Kingston and the Echoes of Magic

As we get off the train, Veronica can t contain herself.

Okay, are we all just going to act like we didn t just get on the train at Ricks Street, turn around, and get off the train at Ricks Street?

Too Tall and Crooked Eye look at V like she s lost every last marble.

Um, you mean Barclays Center? says Tall.

Yeah, that s all she meant get on and get off, what a fast ride, huh? I say as we file out the turnstiles.

What are you talking about? she asks, eyeing my wheat Timbs, green bomber, and hoodie. Those aren t even the same clothes. Then she checks her own outfit from yesterday, and she shrieks.

I take V by the elbow and whisper, V, we don t need to freak everybody out.

Are you sure? she says, loud.

Yes! No I don t know, I say. I sorta thought I was imagining it until just now.

What do you mean? You told me yesterday wait, I mean today? After we ate Not Not Ray s and Matteo gave you the cannoli and oh my god, that hasn t even happened yet, has it?

I shake my head.

V rubs the shaved part of her head with her fingertips like she s trying to make sense of where and when we are, exactly.

I told you it feels like a dream, I say.

I mean, I get why this may be happening to you, with your hand and all. But why is it happening to me? Tweedledee and Tweedledum seem clueless, she says, motioning toward Crooked Eye and Too Tall. Why me?

It s a good question. I mean, we are related. Her dad s been to the Realm just like mine. So, maybe it s a James thing? But why doesn t Ma or Crooked or Long Fingers remember?

King, this is what it s been like for you? You just keep living the same day?

I guess. I don t know, V, it s like I get to the same moment, and I know it s happened already, but part of me forgets, you know? Part of me is totally in it, in each moment, as if it never happened. But part of me

Rucker Moses is the pen name of Craig S. Phillips and Harold Hayes Jr. They both hail from Atlanta and started telling stories together at the University of Georgia. Together, they've been nominated for three Emmys for writing in a children's program and have written for TV shows based on books by R. L. Stine and Christopher Pike. They also make virtual reality experiences and own a production company named SunnyBoy Entertainment. In no particular order, their favorite things to write about are ninjas, magic, space, and abandoned amusement parks. When not doing all that, they are hanging with their wonderful families at home in Los Angeles.

Theo Gangi is a novelist and writing teacher based in Brooklyn. He's written several acclaimed novels and short stories, and he's worked on shows for Netflix. He writes far-out adventures that happen right next door. He directs the MFA program at St. Francis College and lives with his wife, young son, and their dog.

Praise for Kingston and the Echoes of Magic:

Readers who enjoyed Kingston and the Magician s Lost and Found will welcome this brisk sequel that maintains the engaging tone of the first series entry and entertainingly incorporates information about ancient Egyptian gods. . . An illuminating sequel. Kirkus Reviews

Praise for Kingston and the Magician's Lost and Found:

A fast-paced, magical read set in an accessible, vibrant world where Black magicians and a mainly Black cast take center stage. Publishers Weekly, starred review

Intricately crafted twists at every turn keep the determined crew on their toes. The action is well paced, giving readers time to savor the myriad colorful characters who interact with the clue chasers. . . An enjoyable addition to most middle school mystery collections. School Library Journal

Full of heart, magic, and mystery, this is the kind of book that makes you love books. Absolutely fantastic! Sarah Beth Durst, award-winning author of Catalyst

"Coded messages, characters who plainly know more than they're saying, doppelgangers, and secret schemes...all come together in a...breathlessly paced tale...should leave readers even more delighted that the stage is set for sequels."  Booklist

Inventive, authentic, and razor-sharp, Kingston and the Magician s Lost and Found is at once an exhilarating fantasy and a moving tale of how far a father and son are willing to go for one another. Rucker Moses and Theo Gangi put aside familiar tropes to build something new, an underground New York City, filled with magic and secrets, that challenges readers to solve its mysteries alongside its main character. As for Kingston, we ve never seen anything like him a young Black superhero determined to put the magic back in Brooklyn. He s sharp, feisty, funny,