The Marvellers

The Marvellers
Dhonielle Clayton
Holt, 2022
404 pages
Grades 4-7
Fantasy

Marvellerverse series #1

Ella leaves home to begin as a student at the prestigious Arcanum Training Institute, where young people train to harness and use their magical abilities. This should be a joyful monument for her family, but it is clouded by Ella being the first conjurer to attend the school and with her enrollment comes hate, fear, and discrimination. Ella is placed in a suite with elite girls, only to find herself relocated the next day to a double with school outcast and weirdo Brigit. Jason, a kind boy with a connected family, is the last to join their trio, but is he hiding something? Even though Ella is succeeding academically and trying as hard as she can, it seems as if the school is trying to get rid of her. Teachers find fault in everything she does and students don't seem to trust her. Ella has a friend in her God Mother, who is a new teacher at the school, and her advisor. When the advisor goes missing, it is up to Ella and her friends to find him. The main problem is, though, Ella is being accused of a crime she didn't commit by another student. How can she clear her name and set it all to rights?

Respected author for teens, Clayton reconnects with her middle grade magic in this new series opener. Kids who love fantasy and those who are convinced that they really are magical at heart will find much to love here. You can't help but compare the book to the Harry Potter series and the Arcanum Training Institute, hidden in the clouds, has a Hogwarts vibe. Clayton offers layers within her plot as Ella must solve the mystery of who is sabotaging her experience at the school and what happened to her beloved teacher. Meanwhile, twists and turns abound and the reader is taken on a ride as new secrets are revealed and danger is encountered at every corner. A subplot involving an escaped villain adds further dimension and the occasional changing to her point of view, as well as some unexpected formatting, will keep readers intrigued. The main mysteries are sewn up, but the intentions of the escape villain are still unclear, leading readers to the next series installment, yet to be published. Even though this is a work of fantasy, many themes, including the discrimination faced by conjurers, ring true in our present "Muggle" world. I felt that the book went on a bit long, but hardcore fantasy readers will applaud the length, eat up the story, and wait for Ella's second year at the institute. Not for reluctant readers, but will certainly find a readership among smart and savvy magic lovers.