Mixed feelings on this one. I can appreciate what the author is aiming to do - providing representation that is lacking in a lot of similar magical school stories. Not just the characters, but the magic systems are very multicultural, which makes the world feel more alive, showing the various ways the magic manifests and how people interact with it. There were aspects (beyond just the generic magic school idea) that were rather reminiscent of Harry Potter, but there was also a solid foundation for the series to distinguish itself.
However, I had problems with the structure and pacing of the story. There was a lot of disconnect between different aspects of the book. It is very slow-paced for the first half to two-thirds of the book. Too much time was spent on inconsequential aspects of the world that didn’t seem important to the characters, the plot, or even the themes. I love exploring a world, but I wish there had been a little more focus because some of the more relevant aspects of Conjuring, Marvelling, and the magical societies were confusingly vague. Of course, more books are coming in the series, so perhaps when the whole series has come together the world will feel more solid. The bigger issue for this book, on its own, was that the protagonists and the main villain, the Ace of Anarchy, had little to do with each other. Ella had no personal connection to the Ace and didn’t interact with her in any way until the last fifth of the book. Her escape from prison was kind of a background detail that caused some increase in rumors and discrimination against Ella, but nothing much more than she was already subjected to. This made their confrontation feel abrupt and not impactful. There wasn’t much rising tension or build-up as the plot progressed and what there was felt mismatched with the climax we got.
Overall, I thought The Marvellers was mediocre, but not bad, and a good alternative to something like Harry Potter for kids in that age range. I can see the series improving and really taking off.
However, I had problems with the structure and pacing of the story. There was a lot of disconnect between different aspects of the book. It is very slow-paced for the first half to two-thirds of the book. Too much time was spent on inconsequential aspects of the world that didn’t seem important to the characters, the plot, or even the themes. I love exploring a world, but I wish there had been a little more focus because some of the more relevant aspects of Conjuring, Marvelling, and the magical societies were confusingly vague. Of course, more books are coming in the series, so perhaps when the whole series has come together the world will feel more solid. The bigger issue for this book, on its own, was that the protagonists and the main villain, the Ace of Anarchy, had little to do with each other. Ella had no personal connection to the Ace and didn’t interact with her in any way until the last fifth of the book. Her escape from prison was kind of a background detail that caused some increase in rumors and discrimination against Ella, but nothing much more than she was already subjected to. This made their confrontation feel abrupt and not impactful. There wasn’t much rising tension or build-up as the plot progressed and what there was felt mismatched with the climax we got.
Overall, I thought The Marvellers was mediocre, but not bad, and a good alternative to something like Harry Potter for kids in that age range. I can see the series improving and really taking off.