The Marvellers

by Dhonielle Clayton

Series: Marvellerverse (1)

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Fantasy. Juvenile Fiction. Juvenile Literature. HTML: Dhonielle Clayton makes her middle-grade debut with a fantasy adventure set in a global magic school in the sky *�??an instant New York Times* and #1 Indie Bestseller! "The Marvellers deserves the highest compliment I can give a book: I want to live in this world." �??Rick Riordan, #1 New York Times bestselling�??author** Eleven-year-old Ella Durand is the first Conjuror to attend the Arcanum Training Institute, a magic school in the clouds where Marvellers from around the world practice their cultural arts, like brewing Indian spice elixirs and bartering with pesky Irish pixies. Despite her excitement, Ella discovers that being the first isn't easy�??some Marvellers mistrust her magic, which they deem "bad and unnatural." But eventually, she finds friends in elixirs teacher, Masterji Thakur, and fellow misfits Brigit, a girl who hates magic, and Jason, a boy with a fondness for magical creatures. When a dangerous criminal known as the Ace of Anarchy escapes prison, supposedly with a Conjuror's aid, tensions grow in the Marvellian world and Ella becomes the target of suspicion. Worse, Masterji Thakur mysteriously disappears while away on a research trip. With the help of her friends and her own growing powers, Ella must find a way to clear her family's name and track down her mentor before it's too late. "A marvelous gift of a novel! With fantastical twists at every turn, Clayton has created a world that readers won't want to leave." �??Angie Thomas, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of The Hate U Give and Concrete Rose… (more)

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Gr 3–7—Ella is the first Conjurer to attend the Arcanum Training Institute, and she can't wait to hone her magical
skills. But she's stuck spending most of her energy dealing with the other students' (and teachers') prejudices
against Conjurers. This is a stellar example of a fresh take on the magic school subgenre.

BackstoryBooks | Apr 1, 2024 |

children's middlegrade audio fiction (~12 hrs, delightfully and skillfully narrated by Joniece Abbott-Pratt), 1st in series

published Jan 2023

Ella comes from a long and proud line of skilled Conjurors in a tight-knit African-American community in New Orleans, but she is the first (and only) of them to enroll in the magical international Marvellers school, which had heretofore been closed to them due to long-standing prejudice against Conjuring and its association with the Underworld.

Here is a fun, diverse middlegrade adventure at a magical boarding school with highly enjoyable narration--I'm impressed with the range of international voices provided by Abbott-Pratt, but also just really love Ella's and her little sister Winnie's voices. It is a bit on the longer side, but I would definitely recommend this one to any interested readers wanting another middlegrade magic series to devour. (

)

reader1009 | Dec 22, 2023 |

Ella Durand is the first Conjurer to attend Arcanum Training Institute, where Marvellers learn to discover and develop their magical talents. Marvellers have historically looked down on Conjure magic, labelling it "dark and unnatural." Ella is excited about her new school and eager to prove herself and make new friends.
Ella becomes friends with her new roommate, Brigit, who doesn't seem to want to be at A.T.I. at all, and Jason, a classmate whose talent is communicating with magical creatures. Ella realizes that not everyone wants her at the school, and she encounters microaggressions and blatant prejudice from some teachers and fellow students. Tensions mount when a dangerous convict escapes from prison and Conjurers are blamed.
Ella maintains her positivity in the face of terrible discrimination. She is a brave, persistent girl with a strong sense of justice and a supportive family. The Marvellers is a middle grade fantasy that tackles some important real-world issues while being suspenseful and engaging. The world building is detailed, creative and vivid with a well woven plot. A highly recommended addition to the magic school genre. (

)

PennyOlson | Nov 27, 2023 |

This was an exciting book that I think any young reader would find thoroughly engaging. I loved that this book offered me a Black female main character that was courageous, intelligent, witty, loyal, and clever. She is the type of role model that any young person can learn from and her journey is one that will be remembered by readers for a long time. As you can guess, I am always drawn to a book, especially when choosing for a younger reader, that showcases the best of all people and can help to open not just the reader's imagination but their mind and eyes to their own world as well. And this book does that but inviting everyone to an international school with cast of characters that reflects their world not just in description but it name and voice! There is such wonderful depictions of the myriad of cultures, genders, religions, etc that fill our world and showcase the magical in our daily lives.

Thank you Dhonielle Clayton for giving me a wonderful options to broaden any reader's worldview through and sharing your talent to inspire others! I cannot wait to read Book 2! (

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RedReviews4You | Nov 23, 2023 |

Superficial worldbuilding

From the cover alone, I couldn't wait to read this book. I really enjoyed Ella and her family--I want to be part of this supportive, loving multigenerational family. The secondary characters, however, mostly seemed two dimensional and therefore stereotypical. I liked the diversity included, but questioned the use of actual author names for some of the teachers.

The worldbuilding felt superficial and lacked the depth and development that would have made me suspend my belief and become invested in the world. It also felt like a clone of Harry Potter (even the cover shows three characters) and his friends Ron and Hermione, but the world of Harry Potter is built at a much higher and more imaginative level than this one.

Why did the world dislike Conjurors? I still don't know and I finished reading the book. This seemingly random racism that often led to bullying and name calling didn't tug at my emotions at all.

Overall, the idea of the book is good, but the execution is seriously lacking and often left me either confused or bored. (

)

DanielleHammelef | Oct 1, 2023 |

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It’s too bad that. while I can appreciate the novel’s intentions, I was not crazy about the result. Many details of the setting remained unclear; the pacing in the first third of the novel was positively glacial. This may be because it is volume one and it was necessary to establish the setting. At times, reading this was a bit of a chore. Perhaps book two will be better.

added by JalenV | editJames Nicoll Reviews, James Davis Nicoll (Dec 9, 2022)

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▾Awards and Honors

Awards

Charlotte Huck Award (Honor – 2023)

CYBILS Awards (Finalist – Elementary & Middle-Grade Speculative Fiction – 2022)

Goodreads Choice Awards (Nominee – Middle Grade & Children's – 2022)

Ignyte Award (Shortlist – Middle Grade – 2023)

Juniper Book Award (Longlist – 2024)

Texas Bluebonnet Award (Nominee – 2024)

Three Stars Book Award (Nominee – Middle School – 2023)

Volunteer State Book Award (Nominee – Middle School – 2024)

The Week Junior Book Awards (Shortlist – Older Fiction – 2023)

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The Marvellers

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2023-01

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For the kids missing from magic stories who started to believe that there was nothing marvelous about them & for Jason Reynolds, who hates dragons! Beloved readers, be sure to ask him why.

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▾Book descriptions

Fantasy. Juvenile Fiction. Juvenile Literature. HTML:

Dhonielle Clayton makes her middle-grade debut with a fantasy adventure set in a global magic school in the sky �??an instant New York Times and #1 Indie Bestseller!
"The Marvellers deserves the highest compliment I can give a book: I want to live in this world." �??Rick Riordan, #1 New York Times bestselling�??author

Eleven-year-old Ella Durand is the first Conjuror to attend the Arcanum Training Institute, a magic school in the clouds where Marvellers from around the world practice their cultural arts, like brewing Indian spice elixirs and bartering with pesky Irish pixies.
Despite her excitement, Ella discovers that being the first isn't easy�??some Marvellers mistrust her magic, which they deem "bad and unnatural." But eventually, she finds friends in elixirs teacher, Masterji Thakur, and fellow misfits Brigit, a girl who hates magic, and Jason, a boy with a fondness for magical creatures.
When a dangerous criminal known as the Ace of Anarchy escapes prison, supposedly with a Conjuror's aid, tensions grow in the Marvellian world and Ella becomes the target of suspicion. Worse, Masterji Thakur mysteriously disappears while away on a research trip. With the help of her friends and her own growing powers, Ella must find a way to clear her family's name and track down her mentor before it's too late.
"A marvelous gift of a novel! With fantastical twists at every turn, Clayton has created a world that readers won't want to leave." �??Angie Thomas, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of The Hate U Give and Concrete Rose