The Dollmakers
A Novel from the Fallen Peaks
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4.0 • 2 Ratings
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
In this dark and enchanting stand-alone fantasy from debut author Lynn Buchanan, discover a world centered around destructive, all-consuming monsters; the magical dolls designed to fight this force; and the artisans tasked with creating demon-slaying dolls. A touch cozy fantasy and a touch horror, The Dollmakers is perfect for fans of Studio Ghibli films, the works of TJ Klune and Travis Baldree, and readers of Juniper & Thorn and The Goblin Emperor.
In the country called One, dollmakers are vital members of the community. An artisan’s doll is the height of society’s accomplishments, while a guard’s doll is the only thing standing between the people of One and the Shod: vicious, cobbled monstrosities that will tear apart any structure—living or dead, inanimate or otherwise—to add to their horde.
Apprentice Shean of Pearl is a brilliant dollmaker with a talent for artisan magic. With her clever dolls, she intends to outsmart and destroy the Shod, once and for all—a destiny she’s worked her whole life toward accomplishing. But when the time comes for her dolls to be licensed, she’s told her work is too beautiful and delicate to fight. A statement that wounds and infuriates her; the Shod killed everyone she loved. How could her fate be anything but fighting them?
In an attempt to help her see a new path for herself, Shean’s mentor sends her on a journey to the remote village called Web, urging her to glean some wisdom from Ikiisa, a reclusive and well-respected guard dollmaker. But Shean has another plan: if she can convince the village of Web of her talents, the Licensor Guild will have to reconsider and grant her a guard’s license. And what better way to convince them than challenging Ikiisa and instating herself as the official dollmaker of Web? Once she’s done that, proving her dolls’ worth in the fight against the Shod will be simple.
As simple, that is, as calling the Shod to Web...
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A woman's quest to prove herself goes awry in Buchanan's inventive if uneven debut, set in a world besieged by a horde of ravenous monsters called the Shod. Orphaned in an attack by the Shod at a young age, brilliant, arrogant Shean has devoted her life to building sentient dolls, the only weapon proven effective against the monsters. When, on the day of her licensing as a dollmaker, she is told her dolls are fit to be art, not fighters, she sets out on her own, determined to prove her worth. She hatches a scheme to challenge and displace Ikiisa, the dollmaker guarding the tiny village of Web, but finds the task more challenging than expected. While Buchanan's premise and magic system are fresh and Shean's character arc is satisfying, a tendency to introduce new lore just before it becomes necessary to the plot, and characters who often pause during action sequences to ponder or reminisce, slow the pace and add unnecessary baggage to the story. This ambitious outing may not completely hit the mark, but fans of empowering feminist fantasy will find it worth a look.
