The author’s note at the end really explains how I feel about this book: yes, the main character is raised by child-eating swamp monsters, but it was such a sweet book. So short though! The story felt very complete and I’m okay without knowing more about the world, but I would love to read this in maybe a collection of short stories? I adore Toadling, and I wish her all the best.

I was given this book in exchange for a review. Yay!

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group for sending me an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

T. Kingfisher is quickly becoming one of my favorite short-story authors. The way she can create beautiful worlds, interesting and unique plots, as well as relatable and developed characters in 150 pages or less will always leave me in awe.

Thornhedge is a Sleeping Beauty retelling with a bit of a dark twist. It follows Toadling; a human stolen away as a baby, raised and loved by fairies. Once an adult, the fae ask a favor of her; go back to the human world and bestow a blessing on a newborn child...however, this child is not exactly what she appears to be.

I loved this novella. The unique twist of a beloved fairytale with new lore was so refreshing and fun. This book is short, but the pacing was so balanced. Nothing felt rushed and too drawn out. I enjoyed the glimpse into Toadling's backstory and life, I adored her character.

Overall this story was so cozy and wholesome. I hope that the author decides to write another novella about these characters; I love to learn more about them, their world, and more of their story together.

Thornhedge releases on August 15th, 2023. I recommend reading it if you're a fan of fairytale retellings. It's short, sweet, and a nice palate cleanser in between bigger or more intense books.

It’s no secret that I am, in fact, a ginormous fan of Ursula Vernon, aka T. Kingfisher. I’ve read almost everything she’s put out at this point, and I’m clambering for more. PLEASE GIVE ME MORE. When I saw that her latest novella was on Netgalley, you can safely imagine me literally leaping at my mouse to request an ARC. Thankfully, Tor seems to like me, and they very generously allowed me a copy.

Needless to say, I loved Thornhedge. I would have gladly read an entire novel with these characters, in this world, but honestly? An entire novel wasn’t needed! Thornhedge is very short, but Kingfisher is a master at working in the short form. You don’t miss anything. There’s nothing absent from the story for the sake of shortness. It is, in fact, wrapped up rather neatly by the end.

Kingfisher, as always, has sprinkled a little horror inside her fairytale retelling, and we see it in the form of Fayette. Fayette is a changeling, and she’s a horror from the moment she’s born. She tortures animals. She tortures the servants. She hurts everyone she comes in contact with, and very quickly people who are around her turn up dead. Toadling, our heroine, is a fairy. She’s not a pretty fairy, she doesn’t have wings, or sparkle. She turns into a toad. She’s a sweetheart. She does what she must — she puts Fayette in an enchanted sleep.

Two hundred or something years pass, and Toadling has spent it all in the shadow of Fayette’s tower, keeping watch Then, Halim comes to try and rescue ‘the fair maiden’ in the tower. I loved Halim. Halim is a sweetheart knight who always apologizes when he curses, who tries his best to help Toadling, and most importantly of all, listens and believes Toadling. Halim was a welcome change from the usual hero. He is also thoroughly Muslim, and talks about his religion on page.

I loved how Kingfisher wrote this, but that’s not new for me and my experience with her writing. As I said on Goodreads, I will literally read anything that Kingfisher writes. Her water bill. Her grocery list. Whatever. She’s a genius, and I love her. Thornhedge is a solid five stars. I know you will love it.

3 stars? ish?

This was really cute, but lacked some of the depth in character that T. Kingfisher's other fairy tale retellings sometimes have--don't get me wrong, character depth is not Kingfisher's Thing that shines, but characters felt a bit more hollow in this one. This kind of read like a Wayward Children book in some ways: the really interesting takes on fairy tales and mythic creatures (the Greenteeth!) very much read like a Seanan McGuire novella, so I think if you like that series (specifically the books taking place in other worlds), you could like Thornhedge!

But, in my opinion, there were some plotholes and a lot of showing instead of telling... in flashbacks, we sort of just went through the motions. Like, why lead the knight you want away to the exact place he shouldn't be? How does time work again in Fairyland and why wasn't it explained until the last chapter of the book? The ending was also pretty anticlimactic--we are going to build up this little girl villain for the entire time and then... just push her off the tower??? The FAE CHANGELING?? Dies on impact?? And then this hundreds-of-years-long-nightmare is just... over. Are you kidding me?

I was really disappointed by this book because the vibes were just not what I thought it'd be, and everything I expected it to be turned out mediocre. Kingfisher and I have this problem in general, though I keep hoping for different in every new subgenre I try of hers. Fairy tale Kingfisher remains not strong for me, and I think it is because of, ultimately, the lack of depth and confusing vibes. The earlier fairy tales had more of that for me (Raven and the Reindeer and Bryony and Roses) while the newer ones just... do not. However, I'm a sucker for fairy tale retellings, so I'll probably keep picking them up.

Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher may be presented as a twist to the Sleeping Beauty fairytale, but it is so much more than a mere retelling. The story is only under two hundred pages long, to give away too much would be a crime, but readers, please if nothing else, Toadling deserves your love and attention. Kingfisher weaves this story with darkness and sweet light. I think I connected with Toadling's loneliness, hope to have her kindness, and know I will never be so gentle.

Officially T. Kingfisher should be an automatic buy for all of us who love a twisted fantasy.

Thank you to T. Kingfisher, Tor Publishing Group, Tor Books, and Netgalley for this free advanced reader copy of "Thornhedge" for an honest review.

I have to admit, I've been on a Kingfisher kick since I read "What Moves The Dead," and I loved that this one was going to be the take on rewriting Sleeping Beauty. I love, love, loved this retelling. I love that it's told from the point of view of the baby swapped with the changing, and that we turned the curse, and why the curse happened, what the hedge is keeping in and keeping out. I definitely advise this to everyone who has a love of fairy-tellings and their reworking!

Sleeping Beauty with a twist!

The true beauty of this book is how Kingfisher has created such an endearing, captivating and wonderful tale with unique characters in 120 pages. T. Kingfisher can do no wrong in my book. I love her writing and how she approaches characters.

There is a sleeping princess trapped in a tower, but it is Toadling who has the spotlight in this book. Toadling was stolen on the day she was born by fairies and raised by them in the waters of faerieland. She loved the water, her new family and the comfort they provided.

One day a goddess appears and tells Toadling that she must go with her to be educated. Eventually Toadling is sent back to the human world to deliver a gift to a newborn. Sounds simple, right?

Centuries later a knight appears, he has heard about a curse which needs breaking...

Toadling stole my heart with her unselfishness and kind demeanor. She wants so badly to do the right thing and I admired her dedication. She has been alone for a long time and when a knight appears, everything changes.

This book had a little bit of everything. There is family, there is a tower surrounded by hedges, there is a changeling, there is a sensitive knight and there is Toadling, sweet endearing, Toadling.

I love how T. Kingfisher blended light and darkness in this book. She took a beloved fairy tale and made it her own in such a magical way. She has written a fairy tale that I want to read. Not everyone is beautiful on the outside, but there are some that are quite beautiful in their actions and personality.

This book had me turning the pages to see how things were going to end.

Gripping, captivating and magical!

I cannot wait to see what she writes next!!!

This is another great book by T. Kingfisher. She takes a normal fairy tale and flips it on its head. This is a good introduction to the author and doesn't veer too much into the the horror genre. The characters are also delightful.

My favourite Kingfisher novel yet. Absolutely brilliant, enthralling, and hypnotizing. I could not get enough and read on deep into the night.

Could not recommend enough.

This wasn't my favorite of Kingfisher's work, which frankly is a matter of personal preference. Her strong prose is here, the classic exhausted and hard-working female character with the kind and gentle love interest are both here and charming, her takes of on the fay were fun, but there was a trope here that I just personally have beef with.

It's the, this kid is just bad and there's nothing we can do about it trope. Now, maybe it's a child's body with an old fay lord inside, but it wasn't really written that way. It was more playing on that old horror around birth, being surprised what can come out of you. I hate this trope, maybe it's because I work with kids, and I think all the time about how kids motivations are assumed to be malicious when they're just not. Fundamentally, this book wasn't going to work for me because of that...But I do think other people will really enjoy it! It's like a fantasy Rosemary's Baby (kind of) with a really sweet romance, so if that appeals to you, you'll like it!

Even though I am a bit over fairy tale retelling, Kingfisher knows how to take a worn out troupe and give it new life. I really enjoyed how beautiful the story and writing was. A oddly cozy read but full of adventure and wimsy.

Absolutely gorgeous sleeping beauty retelling. Vividly atmospheric. I will never forget Toadling and her magical world and sweet and scrappy personality. This is a story I will re-read. Thank you to Netgalley and Tor for early access to the digital arc.

I’ve recently become obsessed with T. Kingfisher’s novels so I’m trying to get my hands on everything she’s ever written. Thornhedge is her newest adult fantasy novella that’s a reimagining of Sleeping Beauty but where the princess is the villain and the one who curses the princess is the heroine.

I loved this story. It was so fun to get to know Toadling, a girl who can transform into a toad and who can cast spells. She is patrolling the hedge made of thorns (hence the title) that surrounds the tower that contains the sleeping princess, when one day a man on horseback shows up and wants to explore the land beyond the hedge of thorns.

I won’t say any more because this story is short and it deserves to have some mystery to it, but I love how Kingfisher wrote this. This is a version of Sleeping Beauty that I’ve never seen done before, and I thought it was quite unique.

If you love fantastical novellas that take place in dark, creepy forests and stories about curses that maybe shouldn’t be broken after all, then you should check out Thornhedge. It was a delight to read, and I loved the ending.

A nice little fairy tale retelling that is a quick and enjoyable read, featuring Vernon's usual subversiveness.

#Thornhedge #NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an E-Arc copy of this novel. A wonderful fantasy read. The author pulls you into to story and before I knew it I was done. A must read!

I've loved everything I've read by T. Kingfisher, so the fact that I loved this doesn't surprise me at all--but I REALLY loved it. Thornhedge is a clever twist on Sleeping Beauty that reads as both classic and fresh. I, like the author, thought it was very sweet (even with the notes of horror). I feel like I want to read this one again immediately.

Minutes after she was born, Toadling was swapped for a changeling and spirited away to the Faerie world. Despite being whisked away from her home, she grew up feeling loved and supported by her adopted family, until the fateful day that the fae asked a favour of her. All she has to do is return to the human world and offer a blessing of protection to a human child... should be easy right? Centuries later a Knight comes across a towering wall of Brambles, he's heard the stories, of a Princess trapped in a tower, a curse that needs breaking. Only this is one curse Toadling will do anything to uphold.

For such a small story this certainly packs an emotional punch, something that shouldn't surprise me because Kingfisher is a master in storytelling. Told solely from Toadlings POV the story flits between her present time ensuring the curse and the person who is under it stay locked in the tower, and her past which show the events leading to now. Toadlings story is both a mixture of happy and sad. Whisked away from her human life, she was taken in by the greenteeth - swamp dwelling creatures in the land of faerie - who raised her as if she was one of their own and introduced her to the world of magic. When she finds herself returning to the human world, she is woefully unprepared for what awaits her, especially when her blessing goes awry and she finds herself the keeper of a child who takes pleasure in harming others. Toadling was such a brilliant character, despite being over 200 years old she still reads as if she was a young person on the cusp of adulthood, and being of two worlds, she spends a good portion of the book longing to return to her family of Greenteeth, whilst also wanting to explore more of the human world.

Being such a small book, Kingfisher keeps our cast of characters small - we spend the most time with Harim, the Knight who stumbles upon Toadlings tower and who is determined to break the curse that's keeping her there. He was your typical Kingfisher male character, someone who is both dangerous and a little broken and I couldn't help but laugh at all his instances of telling Toadling how his mother would scald him for swearing, or not treating her correctly. I also enjoyed the little time we got to spend in the fae world with Toadlings family of Greenteeth. Her description of them certainly gives off a slightly sinister vibe, but you can feel the love she has for these creatures who took her in despite her human birth.

Thronhedge was such a brilliant take on the 'beautiful Princess stuck in a tower, cursed by an ugly witch/faerie' and I adored how she threw the traditional ideals of beauty on their head. Kingfisher really focuses on the idea that beauty is subjective in this book. Toadling, knows she isn't beautiful in the traditional sense, and she knows the family she grew up with would more likely scare people than amaze them with their beauty, but she also knows that looks aren't all that matters, it's whats inside, someone's behaviour and how they act to and around others that really showcase their beauty. Kingfisher still manages to give us all the fairy tale vibes that we yearn for, but she takes the traditional style and throws it out of the window, making it slightly more feminist and showing that beauty is not what makes somebody good or bad, a trend I am seeing crop up more and more recently and one that I love.

If you're looking for a quick and easy read, but one that still packs an emotional punch and gives off big fairy tale vibes, I can't recommend this enough. I would love to return to this world, especially if we get to explore the fae side a little more, and I loved how open ended Kingfisher left the story. I have yet to find a book by Kingfisher that I haven't adored, and I can't wait to pick up whatever she writes next.

I love everything T. Kingfisher has written and this was no exception! The characters are just so fresh and interesting. I was honestly upset that this wasn’t longer. I want to know more about the world and hear more of the story. Overall I really enjoyed it!

As they did with Nettle & Bone, Kingfisher takes us again into a gloriously warped fairy tale where the traditional main characters lurk in the background, and the usual secondary characters become the stars. Toadling is a beautiful, sweet (yes, sweet - you'll understand if you read the acknowledgement) heroine who you will want to pick up and envelope in a huge hug, and Halim is the hero that you wish all stories had. Together they will battle brambles and bricks and an evil beauty who would prefer to break them to pieces. Kingfisher takes the fairy tale retelling genre and makes it entirely their own with this beautifully original story.

it's been a while (it seems to me) since i posted a review. i promise i'm still reading! april has been a busy training month, so reading at my usual fast rate has taken a bit of a backseat. BUT i recently finished t. kingfisher's upcoming sleeping beauty retelling 'thorn hedge' and quite enjoyed it! the story follows toadling, a woman stolen to the faerie world on the day she was born and raised in faerieland. years later, she must return to the human world to give a gift to the changeling that took her place (time moves differently in faerieland, just roll with it). but when the gift goes wrong, everything changes. centuries later, a knight approaches the tower that toadling protects with her life, a tower surrounded by thorns. the knight is here to break a curse, but toadling will do everything in her power to keep the curse in place, for the safety of everyone.

this novella was short & sweet, and had a great story at its heart. it was so fun to read a retelling that completely flipped the script of who we think of as good and evil. perhaps the witch wasn't so wicked after all? there were some kind of gruesome moments (expected from a horror novel writer), but overall this was in line with lots of other retellings. definitely pick this one up when it's released this summer!