The Dollmakers

June 1, 2024

DEBUT Buchanan's debut novel introduces her world of the Fallen Peaks. In a country called One, strange beasts burst from the wilds, with deadly results. The only force capable of defeating them are magical dolls, guided by their creators. However, when Shean's years of training as a dollmaker culminate in failure (her dolls are deemed unfit for combat), she reacts with unnecessary violence, destructive childish tantrums, and a plan to steal a stranger's livelihood and endanger their home. Readers who appreciate redemption arcs for unlikable protagonists will enjoy the self-awareness that begins to spark in the latter half of the novel. Before then, the story splits its focus between Shean's less-than-righteous anger and worldbuilding that moves beyond the scope of this novel. Readers get strong glimpses of a deadly threat that's likely to be explored in future Fallen Peaks books. Whether Shean will appear again is unclear, as the novel's conclusion ties her to the greater conflict but also leaves space for her to pursue new dreams off-page. VERDICT Though the unlikable protagonist may discourage some readers, Buchanan's novel echoes with alluring nostalgia that's sure to ensnare others to the very end.--Matthew Galloway

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June 24, 2024
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. Agent: Matt Bialer, Sanford J. Greenburger Assoc.

August 1, 2024
The country called One has long been terrorized by the Shod, hordes of nimble, ravenous monsters akin to insect swarms. The only creatures capable of defeating the Shod are magical dolls, created and animated by licensed dollmakers. Gifted apprentice Shean has devoted her life to earning a guard license to appease her burning need to destroy the Shod after losing her family in the Red Tide. Instead, she's given an artisan license, as her beautiful, preternatural dolls are deemed too fine for guard duty. After Shean's enraged outburst ruins her licensing, her teacher sends her to the village called Web to meet with Ikiisa, a guard dollmaker who also struggled to find a place with her unusual dolls. Shean goes with her own plan to prove herself by challenging Ikiisa for dominance. This beautifully written dark fantasy is a fascinating read with well-timed reveals about the nature of the Shod and Shean's dolls, with tantalizing hints of further world building to come. Arrogant, willful Shean is as unlikable as they come at first, but her redemption arc, as she grows in empathy and self-realization, truly satisfies. Illustrations unseen.

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