From the first chapter, I already knew I’d want many more books in this universe. Buchanan worldbuilds with the best of them! Take the scary elements of AI and combine it with artistry and a terrifying protagonist, and you have the incredible novel that is The Dollmakers!

Genre: fantasy

Dolls are created to protect the citizens of the country called One from the Shod, zombie-like nightmares that haunt and attack. The dolls are imbued with life through a Breath Mark symbol placed on it after creation by a dollmaker. Shean has been working towards her license to allow her dolls to be guards, protecting citizens from Shod, but the Licenser instead grants her an artisan license, which Shean views as lesser. Her dolls are not art! They are fierce fighters, even as they are beautiful. Shean travels to the village called Web where she plans to usurp the village dollmaker's place and prove that her dolls are guards not art. The gruff Shean finds something very different in the town that spends its days sleeping and its nights harvesting silk from spiders.

The Dollmakers is a very strong debut from Lynn Buchanan. It's atmospherically dark, and the main POV of Shean is complex: she's vindictive and righteous and determined, and comes off as stubborn and mean to many she encounters. But that's because she's driven to success in her creation. Likewise, Ikiisa, the dollmaker from Web, is complex but reserved and unsure despite her powerful guard doll creations. These two women are at odds even when they don't need to be, and Buchanan sets them up as diametric opposites whirling around one another and then in direct competition with their dolls until a Shod attack forces them to unite and discover their differences matter far less. I'm eager to read more of Buchanan's work in the future for more complex female main characters. (Amusingly enough, the primary male character, Roque, is a little one-dimensional, I think intentionally, with a mysterious past and powers of his own.)

I love anything that spends time reflecting on what is essentially artificial intelligence and autonomy for a creation. The focus of the book is Shean's struggle for relevance and importance as the Best Dollmaker, but the dolls themselves may have some native intelligence, even as they are connected directly to the dollmaker.

Sentient dolls? An ever-evolving enemy? Giant spiders?

Basically, Shean knows she is the best dollmaker and knows that her destiny is to make dolls whose purpose is to hunt and kill the Shod, evil monstrosities that attack humanity in hordes. But her ego and temper get in the way during her licensing exam and now she and her dolls must set off to prove themselves as the best. And the only way Shean can accomplish that is to unseat the current dollmaker in a remote village called Web by any means possible.

I am normally very wary of people comparing books to Studio Ghibli because the vibes are just so specific. But The Dollmakers truly encapsulates the imagery and emotions that I associate with Studio Ghibli’s films. It’s a coming-of-age fantasy mixed with some light horror elements that is just so incredibly imaginative, whimsical, and pretty much everything I love in a fantasy story. Not only did I love the magic, but I am an absolute sucker for any fantasy that is a standalone and that has illustrations.

So if you are looking for a little whimsy, definitely check out The Dollmakers.

This was so different from the usual books I read yet interesting in its own way. The language and narration was easy and simple making it a easy breezy read for me.
I finished it in two sittings, it had grabbed my attention from the very first page or rather I should say from its cover and blurb only.
I had a great time reading this one.

I really liked this fantasy debut! This is a world where creepy zombie-like creatures, the Shod, attack human settlements on the reg. The only thing that can destroy the Shod are dolls...but in this world, "dolls" are animated creatures with a semblance of free will (they follow the orders of their dollmaker, but can carry out those orders in the fashion of their choosing).

The main character of this book is Shean, a terribly spoiled and arrogant apprentice dollmaker. I love a complex character, but Shean makes it hard to love her, especially when she thoughtlessly harms a fellow dollmaker in the single-minded pursuit of her own selfish ends. That said, she goes through enough that by the end of the book, I was (mostly) on her side, and (definitely) appreciated her.

The book is part coming of age, part epic quest, and part adventure, and I read it very quickly! I especially liked that Shean doesn't solve the world's problems by book's end, or even come up with a brand new understanding of the issues threatening her country. While this feels like the beginning of a series in that it sets up problems for Shean to tackle down the line (and even an end goal, possibly?), it still feels like a contained book. No cliffhangers, thank you very much! I'm definitely looking forward to more in this world.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

The Dollmakers was a very interesting and good read overall, although I struggled with some aspects of it. I liked the ideas involving the dolls and their creation. I also liked many of the characters. I felt the story itself had some issues, especially in some details that were revealed towards the end. Some of it, while I found the idea fascinating, didn’t feel quite right for the world that had been built.

Note: ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a wonderfully dark and whimsical fantasy set in a world that’s so unique and fresh. It honestly reminded me of The West Passage which I read earlier this year and couldn’t get enough of, and I couldn’t be happier that it satisfied that high I’ve been looking for since. 😊

The story follows primarily Shean and Ikiisa who are dollmakers in a world called One. Both women are renowned for their unique dollmaking styles and I loved how connected they are to the creations they’ve made. Shean is the kind of person who is so set on their path to their idealized future that they don’t care who they burn along the way. She’s stubborn to the max and at times I was really hoping that she’d get a brutal reality check because of how much she just didn’t care to see anything other than her goals. Ikiisa was the character that I wished we had more time with because her background is so sad. Both women are traumatized from their past and while Shean throws herself into her work to prove she’s worthy, Ikiisa withdraws believing she’s the problem to be begin with. While their initial dynamic is fraught with tension, I really enjoyed their slow progression into realizing their shared connection. 🥹

I did find myself wishing we had a bit more time in understanding the world and its first dollmaker. Like why the importance of dolls in the first place other than to bring joy and later security to their owners? That and Roque was such a fascinating character that I’m really hoping for either a prequel or a novella about him in the future! 🤞🏼

All in all, this should be on any reader’s radar if you’re into dark whimsical stories and characters that see a lot of growth in the last act of the book. 💜

Big thank you goes out to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for opening this book up for readers to freely read and to the author, Buchanan, for writing such a wonderful story! I can’t wait to nab a copy and see the beautiful illustrations in this! 😍

Publication date: August 13, so go get it now!

Overall: 4.25/5 ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions within are my own.

RATING AND OVERALL THOUGHTS:

1 star. I DNF’d 12% into the novel. I unfortunately could not get further into the story with the way the FMC was introduced and acted in the brief time I read. This book was not for me but it maybe for other readers that have more… patience than I do to see it unfold.

SOME SPOILERS AHEAD

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“Delicate doesn’t mean weak.”

WHAT I LOVED:

- The descriptions of the dolls were very vivid and I could *feel* the care the fictional dollmakers put into them. That is unfortunately the only good thing I can say about this novel.

WHAT I DISLIKED:

- It was super lyrical, which isn’t a problem, while also having no substance, which *is* a problem. Names, places, and events were introduced without actually describing *what* they were in a way that allowed you to get an actual mental picture of it or what it really means to the characters. This might be hindered by having an eARC with no illustrations like the print edition has but I still feel like the writing needs to stand on its own in that regard and it doesn’t.
- The beginning spent pages repeating how bored Maton, the licenser, and Nock, her mentor, were while they waited *hours* for Shean to show up for her *own* dollmaking licensing exam. It was not the best introduction to suck me into the world.
- Shean. In the very brief time she is on page she is, quite literally, a nightmare. The moment she steps onto the page she is arrogant and cocky. Thats fine, I can handle that especially if she has a reason to be with the status of the best apprentice Master Nock has ever had, we can *grow* from that. What we *can’t* grow from is a twenty something FMC physically restraining the licenser after a disappointing result, then PUNCHING HER when she won’t rightfully change it, and THEN throwing a literal childlike tantrum complete with destroying her own bedroom because she got told “no.” I was done soon after that point. I saw nothing appealing about watching an ADULT acting like that and did not see how this was supposed to in any way inspire the reader to watch the FMC grow from here. I could understand if Shean had just refused the artisan license and left. I could understand if she was justifiably frustrated and feeling lost. I could understand (even if its childish) if she started trashing her room in anger from those feelings but what I can’t understand is the physical assault from a grown adult.
- The exam. There was a lot of build up to it, anticipation during it, and then it fell so flat from that last question that I had to reread twice to make sure I didn’t miss anything. In 500 years, no apprenticing dollmaker has thought to ask their dolls their purpose? No one outside of licensers with their super secret question has ever thought to command their dolls to have the desire to *be* a guard doll? The dolls aren’t even supposed to be anything other than what their dollmakers *command* them to be. Maybe this was setting up plot points for later on but the execution of it left a lot to be desired.

WHAT I AM NOT SURE ABOUT/WANTED MORE OF:

- The premise and the inspiration was there, it had the elements of an unique concept.
- I can see the relation to Studio Ghibli (which I love) and elements of being a cozy fantasy with some horror later on, I just didn’t get to it.
- There are no chapters in this book. I am not quite sure if this was intentional because while the book does have a flowing feel to it, it also doesn’t have a good rest point.

My first Nettgally Arc, and wow was this story written for me. Reads like a modern fairytale with a main character with a lot of growing to do. The magic was intriguing and somewhat soft, but with tons of details that kept me engaged. The writing was easy and compelling, the plot was... somewhat easy to detect, but never stopped me from reading. Loved it!

Shean is a dollmaker apprentice wanting to create dolls that can save the world from the terrible creatures called Shod that took her family away at a very young age. When she thinks she is close to reaching her goal something unexpected happens and her life seems to fall apart in front of her eyes. In a last resort to help his apprentice, Master Nock sends her to another dollmaker to try and learn some valuable lifelessons but Shean is having other thoughts on how her visit to Web can be beneficial to her.

I definitely hits the "howls moving castle" vibes described and definitely feels like a cozy fatansy with some spooky elements! ("Coraline", "a series of unfortunate events")

Loved loved loved it! And can't wait to read more from this author

Love how fresh this feels! The dark and twisty with the beautiful lyrical writing, it's the absolute best of this type of fantasy with a fresh magic system that doesn't feel impossible

This book was phenomenal. Do I care that I have three five star books in a row? NO I DO NOT. These books have just been *that good*.

This book contains:
Unique and BEAUTIFUL world building!!!
Trauma healing
Attack on Titan coded world building 🙌🏻
Studio Ghibli style elk riding (honestly, if you love Princess Mononoke, this book is for you)
Cozy fantastical horror
The Bear and the Nightingale vibes
Speaker for the Dead style mentor 😭
Journey of self discovery
Aftershocks of war on an individual, community, and societal basis
GORGEOUS illustrations throughout
Making peace with the past
Large spider silking
Learning to let go of control for the uncontrollable
Finding one's own place in the world
Recognizing and being proud of what one has to offer
Learning to stand up for one's self
Doll Magic
Dolls and Dollmakers protecting civilization from non organic monsters

This book y'all. It DEVASTATED me. The character growths of the two FMCs was absolutely perfect and beautiful. I loved the cozy style plot progression. It felt like a flower (Flower 💔😭) unfurling. The ending was so beautiful and healing. I feel like there's a lot of books that deal with trauma healing and character growth, but these two FMCs? They had among the best healing journeys I've ever had the pleasure of reading. Just beautiful.

The MMC was supportive and determined. I love that he is loyal and kind and working to right wrongs while honoring and remembering the past. He reminds me of a certain mentor character in Warbreaker. I just love him as a character, and I'm excited to read more about him. I think his kind of character is something lacking in literature today. I haven't read many characters like him, but I've loved every one of them.

This is a cozy fantasy with horror undertones. This is not a romantic book. Think Cruel Prince and Bear and the Nightingale style romance, if that romance ends up progressing in later books. I'm excited to see where it leads, but I would definitely not describe this book as a romantasy.

Content: graphic and gruesome depictions of violence and death, medical descriptions, one sweet kiss (no spice), PTSD, loss, widespread destruction aftereffects

Thank you to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book. This review is voluntarily written and the thoughts and opinions contained in this review are my own.

The Dollmakers is set in a world where monsters/“Shod” terrorize and completely destroy everything in their path. The humans’ only defense are the sentient dolls created to fight the Shod. No one knows where the Shod came from or why they do what they do. Shean, a dollmaker, has spent most of her life perfecting her dollmaking skills with the goal to ultimately defeat the Shod for good. Unfortunately, she fails her licensing exam to become a guard dollmaker, and instead passes as an artisan dollmaker which she believes is inferior, insulting, and less than what she deserves. She embarks on a journey to prove herself, going as far as deceiving everyone to accomplish her goals.

Shean is the most insufferable, petulant, and narcissistic character I’ve ever encountered (though I believe this is intentional). We see this attitude throughout most of the book, and I was more than eager to witness her impending downfall, while also anxious about the repercussions of her actions. Her character, despite making me want to pull my hair out, serves its purpose and is effectively written. The other characters, especially Ikiisa, are also fantastic and multilayered. The writing is beautiful and flows seamlessly, and the storytelling is charming, vivid and immersive. The artwork within the book is stunning! What I loved most was the emphasis on finding one’s true self, accepting that, and not needing to prove yourself to anyone. The plot also opens up opportunities to expand the story and world especially where Roque is concerned. I noticed a lot of Sanderson’s influence in the magic system and worldbuilding, which I LOVED. Overall this was an impressive debut novel and I hope we get more stories from the Fallen Peaks!

Thank you @harpervoyagerus for sending me an early copy of this wonderful book!

“There comes a time when all other voices must be blocked from your mind, a time when you must turn inward and ask yourself who YOU are, what YOU want, and how YOU can best achieve those goals.”

I enjoyed this book. Set in a world where a kind of doll that is autonomous are all that stands in the way of monsters that roam the country. All Shean wants to do is be a guard doll maker because her family was killed. But when her licensing exam goes a different way, it triggers a series of events that will change the way she views dollmaking and the world around her. The world building and the characters really carry this book. Shean is frustrating to read at times, but in a good way. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys fantasy that’s a bit outside the box.

A big thanks to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was told that this book was for fans of Studio Ghibli, and I was not dissapointed.

The Dollmakers by Lynn Buchanan is a fantasy novel set in a world that is essentially run by dolls. 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 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...

Listen. This book is amazing. It can practically do no wrong. I love it so much, and I can't wait to see what Buchanan will write next.

4.5/5 ⭐️

This was a pretty stellar debut and I'm hopeful that there will be a sequel/set-up for a series!

The premise was unique and the magic system was fun. The writing was good, tight storytelling, with well crafted jumps to different character POVs. It felt like both a refreshing fantasy with some old school sci-fi tropes thrown in - the dolls were basically just robots - which made for such an interesting book. The characters were flawed with gradual growth that felt earned. The only major flaw I had with it was the predictability. Because the writing was so tight, the set-up/pay off was almost too well established and made for later "reveals" to be pretty obvious.

The story as it stands felt pretty contained but could be opened up as a more epic fantasy, which would be so fun - I see so many possibilities with this as a series.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lynn Buchanan, and Avon and Harper Voyager for my early access to this.

CW: violence, gore, death/death of family

Read via NetGalley. “The Dollmakers” is available August 13, 2024.

You’re going to spend the first 70% of the book hoping the MC gets eaten by something.

In the country called One, Dollmakers are divided into two categories—guard and artisan. Apprentice Dollmaker Shean has always aspired to be a guard dollmaker. On the day of her licensing, she’s informed that she cannot, as her dolls are too beautiful and delicate. In a rage, Shean sets off to prove that her dolls are just as capable as the ugly, utilitarian dolls currently used as guardians.

Normally, when a main character is so thoroughly unlikable as Shean, I lose interest rapidly. There’s just nothing pleasant about reading about characters who are immature, selfish, and bitchy for the vast majority of their book. And make no mistake, Shean is all of those things. As one side character mentions, she’s like a child who’s never been told ‘no.’ It was horrible. So it should speak volumes about how weirdly enchanting the rest of this story is that I was able to tough it out and actually end up really enjoying the entire book.

Obviously, the characters are not the most wonderful part of this book. That’s not to say they aren’t well-written. They are. The 3rd person POV rotates between 3 characters, with the main focus on Shean. All three of these characters, though, have their own stories and quirks, their own motivations behind their actions. You get the feeling that each one has led a whole life before this story, and will continue to do so long after our book ends. To make multiple characters feel so lifelike is a skill I don’t see super often; it’s just the Shean is horrid and insufferable and one of the others is a shell hollowed out by trauma and left in a constant state of crippling fear, so they’re not exactly *pleasant* to read about.

The real magic here happens in the world building. The dolls of the story in particular are so fantastically brought to life, and in reading about Shean’s travels you’re left with the feeling that there’s an incredible amount left to explore in this world that we never see on the page. It feels exactly like we’ve stuck our head in someone’s window just long enough to get a glimpse of the action with little to no other information, though we know there must be quite a lot (a disclaimer— I do not go around sticking my head through people’s windows). The world just feels full, and I don’t know a better way to explain it.

The plot is intriguing, although where you think it’s going and where it ends up are likely to be two entirely different endpoints. It’s quite a mental journey to get there, though, because for the majority of the book I found myself wanting to smack the MC. She spends so much of the story being a horrible person; it’s an entire train wreck of interpersonal interactions, but I just couldn’t look away. I’m glad I stuck things out, though. The story ended up being really interesting, in a weirdly charming sort of way.

If dolls are your personal nightmare fuel, you’re not going to have a good time with this book. They’re kind of critical to the story. If that’s not an issue, though, full steam ahead. It’s a bloody, oddball sort of thing, but this book is weirdly endearing and I’m not entirely sure how to feel about it. It’s dark, it’s subtlety magical, and it just works.

I found my favorite fantasy book of the year with The Dollmakers. The world building was refreshingly unique and imaginative. The characters had me so invested throughout the entire book. The writing made me feel part of the adventure, the heartache, the terrifying Shod battle, the relationships, and especially the dolls!

So glad I found this book. I will be reading anything and everything written by Lynn Buchanan moving forward. I just ordered the special edition.

I'll be honest the first 100 pages I was unsure if I would finish this book
The struggle with seeing the main character act so childish and make so many mistakes infuriated me. I ended up so frustrated with her choices I kept reading, in hopes that SOMEONE would stop her. Then I paused and reflected upon my own childhood and I know I made rash decisions too. Ikiisa was my favorite character, I feel I empathized with the pain and trouble she went through just for being authentic. By the end of the book I was truly hopeful that Shean had grown and would do better to help herself and those around her. I would LOVE to read more about Roque! Overall I did end up enjoying this book.

Thank you to HarperCollins for the chance to read and review this book and also to the Author.

A unique and fascinating fantasy that's a little bit of Pinocchio and Attack on Titan. "Perfect for fans of Studio Ghibli films" is completely accurate; I can easily see this as an animated film that balances a heartwarming message with a dark fantasy plot. I'm curious about this being a standalone. The world Lynn Buchanan built is deep and complex and there's so much left to explore. The ending definitely sets up further stories, particularly with the side male character who just wanders off adventuring.

I found the MC Shean to be INSUFFERABLE for at least half the book. She didn't really have a journey to self enlightenment either, just a really bad, violent wake-up call. It worked and she pulled it together in the end (it was touching and I cried), but I liked the other dollmaker Ikiisa so much more. I'm worried about potential sequels featuring Shean and hope there'll be more standalones featuring other or new characters.

I am not into the hinted romance. **spoiler** looks like we got another ancient man and very young woman 😑

I really enjoyed this book. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes the idea of cozy fantasies but is looking for more plot and higher stakes.

I will say that Shean is an immensely unlikeable character at first, but you can tell that she’s written that way on purpose so that she has room to grow and I like where she ended. There are some things that are left open and I’m curious to see if we’ll get a sequel. If we do, I’ll definitely be interested in picking it up.