Toyland - Claus Universe by Tony Bertauski Paperback

About the Book

Tin inherits a forgotten estate and a green elf hat that pulls her into a frozen world of living memories and lost toys. As family secrets surface, she discovers that some Christmas magic never fades-and some legacies refuse to stay silent.

Book Synopsis

SOME INHERITANCES COME WITH DEBT. THIS ONE COMES WITH MAGIC.

After the death of their great aunt, famous for her wild stories and cookie-scented hugs, Tin's family journeys to an eerie woodland estate no one in the family even knew existed. Overgrown. Crumbling. The kind of place that makes you wonder how many horror movies started the same way. Inside are crooked hallways, upside-down staircases, and toys older than your great-grandparents.

The plan is simple: sort the clutter, grab a keepsake or two, and let the auctioneer deal with the rest. Easy. Right?

Then Tin finds it. A dented footlocker. A green elf hat. And the moment she puts it on, the world tilts. She's pulled into a frozen wilderness where time folds in on itself and memories wander around like they own the place. Each trip unravels more about Wallace Noel, a brilliant toymaker their great aunt somehow forgot to mention in all her story-filled years. Which feels like a pretty big oversight.

As Tin and her family dig deeper, they uncover the secret life their aunt kept tucked away like a present under the tree. And why she believed so fiercely in the magic of Christmas.

Because some legacies don't just whisper. They call. Through footprints in snow. Through the button eyes. Through every forgotten toy waiting on a dusty shelf.

Toyland: The Legacy of Wallace Noel is a heartfelt holiday mystery about family, memory, and the kind of belief you don't outgrow. Perfect for fans of The Chronicles of Narnia, A Series of Unfortunate Events, and anyone who still suspects magic might be hiding in the attic.

Review Quotes

"This story was one of the most whimsical, fantastical stories I have ever read... all of it brought me back to my own childhood, when my very vivid imagination could take me anywhere and do anything."