Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

I really enjoyed the first book and have had to wait for what feels like forever to read the sequel! It was good and I enjoyed the narration. I definitely recommend this series if you or someone in your life is into middle grade fantasy stories!

So timely! But vividly imaginative and fun. A perfect middle grade sequel. It was a great trip back to the world of The Marvellers. Join Ella and her friends as they have to stop Gia once again. And enjoy the magic of this book along the way!

I cannot tell you much about this book without spoiling the first one, but I will tell you that Clayton definitely carried over all of the intensity and adventure from the first book but truly has brought the readers a new and fresh story that readers are going to love!

I loved this sequel to The Marvellers. I loved where the story took us and seeing the characters grow up. I was so taken by the story. I was enthralled from start to finish and could picture the school so well and rooted for Ella and her friends the entire time. The plot truly thickened in The Memory Thieves and I was oh so here for it. I cannot wait for more from this series. It's just so so good and captivating. I love these characters and I want to see what more they can do!

I was really excited for this sequel. Like many second books in what I hope is a continued series, it is there to continue the over all plot, rather than stand alone as its own story. That being said, I look forward to getting to know these characters more and learn more about this fascinating world!

I didn't fully get to read the whole of this one, but, it seemed to be very well written, and have interesting twist and turns! Definitely a great Middle Grade read, and sequel!

It was a great trip back to the world of The Marvellers. Join Ella and her friends as they have to stop Gia once again. And enjoy the magic of this book along the way!

Why are more people not talking about this series??

While The Memory Thieves is the second installment of the Conjureverse series, meaning I cannot talk too much about the plot so as not to reveal spoilers from book one, I can say without a doubt that the world-building author Dhonielle Clayton establishes in the first and continues to build in the second is some of the best middle grade fantasy world-building out on the market today. I love the Conjureverse.

Ella is back at the Arcanum Training Institute for young Marvellers for her second year, but this year things seem to be even more tense than her first. There are several other Conjurers at the school this year, following in Ella's footsteps as the first Conjurer to join the Institute, but not everyone is happy about it. And the unrest comes from both sides, Marvellers and Conjurers alike are upset about it. While Ella and her two best friends Jason and Brigit experience all the ups and downs of any boarding school tweens, they are also still dealing with the Big Bad Villain from book one, who has many of her own scenes as well. This was my one complaint for this book -- I felt like there was too much from the villain's pov that I think are meant to be tantalizing in their obscurity (like lots of little hints dropped, but things are never fully explained), but I found them a bit aggravating. I would have rather just followed our main three. They are such interesting and compelling main characters who are easy to root for and complex in their backstories.

Gosh, I love this series so much and wish more fans of MG fantasy would read this one. It's so excellent and I cannot wait for more from the Conjureverse.

The Memory Thieves did not disappoint! It’s a great fast paced sequel that builds more of the Marvellers/Conjureverse world we fell in love with in The Marvellers. The constant mysteries surrounding the Marvellers, the Conjurors, Gia and her Aces keeps the page turning and leaves the reader wanting the next installment!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
The Memory Thieves delivers the same magic and fun as its predecessor. I loved continuing to explore this world, from the diverse types of magic represented and its deeper implications to the little in-jokes Dhonielle Clayton embedded in the text. While these are slightly less on-the-nose this time around, the name-dropping of certain author friends and colleagues nonetheless still got a chuckle out of me.
Ella navigates some new challenges this time around, particularly the struggle to find acceptance in a society that is suspicious of Conjurors. Even at the school, she deals with tension based on this, in spite of the fact that she has already proven herself in her previous adventure in the last book. This conflict is juxtaposed with Ella’s New Orleans Conjuror community being reluctant to allow her to return to the school. Even with these conflicts, I admire Ella’s perseverance, especially as she faces more challenges due to a mysterious plague.
With all the magical intrigues going on, there’s a lot of moving parts to this story, and it kept the story engaging. That and the fun/often illuminating interstitial bits contribute to the fast pace of the story, keeping me on the edge of my seat to figure out what would happen next and how Ella would bring down the villain.
This is another fun installment for this series, and I’m so excited that there’s more forthcoming! If you’re interested in middle grade fantasy-adventures in a similar vein to Harry Potter or Percy Jackson, I recommend checking this series!

Having adored the first book in this series, I was surprised to find this one to be a struggle to read. Second book syndrome is hard to avoid, but it can be overcome if there is enough action to move the plot along. Instead, there is so much world building and description that I often felt my attention waning. Ella and her friends make a few discoveries and thwart the same villain as last time, but very little has been revealed about how the overarching problem is going to be solved. It seems as if there will be more like seven books or more in this series at the pace that is being developed. The book left a satisfying note at the end with where things are headed, so I will read the third book, but set my expectations up for a slower build.

I enjoyed this sequel to the Marvellers! It has the same whimsical feel that I loved from the first book. It seemed that the beginning was a little slow and the story really got going past the halfway point, but from there it was wonderful. I think it sets up the coming books well and really establishes the upcoming plot! I do wish there was a glossary of terms since it is hard to remember what some of the words mean from book one.

Pleased to confirm there's no second book syndrome in sight in this installment. I often hesitate to continue series, because the sequels often don't live up to the first book for me, but that's definitely not the case here. It had been a while since I read book 1, but I quickly became immersed in this world again, and it was just as whimsical as book 1. I know we're at least getting a third and fourth installment, so I'm going to keep an eye out for those!

I think this book did a lot of really cool & interesting things wtih the world. There were moments of high tension and great fear (for me, lol) and moments of good friendship, and I really enjoyed the time we got to spend learning more about Conjurors.

Dhonielle Clayton does it again! The Marvellers was one of my absolute favorite books of last year, and I have been eagerly awaiting the next book in this absolutely delightful series. The Memory Thieves builds on the magical world the author has created, and gives us a deeper dive into the main characters & their personal histories, in such a satisfying way. I adore the creativity that went into each bit of the world-building, and love how the Marveller school changes form each year. This series has filled a void that has been left in my life after moving away from a previously beloved magic school series, and fills me with the same sense of wonder that takes me straight back to my childhood days of eagerly devouring each new book release.

I love how Dhonielle's work allows all kinds of children, from all backgrounds to feel represented in her magical world, while never shying away from tackling the deep & all too real issues of bigotry & inequality that so many experience in their daily lives. Ella's Conjuring work is seen as both inferior to Marveller work, yet also something so powerful as to be worthy of immense fear and distrust, a seeming contradiction that echoes a great many parts of both history, and current day reality, in our own world.

With the newest revelations of the truth behind Ella's society, as well as within her own family, I am now eagerly awaiting the third installment in this series. (Also, film adaptation when??? I need one ASAP! As soon as Hollywood & co stop striking, someone please get on it!)

A worthy sequel if there ever was one, and now I want the sequel to this one! I stand by wanting a Marvellers/Conjureverse encyclopedia, but it seems the website for these books is going to be pretty close to that.

Another excellent story by the amazing Dhonielle Clayton. Ella and everything about her world is magical. A modern relevant Harry Potter. Dhonielle is a master storyteller. You can’t help but picture yourself in this magical world alongside Ella during all of her adventures.

What worked:
If you haven’t read “The Marvellers”, you should know that conjurors like Ella evoke a wide range of emotions from the other characters. It’s safe to say they make most of the citizens uncomfortable while others fear and/or detest them. The way their abilities work isn’t generally known and conjuring’s connection to death is disconcerting. The fact that Ella saved everyone from public enemy number one in the first book makes her a hero and celebrity but another point of view says it’s all part of a conjuror plot. Prejudice against conjurors runs rampant and is still a major issue in the book. Many in the conjuror community themselves aren’t happy to see Ella attending the Arcanum nor her godmother teaching Marveller students conjuror secrets. Some of the problems are relatable to real-world debates concerning immigration and segregation. Ella found original blueprints for the Arcanum in the first book and she’s determined this time to uncover secrets about the importance of conjurors in founding the institute.
The author does a marvelous (pun intended) job of providing complicated relationships and school drama. The other students have mixed feelings about Emma and she really wants to be accepted. Readers will wonder if friendly gestures toward her are sincere or conceal devious intentions. One new student clearly detests Emma and does little to conceal her disdain. She’s an obvious antagonist but she’s also conducting some sneaky business within the walls of the school. In addition, something is affecting the health of some students as they’re suffering from headaches and nosebleeds and their powers aren’t working properly. Gia (kind of like this book’s Voldemort) is back and has some kind of master plan brewing that is sure to bring the world of Marvellers down to its knees. The fact that she’s the mother of Emma’s roommate only complicates matters more.
Each chapter ends with news articles, letters, or messages that address events and thoughts from behind the scenes. There’s an upcoming election in the Marveller world so some stories address the issues and candidates and try to get Marvellers riled up. Ella and her friends send notes back and forth but Ella also receives anonymous messages that she’s being watched. Letters to Ella’s parents from the Arcanum and the conjuror government inform readers of additional complications developing inside and outside the school. The articles and messages at the ends of the chapters educate readers about subplots and conflicts without wasting pages of narrative that might distract readers from the main story.
What didn’t work as well:
I hate to say this but there are a lot of things going on and it can be challenging to not lose focus on the major storylines. For example, the first line in the synopsis talks about Marvel Combat but it’s really not important in the overall plot. The book already has the mystery of the Arcanum architect, politics and the election, Gia’s nefarious plans, and problems with Ella’s friends, non-friends, and family to name a few plots and subplots. It can be too much.
The Final Verdict:
Overall, this book offers a fantasy world, fantasy creatures, and characters with mystical powers. Ella discovers new conjuror abilities that open up new possibilities. I recommend you read “The Marvellers” before moving on to this book but most young lovers of speculative fiction will surely enjoy them both.

This was fun. Loved the adventure, world building, and characters. It was also a pretty interesting concept.