Children's Review: The Cabinet of Wonders

{on Goodreads}

The Cabinet of Wonders is the first in the Kronos Chronicles, in which we learn of the adventures of Petra Kronos, a young and vibrant girl living in the kingdom of Bohemia during the time of the Hapsburg Empire. Petra's father, Mikal, is a brilliant inventor with a magical talent for working with metal. He receives a commission from the young prince to build a clock- one that is unprecedented in its beauty and its magical abilities. Mikal succeeds, and is returned to his home without payment and without his eyes. Petra is horrified by the injustice, though her father is adamant that his injury is for the safety of their family. Determined to infiltrate the castle and recover her father's eyes, Petra sets off for Prague with her tin spider, Astrophil. He is just one of her father's inventions, and his unrivaled intelligence helps Petra out of more than one tricky situation. In Prague, Petra makes friends with a pair of siblings- Romanies with the connections she needs to get into the castle. Petra plans to steal her father's eyes and return home, but there are countless obstacles cropping up, including the intimidating and notorious John Dee. Petra finds herself in more danger than she could have predicted, and even worse, she has put her friends in danger too. 

Marie Rutkoski has captured my attention with The Cabinet of Wonders, and I am anxious to follow the series and explore more of her work. I loved that the story was set in a period of real history, Rutkoski did an incredible job of weaving magic into the story in such a way that it felt like it was naturally part of the historical setting. Petra and her friends are so likeable and so genuine, and their relationships have room to grow- something that I am looking forward to in the next two books. I am eager to see what becomes of Bohemia, as I became very fond of the quirks of Petra's home. Another reason to add this to my favorites list? Petra is what we refer to as a 'mighty girl'- that is, she is a female character who exhibits independence, integrity, and intelligence, all role model traits for young readers (both boys and girls!). 

Recommended for grades 5-9

Bottom Line Rating: 5/5

Title: The Cabinet of Wonders

Author: Marie Rutkoski

Publisher: Douglas & McIntyre Ltd., 2008

Price: $16.95 (Paperback on sale on Amazon for $3.20!)

ISBN: 0374310262

Format: Hardcover

Source: Public Library

Book #3 of 2014

Review: Queen's Gambit

{on Goodreads}

Queen's Gambit is the story of Katherine Parr, the sixth wife of King Henry VIII of England. Henry is one of the most infamous kings in British history, with his first five wives either deceased or divorced after having suffered his terrible temper. Katherine is twice-widowed and over the age of thirty when she becomes the new object of Henry's affection. She can hardly imagine the king interested in marrying her- she has never been able to bear a child and is unlikely candidate for providing an heir. She believes that his attention will pass, and in the meantime falls in love with the charming Thomas Seymour, with whom she hopes to finally achieve a love match. Unfortunately the king has other plans and soon announces his intention to marry Katherine. She is unable to deny his request- to deny the king's wishes would mean death to her and her family. Katherine manages to maintain an air of happiness as she reluctantly weds Henry. During the course of their marriage, she brings together the king's neglected daughters (Mary, daughter of Catherine of Aragon and Elizabeth, daughter of Anne Boleyn), becomes a mother to his heir (the solemn young Edward VI, son of Jane Seymour), and and is named Regent. She believes herself to be an agent of change, hoping to bring Henry around to the new faith; but the balance of power is fragile, and Henry is not fond of outspoken women. Told from the perspective of Katherine and her loyal servant, Dot, this is an enthralling account of Katherine's reign as Queen of England- the only queen to survive her marriage to King Henry VIII.

I can already tell that this book will be hard to beat for favorite read of 2014. It's definitely the book that sparked the biggest (emotional) response in me this year (albeit I have only read eight books so far). To put it simply, I loved this book. Katherine and Dot were both pillars of strength in their time, and despite the vast difference in stations, their relationship is the closest that Katherine had throughout her time as Queen. Katherine had so few people that genuinely cared for her happiness- Dot being one of them. Katherine was barely allowed more than a brief moment of happiness in her third marriage and I greatly admire her willpower and perseverance. Books of this era can sometimes feel tedious but I was caught up in every moment of the story. This is one of those books that I'll be recommending all year long.

Bottom Line Rating: 5/5 {Read it now!}

Title: Queen's Gambit

Author: Elizabeth Freemantle

Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2013

Price: $19 (on amazon)

ISBN:147670306X

Format: Hardcover

Source: Public Library

Book #5 of 2014