A review by somewheregirl7
The Cabinet of Wonders by Marie Rutkoski
4.0
Petra Kronos is growing up in a world were magic is intertwined with every day life. Her father invents wonderous metalic creatures and has built the world's most magnificent clock for the prince of Bohemia. The Stavros Square Clock is more than beautiful, it can control the weather and thus wreak havoc. When the prince steals her father's eyes, Petra and her pet tin spider, Astrophil, set out on a quest to retrieve the eyes and stop the prince from using the clock to harm others.
Petra's world is at once familiar and strange, mixing historical people and places such as England and John Dee with a system of magical ability that is well thought out and detailed. This is a fun, quick read and the characters are both likable and sympathetic. The dastardly prince is hardly seen at all and most of the book is taken up with Petra's quest to regain her father's eyes. The dialogue is well down, descriptions vivid and well crafted and the pacing is good throughout. Because we see the prince so little he remains largely a caricature of evil, but other books in the series may fix that issue. I'll definitely be reading the next book.
Petra's world is at once familiar and strange, mixing historical people and places such as England and John Dee with a system of magical ability that is well thought out and detailed. This is a fun, quick read and the characters are both likable and sympathetic. The dastardly prince is hardly seen at all and most of the book is taken up with Petra's quest to regain her father's eyes. The dialogue is well down, descriptions vivid and well crafted and the pacing is good throughout. Because we see the prince so little he remains largely a caricature of evil, but other books in the series may fix that issue. I'll definitely be reading the next book.