The Cabinet of Wonders (The Kronos Chronicles, #1)

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The Cabinet of Wonders (The Kronos Chronicles #1)

by Marie Rutkoski (Goodreads Author)

3.94 of 5 stars 3.94 · rating details · 1,625 ratings · 334 reviews

Petra Kronos has a simple, happy life. But it’s never been ordinary. She has a pet tin spider named Astrophil who likes to hide in her snarled hair and give her advice. Her best friend can trap lightning inside a glass sphere. Petra also has a father in faraway Prague who is able to move metal with his mind. He has been commissioned by the prince of Bohemia to build the wo...more

Hardcover, 258 pages

Published August 5th 2008 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux

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Community Reviews

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Aug 26, 2009 Lucy rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone who loves gorgeous fantasy, fans of Anne Ursu's books

Recommended to Lucy by: Liz

Shelves: fantasy, middlegrade, book-club

Petra Kronos lives an unusual life, but a happy one. She lives in a small Czech village with her father, an artisan who can move metal with his mind and works with invisible tools. When her father is commissioned by the prince to build a marvelous clock, he goes off to Prague—and comes back blinded. The prince has stolen his eyes. Even worse, the prince now has control of a clock that has the power to control the weather.

Petra doesn’t know a lot about the world, but she knows this: she will go t...more Petra Kronos lives an unusual life, but a happy one. She lives in a small Czech village with her father, an artisan who can move metal with his mind and works with invisible tools. When her father is commissioned by the prince to build a marvelous clock, he goes off to Prague—and comes back blinded. The prince has stolen his eyes. Even worse, the prince now has control of a clock that has the power to control the weather.

Petra doesn’t know a lot about the world, but she knows this: she will go to Prague and somehow steal back her father’s eyes. It’s a tall task, but she won’t be alone—she has the companionship for Astrophil, her tin pet spider, and the help of Neel, a Roma boy with fingers that extend into invisible ghosts that can pick locks.

What I like about this book: pretty much everything. Petra is a wonderful character—spunky, determined, immensely likeable, and often entirely naïve about the way the world works. What’s wonderful about this book is that people call her on it—when she plans to do something ridiculous, like, say, sneak into the prince’s castle and steal back her father’s eyes, that doesn’t get to be something that makes sense. She’s young and sheltered, and sometimes that’s why she succeeds—even when odds are against her.

I also love how sometimes this book nods at clichéd plot points and then moves past them. Like when Petra first goes to Prague, she cuts off her hair, to blend in as a boy—a classic spunky heroine move—and then discovers that no one is really fooled, and life would have been somewhat easier if she had just kept her hair and called herself a girl from the start.

The flavor of Marie Rutkoski’s Czechoslovakia is also delicious, and unlike anything else I’ve ever read. A changing Europe with a dangerous prince who courts danger and foments unrest among his people. The commonplace feel of magical talents—and the nature of those talents is fantastic. Invisible ghost fingers that can pick locks. The ability to move metal with your mind.

Marie Rutkoski has a gorgeously creative imagination, and this is a beautiful book. It’s the sort of novel that feels solidly based on a history only slightly different from our own—it feels like it might have been true in some parallel universe. It’s lush with detail—even the little things—and feels like a full literary meal.

Cabinet of Wonders has a solid ending and stands comfortably alone, but is clearly the first in a trilogy (says so right on the cover) and I am eager and hungry for more from Marie Rutkoski.

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Aug 14, 2008 Betsy rated it 5 of 5 stars

It seems to me that today's average everyday fantasy author for kids has to walk a delicate line. You want to create an alternative history novel laden with magical elements? Fair enough. Here is the choice set before you. Nine times out of ten books of this sort, whether they're of the steampunk variety or the more common knights + wizardry type stuff, are written for kids thirteen and up. Think about it. The King of Attolia books, Philip Reeve's Larklight series, Jonathan Stroud's Bartimaeu ...more

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Jan 22, 2009 Erika (YA or GTFO) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: thefantastic, young-adult-children-s-awesomeness

I think this book felt a bit immature. Not in terms of ideas and writing style, because obviously this book is meant for children and so isn't going to be "mature" in that sense. The ideas were great, though I think the author lifted heavily from other young adult fantasy books, most notably His Dark Materials (Astrophil felt kind of like a non-soul tin Pantalaimon to a very Lyra-esque Petra). I think mostly everything seemed to come together too easily - Petra never really had any difficulties...more

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Jan 23, 2009 Angela rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: middle-grade

Miss the magic of Harry Potter? Hunger for the smartness of The Mysterious Benedict Society? Looking for the next Lightning Thief to take you on a fantastical adventure? Cabinet of Wonders should fill the void, for now.

Here's what our Kid Critic, Rachel, age 10 has to say about it:

"This book was a very good book! There is a lot of tension & waiting, but when you get to the last few chapters there is a lot of excitement. This book is about a girl named Petra Kronos. When her father returns h...more

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Apr 02, 2012 Jazmine rated it 4 of 5 stars

I choose this book because the story sounded interesting. The story "The Cabinet of Wonders", by Marie Rutkoski, is about a girl named Petra who has a simply, not ordinary life but one day her father returns from work blind. Her father tells her that the prince has stolen his eyes and Petra is determined to steal back her father's eyes even though she may not make it back home. My favorite quote was when Neel says to Petra, "You're so green. i know you're not used to the ways of life around here...more

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Aug 15, 2011 Angela rated it 5 of 5 stars

Three Cheers! A startling, fantastic debut fantasy novel!

The Cabinet of Wonders is an amazing debut novel!
It's been a while since I was so captivated by a fantasy book that wasn't all "myths and monsters", (if you will).

Petra is a spunky 12-year-old girl who lives with her father, Aunt Dita annoying cousin David, and various magical, mechanical tin pets. Her favorite is a bookish tin spider known as Astrophil, who likes to hide under her tangled brown hair. Her father is off in faraway Prague be...more

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Apr 19, 2010 Shauna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: beehive-book-award

I read this as part of our family "Beehive Book Award Challenge." I had actually checked it out from the library earlier this year, but there were no takers. I didn't actually like the idea of pseudo-historical fiction (but it actually didn't detract or bother me when I was reading the book) and I think the cover is a turn-off. Once you have read the book, the cover makes sense, but it doesn't draw you in and make you wonder about the story. (I know, I know, never judge a book by its cover!)

I r...more I read this as part of our family "Beehive Book Award Challenge." I had actually checked it out from the library earlier this year, but there were no takers. I didn't actually like the idea of pseudo-historical fiction (but it actually didn't detract or bother me when I was reading the book) and I think the cover is a turn-off. Once you have read the book, the cover makes sense, but it doesn't draw you in and make you wonder about the story. (I know, I know, never judge a book by its cover!)

I read the book simply because it is part of the Beehive Award list, and ended up loving it. I think it even might win the children's fiction category. (It has my vote . . . but I haven't read every book from that section . . . I still have a week until the winners are announced! So, my vote might change. It is a tough call between this and The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester)My enthusiasm got Sophia started, who read it in less than two days. Aerie was intrigued because of our discussion, and read it quickly, too. I think Coco and Malachi (who are at opposite ends of the book enjoyment spectrum) would both like it. The book is geared toward 9-12 year old readers . . . but I think the story telling portions will keep Coco's interest, and the way the back story unfolds will keep Malachi's interest in knowing "the whole story." We'll see. It would have been a great family read aloud. Perhaps I'll encourage Malachi and Coco to read it on their own, and we'll read the second book (Which came out just last week!) for our family nighttime read- aloud. Hmmm. Something to think about.

The book seems to start in the middle of the story . . . Petra's father is returned to his home blinded by the prince after having spent months in the capitol city (Budapest)building a marvelous clock for the prince. Turns out, he was not simply blinded, the greedy prince has actually stolen her father's eyes so that he can use them himself. And, the clock isn't simply a clock, it is a device that can control the weather . . . and make the prince a very powerful ruler (but only if the prince uses the eyes to figure out the finishing details of that part of the clock). Petra decided the one thing she can do to help her family is steal her father's eyes back from the prince. With the help of her clever (and book loving) tin spider, old friends and new, Petra succeeds . . . and although the story is complete (a can't stand cliff hanger endings!) we are anxious for the sequel.

I enjoyed the writing in this book. I was particularly impressed with the way the author develops and describes the relationships between the various characters. The author flawlessly weaves the back story into the present story, and tells just enough "side stories" to enrich the reader's relationship with the characters. (I don't think "side stories" is actually a literary term . . . but, hey . . . what else to call stories that add interest to the character but aren't essential to the storyline?)

This was a library book, so I couldn't write in the actual book. I wrote a couple of pages of notes . . . but it's late and I can't find them. Actually, it's late and I didn't look!

I'll update this post with bits of wisdom from the book [for my own purposes . . . don't feel obligated to read my ramblings . . . twice!:] (less)

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Apr 08, 2010 Charlyn Trussell rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Gr. 5 and up

Recommended to Charlyn by: Texas Bluebonnet Award Reading List

Shelves: adventure, family_story, fantasy, fiction, magic, mystery, series, strong-female-character

A cabinet of wonders: a piece of furniture intended to display odd, beautiful objects. Both Petra and her father had odd, beautiful gray eyes, but it is Father's eyes that Prince Rodolfo has had removed and he places them in his cabinet of wonders when he isn't wearing them. Petra's father is a metal artisan engaged by Prince Rolfo to build the most beautiful--and dangerous--clock in the world. Before the clock is completed, Rodolfo has Mikal Kronos' eyes surgically removed and the blind man tak...more

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Jan 07, 2010 Pam rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Cole, Riley

Shelves: fantasy

What would you do if your dad came home seriously injured? Would you do everything in your power to make him better, to make everything normal again? 12 year old Petra knew that even though her magic was not nearly as strong as her father's, or, from what she had heard, her mother's, she had to take up this quest. With the help of her magically living tin spider, a friend who traps lightening, and a gypsy friend, Petra takes on the evil prince who caused her father's injury and in doing so finds...more

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Aug 29, 2010 Cornmaven rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: juvenile, middle-school

I gave this 4 stars because I think kids will like it, but if I were rating it just for me I would have given it 3. The first half, I felt, went too slowly. As a typical fantasy, it has to take many pages and lines to explain the fantastical elements. This is the part I always hate about fantasy. The second half was extremely exciting, and I actually couldn't put it down when I got to that point.

I thought, however, that some of the descriptions were deliberate setups for a movie setting - as if...more

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Apr 15, 2010 Jennifer Jensen (Literally Jen) rated it 2 of 5 stars

I don't know if I was just in the wrong frame of mind while reading this, but I just couldn't wait to be done with it. I really liked the idea of it, but some of the writing was just a little too juvenile. And before someone points out that this is a YA book and that is to be expected, please let me explain. I absolutely hate when an author starts a sentence with "and that's when..." To me, that is just bad, amateurish writing and shouldn't be done. The author does this several times. Or just a...more

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Aug 14, 2009 Alison Livingston rated it 1 of 5 stars

Four chapters. That is all I give books these days. If it hasn't captured my interest by chapter four I put the book down.

The Cabinet of Wonders has a great story idea, but ultimately I could not get over the poor writing. I know the book was written for children, and thus more simplistic, but there are so many adjectives in the story as to render imagination bored and rote. An example: "She went into a room with a square window" Okay, I don't know about you, but I assume windows are generally g...more

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Jun 29, 2012 Katie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: june-2012-reviewed

Rutkoski did an incredible job building a new and engaging world for the readers to immerse themselves in. Petra’s world is a seamless combination of 16th century European history, fantastical legends, and Rutkoski’s imagination. While The Cabinet of Wonders does feature many fantastical elements such as talking metal creatures and rare magical abilities, it carries off these unbelievable elements by focusing mainly on the realistic aspects of the world. Rutkoski discusses universal themes such...more Rutkoski did an incredible job building a new and engaging world for the readers to immerse themselves in. Petra’s world is a seamless combination of 16th century European history, fantastical legends, and Rutkoski’s imagination. While The Cabinet of Wonders does feature many fantastical elements such as talking metal creatures and rare magical abilities, it carries off these unbelievable elements by focusing mainly on the realistic aspects of the world. Rutkoski discusses universal themes such as kingship, revenge, justice and persecution with an odd combination of gentleness and harshness. When the book does discuss the unbelievable elements, the author handles them with a matter-of-fact nature that doesn’t call attention to them, so the reader must accept them as something commonplace in our own lives. Rutkoski light prose delicately handles the harsh realities and the amazing nature of her world so incredibly well, it’s only until the reader steps back that they realize the implications it holds.

The Cabinet of Wonders is also extraordinarily realistic for a fantasy book. Because Rutkoski does not spend so much time on the magical world, the realistic world is so incredibly tangible and reminiscent of the European past that we all imagine. The main plotline, as implausible as it all sounds initially, is almost acknowledged as impossible. When Petra heads off to Prague to steal back her father’s eyes, she struggles a long time with working out a plan. It isn’t as simple as it is in other books- Petra spends months at Prague, trying to figure out how to get close to the Prince. She has no magical powers that save the day deux-ex-machina style, her talking tin spider can’t do much, and her only ally is a twelve-year-old gypsy. Rutkoski works within the realms of her own fantastic world, but still acknowledges the realities of a twelve-year-old girl’s quest for justice.

Rutkoski’s characters are also engaging and very memorable. Arguably, there are only two main characters- Petra and Neel- but the author characterized some of the characters that did not appear often so well that you could remember them for the entirety of the book. Each character had a distinct personality from each other, which made them incredibly realistic. Petra herself was a very strong, persistent character that the readers could relate to and understand her motivations and reasoning quite well.

What could possibly be considered a big problem is The Cabinet of Wonder’s slow pacing. The book does tend to drag when Petra arrives in Prague for her mission. While this does provide realism for an actual journey would be like, the pacing of events in the book are slow. It gives the impression (correctly, in my opinion) that Petra honestly has no idea what she is doing. She decides she will steal back her father’s eyes, but has only a vague idea what to do, and doesn’t really reflect on her plans. Petra’s uncertain plans mirror what a twelve-year-old girl would do in this situation, in my opinion, but it also gives the impression that the author also has no idea what to do next.

What really bothered me was the lack of explanation of some aspects of magic and the society that The Cabinet of Wonders is set in. Rutkoski presents us with an engaging new world and explains it in a way that is simple and matter-of-fact. It gave the feeling that we were involved in this world for the most of the part. However, there are some things that require so much suspension of belief for very little reason that it breaks the book’s spell. For example, the clock: its explanation of its power was so thin that it made it completely far-fetched. There weren’t many instances, but there were enough to break the verisimilitude of The Cabinet of Wonders.

In addition, some of the details about the characters were distracting. Rutkoski did such a fantastic job brining each character to life, it was misleading at some times. Iris’s title as a lady and the gentlewoman that came to The Sign of the Compass were such interesting moments in the book, it was maddening that it was never addressed. This goes the same for Tomik. Petra constantly mentions that Tomik is her best friend and that he’s extraordinarily talented with glass, but he is never in the book. These details are like clues that the author leaves but leads to dead ends, and only distracts from the main storyline.

Overall, this was a very excellent book. It had a very interesting plot, and it had a very strong protagonist. Petra is stubborn, strong, and tomboyish in ways that remind the audience of the new stereotypical female protagonist. However, Petra suffers from many flaws with these characteristics- she is too proud to take direction, her obvious hatred of the prince makes her a target, and she mistakenly believes she can fix everything. She also lacks many of the skills to make her fall into the strong female stereotype such as magical abilities and physical strength. Even though there are some issues with explaining the magical and political world, Rutkoski creates an engaging coming-of-age story against the backdrop of a well-developed world and detailed characters. The Cabinet of Wonders is solid as a stand-alone, but makes promises for the rest of the Kronos Chronicles.(less)

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Sep 16, 2011 Kate rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Kate by: Teen Book Club selection

Shelves: 2011, age-middlegrade, steampunk, teen-book-club

Petra's father has an affinity for metal and creates mechanical animals that can think and act like real animals. His talents made him so famous that the Prince of Bohemia asked him to build him the most beautiful clock in the world, and secretly told the metal worker to give the clock the power to control the weather. To prevent the prince from having the power to control the weather, Petra's father made the weather controller a puzzle, after which the prince cut out the metal worker's eyes and...more

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Feb 01, 2013 Nancy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-sci-fi, read-aloud

What I really liked about this book --spoiler alert but something parents might like to know-- is that after the usual 12-year-old sneaking out to save her family's bad situation (in this case stealing back her father's magical eyes from the prince) she returns home and is surprised not to be hailed as a savior by her family, but to be lambasted by her father who says he would rather have been blind than have her in such danger, and bringing the ire of the prince upon their family. She is also t...more

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Aug 21, 2012 Lauren Brittain rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: younger-ya, cover-love

When I first began reading The Cabinet of Wonders by Marie Rutkoski I assumed it would be more of a lower level book. Not something I would usually pick up because I don’t want to read a children’s book and I prefer realistic fiction over fantasy. But nevertheless, I continued to read on because I knew it was for the Read Across Lawrence (which by the way was an awesome idea!). And surprisingly I began to really like it. You could even go as far to say that I loved it. I had forgotten how much I...more When I first began reading The Cabinet of Wonders by Marie Rutkoski I assumed it would be more of a lower level book. Not something I would usually pick up because I don’t want to read a children’s book and I prefer realistic fiction over fantasy. But nevertheless, I continued to read on because I knew it was for the Read Across Lawrence (which by the way was an awesome idea!). And surprisingly I began to really like it. You could even go as far to say that I loved it. I had forgotten how much I liked to read fantasy. It’s just so much fun to get lost in a world entirely different than your own. I tend to get too absorbed in reading realistic YA novels that I don’t look much farther. Now, I promise to have more variety in my selection!

One thing I really enjoyed about this novel was the way it was narrated. Told in third-person omniscient, which is common for fantasy novels, I finally got a chance to just sit back and enjoy the ride. First-person can get a little overwhelming. You have to read about every single thought and emotion that the protagonist experiences. Writing this way, authors can often forget to make sure each character is entirely developed. This didn’t happen in the Cabinet of Wonders which you can’t value more. Each character was important for the novel to move forward and for Petra to realize what she really needed to do on her quest. The plot was also very creative, but that was to be expected. Each event happened at the right time and the story never felt rushed.

In the end, to really make a novel stand out for me you need to have a full cast of lovable (or at least developed) characters, a well-thought out plot, and romance. This novel had two of those three qualities, but I forgave Marie Rutkoski for not having any romance on the conditions that it’s possible in the second and third books in the series and that Petra was only 12 for most of the novel. At least Petra got a kick-butt partner-in-crime. Neel was cunning and hilarious. I’ve always had a thing for thieves and the fact that he was a Roma/Gypsy just made him that much better. I almost wish that the Roma played a bigger part in Petra’s journey. There was one scene showing their life and culture but I could read an entire novel about gypsies.

Anyway, I say this is definitely worth the read. This impressive novel proves that you should never stick to just one genre or reading level. I am so glad I didn’t miss out on Marie Rutkoski’s ingenious debut to her series, the Kronos Chronicles and I can’t wait to read book two, The Celestial Globe.

P.S. The cover is GORGEOUS!
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Dec 11, 2012 Kavitha rated it 4 of 5 stars

I chose this book because my uncle gave it to me for my birthday. This book is about a girl named Petra Kronos. Her father can move metal with his mind and created a tin spider named Astrophil for Petra. Tomik Stakan, her best friend can put lightning into glass balls. Everything in her life changes when her father comes home from Salamander Castle blind. The prince has enchanted and stolen his eyes and Petra resolves to get the eyes back. I thought the chapter "The Magician Who Wasn't," was a...more

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Mar 11, 2012 Anne Nydam rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

This book features a rich and interesting magical world, including elements of steampunk (a magical clock and living clockwork animals), real history (this city of Prague and some characters, such as John Dee, are inspired by real history), and plenty of interesting twists on how magic works. My two 4th graders loved it, and their favorite character, as well as mine, is probably the tin spider, our hero Petra's companion. I admit to never quite being able to get a grip on the whole stolen eyes t...more

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Dec 10, 2011 Converse rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

I suppose I shouldn't be reading children's books, but I greatly enjoyed this one. Its set in 16th century Bohemia (Czech Republic), part of the Hapsburg Empire. Petra Kronos, the daughter of Mikal, sets out to retreive her father's eyes. Mikal, a craftsman in metal with magical abilities, has been working on a clock for Prince Rudolfo in Prague. The Prince had Mikal's eyes surgically removed in order to posess Mikal's magical skills. Rudolfo (who had his own eyes surgically removed and who can...more

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Dec 14, 2009 Tamora Pierce rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-ya-yr

A fascinating book in which magic education is restricted in Bohemia (roughly similar to the Czech Republic before WWI) to nobles only, and those who aren't noble manage as best as they can. When Prince Rudolf steals Petra Kronos's father's eyes after her father builds a clock that could control weather, Petra runs away with her living mechanical spider to steal them back. In Prague she makes friends with a Romany (Gypsy) family, particularly Neel and his sister Sadie, who help her to get work i...more

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Aug 08, 2012 Harold Ogle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: children, historical-fiction, steampunk

The Cabinet of Wonders is a fun story that draw upon a lot of Eastern European folklore. As such, it shares a lot of the macabre gruesomeness of Hans Christian Andersen's stories. To start with, the inciting incident of the story is when the protagonist's father returns home after having his eyes cut out of his head through a fantastical surgical process that left the sockets functional if only his eyes could be returned. In many ways, the tone and style of this book reminded me of The Golden Co...more The Cabinet of Wonders is a fun story that draw upon a lot of Eastern European folklore. As such, it shares a lot of the macabre gruesomeness of Hans Christian Andersen's stories. To start with, the inciting incident of the story is when the protagonist's father returns home after having his eyes cut out of his head through a fantastical surgical process that left the sockets functional if only his eyes could be returned. In many ways, the tone and style of this book reminded me of The Golden Compass, but I have high hopes that this series doesn't completely implode into stupidity like Pullman's series did.

But I don't want to assume that you know an inferior but more famous book. The Cabinet of Wonders tells the story of a girl, Petra Kronos, who lives in Renaissance Bohemia (what would later become Germany, then Czechoslovakia, and then later still the Czech Republic) near Prague. Her father is a talented metalsmith - talented here meaning both that he has profound skill and that he has a supernatural knack (a "gift") for manipulating metal. He uses this gift to create fantastical clockwork machines, including automatons like Petra's own companion, the sentient tin spider Astrophil. Following the template of nearly all children's stories, Petra is half an orphan, as her mother died giving birth to her and her twin brother (who died shortly thereafter - death and mortality are constant themes in this book). The Hapsburg emperor has put one of his sons in charge of Bohemia, and this Prince Rodolfo is fascinated with supernatural gifts. He is desperate to beat out his brothers and succeed the throne as Emperor, however. So he commissions Petra's father to create a magnificent clock which will enable supernatural control of the weather, knowing that absolute control of the weather would give him an edge on world domination. He then has his goons remove the metalsmith's eyes, both to prevent him from preventing the Prince from his dire aims, but also so that he, Rodolfo, can wear his eyes himself, to gain perception and insight into the world around him (yes, it's evocative of the Graeae).

The other VERY strong similarity - and probably a good reason why I liked this better than the Pullman book - is with Girl Genius, the fantastic web comic/manga. Petra, her best friend, and her father are all Sparks, and create suitably outlandish Mad Science creations. This lends a lightness and humor to the story that really engaged me.(less)

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Nov 27, 2011 Laurel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: middle-grade-books

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 15, 2011 Christina rated it 3 of 5 stars

At first, the magical world Rutkoski created was a bit too confusing -- You can steal someone's eyes and then use them? Metal pets that have real personalities? But over time, it was easier to immerse myself in the storyline and I enjoyed this one. I thought the end of the story was a little weird -- (spoiler alert) Petra destroys the prince's dearest passion and escapes with her father's eyes then just goes home and everyone goes about their regular routine? Really? No preparation for running o...more

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Feb 24, 2010 Mason Jones rated it 4 of 5 stars

I happened on this book at one of our great local bookstores, and it sounded pretty compelling: animate tin spiders, trapping lightning in glass spheres, moving metal with one's mind, and it's set in Prague! Hard to beat all of that, so I had to get it and give it a try, and I'm happy to report that it's great fun. One quoted review compares the protagonist, the girl Petra, with Philip Pullman's heroine, but actually I found Petra to be more immediately likable. Her adventures move right along,...more

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Nov 28, 2012 Dylan S rated it 4 of 5 stars

I am currently reading The Cabinet Of Wonders by Marie Rutkoski. This book is all about an adventure, although it's fantasy it reminds me so much about movies where the princess is stolen and the king must save her from the evil villain . But there's a twist to this story instead of steeling the princess the evil villain steels the clock makers eye balls! He does this because this isn't just any clock maker he makes clocks that have the power to destroy the universe and what evil villain doesn't...more

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Dec 31, 2008 Yune rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is one of those books I retrieved from the hold shelf with no memory of why I requested it. (I consider this a nice surprise; I'm actually often disappointed when the book is actually available in the stacks.)

The prince steals the eyes of Petra's father, so that he can see things as the magician/metalworker sees them; she's determined to steal them back.

There's a sense of freshness to this -- where else do you find a familiar that's a tin spider, prone to being over-cautious and scolding Pe...more

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Jun 02, 2010 Reed rated it 4 of 5 stars

Wow, this was a fun book that took me completely by surprise. The protagonist Petra lives in an alternate history Bohemia, where magic exists and adventure thrives. But it's not your standard alt history with write-by-the-numbers magical systems--Rutkoski creates a world of wonder, where magic is more mysterious and wonderful and downright cool. Petra's father Mikal Kronos is an artisan who can "see" metal and do fabulous things with it that no one else can. He builds a spectacular clock for the...more

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Feb 15, 2011 Cami rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fiction

I thought this was a really great story and a great tale of courage with a young female protagonist.
I always enjoy alternate history fiction (ieSeventh Son, Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus or Sunshine [though this one's more alternate present])
The story is set in Prague where a young, selfish Prince using others to create greatness and set him up to be the next Emperor.
Petra's father is one such person. He has just finished the Prince's great clock, meant to control the weather...more

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May 20, 2013 Bethany Pearson rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book, The Cabinet of Wonders, is a great book. My friend recommended it to me to read for a school project. She said that I would like it, and I did. I would rate it a 4.5 because I liked it, but I didn't really like the author's writing style. In this book, the main character, Petra, lives a somewhat normal life in a somewhat normal setting until one day her father comes home from the palace blinded. The prince had stolen his eyes because her father could see metals a special way and the p...more

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Apr 02, 2012 Andrea rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars

My daughter and I are going to a mother-daughter book club, and The Cabinet of Wonders is the selection for April. My daughter read it while I was plugging through the Whitney Finalists, and last week I finally had time to read it.

It was a pretty cute story (well, cute might not be the right word as there are parts about a wicked prince who does unspeakable things to his subjects to get what he wants). A young girl decides to leave home and find a job in the castle so she can find her f...more

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About Marie Rutkoski

Marie Rutkoski is the author of the YA novel The Shadow Society and the children's fantasy series The Kronos Chronicles, including The Cabinet of Wonders, The Celestial Globe and The Jewel of the Kalderash. Her next project is a YA trilogy that begins with The Winner's Curse, which is scheduled to be published in March 2014.

Marie grew up in Bolingbrook, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago), as the olde...more

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The Celestial Globe (The Kronos Chronicles, #2)

The Jewel of the Kalderash (The Kronos Chronicles, #3)

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Quotes from The Cabinet of Wonders

“Just because you don't know something doesn't mean it's not true.” — 2 people liked it

“If you would like to know how easy it is to overlook evil, Petra could tell you: it is the easiest thing in the world.” — 2 people liked it

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The Cabinet of Wonders (The Kronos Chronicles #1)

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