In The Blazing Star, Sixteen-year-old Portia White is used to being overlooked—after all, her twin sister Alex is a literal genius.But when Portia holds an Egyptian scarab beetle during history class, she takes center stage in a way she never expected: she faints. Upon waking, she is stronger, faster, and braver than before. And when she accidentally touches the scarab again? She wakes up in ancient Egypt—her sister and an unwitting freshman in tow. Great. 

Mysterious and beautiful, Egypt is more than they could have ever imagined from their days in the classroom. History comes alive as the three teens realize that getting back to the present will be the most difficult thing they’ve ever done. Stalked by vicious monsters called Scorpions, every step in the right direction means a step closer to danger.

As Portia and the girls discover that they’re linked to the past by more than just chance, they have to decide what it truly means to be yourself, to love your sister, and to find your way home. (via Goodreads.)

I received an eARC from Netgalley courtesy of the publisher, Wise Ink Publishing. I also joined a blog tour through Rich In Variety Tours.

I first heard about this book on Twitter when I saw the cover. I have to give props to Steven Meyer Rassow who created the cover. It is absolutely breathtaking and so perfect for this novel. I’ve been sharing this cover and synopsis with everyone who will listen for the last month or so, and I’m so excited to finally share it with you guys.

As you may have guessed, I loved this book. It’s magical, it’s beautiful and it’s stunningly written. All three of our main characters felt very real to me, and I liked them all. They’re all brown girls, traveling back to ancient Egypt where they meet other fantastic and devilish people of color. Portia isn’t sure what she wants to do with her life, even though her twin has everything planned out for them both.

I loved the way that we fell into the temple life with the, and how things actually took time to accomplish. The writing style was fluid and I look forward to the sequel. The ending literally left me begging Imani Jones for more on Twitter.

She says she’s working on the next book, and I can’t wait to read it! This was a five star read for me, no doubt about it. I loved it immensely, and if you read it I think you will, too.

The Blazing Star comes out tomorrow, and I will be talking about this book for probably the next year, probably more. If this sounds like your cup of tea, you can pick up a copy on Amazon, Indiebound or your other favorite bookseller! I can’t recommend it enough!

Imani Josey is a writer from Chicago, Illinois. In her previous life, she was a cheerleader for the Chicago Bulls and won the titles of Miss Chicago and Miss Cook County for the Miss America Organization, as well as Miss Black Illinois USA. Her one-act play, Grace, was produced by Pegasus Players Theatre Chicago after winning the 19th Annual Young Playwrights Festival. In recent years, she has turned her sights to long-form fiction. She now spends the majority of her time working on backstory, teaching dance fitness classes, and cuddling with her American bulldog, Thor. The Blazing Star is her debut novel.

Disclaimer: All links to Indiebound and Amazon are affiliate links, which means that if you buy through those links, I will make a small amount of money off of it.