A magical world hidden from the everyday person. A world where ‘other beings’ live amongst us. A bureau designed to look after and protect both the humans and ‘others’. A Magician so powerful and evil he wants to take over. A young girl in search of her brother. This is ‘Amari and the Night Brothers’.

Amari Peters is a young girl whose older brother Quinton went missing months ago. After an altercation at school with the popular girls which sees Amari expelled, she has to stay home alone whilst her mum works a shift at the hospital.

A man delivers a package to Amari with the sender being Quinton Peters. With a large document warning her not to open it unless it is definitely addressed to her and a briefcase she can only open late at night, Amari wonders what is going on. That is until she puts on the glasses that were within the case and Quinton is there to show her a world she never knew existed. He also tells her that he was working for the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs before he disappeared and that all though he has gone missing he has nominated Amari for a place at the Summer School there.

Amari isn’t bothered about working for the bureau, her only goal is to discover what happened to her brother and bring him home, but a cloud of mystery and classified information greet her. With the help of her new friend and roommate Elsie who is a Weredragon, Amari will stop at nothing to find her brother and his partner who also went missing at the same time, together they are known as VanQuish.

Amari and the Night Brothers is like Men in Black for children. It is also the first in a series by a debut author and oh what a book it is!

The story is a complete roller-coaster ride from the very beginning. It is exciting and adventurous. The world-building is magnificent. It is exceptionally imaginative and easy to visualise. I especially loved the talking elevators who each had a unique personality. As well as adventure the book is filled with sibling love and the desire to find Quinton is in Amari’s heart at all times.

The characters are all truly amazing with our main character Amari being quite the girl. She is head smart, kind, stronger than she gives herself credit for, and she has a red hot determination within her. She is a trier and gives everything 100%. She pushes through times when she is scared and finds her inner courage.

The plot is not just another middle-grade novel trying to ride on the coattails of Harry Potter, this book stands on its own two feet. I can see it being a big hit next year when it is released and if we have learned anything from the HP books, buy a first copy it just might be worth something in a few years, in fact, buy two, one to keep without opening and one to read as you definitely don’t want to miss this book.

B. B. Alston lives in Lexington, SC. Amari and the Night Brothers is his debut middle grade novel. When not writing, he can be found eating too many sweets and exploring country roads to see where they lead.

What did you think of Amari and the Night Brothers? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!