The Hatmakers

A phenomenal beginning to a gorgeously-written adventure, there is magic woven into every sentence and I am clamouring for the sequel.

Set in a world where there are Makers, such as the Hatmakers, who weave enchantments into the hats they produce, allowing the wearer to be more bold, daring... or even violent! Cordelia is a Hatmaker who lives with her Aunt and Uncle, and one day her father becomes lost at sea. Not only that, but France is declaring War on England, and it's up to the various families of Makers to produce peace clothes for the princess. Can Cordelia find her father and stop a looming battle with France?

Loved this, start to finish. I was immediately drawn into the beauty of this world through the storytelling, and with magic fizzing in every word, I got carried away and finished before I knew it. The great thing about this is that there is huge potential with this world moving forward, and as this is the first in a series, I am beyond excited to see the adventure Cordelia goes on next.

I loved the various twists in the story and the excitement that is produced from certain moments throughout (scenes of which I will not spoil). There is a lot that goes on with various mysteries and villains that'll keep you reading to find out the who, what, when, where and why. And I am just fascinated by the history of Makers and what they do, and there's even a glossary at the back that's just simply fascinating and gorgeous and oh I just want to shout out my love for this book forever and ever!

Also, there's a big gay moment in this that made my heart so happy, but my lips are sealed until you read it yourself. I simply LOVED IT!

What an absolutely fantastic story, I really loved it. It is a quirky and original story that mixes an alternative version of England with magic and families that have the right to provide garments for the royal family; garments that can magically enhance the way the wearer acts. Definitely a big hit with a middle grade audience.

I was attracted to this book by the gorgeous cover, and by the idea of hatmakers that wield magic. It did not disappoint!

I really loved this book. I love the idea of weaving magic into the making of various items of apparel - most especially hats. The way that this is carried out in this story far exceeded my expectations. The footnotes/glossary of the magical ingredients is marvellous. The collecting of starlight, the house itself. It’s all just so magical and fun!

The characters themselves are excellent. I love Cordelia, Sam, and Goose especially, but the other characters of the Hatmaker family, even the cook, all seem their own people. I liked the princess too. She took on an awful lot of responsibility for a child, and did her very best.

The plot was exciting, and I never quite knew which way things were going to go next. The story fortunately ended happily for almost everyone (I’m a little worried about Jack, and hope he’ll crop up in the sequel), thank goodness.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this review, the cover is absolutely stunning. The book also contains beautiful illustrations and chapter headings. Paola Escobar has done a truly excellent job with all this artwork.

Overall, this was an exciting, magical, and delightful tale. It’s absolutely packed with whimsy and charm. I highly recommend it.

I was given a free copy of this book, my opinions are my own.

A wonderfully magical adventure! The Hatmakers blends a creative magic system, a determined and loveable main character and gripping mysteries into a fast-paced and captivating story. This book is perfect for fans of Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend and I will definitely be purchasing copies for my libraries.

This was a total cover request but it was one that served me well because this book was absolutely delightful and adorable. The world building is done well and I really enjoyed the premise of this book; I loved the features that went into the hats and the different properties that all the things had (I love the little glossary and comments at the end and felt they just added a real whimsical tone to the book).

The characters are delightful; this is the first book in what I hope will be a series and so hope that we get to explore the characters in the world more. I loved Cordelia, Goose, and Sam and thought they were such a good little troupe of characters. The princess was also a fabulous character and though she didn't appear throughout most of the book, she was still well established and you could understand her motivations.

Reading this as an adult it was still an enjoyable read and had such a magical tone to the book that you just couldn't not enjoy it!! The book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger and so i'm hoping that we will get a sequel to this book. This also looks to be the author's first book so i'm very impressed; the only thing that would have made this a 5* read for me is a little bit more depth in terms of the plotline - the twists were all quite straightforward, and whilst it's a children's book, i'd love there to be a bit more underhandedness going on!!

Thank you NetGalley for granting me this eARC.

A world of many Makers—there are Hatmakers, Bootmakers, Glovemakers, Cloakmakers, Watchmakers and Cane makers. Hatmakers weave enchantments into the hats they produce allowing the wearer to be more focussed, brave, daring, violent, angry; anything! And the hats need unique ingredients—like feather of an owl for which you have to undertake a journey, storms in jars, moonbeams etc.

Cordelia's father, Prospero, a renowned Hatmaker is lost at sea. She lives with her Aunt and Uncle and is learning bits and pieces about their family trade hatmaking. BUT Commisioned hats go wrong. There's a robbery. There are chaos. This is a big probem because France is declaring war on England, and the Maker-families through their magic can actually bring about peace. The peace clothes for the princess apeears to be missing and a villain and a thief is in their midst.

Fun, enjoyable with lots of good stuff. I loved the imagination about clothes and hats giving qualities to people. I was a bit annoyed that in some portions Cordelia thinks out loud and tells us what to understand instead of showing it in the story. But this was a nice, fun read nevertheless.

What an absolute treat! I adored this story of magical garments. In an alternative England, clothes are created to make their wearer be... different: more adventurous, more daring, etc. I loved the whimsical, unique world and the delightful characters. It's a story full of twists that both adults and kids will enjoy tremendously.

An absolute joy from start to finish, I loved this. Wonderful characters, great plot and a vividly imagined world. Plus a generous sprinkling of humour - perfect! I wish I could give it 6 stars.

This story was adorable and really shows what outrageous magic middle-grade novels can get away with. Cordelia is plucky and determined, her secret friend Goose discovers bravery, and Sam definitely steals the show. The magical ingredients and their properties and uses were delightful and unexpected, and I definitely enjoyed the footnotes/glossary explaining them when they appeared. The villains were cartoonish and dastardly, and the showdown outlandish and improbable, but also delightful. The Hatmakers were all wonderful characters and I adored the concept of magical milliners to the king and clothing created to imbue the wearer with desired feelings/characteristics. I look forward to the next book.

This is a wonderful adventure set in a fantastic and vivid new world where the makers of different object have the ability to create objects with different powers. This story focuses on Cordelia Hatmaker, a feisty young lady who is the youngest in her family of renowned hatmakers. Her father is lost at sea but while she focuses all her efforts on finding him, the makers have their own problems to deal with, including a possible war.

This is a wonderful story and I cannot wait to read the next instalment.

I really enjoyed this book.

Cordelia Hatmaker belongs to a long line of magical milliners who can wave magic into their clothes.

Cordelia's father is on a journey to find the ingredients to make the hats when his ship goes down in a storm - and he is lost. Cordelia is convinced that he is still alive and sets out to prove this.

As she does this she gets mixed in an ancient fund between the different milliners families and it could mean war for the country.

The book started of slowly setting the scene but the pace soon picked up withe lots of twists along they way, some I saw coming others I did not.

It has set up well for the next book in the series which I cannot wait to read.

What a magical tale of loss, determination and unwavering love.

My children and I thoroughly enjoyed this book, with my oldest son (8 year old) and I taking it turn about reading chapters. He was enthralled by the magic of the story and kept asking for one more chapter!

What an absolutely gorgeous book! Filled with adventure, magic and dastardly plots, this book makes for a thrilling read. I can't wait for the next one!

Step into the world of the Makers, where cloaks, boots, gloves and hats can have an immediate effect on your emotions and attitude. The famed families of Makers are talented, magical and dedicated to their craft. They are also enemies of each other and cynical of their products, each family believing theirs are the best!

In Tamzin Merchant's debut novel we step into Hatmaker House on the eve of some devastating news for the family. The youngest Hatmaker, Cordelia is at the centre of the storm whirling through the house. The famed Maker families are renowned across the city and their work is incredibly important so creating hats must continue though grief fills the house.

The workshop, alchemy room and shop are filled with ribbons, feathers and everything a hatmaker needs to create wonderful hats. However, these items need to be treated with respect and plenty of training in how to balance the key ingredients to create just the right emotion, attitude or strength for the wearer.

All of the Maker families have been asked to create peacemaker clothes for the Princess ahead of peace talks with France but when all the items are stolen, there is a hunt for the thief across the city, and talk of war between the two nations. Cordelia, head strong, determined and full of hope, rises to the challenge of catching the thief, along with forbidden friend Goose, and new friend Sam.

As in every great adventure there is courage, hope and an unwavering trust in friendship and family. There are also twists, turns and surprises! I was completely enchanted by The Hatmaker family and their amazing hats. I loved the sense of family and love and the devotion to friends shown throughout the book.

The illustrations by Paola Escobar are perfect for the story and although I read the book via Netgalley, I could appreciate how brilliant they are and will await for the physical copy to enjoy them further

Just wow!!! I absolutely wolfed this book down!

This is Tamzin’s debut novel...I have high hopes for the rest of her novels if this is what she starts with.

The story rotates around Cordelia, the youngest in a family of Hatmakers who is desperate to become old enough to make her own hats. She’s so full of life, hope, exuberance, and a little bit rebellious. When her father and his boat are thought to be lost at sea, Cordelia does not accept this and sets out to find him. Whilst doing this she has....well...honesty, where do I start? Friendships to fix, crimes, hats, kings, a war to stop?!! Never mind her education!

I absolutely devoured this book, and I am devastated that I have to wait until 2022 to find out what happens next.

Just absolutely fabulous! I love it!

My thanks to Netgalley and
Penguin Random House Children’s UK for this copy in exchange for an honest review (please can I have the next one soon?!! PLEASE!!)

The Hatmakers is an utterly delightful and charming laugh-out-loud adventure packed with whimsy, magic and friendship in a world that's as enchanting as its characters.

Spirited eleven year-old Cordelia Hatmaker is a passionate apprentice hatmaker, descended from a line of legendary Hatmakers. The Hats (and other clothes) in this world are altogether magical. The six legendary Maker families (Hatmakers, Bootmakers, Glovemakers etc) can, with the right combination of spelltastic ingredients, craft articles of clothing that inspire things in the wearers such as courage or peace, and 'Menancing' ingredients can be used for nefarious purposes (and so are rightly locked away). One day, Cordelia's father is lost at sea and as she sets out to find him, she finds herself needing to save her family and even the Princess of England when a villain seems intent on starting a war… 

"It was a wild and lightning-struck night. The kind of night that changes everything"

Stories featuring strong female hatmakers have captured my heart since meeting Sophie in Market Chipping and this one is no different. Although this isn't quite the next Howls Moving Castle<, it's an adorable younger sister to it and delighted my heart as much. Cordelia shares many of the same traits with Sophie: she's determined, loyal and unafraid of doing what's right. The escapades of Cordelia and her friends had me snort-laughing-out-loud, with some delightful twists and a gay romance subplot that melted my heart. The book is beautifully illustrated to boot, and although I read this as an eBook think it would be a stunning paperback to read tucked up in bed or under piles of blankets under a star dusted sky.

The target reading age is 9 - 12 years but this is a lovely escapist adventure for adults too. Put this on your early 2021 reading list. Noli Nocere, readers...

This is a delightfully quirky children's book. It will appeal to children between the ages of 6-8, particularly girls. The author has a lively imagination and great attention to detail. It looks like this is one of a series. The illustrations are beautiful.

Set in a world where there are Makers, such as the Hatmakers, who weave enchantments into the hats they produce, allowing the wearer to be more bold, daring... or even violent! Cordelia is a Hatmaker who lives with her Aunt and Uncle, and one day her father becomes lost at sea. Not only that, but France is declaring War on England, and it's up to the various families of Makers to produce peace clothes for the princess. Can Cordelia find her father and stop a looming battle with France?

Loved this, start to finish. I was immediately drawn into the beauty of this world through the storytelling, and with magic fizzing in every word, I got carried away and finished before I knew it. The great thing about this is that there is huge potential with this world moving forward, and as this is the first in a series, I am beyond excited to see the adventure Cordelia goes on next.

I loved the various twists in the story and the excitement that is produced from certain moments throughout (scenes of which I will not spoil). There is a lot that goes on with various mysteries and villains that'll keep you reading to find out the who, what, when, where and why. And I am just fascinated by the history of Makers and what they do, and there's even a glossary at the back that's just simply fascinating and gorgeous and oh I just want to shout out my love for this book forever and ever!

Also, there's a big gay moment in this that made my heart so happy, but my lips are sealed until you read it yourself. I simply LOVED IT!

#OneSitWonder Wasn't planning a two hour bath, but this whimsical delight whipped me along on Cordelia's magical adventure. Inventive, intelligent & intriguing, I can't wait for the Map Makers! Children's drama series beckons! Definitely a top MG read of 2021, my pupils will be clamouring to read this!

This middle-grade book is a delightful fantasy coming-of-age adventure, featuring magical worldbuilding and an endearing cast of characters.

Cordelia Hatmaker, newly orphaned – or so the grown ups tell her – lives with her extended family and is learning how to make hats. Hatmaking is just one of the ‘Maker’ magical skills and the Hatmaker family is joined by the Bootmakers, the Glovemakers and more. Except that ‘joined’ is not the right word. 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. Unfortunately, she isn’t actually allowed to make hats yet and doesn’t even know what her own magic is either. Oh, and she is surrounded by grown ups who will insist on treating her like some sort of child! But Cordelia is not one to meekly sit back and watch things go wrong… she has ideas and, maybe, magic of her own, after all.

Set in an alternate historical England, this magic-realism fantasy adventure is utterly spellbinding for adults and children alike. The worldbuilding, plot, characters… all are wonderfully introduced and developed, and the reader is swept from sadness to laughter, through action and intrigue, via bravery and hope, to an ending that resolves the immediate issues but leads directly to the possibility of sequels to come. I can’t wait!



'‘What is my magic?’ Cordelia asked.
‘Everybody has their own unique magic, littlest Hatmaker,’ Prospero explained, handing her the jar of beans. ‘But it’s up to you to discover what it is. You’ve got to adventure into your own heart and head and belly to find out just what your own special magic is made of.’'

– Tamzin Merchant, The Hatmakers


Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog

Cordelia Hatmaker comes from a long line of Hatmakers.  In her world the Maker families possess a rare and ancient skill, allowing them to craft items such as hats, gloves, cloaks and boots that are woven with magical ingredients.  When Cordelia's father disappears on a quest to find an ingredient Cordelia is determined to find him.  Before she can get very far into her quest it becomes clear that someone is trying to turn the Maker families against each other, and to use their crafting skills to start a war. Cordelia's mission soon changes to finding out who and trying to stop them.

What a brilliant debut novel from Tamzin  Merchant, and a wonderful way to kick off my reading for 2021!

I knew I was going to love this book within the first couple of pages.  Merchant opens with a scene at Hatmaker House, which is richly described and just so full of magic and intrigue that it captures your imagination immediately.  My enthusiasm only grew as the book progressed.

Cordelia is a great lead character, she is very headstrong, but driven by a love for her family and a loyalty to those close to her.  I loved that her family took her with them to important meetings and encouraged her to 'find her own magic' - I thought that was a great message to give to younger readers.  Given that this is a book for younger readers the heroes and villains are quite clearly defined, although one did take me by surprise. 

The story itself is a marvellous romp through a world very different to ours.  Merchant gives us a glimpse into the Hatmaker's craft, and shows us a world filled with magic.  I thought the footnotes explaining the properties of different magical ingredients were a fabulous addition, and really helped to add depth to the novel.

I loved everything about this from start to finish, possibly my favourite thing of all though was the ending, which promises a sequel.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Chikdren's UK for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is a delightful middle grade story about an alternative version of Britain where there are magical families of makers who each make one thing. Our heroine, Cordelia, is a hatmaker. But after her father goes missing at sea, she finds it hard to concentrate on the hat her family are meant to be making for the king. But soon she’s swept up in trying to foil a plot against her family - and the makers.

I really enjoyed this. I think it would appeal to a lot of children - it’s a fast paced adventure with enough peril, but not too scary and a magical world with consistent rules that are easy to make sense off. Will buy for the middle graders in my life.

Amazing, captivating and intriguing!
Everything you could possibly want in a book - brilliant characters, fantastic imagination and superb storytelling.
This book tells the story of Cordelia, a young hat maker who refuses to give up despite all the odds against her. It is a wonderful story that my two daughters aged 12 and 9 have enthused over for days. They absolutely adored it and are impatiently waiting for the next book!

I left primary school teaching many years ago but decided to read this book, as it sounded so imaginative and fascinating - I’m so glad I did as I enjoyed it hugely! It has all the ingredients for an appealing ‘middle grade’ story and is sure to get children reading. The writing style is free and approachable and the story compelling. Characters are superbly drawn and this will have children eager to read the next adventures of Cordelia, Sam and Goose - I look forward to it too!

One wild night, Cordelia, youngest member of the Hatmaker family, answers the door expecting to see her father back from his latest voyage, only to find the bedraggled figure of the king’s advisor arriving to inform the family that their ship and its entire crew have been lost in the storm. However, there is no time to grieve their loss, because they have to finish and deliver the king’s new hat for the upcoming peace talks with France in order to avert a war. Cordelia refuses to believe that her father is dead, and plans to ask the king for a ship to search for him, but upon delivery of the hat, it is clear that the king is ill, and his young daughter will have to take his place. Moreover it appears that the king’s advisors are losing faith in the ancient guild of clothesmakers to influence royal behaviour, and a series of thefts from the Makers’ households set the families increasingly at odds with each other, fuelling their enmity. Meanwhile Cordelia’s investigations into her father’s disappearance place her in all the right places to become chief suspect for the crimes.
Vivid descriptions bring the characters to life in all their eccentricity, and history and fantasy combine to create a world where magical clothing and dastardly plotting from the antagonists seem perfectly feasible. There is much character driven humour to alleviate the impending sense of menace, as Cordelia and her allies race against time to deliver their hat to the princess for the peace talks, and win back respect for the Maker families. This is a funny and exciting novel with the warmth of the quirky, loving Hatmaker family at the heart of it. I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to the sequel!

“The most important rule to follow when you seek hat ingredients is this: keep wildness in your wits and magic in your fingertips.”

Thanks to NetGalley for an early copy of this book for review.

I adored this book completely. It was such a whimsical middle grade with a completely unique story, filled with magic and adventure.
This book stars Cordelia, a fierce young lady who takes no nonsense and approaches the world in her own way - someone won’t stop dancing, why don’t you join in with them? She’s brave and creative and so positive. She sees the best in everyone and she does all she can to help them. She also makes some fabulous friends along the way and the relationships between the characters are so interesting and will undoubtedly be explored in sequels.
The story and world in this were really fun. I loved how the magic was a part of the careers of the characters and I loved the glossary at the back that explained all the ingredients. It was such a unique idea. I also love that the story played its part in actual history and you could see where real history intersected with fiction.
The story was full of so much adventure and loads of twists that surprised me. It was so easy to keep reading - in fact, I finished it in just a couple of days!
When the book is finished, I imagine it’ll look beautiful because it’s already full of little illustrations.
There was also a tiny random gay subplot, which immediately filmed me so much joy.

I cannot wait to see where the series goes. There’s so much magic and adventure promised and I cannot wait to spend more time with the characters.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for sending me an e-arc for in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed this book, I thought that the world has been really planned out and I really connected to the main character of Cordelia. I really enjoyed her friendship with Goose and I hope that this will continue in the sequel. I really enjoyed the mystery of where Cordelia’s father has gone and I can see that this will continue in the sequel. I’m really excited to read the second book because I really enjoyed it! I thought that the author was really clever by linking English history into this book. As someone who’s studied the history in this book I can see that it was well researched and it was interwoven really nicely. When this is published I’d really recommend you picking it up when it publishes in February 2021! Overall a great start to a fantastical series and I would highly recommend you reading this as soon as it publishes! I’ll be getting a physical when it’s published and the cover is beautiful and I can’t wait to have it in person. I really enjoyed this!

The first in a new series set in an alternative England where those who make clothes (The Makers) can use their skills to add magic to their garments for a variety of purposes. This was well written and engaging as well as being fun and imaginative with a range of really good characters including minor ones that that I felt really did add to the story. The story itself moves along at a good pace and is full of treachery, deception, action and friendship. The conclusion leaves the way open for a sequel and I look forward to reading it.