Amari and the Great Game: Chapters 1–8

by B.B. Alston
In this second book of the Supernatural Investigations series, thirteen-year-old Amari Peters of Atlanta's Whitman Preparatory Academy must compete for the Crown in order to save her brother, stop a war, and prevent the future of magic from being controlled by evil forces.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–8, Chapters 9–16, Chapters 17–26, Chapters 27–36

Here is a link to our lists for Amari and The Night Brothers.
40 words 51 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Definition First
Print Flashcards

Other learning activities

Answer a few questions about each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Compete with other teams in real time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!

Teaching tools

Create and assign quizzes to your students to test their vocabulary. Assign learning activities including Practice, Vocabulary Jams and Spelling Bees to your students, and monitor their progress in real-time.

Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. sprawling
    spreading out in different directions
    A few blocks ahead lies the sprawling downtown campus of Whitman Preparatory Academy.
  2. tussle
    disorderly fighting
    A big, bald bodybuilder guy in a Muscles Win Tussles T-shirt stands behind the counter.
  3. jut
    extend out or project in space
    Suddenly tufts of bright red fur appear on his head and neck, and two curved tusks jut from his jaw.
  4. casual
    appropriate for ordinary or routine occasions
    But then I blink, and he looks human again. That’s the benefit of the more expensive glamours—even my True Sight eye drops only work for a few seconds before the disguising enchantment kicks back in. This one is definitely something from Vivi LaBoom’s City-Camouflage Casual Collection.
  5. conspiracy
    a secret agreement to perform an unlawful act
    Watchers are folks who’re convinced there’s more to the world than meets the eye. According to them, there’s this huge global conspiracy to hide the fact that supernatural creatures from myths and legends are real and secretly live among us.
  6. poised
    marked by balance or equilibrium and readiness for action
    Despite this, a thirteen-year-old girl seems poised to prove that magicians don't have to be bad.
  7. protege
    a person who receives support from an influential patron
    Not only did those two start the Ancient War, but Moreau survived to commit horrible crimes for seven hundred years—until last summer, when he was betrayed by his magician protégé, Dylan Van Helsing.
  8. clad
    having an outer covering especially of thin metal
    There’s even memes of me clad in armor, reaching up to call down lightning.
  9. infuse
    fill, as with a certain quality
    You have to infuse the dough with used tea leaves from a successful prediction, a Magic 8-Ball has to be present in the room, the stars have to be in the proper alignment, the fire pit you bake it in has to have yielded at least three visions in the past year...and those are just the requirements I can remember.
  10. medium
    someone who communicates between the living and the dead
    “Guess I should stay in the Department of the Dead. Being a medium does make me a good fit.”
  11. feat
    a notable achievement
    And magicians can use their magic to perform seemingly impossible feats.
  12. aura
    distinctive but intangible quality around a person or thing
    “Your aura is really yellow.”
    Reading auras is a perk of being a weredragon. Emotions give off certain colors, called auras, which Elsie can see.
  13. queasy
    causing or fraught with or showing anxiety
    “Okay, so I’m not saying your fortune was right,” Elsie says worriedly. “But I am saying this storm is making me a little queasy.”
  14. jostle
    come into rough contact with while moving
    But that’s when my luck runs out—the bus will hit a bump in the road that jostles her awake, or somebody’s phone will go off, or the kids in the seat in front of us will start another shouting match that no one with ears could sleep through.
  15. notorious
    known widely and usually unfavorably
    Gargoyles are notorious pranksters who love hiding on old buildings making faces at people behind their backs.
  16. waver
    be unsure or weak
    Elsie’s smile wavers as she turns back to Mr. Ames.
  17. unprecedented
    novel; having no earlier occurrence
    The cause of such an unprecedented and dangerous display of magic remains unclear.
  18. inconsolable
    sad beyond comforting
    The rest of us get sent to the auditorium to watch Mrs. Laurel wail inconsolably through the ending of Macbeth.
  19. prestigious
    having an excellent reputation; respected
    Dylan and I weren’t the only magicians who got outed last summer. Maria, Dylan’s older sister, was too. Turns out, the prestigious Van Helsing family had been secretly passing down their own magic to select members of the family for centuries.
  20. stout
    fairly large
    One is tall and skinny, the other short and stout.
  21. fretful
    nervous and unable to relax
    Tall Witch makes a fretful face and places a card at the center of the table.
  22. beg the question
    elicit or call to mind an obvious, unanswered query
    “It begs the question, though, don’t it...?” asks First Witch. “Only reason for the Deputy Minister to take charge is if the Prime Minister ain’t available.”
  23. mottled
    having spots or patches of color
    You’d never know it from his hunched figure and mottled tree-bark skin, but the old elf led the supernatural world’s armies against the Night Brothers in the Ancient War, and he’s been leading the supernatural world as Prime Minister ever since.
  24. wraith
    a ghostly figure, especially one seen shortly before death
    Those wraiths have never forgiven magicians for what happened to them. Bane himself has craved revenge, as he was captain of that cursed squadron.
  25. grandeur
    the quality of being magnificent or splendid
    Our coven was among those who broke with the Sisterhood of Witches and joined the Night Brothers. We were young and foolish, lured in by the grandeur of their magic.
  26. grudge
    a resentment strong enough to justify retaliation
    “Cards get offended when you stop the game midturn. Can hold a mean grudge too. Punishments for losing will be extra nasty next time we play if the turn isn’t ended correctly.”
  27. invoke
    summon into action or bring into existence
    That is why I am invoking emergency powers to name myself Prime Minister of the Supernatural World, effective immediately.
  28. solemn
    characterized by a firm belief in your opinions
    I will root out every magician scurrying in the shadows. And, above all else, I will restore order to our world. You have my solemn vow.
  29. reckoning
    a time or act of being held accountable; a settling of accounts
    “From this point forward, a crime committed by one UnWanted is a crime committed by all. A reckoning is coming!”
  30. derogatory
    expressive of low opinion
    Unwanted—Slang. Derogatory. Name used for magicians and other supernaturals who fought on the Night Brothers' side in the Ancient War.
  31. impeccable
    without error or flaw
    “It just so happens I was making arrangements to pay you a visit in the morning, and here you are. Impeccable timing.”
  32. steward
    someone who manages property or affairs for someone else
    I am merely the League’s steward, meaning my authority is temporary and hardly complete. I’m meant to guide magiciankind only until a born magician can take over as its rightful leader.
  33. disarray
    a mental state characterized by a lack of clear thought
    “You want me to lead the League of Magicians?”
    “You must! The League is in disarray!”
  34. sheepish
    showing a sense of shame
    “I thought you didn't need my help?”
    Jayden’s grin turns sheepish.
  35. rile
    disturb, especially by minor irritations
    He doesn’t know anything about magicians or the Night Brothers, and certainly not about the time freeze at the Congress Room that’s got the supernatural world so riled up.
  36. reinstate
    bring back into original existence, function, or position
    We did a livestream this morning on Lara’s Eurg page about how unfair it is to make you and Maria, two of the biggest heroes at the Bureau, unwelcome just because you’re magicians. I repeated what I said about there not being proof, and Lara asked her three million followers to demand that you both be reinstated under the hashtags #VanQuish and #TheGoodMagician.
  37. downplay
    understate the importance or quality of
    I’ve spent the last year downplaying all the support I’ve gotten, mostly because I get nervous and embarrassed by too much attention.
  38. personnel
    group of people willing to obey orders
    We follow the walkway around until we reach a door marked Zoo Personnel Only.
  39. serenade
    sing and play for somebody
    Me and Elsie rush across the lobby, which is being serenaded by cupids strumming golden harps high overhead.
  40. shroud
    cover as if with a burial garment
    Another microphone pops into view, this time held by something shrouded by a veil.
Created on Sun Feb 26 12:55:11 EST 2023 (updated Wed Mar 08 14:54:35 EST 2023)

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.