Matrona lives a normal life in her village. She’s planning to get married and everything seems to be falling into place for a quiet life. Until she finds Slava’s brush. Matrona enters his home to return it and finds dolls of every person living in the village. Slava finds her snooping and opens Matrona’s doll. At first, she doesn’t think anything’s changed but, soon enough, she discovers that everybody knows all her secrets. She begs Slava to stop but he’s determined. Matrona begs her friend for help and, together, they must discover the truth about the dolls before it is too late.

I’ve previously read Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet by Charlie N. Holmberg and didn’t like it very much. I still thought the author had potential and decided to just pick something else.

I felt like the characters were bland and didn’t stand out. The story was interesting and I wanted to unravel it and discover the truth. For me, the story in The Fifth Doll is much stronger than the characters but still had something missing.

There was much to enjoy here, but I found I couldn't connect with it. I'd read more from this author in the future though.

I wanted to love this book, but a few chapters in, I only felt meh, so I stopped. 3 stars because DNF, but at no fault of the book.

This book could have been one of my favourites... if only the character wouldn't have behaved as if she was an immature little girl without understanding anything around her.

clearly from that its, i think, foreseeable that i did not have the best time reading this book.

If you don't mind very childish behaving characters and what an okay story overall this is a good book for you. otherwise might skip this one and see what the author comes out with next.

I have been a HUGE fan of author Charlie N. Holmberg's The Paper Magician series (even though I've only reviewed the first one, I've read and listened to the audio books three times). I've convinced others that I thought would enjoy the books to give them a read and everyone's returned quite pleased with my recommendation. So when I saw that Holmberg had a new book out, I was elated and eager to enjoy her magic once again.

Except this time I didn't.

In a remote town, probably in Russia, a fifteen year old girl, Matrona ... no, wait ... she only acts like she's fifteen ... 26-year-old Matrona is mooning over the fact that she isn't loved by her betrothed and she has her eyes and heart set on another lad in town. Meanwhile, she discovers that a neighbor has a secret room and inside that room are nesting dolls and that there is one that looks like each resident in the community, including herself.

The neighbor, Slava, mysteriously suggests that Matrona should plan to become the next caretaker of the dolls and their magic. Magic? Oh, yes. To prepare Matrona for the task, Slava instructs the girl to open her five nesting dolls. But she can only open one doll every three days. Once started, to do otherwise could bring a tremendous calamity to the individual.

Matrona slowly gains Slava's trust and Marona in turn shares the secrets she learns with Jaska the butcher with whom she is in love. Revealing the power of such magic with someone not ready for it - both Slava to Marona and Marona to Jaska - is a recipe for trouble and the entire community will suffer. It will be up to Matrona to grow up and to step up and save the town.

I give Holmberg a lot of credit for really stepping out and developing a story around a very unusual object. She did this in her Magicians series and is doing it again. I like the idea quite a bit, but the characters don't live and breathe as well in this book. While Matrona as a character grows through the course of the book it has a lot to do with how immature (and annoying) she is at the beginning.

Slava, who plays a major role in the story, is too one-dimensional to really be effective in propelling Matrona and the story. I really would have liked to have him be stronger and more of a force.

The magic got messy and convoluted for a while, though I really liked the very ending.

Looking for a good book? <em>The Fifth Doll</em> by Charlie N. Holmberg is a decent read, but not a true recommend-worthy book as it just doesn't have a lot of strengths.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I've liked Charlie Holmberg's books in the past for their creativity and originality. This book does not fail in being intriguing and full of magic. While it is not entirely clear at the beginning, this book is set in old Russia. The main character is 26-year-old Matrona, recently engaged to the village butcher. Through chance and curiosity, she becomes ensnared by the village tradesman and his collection of wooden nesting dolls. As the tradesman demands that she open each of her own dolls, Matrona makes discoveries about herself and the village. Overall the story was interesting and unique.

However, the writing fell flat for me. While the main character is an adult, the writing felt like it was for a younger audience. Matrona herself acted like a much younger person than 26. The descriptions are basic and do not always draw the reader into the characters' world. The ending of the spell was a bit confusing for me, and the story seemed to end abruptly.

This book had a great idea, and I liked how Matrona overcame the second doll's spell and the non-traditional romance. But it didn't Wow me. I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars since I found myself unable to put this book down

We all have guilty pleasures in life and some of us (ahem, me) find it hard to admit to the ones which do not fit into our view of ourselves. For me, I see myself as a refined reader, one who enjoys incredibly well-written books; the kind that fall into the literary category. My favorite books are the ones that impact how I see the world. I want books that touch my soul or at the very least, speak to my soul. I see myself as an intellectual and critic and thus I hold myself and the books I read to a high standard. I say all of this as a way to explain how unusual it is for me to enjoy books written simply for entertainment with easy to understand prose and which aren't particularly life-changing. I rarely pick these types of books up, let alone enjoy them, though I am trying to read them more as I continue to push myeslf to read diverse books, taking the concept broadly to also include books outside my genres. I cannot really say why I picked up Holmberg's first book, The Paper Magician , but I did, and to my surprise, I greatly enjoyed it. I ended up reading the entire series and when I came across The Fifth Doll, I was incredibly excited to read it. Not only is it by Holmberg, but it is set in Russia, is like a folktale, and uses Russian nesting dolls as a plot device. I love both things!

Part of the reason my rating is not higher is likely because I had too high expectations since it encompasses so many things I love, especially in guilty pleasures. While the initial story was fascinating and I couldn't put it down (I read this book in about 24 hours), the characters were a bit forgettable and the ending a bit of a let down. I wanted more on Matrona, but she's a bit of a static character, which for me is a big disappointment. First, because character development is vital for me for a book to be good. Second, because I found the protagonist in The Paper Magician well developed. I feel Holmberg could have done better here. The side character of Slava was better developed and I enjoyed the depiction of him, though I would have been happier with a bit more detail on him as well.

This book is a bit darker than Holmberg's The Paper Magician , which will greatly appeal to some readers. I'm on the fence about it. The plot is strong and I did not see the plot twists coming. I was impressed by the originality of the plot and continue to find Holmberg's fantasy worlds to be fascinating, though a bit too caught up in romance.

Holmberg is an underrated author, in part because she hasn't quite reached her full potential. I hope at some point, she is picked up by a different publishing agency, which takes the time to help her develop into the incredible writer she could be. She has unique, creative, and interesting ideas told through relateable characters. It's just that ultimately, her books lack a bit, but that is something which could be overcome. I will continue to read Holmberg's books whenever I am in the mood for a light, fun, engaging read. I encourage anyone looking for the same to give either this book or the The Paper Magician a try. This was exactly what I was looking for when I hit a book reading slump. If you enjoyed The Paper Magician series, this will not disappoint!

I received this book free from publisher 47North through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was good, but it was not my favorite of Ms. Holmberg. I had a hard time connecting to the characters despite all the world building she did. While I could feel the fairy tale element, I wanted more from the characters than what is typically seen in your classic "once upon a time". All in all, it's a interesting story, but it just didn't do it for me.

The Fifth Doll was a cute, original reading that let me taste Charlie N. Holmberg's fervent fantasy.
The story had just that delightfully creepy touch that kept me hooked till the end. Doll after doll, layer after layer, the mystery unfolded and I was even more eager to know, to fully understand how deep and intricate were the secrets hidden within and beyond the dolls. I simply could not stop reading, that’s it.

However.

Despite I overall enjoyed this book, I had the disturbing feeling that something was missing:
♦ Matrona was a pretty good main character, but she lacked some more development, and I could never really connect with her.
♦ The other characters (but Jaska) felt quite dull, one-dimensional.
♦ I would have liked ‘more’ even from Slava, (view spoiler)
♦ The plot got a little (too) messy towards the end, and the last chapters and the conclusion were too rushed, leaving me a bit confused at times and with too many unanswered questions.

All in all, a gripping, enjoyable reading, with – sadly – (one too) many little flaws.

I really love the way Charlie Holmberg writes and so far everything I've read from her has been a delight to read. This book was not. And in the best way. It was kinda spooky and mysterious and then about a third of the way through shit starts to hit the fan and then YOU. CANNOT. STOP. READING.... Or at least that's what happened to me. I couldn't stop reading after a certain point and stayed up till asshole o'clock to finish the book. I JUST HAD TO KNOW WHAT WAS GONNA HAPPEN NEXT... It's such a cool concept that it almost feels obvious and a surprise that nobody has done it before???? I also appreciate that the ending is not a happy one, but also not all that terrible either. I don't want to explain too much about the book because it will spoil the suspense that you'll have while reading, so just read the blurb and decide on that!! 

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Savior or captor? Whether the ends justify the means is explored in this story set in a turn of 2oth century Russian village, or at least a version of such a village. The villagers are content, but unaware that their reality has been heavily altered by a magic spell. The mystery lies in why and how such a spell was cast.

This was a fun page-turner, although the ending was not totally satisfying to me but I can't go into that without spoiling the end! Just my preference I suppose. I would recommend this book.

This author continues to amaze me. This book was so great! Wonderful plot and addicting characters. An adventure that will surely be with me for awhile. Can't wait to read more from this author.
Received a free arc for an honest review from netgalley

Wow! A pretty awesome read! This book is just .... different.... from a lot of what is available out there. In a good way! It's such a lovely read, and a good, steady burn. You can sense the larger story but not ferret it out in its entirety, which is so appealing and keeps you reading long after you should be asleep. Do yourself a favour and read this wonderful book.

A fun mystery, with just the right about of intrigue and horror built into it. I had such a good time reading this one, always guessing what would happen next! The setting and history just added all the more to my enjoyment, even though I wasn't all too familiar with it--still, it was perfect!

This is my first foray into the writing of Charlie N. Holmberg. The Paper Magician is patiently waiting on my overfilled TBR print bookshelf. After reading The Fifth Doll it is definitely moving closer to the top!

Fifth Doll is a solid read. Good characters, interesting unique plot, and a love interest/romance that was just enough for me. The magic in it is clever and yet felt very natural. I think often times when we can't put a finger on why we didn't like a magical system it's because it's illogical or unnatural. Holmberg certainly understands how most people think and keeps his magic inside a realm we can all easily understand and appreciate.

There is a constant tension and step-up of the plot in a way that keeps you turning pages. I was never once bored or annoyed with the general story. Certainly I cheered on the obvious romantic interest, as everyone likely will, and am frustrated when I doesn't play out "perfectly". But this I also liked because it's more like real life. Pieces rarely fall into place in the way you expect them to.

Overall, The Fifth Doll is a solid read. You won't go wrong gifting it to a teen 13 or older (maybe even a bit younger if the child is an advanced reader). It's got some intense moments but they are not inappropriate at all. Just moments that are dark enough to keep a teen reading but nothing too offensive that parents would frown at.

Alternatively if you are like me and an adult that loves teen books I believe that you will at least be moderately pleased with this read. It's not the best book of the year but it's certainly worth a place on my shelf and I have no trouble recommending it.

To get you in the spooky spirit, I highly recommend the lastest book by Charlie Holmberg. She is quickly becoming my favorite author because no book has disappointed me yet. I really feel like I cannot lose if I pre-order her work.

The Fifth Doll has been given a horror label by the publisher, but I'm not sold on that distinction. The entire time I was reading the novel, I was waiting for that big tingling moment that made me want to hide the book in a chest at the bottom of the ocean, and it just never came.

There is a distinct creep factor to the story from several characters and the overall mechanics of the magic in the story. But I actually found that The Paper Magician raised more hairs than The Fifth Doll.

What really made me love this story as much as all of Holmberg's works was the depth of moral inspection. We once again have a heroine that is presented with the two sides of loving someone and the moral questions that can bring forth. I am always up for a good book that makes me introspective.

What would happen if you opened your first doll? You'll just have to go get a copy and read this amazing story to figure out what that question means and how you would answer it. Now it's time for me to go off and do lots of autumn stuff.

"The Fifth Doll" offers a really intriguing concept of magic which I haven't seen before in any other novel. The story is really imaginative and sucked me in from the start. In addition, the writing is really good and Matrona is an interesting protagonist who the reader can easily root for.

The reason why I'm still only giving this novel three stars is that it rushed through some part where I would have liked some more character development and world building. While Matrona is a good protagonist, her character development after finding the dolls is occasionally rushed and her growth is glossed over in some chapters in order to move forward with the plot. Here, I would have liked a bigger emphasis on the consequences of the dolls for Matrona and how she deals with them instead dismissing them after focusing on them for only a chapter or two. Also, the last few chapters were the weakest part of the novel because, again, it rushed the story to its conclusion and thereby loses out on some more world building. The abrupt ending of the novel itself was good but the build-up just felt like it was missing something.

Overall, this is an entertaining novel with a really interesting take on magic.

3.5 stars

The history of those Russian dolls within dolls is unfamiliar to me, but I was riveted by Charlie N. Holmberg's take on it.

A seemingly boring small village, with a huge secret. Matrona innocently, slowly discovers what is going on. A doll for every person in town, and with each layer uncovered, more and more secrets spill out.

With the assistance of Jaska to keep her going, Matrona has to fight for the truth, and to help the people in her town.

The Fifth Doll was a charming story. I loved to see Matrona grow from a slightly meek, dutiful daughter to an independent, strong young woman. The slowly reveal of all the secrets is what keeps the story so fascinating.

I love how Charlie N. Holmberg's mind works. Her stories read like modern fairly tales, except there is no prince on a white horse. Instead the girl saves herself, and often even her "prince."

*I received a copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

What a cool concept for a story! I won't give the secret away here, but it blew my mind a little bit. I am rusty on specific dates in Russian history though, so I wasn't sure what exactly would have happened to the characters in the end, after all they went through. Time to do a little googling.

“This, you must do. You cannot understand me and my creations without finding your center, Matrona.”
The chill in her chest abated somewhat. “My center?”
He [Slava] held the doll out to her, and Matrona stared into the glazed face of her miniature.
“You must open your doll.”


The Fifth Doll is the second book by Charlie N. Holmberg I have read. The first was Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet , which I read last summer and rather enjoyed.

In Holmberg’s The Fifth Doll, Slava, the local tradesman, has a secret collection of nesting dolls that bear an uncanny resemblance to the townsfolk. When Matrona accidentally stumbles upon this secret, he forces her to be his apprentice to learn the secret of the dolls. As his apprentice, she must open one of her own dolls every three days. But nothing has prepared her for the revelation of opening the fifth doll.

The premise behind this book was interesting.

I like the fact that the main character, Matrona, was a woman of twenty-six years old rather than a girl. It gave her character more depth, perspective, and knowledge that comes from age. I thought her character was well-developed, and I liked watching her progress from someone aiming to please her parents to an independent woman on a mission to save her village.

The reveal of the implication of the fifth doll was surprising, and it was a twist I did not see coming. As an outsider, I did not necessarily agree with Matrona’s decisions 100% once she learned what she needed to from the dolls, but she did what she had to do and what she thought best, and I can respect that.

Holmberg’s writing is descriptive and easily acceptable. It is seemingly simple on the surface, but much like a nesting doll, is more complex than initially appears. I really enjoy her style of writing, and so far have enjoyed both this and Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet thoroughly. I look forward to reading her next work!

Thank you to NetGalley and 47North for an advanced copy of this eBook in exchange for an honest review.