First impressions of this opening installment in a major new fantasy adventure series for children are that the front cover does a good job of introducing readers to the main characters.
Taking centre stage is eleven-year-old Ella Durand, who is the first Conjuror to attend a magic school called the Arcanum Training Institute. She is supported by two friends; Brigit, a girl who hates magic, and Jason, a boy with a fondness for magical creatures.
However, Ella becomes the prime suspect when Ace of Anarchy (the villain of the piece) escapes prison with an apparent Conjuror's aid, while her Elixirs teacher Masterji Thakur disappears during a research trip. Ella must therefore use the help of her friends as well as her own growing powers to clear the family name and find her mentor.
The early stages are mostly written in short sentences and digestible paragraphs, becoming more descriptive during some of the conjuring which in itself highlights the author's interest in magic, and there are breaks from the third person narrative with the use of induction letters, newspaper cuttings and conjure edicts to introduce each chapter. The diagrams of the five paragons of marvelling are also reminiscent of a map/list of characters you might get before the beginning of a historical/fantasy novel.
Taking centre stage is eleven-year-old Ella Durand, who is the first Conjuror to attend a magic school called the Arcanum Training Institute. She is supported by two friends; Brigit, a girl who hates magic, and Jason, a boy with a fondness for magical creatures.
However, Ella becomes the prime suspect when Ace of Anarchy (the villain of the piece) escapes prison with an apparent Conjuror's aid, while her Elixirs teacher Masterji Thakur disappears during a research trip. Ella must therefore use the help of her friends as well as her own growing powers to clear the family name and find her mentor.
The early stages are mostly written in short sentences and digestible paragraphs, becoming more descriptive during some of the conjuring which in itself highlights the author's interest in magic, and there are breaks from the third person narrative with the use of induction letters, newspaper cuttings and conjure edicts to introduce each chapter. The diagrams of the five paragons of marvelling are also reminiscent of a map/list of characters you might get before the beginning of a historical/fantasy novel.