What was Marvin?
Marvin (and its successor Marvin 3) was an iOS EPUB reader that earned a devoted following among serious ebook readers. Developed by Appstafarian, it stood out for deep Calibre integration, powerful annotation tools, and a level of library management that no other iOS reader matched.
For years, if you asked on Reddit or MobileRead which EPUB reader to use on iPhone, Marvin was the answer. It was the reader for people who cared about their ebook libraries.
Marvin is no longer available
The developer stopped updating Marvin, and the app was removed from the App Store. It no longer receives bug fixes or compatibility updates for newer iOS versions. If you have it installed, it may still work — but each iOS update risks breaking it, and there’s no path forward.
This leaves a gap. Readers who relied on Marvin need a new home for their libraries, and the features they valued — Calibre sync, deep metadata management, powerful annotations — aren’t easy to find in other apps.
What Marvin did well
Understanding what made Marvin special helps explain what to look for in a replacement:
- Calibre integration. Marvin connected directly to Calibre’s content server over Wi-Fi. You could browse your Calibre library from your iPhone, download books, and keep metadata in sync — no file transfers or iTunes needed.
- Deep annotation system. Highlights, notes, and bookmarks with color coding, custom labels, and a dedicated annotation browser. You could review all your annotations across books in one view.
- Library management on iOS. Custom shelves, smart collections based on metadata rules, reading status tracking, and detailed sort/filter options. It treated your library like a database, not a flat list.
- Metadata editing. Edit titles, authors, series info, tags, and custom fields directly on iOS — something most readers still don’t allow.
- Reading statistics. Tracked reading time, pages read, and reading speed. Showed progress and estimated time to finish.
- Customizable reading experience. Themes, fonts, margins, line spacing, paragraph spacing, hyphenation controls, and gesture customization.
- OPDS support. Connected to OPDS catalogs to browse and download from online ebook sources.
Feature comparison
| Feature | BookShelves | Marvin (discontinued) |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | macOS, iOS, iPadOS | iOS, iPadOS only |
| Status | Actively developed | Discontinued — removed from App Store |
| EPUB | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | No | |
| MOBI / PRC / AZW / AZW3 | Yes — auto-converted on import | No |
| KEPUB | Yes — auto-converted on import | No |
| Mac app | Yes — native macOS app | No |
| Calibre integration | OPDS v1.2 + v2.0 server (share library on network) | Direct Calibre content server connection |
| OPDS catalog support | Yes — built-in OPDS v1.2 + v2.0 server (Pro) | Yes — OPDS client for browsing catalogs |
| Metadata lookup | Automatic on import (title, author, cover) | Manual lookup from multiple sources |
| Metadata editing | Title, author, cover | Full editing (title, author, series, tags, custom fields) |
| Library organization | Shelves, grid/list views, sort by multiple fields | Shelves, smart collections, custom tags, advanced filters |
| iCloud sync | Yes — books, position, bookmarks, highlights (Pro) | No — Dropbox sync only |
| Highlights & notes | Yes — multi-color, synced across devices | Yes — multi-color, labeled, with annotation browser |
| Export highlights | Yes — Markdown, JSON, CSV (Pro) | Yes — email, clipboard |
| Free book catalogs | Built-in (Standard Ebooks, Internet Archive) | OPDS catalog connections (manual setup) |
| Reading customization | Themes, fonts, spacing, margins | Themes, fonts, spacing, margins, hyphenation, gestures |
| Multi-window (macOS) | Yes | N/A (no Mac app) |
| Email to device | Kindle, Kobo, PocketBook, reMarkable (Pro) | No |
| Price | Free (optional $2.99 one-time Pro upgrade) | $3.99 (no longer available) |
What BookShelves carries forward from Marvin
BookShelves isn’t a Marvin clone, but it shares the same philosophy: a reader built for people who take their ebook libraries seriously.
Mac and iPhone in one app
Marvin was iOS-only. BookShelves runs natively on macOS and iOS with iCloud sync, so your library, reading position, bookmarks, and highlights stay in sync across all your Apple devices. Read on your Mac at your desk, pick up where you left off on your iPhone.
More format support
Marvin only read EPUB. BookShelves handles EPUB, PDF, MOBI, PRC, AZW, AZW3, and KEPUB. Kindle and Kobo formats are automatically converted to EPUB on import — drop the file in and start reading. No need for Calibre as an intermediary just to convert formats.
Built-in free book catalog
Marvin could connect to OPDS catalogs, but you had to find and configure them yourself. BookShelves has a built-in catalog with thousands of free classics from Standard Ebooks and Internet Archive — browse by subject, search by author, and download with one tap. No setup required.
Automatic metadata
Import a book into BookShelves and it automatically looks up the correct title, author, and cover art. Marvin required you to trigger metadata lookups manually. Most sideloaded books arrive with correct information without any effort.
iCloud sync instead of Dropbox
Marvin used Dropbox for syncing, which required a separate account and setup. BookShelves syncs through iCloud — if you’re signed into your Apple ID, it just works. Books, reading position, highlights, and bookmarks sync automatically.
Highlight export
Both apps let you highlight and annotate. BookShelves exports to Markdown, JSON, and CSV — structured formats you can use in note-taking apps, research tools, or scripts. Marvin’s export was limited to email and clipboard.
OPDS server
Marvin was an OPDS client — it could connect to servers to download books. BookShelves flips this: it runs an OPDS server supporting both OPDS 1.2 (Atom/XML) and OPDS 2.0 (JSON) that shares your library on your local network. Any OPDS-compatible app or e-reader on your network can browse and download from your BookShelves library.
What Marvin had that BookShelves doesn’t (yet)
Being honest about the gaps:
- Smart collections. Marvin could create dynamic collections based on metadata rules (e.g., “all unread books by author X tagged as sci-fi”). BookShelves has manual shelves but not rule-based smart collections.
- Deep metadata editing. Marvin let you edit series info, tags, custom fields, and more on the device. BookShelves handles title, author, and cover — but doesn’t expose series, tags, or custom metadata fields for editing.
- Granular reading customization. Marvin offered fine-grained control over hyphenation, paragraph indentation, and gesture mapping. BookShelves covers the essentials (themes, fonts, spacing, margins) but with fewer micro-adjustments.
- Direct Calibre connection. Marvin connected to Calibre’s content server over Wi-Fi and could sync metadata bidirectionally. BookShelves integrates through OPDS and file import rather than a direct Calibre protocol.
Migrating from Marvin
If you still have Marvin installed and can access your library:
- Export your EPUBs. In Marvin, you can share/export individual books as EPUB files. Save them to Files, iCloud Drive, or AirDrop them to your Mac.
- Import into BookShelves. Drag the EPUB files into BookShelves on Mac, or use the share sheet on iOS. Metadata is looked up automatically on import.
- Highlights don’t transfer. Unfortunately, Marvin’s annotations are stored in its own format and can’t be imported into other readers. Export your Marvin highlights (via email or clipboard) before switching, so you have a copy.
If Marvin has already stopped working on your device, your EPUB files may still be accessible through the Files app in Marvin’s document storage — check before uninstalling.
The bottom line
Marvin set the standard for what an iOS EPUB reader could be. Its discontinuation left a real gap in the market — one that Apple Books, with its store-first design, doesn’t fill.
BookShelves picks up that thread: a reader built for personal libraries, with the format flexibility, metadata management, and cross-device sync that serious readers need. It goes further than Marvin in some areas (Mac support, format conversion, built-in catalog, iCloud sync) while still working to match Marvin’s depth in others (smart collections, metadata editing).
If you’ve been looking for somewhere to land after Marvin, give BookShelves a try. It’s free, and the built-in catalog of thousands of classics means you can start reading immediately.
