Editorial Content for The Toymaker's Apprentice
Reviewer (text)
Stefan Drosselmeyer recently completed an apprenticeship with his father, a master toymaker, and his mother has just died. Unable to stand the empty house and his father’s grief, Stefan decides to leave home to seek his own fortune.
His plans are abruptly interrupted, though, when his cousin, Christian Dosselmeyer, shows up unexpectedly on his doorstep. Christian wants Stefan to be a journeyman and learn the clockmaking trade. Stefan has no real interest in clocks, but the idea of getting away and doing different things is very appealing.
Of course, there are problems. For starters, Christian used to be the Master Clockmaker to the Royal Court of Boldavia, but now he is a criminal. He is no longer free to come and go as he pleases, and is being escorted by Samir, a royal guard from Boldavia. The only way Christian can make amends is to find the mythical krakatook nut to cure the King’s daughter, who has been poisoned by the Mouse Queen.
sounds a bit bizarre, doesn’t it? Well it is, but in a dark and delightful way.
THE TOYMAKER’S APPRENTICE by Sherri L. Smith sounds a bit bizarre, doesn’t it? Well it is, but in a dark and delightful way. Characters include talking mice, talking rats and scholarly squirrels (and some humans, too, of course), and there is also the matter of clocks, time, clock-making guilds, curses and so many other fantastical things.
THE TOYMAKER’S APPRENTICE was inspired by the original tale of the Nutcracker written by E.T.A. Hoffmann in 1816, which was later retold by Alexandre Dumas, and ultimately became The Nutcracker ballet by Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky. Smith uses some of the names of the characters from the ballet --- Christian Dosselmeyer, Stefan Dosselmeyer and Clara --- in her version of this well-known story.
THE TOYMAKER’S APPRENTICE reminded me a bit of the book THE LOST TRACK OF TIME by Paige Britt and Lee White, and is well worth reading. Enjoy!
Teaser
Stefan Drosselmeyer is a reluctant apprentice to his toymaker father until the day his world is turned upside down. His father is kidnapped and Stefan is enlisted by his mysterious cousin, Christian Drosselmeyer, to find a mythical nut to save a princess who has been turned into a wooden doll. Embarking on a wild adventure through Germany, Stefan must save Boldavia’s princess and his own father from the fanatical Mouse Queen and her seven-headed Mouse Prince, both of whom have sworn to destroy the Drosselmeyer family.
Promo
Stefan Drosselmeyer is a reluctant apprentice to his toymaker father until the day his world is turned upside down. His father is kidnapped and Stefan is enlisted by his mysterious cousin, Christian Drosselmeyer, to find a mythical nut to save a princess who has been turned into a wooden doll. Embarking on a wild adventure through Germany, Stefan must save Boldavia’s princess and his own father from the fanatical Mouse Queen and her seven-headed Mouse Prince, both of whom have sworn to destroy the Drosselmeyer family.
