The fifth doll

The fifth doll

Charlie N. Holmberg, 1988-

Book - 2017

Matrona lives in an isolated village, where her life is centered on pleasing her parents. She's diligent in her chores and has agreed to marry a man of their choosing. But a visit to Slava, the local tradesman, threatens to upend her entire life. Entering his empty house, Matrona discovers a strange collection of painted nesting dolls -- one for every villager. Fascinated, she can't resist the urge to open the doll with her father's face. But when her father begins acting strangely, she realizes Slava's dolls are much more than they seem. When he learns what she's done, Slava seizes the opportunity to give Matrona stewardship over the dolls -- whether she wants it or not. Forced to open one of her own dolls every t...hree days, she falls deeper into the grim power of Slava's creations. But nothing can prepare her for the profound secret hiding inside the fifth doll.

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SCIENCE FICTION/Holmberg Charlie
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Location Call Number   Status
1st Floor SCIENCE FICTION/Holmberg Charlie Due May 29, 2024
Subjects
Magic > Fiction.
Conduct of life > Fiction.
Secrecy > Fiction.
Arranged marriage > Fiction.
Good and evil > Fiction.
Nesting dolls > Fiction.
Paranormal fiction.
Villages > Fiction.
Russia > Fiction.
Horror fiction.
Fantasy fiction.
Genres
Horror fiction
Fantasy fiction
Paranormal fiction
Published
Seattle : 47North 2017.
Language
English
Main Author
Charlie N. Holmberg, 1988- (author)
Physical Description
241 pages ; 21 cm
ISBN
9781477806104
Contents unavailable.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Holmberg effortlessly shifts from fantasy (the Paper Magician series) to horror with this creepy short novel set in Russia. At age 26, Matrona Vitsin is considered an old maid in her small provincial community, and her parents are delighted that they will be marrying her off to butcher Feodor Popov. Early on, Holmberg drops subtle clues that Matrona's village is a bit unusual, as when Matrona is surprised by the local crank's reference to something called snow. Her act of kindness to a neighbor, Slava Barinov-returning a fancy paintbrush that had been dropped outside his home-exposes her to even more surprises. After she enters Slava's house, Matrona is astonished to observe over 100 wooden dolls painted to resemble the villagers, including one that looks like her father. Her attempt to open that doll to discover its contents is interrupted, and when she returns home, she finds her father has been stricken with a mysterious and painful ailment, which proves not to be coincidental. The plot's unexpected detours are entertaining. (July) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

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