Review: City of a Thousand Dolls by Miriam Forster

City of a Thousand Dolls

Author: Miriam Forster
Series: Bhinian Empire #1
Publisher: Harper Teen
Genre: YA Fantasy
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: February 5, 2013
Source: Bought
Rating: 4 Stars
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Synopsis from Goodreads:

An exotic treat set in an entirely original, fantastical world brimming with deadly mystery, forbidden romance, and heart-stopping adventure.

Nisha was abandoned at the gates of the City of a Thousand Dolls when she was just a child. 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. Nisha makes her way as Matron’s assistant, 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 her own life.

My Review:

So I downloaded a galley of Empire of Shadows, the sequel to this book, not realizing that it was a sequel. Upon discovering this, I went and bought this one. I bought a used edition from the Amazon marketplace, because I had read mixed reviews and wasn’t sure if I wanted to keep it or not. Now I wish I had bought myself a shiny brand new one.

What an imaginative new fantasy world this author has created. I loved learning all about the City of a Thousand Dolls and the rest of the Empire. The world-building was rich and well-done and never felt like info-dump to me. Miriam Forster expertly wove in details about the world into every day conversation and inner monologue.

Okay, so my favorite thing about this book? Spotted cats that can speak with each other and certain humans telepathically! Oh my gosh why aren’t there more animals in YA? Because there really should be. I loved the whole Spotted Cat Tribe. Esmer and Jerrit (both cats) are such good friends to the main character, Nisha. I loved their interactions and learning all about their true nature.

Nisha was an extremely intuitive main character. This is truly an epic murder mystery twisted into an elaborate fantasy world and Nisha is a great detective. I loved that she didn’t unravel things easily. There were some things that I figured out before Nisha, but the final twist at the end shocked the pants off of me. I just sat there, jaw on the floor, in complete and total disbelief. I loved that I never knew who to trust and just when you thought you could trust someone, they did something that made you suspicious all over again.

The only things I didn’t like were the romance, which we were just kind of told was happening, not shown how it developed/evolved. Because of that, I never really believed in it. But I do really like the way this aspect turned out and I appreciated what the author did with it. The other thing was a certain other relationship that I wanted to see more of. Really that’s just me being selfish though. Because right when there’s a hint of something there, the book ends. Not that it’s not tied up. The ending was perfectly tied up, all loose ends wrapped up and answers given. But there was one relationship that I would have loved to see more of. I’m so glad that I gave this series a chance. If you’re looking for a high fantasy, twisty-turny murder mystery, then this one is for you.

Have you read this one yet? What did you think of Nisha? The Spotted Cats? Did you figure out the mystery before the end?