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Nowhere Emporium #1
The Nowhere Emporium
Winner of the Blue Peter Best Story Award 2016 and the Scottish Children's Book Award 2016, and the North East Book Award 2015.
When the mysterious Nowhere Emporium arrives in Glasgow, orphan Daniel Holmes stumbles upon it quite by accident. Before long, the 'shop from nowhere' -- and its owner, Mr Silver -- draw Daniel into a breathtaking world of magic and enchantment.
Recruited as Mr Silver's apprentice, Daniel learns the secrets of the Emporium's vast labyrinth of passageways and rooms -- rooms that contain wonders beyond anything Daniel has ever imagined.
But when Mr Silver disappears, and a shadow from the past threatens everything, the Emporium and all its wonders begin to crumble.
Can Daniel save his home, and his new friends, before the Nowhere Emporium is destroyed forever?
Ross MacKenzie unleashes a riot of imagination, color and fantasy in this astonishing adventure, perfect for fans of Philip Pullman, Cornelia Funke and Neil Gaiman.
When the mysterious Nowhere Emporium arrives in Glasgow, orphan Daniel Holmes stumbles upon it quite by accident. Before long, the 'shop from nowhere' -- and its owner, Mr Silver -- draw Daniel into a breathtaking world of magic and enchantment.
Recruited as Mr Silver's apprentice, Daniel learns the secrets of the Emporium's vast labyrinth of passageways and rooms -- rooms that contain wonders beyond anything Daniel has ever imagined.
But when Mr Silver disappears, and a shadow from the past threatens everything, the Emporium and all its wonders begin to crumble.
Can Daniel save his home, and his new friends, before the Nowhere Emporium is destroyed forever?
Ross MacKenzie unleashes a riot of imagination, color and fantasy in this astonishing adventure, perfect for fans of Philip Pullman, Cornelia Funke and Neil Gaiman.
280 pages, Paperback
First published March 5, 2015
205 people are currently reading
2477 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 343 reviews
April 11, 2015
[Quickly before I begin, I'm giving The Nowhere Emporium 4 stars as a book for its recommended age range, which is listed as 8-12. In short, I think this is a strong offering for young readers, but somewhat less so if you're an adult hoping for the perennially promised "next Harry Potter." Or, in my case, the next Dark Materials or Glass Sentence. Read on with that in mind.]
This story reads like the bedtime tale you wish your dad had told you when you were a kid, spinning it out over many weeks while you fought sleep as valiantly as you were able, always wanting to hear just a little bit more. Trying to be realistic for lots of my readers/friends here on GR, I don't think many of you would go out of your way to read it without a younger loved one to share it with; but I think you could have an opportunity to do that since many children younger than the recommended age of 8 would enjoy having this book read to them before they could read it to themselves. If you have a child who likes fantasy and adventure and can deal with a PG level of scariness, then this book would likely be a home run. Reading it by myself, I genuinely enjoyed it but was always aware it was rather more for kids than for me.
The thing that keeps The Nowhere Emporium from being a really satisfying all-ages read is that it's on the short attention span end of the spectrum -- scenes are mostly brief and move quickly. I think you could explore this exact same plot with about 300% more detail and suddenly droves of adult readers would totally dig it; but as is, it is clearly written for a reader who is interested in knowing what happens next as soon as possible rather than in lingering in a scene and appreciating sophisticated prose or literary innovation. I hope you understand that I mean no criticism here, I'm just trying to articulate a difference between what I think of as all-ages fiction and a book that seems to have that potential, but ultimately does skew younger.
I will also say that this book could have been written to be read aloud -- the descriptions have just the right amount of detail to them to be vivid when spoken with a little flair, but not so much that you or a young audience will forget what you were even talking about by the time you get to the end of a paragraph. The language and the pacing are comfortable for speaking, too.
Just some random thoughts if you want more details or feel like chatting about this book with me:
The titular Emporium reads like what would happen if the TARDIS and Hogwarts had a baby. (The TARDIS is the girl, of course.) The Emporium travels in time, so you can open a door to anywhere and anywhen, and inside it there are lots of tangled staircases and infinite rooms, including a Room of Requirement... or, perhaps the whole Emporium is a Room of Requirement, depending whose word you take for it. It's a fun premise, and some of Mackenzie's ideas for what the characters create and where they visit with unlimited imagination at their command are interesting, cool, exciting, and even beautiful. This isn't a super trippy kind of creative like Alice in Wonderland, but I don't think that's a bad thing at all -- both because sometimes Alice tends toward the grotesque and because Mackenzie's flavor of imagination might be a little bit more accessible to a broader range of kids, and thus have an easier time stimulating their own flights of fancy. Always a good thing!
Storywise, The Nowhere Emporium is fighting an uphill battle against one of my least favorite tropes in children's lit: an orphaned protagonist. I say this so that you might understand how significant it is that I like this book despite Daniel's being an orphan (and, on top of that, one who has been bullied in the orphanage). I always cringe a little bit at the notion that a writer is romanticizing the idea of being an orphan and searching for a family or a place to belong (thinking that it's all good because he will end up happy in the end, and on the way he'll have a character building and exciting adventure), and I feel like most authors are wrong in concluding that writing the psychology or emotional state of being an orphan just means turning up the dial on specific feelings of sadness or isolation that they remember from childhood, maybe having one absentee parent or experiencing the death of a grandparent or older relative. I also resent it when I get the feeling that an author was thinking "What's the worst thing I can tell you happened to this character so that you'll immediately feel for him?" Daniel's being an orphan fits squarely into the trope of literary orphans who have adventures and ultimately create a family for themselves -- but The Nowhere Emporium manages not to be dragged down by the cliche and its attendant problems because Mackenzie gets on with the action pretty quickly and doesn't try to write anything uber realistic about how inconceivably awful it must be to be an orphan. So, not my favorite premise, but also not a variation on it that makes me roll my eyes or throw the book. Again, probably because the book isn't trying too hard to be more mature than it could sustain, which is ultimately a good thing.
The only significant weakness I'd point out in the book is the female supporting character, Ellie. As written, the relationship between Daniel and Ellie is a pre-romantic relationship -- they're not old enough to look at each other as more than friends, though of course an adult reader imagines that they'll grow up to fall in love and projects that as part of Daniel's happily ever after. It's not that I think Mackenzie does a poor job of writing Ellie as a friend for Daniel, but I think it's a clear missed opportunity to have her spend a huge chunk of the book somewhere other than around Daniel (though occasionally the mystery of where she is matters to the plot, so I understand that integrating her more would be a challenge, but I'm still asserting it would be a worthwhile challenge to meet). There's a pretty massive tradition in children's lit of having a best friend who is likeable, but really only one- or two-dimensional, and I'd say Ellie falls into that category. I think Mackenzie could have gained a larger number of fans both by writing a secondary lead who is female, and by having another significant young character's perspective and personality involved in the story, female or not.
Overall, I think this is a strong choice for the 8-12 range, and a book you'll enjoy if you're reading it with a child anywhere upwards of 6. I find the plot, setting, and characters all very likeable and occasionally truly memorable. I would unquestionably label Ross Mackenzie one to watch!
**
I received a complimentary copy of The Nowhere Emporium from Net Galley in return for an honest review. Those cats are pretty rad.
This story reads like the bedtime tale you wish your dad had told you when you were a kid, spinning it out over many weeks while you fought sleep as valiantly as you were able, always wanting to hear just a little bit more. Trying to be realistic for lots of my readers/friends here on GR, I don't think many of you would go out of your way to read it without a younger loved one to share it with; but I think you could have an opportunity to do that since many children younger than the recommended age of 8 would enjoy having this book read to them before they could read it to themselves. If you have a child who likes fantasy and adventure and can deal with a PG level of scariness, then this book would likely be a home run. Reading it by myself, I genuinely enjoyed it but was always aware it was rather more for kids than for me.
The thing that keeps The Nowhere Emporium from being a really satisfying all-ages read is that it's on the short attention span end of the spectrum -- scenes are mostly brief and move quickly. I think you could explore this exact same plot with about 300% more detail and suddenly droves of adult readers would totally dig it; but as is, it is clearly written for a reader who is interested in knowing what happens next as soon as possible rather than in lingering in a scene and appreciating sophisticated prose or literary innovation. I hope you understand that I mean no criticism here, I'm just trying to articulate a difference between what I think of as all-ages fiction and a book that seems to have that potential, but ultimately does skew younger.
I will also say that this book could have been written to be read aloud -- the descriptions have just the right amount of detail to them to be vivid when spoken with a little flair, but not so much that you or a young audience will forget what you were even talking about by the time you get to the end of a paragraph. The language and the pacing are comfortable for speaking, too.
Just some random thoughts if you want more details or feel like chatting about this book with me:
The titular Emporium reads like what would happen if the TARDIS and Hogwarts had a baby. (The TARDIS is the girl, of course.) The Emporium travels in time, so you can open a door to anywhere and anywhen, and inside it there are lots of tangled staircases and infinite rooms, including a Room of Requirement... or, perhaps the whole Emporium is a Room of Requirement, depending whose word you take for it. It's a fun premise, and some of Mackenzie's ideas for what the characters create and where they visit with unlimited imagination at their command are interesting, cool, exciting, and even beautiful. This isn't a super trippy kind of creative like Alice in Wonderland, but I don't think that's a bad thing at all -- both because sometimes Alice tends toward the grotesque and because Mackenzie's flavor of imagination might be a little bit more accessible to a broader range of kids, and thus have an easier time stimulating their own flights of fancy. Always a good thing!
Storywise, The Nowhere Emporium is fighting an uphill battle against one of my least favorite tropes in children's lit: an orphaned protagonist. I say this so that you might understand how significant it is that I like this book despite Daniel's being an orphan (and, on top of that, one who has been bullied in the orphanage). I always cringe a little bit at the notion that a writer is romanticizing the idea of being an orphan and searching for a family or a place to belong (thinking that it's all good because he will end up happy in the end, and on the way he'll have a character building and exciting adventure), and I feel like most authors are wrong in concluding that writing the psychology or emotional state of being an orphan just means turning up the dial on specific feelings of sadness or isolation that they remember from childhood, maybe having one absentee parent or experiencing the death of a grandparent or older relative. I also resent it when I get the feeling that an author was thinking "What's the worst thing I can tell you happened to this character so that you'll immediately feel for him?" Daniel's being an orphan fits squarely into the trope of literary orphans who have adventures and ultimately create a family for themselves -- but The Nowhere Emporium manages not to be dragged down by the cliche and its attendant problems because Mackenzie gets on with the action pretty quickly and doesn't try to write anything uber realistic about how inconceivably awful it must be to be an orphan. So, not my favorite premise, but also not a variation on it that makes me roll my eyes or throw the book. Again, probably because the book isn't trying too hard to be more mature than it could sustain, which is ultimately a good thing.
The only significant weakness I'd point out in the book is the female supporting character, Ellie. As written, the relationship between Daniel and Ellie is a pre-romantic relationship -- they're not old enough to look at each other as more than friends, though of course an adult reader imagines that they'll grow up to fall in love and projects that as part of Daniel's happily ever after. It's not that I think Mackenzie does a poor job of writing Ellie as a friend for Daniel, but I think it's a clear missed opportunity to have her spend a huge chunk of the book somewhere other than around Daniel (though occasionally the mystery of where she is matters to the plot, so I understand that integrating her more would be a challenge, but I'm still asserting it would be a worthwhile challenge to meet). There's a pretty massive tradition in children's lit of having a best friend who is likeable, but really only one- or two-dimensional, and I'd say Ellie falls into that category. I think Mackenzie could have gained a larger number of fans both by writing a secondary lead who is female, and by having another significant young character's perspective and personality involved in the story, female or not.
Overall, I think this is a strong choice for the 8-12 range, and a book you'll enjoy if you're reading it with a child anywhere upwards of 6. I find the plot, setting, and characters all very likeable and occasionally truly memorable. I would unquestionably label Ross Mackenzie one to watch!
**
I received a complimentary copy of The Nowhere Emporium from Net Galley in return for an honest review. Those cats are pretty rad.
February 4, 2017
About: The Nowhere Emporium is a middle grade's fiction novel written by Ross MacKenzie. This book has 280 pages and was published by Kelpies on 3/19/2015. The genres are fantasy, middle grade, childrens, fiction, and young adult. The author has also written Zac and the Dream Stealers, which I have not read yet.
My Experience: I started reading The Nowhere Emporium on 8/2/16 and finished it on 8/8/16. This book is a good read for kids 16 and under. It can get a little less amazing for adults. This story focuses on an old guy who travels around the world with a magical shop. He has a book where he writes in his imagination and it brought to life in a room. He has many of such rooms in his shop. When he opens his shop to the public, people would go in to ooh and aahh and feeling like a kid seeing all the magical rooms. However, when the people leave the shop, they forget everything they see or even ever been into the shop, except that they may feel less heavy with their everyday burden of life. One day a boy stumble upon the shop and came back the next day. He's the only one who visit the shop and remembers. He becomes an assistant to the old man. The old man has a secret even his daughter was not aware of. The assistant finds himself not only becoming attached to this new amazing life, but also in the middle of a dangerous collapse. Through a bit of suspense, the story becomes an interesting read. There isn't a lot of magic to excite me though, but to kids 12 years old, they may enjoy this book more than I do.
Pro: imagination, family, friendship, brave, magical
Con: would be more interesting if the assistant can write more magical wonders in the book, two good tries and two unsuccessful tries for the entire book. Also, the book should not work for Sharpe guy, but yet, the water room seems to work just fine, too closely resemble The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
I rate it 3 stars!
***Disclaimer: Many thanks to Ross MacKenzie, Kelpies, and NetGalley for a copy of this ARC ebook in an exchanged for an honest review.
xoxo,
Jasmine at www.howusefulitis.wordpress.com
My Experience: I started reading The Nowhere Emporium on 8/2/16 and finished it on 8/8/16. This book is a good read for kids 16 and under. It can get a little less amazing for adults. This story focuses on an old guy who travels around the world with a magical shop. He has a book where he writes in his imagination and it brought to life in a room. He has many of such rooms in his shop. When he opens his shop to the public, people would go in to ooh and aahh and feeling like a kid seeing all the magical rooms. However, when the people leave the shop, they forget everything they see or even ever been into the shop, except that they may feel less heavy with their everyday burden of life. One day a boy stumble upon the shop and came back the next day. He's the only one who visit the shop and remembers. He becomes an assistant to the old man. The old man has a secret even his daughter was not aware of. The assistant finds himself not only becoming attached to this new amazing life, but also in the middle of a dangerous collapse. Through a bit of suspense, the story becomes an interesting read. There isn't a lot of magic to excite me though, but to kids 12 years old, they may enjoy this book more than I do.
Pro: imagination, family, friendship, brave, magical
Con: would be more interesting if the assistant can write more magical wonders in the book, two good tries and two unsuccessful tries for the entire book. Also, the book should not work for Sharpe guy, but yet, the water room seems to work just fine, too closely resemble The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
I rate it 3 stars!
***Disclaimer: Many thanks to Ross MacKenzie, Kelpies, and NetGalley for a copy of this ARC ebook in an exchanged for an honest review.
xoxo,
Jasmine at www.howusefulitis.wordpress.com
November 14, 2020
I absolutely loved this! Such a unique, creative concept. I knew I wanted to read these soon since the 3rd book came out recently, but I wasn’t sure if I could fit it in for November or December. UNTIL I watched Alexandra Roselyn’s video, & she read the first line in the book, & it was a “crisp November morning”. Perfect! Lol I loved Daniel! It was so great to see someone so deserving & in need stumble upon this greatness. He’s an orphan, & he is running from some bullies from the orphanage when he ducks into the Emporium to hide. There he meets the owner/creator Mr. Silver. He comes back the next day, & Mr Silver knew he was special, b/c usually people don’t remember the place once they leave. Daniel is offered to be apprentice to Mr. Silver & so begins a journey of magic & adventure. He meets Mr Silvers daughter Ellie, who nobody but they at the emporium can see, & she can’t leave either. The staff also cannot leave. They are apart of Mr Silvers imagination, so cannot leave the emporium & go into the “real world”. The chapters alternate b/n present time & the past. The past starts from when Mr Silver was a boy & continues on from there, showing us more & more of his life during those chapters. A main part of his past has caught up w/him, & the whole emporium is in danger. It’s up to Daniel, & Eillie to save it. This was creative in every way. I loved the travel to all over, & at different times in history. I loved all the different aspects of the emporium itself. I loved Mr Silver & loved his whole backstory. The past chapters were fascinating. This whole story was. I couldn’t put it down. The villain was amazingly done. I couldn’t stand him, but he was written sooooo well. The ending was just beautiful, & I’m already reading & loving the 2nd book. A beautiful cover too!!😍😍 Highly recommend!!💜💜
October 2, 2020
I RECEIVED A DRC OF THIS BOOK VIA EDELWEISS+ AND I THANK THEM FOR IT.
My Review: I am a great deal older than the target audience for this book. But I am also about ten when it comes to magical-portal adventure stories! This isn't on the same plane as The Chronicles of Narnia, but it's got a boatload of fun trips away from reality.
Well. Let me not mislead you. Fun *for me* and stressful for our young hero, whose relationships are...fraught...throughout the book. Does he understand the rules Mr. Silver sets down? Is he doing it right? Are his friends really his friends or are they going to abandon him?
Perfect for middle-graders, told in challenging-enough language, and made from the magical bones of millennia of fantasies. I don't think anyone could complain that this is uninteresting, even grouchy old men like me. Still less a kid whose most urgent need is to be reassured that feeling unsure and unsteady is normal. And that, at the end of the day, he can and will make good things happen by his own effort and energy. Perfect for your fantasy-loving middle-grader/early teen who's read ALL the latest books and really needs a fix. (Like, I'm betting, you did...I know I did!)
My Review: I am a great deal older than the target audience for this book. But I am also about ten when it comes to magical-portal adventure stories! This isn't on the same plane as The Chronicles of Narnia, but it's got a boatload of fun trips away from reality.
Well. Let me not mislead you. Fun *for me* and stressful for our young hero, whose relationships are...fraught...throughout the book. Does he understand the rules Mr. Silver sets down? Is he doing it right? Are his friends really his friends or are they going to abandon him?
Perfect for middle-graders, told in challenging-enough language, and made from the magical bones of millennia of fantasies. I don't think anyone could complain that this is uninteresting, even grouchy old men like me. Still less a kid whose most urgent need is to be reassured that feeling unsure and unsteady is normal. And that, at the end of the day, he can and will make good things happen by his own effort and energy. Perfect for your fantasy-loving middle-grader/early teen who's read ALL the latest books and really needs a fix. (Like, I'm betting, you did...I know I did!)
February 16, 2018
Absolutely incredible. I just don’t have the words for this. The evil villain, the tragic back story, the brilliant background characters, magpies, friendship, family... ALL INCREDIBLE. Throw in a massive dollop of magic and a writing style that you just can’t help but devour and you get this special book. I need more NOW.
November 29, 2021
Çok tatlıydıııı 🥳
September 3, 2020
A nice little book of what would happen if you let you imagination overflows while still respecting that there are certain boundaries that should never be crossed.... and that evil will never wins in the end.
would recommend for the person who always have their head in the clouds thinking of a million and one places to be.
would recommend for the person who always have their head in the clouds thinking of a million and one places to be.
February 12, 2020
Hiçbir yer dükkanına hoşgeldiniz. Bu kitap size sihirli bir dükkanın kapılarını açıyor....
Görsel tasarımı görmek ve yorumun devamı için
Görsel tasarımı görmek ve yorumun devamı için
December 23, 2020
This was a re-read for me and I had such a fun time. I forgot a lot what happened in this and I was reading and was like I remember this. Such a great and unique story which I think you should check out. Also perfect for fans of the strangeworlds travel agency
January 19, 2024
I picked up this book because I heard that this book had similarities to The Night Circus and at some point, I could see them. But from the moment I started reading it, this book reminded me of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. From the Emporium which is the magical yet mysterious place to the relationship between Daniel and Mr. Silver which is quite similar to the relationship between Charlie and Mr. Wonka. Before I continue my review of this book, let me tell you what this book is about. It's about Daniel Holmes—an orphan—who accidentally stumbles upon a mysterious emporium called Nowhere Emporium. Everyone who ever visits the emporium will forget about it the moment they step out of it except for Daniel. It makes Mr. Silver—the owner of the Nowhere Emporium—take an interest in him and make him his apprentice.
This book is full of magic and adventures with a little bit of darkness. It is very well-written, fast-paced, and has very interesting characters. The beautiful descriptions also truly bring the Emporium to life for me. Another thing that I like is the ending. I love how satisfying the ending is and how well it concludes this book.
This book is full of magic and adventures with a little bit of darkness. It is very well-written, fast-paced, and has very interesting characters. The beautiful descriptions also truly bring the Emporium to life for me. Another thing that I like is the ending. I love how satisfying the ending is and how well it concludes this book.
July 25, 2023
"Non esiste niente di simile al mio Emporio" rispose Mr Silver. "Certo, la magia esiste e ce n'è tanta in giro, ma si trova negli angoli più remoti della mente, la si scorge solo con la coda dell'occhio. Il nostro mondo è pieno di cose straordinarie, Daniel. Per diverse ragioni, la maggior parte delle persone vede solo ciò che vuo le vedere. Sono spaventate da tutto ciò che non si può spiegare con una formula matematica o che si può leggere nei libri di scuola. Così ignorano ciò che non conoscono. Ma per chi sceglie di aprire gl occhi, per coloro che osano davvero lasciarsi meravigliare, c'è un tesoro in ogni cosa."
February 2, 2019
Книга, которой я бы дала все шесть! И вы что, хотите сказать, что она еще не опубликована на русском?! Читающие меня издатели, бегите скорей за лучшим фэнтези со времен Гарри Поттера! Не благодарите!
November 24, 2025
I forgot to rate when I finished it a month ago but this book apparently was so forgettable cause I don’t remember any stand out plot points. Extra star for the cool setting which I do remember.
August 8, 2019
We LOVED , LOVED, LOVED this!!! Highly recommend the audiobook and cannot wait to read the sequel!
October 6, 2020
Kızıma okuduğum ve çok keyif aldığım bir kitap :)
April 20, 2015
Stick by my original statement, I don't think I've been this excited about a book since Harry Potter!!
updated review:
Oh. My. Word. I just love this book, the story, the characters, the settings, the everything! My original statement: I don't think I've been this excited about a book since Harry Potter!! And I am sticking to it. If people know just one thing about me it's that I'm a big big Harry Potter fan so that is some statement coming from me!
I fell in love with this book as soon as I saw it, what a cover! And the inside is just as beautiful. I don't think anything I write here will do this book justice so I will start by saying you need this book in your life, it has to be read! MacKenzie takes us on a magical, mystical, imaginative journey that I just didn't want to end. It's funny because as I was reading I could imagine the authors mind working the same way as Daniel's does as he creates his wonders.
Daniel is our leading boy, a boy who you almost feel is searching for something from the start of the story. He stumbles upon The Nowhere Emporium rather by accident after trying to outrun the bullies. Before he knows it Daniels lonely life has changed into a life of wonders, mystery and well, a lot of hard work. After being taken under the wing of Mr. Sliver, the emporium owner, Daniel is thought how to put his imagination to good use. But he has to use more than that if he is to find Mr. Silver after his disappearance once an old face threatens to destroy everything.
Mackenzie sure knows how to take his readers on a journey! I was captured from the first page and I still don't think I was let go at the last. I love books and I have so many different feelings and thoughts as I read, I know we all do, but there was just something about this book, a feeling, that feeling I got when I first read Harry Potter. I'm not saying this is the next Harry Potter, books should not be compared with each other in that way, they should stand alone and we all need to consider them in their own merit. What I am saying is this a book that knows how to make you feel, think, to care, to want more. It is a story that stays with you once you put it down, makes you worry about the characters when you are not reading, and makes you imagine how they lived their lives after that last sentence. And that is when you know you have something special!
I'm not sure I'm doing this book justice, sometimes I struggle to get the right words but please just read this book. So far everyone I've passed my copy to has loved it!
updated review:
Oh. My. Word. I just love this book, the story, the characters, the settings, the everything! My original statement: I don't think I've been this excited about a book since Harry Potter!! And I am sticking to it. If people know just one thing about me it's that I'm a big big Harry Potter fan so that is some statement coming from me!
I fell in love with this book as soon as I saw it, what a cover! And the inside is just as beautiful. I don't think anything I write here will do this book justice so I will start by saying you need this book in your life, it has to be read! MacKenzie takes us on a magical, mystical, imaginative journey that I just didn't want to end. It's funny because as I was reading I could imagine the authors mind working the same way as Daniel's does as he creates his wonders.
Daniel is our leading boy, a boy who you almost feel is searching for something from the start of the story. He stumbles upon The Nowhere Emporium rather by accident after trying to outrun the bullies. Before he knows it Daniels lonely life has changed into a life of wonders, mystery and well, a lot of hard work. After being taken under the wing of Mr. Sliver, the emporium owner, Daniel is thought how to put his imagination to good use. But he has to use more than that if he is to find Mr. Silver after his disappearance once an old face threatens to destroy everything.
Mackenzie sure knows how to take his readers on a journey! I was captured from the first page and I still don't think I was let go at the last. I love books and I have so many different feelings and thoughts as I read, I know we all do, but there was just something about this book, a feeling, that feeling I got when I first read Harry Potter. I'm not saying this is the next Harry Potter, books should not be compared with each other in that way, they should stand alone and we all need to consider them in their own merit. What I am saying is this a book that knows how to make you feel, think, to care, to want more. It is a story that stays with you once you put it down, makes you worry about the characters when you are not reading, and makes you imagine how they lived their lives after that last sentence. And that is when you know you have something special!
I'm not sure I'm doing this book justice, sometimes I struggle to get the right words but please just read this book. So far everyone I've passed my copy to has loved it!
August 4, 2017
OKAY, SO. The Nowhere Emporium is about an orphan, Daniel Holmes, who isn't having the best time at his orphanage in Glasgow. He's bullied and friendless and not in the best state. However, one day when he's running from the bullies who dictate the orphanage, Daniel stumbles into a shop to hide from the gang. AND THAT'S WHERE ALL THE FUN BEGINS. He finds himself in the hands of Mr. Silver, a kind, yet intimidating, man who takes him under his wing after discovering that Daniel has magic running through his veins. He introduces him to the emporium, with its twisting corridors that lead into rooms that contain oceans and jungles and various impossible things (I am a sucker for stories like this. Rooms containing continents and planets and cities - SIGN ME UP). He meets Ellie, Mr. Silver's fiery daughter, and the various circus folk that roam the corridors, striking up friendships with them all. Daniel has finally found a place to call home and friends to call family....annnnd then life happens. There's a cruel, sinister villain on their tails, one who will stop at nothing until Mr. Silver is dead and the book of Wonders is in his hands. As Mr. Silver disappears, Daniel and Ellie must try to use everything they can to prevent the emporium from falling apart - and falling into - Vindictus Sharpe's hands. Do they succeed? WELL, YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY READ THE BOOK AND FIND OUT. Not convinced? Well, my handy list of All the Things I Loved about The Nowhere Emporium will help change your mind. If not, I might have to reconsider my book persuading skills.
All the Things I Loved About The Nowhere Emporium:
1. The general atmosphere of the book
This book was extraordinary and utterly magical. and it made me feel like a young child again, it ignited my imagination and refilled my wonder. I was utterly captivated by The Nowhere Emporium and it gave me the tools to rediscover that childlike vivid imagination that tends to fade with age.
2. The Characters
If you've been on my blog for two seconds you'll probably know that I live for the characters in books. There could be no plot and the writing could be less than average, but if you have characters that are real and brilliant and wonderful...I will probably love the book. And I loved the characters in The Nowhere Emporium. SO MUCH. They were quite complex and they all had their demons, it was nice seeing three-dimensional characters in a middle-grade novel as that's something I often find lacking!
Daniel Holmes is the protagonist of the story. He's an unlikely hero and a lovable one. I adored him. He was brave, he was clever and he was kind. He's an orphan boy who lost his parents in awful circumstances and the orphanage he's been placed in is a building devoid of friends, kindness and warmth. I also loved that he was a realistic kid, he made some silly mistakes but he had a heart of gold and I LOVED HIM OKAY. I felt a burst of happiness for Daniel when he was taken under Mr. Silver's wing and discovered a life of wonder and magnificence because the precious marshmallow really, really deserved it.
I loved Ellie as well, Mr. Silver's twelve-year-old daughter. On the exterior, she's fierce and stubborn and brave, but there were little chinks in her armour that allowed her fear, her sadness and her uncertainty to reach the reader, making her feel like a very authentic character. She felt trapped and stifled, not being able to leave the Emporium's walls and I felt so sad for her because she was just a real girl who was a ghost to everyone but her father, Daniel and the Emporium's staff. She just wanted to set foot outside the Emporium's walls and see the real world, breathe fresh air into her lungs and explore the extraordinary beauty of earth. She was sassy and brave but she showed her vulnerability as well which made her feel so much more real!
I liked Mr. Silver too! He had a quiet kind of strength, he was kind, generous and utterly magical. However, he was also tormented by the ghosts of his past and it showed. He wasn't a perfect character but I loved him nonetheless.
Then there was Vindictus Sharpe who is clearly psychologically damaged and has no soul and not an ounce of humanity in him. He's a dark, dark character and I was quite surprised that he featured in a children's book because he's an utterly chilling character and he brought a darkness to the story that was accompanied by intrigue and suspense throughout the novel.
3. The Plot
The plot was intense, bro. It was intense. There were plot twists and cliffhangers and secrets and IT WAS JUST AN EXPLOSION OF EPICNESS, BASICALLY. There's wonder woven through the exciting events but there's also a fuse of danger and suspense planted like landmines throughout. For a children's book, it's dark. There's cutthroats and murders, duels and death and chilling psychopathic villains, however, it's all intertwined in a magical conglomeration of delectable writing, loveable characters, friendship and imaginative wonder. BUT SERIOUSLY, the last part of this book was INCREDIBLE and my pulse was racing for the last few chapters. I was listening to the audiobook whilst volunteering at the library and the people must have thought I was deranged because these were my expressions...not a pretty sight. I was kept on the edge of my seat the entire time which was awesome.
4. The Writing
Oh, how I loved the writing! It melted like golden honey on my tongue and it crackled with the power and beauty of exploding fireworks. The Nowhere Emporium is written so imaginatively, it's completely genius and utterly brilliant. It's storytelling at its finest. The words used seemed enchanting and they way they flowed into each other to create spellbinding sentences had me awestruck. The writing offers out its hand to take you on the most breathtaking of journeys. It's glorious.
5. The Subtlety of Tender Topics
Perhaps it's just my analytical nature reading too much into the content of the book or perhaps this was the author's purpose, but I felt like one of the book's purposes was to introduce children to the idea of Life, which, unfortunately, includes death. There were several instances that Mr. Silver mentioned that not even magic could bring the dead back to life and sometimes people die in stupid accidents which is sadly a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, how grief can cause us to lose hope and how everyone, at some point, dies. It was just something I noticed and if that was the author's intention I think he did a brilliant job at it as he showed that death can happen to anyone, even if they are young and that it's not something you can erase..and that it will be okay eventually. I think it's important to talk about the subject in middle-grade as I lost someone very close to me when I was 12 and I think if I had been introduced to grief in books it might've helped me understand everything a little better. So kudos to the author!
6. The Feels
No joke, this book gave me all the feels. I teared up, I laughed, I felt anxiety, I felt wonder...I LOVED IT. Books that make me feel actual things are the best kind of books, you know.
7. Everything, basically
The Nowhere Emporium is a whimsical, enchanting read with orphan boys, girls that aren't quite ghosts, dueling magicians and a shop of wonders. All those wonderful things held together by delectable writing, an excellent plot and extraordinary friendships provide for an enchanting read. I hope that you'll pick this up and give it a read, as it's truly proof that books are kind of magical portal.
All the Things I Loved About The Nowhere Emporium:
1. The general atmosphere of the book
This book was extraordinary and utterly magical. and it made me feel like a young child again, it ignited my imagination and refilled my wonder. I was utterly captivated by The Nowhere Emporium and it gave me the tools to rediscover that childlike vivid imagination that tends to fade with age.
2. The Characters
If you've been on my blog for two seconds you'll probably know that I live for the characters in books. There could be no plot and the writing could be less than average, but if you have characters that are real and brilliant and wonderful...I will probably love the book. And I loved the characters in The Nowhere Emporium. SO MUCH. They were quite complex and they all had their demons, it was nice seeing three-dimensional characters in a middle-grade novel as that's something I often find lacking!
Daniel Holmes is the protagonist of the story. He's an unlikely hero and a lovable one. I adored him. He was brave, he was clever and he was kind. He's an orphan boy who lost his parents in awful circumstances and the orphanage he's been placed in is a building devoid of friends, kindness and warmth. I also loved that he was a realistic kid, he made some silly mistakes but he had a heart of gold and I LOVED HIM OKAY. I felt a burst of happiness for Daniel when he was taken under Mr. Silver's wing and discovered a life of wonder and magnificence because the precious marshmallow really, really deserved it.
I loved Ellie as well, Mr. Silver's twelve-year-old daughter. On the exterior, she's fierce and stubborn and brave, but there were little chinks in her armour that allowed her fear, her sadness and her uncertainty to reach the reader, making her feel like a very authentic character. She felt trapped and stifled, not being able to leave the Emporium's walls and I felt so sad for her because she was just a real girl who was a ghost to everyone but her father, Daniel and the Emporium's staff. She just wanted to set foot outside the Emporium's walls and see the real world, breathe fresh air into her lungs and explore the extraordinary beauty of earth. She was sassy and brave but she showed her vulnerability as well which made her feel so much more real!
I liked Mr. Silver too! He had a quiet kind of strength, he was kind, generous and utterly magical. However, he was also tormented by the ghosts of his past and it showed. He wasn't a perfect character but I loved him nonetheless.
Then there was Vindictus Sharpe who is clearly psychologically damaged and has no soul and not an ounce of humanity in him. He's a dark, dark character and I was quite surprised that he featured in a children's book because he's an utterly chilling character and he brought a darkness to the story that was accompanied by intrigue and suspense throughout the novel.
3. The Plot
The plot was intense, bro. It was intense. There were plot twists and cliffhangers and secrets and IT WAS JUST AN EXPLOSION OF EPICNESS, BASICALLY. There's wonder woven through the exciting events but there's also a fuse of danger and suspense planted like landmines throughout. For a children's book, it's dark. There's cutthroats and murders, duels and death and chilling psychopathic villains, however, it's all intertwined in a magical conglomeration of delectable writing, loveable characters, friendship and imaginative wonder. BUT SERIOUSLY, the last part of this book was INCREDIBLE and my pulse was racing for the last few chapters. I was listening to the audiobook whilst volunteering at the library and the people must have thought I was deranged because these were my expressions...not a pretty sight. I was kept on the edge of my seat the entire time which was awesome.
4. The Writing
Oh, how I loved the writing! It melted like golden honey on my tongue and it crackled with the power and beauty of exploding fireworks. The Nowhere Emporium is written so imaginatively, it's completely genius and utterly brilliant. It's storytelling at its finest. The words used seemed enchanting and they way they flowed into each other to create spellbinding sentences had me awestruck. The writing offers out its hand to take you on the most breathtaking of journeys. It's glorious.
5. The Subtlety of Tender Topics
Perhaps it's just my analytical nature reading too much into the content of the book or perhaps this was the author's purpose, but I felt like one of the book's purposes was to introduce children to the idea of Life, which, unfortunately, includes death. There were several instances that Mr. Silver mentioned that not even magic could bring the dead back to life and sometimes people die in stupid accidents which is sadly a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, how grief can cause us to lose hope and how everyone, at some point, dies. It was just something I noticed and if that was the author's intention I think he did a brilliant job at it as he showed that death can happen to anyone, even if they are young and that it's not something you can erase..and that it will be okay eventually. I think it's important to talk about the subject in middle-grade as I lost someone very close to me when I was 12 and I think if I had been introduced to grief in books it might've helped me understand everything a little better. So kudos to the author!
6. The Feels
No joke, this book gave me all the feels. I teared up, I laughed, I felt anxiety, I felt wonder...I LOVED IT. Books that make me feel actual things are the best kind of books, you know.
7. Everything, basically
The Nowhere Emporium is a whimsical, enchanting read with orphan boys, girls that aren't quite ghosts, dueling magicians and a shop of wonders. All those wonderful things held together by delectable writing, an excellent plot and extraordinary friendships provide for an enchanting read. I hope that you'll pick this up and give it a read, as it's truly proof that books are kind of magical portal.
July 5, 2015
Before I start this review, let me first point out something most people have or are likely to notice when reading this book. Yes, you can see that the author was inspired by Harry Potter and The Night Circus. Yes, there are a few similarities between these books and The Nowhere Emporium.
HOWEVER, that hardly means this book is a rip-off of either of those books. Just because The Night Circus had magicians and magical rooms/venues, doesn't mean other books containing magicians and magic are necessarily rips-off of it. Similarly, just because Harry Potter featured a young boy who is introduced to a world of magic doesn't mean that this theme can no more be used in other books.
This book stands as a work of imagination of its own. Reading this, I was in fact surprised by how creative the author was in designing the Emporium's Wonders, which are the different attractions or venues available inside the Emporium. The general concept of the story might not have been entirely original but it's execution and development did show that the author wasn't without his fair share of creativity and imagination.
The book was very well-written, fast-paced and had a cast of very interesting characters. The prose and beautiful descriptions also truly brought the Emporium to life for me.
Another thing that I really liked was the ending. I love how satisfying the ending was and how well it concluded this book. It's refreshing to read fantasy stories that are concluded within one book instead of being stretched across several installments.
If you're able to cast aside your comparisons with HP and The Night Circus, then I'm sure you'll really enjoy this book.
Note: I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange of my honest review.
HOWEVER, that hardly means this book is a rip-off of either of those books. Just because The Night Circus had magicians and magical rooms/venues, doesn't mean other books containing magicians and magic are necessarily rips-off of it. Similarly, just because Harry Potter featured a young boy who is introduced to a world of magic doesn't mean that this theme can no more be used in other books.
This book stands as a work of imagination of its own. Reading this, I was in fact surprised by how creative the author was in designing the Emporium's Wonders, which are the different attractions or venues available inside the Emporium. The general concept of the story might not have been entirely original but it's execution and development did show that the author wasn't without his fair share of creativity and imagination.
The book was very well-written, fast-paced and had a cast of very interesting characters. The prose and beautiful descriptions also truly brought the Emporium to life for me.
Another thing that I really liked was the ending. I love how satisfying the ending was and how well it concluded this book. It's refreshing to read fantasy stories that are concluded within one book instead of being stretched across several installments.
If you're able to cast aside your comparisons with HP and The Night Circus, then I'm sure you'll really enjoy this book.
Note: I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange of my honest review.
April 9, 2015
Beautifully written and full of surprises. I really enjoyed reading this book and cannot recommend it highly enough to lovers of magic and mystery.
February 4, 2021
This is a fun read, and I would recommend it for kids and adults alike. It pulls you along and never slows down.
That said, it left me wanting in a few areas. Number one, I hate to compare it to Morrigan Crow, but in that book you feel like you could walk away from the story and have just as much fun exploring the city of Nevermoor. You don't get that sense in “The Nowhere Emporium”.
You get to see a lot of cool things at the price of character development. I wanted more from their interpersonal relationships. The plot left me confused as to where characters stood with each other. I never got a strong emotional connection between Daniel, Ellie and Mr Silver.
I wanted to see more of their downtime when there wasn't a problem to be solved or a bad guy chasing after them. It almost feels like you got dropped into the middle of a breathless race without a second or two to catch your bearings.
I can say it piqued my curiosity to check out the second book because I want to see more of the Emporium and the promise of the wonders that it holds.
That said, it left me wanting in a few areas. Number one, I hate to compare it to Morrigan Crow, but in that book you feel like you could walk away from the story and have just as much fun exploring the city of Nevermoor. You don't get that sense in “The Nowhere Emporium”.
You get to see a lot of cool things at the price of character development. I wanted more from their interpersonal relationships. The plot left me confused as to where characters stood with each other. I never got a strong emotional connection between Daniel, Ellie and Mr Silver.
I wanted to see more of their downtime when there wasn't a problem to be solved or a bad guy chasing after them. It almost feels like you got dropped into the middle of a breathless race without a second or two to catch your bearings.
I can say it piqued my curiosity to check out the second book because I want to see more of the Emporium and the promise of the wonders that it holds.
September 1, 2017
Fin dai primi capitoli mi è parso chiaro che quest'opera non fosse poi troppo originale.
In pratica, è un misto tra "Harry Potter" (una scena all'orfanotrofio), "Il circo della notte" (l'idea dell'emporio è praticamente uguale a quella del circo), "Mr. Magorium e la bottega delle meraviglie" (l'idea della bottega fantastica con il suo proprietario), e il tardis di Doctor Who (più grande all'interno che all'esterno).
Questo libro è un mix di queste idee, sembra proprio che pezzi di queste storie siano stati staccati, rimodellati appena un po', e fusi insieme in questo nuovo libro.
Potete immaginare quanto questa cosa non mi abbia per niente entusiasmata.
Ed è un peccato, visto che la lettura è di per sé molto piacevole. E' un libro per ragazzi, il testo scorre velocemente, la sintassi è semplice, le immagini evocate fantastiche!
Purtroppo, la trama sembra un patchwork di altre storie.
Recensione http://chelibroleggere.blogspot.it/20...
In pratica, è un misto tra "Harry Potter" (una scena all'orfanotrofio), "Il circo della notte" (l'idea dell'emporio è praticamente uguale a quella del circo), "Mr. Magorium e la bottega delle meraviglie" (l'idea della bottega fantastica con il suo proprietario), e il tardis di Doctor Who (più grande all'interno che all'esterno).
Questo libro è un mix di queste idee, sembra proprio che pezzi di queste storie siano stati staccati, rimodellati appena un po', e fusi insieme in questo nuovo libro.
Potete immaginare quanto questa cosa non mi abbia per niente entusiasmata.
Ed è un peccato, visto che la lettura è di per sé molto piacevole. E' un libro per ragazzi, il testo scorre velocemente, la sintassi è semplice, le immagini evocate fantastiche!
Purtroppo, la trama sembra un patchwork di altre storie.
Recensione http://chelibroleggere.blogspot.it/20...
March 10, 2018
read this when it first came out, but had forgotten about it. After this reread, I can`t see that happening again. I was drawn into orphan Daniel`s world straight away, and became more intrigued still when he stumbles into a rather unique world on the run from his bullies, and soon a delightful magical adventure ensues. Daniel`s new mentor Mr Silver is very mysterious, so I adored the flashback sections that allow the reader to piece together his past before Daniel, and his new friend Ellie do. The story revolves around the Nowhere Emporium, which is essentially a collection of incredible magic rooms, which Daniel is now assisting Mr Silver in running, as things start to go suddenly wrong. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, the plot was perfectly paced and kept me utterly hooked (to the point where I read it in one glorious gulp over a Sunday afternoon) and the worldbuilding was quite honestly exceptional. All in all, I loved this a whole lot and I can`t wait to get my hands on the upcoming sequel the Elsewhere Emporium soon! 5/5
January 26, 2024
Class read with y4. I judge a kid-friendly book by two things: 1. To what extent did I actually look forward to reading it each day (or was it a chore)? 2. How vociferously did the children protest every time I said “and we’re out of time for today”?
For The Nowhere Emporium, the answers to those questions are 1. A lot. “Oops we forgot to do PSHE” levels. 2. Loudly. Louder than Varjak Paw, The Witches, The Iron Man etc.
So that’s my review. It’s really good.
For The Nowhere Emporium, the answers to those questions are 1. A lot. “Oops we forgot to do PSHE” levels. 2. Loudly. Louder than Varjak Paw, The Witches, The Iron Man etc.
So that’s my review. It’s really good.
January 4, 2019
Review to follow soon.
January 15, 2020
Worth noting that, as a child, this book would have been a solid 5/5 for me. I'm just a little more nit-picky and grumpy as an adult, apparently. Good read; I'm looking forward to reading the sequel.
December 17, 2021
A book filled with magic, well written characters and a plot full of twists and turns.
January 10, 2022
This was just okay. I thought it was going to be more circus themed and it is not at all. But if you’re looking for a magical middle grade, this one will do it.
October 30, 2022
Disappointing. Ultimately it never really caught my imagination or interest. I couldn't identify any particular reason for this, but it makes it hard to recommend.
March 20, 2025
Bloody brilliant kids book!!
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