Why Stories Still Save Me: From Amari to Dungeon Crawler Carl to Jumata Emill
When Life Feels Too Real, Stories Keep Me Breathing
There are seasons in life where the real world feels unbearably loud. The headlines are relentless, your career is shifting beneath your feet, and the people you counted on are either gone or going through their own storms. In those moments, you don’t just want distraction — you want something that reminds you who you are, even when you can’t quite remember for yourself.
For me, that reminder comes in the form of stories.
Not just any stories — but the kind that weave truth into imagination, that remind you resilience is both a muscle and a gift.
This season, three literary forces have done exactly that:
B.B. Alston’s Amari and the Night Brothers — a fantasy that mirrors the realities of being underestimated.
Matt Dinniman’s Dungeon Crawler Carl — an absurd, brilliant reminder of the power of adaptation.
Jumata Emill’s novels — healing, deeply rooted in representation, and a testament to narrative power.
B.B. Alston’s Amari and the Night Brothers — A Mirror in a Fantasy World
When I first opened Amari and the Night Brothers, I thought I was just picking up another middle-grade fantasy series to pass the time. What I didn’t expect was to be pulled into a world that felt eerily familiar — not because I’ve ever battled magicians or supernatural forces, but because I’ve battled systems designed to keep me in my place.
Amari Peters is a young Black girl navigating an extraordinary, magical organization where the odds are stacked against her from the moment she arrives. She’s underestimated, doubted, and even feared — not because of her actual abilities, but because of the perceptions others have about who she is and where she comes from.
For me, that wasn’t just fantasy — it was déjà vu. I know what it’s like to step into rooms where my presence is questioned before I even open my mouth. To excel and still be told, in ways direct and indirect, that my best might never be “enough” in a space not built for me.
Alston has said in interviews that he wanted to write a story where a Black girl got to be the hero without her identity being erased or sanitized for comfort. That intention is felt on every page. Amari’s magic is both literal and metaphorical — it’s her resilience, her resourcefulness, and her refusal to dim her light for anyone’s convenience.
Leadership Lessons from Amari:
Visibility comes with resistance. The higher you rise, the more scrutiny you face.
You can’t wait for permission to lead. Amari doesn’t wait to be invited into heroism — she steps into it.
Build your circle of trust. Allies aren’t just nice to have; they’re necessary for survival.
Master the system, then rewrite the rules. Amari learns the game so she can change it.
Reader Reflection: Where in your own life have you been asked to prove your worth twice over — and what strengths did that pressure bring out in you?
Matt Dinniman’s Dungeon Crawler Carl — Chaos, Creativity, and Adaptation
Matt Dinniman’s Dungeon Crawler Carl series is, on the surface, pure chaos. A LitRPG world full of absurdity, danger, humor, and the kind of wild creative twists that make you say, “Did that really just happen?” But under all the spectacle, it’s a clinic in adaptation.
Carl’s world is constantly changing. The rules shift mid-game. The dangers escalate. Every decision carries consequences — some immediate, some that show up chapters later. He survives because he learns. He experiments. He pivots when the plan falls apart.
Reading this during a season of personal upheaval hit differently. I saw my own career transition reflected in Carl’s constant recalibration. In leadership, you can do everything “right” and still have the ground move under you — budgets slashed, leadership priorities reversed, whole departments dismantled overnight.
Dinniman’s storytelling reminds me that agility isn’t reactive — it’s proactive. The people and organizations who thrive aren’t the ones who cling to “the way we’ve always done it.” They’re the ones who build muscle memory for change.
Leadership Lessons from Carl:
Agility is a survival skill. You either adapt or you get left behind.
Levity is leadership. Humor can diffuse tension and keep teams moving forward.
Resourcefulness matters more than resources. It’s not what you have; it’s how you use it.
Calculated risks are necessary. Playing safe in a volatile environment is its own kind of danger.
Reader Reflection: Where in your life or leadership have you needed to make a pivot — and what did you learn about yourself in the process?
Jumata Emill — The Healing Power of Representation
And then there’s Jumata Emill. His novels don’t just tell stories; they restore parts of you that you didn’t realize had been neglected.
Representation in literature is not ornamental — it’s foundational. It validates your existence, your voice, and your culture. It tells you that you’re not a side character in someone else’s narrative — you are the main character in your own.
Emill’s work refuses to flatten characters into tropes. His protagonists are layered, flawed, brilliant, and deeply human. For readers like me, his stories aren’t just entertaining; they’re reparative. They give permission to exist in full complexity, without the constant demand to translate or justify. I am pumped for their new book, “I Don’t Wish You Well.”
Leadership Lessons from Emill:
Narratives shape ecosystems. What we consume shapes how we see ourselves and others.
Cultural accuracy is a leadership strategy. Authenticity builds trust faster than any performance can.
Diverse stories are an investment in collective resilience. They strengthen communities by broadening empathy.
Healing is a form of leadership. Repairing the narratives around a people or culture is strategic, not just sentimental.
Reader Reflection: Whose stories make you feel most seen — and how can you amplify them for others?
Strategic Takeaways for Readers and Leaders
Stories are leadership tools. They sharpen empathy, expand perspective, and create safe simulations for decision-making.
Representation drives resilience. Seeing yourself reflected strengthens your capacity to lead authentically.
Fiction teaches strategic agility. Characters who adapt without losing themselves model leadership under pressure.
Imagination fuels innovation. If you can envision better in fiction, you can build better in reality.
Your reading list is part of your leadership development. Be intentional about what you consume.
The Stories Are Survival
When the world feels too real, I step into these pages — not to escape, but to remember.
B.B. Alston’s Amari reminds me of the courage it takes to stand in your brilliance.
Matt Dinniman’s Carl reminds me to adapt with both skill and humor.
Jumata Emill reminds me that telling our own stories is itself an act of leadership.
Storytelling isn’t just art — it’s survival strategy. And in seasons when you’re tempted to forget your own magic, the right story will hand it back to you — one page at a time.