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Joanne Owen

Författare till Puppet Master

9 verk 83 medlemmar 3 recensioner

Verk av Joanne Owen

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Jan lives with his aunt and uncle. His parents died of the plague and he had to leave his home village and move to Vienna. At first he is, understandably withdrawn and upset, but after a few months his uncle suggests that he help out and become his apprentice. At once Jan begins to perk up, maybe he can become an alchemist doctor and help to cure people suffering from the plague.

I loved the design and layout of this book. The main story is interspersed with drawings and other tales which fill out the world Owen has created. The main plot itself, revolving around Jan, promised a lot more than it delivered. It felt thin and lacked the detail that would have brought it to life for me. It felt, in many ways, almost like an outline of what would happen. It is a huge pity, because this could have been a really great book.

It is, in many ways, a predictable story. You know from the outside who is going to turn out to be the *bad guy*. Actually, it was really unfortunate that that particular character was the black hat, because I found that particular character the most interesting of the bunch. And in the beginning I had quite a lot of empathy for them. I mean, you could really understand their frustration and annoyance at always being left to one side.

Still, even with those negative aspects, I did enjoy this book. I read it almost in one sitting, and there were some lovely little touches that really made me like the book. I’ll be certain to keep an eye out for more by this author in the future.
… (mer)
 
Flaggad
Fence | Jan 5, 2021 |
I like the premise, as well as the circus and fairy tale imagery, but the plot felt underdeveloped and the ending left me feeling unsatisfied.
 
Flaggad
plumtingz | Dec 14, 2017 |
Inspired by Eastern European folklore and the puppet theatres of old Czechoslovakia, Puppet Master is an homage to both, bringing to life the eerie legends along with its own slice of fairytale.

Set in the Prague of 1898, the tale centres on a young girl, Milana, who's mother disappeared shortly after the death of her beloved father. Together, the family had run the local puppet theatre, and both the setting and language hark back to a time when puppets were one of the main arts and forms of entertainment. Milena is intrigued by the opening of a new puppet theatre, and its Master, a mysterious man with two devoted apprentices, the identical twins Zdenka and Zdenko. But the Puppet Master is more than he seems, and his power does not only lie over his marionettes. He plans to take over the city with a dazzling show of his power, and claim Prague for his own. Milena is the only one who can stop him, and together with her wise and slightly eccentric aunts, Tereza and Katerina, she must face her own fears if she is to save her family and the city from the Puppet Master's terrifying power.

What's not to love about this story. Set in turn of the century Prague, the story is seeped in history and legend, made all the more visceral by the author's aversion to modern language. Both her storytelling and writing fit the period beautifully, allowing the reader to become completely immersed in her world. Like My Swordhand is Singing, another Eastern European book I have recently enjoyed, Puppet Master revels in its setting and the truth behind its legends. Not only does it deliver an entertaining gothic horror story, but it also packs a cast of powerful female characters and I dare you to not be inspired to read the folklore behind the tale.

One review that I read likened the story to the work of Tim Burton and the surrealists that inspired him. Now I am a huge fan of Tim Burton (yes, HUGE) and this tale, although perhaps somewhat tame in comparison, has all the eeriness, mystery and gothic horror that one would expect from a Burton story. With puppets. Yes. Are you not sold yet?
… (mer)
1 rösta
Flaggad
aleya79 | Nov 2, 2009 |

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Statistik

Verk
9
Medlemmar
83
Popularitet
#218,811
Betyg
½ 3.3
Recensioner
3
ISBN
21
Språk
1

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