The Toymakers is a rare and magical piece of literature, one which I feel blessed for having discovered and read. Though I had been approved to review the title on Netgalley, I decided I ought to purchase the beautiful hardcover edition as no doubt this will be a novel read several times, particularly in the run up to Christmas, during which time much of the story is set.

The Emporium opens with the first frost of winter. It is the same every year. Across the city, when children wake to see ferns of white stretched across their windows, or walk to school to hear ice crackling underfoot, the whispers begin: the Emporium is open!
The novel begins with Kathy's story: she is a 16 year old girl, who - having fallen pregnant - is faced with the decision to give up her child or run away to start a new life in London. She discovers a newspaper ad asking "Are you lost? Are you afraid...?" It promises the opportunity to board and work in London's most talked about toy store, propriety of Papa John: a former Russian who has brought his talents to entertain and seduce a plethora of eager children and their families.

The toy store quickly becomes Kathy's safe haven, a place of wonder and security among friends who become more like family.

From the mysterious Wendy house, whose external appearance belies the true internal size, to the "castle in the sky", around which fluffy white clouds gather, and the toyboxes which contain worlds, the magic of this book is wrapped in realism, spinning a tale of historical events which precedes the first World War and continues for many years following. Throughout, toy soldiers provide both metaphor and expression of war-ravaged soldiers in battle. It is both haunting and heart-breaking, well-suited to older and adult readers who retain the awe of a child's discovery and wonder.

I heartily recommend The Toymakers, particularly the exquisite hardback edition (a beautifully designed cover which would make a wonderful gift), and encourage everyone to read it who would enjoy a magical, literary escape.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars.

"The Emporium opens with the first frost of winter. It is the same every year. Across the city, when children wake to see ferns of white stretched across their windows, or walk to school to hear ice crackling underfoot, the whispers begin: the Emporium is open!"

Imagine a world where everything has a mind of its own, where toys can walk, talk, grow and even fight, a place where magic is a matter of perspective and belief. Welcome to The Emporium, a toy store in London that opens every year only during winters. A store loved by all and a place with its own share of secrets and wonders.

The story revolves around Papa Jack, Emil, and Kasper- the family who own The Emporium. In this beautiful, magical place enters Cathy. Cathy has run away from her family because her family wasn’t ready to accept her child. As Cathy starts working, she managed to draw a lot of attention, especially from the brothers- Emil and Kasper. As the story progresses, we see a silent war between the brothers. A war that is both for the inheritance of the Emporium and the attention of Cathy. As the story continues, we are given a glimpse of the real world, the wars being fought and how it affects the body and the soul. The story spans between 1907 and 1953- the times when two great world wars have been fought, countless lives lost, families destroyed. The plot darkens further and talks about how The Emporium and it’s occupants are affected, how scared they are and the consequences they had to face as a result of the war.
The book is touching in a multitude of ways. There’s innocent love that Kasper and Emil have for Cathy, the love for one’s child, and the love for one’s legacy. This story is all about that fact that the great war hasn’t left anyone untouched.

The writing is highly imaginative. The world that has been created is enchanting and its so easy to forget the world and drift into the other world the author has created. The characters are vulnerable, hence making them extremely relatable. The situations, no matter how dark, was written flawlessly. The book requires a bit of patience because there are places where I felt lost.

It’s a mixture of Magical Realism and Historical Fiction and the only way to get through this book is to let the story flow through and let it cast its magic. This book is everything life is- full of possibilities yet in jeopardy.

Thanks to NetGalley and EburyPublishing for the ebook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Toymakers is about Cathy. Cathy is a pregnant 15 year old and her mum wants her to go to a home for young mother's and babies and give her baby away. Cathy finds a leaflet for Papa Jack's Emporium, looking for employees who are lost and need to find their way. Unfortunately Papa Jack's Emporium is only open from winter's first frost until spring's first snowdrop blossoms. 
Papa Jack, Kaspar and Emil build magical toys that will take adults back to their childhood - from growing paper trees to a real life patchwork dog called Sirius, from toy soldiers to toy boxes that hold much more than you would imagine.

Using goodreads rating system, I've gone for 4 stars because I really enjoyed this book but didn't love it. It was magical.. but maybe not magical enough. The ending made me very happy though.

Reading this book was like stepping into a magical dream- albeit one from the early 1900s. With patchwork dogs, magical cloud castles, living toy soldiers and more, Robert Dinsdale creates a beautiful, ethereal world, leavened by the drama that takes place between his characters. The end result? Something rather special- and something that I devoured all at once.
The worldbuilding that Dinsdale conjures is something pretty special. Taking the role of the showmaster, he introduces us to the world of Papa Jack’s Emporium, the magical toystore in London’s Iron Duke Mews that only opens at the first frost, and closes when the first snowdrops appear in spring. Into this world comes Cathy Wray, a pregnant Whitby girl running away from her family’s wrath, who finds herself plunged into a magical world- and into the long-running rivalry between Emil and Kaspar, the two brothers whose father runs the emporium.
The toystore itself is a thing of wonder. I adored the descriptions- Dinsdale has a gift for making everything seem magical, whimsical and making you feel like you’re right in the heart of the action, watching everything unfold along with Cathy. The inventions that he comes up with are amazing, and even though they’re of course strictly imagined along 1900s-era toy lines, they still captivate: anybody for a patchwork dog, paper trees that explode from their boxes, and a Wendy house that’s bigger on the inside? I could have read a blow-by-blow account of life in the Emporium and I’d still have been happy.
The characters are considerably more complex. Dinsdale does a great job bringing the characters we meet at the start of the book- Kaspar, Cathy and Emil- to life, and Kaspar and Cathy’s burgeoning romance is sweetly and sensitively written (and made me really root for them!). Though the book does tend to drag at times, the excitement of life in the Emporium makes up for that- as well as Dinsdale’s detailed exploration of the brotherhood rivalry between Emil and Kaspar, whose battles get more and more bitter the longer the story goes on. And as the First World War looms, the story suddenly takes a plunge for the darker, setting the magic of the toys- and the ability they have to heal the worst, the most damaged, of men- against the grim reality of the trenches: the end result is both sad and striking.
However, it’s here where the book- for me- falls down a little. Characters make decisions that, for me, aren’t consistent with their characters; the Emporium starts to suffer, and the final act of the book- and the final reveal- was just so jaw-dropping that I had to step back a little bit and calm down. I think it might be down to opinion, but Dinsdale veering into the realm of self-determining, conscious toys and Emil’s lurch into pantomime villain territory was a little much for me, and spoiled the amazing start to the book.
Despite that, though, The Toymakers remains a thing of wonder: exciting, enchanting, extremely whimsical and moving. An exploration of the power- and magic- of toys, it’ll keep you up, and get you wishing you could revisit your childhood again.

A toy shop that only opens at the first frost, and closes with the first snowdrop. A family that possibly escaped from Germany,and how they set up the toy shop, Magic toys that come to life because of the thought that goes into them, A toy shop whose workers come back in time to open up. Newspaper adverts to attract new staff who needed themshop. The problems of family life caused by soldiers returning from the Great War, and the decline in magic toys. This took me a while to get into, but then I couldn’t put it down.

Cathy Wray is pregnant and about to have her child adopted, she lives with her parents on the Essex coast and whilst war wages in France, Cathy feels alone. Then she sees an advertisement for a job at 'The Emporium' and she ups sticks to London to give her baby some sort of future. The Emporium is a place of magic, where toys are so much more - where toy soldiers stage real battles, where cloth dogs are as real as live ones and where magical trees spring up from nothing. Run by the elusive Papa Jack and his two sone, Cathy is embraced by The Emporium and becomes part of its fabric. However in the modernising world is there a place for magic?

I loved the first part of the book where Cathy arrives at the Emporium and the reader is introduced to a magical world. I also felt some of the themes, war, sibling rivalry, modernisation etc were handled well. However I also felt that the book seemed to fall apart in the middle and I lost track of what I was reading and the initial joy faded. The ending, whilst schmaltzy, was actually in keeping and felt right.

I really wanted to enjoy this book. I'm a huge fan of the Night Circus, and the similarity to that drew me towards this book, but I just felt like The Toymaker was a tired re-visit of certain tropes I've grown out of. The first chapter, with Cathy knocked-up, and being sent away - I just want better for my women in 2018. I kept reading though, as this was somewhat period-typical canon, and that situation rapidly changes, but then a love triangle followed, that I wasn't emotionally invested in. I did enjoy the descriptive prose of the toyshop and the inventions, which felt magical, and I connected more with Kaspar than I did with Cathy. I think many people will find something to love about this book, but I just couldn't engage with it. Not for me at this time, sadly.

The Toymakers by Robert Dinsdale
This is an utterly captivating novel, set in the 1900’s. Cathy finding herself in trouble, and although happy with her family at home, she doesn’t want to give up her unborn child. Sneaking away, Cathy finds herself a job at a Toy emporium in the city.
I would describe this novel as a fairy tale for grownups, brilliantly realised, fantastical , yet rooted in reality it is a feat of imagination with a feeling of wonder. Multi-layered and delightful, it reminds us how we felt as children. Although sad things happen, and it is heart rending in places, Papa Jack tells them “Terrible things can happen to a man, but he’ll never lose himself if he remembers he was once a child’.
We find ourselves in an emotional and magical place, that weaves around you and you fall in love with Papa Jack, who has survived terrible things in his life, the brothers Kaspar and Emil, and their petty jealousies and love for Cathy.
A truly spellbinding story of hope and longing, that is a beautifully written, enchanting and imaginative, I highly recommend it.

This is an incredible book, telling the tale of a toy emporium in London run by the Goodman family. Started by Papa Jack and continued by his two sons, who couldn’t be more different - Kaspar and Emil - the emporium is a magical place.
And this is an insanely magical read. It’s a brilliantly woven fairytale-like read, full of incredible characters, beautiful storytelling and magic on every page. The emporium is incredibly realised and vividly described - it feels like you’re actually in the toy shop surrounded by the magic of the toy makers.
And just when you’re getting to grips with the magic of the toy shop, the whole story twists and turns thanks to the first word war and we’re taken on a stressful ride of PTSD, death, misunderstandings, horror and misunderstandings - I didn’t expect this twist but it made for such an incredible read.
I was hooked within a couple of chapters and raced through it in two days. Definitely a must read!

http://www.speculativeherald.com/2018/03/02/review-the-toymakers-by-robert-dinsdale/
https://lynns-books.com/2018/03/04/the-toymakers-by-robert-dinsdale/
The Toymakers is a book that I felt certain I would love, there was something about it that simply called out to me. Perhaps it was a childish whim, perhaps it just appeals to the romantic side of my nature that is called forth by nostalgia, but, if you remember a time where a cardboard box was a castle, the underneath of a kitchen table a fortress and a sheet thrown between two washing lines a tent in the wilds then I dare say this will appeal to you too. This is a book that simply shouts out to the child in everyone. It’s packed with imagination.

It starts at a time where the country has seen much war and perhaps in such times dreams become hope and toy shops become little miracles of possibility.

The year is 1917, We meet with Cathy Wray who has brought shame to her family by becoming pregnant out of wedlock. There are two solutions, Cathy can be taken to an institution that will deliver her baby and take it for adoption, or she can take herself out of that possible situation by running away. Cathy chooses to run away from her home and finds herself in London where she becomes fortunate enough to find a job, room and board at Papa Jack’s Toy Emporium.

I’m not going to go into the plot any further because not only do I think that this book is best explored by the reader without any fore knowledge but also this book is so much more than the plot itself.

The writing here is beautiful. The Imagination is captivating. And, I think my biggest disappointment is that I just wanted to spend all my time in the Emporium itself – it’s magical, wonderful and breathtaking. I felt like a child in a sweetie shop reading this. It simply took me back. I defy anyone to read this book and not feel the childish wonder that is evoked. The emporium is incredible of itself, wonders that seem to defy expectation, Wendy Houses that are like a tardis once stepped inside, paper trees that seem to grow from tiny little boxes, toy boxes with more space within than physics can explain. Isn’t this just what your imagination was like as a child when anything and everything was possible? The moon was a balloon that you could capture, your bedsheets became a rabbits’ warren and shadows could menace you with hidden faces.

The characters are also something out of a fairytale. We have Papa Jack. He’s like a big old grizzly bear. Everyone is afraid of him whilst at the same time knowing that he’s softer than a wet tissue. He has a history full of sorrow but at the same time he seems to be full of impossible magic. He has two sons, Kaspar and Emil, they love their father, they love the shop and they love each other but at the same time they are inextricably set in a battle, not just of the toy soldiers that they pitch against each other year after year, but for the admiration of the father that they both adore.

Herein lies the crux of the matter. Both boys are in a competition of sorts and one that eventually blinds them to the love they have for each other. They compete over who makes the best toys, who will run the store, who wins their ongoing battle of the soldiers, who gets the girl, and who has the most magic. And, unfortunately, things eventually turn very real and a little bit ugly.

The characters are a mixed bunch. Cathy, although very much at the forefront of things almost feels secondary. The competition between the two boys is very much the underlying force of the story and does in fact lead to something of a love triangle. The thing is, you have sympathy for one of the boys but at the same time it’s always clear who is the favourite of the piece. Not just of Cathy or Papa Jack but of the reader and it’s a little bit sad because you really don’t want to choose between the two but at the same time it feels simply inevitable and also a little bit obvious.

In terms of criticisms. Well, this is a book that, whilst I should have seen the way it was going, I really didn’t. It’s a book that moves with the times and with it comes almost the death of a dream. But, my niggle here comes in the actions of one of the characters. For me it doesn’t ring true and the ending also takes something that is a beautiful dream and tries too much to turn it into something more. For me, the ending chapters simply didn’t work and whilst it didn’t spoil the book for me it changed the feeling somewhat. Otherwise, a stunning book.

Overall I loved this, it’s beautifully told and is perhaps one of the most evocative stories I’ve ever read. I was a little bit underwhelmed with the ending but at the same time, on reflection, I can appreciate how difficult it was to maintain this fantasy and I can see why the author went down this route – I suppose I just wanted the dream to continue.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

It has been a long time since I had a book that I both wanted to read and didn’t want to finish. With echoes of The Night Circus, The Toymakers reminds you of the magic of childhood, the wonder you can find in the ordinary and the need for sanctuary in ones life. With beautifully constructed relationships and imagery you can’t help but be invited into Papa Jacks emporium and the lives of those who create the magic.

No matter how many books I devour every year, it is incredible to see that there are still books out there that are able to amaze me with beautiful, emotional writing, magical settings, and touching events.

This was my first book by Robert Dinsdale and it definitely won’t be the last one! I am still battling with my inner self whether I should add this book to my 2018 favorites list or not. If I would have a “2018 most memorable reads” shelf, it would automatically earn its place there.

Full of delicate quotes, important subjects and magical moments, «The Toymakers» pulls you right into the wonders of instant trees, Wendy houses, hidden passages and tin soldiers battling their Long War.

Early 20s century, we follow Cathy Wray as she runs away from home and to the Emporium, London’s most magical place, a toy shop opened every year from the first frost. «Running was easy, she decided; but every runaway had to arrive, and arriving seemed the most difficult thing of all.»

Kaspar’s and Emil’s characters, masterfully written, brought something whimsical into the story. While Kaspar, the eldest and more successful when it comes to creating new magical toys, was often deep in his self-centered world, Emil - envious of his older brother, showed his softer and more compassionate side. But even in closed up from the rest of the world Emporium, things could not remain the same. Not when the War was so near.

Robert Dinsdale carefully crafted the paths of our characters. Sometimes reading a book on Kindle, I don’t realise how long or short the novel is, and I had to check the page count on GoodReads, as we follow the main characters from the early teenage years until grey hairs, and not one time did I feel like the story was lacking something, even though the whole plot was delivered in mere 320 pages.

Besides the intricate relationships and bewildering deeds, a big chunk of the plot was dedicated to soldiers, tin soldiers from the Emporium toy shop, but just as alive as any other soldiers defending their countries during long, savage war.

I loved the enchanting illusion that came to life every time I picked up this book. And I loved how Robert Dinsdale incorporated many raw, cruel topics in the story. However, for me, the tin soldiers and their adventures were taken too far, and slightly spoiled my enjoyment of the book.

I loved this book so much when I was reading it. But it's one of those that ends up leaving you a bit sad. It was a beautiful book though. Full of amazing things. I love books with this kind of magical surrealism. I love books that take an aspect of life and add something amazing to it. The emporium is a place that you will fall in love with. You'll want to visit and buy toys from it. Until it all goes wrong of course.

The whole thing with the toy soldiers, for me, was the perfect metaphor for the conflict of the pre-WW1 mentality that war is glorious and the post- WW1 disillusionment that most of the soldiers suffered. It was really interesting to see these two mentalities go up against each other, as they must have done constantly with soldiers who had been to war and people who hadn't. To see this argument be played out over a bunch of toy soldiers was a really cool was to do it.

I think this is a book that will stay with me for quite a while. I loved the characters so much and elements like the toy soldiers and the paper trees and Sirius the patchwork dog are all things that I'll remember fondly for some time.

If you want to lose yourself in the wonderful world of Papa Jack's Toy Emporium for a few hours of literary magic then immerse yourself in The Toymakers. It is a magical, extraordinary, uniquely written tale of family, war, jealousy and forgiveness spanning several years.

Utterly enchanting. This is a tale of heartache, love and childhood dreams. I was swept away into a world of magic and fantasy. Every feeling is found in the pages of this story,. There were echoes of favourite fairy tales, both light and dark; worlds within worlds and even a deeper than deep carpet bag. i truly loved it and was charmed by the emotions from start to its beautiful ending in true happy ever after style. A tale for all. I was only sorry to turn the last page.

If I’m being honest, for a while I balked at the prospect of reading The Toymakers. I had just finished Weave a Circle Round and I’m 22 - I didn’t know if I could make it through another book targeted towards children.
But oh boy, I was mistaken.
Don’t be fooled as I was by the toy solider on the book’s cover, inside of these pages is not a story that a parent might read to their child to lull them to sleep. Instead, The Toymakers is aimed at the adults who have long since left childhood behind, mirroring the nature of those in the book who return to Papa Jack’s Emporium in an attempt of remembering the simple, wistful magic of their youth. "Do you remember when you believed in magic?” the blurb asks, and if it’s magic that you are after, this book gives you it in spades - it’s practically spilling from each and every word.
The Toymakers is evocative, set in a time period that nearly predates everyone alive today and yet manages to make them feel nostalgic for a world that they never experienced. There’s a sense of anticipation, like children in the early hours of Christmas morning who are waiting for the sun to rise and Santa to arrive, and the feeling is so strong that it makes me question why this book wasn’t released in the lead up to Christmas. Those snowy, dark November and December days would have been a perfect atmosphere to do the ambience of this book justice, and I will definitely be tucking it away to read on a frosty evening next Winter.
Throughout The Toymakers, Robert Dinsdale seamlessly juxtaposes this nearly-inexplicable feeling of warmth and wonder and home, with the brutal realities of wartime London - it is a stark combination that heightens each, making the wonders more wonderful and the horrors all that more horrifying.
I laughed, I wept, I smiled.
The Toymakers is not a book that I am going to be able to stop thinking about anytime soon.

This book was provided free of charge by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

The Toy Makers is at its heart a love story. Not necessarily a love story between two hearts but between children and their toys. Reminiscent of The Night Circus it tells the story of two boys competing to own their father’s toy emporium by trying to out toy each other as you were.



The story begins at the end of the 19th Century with Cathy Wray finding herself at the emporiums doors without any hope in the world. She doesn’t realise that a magical world lies behind its doors and will take her on an adventure that will span well into the next century, will lead to heart sickness and repair, magic and mischief and of course a little bit of thriller.

I devoured the book within a week. I actually didn’t want it to end. It was lovely how the author actually addresses the reader as if they are telling a story. It takes on a lot of themes that are prevalent today including war, poverty and the child within everyone of us.

I don’t think I can carry on any further without gushing and gushing about it until your sick to death. Definitely worth a read.

The book will be published on the 7th Feb and will be available and all good book stores, so I suggest you go out and get a copy!

What a totally magical book & one that will be with me for a long time.

It is early in the 1900's. Cathy runs away from home, scared and pregnant. She doesn't want to give u her baby. She finds herself in London on the first day of winter frost- the day Papa Jack's Toy Emporium opens. There she finds employment, shetler and magic.The toys sold here are no ordinary ones. From magical trees. things that seem larger on the inside than the outside to patchwork seemingly living dogs, it is a place of wonder.

Papa Jack had fled persecution and the Emporium has become a sanctuary for him and his two sons, the amiable Emil & the somewhat darker Kaspar. it becomes a sanctuary for Cathy too, someplace she can be safe & have her baby. Even though the emporium closes with the blooming of the first snowdrop Cathy remains helped by the brothers.

When war comes Emil is exempt due to health issues but Kaspar- now married to Cathy- has to go away to fight. When he returns the brothers cannot agree and Cathy struggles to keep things together.

This book is beautifully written and deserves to be put alongside the 'The Night Circus' Both are brilliant five star reads. Thanks to Netgalley & the publishers for taking me to the world of Papa Jack's Emporium- I didn't want to leave!

Family jealousies rear their heads in a magical toyshop. Something different and appealing.

a heritage setting, with heritage toys. a Beautiful tale of mystery and excitement. Open the doors to the Emporium and delve into the many secrets and fantastic tale of Cathy. Who runs from a troubled past, into a secret world. Well worth a read.