Name: The Hatmakers
Rating: 4 (17 reviews)
ISBN: 9781324016038

Tamzin Merchant

An enchanting fantasy adventure about the importance of bravery, resourcefulness, and following your heart from a debut celebrity author.

The Hatmakers

Really enjoyed! A wonderful romp with magic and mystery! Excited to read the next book :)

Samantha Cummings

Elizabeth Neill

This was the cutest and sweetest book I have read this year, it is perfect story about friendship and family. My niece would love this book and I will be buying this for her. Cordelia is a wonderful character and watching her grew though the book was great. The book was very well written and the pacing was good too. It was very fast to get into and very easy to follow. Tamzin Merchant debut novel was very good, I highly recommend it to anyone who loves magic and whimsy. I can't get want to see what other novels Tamzin Merchant will be writing.

The first adventure in a spellbinding new magical world. 'Wildly inventive . . . full of laugh-out-loud humour, enchanting magic and rebellious hope. I loved it' Catherine Doyle Cordelia comes from a long line of magical milliners, who weave alchemy and enchantment into every hat. In Cordelia's world, Making - crafting items such as hats, cloaks, watches, boots and gloves from magical ingredients - is a rare and ancient skill, and only a few special Maker families remain. When Cordelia's father Prospero and his ship, the Jolly Bonnet, are lost at sea during a mission to collect hat ingredients, Cordelia is determined to find him. But Uncle Tiberius and Aunt Ariadne have no time to help the littlest Hatmaker, for an ancient rivalry between the Maker families is threatening to surface. Worse, someone seems to be using Maker magic to start a war. It's up to Cordelia to find out who, and why . . . 'An utterly charming adventure full of wildness, wit, magic and heart' Anna James Featuring illustrations by Paola Escobar.

Jennifer

Awww I really enjoyed this!! Tamzin Merchant's The Hatmakers is one of the most creative and enjoyable middle grade books that I've read in 2021 so far. It has unique magic concepts, fun & action-packed plots, as well as gorgeous illustrations that kept me engaged throughout.

Set in the magical alternate Georgian London, The Hatmakers is told from the narrative of 12-year old Cordelia Hatmaker. There's a lot going on in The Hatmakers: it's not just a story about dealing with loss of loved ones (here Cordelia is determined to find her father who's lost at sea), it is also an intriguing story of self-discovery and family secrets (with pinches of magic and rivalry).

What I found most impressive in The Hatmakers is Cordelia's character arc. Despite all of the hardships and roadblocks she's been through, it warms my heart to see her becoming more and more confident of her own skills: she's fearless and determined. And for the book's intended audience, the messaging about developing tenancity and resilisnce is very resonating!

To wrap up this short review, I want to say that The Hatmaters is unlike any other middle grade books that I've read. It's spellbinding and magical and I just wish I could spend a few more moments in this magical world!

N.B. This book contains following content warning: accidents and grief

Nickie Mohler

Cordelia Hatmaker comes from a long line of Hatmakers. Every hat is special and made for a purpose. With war looming, all of the Makers must create items for the Princess that inspire peace. To create a peaceful item, you must have peace in your heart while making it. That is easier said than done. While the family is making the peace hat, Cordelia's father is lost at sea, making it hard for them to have happy and peaceful thoughts. Other outside matters also make it seem like someone is conspiring against them. 

I loved this book so much! It's about friendship, adventure, believing in your own magic, and hope. The characters are fantastic. The story is fantastic. The ending made me want the next book right now! This is definitely an author I will read more of.

I received a copy from Net Galley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Renee Delcourt

This is everything I want from a middle grade fantasy series. Daring, and adventure, love and family, new and old friends. I adored this book and can not wait to read the next book!

Megan Engela

What a magical ride! I adored the characters, who seemed like old friends, and whom I could hear when reading, they seemed so real. This book gave me whimsy and adventure with an absolutely unique idea that I completely gobbled up (magic in objects to make magical objects!) it made me want to go looking for magical items in my own life just to add to the pages at the back of the book! The illustrations were beautiful and I cannot wait for the sequel. A stand-out first novel by Tamzin Merchant!

Melea Mullican

6.29 on CAWPILE

I enjoyed this book, but not quite as much as I was hoping. There are some middle grades that pull off the ridiculous and whimsy so well, and others, I can just never really connect with because of it. This was one of those books. There were too many moments that were utterly ridiculous even in my opinion for kids. Cordelia acted much more like a 9-10 year old than a 13 year old, and the dialogue was beyond repetitive. Even a middle schooler doesn't need the same basic sentence repeated 3 times to understand. Sadly, I think the repetitiveness was an active decision to propel the silliness.

Even still, I enjoyed the adventure and the friendships in this book. It had a good message, and I think kids would enjoy the magic of the Makers.

The Hatmakers

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