(from the Educator’s Guide released with The Manifestor Prophecy in 2023)

This is the scariest book I’ve ever written.

No, it’s not a horror novel. This novel is scary because it’s unlike anything I’ve published so far: a middle-grade fantasy novel.

Thing is, though, this age category and genre have always held a special place in my heart. I still remember the first time I traveled to Narnia, the first time I met Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which, the first time I rode a broom with the boy with the lightning scar. Fantastical adventures like these made me fall in love with books and gave me a much-needed escape. I could easily ignore the gunshots in my neighborhood if I was immersed in a magical world.

Unfortunately, these magical worlds rarely included people who looked like me. None of them highlighted my culture. It led me to believe that books in general weren’t for kids like me. Now as an adult, I strive to make sure no kid ever feels that way. My YA novels have provided mirrors for so many young people, and in reflecting their world, I’ve expanded the world for countless others. It’s a blessing. But I also recognize that there are times when young people need a world to escape into. And who doesn’t need an escape these days?

I sure did, which is what led me to write this novel. However, this book is also just as much a response to the injustices of the world as any of my other novels. I specifically remember during the summer of 2020, in the aftermath of the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, there were lots of discussions about what the world would look like if there were fewer police and more community resources and social services. What it would mean if Black people were no longer dehumanized. What it would look like if there were no prisons. For so many, these concepts are hard to grasp; it sounds like a fantasy world.

A fantasy world.

That’s the world I decided to create in this book: Uhuru, the city of freedom. It’s not a utopia. In fact, injustice manages to rear its ugly head even in this world, but my hope is that this story of a young girl who decides to face that injustice head-on inspires young people to do the same. Don’t get me wrong, there are spells and curses, folktale characters and prophecies, rougarous and fairies. There may even be a dragon. But like my other novels, this is a story about finding the power within; the power just happens to be magical this time.

I hope you leave Nic Blake’s world wanting to make ours resemble it a bit more. And just like Nic, you simply have to realize you already have the magic you need to do it.