Review: The Hatmakers

The Hatmakers The Hatmakers by Tamzin Merchant
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was attracted to this book by the gorgeous cover, and by the idea of hatmakers that wield magic. It did not disappoint!

I really loved this book. I love the idea of weaving magic into the making of various items of apparel - most especially hats. The way that this is carried out in this story far exceeded my expectations. The footnotes/glossary of the magical ingredients is marvellous. The collecting of starlight, the house itself. It’s all just so magical and fun!

The characters themselves are excellent. I love Cordelia, Sam, and Goose especially, but the other characters of the Hatmaker family, even the cook, all seem their own people. I liked the princess too. She took on an awful lot of responsibility for a child, and did her very best.

The plot was exciting, and I never quite knew which way things were going to go next. The story fortunately ended happily for almost everyone (I’m a little worried about Jack, and hope he’ll crop up in the sequel), thank goodness.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this review, the cover is absolutely stunning. The book also contains beautiful illustrations and chapter headings. Paola Escobar has done a truly excellent job with all this artwork.

Overall, this was an exciting, magical, and delightful tale. It’s absolutely packed with whimsy and charm. I highly recommend it.

I was given a free copy of this book, my opinions are my own.

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