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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
The best retelling of any fairytale I've ever heard. This will definitely be a book to grace my favorite bookshelf. This is making me feel so excited to get back to reading in general and I'm supremely happy!
RATING: 4/5 STARS
This book was such a lovely surprise! Pirouette is a girl who was brought to life under the magic of the blue moon by her father, the master puppeteer who created her. She trains under him as his apprentice and becomes a talented craftswoman in her own right. When her father is endangered under the Margrave's command, she has no choice but to complete the ruler's requests to create marionettes for his own secretive but sinister intentions.
The writing was absolutely gorgeous - delicate, descriptive, and atmospheric. Pirouette was an admirable character. She had a relationship with the forest and nature that was beautiful to read. I also enjoyed reading about her talent in creating marionettes and her connection with each of her creations. The way her puppets were described were so amazingly lifelike that I could vividly picture each of them. This level of detail is an absolute must for me in fantasy writing, as I love when an author can fully immerse me in their story and magical world. The supporting characters were all fantastic, especially Bran, Pirouette's best friend. There is a sweet romance in this story but I would say where this novel truly shines is in its fantasy elements and exciting plot.
A sincere thanks to Page Street Publishing for providing an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Social: @_shelf.awareness on Instagram
This book was such a lovely surprise! Pirouette is a girl who was brought to life under the magic of the blue moon by her father, the master puppeteer who created her. She trains under him as his apprentice and becomes a talented craftswoman in her own right. When her father is endangered under the Margrave's command, she has no choice but to complete the ruler's requests to create marionettes for his own secretive but sinister intentions.
The writing was absolutely gorgeous - delicate, descriptive, and atmospheric. Pirouette was an admirable character. She had a relationship with the forest and nature that was beautiful to read. I also enjoyed reading about her talent in creating marionettes and her connection with each of her creations. The way her puppets were described were so amazingly lifelike that I could vividly picture each of them. This level of detail is an absolute must for me in fantasy writing, as I love when an author can fully immerse me in their story and magical world. The supporting characters were all fantastic, especially Bran, Pirouette's best friend. There is a sweet romance in this story but I would say where this novel truly shines is in its fantasy elements and exciting plot.
A sincere thanks to Page Street Publishing for providing an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Social: @_shelf.awareness on Instagram
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
WOW THIS BOOK BLEW ME AWAY!
Sorry for the all caps but I have so many feelings! This was absolutely gorgeous! I loved the world building, and it was so easy to get into! Some fantasy novels take so much time to explain what they are, and I never felt this way at all. Some of the prose stopped me to the point that I wrote a few quotes down. I blew through the last 60% of this book because I quite frankly just could not stop.
SO excited to hear the author give a talk to my students in a few weeks, and I love that I can brag to my students I have a book by a South Bend author in my collection!
Sorry for the all caps but I have so many feelings! This was absolutely gorgeous! I loved the world building, and it was so easy to get into! Some fantasy novels take so much time to explain what they are, and I never felt this way at all. Some of the prose stopped me to the point that I wrote a few quotes down. I blew through the last 60% of this book because I quite frankly just could not stop.
SO excited to hear the author give a talk to my students in a few weeks, and I love that I can brag to my students I have a book by a South Bend author in my collection!
Many thanks to the publisher for providing me a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review through The Nerd Daily.
Magical with a strong female protagonist and a guild of makers who will do anything to save their craft, The Puppetmaster’s Apprentice is a fun read. I found the writing to be beautiful and immersive, and the characters were people I cheered for. The book gave me insights into the art of puppet making which was new to me. Here are four broad themes that spoke to me throughout this book.
On Resilience
Piro might be an apprentice but she is good at what she does. She has a special connection to the wood and she takes care with it, something that only a true craftsman can experience. Throughout the story, she engages with her creations and other puppets, some created by her father, and some by other people, wondering about their plight and comparing them to her own situations. She has an empathy and love for her creations that shows throughout the story.
Piro is also a resilient girl. She does not let anything come in her way. I liked that even in times of danger and hard choices, she was able to keep her head on her shoulders and follow through on her values. She may be young, but she provides strength to people who are dear to her.
On Stories
One of the initial themes that this book touches on is the power of stories. Piro hosts puppet shows in the market to supplement her income. Though she is well aware of the politics of the place, she is a good storyteller and knows the kind of stories that people want to hear. It is risky to share tales that have a message but sometimes, stories are the only way to make people think about their situation and what the world can be like.
On Identity
Using old magic under the blue moon, the puppetmaster carved Piro out of wood. This gives her an additional connection to her creations and the story acts as a catalyst for her to think about who she is and the things she stands for. Everything has a cost and Piro’s connection with nature and the wood makes her wonder about the intentions with which she builds a marionette and who it becomes if the marionette were to come to life.
On Creativity
Related to the above, this book does a great job of portraying the importance of creative arts. As someone who lives in a city, I have never been in close contact with professionals like puppet makers, blacksmiths, tailors, glassblowers, clockmakers, etc. It is in stories such as these, set in small towns and focusing on the makers in the town, that we readers get to see these crafts in play. It takes away the commercialization that we are used to and brings us face to face with the makers who work in these crafts and their services are integral to the people around them. The makers play an important role in this book and it was wonderful to see their solidarity.
Overall, The Puppetmaster’s Apprentice is a sweet story about a girl whose life seems full of challenges. The world is built beautifully and the descriptions help bring the characters and the town to life. There were times when I did not want to put the book down! The plot never rests and that kept me invested in this book. I hope you will enjoy this book as much as I did!
Magical with a strong female protagonist and a guild of makers who will do anything to save their craft, The Puppetmaster’s Apprentice is a fun read. I found the writing to be beautiful and immersive, and the characters were people I cheered for. The book gave me insights into the art of puppet making which was new to me. Here are four broad themes that spoke to me throughout this book.
On Resilience
Piro might be an apprentice but she is good at what she does. She has a special connection to the wood and she takes care with it, something that only a true craftsman can experience. Throughout the story, she engages with her creations and other puppets, some created by her father, and some by other people, wondering about their plight and comparing them to her own situations. She has an empathy and love for her creations that shows throughout the story.
Piro is also a resilient girl. She does not let anything come in her way. I liked that even in times of danger and hard choices, she was able to keep her head on her shoulders and follow through on her values. She may be young, but she provides strength to people who are dear to her.
On Stories
One of the initial themes that this book touches on is the power of stories. Piro hosts puppet shows in the market to supplement her income. Though she is well aware of the politics of the place, she is a good storyteller and knows the kind of stories that people want to hear. It is risky to share tales that have a message but sometimes, stories are the only way to make people think about their situation and what the world can be like.
On Identity
Using old magic under the blue moon, the puppetmaster carved Piro out of wood. This gives her an additional connection to her creations and the story acts as a catalyst for her to think about who she is and the things she stands for. Everything has a cost and Piro’s connection with nature and the wood makes her wonder about the intentions with which she builds a marionette and who it becomes if the marionette were to come to life.
On Creativity
Related to the above, this book does a great job of portraying the importance of creative arts. As someone who lives in a city, I have never been in close contact with professionals like puppet makers, blacksmiths, tailors, glassblowers, clockmakers, etc. It is in stories such as these, set in small towns and focusing on the makers in the town, that we readers get to see these crafts in play. It takes away the commercialization that we are used to and brings us face to face with the makers who work in these crafts and their services are integral to the people around them. The makers play an important role in this book and it was wonderful to see their solidarity.
Overall, The Puppetmaster’s Apprentice is a sweet story about a girl whose life seems full of challenges. The world is built beautifully and the descriptions help bring the characters and the town to life. There were times when I did not want to put the book down! The plot never rests and that kept me invested in this book. I hope you will enjoy this book as much as I did!
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I didn’t actively find something wrong with the book to dislike it, it just wasn’t for me. The retelling is fairly interesting, but something was missing for me to be competent and fully hooked. Still,it’s different and fresh
OMG, THIS WAS INCREDIBLE.
The Puppetmaster's Apprentice is a gender-flipped YA retelling of Pinocchio and Frankenstein which follows the main character Pirouette, who was made alive by her father on a day of the blue moon using forbidden magic. She trains well as his apprentice to become a skilled craftswoman herself and has a special connection to wood, being made of it herself.
"I am Pirouette, a girl whose heart is made of stronger stuff than flesh and blood."
After her father is captured by Tavia's ruler, The Margrave, she is forced to use her skills for the ruler's ill intentions, she is forced to make a deadly assassin and bring it to life.
This book also takes a spot in my top 10 reads of this year. It was beautiful and everything I wanted. I mean, have you seen a YA retelling of Pinocchio? The quotes and the author's writing are some of the best I have seen in a while.
"But it always seems happiness only ever hovers near, a wisp of flame ready to vanish with my next breath.
I would totally recommend you read this book, maybe this month for some spooky Halloween reads
The Puppetmaster's Apprentice is a gender-flipped YA retelling of Pinocchio and Frankenstein which follows the main character Pirouette, who was made alive by her father on a day of the blue moon using forbidden magic. She trains well as his apprentice to become a skilled craftswoman herself and has a special connection to wood, being made of it herself.
"I am Pirouette, a girl whose heart is made of stronger stuff than flesh and blood."
After her father is captured by Tavia's ruler, The Margrave, she is forced to use her skills for the ruler's ill intentions, she is forced to make a deadly assassin and bring it to life.
This book also takes a spot in my top 10 reads of this year. It was beautiful and everything I wanted. I mean, have you seen a YA retelling of Pinocchio? The quotes and the author's writing are some of the best I have seen in a while.
"But it always seems happiness only ever hovers near, a wisp of flame ready to vanish with my next breath.
I would totally recommend you read this book, maybe this month for some spooky Halloween reads
I absolutely love retellings, especially fairytale retellings. They often have a beautiful mysticism about them, and The Puppetmaster's Apprentice certainly hits this mark.
DeSelm has written a thoroughly engaging retelling of Pinocchio. I'll admit that I have never thought of Pinocchio retelling being told before, but I absolutely loved this one! To be more specific, this is a gender-bent retelling of Pinocchio with a heroine that any reader can admire. DeSelm has wonderful imagination when it comes to taking a well-loved story and turning it into something completely new.
It has been a while since I have read a story where I did not want to stop and picked it up every chance I got. I will be recommending this to everyone I know who enjoys a story with unique twists, characters that you love, and a magical story that reads like a tale as old as time.
DeSelm has written a thoroughly engaging retelling of Pinocchio. I'll admit that I have never thought of Pinocchio retelling being told before, but I absolutely loved this one! To be more specific, this is a gender-bent retelling of Pinocchio with a heroine that any reader can admire. DeSelm has wonderful imagination when it comes to taking a well-loved story and turning it into something completely new.
It has been a while since I have read a story where I did not want to stop and picked it up every chance I got. I will be recommending this to everyone I know who enjoys a story with unique twists, characters that you love, and a magical story that reads like a tale as old as time.
adventurous
dark
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced