Cover Illustration by Alexandra Artigas
Published by Hashtag Press
Thank you to Helen Lewis, Literally PR and Hashtag Press for inviting me to be part of the Blog Tour for this wonderful book, and for providing me with a paperback copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
My Review:
As soon as I was invited on the Blog Tour for the third book in the Emily Knight series, I read the first two books, Emily Knight: I am and Emily Knight I am … Awakened so I was eagerly anticipating the third book.
Emily Knight I am … Becoming can be read as a standalone BUT, I would definitely recommend that you pick up the other books too! The first book would suit 9-12 year olds whereas this one is better suited to slightly older readers.
I really enjoyed this fast-paced contemporary fantasy which is brimming with danger, excitement and super powers: expect the unexpected as secrets are exposed, powers are controlled and heroes fight back …
15-year-old Emily Knight is finally reunited with her father and brother, Thomas and Lox. Thomas is the renowned leader of the legendary Five Warriors who has spent the last eight years trying to find his son Lox who had joined forces with Neci, a powerful adversary who has her own reasons to hate all warriors and wage a battle to see their annihilation.
Will the remaining Warriors and their elite newest teenage members be able to defeat Neci and her army of followers before she destroys them all? So begins an electrifyingly gripping story as Emily and her friends find themselves pitted against the full force of Neci and her army, forced to use both their ingenuity and their new-found and growing super powers to confront their nemesis …
I really enjoyed the dynamics of the friendships and fledgling romances between Emily, Michella, Wesley, Jason and Julian which felt authentic and relevant to today’s teenagers even though these teenagers have super powers! The friends all attend the Osaki Training School to learn how to use and control their powers. Whilst there, they learn the importance of friendship and teamwork, supporting each other despite the dangers they face.
The friends each have their own unique powers, including healing, telepathy, telekinesis and teleportation, but will these be enough to protect society and each other from a determined and relentless foe? Will they be able to find and exploit her weakness before it is too late?
Emily is a brilliant character: it is so wonderful to see diverse characters at the forefront in this story. She is courageous, determined and fierce, and is incredibly protective of her family and friends. Emily has not had her father or her brother in her life for many years, so they have to learn to re-connect as a family again. Not only does she have to handle these sometimes-strained relationships, but she also has to train hard to be ready for a war with Neci. She handles these pressures from inside and outside with great resilience and tenacity, surrounded by friends who are willing to put themselves in danger to protect and support her.
Emily Knight I am … Becoming is an explosively exciting addition to this fantastic series, and I am definitely looking forward to seeing Emily grow even more in the next book.
About the Author:
A. Bello is an award-winning author and publishing entrepreneur, born and raised in London, where she still lives and works. In2018, Abiola was named ‘Trailblazer of the Year’ by London Book Fair. Abiola wrote her first novel at the age of eight–when she fought monsters and dragons on a daily basis–and experienced her first taste of ‘being published’ after winning a school poetry competition at the age of 12. Seeing her words in print fuelled a passion for writing that remains to this day. The first incarnation of the Emily Knight story can be traced back almost 20 years; Abiola wanted to fill the gaping hole in children’s fiction for an inspirational, strong, black, female, young protagonist. This ‘gap’ in publishing remains in today’s publishing world despite continued calls for more BAME authors and diversity within characters and plot lines. She is the founder of The Lil’ Author School and co-founder of The Author School (short listed for The Great British Entrepreneur Awards 2016 and celebrating its fifth birthday in 2020). A. Bello is regularly asked to contribute to the media; she has been featured in About Time Magazine, Cosmopolitan, Female First, Daily Mirror, BBC1XTRA, The Bookseller, The British Blacklist, Melan Magazine, London Post, and many more. Abiola is also a regular at literary festivals and gives talks to children in primary and secondary schools, as well as to young writers and people wishing to get into the publishing business.
Links:
Website: https://www.a-bello.com/
Twitter: @ABelloWrites
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abiolabello/
Check out the rest of the Blog Tour below:
Book Craic 