By Dhonielle Clayton
The book has received great praise including words such as “tantalizing, gorgeous, fresh, endearing” and more. What sets this story apart from other magical stories and series is that it is rooted in ongoing important recent dialogues. Without being heavy handed, Clayton seamlessly interweaves our society’s ever present systemic biases and stereotypes and promotes dismantling it and furthering equality, acceptance and support for all. When in this book, the Conjurors are finally admitted into the closed world of Marvellers we see all of our prejudices played out in this world of magic. Kudos to Dhonielle Clayton for sharing these truths amidst 404 pages of a fantasy chapter book. Readers, adult and child, alike will champion Ella Durand as she braves her first school year with excitement even though she becomes a target of distrust and hate. I hope future books about the “ Marvellerverse” will continue this exciting story but also will be more tightly edited with an eye towards smoother transitions and even more details. I look forward to hearing lots more about this story!