Eager to wield their stapiers for Marvel Combat, Ella, Brigit, and Jason are back for their second year at the Arcanum Training Institute. With Ella’s celebrity growing throughout the Marvellian world after thwarting the Ace of Anarchy’s diabolical plans, it’s proving hard for her to focus on her coursework. But back home in New Orleans the Conjure community isn’t too happy about her return to the skies for another year learning to become a Marveller. As if life wasn’t complicated enough, Ella soon discovers more dangerous secrets about the Conjure architect who built the school.
Before she can dig deeper, a mysterious magical illness sweeps through the Institute, and Ella lands at the top of the suspect list. Can Ella and her friends save themselves and the Marvellian world before chaos breaks loose?
Dhonielle Clayton is the New York Times bestselling author of the Belles series and The Marvellers. She’s also the co-author of The Rumor Game and the Tiny Pretty Things duology, which was made into a Netflix original series. To say Clayton’s a big deal in books would be an understatement, but if you’re yet to experience her incredible world-building, this novel is a great place to start.
The Memory Thieves is the action-packed sequel to the instant New York Times and #1 Indie Bestseller, The Marvellers! In this fantasy adventure set in a global magic school in the sky, Ella, Jason, and Brigit return for their second year at the Arcanum Training institute.
Like many others, I’m a huge fan of The Marvellers, so I had very high expectations for book #2… and wow, did it exceed and deliver! The Memory Thieves continues to have the elements we loved in book #1: magic school, excitement and fantastic characters, all used as a gateway to explore themes of bigotry, prejudice and conflicting beliefs in an educational system.
The diversity in this series shines, and is weaved into the magic, the characters and the school itself. All children will find someone to relate to – everyone is represented here.
This time around, Ella is navigating some new challenges, with her Conjuring work and a mysterious illness is plaguing the school. Through Ella’s experiences and challenges in this instalment, readers are presented with themes of acceptance, finding your place in the world and learning to deal with conflict, all wrapped up in a magical mystery. It’s fun, exciting and thought-provoking.
Clayton does a fantastic job at progressing the series forward, giving further insight to our main characters, their histories, and elevating the vivid world-building. Everything is taken up a notch here, and I feel more invested than ever. I also loved how the novel is set up: reading it from Ella’s POV with interludes from Gia’s perspective, and mixed media extracts scattered throughout. It’s a guaranteed way to keep readers engaged – reluctant readers, I’m looking at you.
If you’re already a fan of The Conjureverse series, then this is a must-read. But if you’re new to this world, then you already have two books waiting to be devoured. I recommend it for children aged 8+. With some new revelations brought to light in The Memory Thieves (no spoilers here!), I’m left eagerly awaiting the release of book #3.
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