The Book of Anansi is the second book in Angie Thomas’s middle-grade Nic Blake and the Remarkables series. The Manifestor Prophecy (2023) introduced readers to the 12-year-old protagonist and the hidden magical world of the Remarkables. One of the story’s major themes is the dynamics of friendship and loyalty, which explores the complex relationships among Nic’s family and friends. The novel explains how Tyran, Zoe, and Calvin fought against the evil Roho together and how the titular prophecy drove them apart. The damage to the characters’ relationships lingers in The Book of Anansi. Zoe and Calvin struggle to trust one another and share custody of their children after he kidnapped Nic in an effort to keep the infant safe from those who might harm her because she’s the Manowari. 

In addition, Tyran, who was once Nic’s inspiration and her beloved godfather, remains on the run in the sequel after attempting to kill the girl in a misguided effort to prove that he is the prophesied Chosen One at the end of the first book. Nic and Alex’s relationship also gets off to a rocky start in The Manifestor Prophecy. When they first meet, the twins resent one another. Alex feels as if he matters less to Calvin because their father left him behind, and Nic envies Alex’s closeness to their mother and their large family in Uhuru. Over the course of the first novel, the siblings move past this jealousy, laying the foundation of their close-knit bond in the sequel.

Throughout the series, Thomas creates a distinctive fusion of Black folklore and contemporary fantasy. The Manifestor Prophecy celebrates the importance of heritage and cultural identity by weaving tales about High John, the Devil’s Daughter, and the Hairy Man into Nic’s adventures. Thomas continues to incorporate folklore in the series’ second installment, in which the mistreatment of fantasy creatures like Giants and Fairies serves as an analogy for prejudice against marginalized groups and illustrates The Value of Preserving History and Cultural Heritage. In addition, the sequel’s examination of The Struggle for Power and Control resembles the first book’s theme of the struggle for justice, which invokes contemporary issues like police brutality and gun violence. The Book of Anansi delves into the injustices within the Remarkable world, giving rise to a positive interpretation of Nic’s destiny in which the Manowari could become a catalyst for social change rather than a bringer of devastation.