Dollmaker's Heir
About
When Corinne inherits her estranged grandmother’s crumbling Victorian house, she also inherits something else: a doll. Unblinking. Unmoving. Dressed in lace that matches the casket lining. And wearing her face.
Inside the walls of the house, silence doesn’t mean peace—it means listening. The attic is sealed in blood-red wax. The family ledger doesn’t record births, but bindings. And every room remembers something Corinne has tried to forget.
Her grandmother was the last Dollmaker. Corinne is next in line.
But the dolls aren’t just heirlooms. They are vessels. Each one holds a soul, a sorrow, a name that was never allowed to fade. And one—just one—is still unfinished. It wears her clothes. Knows her memories. And smiles when she isn’t looking.
As Corinne unravels the truth stitched into generations of women before her, she must confront the horror of what it means to be remembered instead of born. The thread is already in her. And once the last stitch is made… there’s no coming back.
A gothic horror that lingers like dust in your lungs.
Praise for this book
I absolutely zipped through this book. I was drawn in and hooked right from the beginning. The story moves at a good pace and the tension level is high.
If you’ve ever found dolls unnerving, The Dollmaker’s Heir will do nothing to change your mind. Stephanie Tyo weaves a creepy, atmospheric story that’s likely to appeal to fans of Coraline, especially those who enjoy dark fairy tale vibes mixed with a touch of the uncanny.
The book follows a young protagonist as she’s pulled into a mysterious and unsettling world that feels just off-kilter enough to make your skin crawl. Tyo’s writing is strong, with vivid imagery and an eerie tone that builds a consistent sense of unease. The setting is richly imagined, and the doll-centric lore gives the story a unique flavor.
Dollmaker’s Heir by Stephanie Tyo is easily a book that can be devoured in one sitting. The story follows Corrine at her grandma’s funeral. Her grandmother is a doll maker. Corrine ends up taking on her grandmother’s dolls and learns about the history that is entangled within her family’s history. Stephanie Tyo is a wonderful author that never misses the mark in her delivery. The book was well written and filled with horror and suspense. I really enjoyed this one.
Dollmaker Heir" by Stephanie Tyo is an absolutely captivating read that I thoroughly enjoyed from beginning to end. This horror, suspense, and gothic story truly grabbed my attention.
The narrative, especially the development of Corrine's character, was incredibly well-structured and compelling. Each chapter left me thinking deeply and eager to read more, pulling me further into the unsettling world the author created.
The ending provided a satisfying conclusion, yet it left me with a strong desire for much more, which is the mark of a truly great story. This book is a fast-paced and immersive experience.
Highly recommended for fans of gothic suspense and horror who appreciate well-developed characters and a plot that keeps you hooked!
If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if Haunting of Hill House and Annabelle had a deeply disturbing love child, Dollmaker’s Heir is the creepy porcelain bundle you never asked for but won’t be able to put down. Stephanie Tyo spins a story that’s part gothic inheritance nightmare, part generational curse, and part “why does that doll look like me and why is it breathing?”
Our unlucky main character, Corinne, inherits more than her grandmother’s eerie Victorian home—she inherits a role. Unfortunately, that role involves creepy family “traditions,” whispering dolls, and rules like don’t open the attic (which, naturally, she does). The pacing is a slow, dread-soaked unraveling with bursts of horror that make you want to read with all the lights on. The prose is lush but sharp, perfectly balancing atmosphere with heart-palpitating reveals.
This book doesn’t just do “haunted house”—it’s possessed family history, parasitic memory, and the kind of horror that makes you glance at your childhood toys a little differently. And yes, it’s unsettlingly intimate in that way where you feel the house learning your name.
I love a good horror book about dolls or any kind of haunted objects. This book did not disappoint. From the opening chapters to the last page there was something to be frightened about. The description of the threads throughout Corinne made me feel squeamish. Just imagining looking in that mirror was enough to make me want to avoid mirrors in my own home. Then, as Corinne tried to escape the curse, she was bombarded with whispers and reasons to continue the line. If this author was looking to give readers nightmares, she definitely succeeded with this reader.
Lately with my horror reads, I haven't been scared by anything. Dollmaker's Heir shook that up for me in a way that I appreciated. This book is fast paced and the frights were plentiful from beginning to end. I also cared about if Corrine was able to escape and that made this book a compelling and quick read for me. I really appreciated the uniqueness of both the concept and the execution. Would highly recommend.
Oh wow.
This is my first book from this author and it was incredibly well written. It is easy to slip into the background of the rooms, to watch from the shadows of the house, from the corners of mirrors. As someone who adores dolls and had dozens porcelain pretties as a child, it brought back memories, not all good as dolls had a past, stories. I really liked it, it was fast paced but it was not rushed at all.