Two stars overall due solely to the unique world building, but the MC was extremely unpleasant and genuinely awful. I won’t even say there was real growth.

The only flaw is this book is that the action and pacing of it didn’t pick up until half way through. But from there is a mad sprint to the end that I couldn’t put down. The characters are compelling, flawed, and dynamic. And I have hopes for the next installment. The exposition of this was long and at times too much so, however the world building is consistent and whimsical and prone to leading to something truly immaculate as it continues.
As a YA this is one of the most thoughtful ones I’ve found recently, and though it had some things I’d complain about none are worth listing in criminal detail.

In this world, Dollmakers are vital in the battle against the Shod—both artist and guard alike.

Shean of pearl thinks she is the best dollmaker. She makes the most artful, lifelike, and creative dolls and is so scandalized at being given an ✨artist’s✨ dollmaker license that she punches licenser Maton, probably my favorite character of the story.

I didn’t think this story was bad, more like woefully ill explained, if beautifully imagined… and I hate the FMC. I really just couldn’t get past her temper tantrum in the first chapter and her character development is criminally slow. By the time I got to where she is put in her place [insert loud cheering], I just hated her for every crappy thing she’d done to everyone else that I couldn’t start to care about her.

Almost every other character described is one whose story I would have rather been told, but we’re unfortunately stuck with Shean, the brat.

Besides all that, I actually really enjoyed this world Buchanan wrote. The writing was nice, if a little hard to follow when scenes got busy, and the pacing was a little weird. I just wish, desperately, that there had been more world building. Honestly, I wish this had been split into two books so the characters and the world had more time to develop. There was so much more I wanted to know.

Roque was by far the most interesting character. He did provide more questions than answers, but he really added a lot of magic to the story. I’d love a followup to this story, maybe some sort of prequel where more of his story is told leading up to the events at the Village called Web. This did end in a way that strongly suggested a second.

Overall this falls somewhere in the middle for me. I’m truly looking forward to what Lynn Buchanan comes up with next!

3.5 ⭐️!

I want to thank the author, Harper and Voyager, and Avon via Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This one started really sluggish for me, and I found myself really not wanting to read a book with a FMC that was so fit to throw tantrums like a feral child. However I decided that my curiosity of the magic system and synopsis kept me going. I really ended up enjoying the majority of the book. I think that had I not disliked Shean so much in the beginning I don't think that I would have appreciated her growth and development. The magic system was really something neat and I loved how even it evolved and changed through the book. The dolls were an absolute delight and I love how mischievous some of them were. I did really like a lot of the secondary characters and thought that they lent to the story well. I am really excited to see what is next for this author!

This book was so magical, spooky and fascinating. It took a minute to understand the pacing, though, I do feel that was an intentional choice by the author. This is a perfect October read!

dnf at 13%

I wanna start by saying that I thought the premise of this book was amazing. The concept of there being dollmakers creating these dolls to protect them and/or be a form of artwork was interesting and I enjoyed that aspect. I really enjoyed reading the descriptions of the dolls, especially after seeing one of the illustrations, and the lyrical writing was really well done. I also enjoyed that the dolls were separated between those that were guards and the ones that were artisans.

However, I think there could be revision when it comes to the main character of this story. I was really surprised to see how unbearable Shean was as a character, and it shocked me that I ended up disliking the main character of a book so early. Having a dislikable character is totally fine (look at Yellowface by RF Kuang), and I understand having a character that experiences growth throughout the book, and perhaps Shean does that, but the introduction of her character was so jarring that it made me wonder if she really does grow or change her behavior. Watching her not get the result she wanted from something and so she decides to physically assault someone for not giving her that something? It's giving emotionally immature, and this all happened within the first few pages! Honestly, I really really hope that as the story continues Shean becomes a better character (and a better person heh) and hopefully her worldview on artisan dollmakers drastically changes because it was pretty hypocritical of her to spend all this time designing this doll with such immense detail, despite knowing that a guard doll's only purpose is to be a guard and fight, and yet she views artisan dollmakers as weak.

Ultimately, this book had a good concept but it wasn't executed well and the structure of the book definitely needs some work. Not only are there no chapters, but there is also no real world building. We're just introduced to the dolls, how they work, and then there's a reference to 'the country of One' or 'the town of Pearl' (the amount of times I read the words 'the -- of --' was a bit odd and very much overdone). I also think there should be a few questions raised in regards to the use of these dolls. Within just the first would-be chapter of this book, there's a scene where the reader can obviously tell that these dolls are sentient beings. Of course I don't think there would be much of a plot surrounding these dolls if they weren't sentient, but the way in which they are created for nothing more than what would basically be forced conscription, or they can be sold off to people because their entire role as a doll is to serve humans really shows how these sentient beings are being subjected to indentured servitude/slavery. Maybe the plot of this book is to save these dolls from this kind of harm, I don't know, but I'm not gonna read on to find out whenever I don't like the main character's childish behavior and the introduction to her, as a character, is watching her throw a tantrum and gnaw on a pillow like a rabid animal (I did have a pretty good laugh at that though. It was a fun thing to mentally picture lol).

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for a gifted arc of this book, this is just my honest opinion.

The Dollmakers was an exciting adventure from the start, with excellent character development and growth, and a strong voice from author Lynn Buchanan. I’d happily read more books set in this Studio Ghibli world!

The Dollmakers is a fascinating and creative fantasy that had me completely enraptured. I love the word-building and the entire concept of the dolls and dollmakers in this book. This says this is "a novel from the Fallen Peaks," so I'm anticipating that there is more of this world to come (or that already exists, but this seems to be her only novel thus far) and I'm really looking forward to that! I'll be honest and admit that the protagonist was extremely unlikable in the beginning of the book for me and I was starting to feel so confident that nothing could change my feelings towards her, but fortunately Lynn Buchanan is a talented enough writer that there were actually a lot of things happening in this book that caused me to be surprised at so many different points of this book. I loved that I could never really predict where the story was going and it really felt like I was reading something really new. I had an amazing time on this journey and really enjoyed this book, the characters, and the entire dollmaking concept. Highly recommended and I look forward to reading more from Lynn Buchanan!

This book was fantastic! I did find the main character insufferable at first, but she has an amazing character development arc. I loved the fantasy world this was set in and look forward to reading any future books by this author!

This was incredibly strange in ways that I both found interesting and didn't. I enjoyed the idea behind the world as well as how difficult our protagonist could be, but I felt like the actual ideas of the dolls opened a huge moral and philosophical can of worms that was never satisfyingly dealt with. It was a strong start that fell apart at the halfway point for me and left me dissatisfied at the end.

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review

I have never picked up a book with a character that has irritated me to no end AND was compelled to finish this piece of literature. I was introduced with the Dollmakers Edicts, and our stubborn, arrogant, ambitious, and talented dollmaker's apprentice, Shean. She is....misguided to say the least. I couldn't fathom how she has gotten this far with her will. I was transported with her throughout her journey of finding who she was meant to be.

There was a lack of chapters, but I am astonished at how I didn't notice, or care. It's also not only in Shean's point of view, which quite surprised me (I do wish I had Silver's POV). The worldbuilding was not overly encumbered with details, simple, but thorough that the reader can immerse themselves. The descriptions of certain scenes and moments served to bring the reader, and I had an unhealthy want for that meal in the city called Port.

Most of the questions and answers with the book are predictable, but no less enjoyable. I may just have a bias towards dolls and puppets, but this book is a must read for high fantasy, fast-paced lovers!

I would first like to thank Net Galley and Harper Voyager for sending an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It honestly took me a little while to get into this story. The main protagonist was infuriating and kind of a drag to follow but as the story progressed I realized that was in fact intentional. The same could be said for the world building, once I grew accustomed to everything, I was hooked. It’s a story of growing up and maturing, learning your place in the world and accepting who you are. I loved the way the story (and characters) developed, and really enjoyed the unique element of the dolls.

Overall I was pleasantly surprised by The Dollmakers and I look forward to seeing where this series goes and will keep looking for more from Lynn Buchanan.

Shean is an apprentice dollmaker who dreams of her dolls fighting against the Shod, the demonic creatures that killed her family. But when Shean’s dolls are rated only as toys and unsuited for battle, she’s wild with rage. When her master suggests Shean visit another dollmaker to seek her advice, Shean instead decides she’ll challenge the dollmaker to a duel to steal her position and prove her dolls can indeed defeat the Shod.

My favorite part of this book was the beautiful imagery in this, especially in the description of the dolls. An example:
Unlike most dolls, though, great care had been taken to give this doll a very realistic, human face: slightly parted lips painted the shade of pink found inside seashells, a thin and delicate nose, a set of low-lidded eyes made with opal and onyx and a blue stone for the rises that Maton had no name for.

But so much frustrated me. For someone who wants to craft magical creatures to defend the world from evil, Shean is deeply unlikeable and her actions sincerely troubling. Her rage at the beginning of the book seemed more like a toddler than the young adult she is. I like a good character progression story, but Shean’s development just didn’t feel convincing.

Some of the plot also didn’t make much sense. I won’t go into spoilers here, but the most obvious is that Shean’s dolls are fundamentally different, but authority figures seem oddly unconcerned.

Would I recommend this? Yes, with caveats, especially to people interested in remarkable scene-setting and interesting magic systems.

Engaging and spooky, reminded me of studio ghibli. I’m excited to see what this author comes out with next!

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Voyager for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Dollmakers follows an aspiring Dollmaker named Shean as she strives to become guard dollmaker to protect people from the monsters of this world, the Shod.

Shean is a character that puts her own ambitions first and we see the consequences of now only her actions, but the society she's a part of as a whole. This is an original story with complicated characters and growth. I couldn't put the book down.

One thing I will note is that the flaws if the main character are a central component to the story, so if unlikable character traits are a problem for you, it may be a struggle to get through. There were times when I was screaming at the book because of my frustration.

This book completely absorbed me. The world-building is so good. It reminds me a little bit of a studio Ghibli movie, specifically Princess Mononoke.

This book opens with the edicts that govern the world. It’s a society threatened by the Shod, an enemy that mortal humans cannot contend with, so they’ve crafted dolls to protect and serve them.

Being a dollmaker is a trade of both honor and skill that demands a commitment to rigorous study, the approval of apprenticeship, and finally the final test of licensure.

Shean has shown herself exceptional in her fifteen years apprenticed to a great dollmaker, but on the day of her final exam, she arrives late. Shean crashes into the room with confidence, her lateness excused by a last minute burst of inspiration. She unveils an ornate box that contains her chosen piece for the examination.

This book is written with vivid description, and I could immediately visualize the room, the social and physical discomfort of the aged master and the examiner.

Shean has been honing her craft at making beautiful and strong dolls to defend people from the monsters that killed her family when she was young.

Unfortunately for her, she’s given a license as an artisan. Give her strong and stubborn personality, Shean is not willing to just accept that verdict and walk away.

When her teacher sends her on a journey to meet another dollmaker to get some perspective and wisdom on her future path, and Shean decides to use the situation to her advantage. She will bring her dolls to this other village, and prove to the town that her dolls are better at defending them, stealing the job of the dollmaker she was supposed to learn from.

Both main characters have some insecurities to deal with before they can handle the big bad (those monsters I mentioned), and it’s kind of unbelievable how much ground we cover in this one small book.

This book was the author's MFA thesis, and it’s the perfect initial book for a whole new series in this world.

Five stars. More Fallen Peaks please!

The Dollmakers by Lynn Buchanan was an amazing read! I very much enjoyed the characters (which ofc includes the dolls! *all the feelings), their development, the world building, and the writing. The beautiful descriptive language made it so easy to feel and imagine the story on a deeper level, and am glad I pushed myself to continue even when I was ready to slap the main characters with their own book at the beginning. I'm a fan!

I'm in awe with how this author showcases internality of the characters. I could palpably feel the anxiety Ikiisa experienced, the PTSD flashbacks were very realistic, and the protagonist, Shean, was hard to like but still the author put tremendous effort to let us put ourselves in Shean's head and line of thinking. Shean is a very talented and hardworking person with a lofty goal of protecting people from the monsters, but she's also conceited, entitled and prone to outbursts of rage. I found her very much autistic coded: the hyperfocus on her interest in dolls and Shod, the uncontrollable outbursts / meltdowns, the inability to realize your way of thinking is just one of many instead of "everyone should think how I think, it's all logical, why don't they get it", she's not universally rude, but she can't handle rejection or disagreement, she tries to logic herself through social norms even if she doesn't fully understand them.

What I also liked is that the plot doesn't coddle her. Every time she crosses a line, something happens as a natural consequence to backfire in her face. Which is refreshing after so many books with "Mary Sue" syndrome where the protagonist gets the plot solutions served on a silver platter and every time they walk into trouble, someone's there (friends, love interest, mysterious stranger) to bail them out and save their butt. Reading it, I had a feeling of impending doom that Shean will get her karmic payback and she will get hoisted by her own petard, and I guess it's not much of a spoiler to admit that's exactly what happened because plot justice demanded it. If it didn't happen, it would be a very weak book.

The worldbuilding was unique and the whole plot twist with the dolls predictable, but again, well deserved. I liked the oriental touches with sitting pillows and eating hooks. The magic system was intricate and hinted at being a part of a bigger whole. I hope if one day there's a sequel, it dives more into the nature of that magic. The prose was atmospheric, but not over the top overwhelming. Enough to give us a sense of place or immerse in characters' emotions, but not too much to be overwritten. It's a 3rd person multi-pov novel and every time a scene breaks to a different pov, including side characters, there's a good reason for it and we want to know and immerse ourselves in this character's thinking. The only odd part is that there are no chapters whatsoever. Only scene breaks. I suspect in the final version there are supposed to be illustrated scene breaks at times judging from the ARC formatting, which makes the layout more visually pleasing.

Overall, this was one of my favourite reads this year, and definitely a surprise.

Just for some reason I couldn't stop reading Licensor Maton as Licensor Matron.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the ARC.

Three things made me pick up this book ASAP:

1) The comparisons to Studio Ghibli, notably Princess Mononoke
2) The recommendation from my king Brandon Sanderson
3) The stunning cover and illustrations throughout

And, honestly, this book delivered. This is a perfect blend of whimsy and dark fantasy. In a country called One, horrible creatures called the Shod roam the country and kill people mercilessly while destroying everything in their path. The country's only line of defense is sentient wooden dolls created by Dollmakers. Shean, a Dollmaker apprentice, is determined to avenge her family and fight the Shod with her beautifully crafted dolls, but when her plans are thwarted, she must create her own path to fight the Shod--by any means necessary.

Readers may have a harder time connecting with the main character, Shean, at first--she is intentionally unlikeable for a portion of the story. But I knew I just needed to trust Buchanan and trust the process and I'm so glad I did because it ended up being beautiful character growth. Shean may be a bit self-important and confident to a fault, but she was also so determined, smart, and loved her creations and her craft. Don't even get me started on the dolls. I LOVED the dolls. Who knew this book would make me so emotional about wooden dolls? I just wanted to hug them! The other characters, like Ikiisa and Roque, were standouts, as well.

The plot and pacing of this book were superb, I just wanted to keep reading and reading late into the night. I thought it was very, very well written and thought out and this debut just blew me away. I hope we see more of this world one day.

My only complaint was that I felt that this book did need chapters. I was a bit taken aback by the book having no chapters at all. I think the story could have benefited from emotional breaks that chapters can build on. Besides that, I was enthralled by the lore, atmosphere, and characters.

Don't miss out on The Dollmakers! 4.25 stars.

The standalone fantasy debut novel “The Dollmakers-A Novel from the Fallen Peaks” by Lynn Buchanan follows the apprentice dollmaker Shean of Pearl who sets out to prove that her delicate doll golems can stand against the evil creatures that terrorize the continent.

I loved this book! It was the highlight of my summer and I’m looking forward to more stories from the Fallen Peaks!

The story kept me interested the whole time. Sheans journey was engaging and there was a competition element in the middle part of the book I really enjoyed. I also was very curious whether Shean would be able to reach her goal of proving everyone wrong. One thing that surprised me was the story structure. While I am used to reading the climax near the ending of a book here, the last third felt like an epilogue. But honestly it was kind of refreshing to me.

The protagonist Shean is a well thought out, complex character. She starts out as an absolutely unlikeable, entitled young woman who is willing to do anything to get what she wants. But after making her own experiences and meeting different people we see her emotionally slowly growing up. While we focus predominantly on her journey, the book also offers other point of view characters that are in stark contrast to Shean personality wise and give the world more depth. In addition there were also the dolls that felt like side characters as well even though they don't talk.

I really enjoyed the worldbuilding in this book, especially the way the dollmaker profession was integrated into society and the structure and rules of the craft. I was also intrigued by the mentions of the other countries and hope to read stories set there some day. The main setting in a rural forest surrounded by a town that specializes in the tending and harvesting of giant silk spiders was magical and very unique!

The magic system is based on the art of carving magical symbols to imbue an object with qualities like animating a doll. It is easy to understand but has great potential to get more complex in future books. Furthermore I loved that large parts of the magic are not widely known and remain as something the reader can discover later on. The magic system reminded me faintly of the novella “The Emperor's Soul” by Brandon Sanderson which I also really loved.

I can't believe this book is a debut since it felt really polished! I would pick up the next book by Lynn Buchanan without hesitation and recommend you give “The Dollmakers” a try as soon as possible!

A big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Avon and Harper Voyager for giving me the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.