The Doll Factory by Elizabeth Macneal #bookreview #historical #gothic #thriller#horror #romance

 

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Title: The Doll Factory

Author: Elizabeth Macneal

Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books

Publication Date: August 13, 2019

Page Count:‎ 369

My rating: 2 stars

About the book:

Obsession is an art.

In 1850s London, the Great Exhibition is being erected in Hyde Park and, among the crowd watching the dazzling spectacle, two people meet by happenstance. For Iris, an arrestingly attractive aspiring artist, it is a brief and forgettable moment. But for Silas, a curiosity collector enchanted by all things strange and beautiful, the meeting marks a new beginning.

When Iris is asked to model for Pre-Raphaelite artist Louis Frost, she agrees on the condition that he will also teach her to paint. Suddenly, her world begins to expand beyond her wildest dreams—but she has no idea that evil is waiting in the shadows. Silas has only thought of one thing since that chance meeting, and his obsession is darkening by the day.

The Doll Factory by Elizabeth Macneal is a gothic historical thriller with a touch of horror and romance. The Doll Factory is set in1850s London as the city prepares for the Great Exhibition and is told by alternating the point of view between multiple characters. 

Iris Whittle is a young woman who works at Salter’s Doll Emporium, alongside her bitter twin sister, Rose. The girls painstakingly paint and stitch porcelain dolls under a tyrannical boss.Iris has a misshapen clavicle from her birth that distinguishes her from her twin along with her longing of freedom and to become a real painter. 

A ten year old street urchin names Albie introduces Iris to a whole new world outside of Doll emporium when he introduced Iris to Louis and Silas. Louis is a painter who is inspired by Iris and agrees to teach her while Silas is a sociopath who collects rare, physically deformed curiosities and has his eye on Iris after meeting her. 

The Doll Factory by Elizabeth Macneal is another novel that I was on the minority side in rating this one as most seemed to enjoy it. One may guess that my first complaint was the slow pacing of this novel as my patience was tested again. Otherwise historical and horror both are genres I pick up on occasion but really need to be pulled into to enjoy so while this novel was a mixed genre bag which usually rate high to me this one just didn’t grab my interest unfortunately. 

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Find this book online:

Goodreads  /  Amazon

About the author:

Elizabeth Macneal was born in Edinburgh and now lives in East London. She is a writer and potter and works from a small studio at the bottom of her garden. She read English Literature at Oxford University, before working in the City for several years. In 2017, she completed the Creative Writing MA at UEA in 2017 where she was awarded the Malcolm Bradbury scholarship.

The Doll Factory, Elizabeth’s debut novel, won the Caledonia Noel Award 2018. It will be published in twenty-eight languages and TV rights have sold to Buccaneer Media.