Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Oct 2020
352 pages
Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Speculative, Alt. History
Publication Information
Impressed by the work of the puppetmaster and his apprentice, Tavia's ruler, The Margrave, has ordered dozens of life-size marionette soldiers to be sent to Wolfspire Hall.
When the orders for more soldiers come in with increasingly urgent deadlines, the puppetmaster's health suffers and Pirouette, his daughter and protégé, is left to build in his stead. But there is something far more twisted brewing at Wolfspire―the Margrave's son wants Pirouette to create an assassin. And he wants her to give it life.
With Tavia teetering on the brink of war and her father dying in the dungeons, Pirouette has no choice but to accept. Racing against the rise of the next blue moon―the magic that will bring her creations to life―she can't help but wonder, is she making a masterpiece...or a monster?
"DeSelm excels at creating a strong sense of place and nuanced characters…Laden with atmosphere and written in gorgeous prose, this stunning debut novel is a dark fairy tale about creating life, becoming human, and longing for connection, reminiscent of Pinocchio and Frankenstein. This author is one to watch." - Booklist (starred review)
"In addition to intricate details and nuanced characters and relationships, DeSelm aptly seeds the plot with a wealth of themes, among them the cycle of life and death, the unease of loneliness, and the necessity of reliance on others." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Allusions to source texts buttress gender-conscious explorations of belonging, honesty, autonomy, empathy, and the nuanced politics of creation. A simpler story about the timeless battle between those who produce and those who merely consume undergirds the fable. Physical descriptions indicate characters of varying ethnicities. An artful adaptation and delightful debut." - Kirkus Reviews
"DeSelm starts with a fast-paced prologue but the actual story begins too slowly. DeSelm follows in Marissa Meyer's footsteps, changing the traditional fairy tale just enough with an interesting new premise...A good general purchase where fairy tale retellings are popular." - School Library Journal
This information about The Puppetmaster's Apprentice was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Lisa DeSelm is a debut author. She lives with her husband and two daughters in the wilds of suburban South Bend, Indiana. When she's not writing, you'll find her working as an art director and designer, most likely daydreaming with a cup of tea in hand.
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