Dhonielle Clayton, The Marvellers, HarperCollins Publisher, June 2022, 416 pp., RRP $17.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781460762882
Eleven-year-old Ella Durand is about to become the first conjuror to enter the Arcanum Training Institute, where she will join Marvellers from all over the world. She is excited to discover what her marvel will be and to which Paragon she will belong. But not everyone welcomes this precedent and Ella will need courage and resilience to prove her magic is pure. She finds friendship with her roommate, Brigit, a rebel who can knit visions, and with Jason, who is kind, supportive and has the knack of communicating with magical creatures. However, not all is as it seems in the Institute and Ella is worried about the disappearance of one of her tutors. Meanwhile, a dark character, the Ace of Anarchy, sits in a cell in the Underworld. She is executing her plan to escape and is coming for the Marvellers.
This middle grade fantasy has a rich, well-realised world with a sophisticated plot, diverse characters and a myriad of magical creatures and objects. Ella is a likeable character, smart, determined, and hopeful. She faces challenges such as discrimination and proves to be brave and resourceful, standing up for herself and her beliefs. The other significant characters are also well-developed and carry their own intrigue. There are so many fresh imagined concepts that are introduced in building this world that it would have been useful to have a glossary or a visual dictionary at the back as a reference.
The text is prefaced by an introduction to the five paragons and an invitation to attend the Arcanium Training Institute for Marvellous and Uncanny Endeavours. There is a helpful map and peppered throughout are interesting snippets such as news articles, star post entries, handbook pages, timetables, and a wanted poster.
Readers will find many similarities with other fantasies about magical boarding schools but there is enough integrity and intrigue to set it apart. I look forward to recommending it to my Harry Potter and Nevermoor fans. There seems to be more to come in the series, with a sequel September 2023.
Reviewed by Sharon Seymour
