The Things That Make You Unique: A Guest Post by B.B. Alston
The magical adventure that began with Amari and the Night Brothers continues with another thrilling journey across the supernatural world. In his exclusive essay below, B.B. Alston shares the very idea that sparked the creation of this series.
Hardcover $19.99
Amari and the Despicable Wonders
Amari and the Despicable Wonders
By B. B. Alston
In Stock Online
Hardcover $19.99
Amari is back! In the third installment, her enemies have familiar faces and frightening powers, but there’s new hope … if she can get to it first.
Amari is back! In the third installment, her enemies have familiar faces and frightening powers, but there’s new hope … if she can get to it first.
What if the secret agency from Men in Black handled more than just aliens? What if everything from myths and legends were real, only kept hidden from the public?
That was the daydream that started the world of Amari and the Night Brothers. Soon I began to wonder how this version of a secret agency might work, and how much bigger it would need be to handle so many types of supernatural phenomena. It would need secretive Department of the Unexplained to handle strange and rare happenings, and maybe even a spooky Department of the Dead to wrangle stray zombies.
I was well into my medical school prerequisites when the idea came, and so I was happy to just tinker with this cool new world. It became a fun break from hours of studying classes like Physics and Organic Chemistry. And then Amari herself popped into my head, with her signature curly ‘fro. I immediately knew her inside and out, as if she’d always been there. I knew how she talked, and how she saw the world. Mainly because it was very close to how I thought as a twelve-year-old from modest means.
Friends would caution me on whether to feature a Black character as the hero, as there just weren’t very many kid lit fantasy books like that at the time. But as much as the story is about myths and magic, it’s also about Amari’s learning to accept herself and finding her self-confidence. The things that make you unique, also make you special!
We’ve all felt different at some point in our lives and it’s why I think her story has resonated with readers of all ages. I get so many letters and emails that expressing how hard they were rooting for Amari. Some even tell me how appreciative to see a character who looks them front and center on the cover. Because if Amari can accomplish her goals, then they too can be the hero of their own real-life story.
And now that Amari is back for her third adventure, I hope those same readers are ready for Amari’s most challenging adventure yet! The book picks up right where Amari and the Great Game left off, with Amari and her friends caught in the middle of a war between the powerful Bureau of Supernatural Affairs and the secretive League of Magicians. The only way to save the day is to find powerful magical items called Wonders, but wielding these items comes at a terrible cost, and Amari will have to decide just how much she’s willing to sacrifice . . . because the Despicable Wonders will demand everything.
Happy Reading!