Eleven-year-old Ella Durand is the first Conjuror to attend the Arcanum Training Institute, a magic school in the clouds where Marvellers from around the world practice cultural arts, like brewing Indian spice elixirs and bartering with pesky Irish pixies.

Despite her excitement, Ella discovers that being the first isn’t easy – some Marvellers mistrust her magic, which they deem “bad and unnatural.” But eventually, she finds friends in elixirs teachers, Masterji Thakur, and fellow misfits Brigit, a girl who hates magic, and Jason, a boy with a fondness for magical creatures.

When a dangerous criminal escapes prison, Ella becomes the target of suspicion and must find a way to clear her family’s name and track down her missing mentor before it’s too late…