The Thief On the Winged Horse

by Kate Mascarenhas

Olivia Vinall (Narrator)

A dazzling mixture of crime, romance, magic and myth from the author of the bestselling The Psychology of Time Travel.
The Kendricks have been making world-famous dolls for over 200 years. But their dolls aren't coveted for the craftmanship alone. Each has an emotion laid on it; a magic that can provoke bucolic bliss or consuming paranoia at a single touch.

Persephone Kendrick longs to learn her ancestors' craft, but only men may know the secrets of the workshop. So when a handsome stranger arrives claiming doll-making talent and blood ties to the family she sees a chance to grasp all she desires.

But then, one night, the firm's most valuable doll is stolen. Only someone with knowledge of magic could have taken her. Only a Kendrick could have committed this crime...

'Captivating, inventive and tender' ADELE PARKS

'An atmospheric examination of gender inequality' GUARDIAN

'A magical tale that blends very human people with a hidden world of enchantment' WOMAN & HOME

'An addictive fantasy with a smart feminist twist' iNEWS

• ISBN10: 1789543819
• ISBN13: 9781789543810
• Publish Date: 12 November 2020
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 7 June 2023
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Head of Zeus
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 400
• Language: English

Reviews

[niamh]

Thank you to Netgalley and Head of Zeus for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

The Thief on the Winged Horse had me hooked and I could not put it down, I literally flew through the book!

Kate Mascarenhas does an superb job at world-building, character development and the relationships between characters. I felt like I was part of the Kendricks community by the end of the book.

The mix of the romance, the mystery, the patriachal society is so engrossing that it sometimes reads like a fantasy set in the 1800's but Mascarenhas will subtly remind the reader that the book is set on an eyot near Oxford in 2020.

While I feel like the ending could have been considered a "closed" ending, I would still absolutely love to see more of the lore and characters from The Thief on the Winged Horse, especially Persephone and Larkin, I kinda love those two the most