I usually love T. Kingfisher’s retellings. This book started out strong. It was reminiscent of Malificent for it was told from the fairy who cursed Sleeping Beauty. However, I did not like the twist in the end and it ruined it for me. Still, I recommend this for fans of Neil Gaiman!

So far, I've loved everything I've read by T. Kingfisher, and boy is it great to know there's a sizeable backlist of books to check out. I highly recommend this.

A Sleeping Beauty retelling that is told through the eyes of the fairy bestowing the gift/curse.

Sadly, this one did not hit for me. The writing was pretty and T. Kingfisher’s style of dark but all in all I found it depressing. I just felt sorry for Toadling the entire time. Especially at the end when “finally” was uttered. The epilogue somewhat redeemed it but this was not my fav T. Kingfisher book/novella. I look forward to a different retelling from her.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC.

he book opens with a detailed description of the thornhedge that surrounds a castle with a tower. It really sounded like someone didn't want anyone getting in. I suspected it was going to be a tale about Sleeping Beauty or Rapunzel. It could have been either one depending on which version of the tale was the spark behind the story. Instead, the story is not about the sleeping princess in the tower, it's the story of Toadling who was tasked with casting a spell at the princess' christening.

Toadling was stolen from her family by fairies when she was born and a fairy child was left in her place. Toadling was essentially a babe when she was discarded in Faerieland. She was found by Greenteeth and cared for and taught what she needed to know to survive. Somehow, Toadling became the protector in the human world of the thornhedge that kept anyone from getting into the castle or awakening the sleeping beauty that would be found inside.

Time passes and not much changes for Toadling. She spent much of the time as a small toad, sitting at the base of the hedge. At first, there were lots of people passing by but now hardly anyone comes this way. Until one day a knight stops to camp and then check out the thornhedge. He even notices Toadling. She tries to get him to go away but he's determined to help.

This setup allows us to get to know a bit about Toadling as she begins to remember what happened. She also gets to know the knight who is determined to free her from a curse she isn't under. He's going to get through the thornhedge and into the castle to help her. She's desperate to stop him but now thinks maybe it is time she did something to end her vigil.

Tightly written and with so much emotional underpinning you'd expect the book to be a doorstopper but it's relatively small for such a story. It seemed to pass under my eyes way too fast and yet I kept finding myself stopping because I was so worried that Toadling would be betrayed or killed or harmed. She wasn't a beauty or a hero – she was just herself doing what needed to be done to save people she didn't even know.

T. Kingfisher really knows how to turn a fairy tale on its head, twisting it to give us a look from a different angle and wonder why we never saw that view before. The best stories always make one think about things differently.

what a fun and fresh little novella! so much fun and i loved every little quirk that it had. i really recommend trying this out if you aren't sure if cozy fantasy if for you! it's a low time commitment and so much fun!

I enjoyed a lot of details in the book, but the thing I loved most was our narrator. Thornhedge is a fairytale inspired by Sleeping Beauty, told from the perspective of the fairy who gives a gift to the princess on her christening day, and things don't go exactly to plan. Our fairy is named Toadling, and she is so gentle and humble and determined not to do any harm and to right her past mistakes. I just loved her. Other characters are not exactly what you'd expect from the original tale either, the princess and the knight in particular have also undergone intriguing changes in this retelling.

This tale also turns the original quest on its head by asking the question, 'what if some curses aren't meant to be broken?'. When the knight discovers Toadling's brambly hedge, that question is put to the test.

Thornhedge may be a quick read, but it brings a fresh take to this familiar tale, and the focus is on the journey through the story, not just the resolution. I would recommend it to fans of Sleeping Beauty, fairytale retellings in general, or anyone who enjoys a gentle tale told by an empathetic narrator.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is an unbiased review.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book before its publication date.

I was quickly pulled into the fairytale retelling storyline, and was blown away by the imagery and world-building that took place in such a short period of time. I have since become quite the fan of T. Kingfisher, trying to read as many of their books as I can.

When I first heard about this book, I read no further than the author’s name and was sold. Within the last couple of years, T. Kingfisher has become an auto-read author for me. I don’t even need to read the summary to know I want her books in my life. This one was no different than what I have come to expect from her: short but very rich in color and character. This is not your ordinary fairy tale where the beautiful princess ends up with the handsome prince. It is a cute and cozy fantasy with elements of horror creating something unique but familiar at the same time. Thoroughly enjoyed this story and can’t wait to see what T. Kingfisher comes up with next!

Wonderful, beautiful, creative. Fairy tale reimaginings have become much more common, but Kingfisher's stand apart with their paradoxical groundedness and their humanity. Often it is the stories of the outsiders from fairy tales whose stories are the richest, and this is no exception. I've recommended this to everyone I know. It is melancholy and hopeful, bitter and yet sweet, and the writing is so cadenced and charming.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for allowing me to read this in exchange for my honest review. This was such a good twist on a fairy tale. It was also different, short and just such a great story. Read it in a day! 5 stars, highly recommend!

This was just fun. It’s a cool spin on Sleeping Beauty, with lots of whimsy and some twists and turns. As I feel like I say with a lot of novellas—I wish it was longer. With this one, I don’t wish that because it was necessarily missing anything, I just wanted to spend a little longer with the characters.

Toadling has such an interesting story to tell and I would have like to have spent more time with her. I love the way this eases into her story, so that as readers, our feelings about the character unfold with the telling.

As far as retellings go, this was a good one without being the same thing we’ve heard before or super close to the old fairy tale. It’s a really fast read and it’s definitely one I’ll be recommending.

I really loved this twist on the sleeping beauty fairytale. A Princess is trapped in a tower but she really isn't that kind of princess you should be saving while Toadling a human shaped toad who is incredibly kind and saddled with the responsibility of keeping the princess in the tower is who really might need saving. This story is told through Toadling as she shares it with a Knight who just wants to be useful by attempting to save the princess.

T Kingfisher never disappoints me. This was a quick read, but I was invested in Toadie and Halim. I'd love to learn more about their adventures in another story.

*Thornhedge* by T. Kingfisher is a beautifully crafted, darkly whimsical fantasy that blends fairy tale elements with wit and heart. The story follows a secluded young woman, tasked with guarding a magical tower, whose life is turned upside down by an unexpected visitor. Kingfisher’s writing is sharp and full of dry humor, while her world-building is lush and immersive. The protagonist is both strong and relatable, making her journey of self-discovery and empowerment captivating. With a perfect balance of lighthearted moments and dark intrigue, *Thornhedge* is a delightful, thought-provoking read that will appeal to fans of fairy tales with a twist.

Cute and sweet. The pacing is weird and the ending abrupt. 😕 Like the story idea but the execution is lacking. 😕 That said, I'm writing this months later and while the previous is what I originally wrote in my review, I remember really liking it, so it left a good feeling. <3

This was a super fun and quick read, which I did listen to on audio. The resolution felt a bit abrupt, but I enjoyed it overall.

T kingfisher always puts out a great book, no matter what. I highly enjoyed this one, and recommend it to anyone and everyone! Only thing may be it was just too short! I love the writing and I’ll always read anytbing by this author.

Enjoyed this from start to finish. It was short, but packed with charm. As someone who loves a fairytale retelling, this novella was perfect for me. Instead of the typical princess-in-the-tower story, we get Toadling, a toad-shaped, gentle heroine whose journey was so much more than I expected.

The writing has this cozy, almost fairytale vibe, but with that signature T. Kingfisher wit that I just love. I loved how the novella flips the script on curses and knights, offering something both familiar but simultaneously new. Even though it’s a novella, I didn’t feel shortchanged; the pacing was great, and it had a sense of completeness that longer books sometimes struggle to achieve. Just another reason T. Kingfisher will forever be an auto-read author for me.

I am a big fan of fairytale retellings so I might be a bit biased when I say that I think this book is great. Toadling's story is so interesting and getting her story from her point of view just made this tale a delight. Although it mostly takes place in the real world, it still feels like a world filled with whimsy that I wanted to get to know better. My only real complaint with this book is that there wasn't more of it. It felt far too short.

T. Kingfisher is my personal hero. She just creates the most thoughtful, whimsical, and all around comforting stories I can think of. Kingfisher has never steered me wrong, ever. This book was like a warm hug. Toadling and Halim were fantastic characters to read about--they are two characters who could be typical heroines and heroes, but Kingfisher made their characters so much More in such a short amount of time. I thought this book was so fun. Perfectly paced (as a novella should be) and compelling to read. Can we please get another Toadling story in the future, please?

Anyone who loves fairytales that are flipped on their head needs to read this book immediately. 4 stars.