What an absolutely stunning, beautiful story this is. I know the year has only just begun but I think I will be hard pushed to find a book to rival this one this year. I want to say it is the best book and the MUST Read of 2018 but being that it is only the 6th January it wouldn’t do it justice, and as clichéd as it is – This really is, no matter the age, a MUST read for anyone and everyone! I can’t stress to you how blindingly good this book truly is.

This book conjures up the grand opulence of movies such as The Greatest Showman and the wonder and magic of books such as Caraval or The Night Circus and then takes them to a whole new level. The Toymakers is in a league of its own and shines even brighter than any star ever seen.

Another over used cliché but none the less true – I literally couldn’t put it down, the kids had to fend for themselves and I even had them fetching me cups of tea! I started reading 9pm Thursday evening and I was still reading 8am Friday morning, sleep didn’t even occur to me I was that engrossed. Suffice to say no housework got done at all Friday as I HAD to finish the book.

It begins in London 1917 and follows the lives of Papa Jack and his two sons, Kaspar and Emil in their wonderful Emporium and a young runaway girl, Cathy, who comes to the Emporium looking for work and a place of safety, all the way through to 1953.

Full of magic and wonder Papa Jack’s Toy Emporium is a place to behold, you can feel the enthusiasm of the children and adults alike and is a place you never want to leave. But as is with everything in life, real life can’t be ignored, bringing the war to the establishment, forever changing the lives within.

The ending wasn’t what I was expecting, not that I knew what to expect and there as a twist in the tale that had me wanting to shout out loud – Noooooo and shaking my head in disbelief!

Blending historical fiction and magical realism together to create a magical world full of passion, inspiration, imagination, love, secrets, loss and fear that will always stay with you long after the last page has been read. ( )

What an absolutely stunning, beautiful story this is. I know the year has only just begun but I think I will be hard pushed to find a book to rival this one this year. I want to say it is the best book and the MUST Read of 2018 but being that it is only the 6th January it wouldn’t do it justice, and as clichéd as it is – This really is, no matter the age, a MUST read for anyone and everyone! I can’t stress to you how blindingly good this book truly is.

This book conjures up the grand opulence of movies such as The Greatest Showman and the wonder and magic of books such as Caraval or The Night Circus and then takes them to a whole new level. The Toymakers is in a league of its own and shines even brighter than any star ever seen.

Another over used cliché but none the less true – I literally couldn’t put it down, the kids had to fend for themselves and I even had them fetching me cups of tea! I started reading 9pm Thursday evening and I was still reading 8am Friday morning, sleep didn’t even occur to me I was that engrossed. Suffice to say no housework got done at all Friday as I HAD to finish the book.

I can already see this book being a spectacular big budget movie, it would look amazing up on the big screen and I know this household would pay to watch it!

It begins in London 1917 and follows the lives of Papa Jack and his two sons, Kaspar and Emil in their wonderful Emporium and a young runaway girl, Cathy, who comes to the Emporium looking for work and a place of safety, all the way through to 1953.

Full of magic and wonder Papa Jack’s Toy Emporium is a place to behold, you can feel the enthusiasm of the children and adults alike and is a place you never want to leave. But as is with everything in life, real life can’t be ignored, bringing the war to the establishment, forever changing the lives within.

The ending wasn’t what I was expecting, not that I knew what to expect and there as a twist in the tale that had me wanting to shout out loud – Noooooo and shaking my head in disbelief!

Blending historical fiction and magical realism together to create a magical world full of passion, inspiration, imagination, love, secrets, loss and fear that will always stay with you long after the last page has been read. ( )

When this book came up on Bookbub as a 99p deal i was immediately attracted to it. Yes, i do judge books by their covers, and also by their titles. So i went to Amazon to check it out and it stated that it would suit those who enjoyed reading 'The Night Circus'.

So as i'd very much enjoyed 'The Night Circus' and it being only 99p i went ahead and bought it.

But to be quite honest, it's nothing like 'The Night Circus'. They're 2 very different books, IMHO.

'The Toymakers' is, at the end of the day, a story very much about unrequited love, and sibling envy, whereas 'The Night Circus' is neither of those things.

While both are set in magical worlds, there are no other real similarities whatsoever.

But having said all that, i did very much enjoy reading this book. It is a fantastic journey through decades of 20th century London, including WW1 and WW2. It also delves well into PTSD and it's affects on those who come back from the horrors of war and have to fit back into the lives they left behind.

And the ending...

...well, i never expected that. What a wonderful twist in the tale.

If you're looking for a really decent read, then look no further than 'The Toymakers'. I doubt many will be left disappointed.

Supurb! ( )

I didn't really know what to expect with this book, but holy s***. It's an amazing story that, on the surface, seems to be about a family of magical toy makers, but really is a story about sibling rivalry, love, tradition, and war and PTSD. It's a fantastic book, using the backdrop of World War One era London magnificently. Truly recommended for anyone looking for something fresh and different to read. ( )

I'm having a hard time deciding my feelings over this book. There were probably more things about it that I disliked than liked, and there's a long period of heartbreaking plot that was way out of line from how I'd expected the book to go, which had me wishing I'd stopped reading it early on. I am glad to know how the story ends, but am still conflicted about whether I'm glad to have read it at all. I'll share the critiques I have, and any favorable aspects that come to mind.

A lot about this book feels, to me, like it's trying too hard. Trying hard to be beautifully written, and trying to be like The Night Circus. The first line felt to me like such a copycat of The Night Circus, that I was initially put off. There are other points that also feel like echos of TNC, making it seem at times like a rip-off of that story. To me, anyway. Maybe I'm being picky.

The writing style isn't my favorite, it's kind of lofty, and there were some sentences that I just couldn't make sense out of, even after reading them repeatedly, so I was lost as to what was happening at those points.

There was tension in this book, and one thing I can applaud the author on is presenting different sides of some of the struggles. There wasn't always a clear "good guy" or "bad guy" during characters's squabbles; they were complex issues, and some good and bad was mixed in on each side. I wavered in my loyalty to the characters, even when new truths were revealed that should have ripped away compassion for one person or another; there was always the memory of the opposing character's missteps and/ or hand in bringing about the unfortunate situation.

There's a part in the opening scene when we're told to keep two characters in mind, because they'll be seen again. As far as I could tell, they were never again referred to so I'm not sure who they were supposed to be or what significance they were supposed to have. So that was weird.

The characters were somewhat complex, and some were interesting. Some were likeable at times. I found the main character a bit boring, and was definitely more interested in others than in her, but even the others I wouldn't say I loved. I guess that's true to real life, we're going to find fault with every person and the same is true for the characters in this book.

The idea for the store is intriguing, the toys and toymakers within it are worth exploring in a fictional context, but I can't say that I love the way the story is told or what the story ends up being. I would rather the characters and overall story be taken and re-written by someone else, into a lighthearted and fantastical tale. For those who handle tragedy and sadness better than I, you may enjoy this book more. ( )