The Toymaker's Son: A Dark Gay Fantasy by Ariana Nash

The Toymaker's Son: A Dark Gay Fantasy Reviews

• 
  Lucie V.

  I was provided an e-copy of the book by the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
  
  ✅ 2 POVs
  ✅ Smut (MM)
  ✅ Romance
  ✅ Mysterious atmosphere
  ✅ Faes and magic
  ✅ Smut (M/M)
  ✅ Pace
  ✅ Plot
  ✅ Twists
  ❗️❗️Trigger warnings: drug use, homophobia, past psychological child abuse, attempted rape, homophobia, lynching
  
  

  Valentine Anzio. My first kiss, and my first betrayal.

  
  
  Valentine is back in Minerva, after 15 years, to solve the murder of Jacapo, the town’s famous toymaker. The prime suspect seems to be Jacapo’s son, Devere, but even though he is a recluse and people find him weird, Valentine does not believe that Devere is the murderer. Val’s time away allowed him to forget how dark and ominous Minerva truly is, and his investigation is soon relayed to the background as he is faced with the village’s weird magic, and needs to figure out what is truly happening there before he loses his mind.
  
  

  “Madness is rather like art.”
  “How so?”
  His smile tucked into the corner of his mouth. “One man’s madness is another’s dream.”
  He had the most bizarre perspective on the everyday, leaving me puzzling over his words as he stepped from the sidewalk and waved down a passing carriage.

  
  
  This book started more as a historical fiction with a murder to solve in a mysterious town, but as the story progresses, it becomes clear that there is something abnormal with Minerva, and before you know it, magic and faes are part of the plot. The story does not revolve around faes, and they are not that present, but their magic is at the heart of the mysteries of Minerva.
  
  

  “Sometimes liars believe their own lies so much they make them truths, don’t you think?”

  
  
  Minerva is a village full of secrets, and the author creates a gloomy and eerie ambiance from the first page. The pace is good, and it’s easy to read “just one more chapter”. Everything, from the characters to the buildings, is seeped in that mysterious atmosphere, and even when you think you finally understand what is happening, you realize a few pages later that you didn’t know what was truly happening. This book is just mysteries on top of secrets on top of magic, and I loved it! At one point, I had no idea what was real, and what was an illusion, and this book kept me guessing until the epilogue.
  
  While this story is full of twists, the fact that one of the main twists is very similar to something that happened in the Final Masquerade made that twist less shocking. While it has a big impact on the characters and changes our perspective on the main characters and the villains in this book, I did see it coming a teeny bit because of a few similarities with The Final Masquerade. That being said, this is probably one of the most complex plots Ariana Nash has written, and I remember a fellow reviewer describing this book as a “psychological fuckery” and that is spot on.
  
  

  Surely he couldn’t hold a grudge for over a decade? We’d been boys, and boys being boys, we’d done things. Stupid things. Things we regretted as men.

  
  
  Val and Devere share a past that is beautiful and tragic at the same time. They both bear mental scars because of their young years, and it shaped who they became as adults. Val feels horrible for what he did to Devere, and he seeks forgiveness, while Devere still hasn’t forgiven Val, and has been seen as an outcast in Minerva for the past years. The fact that they both shared a past also added more complexity and layers to their relationship.
  
  

  My instincts suggested Devere had much to hide, but the murder of his father wasn’t among his secrets.
  
  “The wolves are at your door and I’m the only man with a gun, the only one willing to fight for you. Turn me away if you wish, but there is nobody else coming to save you, Dev. And God, I wish it wasn’t me. I wish I wasn’t here and I wish we’d never met, but wishes are the currency of fools and madmen, of which you and I are neither.”

  
  
  Devere Barella and Valentine Anzio are both flawed characters with dreams and regrets. While they were not my favorite characters from Ariana Nash, they were interesting and developed enough for me to get into their story and want them to get their happy ending… If such a thing is possible for them with everything that happened and continues to happen between them. They have a lot of work to do to get there for sure.
  
  

  He’d always been difficult to read. So distant, so different… never fitting in. He’d never belonged. But with me, the two of us alone together, he’d come to life, like the dancer in a music box, or the clockwork toy with its key wound anew. There was a softer side to Devere that few people saw.

  
  
  The romance is slow, but engaging, and it’s a friends to enemies to lovers to enemies again, with a lot of ups and downs in between. There is smut, but there is not a ton of it so this might not be the book for you if you want some spicy fantasy. I will say though, that the fact that there are not a lot of spicy moments between Val and Devere, and the fact that it takes so long for something to finally happen between them only made their intimate moments even more meaningful.
  
  If you enjoyed The Final Masquerade, you will love this new book for sure. It’s a good mix of magic, mystery, illusions, and gloomy ambiance, with well-developed characters and an addictive plot.
  
  I have to mention the ending.
  It was surprising, and a bold choice I think, but I loved it. I would have been disappointed if everything was magically resolved and Val and Devere’s life went “back to normal” with no lasting consequences. I like the choice the author made, and how it gave them their happy ending, while not being too cheesing either.
  
  
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• 
  Ariana Nash

  A story of love that defies the odds, of madness and obsession, and of how one mistake can last a lifetime.
  
  OUT NOW!
  
  
  
  ***
  
  I stamped the snow from my boots, blew into my gloved hands to warm my fingers, and stood in wonder at the contents of Jacapo’s World of Toys. Dozens of clocks ticked on the shop walls, their pendulums swinging out of synchronicity. Ornate tables to my left and right displayed multicolored dolls. Painted trains buzzed along miniature tracks, stacks of puzzles and games were piled high, and bright rugs carved a footpath through it all, leading the customer deep into a seductive wonderland of possibilities.

  
  As a boy, I’d dreamed of Jacapo’s store, of being able to afford its toys. Fifteen years later, the store’s wonder hadn’t paled, even if my enthusiasm for dreams had.
  
  -- Valentine, Toymaker's Son
• 
  Ro {semi-hiatus}

  Ariana is some kind of genius because i went into this blind and for the entire first 40% i was VEXED because i had no idea what was going on and i couldn't stop reading until it all clicked into place... at the very same time it does for Valentine. and it's not that breadcrumbs weren't left because they are but i found no sensical way to link it all together apart from knowing i needed to note something for later on. the point is: she ate and fed me too. the court of pain duet had me gripped and this one is similarly frustrating and remarkable all at once. (and only takes one book to reach the hard earned HEA.) i'm going to focus mostly on the relationship because the plot is simply too good and i don't want to spoil anything outside of basics
  
  Valentine is hired to investigate the murder of the toy maker Jacapo, from the hometown he escaped 15 years prior. Devere is Jacapo's son and the only suspect in the death of his father. when the two come face to face... Devere is not happy to see him. especially when he discovers the man who owns everything in town, including the toy store, is the same man who hired Valentine to investigate his father's murder. while the town seems to think Devere is guilty, Valentine knows better. they were friends as children and after offending Devere egregiously when they were teenagers, there's been nothing but animosity between them. and semi-reluctant attraction.
  
  He was pretty, in the way snakes, or sharks, are pretty. As though that pretty were honed for one purpose—to ensnare its prey. He certainly looked down at me as though I were still the lesser creature in his world.
  
  i just have to say that i love their first interaction sm lol Devere is just so snippy with him you just KNOW valentine did him dirty and i was sweating for the deets. V was guilty of being a dick but was also a victim in his own right.. i don't think that excuses it but Devere forgave him i guess so there's that. despite the weird friction between them that causes almost all of their initial conversations to come off strained and alluding, there's still a sense of camaraderie between them that is just rife with sexual tension.
  
  “That was a mistake,” I hissed, closing the distance between us in a few strides. “A boyhood folly, nothing more.”
  His eyes widened, and out of nowhere, a backhanded blow tore across my face, almost spinning me around. Fire flushed my skin. I gasped and cupped my burning cheek.
  “My mistake,” he said coolly. His lips quirked up at one corner. “Still hurts, though, does it not?”
  
  their connection goes deeper and further back than Valentine knows at the start and even though the book had me on edge, there was just something about them that was tinged with sweetness. i think it's the way Devere never seems to be unnerved because he has a better grasp of what's happening than Val does. it helps soothe away the suspense of their circumstances in a strange way and later i could feel Valentine's loss during their brief separation. Devere's presence IS the balancing factor for how impossible everything else all feels to Valentine. even though we know there's secrecy and the truth has yet to be exposed, the knowledge that Devere is at the center of it all somehow makes him that much more alluring. i felt like i shared in Valentine's fascination with him. i wanted to know more too and thought the chemistry between them as they slowly feel each other out again was gorgeous. never too much, never too little.
  
  “Devere, you have nothing to fear from these people,” I muttered, not wanting anyone to hear my attempts to rally him. “None are better than you.”
  He lifted his chin, tightened the top button on his waistcoat, and made for the nearest server to collect two glasses of wine. He handed me one and raised his to his lips. “Are they staring?”
  “Oh, they’re staring.” I smirked. Those who didn’t want to look like him wanted to have him.
  
  i was wrecked after Devere's deceit comes out and i teared up through their separation because we get so many half truths and everything seems off even when it has supposedly all been laid on the table... the only real thing for the entirety of the book is Devere and Valentine. i always love when an author links the reader to the character that way, where their reveals become our own and it all comes together simultaneously. at no point was this predictable to me and i woke up in the middle of the night to finish the rest because i just had to know what came next.. it ends with a HEA that i thought was lovely and suited the tone of the story.
  
  i suppose this would be a dark fantasy retelling of Pinocchio although it is much more complex and beautiful than that. anyway i was thrilled to read this and am so excited for it to be released so i can see what others think of it. Ariana is so talented i didn't even care that the spice was bare minimum. i was satisfied just to see it happen to know there was fulfillment to the chemistry and love between the mcs but mostly i was too invested in the plot to mind having the heat take a backseat. this is prob one of my fav fantasy reads of all time. it was nice to take a break from the same old formula to stress myself out with unpredictability. 5 stars all the way.
  
  i'm grateful for the free copy from GRR but all thoughts here are my own, swearsies. xx
• 
  ivanareadsalot

  I would like to thank GRR for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
  
  There was something deliciously eerie and gothic about this story that had me enraptured from beginning to end. This was an example of some exceptional, atmospheric narrative, like Poe’s Tell-Tale Heart meets the sinister fae of folklore. This story was chilling in the way it unfolded, like being caught up in a fevered daze. Very ethereal and otherworldly, and I am very much a fan of this hypnotizing period piece.
  
  The Nash of the past was very hit or miss for me, but the eldritch brilliance of this work is an extraordinary level up, and having recently been immersed in the fantastical worlds of Freya Marske and Foz Meadows, I’ve to say that this was on par with that vibe and reading experience. Sounds a bit poncey, I know, and maybe this book slapped harder because I’ve been on this wavelength. And I mean no insult to Nash’s backlist at all! But I feel like I’m discovering something new here from Nash, and I could not be happier!
  
  ***A special note for romance readers who want saucy supernatural, you're gonna have to look elsewhere. This wasn’t a very spicy romance by a long shot, so when it happened I found the intimacy between Val and Dev even more impactful and meaningful. I was wholly invested in this world from the get-go, so I was easily moved by their love journey and their happily ever after. Ngl I’m tearing up right now because of how hard won it was.
  
  All in all, I loved this book. It was haunting and atmospheric, with a darker/more adult Pinocchio meets a gothic Poe vibe, that doesn’t take itself seriously, but was still wicked enchanting! Top marks for the extraordinary pleasure of discovering this author’s next gear, so to speak, and I’m looking forward to this reread and everything else from AN (that flexes like this) in the future!
• 
  patrícia

  “It was absurd. It was fantasy and madness tangled together, but it was also love.”
  
  This definitely defines this book to the core! 🖤
• 
  Miriah

  Very enjoyable with some pacing issues near the end that took me out of the story. All in all though, I really liked this and, shockingly for an Ariana Nash story, wish there’d been more sex scenes.
  
  A note on the one penetrative sex scene - no prep before penetration and that always drives me insane.
• 
  Jewel

  There was an episode of Buffy, back in the day, called Normal Again, where by the time the episode ended you're not really sure what was real and what wasn't (in the context of the episode as well as the Buffy Universe). The Toymaker's Son was kind of like that. A twisted tale, both real and not. Magic and dreams. Betrayal and love. In the end, love saves the day. I think.
• 
  mehta (a little inactive atm)

  DNF @ 51% (page 229)

  I was enjoying the a fair bit, but I simply lost interest because there are so many other books I want to get to. Found myself not picking this up for a while, so I'll call it quits.

  "...I wish I wasn't here and I wish we'd never met, but wishes are the currency of fools and madmen, of which you and I are neither."

  Very strong sense of atmosphere and setting (especially in the beginning chapters) that helped create a feeling of immersion that I was able to hold on to for most of the 51% that I read. There's this sense of encroaching gloominess that seems to claw its way through every crevice of Minerva. Nash's prose also did some heavy lifting in this book, which I loved seeing.

  I wasn't particularly enamoured with the characters so far, but I still have half the book left so this is by no means a critique. But that combined with the softness of the magic amidst this twisty 'nothing is as it seems' cerebral plot is a combo that I have to be in a certain mood for I suppose.

  Might finish reading this in the future! But right now, other books are calling my name more.
  
• 
  reverie

  I thought I had managed to escape an Ariana Nash book without sobbing my eyes out. Made it all the way to the epilogue and was then promptly reduced to a puddle of tears.
• 
  nika

  one day you’re doing just fine then boom you’re in a psych ward because you read deverevalentine.
  ariana nash your days are numbered.
• 
  Penny

  I know that when I read this author, I’m going to get a book that is very well-written, is a little dark, and has a very twisty plot. Boy, was I right about this one. I really can’t say too much because of the twisty-ness, and I don’t want to spoil anything. I can say that Devere and Valentine are very tortured for their own reasons, and that is why they believe that they can’t be happy. I absolutely loved this book, and I admit to being a little peeved at the end for reasons I can’t say, but really, it’s a good peeved. As always, this author delivers a wonderful, exceptionally written, full of twists and turns, and an engaging read. Highly recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.
• 
  Jacquie Stewart

  Mind bending
  
  Dark, dreamlike, dangerous. The Toymaker’s Son is a unique story of the fae and a sort of pinochio retelling.
  I think my brain hurts a little from all the twists and turns. It was just so good!
  Though dark, there's a satisfying HEA for the couple that was well earned.
• 
  ꧁•Zakiyya•꧂

  Damn, does this author know how to tell a story!
  
  Woven with dark fantasy and intricate twists and turns, this story was an absolute delight.
  
  Valentine and Devere were a pleasure to get to know. Their story was exciting and kept me intrigued throughout.
  
  I loved the tension – it made every interaction between them all the more enjoyable.
  
  The ending was such a surprise and I absolutely LOVED that it caught me off-guard like that. I mean, come on, nobody wants boring and predictable... 🙈
  
  A very stimulating read – if you’re into dark fantasy, then you most certainly won’t want to miss this one…💙🥰💙
• 
  Elyse

  I was provided a free e-copy of the book by the author for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks, you for this!
  
  What a thrill ride this book was! I am always getting excited from a new book by this author.
  
  Valentine Anzio returns to his childhood hometown Minerva, he is getting paid by Lord Rocheford to investigate is the dead of Jacobo, the toymaker is a murder.
  Devere Barella the toysmaker’s son was bullied at school, le looked feminine, delicate and seems like he thought he was better than the other kids.
  
  Valentine and him share a complicated past; a stolen kiss years ago and a broken heart.
  
  Devere is not happy at all to see him putting his nose in his business. He threatens him and tells him to never come back to the shop. At first, he is not collaborating.
  There is more at play, Lord Rocheford is creepy and does not look trustworthy. Valentine does not want to see Devere hang but all the clues seem to lead to him, and the rest of the town already see him guilty. The two men probably only have each other to rely on.
  
  The town looks cursed and doesn’t wants the detective to leave again. Valentine gets stuck in a twisted game and doesn’t know what is real anymore or an illusion.
  
  This book has a lot of things I wasn’t expecting at all. It was different from as others book by this author, but in a good way. It is more focus on the fantasy element and less on the romance and smut. I didn’t mind at all. I couldn’t put it down and needed to figure out the truth about Jacobo’s fate and Devere.
  
  Just like Valentine, there was some parts where I also questioned reality, and wondered is that the M.C was living was actually happening or it was all in his head.
  The ending was also really powerful and jaw dropping. This book was an amazing surprise.
• 
  Izzy

  This book was a masterpiece of a story!!
  
  I'm not sure where to even start because I loved it so much.
  
  The way it gave enemies to lovers in the beginning, only for it to be a scorned love from teen years. Just all the tropes I could eat up in terms of the romance.
  
  My god the plot twists in this book just kept on coming and I was so convinced that there was no way there was going to be a happy ending and my heart broke for both Valentine and Devere throughout the whole story.
  
  This book will forever be an absolute favourite. I fear no fantasy retelling will ever come close to the masterpiece that this is!!
• 
  NegativeCoconut

  The folklore & fairytale vibes! The city of Minerva is wintery, sp00ky, and spellbinding, and Jacapo’s World of Toys shop is especially enchanting, interwoven with vibrant colors, smells, and sounds. I was straight up craving for the holidays!
  
  This is definitely a plot-driven story (or perhaps plot-twist driven!?) and at some point I started questioning everything. I’m not usually a fan of books with a heavy focus on ‘the Fae,’ but I thought the magical aspects were well explained, even though they definitely gave me TRUST ISSUES lol. The Toymaker’s Son was a mystery with a pace that started slow and began unspooling like a wild thread in the best of ways.
  
  One thing is for certain though: I liked Devere instantly. What’s not to love about “a smudge of dark ink in a cascade of bright crayons.” So grumpy 😠♥️
  
  I thought the romance was very wholesome, somehow made even more pure when juxtaposed against the backdrop of all kinds of sinister deception. (But let’s be real, I’m here for the angst and Ariana ALWAYS delivers.)
  
  Thank you to the author for the ARC of this book and the opportunity to write an honest review.
• 
  Raven Neverever

  3.5 stars
  First of all and most important: I love the writing style and it was still damn good.
  There were some vicious plot twists as always and it was a nice ride. "Pinocchio" meets "The Masquerade" but in an "Inception" way with a tiny splash of "Sucker Punch". Interesting mix.
  
  At 77% things got a little out of hand because of some forced argument, another plotwist and some really, really ooc decisions... The pacing and outcome of the conflict was a little far-fetched and I didn't like that.
  In the end it was solved but then again it was kind of sad.
  Overall I liked it a great lot.
• 
  Wadzanai Mufunde

  Not gonna lie, I kind of enjoyed this twisty, confusing book. But at the same time, I'm annoyed at the lack of logic once everything is said and done.
  I understand wanting to have plot twists, but once it's all been unravelled most of it should make sense but I don't understand how or when the dream/wish began. How much of it was truly real? Did Val even betray Devere? I am fine with reading soft magic systems, but at least make the timelines have some certainty please.
  I haven't decided how I feel about the epilogue, either. I kind of love it because it suits the dark tone of the novel, and its themes of truth vs reality. Still, a part of me kind of would have liked a kinder ending.
  There are some similarities to Nash's previous novel, The Final Masquerade, and in fact it's set in the same world. In some ways this novel feels a bit more toned down especially in terms of potential triggers which I appreciated. However, it did mean I saw some of the twists coming.
  But I want to end this review on a high note so I admit I love the moody atmosphere of the novel. I love the way it started out as a murder mystery and unravelled into a dary fairytale. Man, I enjoy me some fey and their vicious antics. Adair is a plague I wish on no one but he was interesting to read.
• 
  Bookloversofantastic

  I’m mind-blown by Ariana Nash's concept !!! I wasn’t expecting this at all !!! I don’t read retaking in general and even if there are some Pinocchio vibes, it’s soooo much more and sooo much better.
  
  I’m not even sure if I can speak of it without spoiling, the plot is a machine very well intricate, I was drowning in the story, trying to follow and understand everything. An insane world indeed for crazy men, after fifteen years Valentine is back in his hometown to resolve the toymaker’s murder and face his past involving the toymaker’s son. But there is more to it than I had ever thought, nothing is truly what it seems and to find the truth Valentine will have to have more demons than he would ever know.
  
  It was truly amazing, I couldn’t stop reading, and good thing I didn’t have too 🤣 if you like fae, fantasy, MYSTERY well you will be served !!!
  
  I received an ARC Copy of this book from the author, this review is from my own thoughts 😍
• 
  Wanderer

  If novels had tags: Angst with a happy ending, tricksy fae, psychological thriller, spot the masquerade!, dubcon, love/hate, friends to enemies to lovers…to enemies again to lovers again…it’s complicated, reality bending, pinnochio but a lil bit fucked
  
  So. When I read Fool Me Twice, I was genuinely thinking that Ariana Nash had nailed it, no other novel of hers could compare. It successfully knocked Prince’s Assassin off the top shelf as my favourite Nash novel. And then I read The Toymakers Son, and now I’m going to have to make room on said top shelf.
  
  Holy. Shit.
  
  Ariana Nash has outdone herself. This novel is a masterpiece of psychological fuckery, Nash’s particular brand of Fae antics (if you’ve read Final Masquerade, you’ll Get It) and a delightful dash of spice at just the right amount. It’s a recipe for my Favourite Ariana Nash Novel, and Lark and Devere are both currently fighting it out between each other for position of my favourite angry tortured soul. Sorry, Akiem and Vasili, your time is up.
  
  Valentine Anzio is a criminal investigator, called back to the town he fled fifteen years ago to investigate the suspicious death of the beloved toymaker, Jacapo Barella. Bad memories and trauma are all he left behind in the town of Minerva, but despite his past, he refuses to let an innocent man hang for a crime he didn’t commit. The investigation centres around Devere, the toymakers son, and the circumstances surrounding him as he continues to build and sell Jacapo’s beloved toys. But not all is as it seems in this tiny little town, and like a cog in a wheel, things keep turning despite Valentine’s efforts to understand what he’s walked back into. And turning, and turning…and turning…
  
  THE YEAHS
  The big things things that nailed it.
  

  The execution (zing!) of the plot: This is a complex plotline to pull off. Easily the most complex that Ariana has written to date. And she absolutely nails it. I don’t have any other word for it than that. It’s giving Gothika, butterfly effect, big wheel keep on turnin’. It took me a minute to figure out what was going on once things began to really start moving, but once I did I was in a state of anxiety almost the entire time. Who is the villain? Who is the victim? What is really going on here??
  The ending: Some readers aren’t going to like this ending. Ariana has said herself that she has been stressed about it. But I don’t think this novel could have ended any other way. It’s perfect. It makes sense, and most of all it’s a happy one despite the circumstances. I genuinely can’t see any other way that this novel could have wrapped up.
  The Pinnochio themes: I have visions of Geppetto’s workshop. The clocks, the choo-choo trains, the bright warmth and colours that the setting of the toy store evokes in this novel all remind me of Pinnochio. The clocks ticking incessantly out of time remind me of the scene in the disney movie when Jiminy Cricket is trying to sleep and the clocks are going mad. Without spoiling, it feels very much like this is a twisted, darker version of that story, and I absolutely love it.
  Lord Rochefort: What a guy. No more detail than that because of spoilers, but what. A. Guy.
  That Scene in the Mansion: I had a dream the other night that featured a grandfather clock bong bong bonging away in my ears, and I’m pretty sure this scene is to blame. The mindfuck of that scene and the gradually increasing stress and anxiety it evoked as I read is probably some of the strongest emotional response I’ve had to a novel since TJ Klunes Under the Whispering Door.
  The cameo: I didn’t realise this was set in the same world as The Final Masquerade until I got to a comment about the host left the Masquerade long ago and I went huh. Maybe it’s the same one? Turns out it is. Neat!
  Devere: Hello, tortured beautiful soul. Welcome to my collection. Valentine is equally tortured of course, but there’s just something about Devere that draws me to him more. Maybe it’s because of his aloofness and his attempts to be an ass early on. I’m a sucker for the gilded cage trope. SPEAKING OF.
  The Bird themes: A recurrent theme. Trapped birds in cages, birds should be free to fly away, the clockwork bird, a bird reared in a cage will never know the world outside if it never gets the chance…I really do love this theme when paired with the overarching plotline. It’s a beautiful analogy and so appropriate.

  
  
  Okay moving on because I WON’T STOP.
  
  THE NAH’S
  The little things that missed the mark. Potential spoilers ahead!
  

  nothing: That’s it. Nothing. Nothing about this novel missed it for me. Not the ending, not the fights, not the dialogue, not the execution of anything (well, except for- /shot).
  
  Toymakers Son is sitting pretty as one of my top Ariana Nash novels. I think it’s fighting Fool Me Twice for the top spot and may nudge ahead with time given how complex the story is and how well executed it is. Genuinely, I did not expect such intricate, deeply woven storylines when I picked this novel up. Ariana’s skill in her writing has been shooting up, up and up with every single novel that she’s released of late, and if this trajectory continues I’m going to end up broke from inevitably buying both digital copies and hardcopies of every single novel.
  
  Read Toymakers Son. You will not be disappointed.
  
  5 stars.
  
  I was generously provided an ARC of this novel, and am leaving my review voluntarily.
• 
  Emily Cason

  This was my first book from this author and all I can say is that I'm HOOKED. It was my 46th book this year and quickly soared into my top 10. It was intriguing and twisted and every time I feel like I had it figured out it turned me on my head.
  
  Amazing writing, amazing characters who I wanted to root for the entire way through. Even as simple a motive that the entire plot hinges around IS, it's done well and in a manner that always leaves you wanting to turn the next page to find out what happens next. I didn't want to put it down.
• 
  Orochi

  Probably the most puzzling ending I've ever read.
  I mean, I didn't understand: the protagonist ends up shooting himself after breaking Aldair's world of illusions? And the other protagonist, after that same event, ended up being a wooden doll? And what we are told in the final chapters, the reappearance of the toy store and its happy ending never happens in the real world?
  Despite that, very good book, already among the best I've read this year
• 
  LillyRose

  Wow!!!!! One of Nash’s best works! So many twists and turns and the reader is left peeling all these different layers of mystery till the very end. This is the kind of book you should dive into blindly and let the plot slowly reveal itself because it’s a beautiful tale of love, hate, vengeance, heartbreak, obsession and add a dash of magic and you have toymakers son. I know it was a long book but I couldn’t tell because I kept devouring it and before I knew it, I was reading the last words with my jaw on the floor with the very final reveal. I read alot and specially dark novels are my favorite because they are more complex and also harder to pull off and few authors can do that right. Yet this book managed to surprise me and right when I thought I had it figured out, it revealed yet another new secret.
  
  Captivating from start to finish. The characters are vividly portrayed, and the author's prose is both elegant and engaging. A must read!!!!!
• 
  Sasha

  "𝙄’𝙙 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙖 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨. 𝙄’𝙙 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙞𝙢 𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢. 𝙄𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙩𝙤 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙚 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠."
  
  Hats off to Ariana for coming up with this extraordinary book, I am awestruck by the plotline, the work-building, the twists, and the characters. Certainly a work of art!!!
  
  Going Blind with Ariana's book is a next-level thriller experience that I immensely enjoy.
  
  As Ariana mentioned the book will be living in your mind rent-free for a while and it does. I am unsettled after completing the book because I am not sure whether I can confirm that they got the happy ending they deserved.
  
  “𝘽𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙮 𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧?” “𝙄’𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙗𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨, 𝘿𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙚, 𝙞𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙬𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧.”
• 
  Ashley Martinez (ilovebooksandstuffblog)

  The Toymaker’s Son
  
  Mysterious, twisted, suspenseful, and beautiful!
  
  A wonderfully crafted masterpiece that dives into obsession, madness, and love!
  
  I really enjoyed the story! It had so many twists and turns I didn’t see coming! The characters completed each other in a messy yet perfect way.
  
  
• 
  Alicia

  I'm left gobsmacked by Val and Devere's story, its twists and turns, its dark ambiance, and its tragic love. I've never cried so much while reading a book, and its poignant HEA will stick with me for a very very long time. If I could give a standing ovation, I would. Ariana, I'm sending you a bill for all the tissues I've gone through!
• 
  Carolyn

  I don’t know how to feel about this book. From 40% and on, this was me: 🫨🫨🫨🫨🫨
• 
  Sally ✨

  This was not bad (as the vampire series was) but it was weak, the plot is all over the place and this universe didn't make a lot of sense. I think the 3 trilogies by Nash can never be dethroned, everything since then has been just ok
• 
  Val

  “It wasn’t reality I wanted. It was the freedom to choose. And I choose you.”
  
  HOLY HELL WHAT A BOOK!!!
  
  We have Valentine, who returns to his home town he escaped 15 years ago to investigate the murder of toymaker Jacapo. While everyone is suspecting toymaker’s son, Devere, things are actually waaay messier than it seems.
  
  Whatever you are expecting while starting reading this book I promise you it’s MORE and BETTER. Talking about mind blowing good. I honestly expected a good book by the blurb of this book yet it was way more than just a good book.
  
  It was DEFINITELY an emotional roller coaster. I swear I’ve felt every emotion throughout this book.
  At first I thought some things were really predictable and a litte was yeah but everytime this book took a turn it left me open mouthed. It went places I didn’t think of and surprised the hell out of me. Turns and twists in this book took me places I wouldn’t dream of.
  
  It is magical, the world is beyond what my mind can comprehend and I’m not complaining about that. The magic wraps you up while reading and it does not leave you till you are finished and probably crying. I loved the characters, don’t get me wrong but the book is way more than them. While it all leads to their love story the book promises you a magical world around the love story. It promises you magic, love, confusion, heartbreak, sadness and happiness. It opens a door to a world full of emotions and fascination.
  
  You can call it a second chance romance yet it is so much more than that. I wouldn’t want to promote this book based on tropes because that might be misleading. If you can, get into this book without any spoilers and enjoy the ride. But definitely, DEFINITELY give this book a chance.
  
  Thanks to Gay Romance Reviews for a copy of this book!
• 
  Andie Davidson

  It's been quite a while since I've spent almost an entire day reading a book, just completely unable to put it down, but I was totally entranced by The Toymaker's Son. It's incredibly evocative and inventive and yes, twisting—to an almost dizzying degree.
  
  The take on Pinocchio is loose, but it's creative and fun—a sort of steampunk, clockwork-and-automaton version of the story, and one where you can't quite tell who is the puppet and who is the puppet master. It's part fairy tale, part mystery (Who killed the toymaker? Is any of this real?), and part romance. There's magic and a fae world—or is there? The story twists and turns and distorts so many times that it's difficult to tell what's real and what's not (which is the point, I think). If you're looking for a straightforward fairy tale, this isn't the story for you. But if you like to puzzle out your reading experience, pondering and discovering hidden doors and magic keys, you'll love this book.
  
  Parts are heartrending and tragic, though I never felt like I was bogged down by darkness. The characters of Valentine and Devere felt real, intriguing, and occasionally aggravating, but ultimately beautifully flawed and engaging. (There are a few characters you'll want to strangle, too, though the "villain"—if they actually exist—is so deliciously wicked as to be entertaining.) And though there's a HEA, it might not be what you expect. In the end, I'm still not entirely sure what happened, but I certainly enjoyed the wild and magical ride. It's been a while since I've been so wholly entranced by a book.