Author: Tamzin Merchant
Genre: fantasy
Similar books: The Crooked Sixpence by Jennifer Bell
The Voyage to Magical North by Claire Fayers
Rating:
Summary (provided by publisher): When Cordelia Hatmaker’s beloved father fails to return from an ingredient-hunting expedition, Cordelia is the only member of the family who knows in her heart that he can’t be gone for good. Her grief-stricken aunt and uncle forge ahead to continue the work of their guild and to fulfill a crucial order from the King for a magical Peace Hat. But the enchantments woven into the carefully crafted goods of the Hatmaker, Bootmaker, Cloakmaker, Watchmaker, and Glovemaker guilds begin causing sudden inducements of rage and chaos. As war looms and the Peace objects backfire, Cordelia must find out who is using the Makers’ creations for dark purposes and uncover the truth about her father’s disappearance.
My opinion: I appreciate what Merchant has done here. We see so many books with magic that it can be difficult to find a unique take on the idea. By tying magic to clothing, to materials and the state of mind of the maker, we have both a clear set of rules and endless possibilities. We see actual results that differ from what was intended. I can get behind that structure. I'm less fond of the actual plot.The twists aren't always well tied together, so the plot can jump around a lot and feels a bit scattered. There are, perhaps, too many disparate elements. And the final resolution is heavily telegraphed in the first scenes, so there isn't much surprise there. With underdeveloped characters and a tone that creates a marked emotional distance from the reader, I found it less than compelling.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
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