds nothing to the story. Rather, it just adds a completely stereotypical character to the book. Luckily Fiona got a little more of her own story in this sequel, but I still have to ask myself "why???" everytime Fiona addresses anyone as "ye" (read: you) which is the only manifestation of her "Scottishness." I'm just glad I didn't have to suffer through it on audiobook again. That was truly harrowing.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with the ARC.
Rating: really liked it
What worked:
You should definitely read the first book before reading this one, to understand Amari’s complicated life as a powerful magician. She’s a born magician which is a very rare and feared position to be in. Magicians were at the center of a war centuries ago, and they’ve been considered UnWanteds ever since, despite Amari’s efforts to save the world in the previous book. She’s forced into a personal battle between fair and foul magick, as she learns evilness is constantly looking to take control. Amari is one of the most powerful magicians ever, but she still needs to learn how to use her abilities. Her former partner Dylan succumbed to the power in the previous book, and he’s the main suspect behind all of the current problems in this book.
Outright war between magicians and other supernaturals is on the brink of exploding, as the Magician’s Guild comes to the forefront. The previous book implied they might provide support for Amari, but that’s not the way things turn out. The intriguing thing about this series is how the author is able to create different levels of mystery and suspicion in characters and situations. The Guild has its own agenda, and Amari sets events in motion when she refuses to lead them by accepting the Crown. The end result is the Great Game is activated to decide the future of all magiciankind. Amari’s convinced a magician did not cause the time freeze, but who else has a reason and the power to do it? Dylan is the obvious answer, but is that too obvious for readers to accept?
As in the previous book, Amari gives herself a quest amid outrage from the supernatural community. It was finding her brother last time, and this time she’s determined to discover who’s responsible for stopping time across most of Georgia and the supernatural’s Congress Room. Elsie, Amari’s best friend and weredragon, is once again by Amari’s side, though this story doesn’t include as many of her creative inventions. The big surprise is Amari’s new partner is Lara, the girl who bullied and tormented her in the first book. Amari grapples to trust her, and Lara promises she won’t turn on Amari. However, the doubt in their relationship is planted and complicates their interactions for most of the book.
What didn’t work as well:
The resolution isn’t happily ever after, but it sets the stage for a dramatic and eventful third book. I didn’t have any problems with the book overall.
The Final Verdict:
It’s hard work to stay good. The book boils down to a battle between good and evil, although it’s not always easy to tell one from the other. The secret motives of various characters will keep readers engaged and thinking. I highly recommend you give this book, and the series, a shot!
Rating: really liked it
4.5 stars— I love Amari and her magical world. This was a great follow up to book one. I’ll be interested to see how the rest of the series continues!
Rating: really liked it
3.5 stars rounded up
No one is sadder than I am that I didn't LOVE this sequel. I think at the end of the day, this book is missing the fun and charm of the first book, and that definitely impacted my enjoyment. And the fact that Amari couldn't catch a single break in this book definitely impacted my enjoyment because the story felt quite... bleak?
I still really liked it, though, and B.B. Alston remains a national treasure, and this series is still something incredibly special and one of the best out there!
