Doll Girl Meets Dead Guy

Despite being a Fanarlem, a race of lifelike doll people seen as a second-class citizens, Sorla's baking skills have earned her eager customers from miles around--and an invite from Prince Seldon himself to work at the royal bakery. The only trouble is, she needs a ride to the capital.

Dorr is a soldier who was revived fresh off his death on the battlefield, scarred, broken, and needing to get home. He’s willing to take a passenger, and she can put up with his aggravating grimness for a few days... just as he'll tolerate her relentlessly sunny outlook.

Maybe her company isn’t all bad. Since Dorr was brought back from the dead, food has tasted terrible...all except Sorla's pastries. And maybe her cheerful attitude is a little bit adorable, although he won’t tell her that.

When Sorla gets to the capital, she finds that Seldon has a nigh-impossible task for her: the hero of the realm was also revived from the dead, and the kingdom needs him back on the front lines immediately—but he’s not taking to it well. How can pastries alone convince someone life is worth living? She’ll need the help of her grim new acquaintance, the one who can’t help coming around to buy her pastries…