I was looking forward to this one after enjoying Mascarenhas’ previous book, The Psychology of Time Travel. The premise really appealed - magical dolls that can make you feel strong emotion with a bit of a mystery after the family’s most famous doll is stolen.

When I dived into this one, the first 20% of really pulled me in as Mascarenhas sets out the premise of… but after the said doll is stolen, I really struggled with this one.

Both the pacing, characters and plot felt a little flat with me and I wasn’t able to engage with the story. What I also found frustrating was that there wasn’t really an exploration into why only men are allowed to undertake the secretive crafting with the dolls made - it seemed like a missed opportunity. Other readers may enjoy this one more than me.

I did enjoy the magical element of this, and given that it’s set in and Oxford (I used live nearby) it was like a trip down memory lane seeing all the local haunts crop up on this one.

Thanks to the team at Head of Zeus, Netgalley and the author for the opportunity to read this review copy.

Well, this was different. I have mixed feelings about it but I liked the writing. It felt so whimsical.
I would definitely read more from this author.

Thank you to netgalley and publisher for the arc of This book

5 stars (sorry its late had technical issues at time submitting my review)

Such a great read, compelling and addictive made me want more! Edge of seat page turner! Highly recommend

An interesting book, worth a read for the different experience, though I'm not entirely sure it's for me. Quite a hard one to make up my mind about.

This is a story about family, secrets, lies and love.
It is very dreamlike and it won’t be a book for everyone. It was strange but I liked it

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

A very imaginative story but, unfortunately, not one of my favourites. It is an enjoyable read if the story is not questioned too deeply as certain aspects did not fit into the story as I found them to be unrealistic.

It is very difficult to review this book. On the one hand I liked the concept; a family that traditionally makes dolls with magically imbued feelings. On the other hand I really didn't like the narration. It was difficult to keep the three POV apart since they all read the same.

I confess, I skimmed from about the halfway point of the novel. The plot didn't seem to get going at all and neither the mystery nor the romance held my attention. What kept me going was trying to find out whether Persephone would stand up to her patriarchal father and eventually get to become the first female sorcerer allowed to work magic on the dolls.

I really really tried to read this book. But in the end I had to dnf it. This book was just not for me, and I found it confusing...

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

Unfortunately I've tried to get into this book several times, but it's never been able to grip me so I have to officially DNF it.

This book was great very different and i loved it I get freaked out by dolls so wasnt sure if id get through it glad i did I love Kate Mascarenhas as a writer she is brilliant so was pleased to review this . Definite 5 stars!

My reaction to this book was a mixed one, and I found it a little hard to pinpoint why, because on paper it was everything I hoped it would be.

The world of Paxton’s Eyot and the Kendrick’s enchanted doll-making business was instantly compelling and felt perfectly plausible – an everyday kind of magic that was never fully explained, but didn’t really need to be. The legend-within-a-fairytale of the Thief, was perfectly balanced between the rational and fanciful, with the conclusion left to the reader’s judgment, and the ebb and flow of the relationship between the two main characters, Larkin and Persephone, was natural, realistic and hooked my emotional response.

I think the disconnect came with my expectations of the themes versus their execution. I expected Larkin’s to be a story about an outsider perspective on an enclosed community, but we didn’t really get enough of his thoughts and feelings to identify or empathise with him (for very good reasons, but it still created an ‘arms-length’ effect). Similarly, Persephone’s story is set-up as one of feminist empowerment, as she fights doggedly for her right to be an enchanter, but somehow this aspect never quite feels realised, as she submits, compromises and is supressed into a new slot, but still in the same old family mould. The ending therefore falls a little flat, as there is no expected ‘aha!’ moment, just a dawning realisation and then some neat tidying up of loose ends.

This is a well-written, realistic fantasy about secrets, lies and manipulated emotions, with excellent worldbuilding, but the emotional deceptions carry through a little too far for full immersion.

As usual in my reviews I will not rehash the plot - there are already plenty of reviews like that out there!

This was a bit of a strange read. for me - I expected one thing but the book was quite another. I was drawn in by the mystique surrounding the historic Kendrick family doll-making business. At times the book felt as though it was set in the past, but then it would become clear that the actual setting is modern-day Oxford, which felt confusing somehow.

I didn't actually like any of the characters as the book unfolded. I initially liked Persephone and Larkin, but both turned out to be flawed characters in their respective ways; I wasn't clear what the significance of their sexuality brought to bear either. Other characters (male and female alike) were just downright unpleasant. There was a pervasive sexist tone to the whole Kendrick business - preventing women from taking part in the magical aspects of the business - even though many of them were far more talented than their more revered male counterparts.

All in all, having expected a mysterious book about magical dollmakers, I felt rather cheated to find all this gender politics type stuff in there. Some people might enjoy the book for that aspect, but it kind of spoiled it for me. However, as I really enjoyed the author's previous book (The Psychology of Time Travel ) I would be happy to read future novels.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC. All opinions my own.

PS: I thought I had posted my review of this book some time ago but hadn't! - luckily I had saved it as a document on my computer!

I loved Kate Mascarenhas first book The Psychology of Time Travel, as she has the ability to create, complex and engaging female characters, something that is often missing from a lot of books and this book does not disappoint in that regard. Part mystery, part magical realism its a character driven story, that will capture your imagination with its beautiful writing. Whilst the plot is slow, I found the writing itself engaging enough to hold my attention as it swept me away.

This story follows the four Kendrick sisters who make enchanted dolls, and their struggle to reclaim their work as men are the only ones who can enchant them. The prose is vivid and lush, and it's a compelling story. I found the plot engaging, and the fact that right at the core the story is about family relationships made it right up my street. The character development was good – especially in relation to Persephone. As an avid reader of mystery, the fact that this book combined fantasy with mystery made it even more enjoyable!

This book has a lot going on and covers a lot of themes so harder to fit into one or to genres to recommend to patrons for readers advisory..
Cover art text leans towards YA.

Kate Mascarenhas

The Thief on the Winged Horse is the second published novel by Kate Mascarenhas. This takes a different turn from The Psychology of Time Travel and lands in fantasy.

One day a stranger turns up at the Kendrick doll factory. He says his name is Larkin and that he’s family, misplaced by his ancestor running away and producing a child in France. He wants in to the family business; more specifically he wants to learn how to place enchantments on dolls-to become a sorcerer.

Hedwig Mayhew, who works for the current boss Conrad Kendrick, remains unconvinced as previous applicants to become apprentices have been exposed as corporate spies. Larkin is keen but Conrad is suspicious although he eventually decides it would be useful to hire him at a low level.

Persephone works in the shop. She has not allowed to become an apprentice. Women don’t appear to make the grade and are confined to making the miniature furniture for dolls houses as this apparently suits their nature. Her father, who used to work at the factory, is an unstable drunk who continues to disappoint her and he’s also Conrad’s twin. He thinks he should have inherited control as the older twin and is drinking to remember and forget. When Larkin is take on Persephone is even more determined to smash the glass ceiling.

The dolls are very special because the enchantment imbues them with a specific emotion. The owner of the doll or anyone who picks them up will experience this emotion at a heightened level be it love or jealousy or even fear. In this world similar but not the same as our own the dolls change hands for soaring prices and emotions do indeed run high. The thief on the winged horse of the title is a mythical character that seems to take the blame for things going wrong. He is said to be a part of the fae and will return what is lost if a sacrifice is made. This mythology is a central part of the heady combination of deception, magic and romance that makes this book so intriguing. The writing is highly visual from the descriptions of t

Thanks to Netgalley, Head of Zeus Publishers and the author for an Advance Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I read the Psychology of Time Travel by this author and absolutely loved it so I was really keen to read her next novel, The Thief on the Winged Horse. I absolutely loved it. The story centres around the descendants of four sisters who acquired the knowledge of how to bestow enchantments on high quality dolls. These dolls can only be made by descendants of this family, who all live on the same eyot and never share their secret outside the family. On the eyot the locals believe the enchantments were taught to the sisters by a mythical creature called 'The Thief' who is given gifts during the solstice to ensure harmony in the community.

Of all the sisters, one is reputed not to have had any surviving children, until one day a talented dollmaker arrives claiming to be her descendant. He wants to work at the company and be taught the fiercely guarded enchantments.

This is a beautifully written, utterly compelling novel by an extraordinarily imaginative author. I don't want to give too much away, except to say that the book surprised me throughout. I found the characters and the storyline so realistic despite the fantasy element and I would recommend it to anyone.

I can't wait to read more from this author.

The book is set on an eyot, a small island in the middle of Oxford, where one family, the Kendricks, run everything. The doll making business was originally founded and led by four sisters but today things are very different. The men of the family now rule the eyot and have taken over the role of sorcerer, keeping the enchantments for the dolls fiercely protected and relegating the women to design, admin or house-keeping.

The major plot twist comes when a doll is stolen, after this point it felt like a magical Midsummer Murders episode, which I really enjoyed.

As the story continues it veers away from the magical elements of enchanted dolls and focuses on the goings on of the dysfunctional family and its individual members as they battle to achieve their wants - recognition, love, success.

The characters are diverse and well written. Each has their own agenda, but despite their flaws being obvious you can’t help but want them to be happy. Eyot life hasn’t created the most healthy environment for relationships, the pressure of family and community expectations is often what sculpts the characters.

The main female protagonist - Persephone is a repressed but stubborn girl who works selling the dolls for the sorcerers. I LOVED Persephone’s character arc. She refuses to let tradition and patriarchy rule her life.

In summary, this story really surprised me in the best way possible, it was full of depth and warmth whilst dealing with big themes of patriarchy, familial ties, love and growing up. I found it really well written and the plot intricate and well thought out. It is described as a mystery and fantasy with an urban setting and for me it really was that - a very interesting blend.

After lots of trouble downloading this book from Net Gallery, I finally spotted it at the library and checked it out myself.
It must have taken me three or four tries to get into. The first 'chapter' is a rather dry account of the family tree. Whilst I understand why it's been included, I can't help but feel that adding it right at the start like so is the biggest reason that threw me off.
The story is interesting but the ending felt a little rushed. I love the concept but I wouldn't seek this book out to read again.