The Hatmakers

A hatmaker in training, magic, a lost father, a mad king, a secret friendship, and chaos all come together in this delightful and fun adventure of a story! It follows Cordelia Hatmaker, a young girl who’s father doesn’t return home from an expedition leaving Cordelia scrambling to find any clue of his survival. She is adament that he is alive and has survived the shipwreck, all the while her family is still continuing their work of creating magical hats. In particular, a hat for the King whom everyone believes has gone mad and without a magical hat to cure him, who knows what will happen next. Cordelia goes on a fantastical journey of navigating a looming war and trying to find her father, she must find out who she can trust and follow her wits to survive.

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

Funny, boisterous, and wise, Tamzin Merchant’s spellbinding debut draws readers into a vibrant and captivating new world and introduces a heroine who keeps wildness in her wits and magic in her fingertips.

*Thank you netgalley and W. W. Norton & Company for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

What do we all have in common? We are makers. This is an amazing tale of loss, fury, hope, friendship and love. What would you do if your father was said to have drowned and your country was on the verge of war? Cordelia, Goose and Sam will lead the way. A one sitting read that adults and children will love. Hopefully not the end of their story.

This is a really well paced and fun book. The book keeps a fast pace while still providing great world building. I was on the edge of my seat through the last few chapters and loved the ending. I also love the magic system of the makers which combines alchemy and haberdashery for a very fun and creative series of magical clothing items. The main character is from a family of hat makers who used magic imbued trimmings to create hats that help people. I also appreciated that the makers strive to help people and overall used their magic only for good. I really enjoyed this book and would love to read more from this world as a series.

This is a Historical Fiction Fantasy Middle Grade book. I have to say I love this world/the magic in this book. This book was very well written. I also really loved the mystery. I enjoyed the characters in this book. The characters was very developed, and they made the story come to life. I did not want to put this book down, so I stayed up late just to finish reading this book. I think this book would be good for 5th grade and older. As an adult I also think adults will love this book. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Norton Young Readers) or author (Tamzin Merchant) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review about how I feel about this book, and I want to send a big Thank you to them for that. This book is schedule to be release on January 7-2021.

The Hatmakers is a delightful fairy tale about love of family, friendship, courage, hope, and what we will do to protect the people and things that we hold dear. Debut author Tamzin Merchant leaves no stone unturned nor detail left dangling. The story beautifully encapsulates adventure, fantasy, and lovable characters while telling a tale that will certainly become an instant classic. When our brave protagonist loses her beloved father in a stormy boating accident, Cordelia Hatmaker embarks on the adventure of a lifetime. Her goal of finding her father soon turns into much much more as she realizes it is up to her to maintain peace in the kingdom. Along the way, she meets a whole host of interesting characters placed in her path to either help or hinder her search and her imminent mission. Luckily for Ms. Merchant's future fans, The Hatmakers final page lends itself perfectly to an upcoming sequel. I am grateful to NetGalley and W. W. Norton and Company for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. Also, thank you Ms. Merchant for discovering your gift for the written word. I will definitely be recommending this precious book to my students and middle school friends.

The Hatmakers is a fantastic middle-grade novel about a girl named Cordelia. Her family are the Hatmakers in the town, she being the youngest. The story takes you on an adventure with a bit of mystery and plenty of magic. It is so fun and well-written. I really enjoyed the setting and the Hatmaking technique and tools. The characters are personable and Dilly and her crew are very likable. I can't wait until the next book.

Tamzin Merchant’s middle grade novel tells the story of the magical Hatmakers, who have served the royal family of England for generations. Into each hat, they are able to add magic through various ingredients, always carefully weighing, measuring, and planning how each tiny decoration will interact with another to create the desired effect on the wearer. But someone is trying to stir up a war between France and English, the king seems to be acting more and more out of touch with reality, and as if all that weren’t bad enough, the head of the household, Prospero Hatmaker, has gone down with his ship in a terrible storm. At the center of all this is his daughter Cordelia, who–upon hearing that her father is “lost at sea”–decides that if he’s lost, he can be found. She spends much of time in the book attempting to acquire the means to go search for him, running into the bigger problems of royalty and war almost incidentally. Her main adversaries, as she sees them at the start, are the other Maker houses: The Glovemakers, Watchmakers, Bootmakers, and Cloakmakers. Cordelia doesn’t have near the distaste for them as the rest of her family, however, and even keeps a strong friendship with a boy her age in the Bootmaker household.

I absolutely adored the magic system in this book. There’s tons of stories about different characters having access to different magical elements and being stronger when they all come together. But in The Hatmakers, rather than usual fire/air/earth/water, these families work their magic through different articles of clothing. The rivalry between the families, although a bit heavy-handed, makes sense within the world, especially later on in the book as we learn a little more about the rough history between them.

Cordelia checks all boxes on the perky middle grade heroine list: she’s resourceful, clever, doesn’t take no for an answer, and she’s capable of working with or without adults’ help. From an adult standpoint, I would have preferred her to be a bit more nuanced–making more mistakes and struggling due to her own faults rather than the faults of others. But for children who just want a character they can step into the shoes (or hat) of and experience an exciting adventure in a unique world with, Cordelia serves as a perfectly adequate reader avatar. Adults may see the twist at the end coming, but it will take plenty a young reader by surprise, and the pieces of the story fit together nicely.

If you need something for a curious middle grade reader who’s tried the more popular series and is looking for something new, The Hatmakers is a nice choice.

The Hatmakers is a very cute, fast-paced, and creative middle-grade historical novel that centers on Cordelia Hatmaker, her missing father, and magic. When someone starts using their magic to cause chaos, it is up to Cordelia to solve it. This book is a wonderful debut and the first book of a series that will enthrall ten-year-old readers.

Thank you, NetGalley and W. W. Norton & Company for the opportunity to read an advance reading copy.

British-born actress Tamzin Merchant ("Pride & Prejudice," "The Tudors") makes her literary debut with "The Hatmakers," a delightful and engaging middle-grade novel centered around one compelling young child, Cordelia Hatmaker, whose beloved father fails to return from his ingredient-hunting expedition.

While most consider him to be lost at sea, Cordelia isn't quite convinced and determines to discover the truth while her family members continue to go about their daily business including fulfilling a very important order from the King for a Peace Hat.

I will confess that it took me a couple of chapters to immerse myself in the world being created by Merchant, though once I did so I was enchanted from beginning to end.

This fantasy adventure is a highly visual story - I found myself imagining the tale along with Merchant's words as I encountered such delightful characters as Cordelia, Sam, Aunt Ariadne, those Bootmakers, and others. It's not particularly surprising, I suppose, that an actress would so vividly bring to life such a story yet I must also say that "The Hatmakers" feels like the kind of book made for delightful late-night storytelling and bedtime adventures.

Everything in Cordelia's world starts to go awry when the enchantments woven into the magically manifested goods of the Hatmakers, Cloakmakers, Bootmakers, Glovemakers, and Watchmakers all begin to induce rage and chaos rather than their intentions and other mysterious happenings advance the prospect of war between England and France despite everyone's stated desire to stop it!

By following her heart, Cordelia's bravery and resourcefulness may very well prove to be essential to restoring order and unity in the Kingdom and to Making peace in the land once more.

With illustrations by Paola Escobar, "The Hatmakers" is a wonderfully paced non-stop adventure filled with imagination and heart and more than a few themes that could easily relate to our more contemporary world.

I couldn't help but adore the characters created by Merchant, especially the children, and while certain elements of the story are rather predictable Merchant beautifully weaves into that tapestry other unexpected surprises and occasional twists.

I've always felt like British writers have a tendency to speak up to children rather than down, a tendency that is fully alive in Merchant's intelligent, slightly progressive writing that that reveals a trust in children to understand complicated relationships and the sometimes weird world of adults. Merchant nicely blends together the innocent curiosity of childhood and that stage in development where a child begins to more enthusiastically assert that curiosity to learn and grow.

While quite often an actor's venture into writing feels vain or self-serving, with "The Hatmakers" Tamzin Merchant asserts herself as a worthy author of whom we should most certainly pay attention. "The Hatmakers" feels like a natural manifestation of Merchant's marvelous talent and it's a talent I hope she will continue to explore for years to come. "The Hatmakers," indeed, feels like it could easily be a series or a world of adventures and it's a world to which I'd happily return even as this reader is much more a middle-age reader than a middle-grade reader.

This was fantastic and a wonderful middle grade to start off the year! The Hatmakers had me on the edge of my seat and laughing every other page. The characters, Cordelia especially, were so wonderful to follow through this atmospheric historical fantasy; the mix of real and magical history was truly a treat. The plot kept me guessing and the writing was perfectly whimsical. The world Tamzin Merchant created is so creative and thrums with the potential of Cordelia's stories to come! There's even a glossary in the back of the book that gives more insight into the ingredients Makers use to create their wonderful clothing items. This story was so special, I hope everyone picks it up!

This book was truly magical and I would love to see it made into a movie.

The characters were great, the plot was intriguing and the adventure was fun. It made me smile a lot. It set up book two for even more adventure and I couldn't be more excited.

Adults will find it predictable but I don't think that will be the case with children reading this book.

Thank you to Norton Young Readers and W. W. Norton & Company for the advanced reading copy.

I loved every minute of this book. It was magical. I felt such whimsy while reading, it was the perfect comforting read to escape into. The vivid imagery and imagination in this novel is unparalleled. If you enjoy books with a little magic and strong heroine this is a must.

This was a WONDERFUL book! I love middle grade and this was just a fantastic journey into that genre. It made me feel happy and I was able to escape the world into this wonderful, beautiful, heart-warming, stunning, book. Have I said enough?? You should read this book. Right now. It was so good. So so good. Get it.

Thank you to W.W. Norton & Company and NetGalley for providing me an opportunity to review this title.

Cordelia Hatmaker, lives with her extended family and is learning how to weave enchantments into the hats they produce. Hatmaking is just one of the ‘Maker’ magical skills and the Hatmaker family is joined by Bootmakers, Glovemakers, Cloakmakers, Watchmakers and Cane makers. The Maker guilds are all very, very separate – to the point of outright hostility – which makes it awkward when the kingdom desperately needs their unified talents to avoid an international war.

Alongside her friends, Goose and Sam, Cordelia must solve the mysteries of what really happened to her father, to the king, and to the Maker guilds, and who is trying to prevent them from fulfilling their most important order ever.

Throughout this story, Cordelia reminds us about the importance of bravery, resourcefulness, and following your heart.

This book was an utterly delightful and charming laugh-out-loud adventure packed with whimsy, magic and friendship in a world that is just as enchanting as its characters.

When Cordelia is told that her father, a Hatmaker who recently left to gather ingredients for the hats his family needs to make, died in shipwreck, she refuses to believe it. Cordelia is convinced that her father is simply lost at sea, and she thinks she can find him. However, at the same time she tries to find her father, a treacherous plot is secretly getting put into place that could hurt all of the Makers and the royal family. Will Cordelia be able to figure out what is going on in time to save those closest to her?

Well this was certainly adorable! A magical world with a fantastic plot and wonderful characters, The Hatmakers is a great middle-grade novel. Although it took me a little while to learn who was who and get used to the extravagent objects mentioned throughout the story, I soon got sucked into what was going on and didn't want to stop reading! Cordelia was such an entertaining protagonist, and her determination to find her father and save the day made me love her even more. I am really hoping there will be a sequel, as the ending left me needing to know what happens next!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Norton Young Readers for the ARC of The Hatmakers by Tamzin Merchant!

After Cordelia Hatmaker’s father is shipwrecked before reaching his destination, her Aunt and Uncle have no hope that they will ever see him again. But Cordelia truly believes that he will return, and she is determined to do anything to find him, even though it goes against her family’s wishes. Meanwhile, her Aunt and Uncle work to make a Peace Hat for the King, and the other Maker families (The Bootmakers, Cloakmakers, Watchmakers, and Glovemakers) also work to make Peace clothing. But when someone threatens to destroy the Maker’s objects and war with France looms, Cordelia must join forces with her friends to determine who is threatening the safety of the Makers and the Kingdom.

Tamzin Merchant’s debut novel creates a fun world of magic and enthralling characters. The main character, Cordelia Hatmaker, stands out because of the optimism and bravery she displays throughout the novel. She never loses hope that she will find her father, and while she faces obstacles on her journey, her hopefulness allows her to summon the strength she needs to fight for her family. The Hatmakers’ close bond and shared appreciation for the delicate art of hatmaking highlights the importance of family and tradition. Yet, Cordelia’s secret friendship with a Bootmaker–a rival Maker family–illustrates that blood does not define your loyalty or friendships and that you are successful when you work as a team. Overall, it is Cordelia’s fierce personality that makes her a joy to read in this novel. She chooses to follow her heart and become the person she desires to be, despite opposition she may face from her family and the world. Anyone who is a fan of being swept away by a magical world will love this story!

(Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing us with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change.)

The Hatmakers is even more delightful and beautiful than its cover--and I think that it's cover is spectacular.

The Hatmakers follows Cordelia, a young girl who is part of the legacy of the Hatmakers family. The story has two general plotlines, one overarching one in which Cordelia's father, Prospero, is reported lost at sea after a shipwreck, and the main plotline in which there is a potential war brewing that the Makers are all fighting with one another over to assist the queen and stop.

Now, the magic in this book is really fun. One way in which is manifesting is in how the various families Make items. For instance, the Hatmakers imbue their hats with a variety of unique and oftentimes hard to get items--such as moonbeams, storms, and feathers from rare birds--that, when worn, can give the wearer feels of peacefulness, happiness, excitement, you name it. I assume this is also how it works for the Bootmakers, Glovemakers, Cloakmakers, and so on. I loved learning about all of the different trades and their methods of Making various magical items, as well as some tidbits here and there about past events that the Makers have been a part of.

The characters, such as Cordelia, Sam, and Goose, were all so full of life and had the most vivid personalities. There's plenty of twists and some drama littered throughout, and I appreciated how well Merchant portrayed these elements through her characters' reactions and emotions. The only perspective we follow is Cordelia's, but I still appreciated how much effort Merchant went to in order to create well-developed characters, even more minor characters that only show up in a few scenes.

I had so much fun reading this book and it really captured that nostalgic magical feeling I used to get when reading books as a kid. The setting itself is really fun and has a historical Georgian London time period that combines a sense of real history (think 'alternate,' maybe) with some magical twists that made it feel so timeless and welcoming to me. It's an exceptionally immersive setting that I really loved diving into and hope to discover more of in future books.

Merchant's writing is stunning and vivid, written with a beautiful prose style that is both accessible and full of elegance and wit. Some of my favorite parts of Merchant's writing are her focus on detail and her wit, both of which seem to play hand in hand. Something that I am always drawn to in books is when an author includes very minor, quirky details or insights about a world that aren't necessarily necessary, but that for me serve to build up the world and create a more immersive experience, and this is something that I think Merchant captured really well. Similarly, in doing this she includes some strong wit in both her creative details and a bit a humor that acts as an undercurrent and really helps make this story flow even better than it already does.

Overall, I loved this middle grade fantasy and have given it five stars! If you enjoy middle grade fantasy or are simply looking for something fun, imaginative, and exciting, then you should definitely pick up The Hatmakers.

The Hatmakers is a rollicking adventure for young readers by Tamzin Merchant. Due out 2nd Feb 2021 from Norton on their Young Readers imprint, it's 368 pages and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. The art by Paola Escobar is whimsical and appealing and really sets off the story very well.

It's always a red-letter day when I come across a really good juvenile book. This one took me back to my own early book-loving days. A love of reading which lasts a lifetime is an incredibly precious gift and it wouldn't surprise me at all to hear someone in 20 years claim this book was the start of the bibliophile life for them. A dark and stormy night, an unexpected crash at the door, a shipwreck, and the start of a boundless adventure for young Cordelia Hatmaker who is brave, loyal, resourceful, and magical. There are so many cool details in the storytelling and the book itself that it's hard to narrow down to a few. The characters are wonky and wonderful. There is an abundance of whimsy, but it doesn't detract from the fact that it's really well written and put together. I loved loved loved the addition of a glossary at the end containing an abbreviated herbal ingredients (with funny made up (but appropriate) botanical names).

I enjoyed this one very much and would recommend it without reservation for public and school library acquisition, gift giving to a 9-12 year old friend/family, or as a bedtime read for precocious younger kids.

Five stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

“Keep wildness in your wits and magic in your fingertips!”

Cordelia Hatmaker is a member of one of the 5 maker families whose job is to make clothes for the royal family of of England. The story starts with the Hatmaker family receiving devastating news…Prospero Hatmaker, Cordelia’s father, has been lost at sea. While the family mourns his lost Cordelia comes up with a plan to find her father because he can’t be gone, he is only lost at sea. Before she can go forward with her plan the Hatmaker family as well as the other makers (glove, boot, cloak, watch) are tasked to make peace clothes for the royal family to help with the growing threat of war between France. But in the shadow a villain is lurking and is goal is to stop the makers from succeeding.

This book was so much fun to read! The magic is great and I loved reading about all the different kinds of hat ingredient and what they’re used for in hat making. This book is fun and at time a little how silly and you can’t help but laugh. I really loved Cordelia and how she never backed down when things got tough. Her friendship with Goose Bookmaker is one of favorite parts of the book. I really enjoyed the authors writing style and I am so looking forward to the next book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital copy of this book!

*I received a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

The book is a breath of fresh air. The magic of this world is so unique and wonderful that you're going to quickly fall in love with this universe and want to stay there! I also absolutely adore Cordelia. She is a force to be reckoned with and I love spending time with her! There's also tons of excitement and a fantastic cast of characters that's just going to keep you hooked from start to finish!

A must-read for fantasy lovers!