The Dollmakers: A Novel from the Fallen Peaks

Written by Lynn Buchanan

Narrated by Angela Dawe

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 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...

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Aug 13, 2024
• ISBN: 9780063308275

Lynn Buchanan

Lynn Buchanan is a fantasy writer based in the foothills of some impressive, chilly mountains in Utah. She’s a 2019 graduate of the Odyssey Writing Workshop and holds an MFA in fiction from Brigham Young University, where she taught creative writing. When she isn’t writing about monster-fighting dolls, moody painters, and mummified arms used as dancing props, she enjoys playing the oboe, buying houseplants, and watching Ghibli films. 

Reviews for The Dollmakers

[V Amos · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Really enjoyable and a very different type of fantasy novel. Not your typical heroine either.

Definitely add this to your list to listen to.

[Catherine Shema · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this book. The theme was totally different than any book I’ve read in a long time. I also like the way the towns were named. Easy to remember rather than the usual fiction books that have some made up names you can’t even pronounce.

[Meg Gatza · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.