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The Hatmakers

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About this listen

Brought to you by Puffin.

The first adventure in a spellbinding new magical world.

'Wildly inventive . . . full of laugh-out-loud humour, enchanting magic and rebellious hope. I loved it' Catherine Doyle

Cordelia comes from a long line of magical milliners, who weave alchemy and enchantment into every hat. In Cordelia's world, Making - crafting items such as hats, cloaks, watches, boots and gloves from magical ingredients - is a rare and ancient skill, and only a few special Maker families remain.

When Cordelia's father Prospero and his ship, the Jolly Bonnet, are lost at sea during a mission to collect hat ingredients, Cordelia is determined to find him. But Uncle Tiberius and Aunt Ariadne have no time to help the littlest Hatmaker, for an ancient rivalry between the Maker families is threatening to surface. Worse, someone seems to be using Maker magic to start a war.

It's up to Cordelia to find out who, and why . . .

'An utterly charming adventure full of wildness, wit, magic and heart' Anna James

© Tamzin Merchant 2020 (P) Penguin Audio 2020

 Action & Adventure Fantasy Historical Historical Fiction Literature & Fiction Magic Science Fiction & Fantasy Fiction Funny

Critic reviews

A wildly inventive tale, full of laugh-out-loud humour, enchanting magic and rebellious hope. Charming from first page to last. I loved it (Catherine Doyle, author of The Storm Keeper's Island)
An utterly charming adventure full of wildness, wit, magic and heart (Anna James, author of Pages & Co)
Imaginative . . . Entertaining, comical and breezy, and the settings are conjured in transporting detail
A swashbuckling romp for lovers of history and magic . . . Magical elements, complicated plot twists and colourful characters will appeal to Philip Pullman and Harry Potter fans
A cosy magical adventure peppered with charming detail (Fiona Noble)
Absolutely wonderful (Emma Carroll, author of Letters from the Lighthouse)
An engaging ode to the bonds of family and friendship, the power of teamwork, and the magic that we all have inside ourselves
Action-packed . . . Engaging
All stars
Most relevant
A lovely story which is read by the author and makes a big difference to the rhythm of the narration.
Well written with a good storyline

A lovely story and read wonderfully by the author

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Brilliantly read, engaging and beautifully written. My son and I listened to it over several car journeys. We were both hooked

Excellent story

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A middle-grade book that ticks all the correct boxes aimed at that very important reading age-group. Tamzin has woven a magic tale with an amazing storyline that had me laughing out loud at times and at other times nearly shaking in my boots. Very cleverly, Tamzin has balanced any fearful moments with subtle hints of humour that reminds the reader that it is just a story, no matter how realistic it might seem - this is by far the most important characteristic of middle-grade books and Tamzin has done so perfectly. In choice of characters, there is someone in the story for every reader. The protagonists are loveable, believable and I climbed into their shoes from the very first page. The antagonists are nasty and cruel and they play their part beautifully. Thank you Tamzin for sending us on such an amazing adventure. Beautifully read by Tamzin too. What a wonderful experience.

Outstanding novel

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Such a wonderful world has been created full of adventure and intrigue, beauty, courage and love.

Absolutely loved Tamzin's narration.

Just beautiful!!!

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I loved this book because it is widely inventive and charming for all great readers

Lovely book

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