I really enjoyed The Luthier’s Apprentice and I must admit I didn’t know what a Luthier was until I started reading this book.

Emma’s character was fantastic, being 16 years old I found that she was not into all that girly stuff. She played the violin most of the time practicing for a big competition. She was very brave and stood up for herself.

I also liked Corey, he was a great sidekick to the adventure and as the story went on I was amazed at how he was connected even more so than just another student violin player who wanted to find out why his violin teacher disappeared.

The book flowed at a great pace and I could not put it down.

Mayra Calvani penned a great read and I look forward to reading more from her. ( )

Talented violinists are disappearing. When Emma's violin teacher, Monsieur Dupriez also goes missing, Emma wants to investigate. Lately, Emma has been having some psychic visions and premonitions and these mysterious disappearances seem to have something to do with the supernatural. On top of the missing violinists, Emma's aunt Lily has fallen ill and her mother has to go to her, leaving Emma in the care of her Grandfather. Emma's Grandfather is a luthier-someone who makes violins, and is training Emma to take his place. In her Grandfather's attic there is a locked door that may hold the answers.

I really liked the premise for this young adult, paranormal mystery book, a string of missing violin virtuosos that stretches back for centuries. When the disappearances start up again, Emma is compelled to investigate since she is tied to the violinists through her teacher and her grandfather. I do think Emma and her friends read a little younger than their sixteen-years, but that did not hinder the story. I enjoyed the mystery of the alternate world, evil magic ruled by a jilted queen bent on revenge. Emma and her friends are adventurous and vaulted into a dangerous world, with many ties back to Emma and her friends families, the suspense builds as they find out that the they will be tied to the alternate world if they can not stop an evil ceremony set to take place on Halloween. This was a surprisingly good read for me, the combination of music, history and paranormal was intriguing and unique.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. ( )

I have to admit I knew nothing about luthiers or violins before I read this novel. When I was in fifth grade a teacher was giving violin lessons and I so wanted to learn. My parents said we couldn’t afford it, but now, many years later, Author Mayra Calvani has given me a glimpse into the lives of both the violin teachers and their students, and much more.

THE LUTHIER’S APPRENTICE, a YA dark fantasy novel by Author Mayra Calvani, is set in present day Brussels, Belgium, not long before Halloween, which adds to the mystery of the story. Emma Braun’s violin teacher, Monsieur Marcel Dupriez, is missing, and he’s not the first one to vanish without a trace. Two other teachers have disappeared in the past few months, along with other teachers that vanished over many years. To add to the mystery, Emma’s been having strange incidents lately, as well, and is beginning to wonder if she has psychic powers. When her mother unexpectedly decides to visit her sister, Lili, and leaves Emma with her grandpa, who makes violins, Emma and her best friend, Annika, decide to find out what happened to the violin teacher. Along with Corey Fletcher, another student of Dupriez, they set off on a journey of magic and danger on their quest to discover the fate of their missing teacher.

Mayra Calvani has created a world of fascinating characters, some good, some evil, along with interesting information about famous violinists that young musicians will enjoy reading. Told from alternating points of view, we get a look inside the thoughts of several different characters. The author has even thrown in the beginnings of a young romance. Short chapters move the story along and add to the suspense of what happens next. THE LUTHIER’S APPRENTICE would make a great addition to high school libraries, as well as your local library and your own private library. I enjoyed learning about the process that goes into making a violin, also. Good news: This is the first book in a series. I hope we don’t have to wait too long for the next story.
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Mayra Calvani’s “The Luthier’s Apprentice” is an imaginative short novel composed of elements diverse enough to appeal to a variety of readers. As the story opens, sixteen-year-old Emma Braun discovers that her beloved violin teacher, Monsieur Dupriez, has disappeared, as have several other violinists around the world. Determined to emulate her favorite literary hero, Sherlock Holmes, she sets about investigating, forming new alliances and uncovering centuries-old secrets about her family’s luthier craft and her aloof grandfather, to whom she is apprenticed. Suddenly the strange feelings she has been experiencing and the puzzles associated with her heritage begin to become startlingly clear, thrusting Emma into a bizarre realm in which all that she loves becomes endangered.

A mixture of paranormal fantasy and science fiction with a light romantic element, “The Luthier’s Apprentice” provides enough excitement and mystique to engage readers without being overtly frightening, and fans of Sherlock Holmes will appreciate the myriad quotations that Calvani employs. Given the characters and simple yet descriptive writing, the target audience is young adult, although older readers will enjoy this story as well. A slight caveat: there are a few instances of mild profanity during some of the more tense scenes, and Italian phrases and terms are scattered throughout the story, although with either an immediate translation or sufficient context clues to figure out the meaning. Short chapters keep the action moving at a steady pace so that there are no lulls, and the story does come to a logical conclusion, although Calvani cunningly leaves the door (or should I say portal?) open for a sequel. ( )