I'm so glad I read this. I enjoyed Mascarenhas's previous novel and this, though a different genre, did not disappoint. A wonderful tale of sexism, magical realism, and just the right touch of mystery. Did I see the ending coming? Yes. But I felt satisfied seeing how things turned out regardless. ( )

https://tamaranth.blogspot.com/2021/01/2021005-thief-on-winged-horse-kate.html ( )

The Thief on the Winged Horse by Kate Mascarenhas is a standalone contemporary fantasy novel. I previously read The Psychology of Time Travel, by the same author so thought I'd give The Thief on the Winged Horse a try, even though the blurb didn't immediately appeal to me.

As I said, I enjoyed this book more than I particularly expected to. I think the special ingredient was the author's very readable writing style. The story follows three characters linked to a magic-doll-making family empire in Oxford: two women who are discouraged from making dolls and aren't allowed to place enchantments on them, and an outsider who arrives at the start of the book, claiming to be a long-lost relative. The women are, arguably, trying to make the best of an unfair situation, and not always making the best choices in the process.

In some ways it's a book about people in crappy situations making questionable decisions — which is not generally my cup of tea — but it worked here. The characters are interesting and their interplay makes for compelling reading. The magical dolls are a bit mundane but also very creepy. The author plays off the mundanity as we are taken through discoveries and revelations of family history to disturbing events that are not dwelt upon. The author trusts the readers to make connections and doesn't spell out every little detail. The result is I spent quite some time thinking about and being horrified by a minor event that the characters in the book did not themselves interrogate fully, even as they thought through some of the practical consequences.

This was a strange and strangely enjoyable book. I picked it up on a whim and I think I liked it more than The Psychology of Time Travel, even though the subject matter of time travel inherently interests me more. I recommend it to fans of mundane fantasy and contemporary fantasy, especially those that enjoy character-driven stories.

4 / 5 stars

You can read more of my reviews on my blog. ( )

I loved Kate Mascarenhas' first book, The Psychology of Time Travel, so I was keen to read her second offering, The Thief on the Winged Horse.

Four sisters founded Kendricks Workshop in 1820 on a river island called Paxton's Eyot and their descendants have run it ever since. The family business is making dolls that are enchanted, an emotion laid upon them by the creator such as Self-Righteous Outrage or Heady Optimism. I was really quite fascinated by the idea of these dolls and how the emotions were laid.

Persephone Kendrick is the main character, although there are many others who play a huge role in the story. I think, though, that the author wanted us to like Persephone and I did. Women are not encouraged to be sorcerers but that is what Persephone wants more than anything and I admired her drive to get where she wanted to be. As with her first book, Mascarenhas is championing strong women and making sure that those characters are at the forefront of the action, despite the patriarchal environment. A much treasured stolen doll forms much of the storyline but it's also just as much about the running of the family business and the hierarchy within it.

What I found intriguing was the way the author put this world firmly in the real life setting of Oxford, thereby giving that juxtaposition between reality and fantasy. It meant that for readers such as myself who cannot fully immerse themselves in a fantasy world, it was more accessible. However, it did sometimes feel a bit strange in that it felt like life on the eyot belonged many years ago and yet the story is quite obviously set very firmly in the current day.

The Thief on the Winged Horse is an original and unusual book and whilst it was a step out of my comfort zone I do think the author has created something so intriguing. ( )