Amari and the Night Brothers

By: B. B. Alston

Narrated by: Imani Parks

Length: 11 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's Summary

New York Times best seller!

Artemis Fowl meets Men in Black in this exhilarating debut middle-grade fantasy, the first in a trilogy filled with #blackgirlmagic. Perfect for fans of Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, the Percy Jackson series, and Nevermoor.

Amari Peters has never stopped believing her missing brother, Quinton, is alive. Not even when the police told her otherwise, or when she got in trouble for standing up to bullies who said he was gone for good.

So when she finds a ticking briefcase in his closet, containing a nomination for a summer tryout at the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, she’s certain the secretive organization holds the key to locating Quinton - if only she can wrap her head around the idea of magicians, fairies, aliens, and other supernatural creatures all being real.

Now she must compete for a spot against kids who’ve known about magic their whole lives. No matter how hard she tries, Amari can’t seem to escape their intense doubt and scrutiny - especially once her supernaturally enhanced talent is deemed “illegal”. With an evil magician threatening the supernatural world, and her own classmates thinking she’s an enemy, Amari has never felt more alone. But if she doesn’t stick it out and pass the tryouts, she may never find out what happened to Quinton.

Plus don't miss the thrilling sequel, Amari and the Great Game!

©2021 B.B. Alston (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers

Thank you!

I am so grateful to the author for creating this book. This is just what someone like me needed regardless of the fact that I am 31 years old. This has really helped me believe in my magic. I will continue to sure this book with al I come across. I cannot wait to for the next book. I feel so much gratitude in this moment. As a black woman, this is so relatable to who I was as a child and who I am today. Thank you to taking my mind to a magical adventure and opening my heart to the wonder I have yet tapped into. Thank you again. My heart is full.

Amazing!

The narrator was incredible. Imani did such an amazing job with all of the voices. There was never a moment of confusion about which character was which and the different voices were consistent throughout. The story really translates well to audiobook. If you can get it, I'd say it's worth listening to. I laughed, I cried, I went "whoa."

I love our main character, Amari. All of the side characters were fleshed out and brought something to the table.

The magical elements in this book were both really cool (the illusionist magic) and funny (the talking elevators) and I really liked how the supernatural world was built. There were so many subjects for the trainees to get into and what tastes we did get of them were amazing. I could read a whole series exploring just the different branches of careers.

This book heavily deals with racism and the unjust treatment of black people both literally and as a metaphor. It is not subtle in any way shape or form. None of the punches are pulled. And I don't think that's a bad thing, especially considering that it's for middle grade readers. There were a lot of times that I wanted to shake the characters against Amari (whether it was for her race or her, er, magical class - trying not to spoil that) and go "what the heck is wrong with you?! why are you like this?!"

I've seen this book compared to a couple of things. Men In Black, which, yes. It definitely has MIB vibes. I could probably even line up some parallel scenes if I went back and rewatched MIB. It's also reminiscent of the Percy Jackson series. The summer camp aspect, the main character being poor, some of the characters could be paralleled. I wouldn't compare it to Harry Potter...they both have magical elements but it's completely different.

The ending made me choke up with emotion and left me wanting more. I see that there's (at least) a trilogy in the works and I've got to say that I'll be buying all of the books so that I can continue to read Amari's story.

Didn’t finish

The story didn’t capture me enough, but it seems to be good if this is your cup of tea. The narration was good and matched the main character’s voice, but all of the characters sounded the same so it was difficult to tell who was speaking at times.

Best book hands down

This book from the story to the narration has given me life, I loved it. From every aspect the story gave me mystery and focused on making yourself better which is a good moral for the times that we have been going through lately. Thank you for the read.

Fun Story

I enjoyed this book it is somewhat reminiscent of a Rick Riordan story. Another thing I enjoyed about this book is the multiracial characters especially the smart black leads who possess interesting skills and powers. I think listener will definitely enjoy this books.

Extraordinary story!

Loved the twists and turns in this adventure! Good for all ages. Inspiring how the main character persevered and overcame the adversity and bullies she faced throughout this book.

Amari's brother goes missing, but leaves behind a clue as to where he might be found. What she discovers is so much more!

Excellent production

Excellent audio production from an a truly exceptional book. I am looking forward to listening to what I hope will be an amazing series. I am not sure if this author has written anything else but I will be on the lookout for other works right away. If you are looking for the next Harry Potter this book is it.

Great Story

This book was fantastic. The story was well thought out and fun to read. I do wish that the editing was better. Despite some of the clunky transitions the story is strong enough to carry them. My children love it as well, 7 and 9, boy and girl.
I think with better editing this story could have been a truly great book. I look forward to the next if it is a series and hopefully the editing will grow as the series continues.

A Genuine 5 Star Book

As a long time fantasy book reader, both children & adult, I am a pretty tough critic. Many books seem similar or don't have truly relatable characters or worlds aren't fully fleshed out. Not so here. This is a talented and skilled author. As soon as I finished, I went to check that a sequel is coming. (I believe it is planned as a series.) I can't wait to hear more about Amari's world!
Parents, this book & series is going to be big. Kids are going to love it.

Good but not a favorite

Interesting take on the “so, you’re a magic person - surprise!” story. There are hints of Harry Potter throughout. However, the narrator is no Jim Dale. Someone who could imitate an Irish (or at least a British) accent for the agent who says “ye” would have been a better choice. This narrator added a lot of unnecessary pauses as well, distracting me from the story. “Your face is all black, and blue.” The pause makes me think (at first) that the face has something black on it, rather than being bruised. The extra pauses got annoying very quickly.
I also don’t like some of the underlying themes in the story. “You can’t trust anyone” comes through loudly. A person that Amari likes and trusts turns out to be a bad person in the end. Excuses are found for breaking rules.
I’m not sorry I bought the book, but I probably won’t listen to it twice.