The Sorcerer's Apprentice

Enter a dark world where shadows come to life. Otfried Preussler spent a decade spinning this chilling, spooky story that will captivate not only brave young listeners but adults too. The sorcerer's apprentice, Krabat, uncovers the evil secrets of black magic. But with every spell, he moves closer to the abyss. Can he break the cruel curse and defeat his own master? Fourteen-year-old orphan Krabat wanders through the gloomy Lusatia of the seventeenth century as a destitute beggar. An unknown magical voice, however, relentlessly lures him on. His fateful steps lead him straight to a mysterious, isolated mill, where the feared one-eyed master rules supreme. Krabat becomes his new apprentice but soon uncovers a terrifying truth. This mill is a cruel school of black magic from which there is seemingly no escape. What's more, it demands a bloody human price every year. The ever-present fear, dark intrigues, and cold betrayal crush the boy's soul. But within its walls, true friendship and courage still smoulder. When a forbidden love appears, Krabat gains the most powerful weapon of all. Can he use it to defeat death itself? It is a spooky, yet supremely poetic tale, in which the attentive listener can recognise not only elements of horror but also the rhythm of life in the countryside of that era. This is also why Karel Zeman chose it as the basis for his film of the same name, which is still considered a gem of our cinematography.