Before we get started with the major part of this review, I have to say this: I believe this is a YA book, not a middle grade. While the author claims her characters are 11, I feel they act much older, like 15-16. Maybe Arcane children grow up faster than mundane ones or just act older. That is possible, but I have my doubts.
That being said, I enjoyed the story. Ella is a Conjuror child and the first of her kind to attend the Institute for Marvelous and Uncanny people. Until recently, conjurors were considered a lower class of magic workers, only a step above con-artists and confidence tricksters. Also, conjurors dealt with the dead, always alarming. Ella is primed to prove her brand of magic is real magic. If only the other students would accept her.
As a first, she is tested constantly and any time she misses the high mark, she is made to feel like an abject failure. Then the only professor who believes in her vanishes. She is told only that he is on an extended sabbatical. She doesn't believe that and goes to find him. That is against the rules, so she gets lots of resistance until she convinces a few other students to help her.
The book, as such quest stories do, drags in places and moves much to quickly in others. All in all, it is a good read and I did get lost in it in places. I think you will be pleased with it yourself.
I received this book from the publisher through a website contest. I review all books I read.
That being said, I enjoyed the story. Ella is a Conjuror child and the first of her kind to attend the Institute for Marvelous and Uncanny people. Until recently, conjurors were considered a lower class of magic workers, only a step above con-artists and confidence tricksters. Also, conjurors dealt with the dead, always alarming. Ella is primed to prove her brand of magic is real magic. If only the other students would accept her.
As a first, she is tested constantly and any time she misses the high mark, she is made to feel like an abject failure. Then the only professor who believes in her vanishes. She is told only that he is on an extended sabbatical. She doesn't believe that and goes to find him. That is against the rules, so she gets lots of resistance until she convinces a few other students to help her.
The book, as such quest stories do, drags in places and moves much to quickly in others. All in all, it is a good read and I did get lost in it in places. I think you will be pleased with it yourself.
I received this book from the publisher through a website contest. I review all books I read.