Looking for a standalone fantasy that will keep you guessing about what will happen next? The Puppetmaster’s Apprentice is one to pick up! In this story, we follow Piro, who is the Puppetmaster’s Apprentice. She has been working with her father at his shop and become quite skilled at making puppets and marionettes herself. When the Margrave of their little town commissions a huge order of life-size wooden soldiers, Piro feels something is amiss, but she has no choice except to work away and get the soldiers done. When her father’s health starts to fail, she takes it upon herself to fulfil the contract, but with the citizens suffering higher taxes, it looks like the Margrave has broader plans than he let on.
Content Notes: Depiction of death, natural and by assassination.
Themes For Thought
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 insight 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 commercialisation 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.
Conclusion
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 books much as I did!
The Puppetmaster’s Apprentice is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of October 13th 2020.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
Pinocchio meets Frankenstein in this dark fairy tale retelling where a young girl is commissioned to build an assassin for a dark-hearted tyrant.
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?
