Ending explained Amari and the Great Game B.B. Alston

Amari and the Great Game Ending Explained: Spoilers, Climax, and Unresolved Threads

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Direct Account of the Ending

In the final chapters, Amari and Elsie land in a starry field where Dylan waits. Cozmo declares the Great Game over and demands one magician take the other’s magic. Amari fights Dylan, nearly losing herself to foul magick until Elsie stops her. Amari uses Dreamcatcher to remove Dylan’s traumatic memories from the Sightless Depths, briefly restoring his kind self. But Cozmo dispels the effect, and Dylan returns to his red-eyed state. Cozmo threatens Elsie, forcing Amari to surrender her Victor’s Ring. Dylan takes Amari’s magic and the Crown, then attacks them. Elsie throws herself in front of Amari to shield her from a wave of flame.

In Chapter 36, Elsie unexpectedly transforms into a dragon, driving Dylan away. Cozmo removes the Game Ring and sends Amari home. She finds Quinton still cursed, and learns from news reports that Harlow’s “UnWanted” kidnappings and the Bureau hotel fire have triggered a public war. Jayden and Elsie reunite with her. Quinton awakens—Dylan had secretly lifted the curse during the Dreamcatcher moment. Despite losing her magic, Amari chooses to continue fighting alongside her friends.

Climax Explained

The climax occurs in two phases: the magical duel and the emotional turning point.

Phase 1 – The Duel: Amari and Dylan fight in a grassy star field. Dylan attacks with fire and shadow magic (stolen from a Night Brother’s apprentice in the Sightless Depths). Amari initially struggles, but desperation fuels her weather magic—she summons a Calamity of the Skies, nearly losing herself to foul magick. Elsie stops her, and Amari chooses not to become a monster. She then uses Dreamcatcher to enter Dylan’s mind and rip out the memories that turned him cruel.

Phase 2 – Sacrifice and Transformation: Cozmo dispels the restored memories, forcing Amari to surrender her Victor’s Ring to save Elsie. Dylan takes her magic and the Crown, then tries to kill them both. Elsie throws herself in front of Amari—and instead of dying, she shifts into a full dragon, a power foreshadowed by the fortune cookie from Elsie Rodriguez. The dragon roars and drives Dylan away, ending the Game.

Major Character Outcomes

Amari Peters

Amari loses all her magic (both weather and illusion) when Dylan takes her ring. She returns home feeling empty, but when Quinton wakes and her friends gather around her, she chooses to fight on despite being powerless. This is a deliberate rejection of the idea that magic defines her worth.

Elsie Rodriguez

Elsie undergoes her first dragon transformation, a moment she has been working toward all book. She survives the fire wave and wakes up on Amari’s couch, disoriented but alive. Her friendship with Amari is cemented as “sisters.” She becomes a dragon shifter, a significant new power for future conflicts.

Dylan Van Helsing

Dylan is a tragic figure. His personality has been warped by the Sightless Depths and foul magick. Amari temporarily restores his true self by removing his worst memories, but Cozmo undoes the effect. However, during that brief moment, Dylan whispers an apology and lifts the curse on Quinton—so some part of him still cares. He escapes with the Crown and the League’s support, so his redemption is incomplete; he remains a wild card for the next book.

Quinton Peters

Quinton is physically awake and healthy after Dylan’s secret curse‑lifting. He hears Amari’s story and encourages her, saying, “You gonna fight to fix things or lie down and surrender?” This reunion restores the emotional anchor Amari needed.

Lara Van Helsing and Jayden

Lara is captured by Harlowe during the Great Game—Amari couldn’t save her. Her fate is unresolved. Jayden was evacuated from the Bureau fire and reunites with Amari and Elsie. He remains a loyal friend.

Harlowe / Magnus

Harlowe (Magnus) has declared war, using the time freeze and kidnapped supernaturals as pretext. The Bureau hotel fire and the “UnWanted” kidnappings are now public, triggering all-out conflict.

Resolved and Unresolved Threads

Resolved

  • The Great Game ends when Amari surrenders her magic. No fifth challenge is held.
  • Quinton’s curse is lifted; he wakes up and is himself again.
  • Elsie’s dragon‑shifting manifests, fulfilling her fortune cookie prediction.
  • Amari’s secret‑keeping ends as she can now tell her friends about the Game (the ring was removed).

Unresolved

  • Lara’s fate: She is in Harlowe’s hands. Her allegiance remains unclear after she earlier aimed a Stun Stick at Amari.
  • War is declared: Harlowe’s anti‑magician campaign is now public. The Bureau and the League of Magicians are on a collision course.
  • Dylan’s allegiance: He has the Crown but doesn’t fully side with Harlowe or the League. His brief act of mercy (lifting the curse) suggests possible future redemption.
  • Who caused the time freeze? It was confirmed to be a magician using an enchanted object (seen in Thomas Fletcher’s memory), but the specific perpetrator is still unknown.
  • Amari’s magic: She lost it all. Whether she can regain her powers is an open question.
  • The “unseen dangers” fortune: The warning from Chapter 1 is fulfilled symbolically—the time freeze, Dylan’s betrayal, and Harlowe’s war—but some threats remain hidden.

Epilogue (Chapter 37)

Chapter 37, “About the Publisher,” is a standard colophon. It contains no story events, character development, or themes. It simply lists HarperCollins offices. There is no narrative epilogue; the story ends on Amari’s choice to fight.

Thematic Resolution

The book resolves several central themes:

  • Power and Responsibility: Amari nearly loses herself to foul magick but chooses not to destroy her enemy. She learns that power without control is dangerous, and that true strength lies in making the right choice even when you have the means to lash out. /books/amari-and-the-great-game/themes/power-and-responsibility/

  • Friendship and Loyalty: Elsie’s sacrifice and eventual dragon transformation are the ultimate acts of loyalty. Amari’s decision to keep secrets hurt their friendship, but by the end they reconcile as sisters. /books/amari-and-the-great-game/themes/friendship-and-loyalty/

  • Identity and Belonging: Amari feared that without her magic she would no longer be “special.” Her brother Quinton tells her that she doesn’t need magic to be special, and her friends believe in her anyway. This affirms that identity is not tied to supernatural ability. /books/amari-and-the-great-game/themes/identity-and-belonging/

  • Truth and Deception: The Bureau’s lies about magicians, the League’s secret schemes, and Dylan’s hidden memories all point to the idea that deception leads to broken relationships and war. Amari’s use of Dreamcatcher to uncover truth is a direct contrast to the lies that have driven the plot. /books/amari-and-the-great-game/themes/truth-and-deception/

  • Prejudice and Discrimination: Harlowe’s anti‑magician rhetoric escalates into open war, mirroring real‑world prejudice. The book ends not with the defeat of bigotry but with the call to continue fighting against it. /books/amari-and-the-great-game/themes/prejudice-and-discrimination/

Reasonable Interpretations of Ambiguities

  • Dylan’s Future: His split-second act of lifting the curse suggests that the “real” Dylan is still inside him. The memory removal was incomplete because Cozmo dispelled it. In future books, Dylan might either be fully redeemed or choose to reject redemption, depending on whether he can resist foul magick without Amari’s interference.
  • The Crown’s Power: Dylan now possesses the magic of three born magicians (Vladimir’s, his own, and Amari’s). This makes him extremely powerful, but the Crown may corrupt him further. Amari’s line “I won’t become a monster to win” contrasts with what Dylan has become.
  • Lara’s Allegiance: She pointed a Stun Stick at Amari, but earlier she tried to switch partners and was forced by her father. She could be a double agent or a genuine enemy. Her capture by Harlowe may lead to a rescue attempt in the next book.
  • The Time Freeze Source: The memory from Thomas Fletcher shows a Night Brother using an enchanted object to freeze time. Since Dylan and other League members denied involvement, the actual culprit might be an unknown third party—or even the Bureau itself, using a recovered artifact.

6 Specific Reader Questions and Answers

1. Does Amari get her magic back?

No. At the end of the book, Amari has no magic left. Dylan took it using the Victor’s Ring. She decides to fight on anyway, so the question of regaining her powers is left for the sequel.

2. Why does Elsie suddenly turn into a dragon?

Elsie’s dragon‑shifting ability was foreshadowed throughout the book—her fortune cookie said her hard work would pay off, and she had been training with dragon magic. The life‑or‑death moment (protecting Amari) triggered the transformation. She doesn’t control it yet, but she survives.

3. Is Dylan Van Helsing good or evil?

Both. Dylan was corrupted by the Sightless Depths and foul magick, but his brief restoration and curse‑lifting show that remnants of his true self remain. He is not fully redeemed, nor is he irredeemably evil. He is a tragic antagonist.

4. Who caused the time freeze in Chapter 3?

The book does not reveal the specific person. Thomas Fletcher’s memory shows a Night Brother using an enchanted object (like a superpowered freeze grenade) to stop time. Since magicians can’t be frozen, a magician must have used the object. Dylan, Maria, and the League deny involvement. The culprit remains a mystery.

5. What happens to Lara Van Helsing?

Lara is captured by Harlowe during the Great Game—Amari could only save Elsie. Her fate is unknown. She may be held hostage, coerced, or killed. Her ambiguous loyalty (aiming a Stun Stick at Amari) means her rescue or betrayal is a dangling thread.

6. Does Quinton stay awake?

Yes. Quinton wakes up because Dylan secretly removed the curse during the Dreamcatcher moment (Elsie noticed his aura turned white with apology). Quinton is fully himself and encourages Amari. He is likely to play a larger role in the next book as a mentor and emotional support.

Final Thoughts

Amari and the Great Game ends on a bittersweet note: victory against Dylan, but at the cost of Amari’s magic and the start of a war. The unresolved threads—Lara’s captivity, Dylan’s fate, the identity of the time freeze culprit, and Amari’s future as a magician—set up an intense third book. Amari’s choice to fight without power reinforces the series’ core message: true heroism comes from courage, not magical ability.