City of a Thousand Dolls

City of a Thousand Dolls

by Miriam Forster

    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.*

    This book was really masterfully written.  It captured me immediately and I was instantly part of the story.  The world building Forster does is both unique and believable.  It has a taste of politics and a dash of romance, but neither are overwhelming and all aspects of the book are enjoyable.

    By the end of the book, I was on the edge of my seat, hanging onto every word with anticipation.  I greatly enjoyed how to ending played out and am looking forward to a reread.

*From the dust jacket