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The Toymakers by Robert Dinsdale

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The Toymakers

Author
Robert Dinsdale
Narrator
Ruby Bentall
Publisher
Ebury Publishing
Publish Date
8 February 2018
Run Time
14 hours 5 minutes
Format
Audiobook
Genre
Historical fantasy, Historical fiction, Magical realism
$13.95

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What to expect

Random House presents the audiobook edition of The Toymakers by Robert Dinsdale, read by Ruby Bentall.

Do you remember when you believed in magic?

It is 1917, and while war wages across Europe, in the heart of London, there is a place of hope and enchantment.

The Emporium sells toys that capture the imagination of children and adults alike: patchwork dogs that seem alive, toy boxes that are bigger on the inside, soldiers that can fight battles of their own. Into this family business comes young Cathy Wray, running away from a shameful past. The Emporium takes her in, makes her one of its own.

But Cathy is about to discover that the Emporium has secrets of its own…


A dark enchanting, spectacularly imaginative novel perfect for fans of Jessie Burton's The Miniaturist and Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus

Critics Review

  • There is magic at the heart of The Toymakers, a glittery inventiveness that shimmers through the dark corners of a story about love, war and sibling rivalry...Robert Dinsdale's imagined toys are truly glorious...a gripping, moving story.

    SUNDAY EXPRESS

  • Like the magic at the heart of the story, this vivid, haunting novel is both vast and intimate. A world war echoes a family conflict, and the delights and dangers of childhood suddenly have vast implications. A wonderful and thought-provoking read.

    KATHERINE ARDEN, author of The Winternight Series

  • What an extraordinary and wonderful achievement this novel is! I was gripped, and thrilled, and touched, and above all I was completely swept into the magic of the book...And the scope of the thing! Such a broad chronological range, such sweep, all with the lightest touch. Just astonishing.

    ADAM ROBERTS

  • truly magical ... Anyone who’s ever stepped inside a traditional toyshop and marvelled at the wonders on display will instantly be captivated by this book, which transports readers to The Emporium in London. Prepare to be charmed by this utterly enchanting tale.

    CULTUREFLY

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  • A magical World War I novel

    METRO

  • Robert Dinsdale’s engaging and enchanting new novel offers the literary equivalent of a Guillermo del Toro film; it is, at its best, a fairytale for adults, with all the wonder – and terror – that that entails. Even as the story takes an inevitably darker turn with the advent of the second world war, it is the sense of joy that lingers in this fine book.

    THE OBSERVER

  • The Toy Makers is a gorgeous puzzle-box of a novel, opening to reveal layer on astonishing layer. From the magic of a remarkable toy emporium to the carnage of trench warfare to the personal battles of an exceptional family, this story will delight, amaze and deeply move the reader.

    Juliet Marillier, author of the Blackthorn & Grim series

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Details
Author
Robert Dinsdale
Narrator
Ruby Bentall
Duration
14 hours 5 minutes
Release Date
8 February 2018
ISBN
9781473558687
Format
Audiobook
Publisher
Ebury Publishing
Genre
Historical fantasy, Historical fiction, Magical realism

Synopsis

Random House presents the audiobook edition of The Toymakers by Robert Dinsdale, read by Ruby Bentall. Do you remember when you believed in magic?It is 1917, and while war wages across Europe, in the heart of London, there is a place of hope and enchantment.The Emporium sells toys that capture the imagination of children and adults alike: patchwork dogs that seem alive, toy boxes that are bigger on the inside, soldiers that can fight battles of their own. Into this family business comes young Cathy Wray, running away from a shameful past. The Emporium takes her in, makes her one of its own.But Cathy is about to discover that the Emporium has secrets of its own…A dark enchanting, spectacularly imaginative novel perfect for fans of Jessie Burton's The Miniaturist and Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus

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