The Wooden Prince

Out of Abaton #1

by John Claude Bemis

The automa Pinocchio has always been duty-bound to serve in the floating palace of Venice's emperor. So when Pinocchio finds himself locked in a trunk and delivered to a new master-a wanted criminal and alchemist named Geppetto-he is curious about everything around him. But most curious is the way Pinocchio seems to be changing from a wooden servant into a living, human boy. Before Geppetto and Pinocchio can uncover the mystery surrounding the automa's transformation, Pinocchio is stolen away. Determined to find Geppetto again, Pinocchio begins a harrowing journey across the Empire, where danger in the form of half-beast outlaws and winged airmen abounds for a lost automa.

Meanwhile, Princess Lazuli, the daughter of the ruler of a magical kingdom called Abaton, is also on a quest through the emperor's territory. Her father, Prester John, has been captured by the Venetian Empire, and Lazuli is desperate to rescue him. With the emperor's airmen closing in fast, Lazuli learns the only hope for saving her father-and her beloved home-lies in Pinocchio and Geppetto. In a masterful reimagining of Pinocchio, John Claude Bemis weaves an enchanting, thrilling adventure for middle-grade readers in the first installment in the Out of Abaton duology. Praise for The Wooden Prince "Wow! John Claude Bemis hides new magic in old stories."
-Tom Angleberger, New York Times best-selling author of the Origami Yoda series

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Retellings, Steampunk, Fairy Tales, Fiction, Adventure

336 pages, Paperback

First published March 16, 2016

About the author

From the author website;
I’ve always been fascinated by trains. My grandfather hopped trains all over the country in his “hobo days” and filled my head with curious stories of America’s lost past. Those stories, I suppose, were the beginnings of my first novel, The Nine Pound Hammer.

I grew up in rural eastern North Carolina by a swampy creek on the Neuse River. Yes, I’ve been bitten by a water moccasin, but fortunately not by an alligator. When you live in a county with just one stoplight, you learn how to entertain yourself. As a kid, I read a lot, played in tobacco barns, swam in the river when the jellyfish weren’t too thick, and learned violin and guitar.

Eventually playing classical violin in youth orchestras and playing electric guitar in a bunch of terrible rock and punk bands led me to American roots music. I’m partial nowadays to vintage country or blues, Cajun or bluegrass, anything with a fiddle or a musical saw. Some friends and I formed a band Hooverville and put out a pair of CDs of original songs. They’re fun to listen to if you like that kind of music.

At UNC-Chapel Hill, I studied Art History and Elementary Education. I taught elementary school for twelve years, mostly 4th and 5th grades as well as being a Gifted Education resource teacher. I got a chance in the classroom to teach the books I loved so much as a kid and discovered a lot of incredible new children’s literature along the way. But something seemed to be missing from my class’s bookshelf: fantasy based on America’s folklore.

Through old-timey music, I became fascinated with the way America’s myths have been passed down through songs. Drawing on the legend of John Henry’s struggle against the steam drill, I thought about how Southern folklore could be turned into epic fantasy. This passion grew into my first novel, The Nine Pound Hammer, a story set in a mythical 19th-century America full of traveling hoodoo conjurers, cowboys, swamp mermaids, and steamboat pirates. The adventures continue in The Wolf Tree and The White City, the other books in the Clockwork Dark trilogy.

I live the small-town life in Hillsborough, North Carolina with my wife, Amy, and daughter, Rose. We spend a lot of time hiking on the trails around our house, going into town for chocolates and coffees, or encouraging our overweight cat Max to run around some.

Reviews

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

As far as a young adult or preteen book goes, this was splendid. If you want an adult rating, don't go into it expecting mature reading. The story was a different spin on Pinocchio and one I rather enjoyed. Some of the story remained the same, but I assure you this is worth the read if you enjoy fairytale re-tellings.

[Michelle Leonard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This steampunk retelling of the Pinocchio story completely swept me away. I became a Bemis fan after reading the Clockwork Dark trilogy. I love how those books were infused with Southern American folklore and felt sure that he wouldn’t be able to pull anything of that magnitude off again, but whoa! Bemis transported me to Italy during the time of the Venetian empire in grand style. Deep world-building interwoven into the plot plus the empathy Bemis builds for Pinocchio’s journey to become a real boy made page turning easy. Magic carpets, flying airmen, an immortal Prester John, elemental creatures, alchemy, automa, seven-league boots, and the darling and smart Lazuli. What else could I want? How about Book 2!

[Kristen Harvey · Rating 3 out of 5]

The audiobook was well done but the story was so-so. Somewhat enjoyable.

[C.J. Milbrandt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pinocchio re-imagined. He's a construct of wood and gears, a robot servant in the palace of the doge. But suddenly he has ideas of his own and a person to find: an alchemist named Geppetto. And the only person who could have made such a miraculous change is locked in the doge's prison, very much in need of rescue. Djinni and sylphs. Undine and gnomes. Airmen and chimera. Puppet shows and Maestro the cricket.

Fascinating world-building. Steampunk and alchemy, with a island where "half-beasts" and elementals live under the peaceful reign of a benevolent eternal. Lots to discover and action aplenty. I'll be picking up the sequel right away. Both books are now on my home shelf.

[Brandy Painter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally posted here at Random Musings of a Bibliophile.

Pinocchio has never been a favorite of mine. Not the original novel. Not the Disney movie. In The Wooden Prince, John Claude Bemis retells this old story in a way that works for me as it never had before.

Pinocchio is an automa who serves in the doge's palace until he is stuffed in a box and sent to the alchemist Geppetto. As soon as he is placed in the box, Pinocchio begins to change. He feels. Automa are not supposed to feel. He is soon united with his new master who has been declared a traitor to Venice and is in hiding. Together Pinocchio and Geppetto must try to escape the soldiers chasing them and figure out why Pinocchio is changing from a wooden automa into a real boy. Before they can get far, they are separated and have to endure many trials to reunite, solve the mystery, and save a magical kingdom.

The Wooden Prince is a steampunk fantasy that takes place in Venice and references many real world places. The structure of the plot follows the original story in many ways. There are scenes that will be familiar to those who know Pinocchio. Bemis included all the iconic moments. What he did that I liked was change the the thematic presentation up a bit. It is about community, friendship, family, and sacrifice. There is also an exploration of what it means to be real and alive. Beyond that, Bemis just made the plot more fun. There is a lot of action and it is fast paced.

The fast pace of the plot makes it hard to connect on a deep level with any of the characters. The are also quite a few characters to get to know. However, Pinocchio is one I was invested in. I had a discussion with some people on Twitter a few months ago about how difficult it is to make inanimate-objects-come-to-life have real stakes. Bemis manages that here and manages it beautifully. This ties into the themes brilliantly too. The books is peopled with a cast of human and magical characters that do add to the story even if they're characterization is not filled out well. Maestro, the tiny sarcastic musical cricket, adds a subtle humor. Pinnoccio befriends chimera in the forms of different animals and the fairy daughter of a magical immortal king. All of these combine to make the story both familiar and brand new.

I can see this appealing to kids who love anything that reminds them of Disney (it is published by Disney-Hyperion) or are just into magical tales with animal/human friendships.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

First sentence: By the time Pinocchio arrived in the village of San Baldovino, he was bursting with impatience to get free. Being locked in a trunk shouldn't have bothered him. He was an automa, after all.

Premise/plot: Think you know the story of Pinocchio? Think again! Bemis asks readers to join him on a fantastical journey. In the original story, Pinocchio is almost always unlikable; he is always rebellious and disobedient; he is more an object lesson than a 'real boy.' In this new novel--the first in a series--Pinocchio has a chance to be THE HERO.

My thoughts: Bemis has created a complex fantasy world. I wish I'd known about the glossary sooner. But reading the glossary after I finished the novel helped answer a few remaining questions I had. I really liked the world he created. Perhaps I wouldn't have loved this new fantasy world so much if I hadn't been drawn in by the characters as well. But what I loved most of all is his spin on the original, there are elements that do feel familiar. But everything has been spun about--and all for the better. There are still moral elements in this one. But instead of feeling like a lesson on how not to behave, a lesson about the consequences of disobedience, it has become more a series of lessons on how valuable life is and how essential friendship is. I loved seeing Pinocchio in a whole new light.

[Morgan (The Bookish Beagle) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is curiously too detailed and very shallow at the same time. I don't feel like I got to know the characters very well, aside from Pinocchio, and there were a LOT of characters. The story races on and jumps from place to place at a frenetic pace. That being said, I really liked the Venetian setting and the mixture of historical fiction with myth and fairy tale. I hate the animated movie Pinocchio but I really enjoyed this version of the story! Pinocchio is a wonderful, strange, fascinating character that made me think about humanity a lot. I was also wrapped up in the story and wanted to know what was going to happen. I didn't feel much emotional attachment though. It was a clever, creative retelling that could have used more depth and less characters/settings.

[Ms. Arca · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 because I had to calculate in amazing things with just okay parts. The very beginning is good, but then it gets slow and the writing style / character voices weren't my favorite.

!! HOWEVER, the story itself was fantastic and woven in all kinds of delightful and intricate ways. I was glued to find out what would happen next in the journey.. I really loved the plot!

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this retelling of Pinocchio. It was imaginative and well written and fascinating.
I will have to see if Bemis has written any other fairy tale re-vamps.

[Vicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars for the Story - 0 Stars for the Audiobook.

I paid $3.95 for this audiobook during an Audible sale. It was not worth it. The narration itself was good, not in the kind of way that I would run out to buy every book ever narrated by Ralph Lister, but in the way that I wasn't bored listening to him.

However, this audiobook has sound effects. Awful, awful sound effects. At the very beginning of the book, Pinocchio is in a wooden crate and is hearing a discussion taking place outside the crate - the dialogue is muffled and I thought it was clever. But it was downhill from there. We meet Maestro (Bemis' shout out to Jiminy Cricket) who has a chittering cricket like echo imposed over the narrator every time he talks. We have Princess Lazuli, the blue fairy, who has a tinkling noise reverberating over her voice. When Pinocchio stands up there's the sound of gears whirring (he's an automaton instead of a marionette in this rendition). In some of the more action-packed scenes of fights and chaos I felt like I was listening through the sound effects to hear the narration. It was really distracting and took away from the story.

The story itself was a clever retelling of Pinocchio. Similar enough that many of the same ideas still stand, but different enough that Bemis made it his own. The Wooden Prince is a fun, insightful read for the intended age group - but it lacked some depth for me as an adult reader. We got to learn a lot about Pinnochio, but many of the other characters seemed lifeless. Definitely, recommend it for the middle grades, but probably won't pick up the next in the series (and definitely won't pick up the next audiobook).

[Ivelisse · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very different and imaginative retelling of Pinocchio. I really enjoyed it. Not a typical read as I set out looking for Pinocchio retellings but glad I stumbled upon this one!

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pinnochio. The story of a wooden puppet who becomes a real boy.

5 stars for world building
1.5-2 stars for character development
4 stars for creative retelling.

This is a highly original and creative retelling of Pinnochio. There is magic, talking animals, mechanical automatons, and a war between the humans and the Abatonians (magical creatures/land/race). The world was beautiful. The mechanical caterpillar, the flying soldiers, mechanical lion. Even the fact that pinnochio is an automaton was wonderful. It was truely an original retelling.

But as thrilling as the world was, the characters were dull. They were like a half baked loaf of bread. Good on the surface, but undercooked and douhy underneath. Most of the names and characters blended together. I wasn't emotionally invested in any of them.

I'm leaving it with a solid 3 stars. As much as I loved the world and retelling aspects, I kept putting the book down with little desire to pick it back up. I think this would make a great animated series. One that could invest time on building out the characters. I think the visuals would also help identify which characters were which.

[Stefan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have probably said this before, but I am not a huge fan of fantasy literature. But sometimes a book comes along that I actually enjoy reading. The Wooden Prince is such a book. Not only is the writing well done, but the interesting characters and the conceit of how Pinocchio turns from automa to human and then back to automa again elevates the novel above the typical hero-on-adventure-battling-against-great-odds-but-you-know-he-or-she-will-win plot. Cleverly written by the author of the steampunk fantasy, The Nine Pound Hammer, Claude Bemis has written a fantasy book where I want to read the sequel.

[J. Else · Rating 5 out of 5]

Immersive fantasy with steampunk elements. A heartfelt journey of discovering the joys and kindness of humanity.

Disney's "Pinocchio" wasn't a movie I much cared for. I felt it an odd and frightening look at how bad things happen to good-intending people.

While this book takes elements from the original story but enhances them. From magical lands to a princess trying to rescue her father to an outcast alchemist to the faithful wooden puppet, this story shines a fresh new light on an old tale. I thoroughly enjoyed Pinocchio's point of view and innocence. The ensemble around him was also fantastic.

Very enjoyable retelling. I'd definitely read book 2 of this series!

[Care · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Wooden Prince is a great re-telling of Pinocchio featuring wood-and-clockwork automatas (automatons), and the mystery, and discovery, of who one is. I loved the Italian renaissance/steam-punk feel, but didn't enjoy the writing all the much. (Ironically), it felt mechanical and clunky, rather than fluid. I do love a good fairy tale re-imagining though! For fans of Pinocchio, classics re-told, alternative histories.

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

My son doesn't usually delve into retold fairy tales, but the promise of an Italian gangster and sci-fi setting drew him in. A good read.

Looking for more book suggestions for your 7th/8th grade classroom and students?

Visit my blog for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/

[Michael Sasy · Rating 4 out of 5]

He hears three figures outside talking, they open the trunk and find Pinocchio, an automa lying there. One of the figures called Don Antonio sends Captain Toro to get someone, Don Antonio compliments Pinocchio’s model. He reaches for Pinocchio's fantom panel and instantly Pinocchio grabs his arm tightly and doesn’t let go. He gets put back in the trunk. Pinocchio waits until his master wakes up, they find out that he was sent by a prisoner called Prester John, the king of Abaton. Pinocchio gets new feet after he burns the old ones in the chimney. They stumble into a forest and Pinocchio finds out that the Geppetto's family was murdered by half beasts. When they get to Geppetto’s house, they fix Pinocchio‘s finger with alchemical compounds, but Pinocchio's feet turn into flesh. They run into Captain Toro so Pinocchio starts to drown him but then saves him, Geppetto finds Lady Lazuli, Prester John’s daughter. Pinocchio gets captured by Al Mi'raj’s crew and is locked in a cell until he fights another automa and wins because he can think for himself. Geppetto and Lazuli enter the carbone gates and into a tavern, where they are talking about Pinocchio‘s fight. Captain Toro then walks in and almost kills Lazuli since she did not have fealty papers she ends up fooling him by giving him a blank piece of paper which he thought were the fealty papers. Pinocchio then gets locked up again until he fights the beasts they are losing until he gives the half-beasts hints on how to win. They start winning until one of the half-beasts gets stabbed in the back, Pinocchio saves her but loses his flesh. Al Mi'raj finds out Pinocchio was given a blessing by Prester John. Pinocchio then escaped with two of the half-beasts. He gave tips to win, they were called Mezmer and Sop, when they escaped, they got the gear and Chamaeleon cloaks that made them blend in with their environment. Geppetto sends Maestro the cricket to find Pinocchio, after days of searching, Maestro finds Pinocchio and tells him that Geppetto had been captured by the Doge and Lazuli got shot. Afterward, Pinocchio, Mezmer, sop, and Maestro sneak into Cinnabar, the fire elemental's home. They thought a guard had broken in but it was just Lazuli, they found out that instead of her getting shot her hunting glass got shot. Lazuli cuts her hair to create a flying carpet to be able to save Geppetto and Prester John from the doge. They see the Doge's ships remain after they get eaten whole by the giant Leviathan called the Deep One, Pinocchio sees the chance to save Geppetto and Prester John so he flies into the mouth of the Deep One. They all wake up in the dark. They find Captain Toro and he helps them try to save Cinnabar, but some creatures put out the fire that was saving him. The creatures helped save Cinnabar by putting him on fire. The creatures gave them fresh water and told them that Prester John had lived in the deep one for a long time. They find Prester John and Cinnabar tries to shoot Pinocchio but Lazuli gets in the way. Pinocchio saves her but turns into a wooden slave again. The Doge tries to get the ancient most pearl from Pinocchio while he is not working but Gragl, which is one of the creatures, hits the Doge and sends him flying. Captain Toro arrives and gets the chance to take the pearl but doesn’t. Lazuli puts the pearl back and saves Pinocchio, they take Mezmer, Sop, maestro, and Geppetto out of the deep one and fly to Abaton.

[Denae Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reader thoughts: This was an exciting tale with many fun characters and ideas. The world felt so rich, but readers only got a glimpse of it. I wanted more. I wanted to know what made the Venetian Empire so powerful, more powerful than the magical land. Where was Abaton in relation to the other countries? How common were magical beasts around the world? The politics were also a bit unclear, like why the Doge (sp?) was such a tyrant and how much power he had.

I liked Pinocchio and how selfless and compassionate he was. He never tried to take things for himself. He was fairly naive but not cringingly so. He kept trying to help people and wasn't rude or snarky when he spoke. I loved how much he paid attention to human habits, like the way they moved their shoulders and eyebrows, and then he tried to imitate them.

I'm not sure what I think of the immortality pearl thing. I suppose I wish we had more info on what it actually did and where Prester John's magic came from. I did guess that it was the pinecone hidden inside Pinocchio, and that is what was bringing him to life.

I really liked Maestro the cricket and his passion for music and that he acted like he knew more than he did.

Writer thoughts: Bemis alluded to a few of the Pinocchio elements without fully incorporating them (if an automa is bad, their nose grows), changed others (an immortal Prester instead of a fairy godmother-like lady), and added some of his own (the princess Lazuli). All of these changes/adaptations had to enhance the core story ... that of a puppet/automa on a quest to become a real boy, a real son to the inventor father.

[Jennievie A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

During my winter break off from school, I had the pleasure of reading the Wooden Prince by John Claude Bemis. I picked out this book because I thought that the cover looked interesting. I thought this because the cover had a fairytale feel to it, with the silhouette of a wooden doll dancing in what seemed like a hand puppet stage. I enjoyed this book because it was an adventurous take on a classic fairytale that is commonly known and loved, Pinnochio. This story takes the classic character of Pinnochio and places him in a whole new world, where he is a mere inanimate servant, known as an automa. Things begin to take a turn when Pinnochio realizes he is not acting as automas regularly do. On a search for his original Master, Pinnochio goes through magical adventures, making endless new friends along the way. The only thing I would ever have changed about the book is that some long dialogue scenes drag on. There aren’t a lot of these scenes, but when they do happen, it does get a little bit boring to read. Despite this, I would definitely say this is worth the read. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy fairytale like stories, with mystical storylines and magical characters. Anybody who has read the Lunar Chronicles would almost definitely enjoy this book. The authors not only have similar writing styles, but the storyline is also very similar in terms of fantasy and plot twists. To summarize, the Wooden Prince was an amazing book full of fantasy, fairytale, and family. Definitely a 10/10 in my book.

[Michele Berger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was never much interested in any version of Pinocchio, Disney or otherwise. This is until Bemis completely reengineered Pinocchio's story! As other reviewers have noted, The Wooden Prince is a fully reimagined fairytale. The story is set in alternative steam punk Venice. Our title character is an automa with a secret. A mystery unfolds when he finds himself on a mission to visit the heretic Geppetto. Venice is ruled by a corrupt man called the 'doge'. He has enslaved magical creatures from Abaton that immigrated to Venice many centuries ago. He has also taken as prisoner, Prester John who is the ruler of Abaton. Pinocchio and Gepetto have to team up to try to save Prester John and the magical land of Baton. Excellent writing! I am definitely going to read the rest of the series.

[Catie Currie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was certainly interesting. I generally like retellings of classic fairy tales/stories as long as they aren't too similar, so I did like that aspect. I kind of feel like it dragged on a bit, probably 50 pages or so could have been trimmed and it would have been better, less fluff. Also, I have never encountered such a complicated audio book!! I can understand why a lot of people didn't really like it or found it distracting, but I really liked it actually. I found that the constant sound effects drew me into the story rather than take me out of it. It was weird for sure, but kinda a good sort of weird.
(read with little brother)

[Joc · Rating 4 out of 5]

It lost one star because of two reasons. Firstly, no one dealt justly with the unquestionable immorality of Cinnabar. At the very least, he should be forbidden to hold any weapon or any position of authority until he proves himself worthy, since his actions clearly show that he is not. Secondly, Mezmer was said to always keep her promises, but she did not quite protect her friend when it mattered most, presumably because of a conflict with her (misplaced) loyalty to a princess as a perceived authority over her. At least, she said she couldn't do the evil deed to her friend, but letting others do it would not be any better!

[Liz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought I was going to love this and was so ready to recommend it to some younger readers but it just didn't work for me. I love the idea of Pinocchio being an automa and in this case he is an automa with feelings. The story itself is exciting but I felt like I was being passed around amongst a large amount of characters and situations and never getting a strong feeling for anyone or anyplace. I am curious however to the author's Clockwork Dark Trilogy and am going to look for those at the library next.

[Angela Kidd Shinozaki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This compelling Steampunk retelling of Pinocchio takes place in a fictional Venice and captivated me from the start. Pinocchio is a sympathetic protagonist as he slowly awakens from his life as an unfeeling automaton. He wrestles with questions of mortality, as we all do. I love how he's an excellent sword fighter and protector. He's also learning what it means to be a son and love someone. And the re-envisioned blue fairy as street-smart Princess Lazuli makes for a rather kickass ally. This story will have you questioning what it really means to be alive.

[Veronica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh, it wasn't amazing, it wasn't bad. There were some cool creative story elements added to this fairytale retelling, a sort of steampunk spin on Pinocchio. I found it rather slow for most of the book, but maybe that's because it's targeted towards a different audience. The extra audio ended up being more distracting and annoying than augmentative. Sometimes the extra layers of sound effects drowned out the narrator and made it hard to follow the story. I'd have preferred Ralph Lister's well done narration alone. Not the worst, not the best, just a chill "meh."

[Enzzo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. This book gives you characters that you love, and a different twist on the story of Pinochle. The world and its magical properties is wonderful and make you want to live in this world, the authors attention to detail in the world is crazy for example all the different species from Abaton have their own backstory and origins. To conclude the end of The Wooden Prince (when i read it when it first came out) made me so desperate to read the next one.

[Ramona · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very unusual retelling of Pinocchio. You will find many of the familiar characters from the original Pinocchio, as well as some very interesting new characters and places. Bemis as done a wonderful job in weaving the two tales together, creating a new and fascinating fable. he ending leaves you wanting to read more - what new adventures will await Pinocchio, Princess Lazuli, Geppetto, Maestro the singing cricket, and the people of Abaton.

[Leslie Korinek · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a marvelous twist of Pinocchio for late elementary or middle school readers! I'm a teacher and read this book with a group of fifth graders in a book club this summer. The students enjoyed the book immensely and we found a great deal to discuss. A fantastic read that I highly recommend. I can't wait to read the sequel!

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but I really enjoyed this retelling of the Pinocchio story. All the familiar details are there, but the story is completely reimagined and I was all in to the magical world Bemis created. I loved how he wove in the larger aspects of the original story, but created something new. I am looking forward to reading the next installment in the series.

[Anika · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. It started off really strong but ended up kind of mediocre. Murphy's law can be great when used in moderation, but everything going wrong over and over again started to make the story drag. I appreciated a Pinocchio retelling though. It's an uncommon source for a retelling.