The bestselling writer of The Paper Magician Series transports readers to a darkly whimsical new world where strange magic threatens a quiet village that only a desperate woman can save.

Matrona lives within an isolated village, where her existence is devoted to pleasing her parents. She’s diligent in her tasks and has agreed to marry a guy of their selecting. But a trip to Slava, the neighborhood tradesman, threatens to upend her entire life.

Entering his clear house, Matrona discovers a strange collection of coated nesting dolls—one for each villager. Fascinated, she can’t resist the urge to open the doll with her dad’s face. But when her dad begins performing strangely, she realizes Slava’s dolls are a lot more than they seem.

When he learns what she’s done, Slava seizes the opportunity to provide Matrona stewardship on the dolls—whether she wants it or not. Forced to open up one of her own dolls every three times, she falls deeper in to the grim power of Slava’s creations. But nothing can prepare her for the profound secret hiding in the fifth doll.