I'm generally not a fan of fairy tales or dark fantasy. But after reading Thornhedge and Nettle & Bone, I am a fan of T. Kingfisher's works in those realms.
When she was a baby, fairies swapped out Toadling for a changeling and took her to their kingdom where she grew to be a fairy herself. She is then sent back to the realm of man to bestow a blessing on her replacement. But being new to this, she errs causing the blessing to go awry. Now she stands guard over a castle wherein the changeling child lays sleeping, while Toadling has spent two centuries covering the keep in thorns and brambles, wishing away any who seek out the legend within. Just when she thinks her fears may finally be at rest, a young knight shows up, threatening to undo everything.
In a complete turnabout of Sleeping Beauty, Kingfisher has woven a delightful tale, with two wonderful characters, a different take on the fae, and a well known tale turned on its head.

Thornhedge is a fairy tale retelling of Sleeping Beauty, but rather than focusing on the princess in the tower, we get to follow Toadling. Toadling was a human taken at birth to live in fairyland. Now, as an adult, she’s been asked to bestow a blessing upon a newborn child. Of course, nothing asked by fairies is ever easy, and now Toadling will do anything to uphold the curse that surrounds the tower.

Thornhedge is a cute, quick little story and a nice addition to the normal fairy tales we get. Toadling was an interesting character, although with it being a short story, we don’t get as much ad depth as I would have liked, and follow up stories of what happens to Toadling after the book ends would be great! Or even other books about the water fairies she grows up with. There were a lot of fun little tidbits sprinkled throughout that I would love to see Kingfisher continue on with more fairytales and to connect them in various ways.

Kingfisher has always been a solid writer from the others books I’ve read, and this one was no different. It was a bit more whimsical than other books, but it suited the story and Kingfisher did a great job with this new (to me) style, as I know she has written children’s books and has probably written in a similar style before. Although those were probably a little less dark.

If you’re a fan of fairy tales, or retellings, this is a really fun one to sit down with for an afternoon, and I strongly recommend it!

An excellent novella that could have gone on to start many more. I know that Kingfisher mentions that Toadling's character wrote itself - it's palpable here and Toadling makes for an excellent protagonist with plenty of heart and eons of possibilities, if you'd let her.

many thanks to the tor publishing group and netgalley for the advanced reader copy.

I have enjoyed some of Kingfisher's works in the past including Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking and What Moves the Dead. Her work tends to be in the fantasy and horror genre. Much like Defensive Baking, this novella takes a new spin at the fairytale genre, in this case Sleeping Beauty with what felt to me like a bit of the frog prince in the mix. Instead of focusing on "the princess" in the tower it follows the adventures of Toadling, a changeling, who fills in for the fairies in bequeathing what could be a gift or curse. Kingfisher says in her endnote that she was inspired by the idea of why someone feel the need to surround the tower with such a substantial barrier. I liked where that reasoning lead her. I also liked that she brought in more fairies from folk stories and some historical details for her piece; the knight in this story is a Muslim. At just over a hundred words, this novella is a quick read filled with both whimsy and menace; it manages to be both contemporary as well as hearkening back to the darker magic of Grimm Brother's original collected tales. I received an early copy of the story from Netgalley and the publisher in order to provide an honest review.

I found Thornhedge a surprisingly cute retelling of Sleeping Beauty ("surprisingly" because Kingfisher admits at the end that it's pretty dark yet still feels sweet), but I also found it somewhat limited by the shorter length of the novella form.

Toadling is an endearing heroine, and I liked her growing friendship with Halim the kind knight. I found the ending abrupt, though, perhaps because I thought that the changeling princess could somehow be redeemed. Alas, no. I would have been interested in Toadling's adventures away from the tower with Halim, but the story ends with the conclusion of the Sleeping Beauty plotline.

In short: sweet, but short.

This was a sweet and funny story about a sleeping princess in a tower and the toad fairy sent to protect the world from her. Toadling was a great protagonist. She was humble and kind, but had a strength of conviction that I really appreciated. Lets all give much love to Halim, the rather rubbish but utterly adorable knight - we could all wish that people would find us interesting if they were as kind as Halim. The twist to the familiar enchanted princess tale was very well done and as always, T. Kingfisher has accomplished a lot in a few pages. Will this story change your world? Probably not, but it will definitely warm your cockles.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

T. Kingfisher has proven themselves to be the master of fairytale retellings and Thornhedge is no exception.

Taking the idea that Sleeping Beauty is in fact the villain - a changeling whose powers need to be contained, Kingfisher flips this well-beloved story on its head.

Toadling is an absolutely loveable character who is just trying to do her best and make up for past actions which have placed her in this position. For two hundred years she guards the princess in the tower until an errant knight with a steadfast purpose turns her world upside down. Although she can shapeshift, her reactions to her situation are all too human and I loved following her story along with her.

If you love fairytale retellings, this is a must read. Delightful and unexpected, this sweet novella captures the heart of every princess story.

Huge thank you to Netgalley, Tor Books, and T. Kingfisher for an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

Imgur Link goes to the Instagram graphic scheduled for August 8th
Blog Post goes live August 1st
Will be featured in my next recent Reads on the Youtube channel!

Fairy tales that have been turned on their heads, or twisted in some way aren’t always a win for me. They’re usually dark and gritty, somehow terrible in a new and more grotesque way than they were previously and I’m not down with that most times. Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher does it right in my opinion. It’s a simple, and not mind blowing story, but sweet and endearing. Granted there are children eating fairies, and the corpse of a woman raised by a crazy child - but it’s still sweet!

This is the story of Toadling, a changeling taken from the human world and replaced by a fairy. She is not needed by the Fae, instead they throw her away into a swamp like location and the Fae there (who typically just eat the changelings) decide by some whim to raise her. She absorbs and learns some basic magic, the primary of which is taking the form of a Toad. Sometime after she’s sent back to the human world for a task, and from there our story unfolds.

The biggest theme that I took away from this story is when do you stop paying for mistakes. That’s something I don’t see a lot, and though it’s touched on lightly I really enjoyed the look at it here. Toadling takes responsibility for a mistake, and perhaps pays too much but she’s an endearing and small and sweet character. You can’t be too mad at her. I wish we’d gotten more of our second human character and perhaps more time in the Fairy realm but what we got I loved.

This is the type of short fiction I adore, and while I know it won’t be for everyone I greatly enjoyed it. It’s funny, sweet, and at times dark. But it’s never over the top or heavy handed on those things. A fantastic new T. Kingfisher and one I’m looking forward to adding to my collection.

I love all things T Kingfisher and Thornhedge is no different. I loved this sort of reimagining of sleeping beauty. My only complaint is that I wanted MORE.

Arc received from Netgalley for an honest review

4 Stars

Thornhedge is a novella that takes the reader on a short journey through a fairytale never told before. There are ideas and concepts within that made me really feel like I was reading a fairytale but with somewhat dark (and sometimes light) undertones.

I can't say too much about what this book is about considering it's short and sweet (well, somewhat), but I will say that I really enjoyed the twist on this story.
Instead of following a princess, we follow a toadling who grew up in less than ideal situations and had to learn to adapt to loneliness and selflessness once a curse was set in place.

Because of that, this novella touches greatly on loneliness, self-doubt and the pressure and responsibility someone may put on themselves, especially after making a mistake and feeling overly responsible for it. I felt for Toadling because I have situations where I overcompensate for something simple due to the fear of what may come of that mistake (usually it's not severe, but feels that way due to anxiety and self-doubt).

I enjoyed that this book also had positive aspects, like found family and friendship that helped Toadling along the way. It gave the reader a sense of hope and warmth that may have seemed distant during other portions of the novella.

This is my first work from this author and I'm looking toward to trying more of their work after reading this. I enjoyed the writing and thought the overall concept and execution was well done. I'm excited to hear what others think of this little fairytale, and hope it adds a little flare to the fairytale genre.

~

Possible Content Warnings Below

Mention of animal torture and abuse, abandonment, seclusion, loneliness, suicide.

Perfect, no notes. This story is weird and unique and heartbreaking and hilarious. I loved every second! It's a lightning-fast read, so plan to devour it in one sitting. I absolutely love Toadling and her twisted Sleeping Beauty Tale, and I highly recommend this to anyone and everyone! Possibly my new favorite fairy tale, ever.

Received an eArc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

T. Kingfisher puts an unexpected twist on Sleeping Beauty in her latest novella. I didn’t realize until reading the acknowledgements that she was also the author of Harriet the Invincible, a lovely children’s novel that was also a spin on Sleeping Beauty. In that novel, the mouse that had to survive until her 16th birthday for the inevitable curse to fall realized that made her invincible in the meantime and sets off on daring quests. It is a lovely book and I would highly recommend it.

In this novel, she twists the tale even more, casting the princess as the villain, with the fairy godmother doing her best to contain her malice by casting a sleeping spell over her.

This novella was a delightful read. Halim, the knight who comes to break the spell, is charming and lovely. Toadling was a fantastic protagonist who stole my heart despite being able to turn into a creature I am not particularly fond of. If you liked Nettle and Bone or enjoy twists on fairytales, you should try out this book as well.

Thornhedge by T.Kingfisher

⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Fantasy / Retelling of the Sleeping Beauty

I devoured this! It was sweet, imaginative and entertaining. By far my favorite Sleeping Beauty retelling I’ve read. The story unfolds on the premise of what is the princess was the actual villain and the fairy who cursed her the heroine send to stop her. Honestly, I think is such a clever way to spin the tale.

The characters, especially Toadling our main girl, were well developed for such a short book. The plot is fast moving and engaging at all times. And the writing style spotlessly wonderful!

This was my first read by this author, although I’ve been meaning to get to Needle and Bone soon. I fell in love with her writing instantly. She has such a fresh and witty voice and really transports you with her descriptions.

Overall, this is a super fast read ( I read it in like 4 hours ) full of charm and sweetness. It is perfect to cleanse the palate or for when you are in the mood for some old school fairytales. Totally recommend 👌🏻

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

T Kingfisher once again amazes and bamboozles with her clever and unexpected twist on a beloved fairytale. Kingfisher has a one of a kind ability to transport readers into the well known and make it feel completely foreign - her writing is truly as magical as the stories she writes.

I’ll admit, as much as I enjoyed this story it wasn’t my favorite by her. Maybe because it was a novella, but it just felt like it needed a bit more. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I can’t say I felt as fully satisfied as I usually do at the end of her stories. But that said, it was still a great story. Kingfisher manages to get great depth and emotion in very few pages - so honeslty I think it’s just my incredibly high expectations for her that let me down, not the writing itself.

This was a super fun, quite dark little read that I recommend for all lovers of fantasy, especially the weird ones.

A fairy tale... retelling (or even a spin off?)... feeling perhaps. A wonderful story to take you down the less glamorous, but still heart warming side of the fairy tales. I couldn't stop reading about Toadling since she's relatable and endearing.

A warm and engaging retelling of "Sleeping Beauty" that turns the fairy tale on its head and asks who the real villain might have been. Toadling was a human baby stolen by the fairies in order to put a changeling in her place. She was raised by odd creatures in the waters of fairyland until she was eventually given a task back in the human world. That task didn't go exactly as planned, and for hundreds of years she has protected her mistake, trying to keep the human world safe. When an unconventional knight shows up, bent on reaching the sleeping princess in the tower, he befriends Toadling and learns her story alongside the reader. I thoroughly enjoyed this novella. Great for fans of subversive fairy tale retellings and people who enjoy the vibe of authors like Becky Chambers. Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for a digital review copy.

This was such a great sleeping beauty retelling where “beauty” is in the eye of the beholder.
T. Kingfisher did this little story justice, she gave us everything we needed to be satisfied with the story as a whole, normally I’m left wanting and needing more.

CONTENT WARNING: violence, mention of off-page animal abuse, blood, murder

There’s something about a Kingfisher book that makes me want it without even reading the summary, because I already know that I’m going to read it no matter what it’s about. Of all the books of hers that I’ve read so far, they’ve all been winners. And this one is no exception.

As far as fairy tales go, Sleeping Beauty is pretty much the most boring for me. The main character has no agency, and has her whole life dictated for her without getting the chance to offer any input of her own. But Kingfisher breathes new life into this tired old tale, and infuses it with wonderful characters who are easy to adore despite the fact that they don’t fit the typical mold for the good guys.

First of all, she completely subverts the tale by forcing readers to think outside of the box. What if the heroine and the villain weren’t who we thought they were? What if the fairy wasn’t the villain? What if the princess wasn’t the victim of a curse? What if there was a perfectly reasonable explanation for all of this?

In so many books, the heroine is beautiful (and smart and rich and perfect). But in this book, that isn’t quite the case. The breathtakingly beautiful princess isn’t the center of the story. That honor goes to Toadling, who is described as unattractive with limited magic and a tendency to avoid people to the best of her ability. She was born human, but taken to Faerieland just after her birth and raised there. After experiencing good and bad times, she was sent back with an important task. However, things don’t go quite as planned. And when a kind-hearted knight comes to Toadling’s tower, her plan is in jeopardy, so she does her best to make things right.

While this is just a novella, it’s exactly the right length. I loved the connection between Toadling and Halim, and how it works on Toadling’s confidence and self-esteem. I also loved how both of them are prime examples of not being what they are expected to be, and especially Halim’s willingness to fight social conventions. It’s a sweet and heartwarming story that makes me look forward to reading more of Kingfisher’s work.

T. Kingfisher does lil creepy fairy tales like no other!

Without saying too much - because this is a novella and every little tidbit of information is best found out through the storytelling - Thornhedge is a darker fae version of Sleeping Beauty, with a kind knight and an unlikely hero named Toadling.

T. Kingfisher has beautifully weaved folklore and mythology into this story while adding some darker details and elements of horror. It’s a book you could really read in one sitting but somehow she has managed to create wonderful characters and a rich world! Highly recommend!

I adore T. Kingfisher, but I found myself a little disappointed in Thornhedge. It's not that it wasn't good; it's just that Kingfisher has written so many things that are better. This book was wonderful by any standard I'd hold other authors to but for my Kingfisher scale, Thornhedge came in at "okay." I found that it didn't have the same humor and novelty that I'd come to expect, and I kept waiting for that to come to light, and it never did.

It makes sense to me that this is one of her earlier works.

Looking forward to the next one.