The Toymakers 

⭐⭐⭐⭐

💭“Then, Cathy, that advert you saw, that ink sketched around it, perhaps that was the oldest kind of magic there is. The ordinary magic: a father who loves his daughter, telling her in the only way he knows how…” 

I was immediately suckered into this book with the pull quote on the back of the book that said "for lovers of the Night Circus". From page one I was immediately transported to a Papa Jack's Emporium and it was somewhere I so wish was real. 

This is a book where magic comes to life, toys are more than just objects and where childhood wonder battles the harshness of reality. Set against the backdrop of WWI, it was a vivid and emotional journey that held moments of light and whimsy, that were counteracted with moments of sorrow and the confrontation of the fragility of life. 

The characters are flawed and complex, particularly the toy making brothers Emil and Kasper. Their sibling dynamic is the core of the story, and whilst I loved the characters there were moments where I wanted to shake them (you will understand when you read it).

It was utterly magical but the second half did slow as the weight of the war and its consequences took over. It's not a bad thing - but very bittersweet as reality overshadows the whimsical charm of the first half of the book. 

🛍Buy/Borrow? BUY - This for those of us who watched Toy Story and wished to know if it was real. If you loved the imagery and magic of the Night Circus this will hit the spot for you as well.