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.

There is a princess in a tower under a sleeping spell, but this is the story of the fairy tasked with guarding her and the gentle knight on a mission that has gone sideways. Toadling was stolen from her family by fairies and instead of being killed and discarded. she was raised and loved by the creatures in the warm waters of faerieland. Yet once she became an adult she was asked a favor: return to the human world and offer a blessing of protection to a newborn child. It sounds like a simple quest but it very much is not and the blessing goes wrong and now centuries later Toadling is still standing guard over the sleeping fairy, trying to keep knights, princes, and people away from the sleeping terror. Yet when a wayward knight approaches the bramble and tells her that he is here to break the curse... a curse that Toadling will do anything to uphold... chaos ensues. This was such an interesting take on the Sleeping Beauty story but told from the perspective of the fairy and I had fun with the unique changes made to the story. Overall it was a really fun read!

*Thanks Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group, Tor Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Every new story from T Kingfisher is a chance to celebrate and settle into a world we thought we knew. This turns the story of Sleeping Beauty on it's head and encourages the reader to think back on the old tales of dealing with the Fey. I loved the characters and the ways that they interacted with each other. Each narrative beat was sharp and twisting into your heart like the thorns themselves. I absolutely recommend.

I thought the premise of this book sounded really intresting, and even though fantasy isn't something I typically read I thought I would give it a go since T. Kingfisher is a new author that I have recently come to love. What Moves The Dead is one of my all time favourite reads, and A House With Good was fantastic. So, it pains me to say that I DNF'd Thornhedge at about a third of the way in. It was described as a dark fantasy, and I was just expecting it to be actually dark, but to me personally it just read almost like a childrens book. The writing also didn't flow like it has in the other books that I've read by Kingfisher. Even though this book didn't work for me I am excited to read more from this author in the future,

if you like fantasy and retellings you may enjoy this book.

Thanks to Netgalley, Tor Publishing group, and T. Kingfisher for sharing a digital copy for me to read and review. As always, opinions are my own 🤘🏻💀🤘🏻

I loved this twist on the sleeping beauty fairy tale. Toadling was a great MC and I hope we get more of her story and others like it!

3.5 stars

I am unsure about how I feel about this book, part of me was intrigued and part of me was bored. Do I even remember this story? I really enjoyed the innocence of Toadling and her willingness to try and do the right thing. I was very interested in reading about changelings and a fairytale retelling. However, I really just wanted more. The story felt like it was building and building for so long and then rushed.

4.5/5

This was a gorgeous retelling of Sleeping Beauty.
I went into the book not really knowing anything about it because I find that's the best way to digest novellas, so I really enjoyed how the story slowly unraveled and the atmosphere built up.

I really liked Toadling as a character and was satisfied with her ending in the story. Things don't always go perfectly for her, but she perseveres anyway. Halim was also an interesting character, bringing a different view of humanity to Toadling, who had not experienced the best of it.

I love fairy tales. I’ve got a special spot in my heart for Sleeping Beauty (I mean, the prince’s name in the Disney version is Philip, after all). So imagine my joy when I learned that T. Kingfisher’s newest novella, Thornhedge, was a retelling of one of my favorite fairy tales.

Thornhedge is the story of Toadling, a fairy who has a limited amount of magical ability and a very important task. There is a tower, and within that tower lies a sleeper who must never be permitted to awaken. Toadling keeps watch from a distance, ensuring that none who pass by ever realize that anything could be found at the center of the field of briars, let alone the remains of a castle. For over two hundred years, Toadling does her job. However, she underestimates the power of stories.

Stories have spread, filtering down through the generations. Stories of a lost tower, and an enchantment waiting to be broken. A young Muslim knight named Halim arrives, having heard the tales. Unlike the people who have come across the thorns before, Halim is not discouraged or distracted. Instead, he spots Toadling and recognizes her for what she is. Halim’s arrival disrupts everything that Toadling has come to know over the last centuries, and forces her to face the truth about the sleeper in the tower.

T. Kingfisher, as I have mentioned before, is an incredible writer. This is the second novella that I’ve read from her this year, and I’m absolutely thrilled to have been given the opportunity to go through Thornhedge ahead of its public release. My utmost thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for an eARC in exchange for a fair review. Thornhedge will be out in stores on August 15th. I hope y’all like it as much as I did.

This review originally appeared here: https://swordsoftheancients.com/2023/08/01/thornhedge-a-review/