The cabinet of curiosities

By Theresa Dowswell

Subjects: Emperors, Young adult fiction, Apprentices, Fiction, Children's fiction, Orphans, Juvenile fiction, History, Czech republic, fiction

Description: When Lukas Declercq is orphaned, his uncle summons him to Prague, a refuge for Europe.s greatest alchemists and natural philosophers, offering to take him on as an apprentice. Uncle Anselmus is court physician to Rudolph II, the reclusive and unstable Emperor. He is also curator of Rudolph.s bizarre cabinet of curiosities, a series of vast rooms stuffed with wonders and scientific marvels such as a nail from Noah.s Ark, phoenix feathers and monstrous freaks of nature, which fascinate Lukas. As Rudolph retreats further into his fantasy world, the threat of rebellion hangs in the air.