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The Blazing Star Imani Josey Books

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The Blazing Star Imani Josey Books

The Blazing Star is such an imaginative, well researched book. And the cover is so gorgeous! Luckily this is one cover buy that’s worth the price. I loved Portia’s voice from the beginning and it was interesting to see her struggles with her twin Alex (and with high school as a Chicago teen), feeling second best and second place, all those feelings that come so naturally unfortunately. They had a complicated but loving relationship with each other; I liked the character development and the build up to the time travel. Once the plot really kicks in, the worldbuilding is astounding! You can tell that Imani Josey spent a good chunk of time researching ancient Egypt and her love of that time period and culture really shines through on the page. I learned so much and I felt like I was there; it was richly imagined and fascinating. I really enjoyed the Temple of Isis setting and learning more about Portia’s powers.Unfortunately, the book takes a confusing turn in the last quarter and was a bit hard to follow. I was surprised at how readily Portia accepted her life in Egypt and the romance felt rushed even though I like the pairing and thought they had great chemistry. The Blazing Star didn’t wrap up as much as I expected either and I’m unclear whether or not there will be a sequel- I hope so! Overall I’m very glad I purchased and read this book, it was enjoyable and different and perfect for fans of historical fiction and time travel novels.


Tags : Amazon.com: The Blazing Star (9781945769160): Imani Josey: Books,Imani Josey,The Blazing Star,Wise Ink Creative Publishing,1945769165,Action & Adventure - General,Fantasy - General,Egypt,Fiction,Twin sisters,Young adult fiction,Literature & Fiction Literature,Children: Young Adult (Gr. 10-12),YOUNG ADULT FICTION Time Travel,Young Adult FictionFantasy - Historical,Young Adult FictionHistorical - Ancient Civilizations

The Blazing Star Imani Josey Books Reviews

I am a sucker for books with Ancient Egypt. I fell in love with Ancient Egypt in sixth grade and pursued Egyptology in my undergraduate years going to far as to spend a semester abroad in Cairo. I’ve even taken Middle Egyptian and learned to read and write hieroglyphics. I’ve been to the Pyramids, to the Valley of the Kings…you get the point. Before I could get there and study Ancient Egypt, though, I read about it. And to be honest a lot of what’s out there is ridiculously inaccurate, silly, colonial, or some combination of those. And yet I still have a soft spot for all those books and when I come across new ones I’ll still read them. Call me sentimental.

One thing I only recently realized about all these books I devoured as a kid, though, is that all the main characters are white. Either those existing in Ancient Egypt or those looking back at it (or even traveling back to it), which of course would not be the case at all. Call that prewoke reading if you will.

I think I found The Blazing Star through following the author on Twitter and however I found it, I am so glad I did. The book features a black girl going back in time with her twin sister and another black girl. And the people they meet are not white. They’re given appropriate skin colors and heritages. It was eye opening to contrast it with everything else I have read (and loved, as problematic as it all is). For all those kids, and girls in particular, who are not white and have fallen in love with Ancient Egypt they deserve to see that they are more closely linked with Ancient Egypt than people that look like me are. This is a book for them.

I appreciated that Josey appears to have done her research. The clothes, activities, and places are much more reflective of what Ancient Egypt would have looked and felt like than a lot of other books out there. The story follows the Ancient Egyptian calendar. They speak another language. Even the weather gets a mention. Sure, it ends up diverging from the reality of what Ancient Egypt would have been for the sake of a plot, but in the context of the book that’s okay. She kept what she could and embellished it in a fun and suspenseful way.

This one is definitely worth having on your shelves, especially if you have Egypt fanatics. While I would call it YA because it features some very light romance and because the girls are 16 years old, there’s nothing in it that would make it inappropriate for younger audiences (seven and eight grade). The reading level and length might deter some kids, but don’t rule it out simply because you serve a middle school population.

One complaint about the cover. Two actually. First are the Pyramids silhouetted in Portia’s head. Everyone thinks of those when they think of Egyptian history, but by the time most Egyptian history people know about (Ramses, Tut, etc.) and by the time this book takes place, they were already very, very old. Yes, they’re iconically Egyptian, but it’s not historically accurate. I know, I know. Nit-picky. Also the menes forming around Portia’s head was not a headdress worn by just anyone. It’s something worn by male pharaohs. Again, nit-picky. Otherwise, this cover is going to suck in readers. It’s lovely and screams Egyptian adventure.

Be sure to purchase The Blazing Star and keep your eye out for sequels. I know I will be.
The Blazing Star was a thrilling, absolutely necessary work of magic! A great read for all ages and quite a dazzling affirmation of black girl magic. You don't want to miss out on this one!
Some of the pacing felt a bit langorous, but I truly enjoyed the journey with Portia and Alexandria! What an exciting and vivid world in ancient Egypt and--Black Girl Magic! This book is chock full of it.
I refuse to believe Imani Josey didn't spend significant time in ancient Egypt, because her knowledge about the setting/time period is truly astounding. Such an immersive read with a fresh voice and a relatable MC. Can't wait for book 2!
Ok, first of all, there'll be no spoilers here. So read on.

I loved the character building. At the beginning I thought it wasn't going fast enough, but then I realized, I loved getting to know Portia & Alex at that pace.

The fact that the author wasn't always rushing it just helped me get deeper into the story. And from a girl who was used into getting overshadowed by her twin, and then found herself and the courage to face the challenges in front of her, Portia seriously braved up in a way that made me love the story even more. Top that up with time travelling, romance (even though I would've loved to read more about this romance), AND YA DIVERSITY, my heart seriously melted by this amazing, adventures story that took me into a world way before my time.
LOVED IT! LOVED IT! AND LOVED IT SOME MORE!

Already looking forward for the next book by this Author!
Thank you for the great read!!!

G. Zola
The Blazing Star is such an imaginative, well researched book. And the cover is so gorgeous! Luckily this is one cover buy that’s worth the price. I loved Portia’s voice from the beginning and it was interesting to see her struggles with her twin Alex (and with high school as a Chicago teen), feeling second best and second place, all those feelings that come so naturally unfortunately. They had a complicated but loving relationship with each other; I liked the character development and the build up to the time travel. Once the plot really kicks in, the worldbuilding is astounding! You can tell that Imani Josey spent a good chunk of time researching ancient Egypt and her love of that time period and culture really shines through on the page. I learned so much and I felt like I was there; it was richly imagined and fascinating. I really enjoyed the Temple of Isis setting and learning more about Portia’s powers.Unfortunately, the book takes a confusing turn in the last quarter and was a bit hard to follow. I was surprised at how readily Portia accepted her life in Egypt and the romance felt rushed even though I like the pairing and thought they had great chemistry. The Blazing Star didn’t wrap up as much as I expected either and I’m unclear whether or not there will be a sequel- I hope so! Overall I’m very glad I purchased and read this book, it was enjoyable and different and perfect for fans of historical fiction and time travel novels.