Amari and the Great Game: 12 Analytical Essay Prompts

These twelve prompts are designed for a close analysis of B.B. Alston’s Amari and the Great Game. Each prompt focuses on a specific element of the novel—character change, causality, relationships, contrasting scenes, themes, symbols, structure, foreshadowing, and the ending. A sample thesis direction and 3–5 evidence leads are provided to jump-start your research. Use these prompts to explore how the story builds tension, deepens its world, and challenges its characters.

For further context, see the full book summary, the questions and answers, and the themes page.

Prompt 1: Elsie’s Dragon Transformation as a Climax of Character Growth

Why this prompt matters
Elsie’s unexpected dragon-shift in Chapter 36 is the novel’s most dramatic character change. Tracing the clues from her fortune cookie in Chapter 1 to the final sacrifice shows how loyalty, fear, and self-discovery fuse into a single transformative act.

Sample thesis direction
Elsie’s transformation into a dragon is not a magical accident but the culmination of her steady courage and willingness to stand between danger and her best friend, proving that true power emerges from love, not magic.

Evidence leads

Chapter 1: Elsie’s fortune cookie predicts her hard work will pay off regarding dragon-shifting.
Chapter 24: Through the looking glass, Elsie sees herself as a full dragon.
Chapter 35: Elsie throws herself in front of Amari to shield her from Dylan’s flames.
Chapter 36: Amari learns Elsie transformed into a dragon and drove Dylan away.

Prompt 2: Amari’s Public Defiance and the “Nobody’s UnWanted” Badge

Why this prompt matters
Amari’s decision to appear on a livestream and denounce Bane and Harlowe is a turning point in the novel’s power struggle. It marks her shift from a reactive protagonist to an active political figure.

Sample thesis direction
By pinning on the homemade “Nobody’s UnWanted” badge and speaking out on livestream, Amari reclaims her agency and transforms a symbol of shame into a rallying cry against systematic prejudice.

Evidence leads

Chapter 26: Jayden convinces Amari to join the livestream fundraiser; she overcomes fear and publicly denounces Bane and Harlowe.
Chapter 24: Amari is forced to wear a “Dangerous” badge after the Living Library incident.
Chapter 27: Public support for Maria grows after the livestream, showing the impact of Amari’s defiance.

Prompt 3: Lara’s Redemption Arc and the Tentative Partnership with Amari

Why this prompt matters
Lara’s shift from bully to tentative ally is one of the novel’s most nuanced relationship arcs. Examining the scenes where trust is built—and broken—reveals how the story complicates the idea of forgiveness.

Sample thesis direction
Lara’s partnership with Amari evolves not through a single apology but through a series of small, risky choices that prove her willingness to put loyalty above family expectations.

Evidence leads

Chapter 9: Amari and Elsie defend Lara from Bear; Lara rejects their help, but the seed is planted.
Chapter 16: Lara admits she tried to switch partners; she confesses her fraudulent Junior Agent status and her role in the mural incident.
Chapter 25: Lara uses her father’s transporter to help Amari break into the Congress Room.
Chapter 31: Lara’s apparent betrayal is later revealed (Chapter 33) to be a cover to protect Amari.

Prompt 4: The Fortune Cookie as a Foreshadowing Device

Why this prompt matters
The fortune cookie in Chapter 1 introduces the motif of “unseen dangers.” Tracking how this warning recurs reinforces the novel’s structure and builds suspense.

Sample thesis direction
The fortune cookie’s repeated warnings—from “Beware of unseen dangers” to the looking-glass vision—function as a structural motif that keeps readers alert to hidden threats, especially the wraiths and Harlowe’s true agenda.

Evidence leads

Chapter 1: Amari receives “Beware of unseen dangers” from her fortune cookie.
Chapter 2: The time freeze confirms the warning.
Chapter 24: The looking glass shows Amari the same fortune from the cookie.
Chapter 33: Merlin warns “Beware of unseen dangers” right before the wraiths are revealed.

Prompt 5: The Great Game as a Symbol of Moral Choice

Why this prompt matters
The Great Game is not just a contest for power; it forces Amari and Dylan to define what kind of magicians they will be. The challenges test values, not just magical skill.

Sample thesis direction
Through the Great Game’s challenges—courage in the Living Library, resisting illusions, and choosing mercy over revenge—Alston argues that true worth is measured by moral choices, not by winning or losing.

Evidence leads

Chapter 14: Cozmo calls the Game as a last resort; Amari volunteers to stop Dylan.
Chapter 23: Amari chooses courage over diamond to retrieve the Victor’s Ring.
Chapter 29: Amari resists an illusion of a perfect family to win the third ring.
Chapter 35: Amari uses Dreamcatcher to restore Dylan’s true self, choosing empathy over victory.

Prompt 6: The Time Freeze Conspiracy and the Layers of Deception

Why this prompt matters
Unraveling who caused the time freeze drives the plot. The investigation reveals multiple layers of deceit—from Dylan’s theft of memory to Harlowe’s mind control.

Sample thesis direction
The time freeze functions as both a plot engine and a symbol of political manipulation, showing how authority figures twist truth to scapegoat magicians and seize power.

Evidence leads

Chapter 12: Amari discovers Bane and Harlowe were not frozen, suggesting their involvement.
Chapter 25: Amari and Lara find frozen officials staring in one direction; Amari suspects Dylan.
Chapter 28: Thomas Fletcher reveals Dylan used Dreamcatcher to steal memory of the first freeze.
Chapter 30: Amari views Dylan’s stored memory of a Night Brother using an enchanted stone.
Chapter 33: Amari finds the time stone in Merlin’s hand, and Chapter 34 reveals wraiths frozen mid-attack, proving Bane is the traitor.

Prompt 7: Memory, Identity, and the Dreamcatcher Spell

Why this prompt matters
The Dreamcatcher spell allows Dylan to steal or restore memories, directly linking memory to identity. This is central to Dylan’s character change and to the ethical questions the novel raises about tampering with the past.

Sample thesis direction
The Dreamcatcher spell reveals that memory is the foundation of identity: Dylan’s trauma turns him into a villain, and Amari’s brief restoration of his memories shows his capacity for goodness.

Evidence leads

Chapter 28: Dylan stole Thomas Fletcher’s memory of the first time freeze.
Chapter 29: Amari finds the Dreamcatcher spell in her foul magick pages.
Chapter 35: Amari removes Dylan’s traumatic memories, briefly restoring his kind self until Cozmo dispels the effect.
Chapter 36: Quinton’s curse is lifted because Dylan felt apologetic and released it during the Dreamcatcher moment.

Prompt 8: Prejudice Against Magicians and the “UnWanted” Label

Why this prompt matters
The novel extends its exploration of prejudice from the first book. The “UnWanted” category and Bane’s rhetoric mirror real-world discrimination.

Sample thesis direction
Alston uses the term “UnWanted” to critique how societies brand entire groups as threats, showing that prejudice flourishes when fear is weaponized by those in power.

Evidence leads

Chapter 4: Amari learns she is uninvited from camp and loses Othernet access.
Chapter 5: Bane announces emergency powers and blames UnWanteds and magicians.
Chapter 12: Amari defends UnWanteds in Current Events class; she and Elsie hack government files.
Chapter 19: Harlowe forces Amari to publicly betray Maria, twisting the anti-magician narrative.
Chapter 24: Amari is forced to wear a “Dangerous” badge.

Prompt 9: Friendship and Loyalty Among the Four Main Characters

Why this prompt matters
Amari, Elsie, Lara, and Jayden form a support network that contrasts with the novel’s betrayals. Their loyalty is tested by secrets, magical vows, and physical danger.

Sample thesis direction
The friendship quartet demonstrates that loyalty is not blind trust but the willingness to acknowledge secrets, forgive betrayals, and take risks for one another.

Evidence leads

Chapter 20: Elsie uses a favor to force Amari to reveal she’s under a magical vow; Jayden tames the shade.
Chapter 26: Jayden stands by Amari during the livestream.
Chapter 36: Elsie, Jayden, and Quinton rally around Amari after she loses her magic; Amari chooses to fight.
Chapter 16: Amari agrees to partner with Lara despite past bullying, and Lara later risks her father’s transporter.

Prompt 10: Weather Magic as a Metaphor for Emotional Control

Why this prompt matters
Amari’s weather magic is explicitly tied to her emotions. The novel uses storms, winds, and lightning to externalize her internal struggles.

Sample thesis direction
Amari’s weather magic functions as an emotional barometer: her uncontrolled storms reflect her fear and anger, while her success with the Wind Tamer spell signals growing self-mastery.

Evidence leads

Chapter 4: A spark skips across Amari’s fingers during the Witch’s Spades game.
Chapter 18: Maria reveals Amari is a weatherist and that her magic is reactive to her mood.
Chapter 22: Amari accidentally unleashes a storm during the Sky Sprints duel.
Chapter 27: Amari reads about the Calamity of the Skies and practices the Wind Tamer spell.

Prompt 11: Structural Contrast Between the Bureau’s Rules and the League’s Secrecy

Why this prompt matters
The novel sets two competing power structures—the Bureau (with its public rules) and the League (with its hidden traditions). This contrast drives the plot and thematic tension.

Sample thesis direction
By juxtaposing the rigid, public bureaucracy of the Bureau with the secret, morally ambiguous League, the novel questions which system can truly protect the supernatural world.

Evidence leads

Chapter 6: Amari meets Cozmo and learns about the League of Magicians and the Crown.
Chapter 14: Priya explains the League’s Rule of Non-Interference.
Chapter 19: Harlowe uses Bureau authority to frame Maria and control the narrative.
Chapter 33: Amari uses her understanding of both systems to find the time stone in the Congress Room.

Prompt 12: The Ending – Losing Magic but Gaining Agency

Why this prompt matters
Amari loses her magic in Chapter 35, yet the story ends with her choosing to fight. This inversion of the typical heroic climax challenges the idea that power must be magical.

Sample thesis direction
The novel’s ending redefines heroism: by stripping Amari of her magic, Alston argues that true agency comes from community, conviction, and the refusal to surrender—not from supernatural ability.

Evidence leads

Chapter 35: Dylan takes Amari’s magic after she surrenders her Victor’s Ring to protect Elsie.
Chapter 36: Amari feels hollow without her magic but learns Quinton’s curse is lifted.
Chapter 36: Quinton tells Amari, “Who says you need magic to be special?” and she decides to fight.
Chapter 36: Amari looks at Jayden and Elsie and realizes they still believe in her.

Each prompt above points to a specific sequence of scenes or thematic thread. Use the linked character and theme pages for deeper analysis: Amari Peters, Elsie Rodriguez, Lara Van Helsing, Jayden, and the themes of prejudice, friendship, power and responsibility, identity and belonging, and truth and deception.