This is one quest I would have joined; A half nun, former knight, fairy godmother, a dust-wife, joined by a bone dog and a chicken possessed by a demon! What could possibly go wrong?

You guys, I adored this book. From the opening sentences this magical, dark twisted, fantasy took hold of me and wouldn't let go. I grew so fond of each character and was invested in their outcome! I was on this quest with them, you can't convince me otherwise!

Marra loves her sisters, one lost her life to the prince and then the other was delivered into his clutches. Realizing there is no hero to swoop in, Marra decides she will be the hero her sister needs. On her journey she ends up with a unique set of people that will help her accomplish her goal; kill the prince.

If you like quirky, creative writing and slightly twisted tales, like The Princess Bride, then you'll not want to miss this one!

Thank you so much to Tor for the gifted arc copy! I will treasure it!

This book is interesting piece to read. Main character - strong-minded with kinda tendency to overthinking and being too emotional sometimes. Bit of fairy tale, bit of fantasy, generally nicely written story with this 'something' in it to keep you reading and find out what Marra will do in certain situations to reach her goal. I enjoyed reading it.

A hearty hello to one of my new favorite books. Seriously, Nettle & Bone was the EASIEST FIVE STAR RATING I'VE GIVEN ALL YEAR!!! I absolutely adored this story from the very first moments. T. Kingfisher positively swept me up into the humorous, enchanting fantasy quest of my dreams.

Nettle & Bone follows Princess Marra of the Harbor Kingdom on a quest to save her sister. Marra is the third-born daughter in her family. The first born was married to a particular Prince. It didn't end well. Now the second-born daughter, Kania, is married to that very same Prince and Marra suspects that he is hurting her. Vorling, the Prince in question, has his sights set on a male heir. If this second sister can't produce one for him, guess who is next in line?

Marra! This isn't her main concern though. I mean, yes, that would be absolutely terrible. This guy is basically Joffrey Baratheon reborn. Regardless, Marra's only concern is getting Kania out of danger. She is literally willing to do anything in order to free her, including commit murder.

Unsure how to even begin, Marra enlists the help of a Dust Wife. I won't go into what exactly a Dust Wife is, just trust, this one is one of the coolest characters ever written! The Dust Wife asks Marra to complete three impossible tasks and then she will help her. Before long, the two set off on the road to the Northern Kingdom, along with the Dust Wife's hen, who happens to be possessed by a demon.

Thus it begins, the most perfect quest. They gather traveling companions along the way, such as a former, and arguably sexy, knight, as well as a Fairy Godmother. It's safe to say that I love this story with the same passion, and frankly, for the same reasons, that I love The Princess Bride. Kingfisher is delivering all the classic Fantasy Quest tropes I adore, while glazing the entire tale with a healthy layer of humor.

Additionally, I enjoyed how she was able to mix real-life themes into this story. For example, partner abuse, which we all know is very real, the way that was explored in this fantastical setting was quite interesting. As I mentioned earlier, from the very start I was hooked on this story. Previously, I have only picked up Horror stories from Kingfisher, but this proves her talents know no bounds. She crushes any genre she writes in.

I am so happy to have found a new book to add to my all-time Favorites list. I will definitely be picking up a hard copy of this and rereading it at some point in the near future. As an aside, I did listen to the audiobook and highly recommend that format. The narration was fantastic and kept me dialed in the entire way through.

Thank you so very much to the publisher, Tor and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copies to read and review. It was such an enjoyable reading experience and the good news is, this isn't it from Kingfisher in 2022. I'm so excited to check out What Moves the Dead very soon!!

Truly one of the best books I've read so far this year. Impeccably written, darkly funny, and full of great characgers.

Somehow I seem to have missed out on T. Kingfisher. She’s a fairly popular and pretty universally beloved fantasy author. And yet…here I am, I think reading my first book from her! And, spoiler alert, I really did myself a disservice by waiting this long to read her books! You can likely look forward to seeing her name crop up quite a bit from here on out.

Marra has been the lucky princess. The one to escape the confining life of a princess to grow up at a convent, largely unknown and allowed to become a grown woman free of the trappings of royalty. But while she has been afforded this quiet life, she’s watched her sisters suffer at the hands of a cruel prince. When it becomes clear that her sister’s life is teetering at the brink of her husband’s rage, Marra knows that only she is willing to risk the wrath of the prince and his kingdom to save her. And so she sets out on a perilous quest to find the power to overcome a man protected by a powerful godmother’s gift. Along the way, she picks up a ragtag troupe of fellow outsiders. Together, can they save Marra’s sister?

Oh man, I loved this book. It was everything I love about fantasy fiction. The story has a very fairytale vibe, especially in the first half of the book when Marra is attempting to complete three magical tasks to gain the aide of a powerful gravewitch. The fantasy elements included were all unique but grounded in fantasy traditions that are familiar and oddly comforting. Godmothers with curses and blessing. Goblin markets with capricious deals. And animal companions of the most bizarre sort. We have both a possessed chicken and a dog made of bones! And man, who would have thought you could get so attached to a bone dog? Tears may have been shed (but in a good way).

I also loved the way the story was told. In the first bit of the book, the story jumps between Marra’s current quest and brief glimpses of her growing up. In this way, we’re immediately grounded in the high action of Marra’s current storyline, but we are also quickly filled in on her character, life history, and motivations through these flash backs. The second half follows a more straight-forward arc, but by that time, we fully understand the stakes involved and have come to know Marra more fully. From there, the action is fast and fun. There are numerous smaller conflicts, all touching on unique magical elements, before we get to the big confrontation at the end. And there, the story definitely goes about solving this challenge in a surprising way.

Marra was such a great main character. She was strong, funny, and determined to do what she can for her sister. Her task is almost impossible from the start. And we see as the story unfolds that she is successful purely due to sheer stubbornness and the insistence that if know one else will act, even if she’s not the best person for the job, she will do it herself. There’s also a very sweet, slow-burn romance that develops in the second half of the story. For me, this was the perfect balance of a smattering of romance alongside the more central rescue story at its heart.

I also really loved the writing style. It was lyrical and descriptive when painting the magical scenes and elements, fast-paced and exciting during the action scenes, and surprisingly funny throughout the entire thing. So many of the side characters are quirky and hilarious, and there were a number of entertaining observations about people and life sprinkled throughout the book.

This book is definitely not trying to be literary fantasy or any complicated epic. Instead, it feels completely comfortable for what it is: a fun, sweet fairytale. And I think it’s important to not see it as anything lesser for that fact. There’s a tendency to dismiss these more simple, straight-forward fantasies as somehow not as worthy of acclaim as massive tomes of epic fantasy or magical realism that leans heavily on commentary of human existence. But these fantasy stories have just as much value. And I will give this the ten rating I think it deserves simply because it feels like the best of what these kinds of books can be.

Rating 10: A perfect mixture of romance, comedy, action, and tragedy with unique magical elements sprinkled throughout.

T. Kingfisher has done it again! There are not enough words to describe how freaking amazing this book was. Just gonna smack everyone in the face telling them to read this book

“She smiled gently, that tiny, frazzled woman. “There’s only one story about godmothers that’s always true. Bad things happen if you don’t invite us to the christening.”

NETTLE & BONE
Thank you, T. Kingfisher, NetGalley, and Tor Books for the opportunity to read this book!

Nettle & Bone is written by T. Kingfisher. This is the first book that I have read by this author and it won’t be the last. Marra is a princess. She watched her eldest sister get married off to a prince in another kingdom only to end up dead. It was an accident they say. Now, her second oldest sister, Kania has been married to him to keep the alliance. She is in danger and even though Marra has been living in a convent, she still wishes to save her sister. She seeks out a dust-wife. Once she completes three impossible tasks, Marra, the dust-wife, a knight, a dog made of bones, and a demon-possessed chicken go on a journey to break a curse that holds her sister hostage.

Trigger Warnings: abuse, death, pregnancy loss, child death

Well, color me surprised. The synopsis intrigued me, the cover gorgeous, but I was still nervous. But I was pleasantly surprised! This book is just so clever and unique. First, there is the random mesh of characters…but it works! Marra doesn’t fit in the world that she was born into but cares deeply. I loved watching her find her path. The star of this book is really the dust-wife. I pictured her as a spunky old witch, and I want to be her when I grow up.

There are references to well-known fairie tales but this book takes those tales and reworks them into something dark and so unique. I could not put this down and I hope this is not the last we see of this world and these characters. The book ends perfectly but you will not see me complaining if there is a book two.

One of my favorite aspects of this book is the dialogue. It is so witty and I found myself laughing out loud throughout this book!

“So you noticed, ” said Agnes, pleased. “And he’s quite the gentleman, too”
“He’s wanted for murder in his home country.”

NETTLE & BONE
Overall, I was completely captivated! I can’t wait for more! Also, just because the dog is made of bone doesn’t make him less real. You have been warned. 5 out of 5 stars!

3.5 stars

This was a highly creative, original, and well thought out book. I am not the biggest fan of fantasy, and it took me some time to get into this book. I did enjoy the imagery with a princess, a bone dog, a dust wife, demon possessed chicken and more.

Mara is the youngest and is aghast when she sees the treatment her sister receives from her husband. Naturally, she decides to take matters into her own hands with the help of the dust wife, who just happens to have a chicken possessed by a demon. Along the way they meet some interesting characters including Fenis,

I went back and forth on how I felt about this book. I thought the beginning was 3 star read and the later part of the book was 5 star read. So, I am going with 3.5 stars. Many are enjoyed this book than I did, so please read their reviews as well.

I enjoyed the creativity and originality of this book. It is highly imaginative and well thought out. This is one that I enjoyed but can't say that I loved all the way through.

I had a copy of the book and the audiobook, and I went back and forth between the two.

Thank you to Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tor Books and Macmillan audio and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Okay, so T. Kingfisher is one of my absolute must buy authors. She excels at protagonists that you can identify with -- I'd call it "welp, there is a thing that must be done, so let's do the thing'. No ;chosen ones', usually no prophecies, just adult (usually women) people doing what has to be done with a minimum of fuss. Fantasy settings, or fantastical elements, but everything makes sense within her worlds.

Well plotted, well written and all around good books. Definitely recommended!

#Nettle&Bone #NetGalley

Loved this book ! There’s so many wonderful things happening in this story.
A princess goes on a quest to save her sister wed to cruel king. On her journey she is joined by a wonderful cast of characters. A dust wife, a bone dog, a fairy godmother and an outlaw knight all work together with our princess Marra to save her sister. So much happens that I could go on and on and still have more to say about this fantastic book. If you love fantasy, a bit of magic, goblins and a budding romance with humor along the way, read this book !! I would love a sequel.
This is my first book by T.Kingfisher but it won’t be my last.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this wonderful book.

I have not had the pleasure of reading a book by T. Kingfisher until now, and after finishing Nettle & Bone it is clear I have been missing out. Kingfisher’s darkness and horror have the right amount of sting before it is soothed away with humor and plain ol’ feel-good moments. This alongside the colorful cast creates an endearing tale about the lengths one will go for family.

Marra is the third daughter of a small kingdom that is desperate to secure itself against more powerful forces. She struggles to keep up with her savvy older sisters and finds that the complexities of royal duty go over her head. When her sister is married off to secure an alliance with another kingdom, Marra is sent to a convent to quell any potential competition (aka heirs) for the throne her sister now occupies. Thankful to be away from the court and royal expectations, Marra enjoys the quiet life she creates alongside the nuns. However, when Marra learns of the terrible fate her sister has endured at the hands of a vicious prince, and that she is being kept as a spare, Marra decides the only solution is to kill him. This is not a task that can be accomplished on her own, so Marra seeks out the help of a dust-wife, a demonic chicken, a knight, and a godmother to save her sister.

The back cover of this book had me thinking I would follow Marra as she attempts to accomplish three impossible tasks. However, Kingfisher pushes that storyline aside and makes magic happen by focusing on Marra’s story post-trials and her relationship with an unorthodox group of rogues. The entry into the story is a little confusing at first, but I got with the program quickly. Kingfisher does a fabulous job building up the story. Marra’s essence is captured beautifully amongst the backdrop of politics as her royal family plots to secure their kingdom’s future. It is amazing how well Kingfisher can set the scene and get buy-in to the world that is quickly getting built up around you. One of my favorite things about this book is that Kingfisher can make something substantial, like killing a prince, seem as trivial as swatting a fly away so we can go about enjoying the afternoon. This is the tone that Kingfisher sets and it makes Nettle absolutely delightful.

I was completely enchanted by the characters. Truth be told, I was sold on this book upon hearing there was a chicken possessed by a demon. Marra is joined by an endearing cast. Each person and animal is as weird, humorous, and charming as I imagined they would be. The grumpy and blunt dust-wife is highlighted by the proud demon chicken who rides upon her staff like the glorious figurehead of a boat. Marra and the dust-wife stumble upon a happy-go-lucky knight who has no reservations about the death sentence Marra’s mission has become. The godmother that joins the adventure is a bumbling bundle of amusement that sells herself short at every turn.

There is a lot to love in this story, but I gave my heart to Marra. She is timid yet unshakeable, out of place but also right where she needs to be. I admire her unwavering resolve to save her sister. It does not matter that Marra believes her sister hates her or that she had the ability to safely hideaway in the convent. Marra sees a wrong and wants to set it right. She may have been set aside and deemed unimportant, but Marra shines in her own quiet and unassuming way. She is nothing but her unapologetic self and it was so refreshing to follow a character who does not have to power up or change dramatically to accomplish her goal.

I am so glad I finally got with the program and experienced the brilliance of T. Kingfisher. Nettle & Bone is flawless, and I encourage you to make space on your TBR right away.

Rating: Nettle & Bone - 10/10

I feel like I am on a roll this month, and I’m handing five stars out like they are candy. This was another wonderful book. I loved the characters and the humor. The imagery was beautiful and terrifying. And I connected so quickly with Marra and her band of strange heroes. I’m not sure I can adequately do this book justice. I’m not sure how to explain why this was so great without giving away storylines. There was an evil prince, there was a damaged princess, there was dog made of bones, there was a goblin market, godmothers, a knight, and some chickens. And somehow this all came together to be an incredibly entertaining and thrilling book, that kept me wanting to know what was next, what adventure will they go on next.

I loved this!! It's heartbreaking, sweet, and funny in that order during the plot ;).
I've ordered copies to work for myself and to handsell. It's such a good tale & like a classic fairy tale mission. Stardust-esque!

I loved the quirkyness of this book, the characters from the Bone Witch to Agnes to Fenris, everyone added a unique loveliness to this book. Some of the characters like the Innkeeper were decidedly strange but compelling. My favorite character was Agnes. She was hilarious and balanced the other characters I think. The Bone Witch I think we never had an idea of how powerful she was (as was Agnes). And Fenris..the slow burn romance was a little unsatisfying even up to the end. I am hoping to see more of these characters.

This is the story of Marra, who is the third-born princess of a small nation which sits in between two larger nations. The only thing keeping those nations from conquering the small country is a marriage between their princess and the prince of the northern kingdom. The prince, however, is abusive, and after one sister dies and the other suffers, Marra takes it upon herself to rescue them no matter what it takes. So, Marra visits the dust-wife, who gives her three impossible tasks in exchange for her help. Marra goes off on her quest with the dust-wife, her demon chicken, a bone-dog, a fairy godmother, and a former knight and many shenanigans are had.

I really liked Marra as a character. She was incredibly easy for me to cheer for, this youngest, shyest princess who seems a rather unlikely heroine but really steps up when her sister needs her help. She really grew as a character over the course of the story and the Marra we see at the end isn’t the small, shy, convent-raised girl anymore. The characters she meets and befriends on the way are also fantastic in their own ways. The dust-wife and her demon chicken were often hilarious, Fenris was super sweet, and Bonedog was absolutely adorable (for a bone-dog).

The writing flowed well and made this a book that was incredibly easy to read and hard to put down, as is typical of my experience with T. Kingfisher. The world was well built, with all sorts of interesting and unique creatures and people in it. It was just a wonderful unique sort of fairy tale.

All told, I loved it. I was expecting to like it, given the author, but I definitely loved this one just as I love the White Rat novels (and interestingly, I found at least one nod to the White Rat in this one, which was fantastic). I can’t wait to read her next book.

Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher is a really well written and atmospheric fantasy about a princess, who is almost a nun and doesn't have much faith in fate. Marra is the third daughter of the queen who rules a small city state with the only deep harbor along the coast of two rival kingdoms. To save the kingdom, her eldest sister is married off to the prince of the Northern Kingdom. When she dies, the second princess gets married to him. When Marra visits her sister and realizes that the prince abuses her sister and probably killed her eldest sister, she decides to do something about it. To kill the prince, she seeks help from a gravewitch, who sets three impossible tasks for Marra, which she surprisingly accomplishes. Together they go on on a journey to the capital of the Northern Kingdom. They are joined on this quest by a fairy godmother who can bless only health, a chicken possesed by a demon, a dog made of bones and a man who can't return to his home.

It's an engrossing fantasy with magic, visits to the goblin market, long travels, politics, romance and much more. I loved the atmosphere in this one. It's really easy to read and understand. It's funny at times, especially in the latter half. It's really well paced and never feels rushed. The writing is also good. The ending was satisfying. I feel that it starts off really strong and something goes missing towards the middle. But it still remains a good book and I had a great time reading it.

i just finished this story, and three things are true:

1) i already want to reread this;
2) this was everything i never knew i wanted; and
3) t. kingfisher never disappoints. in fact, she has singlehandedly delivered two of my favourite 2022 advance-releases thus far (what moves the dead and now nettle & bone).

once in a blue moon i will pick up a novel and, from the first sentence on the first page, feel it in my bones that i'm in for a good ride.

nettle & bone was that blue moon. i wasn't sure what to expect just based on the blurb alone, but i was excited to delve into my first-ever fantasy novel by t. kingfisher - and the minute i laid eyes on the opening lines, i was a goner:

The trees were full of crows and the woods were full of madmen. The pit was full of bones and her hands were full of wires.


marra, our protagonist, the youngest princess of the harbor kingdom, grew up in a convent and has two self-described skills: embroidery and weeding. when she realizes that she is the only one who will do something - anything - to avenge her dead sister and save her living one, she takes matters into her own hands: she is going to murder the cruel prince. (this prince is nothing like holly black's, mind you.)

to do this, marra undergoes a quest with impossible tasks. she seeks a powerful gravewitch - the dust-wife; she weaves a cloak of burning, magicked nettle; she builds a dog of bones; she frees a man from ensorcelled servitude; she enlists the help of a godmother; and she survives a goblin market, a haunted necropolis, a blistered land cursed with cannibals.

which brings me to two things that i absolutely adored about this story.

first: t. kingfisher writes both nostalgically and unconventionally. the bones of this book will resonate with many of us - band of adventurers must face trials and tribulations, cleverly overcoming enchanted obstacles, to save the kingdom - and yet it is so distinctly t. kingfisher: ghastly and grim, funny and feminist, altogether wholly delightful. i was swept up into the macabre world-building of this novel, ensnared by kingfisher's signature deadpan and knack for writing quick-paced banter between offbeat characters.

which brings me to the second thing i loved: the cast and camarderie at the heart of nettle & bone. marra is an unpretentious and endearing narrator that i was instantly rooting for - and she's joined by the sharp-tongued dust-wife (so many belly laughs evoked just from the dust-wife and her demon chicken alone); fenris the fallen knight; a loyal bone dog named bonedog; and agnes, a godmother who is somehow both the gentlest and scariest of the bunch. i would read a spin-off to do with *any* of these individual characters!

i'm also immensely grateful to have listened to the audiobook for nettle & bone along with reading the e-book. it made for a thoroughly immersive experience, and amara jasper, the audiobook narrator, really brought each character to life with different voices, intonations, and emotions all coming across in her expressive voice.

this novel reminded me of the wondrous escapism i first felt at the fantastical hands of gail carson levine, shannon hale, and garth nix - and, at the same time, kingfisher has carved a niche all her own, calling to mind the progressive sensibilities and sharp wit of contemporaries mira grant/seanan mcguire, holly black, and naomi novik.

i cannot underscore enough how delicious and immersive and gratifying i find t. kingfisher’s storytelling. nettle & bone was one of my favourite reads of 2022 so far, a tale that i know i will be returning to time and again.



many thanks to netgalley, macmillan audio, and macmillan-tor/forge for advance copies of the audiobook + e-book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great fantasy packed with action and plenty of magic. Fun read that was away from my usual genre. Loved the super strong characters and their adoring sidekicks.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

I was excited to see this title listed on Netgalley as I’ve enjoyed other titles by the author and even more so when I was granted an ARC by the publisher; Macmillan-Tor/Forge.

A uniquely new fairytale where the main characters are those who usually exist on the the edge of the story. Princess Marra is almost a forgotten Princess - her home is Our Lady of Grackles convent, and her days filled with embroidery and midwifery… until the day she realises that the reason her older sister Kania is almost constantly pregnant is as a way of escaping the worst abuse from her husband. Marra is at first confused as to why their Mother would allow two daughters to be married to such an awful man - her eldest sister was murdered by him - until the realisation that her Mother would sacrifice anything to protect their people - even her, if necessary. At which time Marra understands that she is the only one who can rescue herself and her sister, but how?

The how is where both the action and Marra’s journey begin; Marra will complete three impossible tasks, before being assisted by a dust-wife, a bone dog, a slightly wicked Godmother, a homeless Knight and a demon chicken in her quest. What follows is an entrancing story.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher.

First, I want to say I thoroughly enjoyed this story. However, it didn’t start out that way.

When I first started this book, I nearly convinced myself it wasn’t for me. I wasn’t particularly fond of Marra (our main character), there seemed to be a lot of backstory for little active plot, and it just wasn’t drawing me in. I was growing bored.

And then the dust-wife entered the story and I realized the first third of the book was worth reading.

Once I reached the point of Marra finding the dust-wife, I was invested. The dust-wife brought magic and action into the story while infusing humor and wit. Her brown hen with the demon inside provided several funny moments I couldn’t help but laugh at. The dust-wife was the redeeming part of the story for me.

I did grow to like Marra as the story went on - her thoughts and outlook on her situation were intriguing and her self-awareness was refreshing. She finds herself with an unlikely band of individuals all looking to help her take down the prince in order to save her sister - her disbelief about the situation she found herself in made her more likable to me, more real. Her being thirty was a nice surprise - it’s nice having a female main character who isn’t in their late teens/early twenties.

Fenris and Agnes were excellent secondary characters - they added warmth and depth to the overall story without detracting from the plot and distracting the reader. Agnes surprised me so many times and I found myself chuckling at some of her antics.

I couldn’t go without mentioning Bonedog - he is wonderful and goofy and brings a lightheartedness to some tense moments. The most loyal bone dog there ever was!

This is a great stand-alone fantasy novel that I will definitely recommend to everyone.

Thank you so much to Tor Books for this ARC!