The Toymaker

August 9, 2010
The death of an elderly, down-on-his-luck conjurer sparks a bloody treasure hunt in this well-written yet unrelentingly bleak debut. For years, the conjurer Gustav has held onto a great and terrible secret, and when he unexpectedly dies, the only clue passes into the hands of his mistreated grandson, Mathias, who's subsequently taken in by the menacing Dr. Leiter, who will do anything to get the information he seeks. Rescued from Leiter by impulsive serving girl Katta, Mathias and his new friend go on the run, eventually meeting up with Koenig, a mysterious bandit who swiftly takes charge of the situation. Mathias and his companions must discover the secret before Leiter and his minions kill them. The poetic descriptions and lyrical narrative do little to hide the general unpleasantness of the plot, shallow characters, and dismal tone (nor do Blythe's skillful, but often disturbing pencil illustrations). There's simply too much of bad people doing bad things to not-as-bad people to appeal to a wide audience. More horror than fantasy, this grim adventure may leave readers yearning for a happier ending. Ages 10–up.

October 1, 2010

Gr 6-8-The titular character does not long to bring joy to the hearts of children. Instead, he seeks to create a knife so sharp it can cut the heart from a living being, so he can transplant it, along with its life force, into one of his tiny mechanical dolls. The story, set in an imaginary 18th-century Germanic dukedom, begins with a short prologue describing the Toymaker's workshop in the capital city. Readers are then plunged into the perils of Mathias, boy servant to Gustav, a conjurer in a traveling circus. Supernaturally skilled, Gustav boasts when drunk that he knows a very big secret. As he lies dying, the evil Dr. Leiter appears, clearly after the secret, which seems to be written on a tiny wad of paper Mathias retrieves from Gustav's mouth. The plot then follows Dr. Leiter's pursuit of Mathias through the countryside. Companions join the boy in his flight, none entirely trustworthy: Katta, an abused serving maid; Koenig, a mysterious gentleman-robber; and Stefan, a youth from a charcoal burner's camp hidden deep in the forest. Dr. Leiter also has allies: Marguerite, a mechanical doll who can detect lies; and Valter, a superhumanly strong, indestructible, and sinister servant. Eventually the chase ends in a ruined monastery in the capital city, where the terrible secret is revealed at last: one that involves the Toymaker and could shake the dukedom to its foundations. With its choreographed fights, damaged bodies, flowing blood, and cliff-hanging chapter endings, the story will appeal to readers who like nonstop action.-Margaret A. Chang, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, North Adams

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from July 1, 2010
Grades 5-8 *Starred Review* Filled with intrigue and exhilaration, this stylized adventure, reminiscent of both Dickens novels and Les Mis'rables, will easily captivate young readers. The wild cast revolves around Mathias, who, upon the death of his conjurer grandfather, is spirited away from the decrepit carnival they called home. His unknown new guardian appears to be after the secret contained on an inherited piece of paper, which is now in Mathias possession. But the guardian is not the only one who wants Mathias secret; seemingly everyone they encounter is pursuing it, too. After being severely injured in an escape attempt, Mathias acquires a protector in the determined kitchen maid Katta, and soon both find themselves under the wing of yet another interested stranger, whom, they soon discover, they can neither trust nor flee. Moving briskly across an atmospheric Germanic setting, the characters are chased by howling wolves, a dangerous dwarf, and unforgiving cold in a bloody, mysterious, and darkly thrilling quest. Throughout, the author cleverly avoids overplaying the characters desperation, while the titular toymaker lends an integral element of magic realism, with foreshadowed evil elements that are eerily revealed as the reader breathlessly reaches the unexpected end.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)