Rating: Absolutely Loved It, 5 stars

"It never occurred to her to doubt her welcome. Such was the gift of a child raised with love."

This was an absolutely delightful novella by T Kingfisher! It's the third one I've read and I think probably my favorite!

It's a retelling of Sleeping Beauty, but if the fairy were the good one and the princess were evil. Toadling as our main character was absolutely perfect. She is the sort-of-fairie guarding the tower where the princess sleeps. She is there for centuries, fretting over what would happen if someone comes looking for the tower, and one day they do.

Toadling was just so genuine and earnest. She was a kind soul, and I loved getting to explore her backstory and motivations for what she is currently doing. Halim is a cinnamon roll of a knight who was raised Muslim, apologizes as he curses, loves his mother, and is just so respectful towards everyone.

I loved the whole story, the found family of monsters, and just in general the topsy-turviness of this retelling.

I think that T Kingfisher said it best in her author's note:
“And so if someone asked me about Thornhedge, I would probably say that it is a sweet book and then presumably someone would point out that the heroine is raised by child-eating fish monsters and the villain is torturing people and animating the dead, and I would be left flailing my hands around and saying, “But it’s sweet! Really!” because I am not always the best at judging the tone of my own work. ….I still think it’s sweet.”

This was one of my favorite books that I've read all year, and I can't wait to continue exploring her backlist!

Thank you to Tor Publishing and Netgalley for an eARC for review. All opinions are my own. Thornhedge releases on August 15, 2023.

Thornhedge is an absolutely wonderful twist on Sleeping Beauty! T. Kingfisher never disappoints!

Thank you Netgalley for the arc

I adore a fairy tale retelling and Thornhedge is no exception. While it had an excellent creep factor and felt sharp with it's darkest moments, I do agree with the author that there is a sweetness around the story. Especially regarding found family, love, and the packages things come in. Sometimes beauty masks the ugliest things. Loved this so much!

I absolutely devoured this unconventional story of sleeping beauty. Its whimsical yet dark and absolutely perfect.

This is not the sleeping beauty you've heard of before, this is something dark, gritty and lives on the wilder side of fairytales. I loved this story of the faerie that cursed a princess and stayed to see it through. A knight that came for a story and left with a friendship. Two unconventional people wrapped up in a story they didn't ask for and walked away with something even better.

Another incredible tale from T. Kingfisher, I will absolutely be reading more!

T. Kingfisher never disappoints! I loved this short, dark, and thorny novella.
I actually wasn’t in the mood for this genre, but I wanted to read and review prior to publication, so I opened it up and then… couldn’t put it back down. It was a fairy tale turned upside down and I enjoyed Toadling’s POV immensely.
Much like Damsel turned the dragon and maiden tale on its head, Thornhedge was a what-if sort of twist on Sleeping Beauty that I never knew I needed.
I love Kingfisher’s writing and highly recommend this. It’s atmospheric and interesting and an absolute must read if you like fairy tales and fantasy. And it’s so short, there’s honestly no reason it’s not on your TBR right now!

I think at this point, T. Kingfisher could write a spooky and whimsical grocery list or telephone book and I’d still devour it like I was starving. The way she writes is so so good and I love how she crafts her stories and her characters. If y’all need me, I’ll just be here waiting until she releases her next masterpiece

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I borrowed this on audiobook from my library.

Thoughts: This was a cute little fairy tale retelling. It took a bit for me to get into the story but I ended up enjoying it. I didn't like this as much as "Nettle & Bone" or "The Raven and the Reindeer".

This story follows Toadling, who has been forced into the role of protecting the world from what's in the tower. When a helpful knight stops by to try to remove the curse, Toadling is forced to confront the very things she's been bound to for so long.

I enjoyed that this story is told from a different perspective than what you would expect. Toadling is a fairy and the "jailer" so to speak and it was fun to read a story from that perspective. The conversations that Toadling and the knight have are quite entertaining.

I struggled a bit to engage with the characters, they lacked depth and were cute but not very complex. It's a fun idea and a quick read. I just wasn't grabbed by the story and I didn't find it incredibly engaging. This wasn't a story I struggled to put down but I liked it well enough and generally enjoyed the uniqueness of it.

My Summary (4/5): Overall this wasn't my favorite fairy tale retelling by Kingfisher but it was decent. I liked that the story is told from an unexpected point of view and that some typical fairy tale dynamics are twisted in unexpected ways. I did have some trouble engaging with the characters and being drawn into the story. However, this is a quick read and was entertaining enough. I look forward to what Kingfisher writes next. If you like fairy tale retellings and haven't read "Nettle & Bone", "The Raven and the Reindeer" or "Nine Goblins" I would recommend those as well; I enjoyed all of those a lot more than this novella.

Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher is a lovely re-imagined fairy tale that will make the reader contemplate the roles of the villain and heroes in their favorite stories. As soon as I met Toadling in this evocative tale by T. Kingfisher, I fell in love with her. She is caring and determined, a complex character that isn’t the fairy princess you expect. Neither is the knight. And that complexity and unexpectedness is exactly what makes this story so perfect. Nothing is as you expect it.

The story is a beautiful and layered re imagining of the Sleeping Beauty tale with a story that starts out in the present of Toadling but delves into the past to present us with the truth of the tale. The concept of going backward in time works well in a fairy tale as fairies are not wont to follow rules and neither does the author. I love the weaving of the story backwards and forwards in time. It adds to the complexity but also the depth of this lovely re-imagined fairy tale. 

If you love fairy tales, I highly recommend Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher. It spins the fairy tale on its head, changes up who the villain and heroes are, and gives readers complex and real characters. The knight isn’t very knightly but he is brave and the fairy princess may not be beautiful but is magical. I loved both the beauty and the darkness of this tale. It is one of the best re-imagined fairy tales I’ve read.

4.5/5

I was going to give this 4 stars, but then I read the acknowledgments and remembered how much I love T. Kingfisher so another 0.5 for you ma’am.

I’ve read quite a few T. Kingfisher books and while they are all pretty different, they all have a few things in common: 1) they’re weird, 2) the main characters are relatable and lovable, and 3) the themes can be dark, but the tone is generally light-hearted. Kingfisher is also just hilarious - I’ve never found myself wanting to laugh so many times while reading horror/fantasy-horror novels.

Specific to this book: Thornhedge is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty from the perspective of our reluctant heroine(?), Toadling. Poor Toadling, a human/faerie/toad hybrid of sorts, has been through a lot and just wants humans to stay away. When Halim (our lovely knight with low self-esteem) shows up, Toadling urges him to forget the rumors he heard about a maiden being cursed and locked up in a nearby tower (except there’s definitely a tower, and Toadling is guarding whatever is trapped inside). The timeline alternates between the present (her conversation with Halim) and Toadling’s dubious past, including being raised by “child-eating fish monsters” (Kingfisher’s words).

This was a really wonderful fantasy novella I’d recommend for any fairytale fans! It has some dark moments, but overall I found it to be a cozy read that left me feeling happy and satisfied. :)

A good retelling of Sleeping Beauty. It’s short, but it has everything a story needs: a sweet, resolute heroine and a hero who believes in her, great emotions and a happy ending.

Toadling is born human, but she’s replaced with a changeling right after birth and brought to the fairy land where she grows up being loved. Then, one day, she’s brought back to the human world to keep in rein the changeling who has replaced her. But it’s easier said than done. Out of options, she spells the changeling to sleep for eternity—until a kind knight arrives and frees them both.

This was a quick read that left me feeling happy. Toadling was delightful, and while Halim was a somewhat forceful character who did what he wanted, he learned to listen to her in the end. I don’t think the story improved for being set in the ‘real’ world instead of a fairy tale land though. The historical references tended to yank me out of the story. But if you want a quick, cute read, this is for you.

I loved this. Once again T Kingfisher brings us something that is equally unsettling as it is endearing. This take on Sleeping Beauty follows a protagonist that is raised by “child-eating fish monsters”, but I agree with T Kingfisher when she says but it’s sweet. I will never look at toads now without thinking of Toadling.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor for an e-arc in exchange for a honest review.

I’m a big fan of T. Kingfisher’s horror writing so I picked up her new fantasy novella, Thornhedge, without knowing much about it.

Thornhedge is a Sleeping Beauty retelling from the perspective of the evil fairy who curses the princess.  Kingfisher flips the tale so the fairy is the hero and the princess is evil.  

It was a clever concept, and I really enjoyed the creatures and worldbuilding, but I think I’m not a big enough fan of fairy tale retellings to have enjoyed this one.

I needed something more: more interesting characters, or a sense of danger, I’m not sure.  The fairy tale by itself wasn’t enough to draw me in.  There were some odd choices by Toadling, the heroine, that took me out of the story.  I also found the overall tone was kind of depressing.

I wound up skimming the last third of the novella, but I do think it will appeal to readers who love fairy tale retellings, even if it wasn’t the best fit for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Publishing for my review copy of this book.

What if the princess was put into a deep sleep to protect the kingdom from her? It's an interesting take on the sleeping beauty story. The protagonist of this novella is a fairy creature who is guarding the tower and hoping to prevent anyone from attempting to wake the princess. The story of who she is and why the princess is sleeping builds a little at a time. The story is plotted very effectively and has a satisfying ending (which can't be said of all fairytale retellings).

I'm not gonna lie, I went into this one totally blind. I saw that the author was T. Kingfisher and that's literally all I needed to know. I honestly assumed this was a horror novel but that's my own doing going in completely blind. What it ended up being was a really fun twist on a classic fairytale...but if you're familiar with any other work by Kingfisher you know she put her own little dark flavor on it. Thornhendge did not disappoint. While there was a dark(ish) element or two this felt very PG and kind of sweet in some ways. I'd say the general vibe was similar to Grimms' fairytales. I'm immensely fond of reimaginings like this! Toadling was kind and endearing, I thoroughly enjoyed learning about her and her life in Fairieland. I'm just going to throw out in the universe that I'd 100% read more about that or any other Toadling adventures. Just sayin'.

The nitty-gritty: Sweet, emotional and at times heartbreaking, Thornhedge is a perfect, feel-good fairy tale.

I can always count on T. Kingfisher to surprise and delight me, and yes, she’s done it once again. Thornhedge is short but perfectly paced and just the right length, a twisted fairy tale that was twisted in a much different way than I expected. I’m going to keep this review short so you can discover its charms for yourself!

We meet a fairy who calls herself Toadling, a plain girl who can turn herself into a toad at will. Toadling lives near a very old keep, a series of towers that once looked like towers but over the past several hundred years have become completely covered by a thick layer of thorny hedges. People rarely pass by the keep anymore, and that’s how Toadling likes it. Why? Because she is guarding an important secret and doesn’t want anyone to discover it.

But one day, a knight on horseback approaches the keep and sets up camp nearby. He seems to be searching for something, and Toadling knows she must get him to leave. But the knight—Halim—turns out to be polite and curious, and he convinces Toadling to tell him her story. He’s read stories in books about a keep where a princess is being held captive, and he’s come to see if they’re true.

The author alternates between the present, when Toadling and Halim meet and get to know each other, and the story of Toadling’s past and how she came to be guarding the keep. And oh what a story it is! I can’t tell you much about it, because I vowed to keep this review spoiler free, but I will say that I adored Toadling’s family, the fairy creatures called greenteeth who raised and loved her. The reader learns about the greenteeth as Toadling tells her story to Halim, and her relationship with them was one of my favorite parts of the story. At one point Toadling is given an important task to do and must leave her beloved family behind, which is how she comes to be guarding the keep. Kingfisher’s descriptions of the fairy realm are magical and sensual and slightly terrifying. But that’s Kingfisher for you, she has an uncanny way of combining horror and wonder that’s unlike any other author I’ve read.

Toadling has been alone for many, many years, so when Halim arrives she doesn’t quite know how to handle him. To make things even harder, he’s kind to her and doesn’t care a bit about Toadling’s plain appearance (perhaps because he’s quite plain himself). I loved the way they slowly grow to trust and admire each other. This isn’t a romance, per se, but you can read the potential for romance between the lines.

Eventually we learn the truth about what’s inside the tower and Toadling’s connection to it, and the resolution was not at all what I expected. Kingfisher loves to twist familiar fairy tales around, making them new and surprising, and this is one of her best ones yet. I also loved the way she explores the idea of stories, both written down and told out loud, and how they grow and change over time. Thornhedge has both sweet and bitter elements, but ultimately this is a feel-good tale with a truly wonderful ending. Don’t miss it.

Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.

Kingfisher spins a magical, and occasionally slimy yarn about a slumbering princess locked in a bramble-covered tower, AND . . . the one who put her there. The author's delicious blend of humor and horror makes for an enchanting novella that begs for multiple readings.

The release date is August 15th.

I had been on the fence about whether Kingfisher would be one of those authors that I scoop up everything they write or one that I debate and readthe back cover and debate some more. This retelling pushed her onto the small list of authors to scoop up immediately.

A lovely, sweet twist on Sleeping Beauty. Nevermind the flesh eating fish? amphibians? and reanimating corpses. Toadling and Halim steal your heart. Tor did all the right things with bringing in sensitivity readers! Great for middle grade that can handle the spooky and up.

My new favorite book from T. Kingfisher. This novella has one of the most charming protagonists I've ever encountered. I love retellings, especially when there is a twist or a new perspective, and Thornhedge shows off the best of the genre.

Another hit from Kingfisher. This one is a bit more fantastical but the magic system alone is worth the read! While this is a play on the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale, this does have that sinister edge that the Grimms would have approved of. A refreshing take on the influx of retellings currently circulating. If you need something cozy, quick with a bit of grit than this is definitely a must read.

4/5 stars.

Thornhedge is a phenomenal take on a fairy-tale retelling from an author well known for playing in a variety of genres. T. Kingfisher's prose is so smooth and it flows beautifully. Thornhedge is a story about Toadling, a human taken to the fae when she was young to be trained to carry out one task: to give a gift to a child upon their birth. After practicing for years the time had finally come, but all did not go according to plan. What happens when a gift is twisted into a curse? What happens when 200 years later a knight wanders into the bramble thicket Toadling has kept hidden from the world guarding her secret failure?

I read this immersively with audio/ebook and it was a great experience with both.