A 13-year-old magician must face her fears and learn to control her magic in hopes of preventing a supernatural war in this follow-up to 2021's Amari and the Night Brothers. Amari Peters returns in the trilogy's thrilling, action-packed middle volume with another mystery to solve. Nearly one year after Amari proved that magicians can be good, the state of Georgia experiences a momentary time freeze, leaving the Supernatural World Congress trapped in time. A powerful magician must be behind this dastardly event. Amari turns to the secret League of Magicians, hoping to get help and disprove popular opinion about magicians. Instead she is offered the Crown of Count Vladimir, a rare treasure that confers powers she doesn't feel ready to accept. Her refusal triggers the Great Game, a deadly competition between born magicians to determine who will inherit these forces. As newly minted Junior Agent Amari is thrust back into the beguiling supernatural world, she must find the mastermind behind the time freeze. She also enters the Great Game in order to save her brother from the curse he's under. Luckily Amari has Elsie, her weredragon best friend, and other allies who help her save the world again. Readers who fell in love with Amari will not be disappointed by this refreshing, energetic, first-person narrative that deftly weaves the playfulness of magic with real-world issues of misinformation and discrimination. Amari is Black; Elsie is cued Latinx. A superb, marvelously satisfying sequel. (Fantasy. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Gr 3--7--Following the mighty battle at the end of the series opener, Amari has become famous in the supernatural world with people both fearful and in awe of her talents as a magician. When a new Prime Minister speaks out against Magicians, Amari finds herself more controversial than ever among her peers. Then the mysterious League of Magicians asks her to be their new leader. She declines at first, until a dangerous competitor steps forward to take the job, and she reluctantly agrees to participate in the Great Game, a competition to decide who will become the Night Brothers' successor and determine the future of Magicians. VERDICT Fans of the first book will jump at the opportunity to immerse themselves once again in the delights and surprises of this magical world, filled with equal parts wonder and suspense.