"The Deadly Fates" by Dhonielle Clayton

The Deadly Fates (Mar. 4, 2025) by Dhonielle Clayton.

<This is the third novel in a series.>

<Potential spoilers for those unfamiliar with the series.>

Year Three is about to begin for Ella Durand, Brigit Ebsen, Jason Eugene and their classmates at the Arcanum Training Institute for Marvelous and Uncanny Endeavors. This year, the school will be floating above the Sahara Desert, so get ready for dry heat and daily sandstorms. If Ella’s lucky, maybe she’ll spot a sand-dragon. She and her friends saved the world from the diabolical Ace of Anarchy, and Ella was forced to make a gargantuan reveal. It’s rocking the world of both Conjurors and Marvellers, and tensions are rising. She’s determined to discover the truth of the Conjure architect and, hopefully, bring his body home so he can truly be at rest. She’ll need the help of both her living friends and deceased relatives. They’ll sneak into the Underworld, and Ella will learn how one of her ancestors was tricked into losing a set of the Cards of Deadly Fate (that set’s currently an impenetrable prison for supervillains). Chaos is about to ensue, threatening everyone. It’s going to bring violence that Ella isn’t expecting, and she will know deep loss, but she will also gain a companion. How will she and her friends uncover hidden truths when so many seem to be against her, going so far as to send her menacing starposts? (And by-the-way, what kind of monsters send threatening notes to 13-year-olds? I can’t even.)

            I can easily admit that I have a fondness for magic schools, and I wish I could’ve been a student here once upon a time. A global, magical, sky school? Sign me up! This third installment does not fall to middle-book syndrome, and neither does the previous. As engaging, intricate and well-developed as it is, with its spectacular worldbuilding, humor, bravery and thoughtfulness, it’s a no-brainer that readers who love fictional magic schools would love for them to not be fictional. This fantastical adventure enthralls from the first page with its immersive, emotive prose, and I absolutely love the cultural diversity of this series. My biggest woe is that my favorite character dies. I highly recommend this middle-grade fantasy to anyone, any age, who loves fantasy and magical schools. Step aside, Harry Potter, because the Arcanum Training Institute for Marvelous and Uncanny Endeavors is floating around! Just be sure to start with Book One in the Conjureverse series.

            Book One: The Marvellers

            Book Two: The Memory Thieves