Robert Dinsdale on the magic powers of toys

Toymakers.jpg

Extracts

The Toymakers by Robert Dinsdale

This Christmas, be completely swept into the magic of this enchanting and utterly gripping book

The Toymakers

An enchanting, magical novel set in a mysterious toyshop - perfect for fans of Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus, Stephanie Garber's Caraval and Jessie Burton's The Miniaturist. 
 
The Christmas Emporium opens with the first sign of frost . . . 
 
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 . . . 
 
Complete your collection with Paris by Starlight, the next novel from the author of the The Toymakers, out now 
 
***** 
 
'This vivid, haunting novel is both vast and intimate. A wonderful and thought-provoking read.' 
KATHERINE ARDEN, author of The Warm Hands of Ghosts 
 
Engaging and enchanting . . . A fairytale for adults, with all the wonder – and terror – that that entails.' 
GUARDIAN 
 
'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.' 
SUNDAY EXPRESS 
 
'I was gripped, and thrilled, and touched, and above all I was completely swept into the magic of the book . . . Just astonishing' 
ADAM ROBERTS, author of Jack Glass 
 
'Anyone who’s ever stepped inside a traditional toyshop and marvelled at the wonders on display will instantly be captivated by this book' 
CULTUREFLY

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.

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.

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.

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 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

Robert Dinsdale was born in North Yorkshire and currently lives in Leigh-On-Sea. He is the author of three previous critically acclaimed novels: THE HARROWING, LITTLE EXILES and GINGERBREAD. 
 
His bestselling novel THE TOYMAKERS was his first venture into magic.

An enchanting, magical novel set in a mysterious toyshop - perfect for fans of Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus, Stephanie Garber's Caraval and Jessie Burton's The Miniaturist. 
 
The Christmas Emporium opens with the first sign of frost . . . 
 
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 . . . 
 
Complete your collection with Paris by Starlight, the next novel from the author of the The Toymakers, out now 
 
***** 
 
'This vivid, haunting novel is both vast and intimate. A wonderful and thought-provoking read.' 
KATHERINE ARDEN, author of The Warm Hands of Ghosts 
 
Engaging and enchanting . . . A fairytale for adults, with all the wonder – and terror – that that entails.' 
GUARDIAN 
 
'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.' 
SUNDAY EXPRESS 
 
'I was gripped, and thrilled, and touched, and above all I was completely swept into the magic of the book . . . Just astonishing' 
ADAM ROBERTS, author of Jack Glass 
 
'Anyone who’s ever stepped inside a traditional toyshop and marvelled at the wonders on display will instantly be captivated by this book' 
CULTUREFLY

Robert Dinsdale

Enchanting, beautiful and heart-breakingly relevant . . . so rich with dreamlike imageryand so full of genuine emotion that you want to savour every page as if it's the first and last time you'll ever read it

A spellbinding tale of nocturnal life and magic in the streets of Paris tells of the courage it takes to be different and follow your dreams.

Beautifully captures the hazy dissonance of storytelling and invention.

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.

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.

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.

A magical new novel from the acclaimed author of THE TOYMAKERS, perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman and Erin Morgenstern. 
 
'A spellbinding tale of nocturnal life and magic in the streets of Paris tells of the courage it takes to be different and follow your dreams.' WATERSTONES 
 
'Beautifully captures the hazy dissonance of storytelling and invention.' GUARDIAN 
______________________________________ 
 
Every city has its own magic... 
 
Every night on their long journey to Paris from their troubled homeland, Levon's grandmother has read to them from a very special book. Called The Nocturne, it is a book full of fairy stories and the heroic adventures of their people who generations before chose to live by starlight. 
 
And with every story that Levon's grandmother tells them in their new home, the desire to live as their ancestors did grows. And that is when the magic begins... 
 
But not everyone in Paris is won over by the spectacle of Paris-by-Starlight. There are always those that fear the other, the unexplained, the strangers in our midst. How long can the magic of night rub up against the ordinariness of day? How long can two worlds occupy the same streets and squares before there is an outright war? 
 
Readers love Paris by Starlight! 
'Robert Dinsdale, I salute you! A smorgasbord of delights. It's a wondrous thing to be able to visit Paris by Starlight and I'd recommend a trip to you all!' 
 
'Beautifully written and its observations on human nature are spot on. Exceptionally cleverly done. Exceptionally written piece of fabulism with gorgeous, evocative imagery.' 
 
'A real treat and just as enchanting as Dinsdale's The Toymakers. Full of magic as well as being a moving tale of displacement, longing and love.' 
 
Lovely cover and beautiful prose. I'm about half way through and enjoying every page' 
 
'A truly magical tale that couldn't be more relevant for our times.' 
 
'A gorgeously written tale of love and acceptance'

Paris By Starlight

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Robert Dinsdale

Praise for Paris By Starlight

Enchanting, beautiful and heart-breakingly relevant . . . so rich with dreamlike imageryand so full of genuine emotion that you want to savour every page as if it's the first and last time you'll ever read it

A spellbinding tale of nocturnal life and magic in the streets of Paris tells of the courage it takes to be different and follow your dreams.

Beautifully captures the hazy dissonance of storytelling and invention.

Enchanting, beautiful and heart-breakingly relevant . . . so rich with dreamlike imageryand so full of genuine emotion that you want to savour every page as if it's the first and last time you'll ever read it

A spellbinding tale of nocturnal life and magic in the streets of Paris tells of the courage it takes to be different and follow your dreams.

Beautifully captures the hazy dissonance of storytelling and invention.

Enchanting, beautiful and heart-breakingly relevant . . . so rich with dreamlike imageryand so full of genuine emotion that you want to savour every page as if it's the first and last time you'll ever read it

A spellbinding tale of nocturnal life and magic in the streets of Paris tells of the courage it takes to be different and follow your dreams.

Beautifully captures the hazy dissonance of storytelling and invention.

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