Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

In her debut novel, British actor Merchant creates an elaborate fantasy world around a family of magical milliners. Cordelia Hatmaker, almost 12, is smitten with grief at the apparent loss at sea of her beloved father. Despite the tragedy, Cordelia’s extended family members continue to fulfill their duties as Hatmakers to the Crown. Their hats are works of art, custom-made using rare ingredients to magically influence the moods and intentions of their wearers. The family’s present task is to create a Concentration Hat for the king, who turns out to be none other than England’s King George in full insanity mode. Cordelia’s compassion for others leads to friendship with a member of the archrival Bootmaker family as well as a street urchin named Sam. The friends work together to overthrow a complicated plot to wage war on France spearheaded by the dastardly Lord Witloof, who stands to profit from war by manufacturing cannons. This is an action-packed story with an appealing role model in feisty, determined Cordelia, who acquires confidence in fighting evil and protecting family and friends. Magical elements, complicated plot twists, and colorful characters will appeal to Philip Pullman and Harry Potter fans, although the subject matter is on the younger side for the reading level. A cliffhanger ending implies a sequel. All characters present White. Illustrations not seen. A swashbuckling romp for lovers of history and magic. (glossary, note about ingredients) (Fantasy. 9-12) Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

In her debut novel, British actor Merchant creates an elaborate fantasy world around a family of magical milliners.Cordelia Hatmaker, almost 12, is smitten with grief at the apparent loss at sea of her beloved father. Despite the tragedy, Cordelias extended family members continue to fulfill their duties as Hatmakers to the Crown. Their hats are works of art, custom-made using rare ingredients to magically influence the moods and intentions of their wearers. The familys present task is to create a Concentration Hat for the king, who turns out to be none other than Englands King George in full insanity mode. Cordelias compassion for others leads to friendship with a member of the archrival Bootmaker family as well as a street urchin named Sam. The friends work together to overthrow a complicated plot to wage war on France spearheaded by the dastardly Lord Witloof, who stands to profit from war by manufacturing cannons. This is an action-packed story with an appealing role model in feisty, determined Cordelia, who acquires confidence in fighting evil and protecting family and friends. Magical elements, complicated plot twists, and colorful characters will appeal to Philip Pullman and Harry Potter fans, although the subject matter is on the younger side for the reading level. A cliffhanger ending implies a sequel. All characters present White. Illustrations not seen.A swashbuckling romp for lovers of history and magic. (glossary, note about ingredients) (Fantasy. 9-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Horn Book
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

While waiting for her sea captain father's return, Cordelia Hatmaker gets terrible news: his ship has foundered and gone down with all hands. Cordelia's aunts and uncle try to set aside their grief to finish the magically endowed Concentration Hat commissioned for the king, but Cordelia decides that her father (whose name is Prospero, hint hint) isn't dead but rather "lost at sea," and that "what is lost can be found." The rest of this energetically zany fantasy details Cordelia's efforts in that direction -- after the Concentration Hat fails to relieve the king's madness, Cordelia focuses on petitioning the princess for use of a boat; the princess can't help her due to the looming war between England and France but tells Cordelia the palace has learned her father's cabin boy survived the wreck and is lying delirious in a sailor's sickbay in Wapping. Meanwhile, per France's aggression, the Makers are tasked with making the princess some Peace Clothing, but each rival Maker family is robbed before they can complete the piece. There's a lot going on -- plots, subplots, vivid descriptions of the magic of Hatmaking, adjectives galore -- but Merchant (heretofore known mostly for her acting roles in The Tudors and Salem) tucks each wild strand in neatly, forming a vibrant, surprisingly credible whole. There's even an enticing wrinkle at the end regarding the fate of Cordelia's missing father. For those who like their swashes well-buckled and their Loquacious Lilies fresh, this over-the-top fantasy checks all the boxes. (c) Copyright 2023. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.