Fantasy Book Review: City of a Thousand Dolls

City of a Thousand Dolls by Miriam Forster

Synopsis:
Nisha was abandoned at the gates of the City of a Thousand Dolls when she was just a little girl. Now sixteen, she lives on the grounds of the isolated estate, where orphan girls apprentice as musicians, healers, courtesans, and, if the rumors are true, assassins. She makes her way as Matron’s errand girl, her closest companions the mysterious cats that trail her shadow. Only when she begins a forbidden flirtation with the city’s handsome young courier does she let herself imagine a life outside the walls. Until one by one, girls around her start to die.

Before she becomes the next victim, Nisha decides to uncover the secrets that surround the girls’ deaths. But by getting involved, Nisha jeopardizes not only her own future in the City of a Thousand Dolls—but also her life.

Review:
Nisha is a smart and brave girl, humble but self-reliant. She remembers little of her past other than her father leaving her just outside the City. The City is comprised of almost all women, training girls in various areas such as music, beauty, dancing, and combat in hopes that they will be picked up as apprentices or simply bought by wealthy men.

It’s a unique and brilliant dystopian setting full of mystery and intrigue. The characters are engaging and the story is captivating. Forster’s debut novel is certainly impressive. City of a Thousand Dolls is a coming of age novel with plenty of surprising twists, a murder mystery, drama, and a bit of romance. I loved every bit of this dark and beautiful fantasy. This will be on my list of favorites this year.